NZ Trucking Magazine, March 2023

DAF BULKY DONE TO THE FINEST DETAIL

Official magazine of the

Long Haul Publications

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An Ongarue Transport Freightliner Argosy powers north past the Eight Mile Junction weighbridge on SH4 with a load of sheep bound for the Te Kuiti sale. Photo: Craig McCauley.

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

52 Just Trucking Around 54 Unsung Heroes

FIELD EDITOR

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

58 Where’s that Road

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

68 Million Mile Club

SUB EDITOR

PRODUCTION MANAGER

Tracey Strange

Ricky Harris

CONTRIBUTORS

ART DIRECTOR

Craig Andrews Marty Crooks Faye Lougher Craig McCauley Jacqui Madelin Alison Verran Mike Verran Shannon Williams

John Berkley

Niels Jansen (Europe) Paul O’Callaghan

PUBLISHER

(Europe)

Howard Shanks (Australia)

Will Shiers (UK) VIDEO PRODUCTION

60 New Rigs 66 New Bodies and Trailers 70 Wanaka Memory

36 BOMBAY TRUCK SHOW Big Day Out

72 Aussie Angles – Tatra 8x8 Bushwhacker 76 International Truck Stop – War-era Mack 80 Craig’s Truckin’ Snapshot 82 Mini Big Rigs – Weathered and wonderful

DIGITAL IMAGING

Willie Coyle

84 Little Truckers’ Club

DIGITAL MANAGER

86 What’s On/Cartoon

Louise Stowell OFFICE ADMINISTRATION

Georgi George

Long Haul Publications Ltd 511 Queen Street, Thames 3500 PO Box 35, Thames 3500

42 HAVING YOUR CAKE Euro Style in the Suburbs

Jonathan Locke Izaak Kirkbeck Milly McCauley Howard Shanks

New Zealand Trucking magazine is published

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

Complaints are to be first directed to: editor@ nztrucking.co.nz with “Press Council Complaint” in the subject line. If unsatisfied, the complaint may be referred to the Press Council, PO Box 10 879, The Terrace, Wellington 6143 or by email at info@ presscouncil.org.nz

48 EVERY BOX TICKED

Canterbury DAF Spotless as They Come

Further details and online complaints at www.presscouncil.org.nz

SUBSCRIPTIONS / RATES:

6 months (6 issues) $52 One year (11 issues) $99 Two years (22 issues) $175 1 Year Australia (11 issues) $198

ABC Audited circulation 7092 as at September 2017 Nielsen audited readership 74,000 average per issue, Q4 2021 – Q3 2022

www.nztrucking.co.nz/shop/ Post: NZ Trucking Subscriptions PO Box 12028, Hamilton 3248

Ph: 0800 truckmag (878256)

90 Moving Metrics 94 Incoming Cargo – Andreas Gorbach 98 Vipal’s Knowing your Tyres 100 Road Ahead Conference 104 Product Profile – NAPA 106 Business Profile – YHI energy 108 Profile – vWork 110 Carriers’ Corner 112 Truckers’ Health 114 Health & Safety 116 Legal Lines 118 NZ Trucking Association 120 Transporting New Zealand 122 The Last Mile BROUG HT TO Y OU BY

82 COMPLETING THE RIG Weathered U.S. Hay Hauler

20

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Fleet No.49 cuts its own path in the Road Metals fleet.

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EDITORIAL

A

ROAD TO RECOVERY

W

ell, where to even start…

In an earlyFebruary EDM editorial, I wrote of the need for resilience to be engineered into New Zealand’s roading infrastructure after the impact on the northern parts of the country by Cyclone Hale in mid-January and the week of heavy rain that followed Auckland Anniversary weekend. With the country’s northern regions still summing up the damage, Cyclone Gabrielle arrived and, within four days, wrought all kinds of havoc on the North Island’s inhabitants.

Other than the comparatively huge scale of devastation left in Gabrielle’s wake, a notable difference between the two extreme weather events were the responses. Following the week of continual rain, flooding and slips, there was a widespread call for government action into investment and resilience engineering of the country’s roading and transportation infrastructure. I also made those calls in that EDM editorial, and I stand by them as much as ever.

Gabrielle, though, was a

different beast. Yes, whole regions were entirely cut off due to slips, fallen trees and road damage and yes, that need for investment and resilience remains firm – but there was a wholly different mood in the weeks following Gabrielle. The widespread impact on people’s lives and livelihoods was undoubtedly the bigger story.

The numbers, tolls and costs were frightening, but given the fast-changing nature of the event, any stats published as I write this will have changed by the time you read it – hopefully for the better in as many instances as possible. There have been so many updates and reports and so much analysis and commentary over the days that it’s all a bit overwhelming, but a few things have stood out.

The human and community spirit has been heartening and uplifting to behold in times of tragedy. From single, similarly affected individuals to widespread community drives, South Island entities sending supplies, and many more besides… In the same breath, the heroic, tireless effort by the responders and search and rescue teams

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– many of whom as we know are volunteers – and international assistance… It’s amazing how nature has a way of reminding humanity what’s really important. When the clean-up efforts began, leadership and determination came to the fore, especially among private enterprise.

Some stories we’ve heard of affected operators in our own industry have once again illustrated the steely resolve of New Zealand’s road transport sector.

Then, the effort by Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency and its contractors to reopen affected sections of road and restore access to stricken communities as quickly as possible is nothing short of praiseworthy. Within days, the agency had reopened half of the more than 30 individual sections of affected state highway in the North Island – likewise, the various utility providers with the mammoth task of restoring power and telecommunications infrastructure. Unfortunately, here I must mention the added struggle these entities have faced by a good-fornothing element of society who see opportunity in adversity for nothing but

D

•

• personal gain. There have been reports of opportunistic looting, stolen generators, and roadworkers having firearms pointed at them – it’s pathetic and appalling, and that’s all I’ll say about it now.

Moving on, it’s also been encouraging to see Chris and Christopher aligned on the need for increased infrastructure investment and the rebuilding of transport infrastructure with the resilience to withstand similar extreme weather events. While each will undoubtedly be managing their response to the situation with 14 October in mind, I sincerely hope Gabrielle’s aftermath is enough to turn these comments into real commitment. Despite costs expected to be “in the $13 billion region”, Finance Minister Grant Robertson’s words have been similarly aligned, so let’s see.

If now’s not the time, then when?

Gavin Myers Editor

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READERS LOVING NZ TRUCKING The Nielsen National Readership Report for Q1 2022/Q4 2022 shows New Zealand Trucking magazine is in a strong market position.

The publication’s average readership – the number of people who read a ‘typical issue’ within the period – showed a significant increase, going from 74,000 readers in Q4 2021/Q3 2022 to 81,000 in the latest survey.

That figure accounts for 2% of New Zealanders 15-plus (4,153,000).

“For the past decade at least, the sentiment ‘print is dead’ has been bandied about. At New Zealand Trucking Media, we’ve never believed that – our print publication will always be at the centre of our work,” says New Zealand Trucking editor Gavin Myers.

“The latest readership survey numbers bear this out and prove there’s still the need, want and desire among New Zealand’s trucking enthusiasts and operators for a quality monthly publication.

“From the team at New Zealand Trucking Media, thanks to everyone who parts with their hard-earned dollars to enjoy New Zealand Trucking magazine.”

8 New Zealand Trucking March 2023

AUSTRALASIA’S FIRST ELECTRIC MERCEDES-BENZ TRUCKS

T

he first all-electric Mercedes-Benz trucks bound for Australia and New Zealand have rolled off the production line.

Mercedes-Benz Trucks will begin a local validation programme for the zeroemission eActros in Australia and New Zealand this year.

An all-electric eEconic will also be subject to a validation programme in Australia.

One eActros will operate in New Zealand, while four eActros and one eEconic electric trucks will operate with a wide range of fleets in Australia.

The focus of the eActros is heavy-duty shortradius distribution, and development trucks have been working away nearsilently in select fleets in Europe since 2018.

The eEconic has been in operation in Europe since last May, and the Australian and New Zealand models will be used for waste collection in urban areas.

The eActros and eEconic are largely built on the same lines as diesel-powered trucks at the Mercedes-Benz Trucks factory in Worth, Germany, with this flexibility ensuring efficient production.

The trucks are then transferred to the Future Truck Centre area and equipped with electric-drive components.

Globally, Daimler Truck is committed to advancing battery-electric technology for trucks and buses but is also working on hydrogen fuel-cell technology.

Mercedes-Benz Trucks says it is keen to move forward with battery-electric technology, but it is also continuing to help traditional internal combustion engine customers drive down their emissions.

Turn to page 94 for more.

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NEW COOK STRAIT FERRY TO INCREASE FREIGHT CAPACITY

S

traitNZ Bluebridge Cook Strait Ferries has announced the addition of the MV Connemara to its fleet.

The new ferry is the largest of the fleet and entered service carrying passengers and freight across the Cook Strait on 16 February.

Purchased from the Stena Group, the ship arrived in Wellington after a 40-day

journey from France via the Panama Canal.

Bluebridge spokesperson Will Dady says the Connemara is an important addition to the Bluebridge fleet and New Zealand’s transport infrastructure network.

“The Connemara increases our lanemetre freight capacity by about 30%, and this, along with its passenger

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capacity of up to 500 people, will help us meet increasing demand for transport services between the two islands and help keep the country’s transport network flowing,” he says.

As well as food, free wifi and private cabins, the ship will also offer Cook Strait’s first dog-friendly cabins.

The Connemara replaces the Strait Feronia’s schedule.

ROAD NOISE NEWS

NRC PARTNERS WITH SPARTAN FINANCE NRC has joined up with Spartan Finance to offer its members lending support. In a member survey, 50% of respondents identified asset finance partners as an area for future focus.

“Spartan Finance is a great fit for NRC as the two organisations share several synergies,” says Justin TigheUmbers, CEO of NRC. “First and foremost, we both work actively for trucking firms to be successful. The road transport sector employs over 108,000 people and is responsible for 4% of the country’s workforce and 5% of New Zealand’s GDP. Not only do thousands of people rely on the sector for their livelihood nationwide – New Zealand’s entire economy is connected to the transport industry’s ongoing sustainability and success.”

Mark Williams, managing partner at Spartan Finance, says: “Part of what we do is help demystify finance. Transport operators generally have a good understanding of their business and what they believe will add value for future growth, but identifying the right finance solution is not always clear. There isn’t a onesize-fits-all lending solution available to the transport sector. Because we understand transport, we can compare multiple lender rates and terms to find the best in-market solution to meet the business’ current needs.”

As a director of the NZ Trucking Association (NTA), NRC’s partner organisation in the South Island, Williams is closely connected to the industry’s challenges and the Spartan Finance team is uniquely placed to support transport businesses to succeed.

“Spartan Finance not only helps members identify the best financial solution, they also provide guidance tailored to the specific needs of business,” says Tighe-Umbers.

“Spartan has a strong focus on making sure operators are not overextended and looks to assist operators with making the right capital decision for the phase of their business.”

10 New Zealand Trucking March 2023

RECORD YEAR FOR VOLVO TRUCKS IN 2022

V

olvo Trucks enjoyed a record year in 2022, delivering an all-time high number of its trucks and increasing its market share in 41 countries.

The global truck manufacturer had its best performance in the company’s history, delivering 145,195 trucks in 2022, an increase of 19% from 2021 when 122,525 trucks were delivered. It also increased its market share in the heavy-truck segment in 41 markets globally.

In Europe, Volvo Trucks has a market share of 18.2% and is the

market leader in several European countries. The company also increased its market shares in North America and Australia to 10.8% and 17.0%, respectively. In Brazil, Volvo Trucks increased its market share to 24.6%, becoming the market leader for the first time.

Volvo Trucks started series production of heavy-duty electric trucks in 2022 as the first global truck manufacturer to do so.

The U.S., Germany, Netherlands, Norway and Sweden are the biggest markets for Volvo’s electric trucks.

FREIGHTLINER SUPERTRUCK II UNVEILED

D

aimler Truck North America has unveiled the Freightliner SuperTruck II, which uses various technical innovations to demonstrate efficiency potential in freight transportation. As part of the SuperTruck programme, DTNA engineers research next-generation heavy-duty commercial truck technologies, technical ways for their development, and ideas for integrating them into series production.

The SuperTruck II builds on the success of 2015’s SuperTruck I. The truck surpassed expectations in aerodynamics, tyres, powertrain and energy management while doubling the freight efficiency of the base vehicle from the start of the SuperTruck programme.

Freightliner engineers were able to reduce the aerodynamic drag of SuperTruck II by more than 12% over SuperTruck I. The redesigned hood, bumper and chassis fairing allow the air to flow undisturbed around the truck. The grille, air intakes and doors were redesigned to be as seamless

and clean as possible. Active side extenders and a roof spoiler system close the trailer gap by up to 10cm at highway speeds, and an enhanced aerodynamic height control lowers the truck just centimetres off the ground for additional aerodynamic improvements. By removing the exterior mirrors and integrating a mirrorless camera system, the aerodynamic drag of SuperTruck II was significantly reduced.

SuperTruck II features the most efficient powertrain Freightliner has ever integrated into a truck. It enables a 5.7% fuel-consumption reduction over SuperTruck I. A 48V electrical system using lithium-ion batteries allows for decreased fuel consumption.

A new electric air-conditioning system consumes 50% less energy than SuperTruck I and continues operations while the engine is turned off.

Brand-new, specifically engineered tyres reduce vehicle energy consumption and maintenance downtime due to minimised wear and tear.

GREEN COMPACT TO DECARBONISE AND BUILD BETTER ROADS The Green Compact decarbonisation framework was launched in Auckland during February by industry body Transporting New Zealand. It aims to enable the industry to take decarbonisation into its own hands and prioritise the transition. Better roading is among the key pillars.

“Transport makes up around 20% of New Zealand’s emissions, and heavy vehicle emissions make up around a quarter of that amount. We know that green freight technology is going to accelerate quickly, however full decarbonisation could still be decades away,” says Transporting New Zealand CEO, Nick Leggett.

“That is why our Green Compact emphasises practical, immediate methods to lower emissions – the ‘low hanging fruit.’ These enduring principles will guide our industry on its policy approach to officials and successive Governments.”

Leggett said that emissions can be reduced today through fuel efficient driving, larger vehicles in key freight areas, and efficient logistics.

“Better roading design and quality will not only lower emissions, it will make our transport system far more resilient so that we can withstand extreme weather events.”

These pillars together play an important part in CO2 reduction, along with the growing number of smaller battery electric trucks on the road and hydrogen vehicles entering service.

Transporting New Zealand adapted the Green Compact from the International Road Transport Union (IRU), which represents 3.5 million road transport companies across the globe.

Transporting New Zealand’s commitment to the Green Compact aligns New Zealand’s road-freight sector with global industry efforts to reduce emissions.

“It’s up to industry to show we’re acting in the here and now. That means doing what we can to reduce emissions and embracing sustainable practices, and supporting the government to build back roads that will withstand the weather, and keep people safe. We are not waiting passively for regulation or technology to determine the future,” says Leggett.

ROAD NOISE NEWS

FUSO CANTER CELEBRATES

60TH

ANNIVERSARY

F

uso is celebrating the 60th anniversary of its Canter light truck.

Since its market launch in 1963, more than 4,500,000 Canters have been produced worldwide.

Over the years, the Canter has developed an identity as a safe, comfortable and environmentally friendly companion to drivers and

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businesses. The firstgeneration Canter entered the Japanese market in March 1963 as the T720 cabover model.

As early as the 1960s, Fuso expanded sales of the Canter into various international markets and became a leader in the light-truck segment in key markets worldwide. In Indonesia, one of Fuso’s

first overseas markets, the Canter has maintained the top market share in the lighttruck segment for the past 48 years.

Currently, the Canter is produced locally in CKD plants in 12 markets and is sold in more than 70 countries worldwise.

In 2017, Fuso launched the eCanter, Japan’s first mass-produced electric

truck in the light-commercial vehicle segment. The completely redesigned nextgeneration all-electric truck model was unveiled in 2022.

As New Zealand Trucking reported last month, the New Generation eCanter will go into series production in 2023 at the Fuso plants in Kawasaki, Japan, and Tramagal, Portugal.

ROAD NOISE NEWS

BIG SHAKE-UP PROPOSED FOR TRANSPORTING NEW ZEALAND

T

ransporting New Zealand has unveiled a proposed restructure to reduce administrative costs and make it more democratic.

Association chair, Warwick Wilshier (pictured), said it would unify the four regions into one national structure.

The new proposal will allow every member to vote for representation on a new Road Transport Industry Council.

The organisation’s rules will ensure the council has representatives from all parts of the country.

The proposal will reduce the administrative costs and duplication associated with managing its five existing incorporated societies.

“Our current regional

structure focuses us on administration and issues rather than looking outward and how we solve the problems confronting our members. We want to bring local operator issues and priorities to the national level so solutions can be found through a new council and the successful work of our sector groups,” Wilshier says.

“The assets of each region will be ringfenced and controlled by the directly member-elected Road Transport Industry Council. We will be able to focus our expenditure on providing better services to our members rather than duplicating work in every region.”

Besides the board and three member representatives, two independent directors will be brought into the fold to provide “fresh thinking” and grow the organisation. Wilshier says the core features of Transporting New Zealand will be maintained.

“The focus of Transporting New Zealand is to continue to create the environment where road transport operators can drive successful, safe, and sustainable businesses.”

While the proposal is a consultation draft, Wilshier says that to be ready for a future collaboration with National Road Carriers and New Zealand Trucking Association, “it’s really important we get our own

house in order first”, and that the long-term aim is still to form a single national organisation between the competing road freight bodies.

“But we want to improve what we do for our members and the wider industry now.

We hope that by making these changes, Transporting New Zealand will be streamlined and ready when the chance comes around again.”

Wilshier says membership associations must move with the times to stay relevant and keep growing. “We can’t organise ourselves in the same way we did decades ago.”

Find the full proposal at the association’s website, transporting.nz

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ROAD NOISE NEWS

DAF STARTS EV TRUCK ASSEMBLY FACTORY

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AF is expanding its production facilities with a new electric truck assembly factory in Eindhoven, with New Generation DAF XD and XF Electric production starting in the second quarter of the year.

DAF expects production to rise to several thousand vehicles per annum over the next few years, in line with the increasing demand for fully electric trucks.

The DAF XD and XF Electric were launched at the IAA fair in Hanover in September 2022. The fully electric PACCAR drivelines deliver between 170 and 350kW (210 to 480hp). DAF also offers a

choice of battery packs using a modular approach. The smallest pack contains two ‘strings’, which together have a capacity of 210kWh, and offers a range of up to 200km.

The largest has 5 ‘strings’ with a capacity of 525kWh and can achieve a range of more than 500km. The electric trucks are equipped for rapid charging, and the largest battery pack can be charged from 0% to 80% in just over 45 minutes.

The basis for each newgeneration electric DAF truck is a so-called glider, a chassis without a driveline but with a cab. The glider is manufactured on DAF’s main truck production line. The

4x2 and 6x2 rigids and 4x2 tractors are then completed to XD and XF Electric trucks in an eight-step process on the brand’s electric truck assembly production line.

The new factory has two assembly lines. The battery packs are assembled on the sub-assembly line, while all high-voltage components, including batteries and driveline, are mounted on the chassis on the main assembly line. Thorough checks are

then carried out at the final stations to ensure the truck is in perfect working order.

The modular drivelines mean the XD and XF Electric can be tailor-made. In addition to the availability of two PACCAR EX motors, the battery packs can also be mounted in different positions on the chassis, depending on the customer’s requirements.

This guarantees maximum flexibility for bodybuilders.

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ROAD NOISE NEWS

HVS TO DEVELOP WORLD’S FIRST SELF-DRIVING HYDROGEN HGV

H

ydrogen Vehicle Systems’ (HVS) consortium Hub2Hub, has been awarded £6.6 million (NZ$12.47 million) to develop and deliver an autonomous zero-emission heavy-goods tractor unit for the British market.

The £12 million (NZ$22.68 million) venture has been selected by the Centre for Connected Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV) as a recipient for its joint industry and government-funded project with the aim of showcasing the potential of autonomy in the transportation sector with unprecedented levels

of efficiency, safety and operational cost savings for logistics operators. It will also provide new employment opportunities.

HVS will receive £3.4 million (NZ$6.42 million) as one of seven grants from the CCAV and Connected and Automated Mobility (CAM) programme.

The consortium, made up of HVS, Fusion Processing and ASDA, will build two prototype vehicles that will allow level-4 autonomous driving. It will begin trials in 2024 with British retailer ASDA. The first hydrogen-electric

HGV prototype will be fitted with a driver’s cab and tested on the road in autonomous operation, using Fusion Processing’s automated drive system, CAVStar, with a human safety driver at the wheel. The second prototype will have the driver’s cab removed and replaced by an aerodynamic fairing. During the project, this vehicle will be evaluated on test tracks, with the CAVStar system in this

application allowing a remote human driver, located in a control hub, to operate the vehicle.

Together, these two prototypes point to an optimised future logistics system where vehicles could be operated in autonomous mode on a hub-to-hub route, with a remote driver then taking control to drive the vehicle from the hub to its destination.

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PRINCIPLES IN

STONE

Few companies love doing what they do more than that icon of the south, Road Metals, and few in their line of work could claim to have handled more rubble. However, the latest addition to the Road Metals fleet looks a little different, and doesn’t always head out the gate for the same reason the others do.

Story by Dave McCoid Photos and video by Gavin Myers, Claudia Long, and Dave McCoid

W

e now know the answer to the question is… lots! He bought

lots.

The question was put to Road Metals founder Stan Francis well over half a century ago. Tongue-in-cheek, a mate asked, “How much of that brown paint did you buy?”

Brown. Not generally regarded as a colour that ignites the senses, and rarely even the bridesmaid, much less the bride. Unless, of course, you’re a Kiwi truck buff, and then it’s one of the great tinctures, instantly associated with the company Stan built, one his posterity continue to develop today.

What it tells you is livery is merely a reflection of reputation and intent. Imbue an identifiable culture with principles you determine, insist on a level of presentation almost at odds with the core activity, strive for a company people will enjoy doing

business with, and humble brown transforms into a rockstar hue.

Which brings us to the Volvo FM540 sleeper cab parked in front of us at Road Metals’ Yaldhurst quarry. One of a bevvy of FMs coming into the business over the next few months, it looks as swanky as any of its siblings or predecessors ever have in the famous brown and cream, yet there’s something not quite the same with this one. While any Road Metals truck will likely induce a second look, No.49 will likely prompt a third, maybe even a prolonged stare, as it disappears up the road.

Firstly, an 8x4 tractor with a standard sleeper, airmanagement roof kit and cab side skirts, it shouts more linehaul than quarry. Second, although it sports the iconic branding of its owners, it also wears the Kiwi Cement brand, the supply arm of Kiwi Concrete, also a Road Metals subsidiary.

20 New Zealand Trucking March 2023

And therein lay the answer.

No.49 was bought as both a bulk cement distributor, and aggregate carriage.

“We had a few thoughts about painting and branding on it,” says Dan Francis, Road Metals’ general manager and a third generation in the family business. “We initially intended it to go into Kiwi livery, but then thought the reputational capital of the brown and cream would be a great support for the Kiwi brand.

Not everyone realises the connection. There are some big names in the concrete industry, and as Kiwi continues to grow, we want people to know there’s a longstanding, stable history behind it. We’ve put the Kiwi Cement on the air kit just to assist in the linkage.

It has actually come up better than we thought it might.

“The truck has taken a while to get here – it’s just the times we live in. We had to adjust the paint lines on the roof pelmet, and the centre stripe.

Volvo felt the white should run with the pelmet and window lines, but we wanted our traditional lines kept as they are.”

The Volvo made it to last November’s TMC Trucking Industry Show in Christchurch in the nick of time and certainly attracted a lot of attention, largely centred on the presence of that sleeper cab. For all of Road Metals’ cool truck history, sleeper cabs haven’t featured heavily, and No.49 is only the second Viking to arrive with one, the other a G88 driven by 47-year company veteran Lindsay Forbes, who is today quarry manager at Yaldhurst.

“The reason for the sleeper

is largely cosmetic,” says Dan. “Bruce won’t have to sleep in it, but towing the cement tanker with the yawning gap needed between the cab and tank to get the first-to-last axle distances right, meant a day cab would have looked odd. A bit of length in the cab helped bridge that visual void.”

That’s a fair call, and a real bonus. Bunks are great for tucking bags and guff out of the way, and external lockers are a godsend for keeping aggregate and cement from getting inside.

The only constant is change The driver of the latest addition is Bruce Weaver, a 36-year

veteran of the road who has been at Road Metals just over two years.

Bruce came out of a Mack Trident truck and trailer for the Volvo, with 60,000km spent on a Mack CH while the Volvo was going through its extended gestation. “She’s here now,” laughs Bruce.

“Bruce will supply cement to the Kiwi Concrete batching plants here in Yaldhurst, as well as our sites at Kaikoura, Twizel, Clyde and Oamaru,” says Road Metals’ Christchurch transport manager Aaron McGrath.

“He’ll also cart lime back into the pug plant here [Yaldhurst].”

Although Bruce and the Volvo will be kept increasingly

busy on the cement work, there are always times when, for whatever reason, things are quiet. As such, the Volvo was rigged for all manner of tasks and could easily be seen towing a tipulator around land development and infrastructure jobs in the Garden City, or a bottom-dump semi on regional roading.

We’d seen the FM at Christchurch, so knew what to expect, yet it had the same magnetic effect two months later when we met Bruce at the Yaldhurst yard on a grey summer morning. It’s a truck you walk towards instantly because it’s slightly different from what you expect to see in the Road Metals cloak… its

cab, the air-kit branding, the tanker… “Ooooh, it is neat, eh?”

The cement tanker is not new – a 1998 Kockums. Bruce also has another tanker able to cart lime that he uses when servicing the pug mill from Oamaru.

Okay, let’s just call a halt at this point and get rid of the elephant in the room for those of you who, like us, had no idea what the hell ‘pug’ was.

Pug is a lime/cement/water composite mix that’s the roading equivalent of bog. If you have a crack or a hole, you pour pug in, and it sets like concrete.

Moving on...

The plan was to hook a

The connection plate is super tidy and points to the Volvo’s ‘go anywhere, do anything’ capabilities – the toolbox neatly tucked in behind it and the cab. An 8x4 tractor, every inch was needed kitting the chassis. The blower pipe is in its keeper position at the front. Tidy!

brand-new four-axle unit behind the Volvo, but as has been the case for everyone in recent history, bugs and tyrants in this silly old world have got in the way.

Dan explains: “Our cement supplier went out of business. We bought the assets – two semis and a couple of trucks – and decided to import our cement ourselves and take ownership of our supply lines. We had a timeline in place, but supply chain disruptions caused

by Covid and everything else that’s going on meant the lead time for the gear started to get pushed out, and the supply chain for the

product also became less predictable. In the end, the pieces on the chessboard were moving every day, so we thought, ‘Bugger it! Let’s rule an underline on the page and start again.’ So, we’ve got the truck now, and we’ve spruced up one of the existing trailers, the other’s getting done shortly.

Currently, we’re sourcing our cement from Golden Bay and Holcim, and we’ll just let the broader plan come together as things normalise.”

Between a rock and a hard case Bruce Weaver is one of those blokes who ensure life is never

dull in a transport company.

You know the sort; the guy who gives the Volvo drivers stick when he drives a Mack, and once he’s assigned a Viking of his own, happily points out the platform nature of the Mack product to those in the pound. He’ll tell Trident driver Matt Frame that he’s going to put Volvo mudflaps on the tipulator they share – just for the wind-up value. He has a yarn with anyone and everyone, and everyone’s an equal through eyes hardened from a life on the road. The cynicism and gravely laugh form a humorous backdrop to an industry he loves deep down, warts and all. A type

whose company we’ve always enjoyed immensely. Suffice to say, a great couple of days were in store.

Our first mission was carting rock from the Waimakariri River to a residential development in Burwood in the city’s northeast – about a 12km lead, half you’d call urban-rural and the rest pure urban residential. It’s typical of many Road Metals jobs in the current era, especially in the wake of Christchurch’s recent past.

“It keeps things interesting,” says Bruce. “Both jobs are good because jobs like this can go a long time, so the cement tanker is an escape.

A typical Road Metals and South Island scene, trucks carting off a braided river bed.

This one’s a highway truck first and a gravel truck second, so I’ve got to be careful. The front is quite low. It’s on mechanical suspension, so I can’t lift it up or anything fancy. It’s just a case of being aware. It certainly doesn’t take much for the front flaps to rub.”

With its constantly selfdestructing mountainous spine discharging millions of tonnes of rubble into the river catchments every year, harvesting rock from the rivers has been ‘a thing’ in the South Island since forever. Like many of its peers, it is a practice Road Metals has engaged in since its inception.

For a lad from the north,

heading out into the guts of a braided river with a digger harvesting material into long berms is too much fun.

“This is just a river-run job,” says Bruce, meaning no further processing or crushing was required. The material was going, as extracted, and used for heightening the base layer at the delivery site.

The loading operation looked deceptively easy and was located at the other end of the berm to the digger. With about 10 trucks in the loop, each was gone within minutes of arriving, courtesy of the Volvo L180H making a max of four passes for the biggest units.

Gently up Diversion Rd.

At 403kW (540hp) the FM was under no pressure whatsoever, carting the 21 tonne on its back. With the cement trailer on, the current gross of 44 tonne equates to 9.2kW/tonne (12.3hp), and even if that’s pushed out to 50 tonne with a bigger semi, that’ll still come in at 8.1kW/ tonne (10.8hp). Mechanical stress should not feature heavily in the FM’s life.

On this job, we were operating somewhere in the 11.5kW/tonne (15.4hp).

Once upon a time, this type of work was hard yakka in the cab, with the clutch pedal and gear lever a blur for much of the day, week and

month. Go back to crashboxes and servicing the urban task list for the heavier endof-road transport really was the domain of cog-swapping artisans. If that wasn’t you, the days must have been long and disheartening.

Now, in the era of the I-Shift et al., those days are long gone. What an irony that in an age where technology has made the industry far more accessible to more people, the shortage of drivers is its greatest problem.

Even without a dual clutch, the 12-speed Road Metals machine glided through the city; all the gear selection decisions taken out of the

Tipping off in town. Right: Crossing the Yaldhurst weighbridge.

driver’s hands, and the cogswapping itself, sublime. The biggest issue on Bruce’s mind is deciding whether 18° is more comfortable than 20° and with in-cab noise recorded at about the 67dB, you can almost hear that decisionmaking process happening.

There certainly wasn’t much else making a racket.

The FM’s a nimble critter even in 8x4 configuration.

Yes, it is a tractor unit, which is an advantage, but in 2023, the price for twin rudders should not be a compromised

steering lock.

The short tipulator was about the same length as the tractor, and even though a unique look, it meant the whole unit had about the same wheel track as the Chevy Z71 Silverado we were driving around Christchurch in November. We imagined how cool this combo would look with a simple trailer in tow also… just what truck buffs do, eh?

From a narrow urban street lined with cars, the tip site was accessed down a tight

wee track between shops – nothing to see here for the Road Metals crew. A steady procession of the fleet filed in before turning, backing up, and tipping over the edge of the new base level. Being new ground, the pad was ‘green’ and succumbed slightly to the weight of the trucks, like a really light person on a super firm inner-sprung mattress.

Again, Bruce was cautious of the Volvo’s front end.

As a rule, he’s reluctant to open the windows on site if he can help it. Being the

fastidious type, he’s not a fan of grubbiness inside, and because it’s built so well, he says the Volvo has a real penchant for allowing just that.

“I think the seal on the cab is so good there’s a real pressure difference between the inside and outside. When you open the window, the air rushes in.

You can feel it.”

Speaking of windows, it’s the one area Bruce finds mildly annoying. “They don’t come down far enough. The one on the previous model came down further. It’s the low cab

Crossing the Ashley River Bridge on SH1.

and steeply raked sill line not allowing room in the door to accommodate all that glass.”

A couple of loads done, and we were sent to grab a transfer load from Yaldhurst to the company’s site on Diversion Road, off the south Eyre Road on the northern side of the Waimakariri. Yes, folks, in the same vein as logs, not all stones are equal, and transfers between sites to allow the manufacture of specific blends are not uncommon. It makes you wonder what archaeology actually tells us. If the world has indeed been through more

advanced states than we give it credit for, time spent deducing the flow of history from the patterns of stone placement might be better spent at the pub.

Indoor/outdoor flow As with several OEM launches, the new FM, FH, FH16, and FMX range that arrived in March 2020 came with a fanfare more subdued than deserved.

The FM was the big beneficiary, with a whole new cab to bring it in line with the FH. The FH got the new dash,

Rock and roll – the two lives of fleet No.49.

and there were tricked-up adaptive headlights on the FH16.

Volvo has found the driver an extra 1m3 of interior space in the FM, and it shows, especially forward and overhead. There’s now even more in a truck that wasn’t shy on interior room to start with. It feels like a big cab down low, and even though the Road Metals machine isn’t a ‘Globey’, it has an open and airy feel enhanced by the offside sleeper window.

Visibility is panoramic, with a big, deep screen and big door glass. The near-straight

A-pillars make left/right clearance past Volvo’s excellent mirror set-up easier than previously.

Both the big Scandinavians have had a proper go at sorting clearance visibility in their current models. It’s been the bane of the modern ultra-safe truck generally, and they’ve got it about as good as you could expect without deploying a camera and screen.

There’s plenty of storage space overhead and around the central console, as well as a cup, bottle and document tray between the seats. In

Rolling through Amberley. fact, we counted six specific spaces for cups or bottles, so maintaining hydration shouldn’t be an issue.

Bruce doesn’t have a fridge but has one of his own that sits on the passenger footwell when the pesky New Zealand Trucking crew aren’t annoying him.

As we said last June in the TSL FH16, the new dash is a place we feel far more at home with – a true binnacle and wrap set-up, although that horizontal ribbon tachometer still tests your capacity to take a deep breath and give your anxieties to the universe.

The Viking breaks with

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the current convention on the expansive 12in digital binnacle, placing the analytics and warning lights on the outside of the single large digital gauge that’s home to speed, fuel, and DEF levels.

It’s a refreshing layout and allows an easy demarcation of information.

The wrap is gorgeously put together, with modular configurable switch-banks as well as traction, climate, infotainment controls, and the world’s most innocuous park brake.

Speaking to the 9in infotainment screen… it looks much more at home in the FM

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than the FH, more a part of the wrap rather than the sparebridesmaid look they went for in the FH. Remember, it has that stellar double function, showing the front left offside when either the left indicator is going, or when activated by you.

Switchgear continues along the underside of the binnacle section, with headlight control at the extreme right by the door.

Attached to the seat on the driver’s left is the now iconic I-Shift controller. Surely, you have to agree that its general appearance is locked into Volvo’s 21st-century DNA?

Interestingly, we’re yet to see one with a 12in extension and Pearl Craft head.

The steering wheel is smart, with menu navigation, and speed/descending controls.

Put together as you would expect in a Volvo, it’s all very subdued and calm in neutral tones. Those who know me know I long for colour in the cabs of modern trucks, and someone in Volvo’s mattress department has dared to dabble in a lavender and terracotta fleck, albeit a barely detectable one.

The low-line FM has three steps and enough lineal grabhandle to satisfy an octopus.

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1) We like the dash – functional and unfussy. The infotainment screen looks a lot more are home in FM. 2 & 3) Classically classy in true Volvo style.

A classy looking concrete carrier, for sure.

KIWI CONCRETE HOME GROWN Top: Bruce hooks the pipe to the back of the tanker.

If your quarryman’s crack is rising above the waistband of the good Canterbury shorts when entering, it has nothing to do with access points and a challenging entry on the truck, but rather the access point for the cheese rolls on the driver.

Mixing it up Sadly, on this occasion we weren’t able to stretch our legs in the Volvo and get right out of town on a good long run, either up or down the coast, or into the South Island’s Mackenzie and Central Otago interior.

The Volvo’s averaged 44.3 litres per 100km in its short

life to date which is 2.26kpl (6.37mpg), a stark reality check on just how far the modern diesel has come, but the truth is, you could expect better from the Euro-6 such is their penchant for keeping diesel in the tank. Bear in mind also that this is a garden-fresh truck doing a lot of local work.

That said, as we often preach, the driver is still the biggest variable in truck performance, for the time being a least.

Bruce is what you might say, productively at ease, letting the FM glide around in the tachometer’s green sector, and letting the I-Shift decide which of the 12 cogs it might like to

Certainly standing out from its brethren at the 2022 TMC Trailers Trucking Industry Show in Christchurch.

A

logical progression for a quarrying and aggregate-hauling enterprise must surely be concrete. Kiwi Concrete started in 2005 in the wake of the 1997 acquisition of well-known Christchurch company Laing Concrete.

The model for Kiwi Concrete since 2005 has been consistent: quality product and outstanding service.

Although that exceptional service goal is exactly what it implies at face value, it also speaks to the other interpretation – servicing the exceptions.

“Chasing the big stuff – the mega contracts – is not our thing,” says Road Metals general manager Dan Francis. “When a customer or contractor rings up a bit stressed with the old ‘I need it this afternoon’ scenario, that’s when we say, ‘Yep, no problem’.”

As traditional and basic as those tenets might be, they’re probably more relevant than ever. There have been a couple of acquisitions along the way. Harmac Concrete in Kaikoura and Downer’s operation in Twizel were brought into the fold when opportunity knocked.

Today the company runs 14 mixers in Christchurch, six in Oamaru and two each in Twizel and Kaikoura.

The great thing about concrete trucks in New Zealand is they actually look like trucks carrying a concrete bowl, unlike their US counterparts that tend to look like concrete bowls reversing rapidly up the road driven by a man in a toilet. The mainstays of the Kiwi mixer fleet are Isuzu FYs, Hino 500s, and as you’d expect, Mack in Metro Liner guise. The Macks look exceptionally slick and add a classy point of difference to what’s often considered an assignment suited to vehicles of a more utilitarian flavour.

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

Volvo FM 540 Euro-5 – sleeper Tare: 9370kg (spec), 11,000kg operating GVM: 34,000kg GCM: 60,000kg Wheelbase: 5185mm Engine: Volvo D13C Capacity: 12.8 litre Power: 397kW (540hp) Torque: 2600Nm (1920lb/ft) Emissions: Euro-5 Transmission/clutch: Volvo I-Shift ATO2612F 12-speed Chassis: 300mm x 8mm Front axle: FAL 16 Front axle rating: 2 x 8000kg Front-suspension: Parabolic spring with shock absorber and anti-roll bar Rear axle: RTS2370A Rear-axle rating: 23 tonnes Rear suspension: Volvo RADD GR air suspension (Left) Lindsay Taylor, 47 year company veteran and today Yaldhurst quarry manager. He’s the only other person in the company beside Bruce to have driven a sleeper cab Volvo. (Centre) Aaron McGrath, Christchurch transport manager. (Right) Dan Francis, generation three in the family business and company general manager.

Brakes: Disc. ABS, EBS Auxiliary braking: Volvo Engine Brake - Plus (VEB +) Additional safety: ESC, ACC, AEBS, FCW, LDW, SCA Additional productivity: I-Roll Fuel: 1 x 450 litre DEF tank: 1 x 64 litre

deploy. “It’s a long way from a D-Series Ford lift-out-side general freight truck,” he says, Bruce’s first foray as a young fellow into truck driving proper.

Lead times on the cement run put no stress on either truck or driver, with Kaikoura return easily accomplished in a day, likewise Twizel, and Oamaru. More often than not, Bruce will run down from Twizel to the company’s coastal capital for a load back into the high country, and may even return back to Oamaru for a load of pug back up to Christchurch again. On those occasions he stays away for a night or two depending on what’s on the schedule.

Climbing wise, the Hundalee hills on SH1 South of Kaikoura, SH83 from Oamaru up the Waitaki and over the Otematata Saddle, and of course the grind into the high country on SH79 and SH8 via Geraldine, Mt Michael, and Burkes Pass pose the biggest regular obstacles.

Bruce said the truck doesn’t get below eighth on the pull up the Burkes Pass.

Life in the tranquil environs of the FM’s cab is aided immeasurably by the way the engine goes about its business, and is another reason why it’s such a joy in and around the city also. Peak torque of 2600Nm (1920lb/ft) stretches all the way from 1000 to 1400rpm, the precise point where power peaks and heads off to 1900rpm. There’s no prizes for guessing where abouts cruising speed sits.

A day in the FM and you certainly realise there’s not a long way left to go in terms of evolving momentum from combustion.

Speaks to so much It’s an enduring reality that truly successful businesses will always be built on the same principles they’ve always been built on; quality, integrity, and consistency. Set those three pillars as sacred, and culture will inevitably begin to form as the cement that binds them. It also sets you on path to being an organisation people will ‘enjoy doing business with’.

Enduring firms tend to

28 New Zealand Trucking March 2023

Wheels: Alcoa Dura-Bright Alloy Tyres: 295/80 R22.5 Electrical: 24V Cab exterior: Sleeper with steel safety cage designed to Swedish impact and ECE R29 regulations.

Spring and damper/rear air cab suspension.

Heated remotely adjustable mirrors. Remote door locking. Roof-mounted air-management kit and side skirts Cab interior: Full air, heated, driver’s seat. Sleeper – full mattress. Sky window/escape hatch.

Climate control system with carbon filter.

Infotainment with 9in screen, phone, navigation. Bluetooth

operate in the way they do on either side of the ledger. Like their customers, they seek out suppliers with similar values.

It speaks volumes when you consider that today, Road Metals has a relationship with the Volvo product that spans over 50 years.

To fleet No.49 now, the FM540 continues to demonstrate with aplomb, the qualities its famous insignia implies – quality build, performance well aligned to modern expectation, exceptional comfort, and of course safety. It’s cool that Volvo’s ‘truck for all bases’ has

been used for just that here.

Both companies face significant uncertainty ahead for the same reason. The brown and cream truck featured on the cover of New Zealand Trucking magazine in 2055, the year of Road Metals’ centenary, will not be powered by diesel if global accords signed currently are upheld.

While the machines as we know them may not endure, sticking to the philosophical pillars on which both Road Metals and Volvo have been built, will ensure both of them, do.

Bruce Weaver in the place he’s most comfortable. Behind the wheel.

A ROLLING STONE

I

“

t’s one of those companies that’s always had something about it,” says Bruce Weaver. “The gear, the presentation of the trucks…

It’s one of those places that people have always wanted to get into, I guess. I was always a bit wary about carting stones. I’ve always liked a clean truck… sort of ‘if it doesn’t shine, it ain’t mine’,” he says with a laugh.

“It’s still something even two years in that frustrates me at times. I was on the Mack centenary Trident at the time of the last Wanaka show, and we had it all polished up for that. Mack wanted to do a photoshoot straight after – it looked a million bucks. Then, next day, it was in the river carting stones to Kaiapoi, and it looked filthy by 9am. But, hey, it’s an asset, and that’s what it was bought to do. You know that’s where they spend the bulk of their life when you walk in the gate. The key to keeping them looking good is washing – regularly and often.

“Having said that, it’s still one of the reasons I came off that work and took the Volvo.

On the cement work, it stays cleaner a little bit longer.”

Born in Blenheim, 60-yearold Bruce spent much of his formative years in Auckland, attending Rangitoto Primary and Northcote Intermediate before returning to the Mainland.

“Dad was a mechanic and an extremely clever bloke. I remember him making glowplug engines from absolutely nothing, starting with steel and turning and fabricating them up. He’s 87 now, a bit old for that sort of thing, but he’s a bloody clever bloke.”

Looking to get going in the workforce, Bruce took a job at the produce markets in Timaru. “I drove the delivery truck there as part of the job. I’d always liked trucks right from young and thought it was something I might get into. Once I was behind the wheel, I thought, ‘Yep, this is a bit of me all right’, and ever since, I’ve just done the best I could.”

From there, it was a stint working in pest control and fumigation services on the port in Timaru, and then back into the trucking game at Hilton Haulage under Peter Anderson, someone Bruce would come to

respect immensely.

“I worked at Hiltons on and off for the next 22 years. Peter Anderson was a great boss.

We’ve known each other for a long time now and he’s a bloody good bloke. I’ve got a lot of time for Peter.

“My first job there was driving a D-Series Ford dropsider on a twice-daily run to Geraldine, a 70km round trip. In the season, I’d put the pea bins on and do that. I’ve pretty much done everything in my time; local, V-bins (potatoes), and linehaul all over the country.

“I’ve also done a couple of turns for TNL, working on Hiab trucks for a time while I was there. I recall a funny story about a young bloke from the office coming with me on a trip up to Ohau Station. The track to the delivery site was as you’d expect – tight and steep, with huge drop-offs and narrow bridges. On one bridge, he moved over to the centre of the cab. ‘It’s no use moving there,’ I said. ‘You’re further from an escape route than you were before.’ On the way back, he wanted to get out and walk across the

bridge. That didn’t happen…

Swissshh, we were over and gone!

“I’ve always preferred cabovers. I had three FY Hinos at Hiltons. Peter offered me a bonneted truck once, and I told him that wouldn’t be happening. That said, I ended up on a Century Class Freightliner years later in Christchurch and then the Trident when I came here.”

Two years ago, Bruce handed in his keys at Hilton and started at Road Metals.

“It’s a very different place.

You’re home almost every night – it’s really only the cement run to Twizel and Oamaru that has me away for a night or two.

“The dirty-truck thing certainly takes some getting used to, and there’s a lot of repetition in the work, as you’d expect. The cement run is good. It gets you out and on the road.

“I’ve had a varied career but always ended up on trucks again,” he reflects with a smile.

How many of us could write that last line in our life book?

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March 2023 29

Left: The first 8x4 Volvo G88, originally a 6x4. The company fitted the second steer due to issues with front axle loading. “Bloody great truck,” said Murray Francis. Right: Daddy Cool. The truck and the image that made the firm a household name across New Zealand in the 1970s. Photos: Road Metals Collection.

VIKINGS AND BULLDOGS T

he presence of Volvos and Macks at Road Metals goes back nigh on 50 of the company’s 68 years. Commers, Thames Traders, Dodges, a sizeable Foden, and Leyland Octopuses formed the core of the transport operation before the early 1970s.

“KEW Dodges able to cart six yards (4.6m3) at a time,” laughs managing director Murray Francis. “Noddy trailers [simple trailers] helped increase that, almost doubling the payload.

“Dad was an innovator, always looking to cart more.

I remember he brought a Foden 8x4, a huge truck in

the day. In fact, he reckoned we didn’t have anyone able to drive it properly, so he employed a roadtrain driver out of Australia by the name of Dave Beattie.

With its trailer, it could cart 21 yards (16.055m), and on the Otematata Saddle (SH83 between Otematata and Omarama), it would round up and pass the Dodges, grinding away in second gear with their six yards on!

“I drove most trucks, the Mack and Volvos certainly, but also time on an ERF, and before that, a Leyland Octopus – a truck I loved.”

Volvo actually beat Mack into the fleet in the form of

the legendary G88 in the early 1970s. Back in those days, the brand was represented by Dalhof and King.

“The Volvos had a huge impact when they first arrived – powerful, and much like today, they were seen as very quiet and comfortable.

I remember Stan offering me the first G88, and I turned it down after a trip saying, ‘It’s just like driving a car back and forwards all day!’

I wanted to drive a truck that sounded like a truck and asked for my Leyland Octopus back.”

Interestingly, before Bruce’s FM540, there’s only been one other sleeper cab Volvo in

the Road Metals fleet, a G88 driven by Lindsay Forbes, a 47-year veteran who manages the Yaldhurst quarry today.

The first Macks arrived for the Twizel project in 1974.

They were build Nos.54, 55, 56, and a year later, No.72.1 “They were 235hp tractors towing bottom-dump trailers on account of bottomdumpers meeting the sales tax exemption available in the era. The semis had to be permanently fixed to the trucks with chains to prevent unhooking and use on something else.”

Round two of the Macks came in 1977, this time 285hp R686s, build 154 and then

The classic modern on-site Road Metals look. The extra custom work always allows them to stand-out and sends a clear message in respect to their approach to work and life.

a truck that would send the company’s image viral…

1970s style. Driven by Peter McDowall, build No.155 was an R-Model Mack named ‘Daddy Cool’. Towing its bottom-dump combination, photographer Kevin Keppel immortalised the unit in one the country’s first commercially produced truck posters. North Otago Road Metals was on the bedroom wall of every truck-crazed kid in the country. The company was global in New Zealand.

“I drove that truck for a time, including the Cascade Creek roading job in the Hollyford,” says Murray. “I had a family on holiday stop me once – their son had recognised the truck and they wanted a picture. As always, I offered a ride to the young fella up to the end of the road where the stockpile was. Before I knew it, Dad was in the cab, too. It was the highlight of the holiday, evidently. Peter kept the truck immaculate, one of the most

fastidious operators ever. He even pin-striped the bottom dump for that picture.

“I have to say the R-Model Mack was an incredible machine for us. That first round of trucks did 800,000km with nothing beyond regular maintenance – simple trucks without the electronic complexity of today’s machines, always fixable on the side of the road if need be. You could always get them home.”

One of Murray’s all-time favourite trucks was the MC Mack, and their arrival into the fleet is an interesting yarn.

“We had two new F cab Volvos on order but were having a stoush with Volvo at the time over a warranty rebuild on a motor that had only done 90,000km. At the same time, one of the R-Models lost a motor having done about 800,000km. Ron Carpenter raised his concern that the motor hadn’t run to the 1,000,000km he had expected and offered an

engine kit if we fitted it. I remember Dad saying to him that it had done 800,000km and that’s fine, but he was insistent. That afternoon, two new Volvos became two new MC Macks.

“I drove one of the MCs and just loved it. It was like a Leyland Octopus with power.

Low, with great visibility and so much power. They were 320s, and the ‘Noddy’ trailers we had at the time only had big ball couplings. The MCs pulled them apart. One’s in the museum now, and it’s not been there that long, really – just fantastic trucks.”

Road Metals has always run a two-brand policy for trucks and machines. Volvo and Mack have been the cornerstones of the modern fleet, with preference purely based on model suitability at any given time.

“For a while there, it was very Mack dominant, but then Mack brought out the Qantum,

which was not a good truck, hence the rise of Volvo. Not that it matters now – they’re all in the same family, of course.

“I’ve never liked a rainbow fleet. It’s not a case of playing one off against the other – it’s just a case of the best fit for the job at the time and retaining two dominant brands allows a better understanding of where the market is at.”

Isuzu has found a niche in the Kiwi Concrete fleet alongside Mack, as has Hino, the latter also earning itself a solid reputation in the brownand-white fleet, servicing the six-wheeler, truck-only urban tasks.

We also spied an exceptional-looking UD Quon and simple trailer making regular passes through Yaldhurst while we were there.

The number of marques that wear the brown and cream may be limited, but the tales and adventures encompassed within their cloak are endless.

Footnotes: 1) Mack. The Life. – 2022. Gadsby, Livsey, Mansell

New Zealand Trucking

March 2023 31

Celebrating milestones is an integral part of the company’s culture. The 60th birthday celebration photo taken at the Caledonian Road premises in Oamaru. Photo: Road Metals collection.

“LIFE’S TOO SHORT!”

I

“ was playing in the sandpit with trucks and diggers when I was three, and I’m still doing it now at 68!” said Road Metals managing director Murray Francis in a podcast interview mid-last year.

Spend an hour or two in Murray’s company, and you’ll come away with a manuscript for operating a business in New Zealand – in any generation. Hardworking, people-focused, quality-driven, presentationconscious, innovative and resilient are all hallmarks of the Road Metals story, as they are of any of our iconic national brands.

“Are we allowed to talk about what’s happening in Oamaru, or is that a secret?” I asked at the time. Then came another valuable lesson.

“Absolutely. We don’t run the Secret Service. When we run our regular meetings, we start with what’s happening

and what’s going on. I like staff to be involved. I remember when I ran an earthworks job at Culverden years ago showing the operators the plans, and a foreman asked why I was doing that. ‘The next thing, they’ll want to run the job,’ he said. ‘That’s good. What’s wrong with that?’ I replied.

“Half the good ideas in a company will come from the staff. And that’s great.”

Son of Road Metals founder Stan Francis, Murray’s threeplus decades at the helm has not in any way been a beer and skittles. In fact, his entry into the highest echelon of the company was traumatic.

“Dad died in 1992 – a heart attack out of the blue. It was a huge shock. His GM, Allan McDowall, had also recently left after 26 years with the company and went to Fulton Hogan, so it was an incredibly stressful time. We’d lost our No.1 and No.2 within eight

32 New Zealand Trucking March 2023

weeks. I had to come off the trucks and machines and run the company. I remember gathering all the staff and telling them the situation – that things were a bit tight, and I needed their support and if they gave me that, I’d give them my support back.

Many at that meeting are still here today.”

As intimated, Murray Francis has surrounded himself with trucks and machinery since before he could walk. He spent every waking moment of his formative years with the company’s drivers; riding, learning, having a ball. “You have to be having fun in whatever you’re doing. Life’s too short to spend it doing something you don’t like.”

He still cites finally getting his HT and progressing from driving around the quarries and sites, into the outside world as one of the great days in his own life book. “The cop

came around home, and we had a KEW Dodge and trailer there. We did the whole thing – heavy traffic and trailer all at once. I was so excited.”

The Road Metals story begins just after the war in the Waitaki village of Duntroon.

A young Stan Francis was in the business of trapping rabbits and carting his and the pelts of other trappers to Twizel for processing. It wasn’t long before he realised there was more of a killing to be made in the transport side of the operation, and in time, he started a local generalcarrying business.

Hard work was not something Stan was shy of, and so he took the opportunity to expand early on via the acquisition of Tokarahi Transport, about 30km to the south.

Interestingly, its livery was brown and tan.

He won a local contract to cart gravel to a screen, and

1

2

3

4

1) North Otago Road Metals in 1955. The chap on the far left is not identified, in the middle is John McCoy, and on the right Theo Moynaham. 2) Road Metals managing director Murray Francis on the mic at a company open day. He still loves trucks, machines, and moving gravel as much now as he ever has. 3) A Thames Trader and ‘Noddy’ trailer hard at it, spreading metal. 4) Road Metals doing what it does best, making quality material and delivering it to the customer. This photo taken at Twizel, by Murray Francis. Photos: Road Metals collection. there appeared to be a lot less back-breaking effort in hauling something that could be tipped off. Likewise, there was a lot of government and local bodywork to be had doing it, and that meant consistent and predictable cashflow. In 1955, Stan sold the rural carrying business and started North Otago Road Metals.

“The first big job was the flood-free at Henley [between Dunedin and Milton]. We had trucks that could cart six yards at a time,” laughs Murray. “In time, we had ‘Noddy’ trailers [simple trailers].”

The young enterprise grew steadily, amassing trucks and plant. As we all know, timing is everything, and Stan couldn’t have been better placed in terms of position and strategy, with the sun about to rise on some of the largest infrastructure projects the country has ever

seen in the form of Waitaki, Manapouri, Twizel, and then Clyde.

“Twizel was really the making of us in terms of scale and dimension. The government had a scheme called Plant Advance, whereby you listed the new kit you would require, and they provided finance interest-free over the life of the contract.

For Twizel, we got four new Macks, three Volvos, a CAT 980, a Michigan 175, and a scraper.”

But Twizel was only one – the list of projects that had the North Otago Road Metals stamp of contribution against their name throughout this era of prolific construction is impressive: the Mararoa Weir project, stripping coal mines at Nightcaps in Southland, roading at Cascade Creek in the Hollyford Valley, the Opua Dam for Doug Hood, Clyde in the late 1980s early 1990s and aggregate processing

at the Manapouri second tail race tunnel. In fact, North Otago Road Metals was the largest single supplier of aggregate back in the 1980s, producing 6,000,000 tonnes of sand and aggregate for the Clyde Dam (that’s 240,000 25-tonne payloads).

It was also an era where Murray learned the family craft, running jobs from the driver’s seat, his level of responsibility increasing over time. “It’s interesting because although Oamaru-founded and based, much of our work over the years has always been outside the Oamaru area.

“It was a great period in our history, with fantastic camaraderie. Often, we’d all be away for weeks, living and working in the same place – places like the Holyford. Then when we did get time off at home, we’d go out together on Saturday night again.

Recently, I was talking to

some of the crew from then who are still here today, and we all reckon we wouldn’t change a thing.”

The company could see that once Clyde finished, there was a possiblity things might get tight, with no further projects of that scale forecast.

That being the case, in 1989, the first quarry, Yaldhurst in Christchurch, was purchased.

The move was another great example of inherent foresight. Once completed, many on the Clyde project relocated to Canterbury. In 1994, the company rebranded to Road Metals to remove the chance of any implied regional constraint in the eyes of potential customers.

Then, of course, in 1997, the genesis of Kiwi Concrete added yet another arm to the company’s construction portfolio.

Today Road Metals operates 10 quarries in Oamaru, Central Otago,

New Zealand Trucking

March 2023 33

An impressive statement. The new company facility taking shape alongside SH1 on the north side of Oamaru.

Twizel, Christchurch, and Kaikoura, while Kiwi Concrete operates in Christchurch, Kaikoura, Oamaru, and Twizel.

Sometimes, of course, fate deals you a hand you’d rather not have had, and there’s no escaping the aftermath of the Canterbury earthquakes has ensured there’s been no end of work.

“Yes, it’s an awful thing and something no one ever wants to experience. I remember seeing a wave roll through the ground from the office here.

Frightening.”

Interestingly, the earthquakes themselves left the quarries unscathed.

The reality is tip trucks, concrete, aggregate and earthmoving machines are the plaster casts of infrastructure in the wake of events such as earthquakes.

Speaking to the subject of ‘some things never change’, taking a walk around the operations today demonstrates that the inherent pride in the brand and its presentation hasn’t changed. Like his father and grandfather, general manager Dan Francis started his journey in the company behind the wheel and has inherited the understanding and importance of appearance.

“I remember going out to find him one night when he was living at home. There he was at 9.15pm on a Friday, under the truck washing the diffs. That’s a bit overboard,” laughed Murray. “Dan buys the trucks now and I see the orders come over my desk and there’s a bit of extra shinny stuff. I might ask the question, but it’s great for the image and helps attract staff in this era.”

The Christchurch 2022 Christmas pic. Photo: Road Metals Collection.

Succession is well in hand, with Murray’s youngest brother, Johnny, also a shareholder, and son Dan set to take the reins.

A company that celebrates its milestones, Road Metals has now marked 40, 50 and 60 years in operation. In the not-too-distant future, 70 candles will need blowing out. “I think you have to.

It’s not easy reaching those milestones, and a lot of people put a lot into getting there. My vision is for a 100-year-plus company. I won’t be here for it, but it’s important to set the goal,” said Murray.

There’s a certain irony when a company whose life has been reshaping the land for others battles to keep its own home from being taken by the sea. But that is what has happened at Road Metals’ home address on Caledonian Street, Oamaru. “Yes, I never thought I’d see it my lifetime,” says Murray. “Some time back, we bought a plot of land on the northern side of town on SH1 in preparation for the inevitable. That came a little quicker when the old site needed new wash and refuelling facilities to meet requirements. It made no

34 New Zealand Trucking March 2023

sense to spend the money at that site. We’ve been battling the encroachment for years. It was time to give up and move on.”

Almost three score year and 10, the fabulous facility taking shape at the new site sends a clear message of intention and motivation for the run to 100 years. It proudly celebrates a home-grown brand and all that can be achieved when you love what you do.

“At the end of the day, it’s about the people – whether customers or staff. Our company mission statement is simply, ‘A company you’ll enjoy doing business with’, and that applies to everyone inside and outside the company. That’s exactly what we want Road Metals to be,” said Murray.

“Me? I’ll retire when they screw the lid down. I’m having too much fun.”

SPECIAL THANKS Road Metals is, without doubt, one of those companies that genuinely loves what it does, shown by the enthusiasm extended whenever we knock at the door. To Murray and Dan, thanks, as always, for your time, trust and the flood of images and stories.

Aaron McGrath, thanks for your time in a busy job and teeing up an awesome couple of days. To Bruce Weaver – fantastic company and a crazy level of accommodation for whatever we wanted.

And, of course, Ben Gray from Volvo New Zealand, who obviously loves the trucks he sells.

(Congratulations, Dan, from all of us.)

The Volvo FM offers an optimal combination of world-leading Comfort, Safety & Productivity - tailored to your needs by our kiwi team of engineers & designers. Truly a unique combination of global vision and local intelligence.

Learn more at volvotrucks.co.nz or call 0800 683 683.

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BOMBAY TRUCK SHOW

BIG DAY AT

BOMBAY Story and photos by Carl Kirkbeck

The anticipation was palpable, and the weather gods delivered on the day – the highly anticipated 2023 Transfleet Trailers/Allied Petroleum Bombay Truck Show was a massive success.

T

Below. A family day out for Emily, Ryan and Maia McHardy with dad Cory, seen here standing in front of TDM Construction's restored W-model Kenworth.

he Auckland truck show calendar has looked extremely sad for far too long. As we know, this was for reasons well outside of the organisers’ hands.

However, trucking enthusiasts were able to mark a big ring on the calendar around the 21st of January as they awaited the return of the Bombay Truck Show.

The week leading up certainly had us all looking to the skies, but we were not disappointed, waking to warm, settled weather with a dash of sunshine.

Arriving early to see the convoy, the stream of trucks rolling into the grounds was an impressive sight. All corners of the country were represented, and the variety on display ticked all the boxes.

There was something for everyone – from Cook Straight ferry tugs to a stateof-the-art K220 Kenworth, a hot-rod fork hoist through to heavy-haul Volvos.

Show organiser Marieka Morcombe could not be happier with the response.

“We had 280 trucks at the first show;

this time around, we hit 465. There was amazing support from the industry.

Attendance has also been incredible – somewhere in the region of 16,000 to 20,000. And seeing the number of smiling faces makes it all worthwhile.

There were loads of families enjoying the day, and that is what it’s all about.”

The show is recognised as New Zealand’s largest charity truck show, with all proceeds after expenses going to local organisations. And this year has again been very productive for the team. “It is looking like we’ll hit the $77,000 mark,” says Marieka. “We will know exactly very shortly once we have the numbers back from the accountant.

But, yes, the fun part for us is handing that on to the local charities and making a difference.”

As you will see from the photos, the effort put in by the Bombay team makes this event a must-see on any truck nutter’s calendar. All I can say is bring on 2025. We cannot wait!

New Zealand Trucking

March 2023 37

Truck shows of the future will look a little different.

Show results 2023 Transfleet Trailers/Allied Petroleum Bombay Truck Show Award

1st

2nd

3rd

Best Volvo

Graeme Wright Carriers – JSK818

Hanes – BIG700

Michielsen Transport – MAB919

Best Mack

EZY Moves – EZYDOG

Allied – MPW918

BiggSpec

Mainline Distribution – XKWX

Smiths Transport – SMITH

Kempthorne Transport – PAQ749

ORT – NQ6322

WE HALE – MEA96

Redman Hiabs Ltd – MSB548

Best Japanese

Michielsens – NBD819

Porters – PAW218

KT Cartage entrant 47

Best Western Star

Michielsens – CAK840

Hart Haulage – HGEHRT

Exaro – NWT49

Best International

Rock & Rubble – EAGLRK

Tony Galbraith – MNS556

P&L Mc William – XG5873

Best Scania

Kaitoa Haulage – KAITOA

ACE Haulage – LTSACE

Hanes – V8ASHB

Best Mercedes-Benz

Murlicht Transport – LTE43

ACE Transport – ACEH

Terence Howard – TA816

Best Freightliner

Jivan Produce – JDT136

Best Kenworth Best DAF

Best Iveco

Hi-Tech Environmental – LIAM22

SPONSORED AWARDS Rock & Rubble Best Fleet Awards

Porters

Graeme Wright Carriers

Ace Towing

Royan’s Best Classic Awards

Allen & Jackson Mills – 1974KW

Waller Bindon – Annette WB091

Powells Transport – Brendon IT8881

TATES People’s Choice Awards

R&L Beale – Driver Jason

Lane Van Den Brink Classic Kenworth

Knight & Dickey Scania Stock Truck – Driver Fisher

NZ Truck & Driver Best Tractor Unit Award

Chem Couriers – PT909

Palfinger Best Truck Mounted Crane Award

Pukekohe Hiab – BIGENF

Jackson Enterprises Best Stock Truck Award

Kempthorne – PAQ749

Waitomo Best Tanker Award

Dynes – PQF487

Quicksilver Linings Best Tipper Award

Jacksons – JACK18

UDC Finance Best New Truck Award

Wyatt Haulage – K200 Bulky

Patchell’s Best Logger Award

Beale – TEN4

TRT Endless Award (oldest working truck)

Collin Walter

Total Truck Glass Best Curtain Sider Award

Smith Transport – PBQ597

Broshmik Top Truck 1 – 1.5 million km

RE Jackson – JACK11

Broshmik Top Truck 1.5+ million km

RE Jackson – JACK18

.PYRAMID TRUCKING DRIVER AWARDS X 3 BOOFA – Caught by the CVIU travelling from Mercer to the show and got a ticket. KATELYN TRANSCAR – Legendary lady driver manoeuvred her huge truck and trailer onto a packed field. CHRIS WESTLAKE – Driver of the mini Mack.

40 New Zealand Trucking March 2023

NZT 23

The Future is now.

DRIVE THE NEW WAY.

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Our biomethane models are the ready-to-go solution for decarbonization.

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Ph 0800 FORIVECO

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Elliot Barnard 021 347 869 Sales-Lower North Island

Pieter Theron 021 347 992 Truck Sales – Auckland

Robbie Greenhalgh 022 1234 626 Sales - Waikato and Bay of Plenty

www.iveco.co.nz

20/02/23 11:57 AM

TRUCK TEST

HAVING YOUR

CAKE Story and photos by Gavin Myers and Carl Kirkbeck

A new company with a young ownerdriver needing a truck to act as a rolling billboard while fulfilling specific day-today requirements with aplomb – it’s one of those trucking scenarios that may require compromise and have many saying, ‘Well, you can’t have your cake and eat it.’

Hi Tech Environmental Waste Solutions’ Iveco Eurocargo proves otherwise.

42 New Zealand Trucking March 2023

W

e first caught wind of this unique Eurocargo ML160-280 early in 2022. In the May 2022 issue of New Zealand Trucking it appeared in the New Rigs on the Road section, having been handed over to its enthusiastic young ownerdriver Liam Sullivan just the month before. Its journey into Liam’s hands, in the colours of Hi Tech Environmental Waste Solutions, was one of inspired opportunity and impeccable timing. Most importantly, within its first year of operation, it’s proved to be the exact solution to meet Liam’s requirements.

“A lot of people were unsure of why I bought this truck,” Liam says. “But I absolutely love it.”

Liam will be familiar to long-time readers. We featured him in a Driven to Succeed article in the April 2020 issue – a then-22-year-old truckie in his first full-time driving job, moving skip bins around the City of Sails for Green Gorilla in his Fuso Fighter FK1425. It was clear back then that Liam had a good head on his shoulders, and we had a feeling it wouldn’t be the last time we’d cross paths. Two years later, we were not surprised to learn Liam had branched out to follow his own ambition, having spotted various open niches in the Auckland waste-removal market.

Some enquiries with a thoughtful mutual supplier led him to Jono Staines, owner of Hi Tech Security Disposals, a Penrosebased company providing document destruction and specialised, secure waste disposal. Jono had been interested in expanding into general skip bin hire, and it was clear he and Liam could make great partners.

After a year of operation, the pair currently has just over 200 bins in circulation, supplied by Pioneer Bins in Whangarei. Jono takes care of the Auckland region south of ‘the Bridge’ from his Penrose depot, and Liam services the northern areas from his Silverdale yard.

Among the needs Liam identified was the push north by residential builders, and, as such, he services clients up to the Wellsford/Kaiwaka area.

The second was asbestos removal, Hi Tech being one of just two companies in the Auckland area supplying it.

Finally, it was offering sameday service and, perhaps most importantly, a real focus on customer relationships.

“The thing about skip bin hire is if you can’t service a customer, they go somewhere else, so you really have to give good customer service and have the relationships.

Within the past 12 months, we’ve more than doubled the customers we started with; a lot of our work has come from word of mouth. Our main focus is customer service,” Liam says.

“There’s great fulfilment in it. It’s totally different from being handed the work by a dispatcher. You build a different customer relationship with people, too,” Liam adds.

1

Meeting needs and wants Just as fortune and good timing brought Liam and Jono together to form a mutually beneficial partnership, so it was that Liam found himself signing on the dotted line for the Iveco Eurocargo we’re featuring here. “From running the Fuso with Green Gorilla, I knew what worked and what didn’t,” says Liam. “I knew I’d be doing more long-distance jobs, so I wanted something with more comfort and space. I also needed good aftersales service to minimise downtime. I spent five months researching what I wanted – what would be good for the job.”

A fan of European gear, Liam began his search with these OEMs. A look-in at Scania, Volvo and DAF revealed the P-Series cab was too wide for the narrow

2

3 1 & 2) Backing into awkward spaces an everyday occurrence. 3) Liam drops the airbags to hook up the trailer. The trailer’s short drawbar means the crane can easily move bins between the decks.

residential driveways Liam would find himself squeezing down, the FE’s weights didn’t stack up despite having a narrower cab, and the LF wasn’t an option through Southpac. Over at Iveco, the Eurocargo was an appealing prospect, though Liam had his sights set on a sleepercab variant – the day cab left very little interior room and the shallow cab profile wouldn’t work with a skip body.

“Iveco didn’t have a sleeper in stock, so we were looking at doing a factory order. Then I got a text from salesman Pieter Theron with photos of this truck. It was a cancelled order which had just come off the boat. It was good timing, pure luck really, and I said yes then and there. That was mid2021, and I took delivery in April 2022,” says Liam.

Some engineering was required to adapt the Eurocargo to metro skipcarting duties. Liam knew the 4.1m wheelbase of his old Fuso was ideal for the job, so the Eurocargo was cut down from the 5.8m wheelbase it landed with to 4.185m. “The good thing about the Iveco’s chassis is that the chassis holes are all pre-drilled, so they were able to easily shorten it, add an off-the-shelf

On the job in the early morning.

driveshaft for the 4.185m wheelbase and cut off the overhang.

Simple.”

With that done, it was off to Harry Wheelans and his team at MF King Industries in Petone for the fit-out of the skip bin body. Here again, Liam knew exactly what he wanted.

“The first thing was a headboard behind the cab for safety. To that, we added the shovel and broom holders. I also wanted two L-sections in the deck that would stop the bin from moving side to side – that’s a problem I had with the old truck, being a flat steel deck the bin would want to move. All our bins are

by Pioneer, so we took the measurement off the bottom of the bin and added 50mm either side in case there’s one

that’s a bit out of shape,” Liam explains.

MF King also installed sixtonne rams and four-tonne top arms. “They’re more heavyduty than standard. MF King tends to fit these because it’s good for longevity, as the rams aren’t working as hard every time you’re lifting,” says Liam.

To easily control the system, Liam had a 10-function Lodar crane remote installed.

“It’s a real solid body.

MF King adds extra cross members and sandblasts it before they paint it. The prep work is good. We also weren’t too sure if we could fit toolboxes to the shortened chassis, but MF King made

it work. I’m really happy with their job, even keeping me up to date through the build and asking questions.”

A competent performer As a metro-based, short- to medium-haul vehicle, the Eurocargo ML160-280 acquits itself well. As the name suggests, it’s 16-tonne GVM rated with 205kW/279hp (rounded up to 280). Liam has registered it as a 12-tonner “because we don’t need that much weight”.

Although maximum power from the 5.9-litre Tector 6 F4A engine comes on stream at a heady 2500rpm, maximum

3

4

1

5

2

1) Handy remote to control hydraulics. 2) Reversing camera makes lining up to the narrower trailer a cinch. Overhead console also houses a folder tray and cubby. 3 & 4) Low-roof sleeper cab offers enough room for a comfortable day’s work. 5) Dash layout a mixed bag of ergonomics.

torque of 950Nm (700lb/ft) arrives at 1250rpm. The six-speed ZF AMT does a good job keeping the motor on the boil. It pulls through the gears with a refined but grunty tone, especially under load. Liam ordinarily uses the right-hand steering column wand to shift as desired, and the AMT quickly responds to his demands and shifts with a refined crispness. Some drivers might need to get used to the split transmission controls, with the R-N-D buttons on the lower centre console (and in reverse order to the norm – D, N, then R).

A particular drivetrain feature that counted in the Eurocargo’s favour when Liam was shopping is the fitment of a diff lock. “It does help in tricky situations,” he notes.

It’s not often we get to

sample a lightweight Euro model. But as we make our way along the motorway to Auckland’s North Shore suburbs, the Eurocargo lopes along with all the ride comfort and refinement we’d expect from its larger siblings.

“The handling is good on the open road. It’s perfectly capable of going from here to Wellsford every day,” Liam comments. Through the tight suburban streets, it’s nimble and manoeuvrable.

“The turning circle is good – the steering has a tight lock.

Though the stability control can kick in when taking a hard turn,” he adds as we circle a roundabout.

The thing with skip bins is they often need to be deposited in awkward locations. They can’t just be left on the sidewalk. Liam’s

philosophy on threading a truck down a tight residential driveway has remained unchanged: “Just take your time and if it takes two minutes to stop outside and walk down the drive to check, then that’s fine. Take it easy, slow and double-check, and there will be no problems.”

Liam adds that despite the Eurocargo being 100mm wider than his old Fuso, he’s had no issues with access. “It looks bigger, but it’s not that much, really. It fits down every driveway.” On one of our stops for the day, Liam puts the Eurocargo’s manoeuvrability to the test by squeezing it into and out of a tight, awkwardly angled section. The short wheelbase, minimal rear overhang and tight steering lock aiding his ‘easy does it’ approach to get the job done.

One feature with which Liam’s particularly smitten is the variable PTO speed.

“When you turn it on, it revs up to 1000rpm, but you can also reduce the revs if you’re outside a residence early in the morning and don’t want to be a disturbance.” The adjustable rear air suspension adds further flexibility when lifting bins or coupling the 3.5-tonne braked trailer Liam recently had built by All-Road Adventures in Palmerston North.

“The trailer is handy, especially when going up north. It makes sense to be able to move more than one bin at a time. It features wireless brake control through a Bluetooth mobile app, so I can change the braking levels depending on load.”

Other than the enthusiastic electronic stability control, Liam’s only criticism of the Eurocargo is that the twostage exhaust brake is not as strong as he’d like. Even at the relatively light weights he runs, it requires additional service brake application.

On the other hand, Iveco’s unique Hi-SCR system is a boon, offering Euro-5 emission standards without the need for

New Zealand Trucking

March 2023 45

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

Iveco Eurocargo ML160-280 Tare: 4840kg GVM: 16,000kg (derated to 12,000kg) GCM: N/A Wheelbase: 4185mm Engine: Tector 6 F4A Capacity: 5.9-litre Power: 205kW (279hp) at 2500rpm

T F

T t

Torque: 950Nm (700lb/ft) at 1250rpm Emissions: Euro-5 via Iveco Hi-SCR Transmission: ZF 6AS1000 six-speed AMT Chassis: Bolted parallel channel, 252 x 70 x 6mm Front axle: Iveco 5860 Front-axle rating: 6100kg Front-suspension: Parabolic spring with stabiliser bar Rear axle: Meritor MS10-164 with diff lock, 4.5:1 Rear-axle rating: 11,000kg Rear suspension: Iveco ECAS adjustable air suspension Brakes: Disks Auxiliary braking: Two-stage exhaust brake

Liam Sullivan and the Iveco Eurocargo.

Additional safety: ABS with ESP, ASR Fuel: 280-litre

EGR. “And it uses hardly any AdBlue. I only need to fill the 25-litre AdBlue tank once a month,” says Liam. Speaking of consumption, fuel economy has been good, the Eurocargo averaging 4km/l in its first year on the road.

Adding a personal touch “I’m quite into European style. I like that. You see it with Scanias over here now,” Liam says. The application of Hi Tech’s blue-and-white colour scheme has been done in such a way as to highlight the Eurocargo’s bold frontal design. To that, Liam has added a considered application of marker lights, chrome-look mirror covers and door handles, and chrome wheel trim to the Eurocargo’s alloys. Chris Stanly from Custom Truck and Chrome did the stainless work and added chrome mudflap weights and the stainless light panels under the sleeper. Such was his attention to detail that for the front wheel covers, Liam turned to Acitoinox Truck Parts in Italy, while he was able to find the last eight-stud set of rear hub covers on the shelf at Mikes Transport Warehouse.

An easy two steps through the 90°-opening doors and you’re in the Eurocargo’s sleeper cab. It’s a surprisingly roomy area made to feel even more spacious by a low-set dash and lightly coloured upper trim. While it offers good storage, the dash is flat, meaning the climate control and row of 10 rocker switches in the centre could be a stretch, though a set of 22 buttons to the left of the binnacle is easily at hand.

The binnacle itself consists of large, clear dials with a central LCD information display.

Overhead are four radio slots, housing the tachograph, CB radio and Alpine touchscreen infotainment unit with reversing camera and phone connectivity.

Alongside the driver is another console with cupholders, the park brake lever, air duster gun and difflock control. Alongside that is the slide-out fridge/freezer.

This Eurocargo also features an electrically operated roof hatch and retractable side-window blinds. Liam’s European-inspired interior treatment includes a windscreen curtain and a lit Perspex ‘Iveco’ sign on the

46 New Zealand Trucking March 2023

DEF tank: 25-litre Wheels: Alloy Tyres: 285/70 R19.5 Electrical: 24V Cab exterior: Low-roof sleeper with coolbox, Iveco chrome package Cab interior: RVE leather seats, premium floor mats, ISRI driver seat with heating and cooling

dash. Finally, Liam had RVE work its magic and reupholster the Isringhausen seats – the driver’s air-suspended and featuring heating and cooling.

“I wanted something comfortable. I like my gear looking sharp all the time.

It’s a nice truck and it gets comments daily. For me, that’s advertising too. It’s good for marketing to have something a bit nicer,” Liam comments.

Right moves Liam’s experience with the Eurocargo is synonymous with the journey of Hi Tech Environmental Waste Solutions over the past year.

A considered, methodical operation and focus on its core principle of customer service has made the first year of offering a skip bin hire service a success for this established company.

Likewise, the Eurocargo has

proved itself the right choice for Liam.

He estimated the truck would cover 50,000km a year when business was in full swing, and in its first year, it’s at the 40,000km mark. Not a bad start at all. “Everything is going well. There have been no issues with the truck over the year,” says Liam. “And the team at Iveco’s been nothing but awesome – Pieter, the workshop, all the way to the top.

“When even I was a kid, you wouldn’t have given Iveco much thought. But they’re on par with any other.

It’s all perception, and it’s still out there. I have people questioning me now still. ‘Why would you buy that?’ and I say, ‘Hey, it works for the job it’s doing’.”

And very well, too, from what we can see.

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TOP TRUCK

EVERY BOX

TICKED We know, we know, a DAF Top Truck is long overdue. This one, however, was certainly worth waiting for.

Story by Gavin Myers

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Photos by Gavin Myers and Dave McCoid

f you’re familiar with Southpac, especially in the South Island, you probably know the name Steve Herring.

Steve’s worked in sales for the local Kenworth and DAF distributor for 18 years but recently stepped back a bit – a move that’s allowed him to pay more attention to his first love, trucking.

“Other than selling for Southpac, I’ve been a truck driver all my life,” Steve says. DGS Bulk Distribution has been around since 2014 and operates three trucks serving a flat store storing grain.

The latest to join the fleet is ‘Blue Hors Matiné’, the DAF CF 530 you see here that started work in June 2022 and operates in the greater Canterbury region – venturing further afield when required. It made a star appearance on the Southpac stand at the TMC Trucking Industry Show in November, where it won the Best DAF of the show.

Blue Hors Matiné is an unusual name for a truck, but as these things always do, it has a special significance. Steve explains: “My wife Donna is into dressage horses – that’s her thing. So, all our equipment is named after the world’s best dressage horses. She said, ‘Do whatever you want, but I’m naming the gear’.”

The Danish mare burst onto the European dressage scene in 2006, rapidly rising to fame and becoming a YouTube star. She was humanely put down in 2010 after an accident in the field. The airbrushed image of Blue Hors Matiné on either side of the cab pays tribute.

“We sent the truck to Cliff Mannington at

48 New Zealand Trucking March 2023

Truck Signs in Mt Maunganui to do the signwriting. We just wanted the name on it, but he airbrushed Blue Hors Matiné on without us even knowing. He’s amazing, a real artist!” says Steve.

Naturally, Cliff added his personal touch to the DAF. “What I had in mind was different, but when the truck arrived, I realised it was exactly what I wanted,” Steve comments, adding that the cab chassis came out of the DAF factory in Holland with its coat of silver. The brilliant maroon was added by Transvisual Graphics when the truck arrived in Auckland.

Aaron Headington and his team at Southpac did all the set-up work in Auckland and Chris Stanley did all the stainless, while Transfleet Trailers was commissioned to build the bins and fiveaxle trailer.

“The bins are Roc-Tuff Hardox by Transfleet – the first they’ve done in a long time as a ‘big smoothie’. They have alloy tailgates, topper boards and splashguards to keep some weight out,” says Steve. “It was built to do everything. It needed to be versatile for what we move – from cold tar and concrete to grain.

What you lose in tare with Hardox, you gain in versatility,” he says.

The electric Power Tarps tarps are configured north-south and feature a manual override. “When loading all that big rubbishy stuff, they can get the loader bucket right inside the bin, so they’re not trying to tip over bows,” says Steve. The full wet-weather retractable tarp sits over

1) Living and breathing trucking: Muss (right) and young Logan. 2) Excellent airbrushing work of ‘Blue Hors Matiné’ by Cliff Mannington. 3) Symmetry and attention to the finest detail. 4) Transfleet Trailers Roc-Tuff Hardox bins with alloy tailgates offer versatility and look the part.

the coaming rail and features a roll-down flap at the rear to completely cover the load when required.

Attention to detail aptly describes the thought put into this build. “It needed to be neat and tidy,” says Steve. “When we set it up, we wanted it as symmetrical as possible – from the twin air horns to the matching covers over the muffler and DEF tank and fuel and hydraulic tanks.”

Steve is full of praise for everyone involved in the build. “Matthew Gillies and Jared Harnet from Transfleet were absolutely brilliant, but credit goes to everyone involved. Good people all round!”

Not that that’s the end of the extensive spec list that makes this truck what it is.

Steve ticked most of the boxes wherever he could. Underpinning the trailer are

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The CF sleeper cab with Exclusive trim is not something you see often. Muss is obsessive about keeping it clean.

SAF axles with SAF Tyre Pilot, while Wabco Smartboard helps keep control over trailer functions. The Groeneveld Singleline automatic grease system keeps the rig optimally lubricated, RUC Monkey electronic RUC takes care of that obligation, Narva load lighting and cameras from Cloud Vehicle Technology in the bins help keep an eye on the load, and Lazerlamps driving lights illuminate those night-time trips across the Canterbury Plains.

A convenient handwashing tank is mounted behind the cab – fitting given the obsessively spotless condition in which the DAF is kept by driver Michael ‘Muss’ Pelling.

Muss, a driver for 27 years, comes from a trucking family, and his association with Steve goes back to Muss’ early teenage years.

“I used to go on the trucks with him as a youngster, always learning,” says Muss.

“I’ve been with Steve most of the way through my career, other than when I went and drove fuel tankers for eight years. More recently, I started my own business and began doing contract work for Steve.

Now I’m on this!” he adds with a broad smile.

“Muss has come up in the industry, and I couldn’t ask for a better person on this truck. It’s great to have good, passionate people in the job,

who want to do the job and keep their gear looking like this,” says Steve, adding a tip for the industry in general: “People who want to work, you should give them every opportunity, nurture that and say, ‘Away you go’.”

Words that are now ringing true for Muss’ 16-year-old son Logan. “We’ve got him pegged; he’s locked in all right!” laughs Steve.

As spotless as Muss keeps the truck’s exterior, the interior is even more pristine. Towels cover the seat covers and the floor mats. There’s a sheath over the driver-seat armrest, socks cover the pedals, and a

microfibre mitt atop the dash is ready for use at a moment’s notice.

Naturally, Steve ticked whatever boxes he could here too.

“It’s the first sleeper cab CF with the Exclusive interior spec, usually only available on the Space Cab. That includes heated leather seats, Agenta cognac dash top and door cards, and aluminium trim.”

To say Blue Hors Matiné got the full treatment could be an understatement, but it wouldn’t be to say it’s all the better for it. Excitingly, a similar second unit, with full alloy bins, is being built.

50 New Zealand Trucking March 2023

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JUST TRUCKING AROUND

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www.trt.co.nz

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Steve Miles At the recent Transfleet Trailers/Allied Petroleum Bombay Truck Show, Carl Kirkbeck caught up with Steve Miles from Mamaku.

Steve was sitting beside his pride and joy, ‘Miles Ahead 2’, having just taken out the Best Scania award at the show. Resident driver for Kaitoa Logging of Whakatane, Steve and ‘Miles Ahead 2’ can be found all throughout central North Island on all manner of logging duties.

“It all started with Dad. When I was a young fella, he would tell me, ‘Son, you don’t want to be a truck driver like me,’ and in the next breath, he’d say, ‘How about jumping in the passenger’s seat and giving ya dad a helping hand, today?’” Steve says with a laugh.

“School really wasn’t for me. I used to gaze out the windows and the teachers would say, ‘Oy, Miles, stop looking out the windows and concentrate on the blackboard – you will never get paid to look out of windows.’ They got that one wrong. I get paid very well for looking out the windscreen of the Scania and I’m loving every minute of it.”

Meet Steve and you recognise the strong English accent.

“Home was Oxfordshire. I got my HGV license, and a week later landed a job as a race tyre fitter and transporter driver with the Tom Walkinshaw Racing team.

“That job was something else. It took me all over Europe to virtually every racetrack throughout the Continent. I remember getting told, ‘Load the trailer, we are heading for Vallelunga’. I went home and told my mum and dad, and asked them where it was in the UK. When I looked it up, I realised it was a test track south of Rome! I was fair shitting myself driving the mighty Leyland Roadtrain and race trailer to the track. My first time driving on the Continent, I reckon I lost about 10 kilos sweating bricks. At the customs checkpoint I was as green as grass with no understanding of what to do, so I went with just throwing my hands up in the air and admitting that I had no idea what I was doing. Looking back, I suppose there was only one way to learn – get thrown in the deep end.”

Steve stayed with TWR for about five and a half years. “Great bunch to work with and laugh a minute, but I decided one day it was time for a change. A job with Rokold really opened the doors for me. Some memorable moments stick in my mind. One day I was heading into Paris with a load of meat the day the poor old Air France Concorde crashed [in 2000]. I was on the motorway passing by the Charles de Gaulle Airport, and next thing, there was a horrendous flash of bright light and plumes of black smoke, and you just knew that a plane had come to grief. As I continued into town, there was fire engine after fire engine heading past me towards the airport. I never imagined that it would be a Concorde involved in the accident. Spine chilling stuff.”

Steve then went into business with a couple of mates, doing the same sort of continental reefer transport – but this time for themselves. “That was about five years’ worth, great times, but the time came to go completely independent. I purchased a mega-space Mercedes-Benz and went about moving bulk, for-hire golf buggies all over Europe. A typical job would be to run 30 or so buggies over to Le Mans for the likes of the Aston Martin race team. Unfortunately, it did not last. With all manner of operators dropping out of Eastern Europe and slashing the rates,

big change was needed.”

Then a Kiwi driver who did part-time work for Steve told him how beautiful New Zealand was and that it was ‘sort of like the UK 30 or so years ago’. “That was all I needed to hear. The wife and I packed our bags and headed for a holiday and a look around. We were hooked. I took the opportunity to drop off my CV to various companies and, basically, everywhere I went had the same response: ‘When do you want to start?’ Armed with that, we started moving over. That was 15 years ago, and we have not looked back.

“Once in New Zealand, I started with RFH in Rotorua. They had kept in touch and wanted me on board. I enjoyed my time with the team – 14 years, give or take. A great bunch and good gear.

They put me in an older Foden when I first arrived. I think it was to try and make me feel at home. From there, I was given a new cabover Kenworth, and later on, it was into a nice new Scania.”

The vexing question for Steve was an easy one: rugby or soccer? “Soccer? What’s soccer? It’s football, mate! And yeah, I cannot get enough of it. My favourite team back home is Coventry City FC. That is the one thing I miss by living over here – the energy of a good live football game!”

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JUST TRUCKING AROUND www.trt.co.nz

Raymond Bradshaw While heading to Mount Maunganui Port with a load of logs from Lake Taupo Forest, Raymond ‘Razor’ Bradshaw (R & K Bradshaw) stopped to talk to Mike and Alison Verran. Raymond contracts to Aztec Logging, based in Taupo. His Kenworth K200 travels around the central North Island, with the occasional trip up north.

Raymond was born to be a truck driver.

“My grandparents raised me. My koro was a truck driver, so I always wanted to be one too. I started work at 16 in the Total Transport yard in Taupo, where my koro worked. I got my truck licence when I was 18, and I’ve been driving now for 26 years.

It’s great. You meet loads of people, and many end up being lifelong friends. I’m still friends with the guys I rode around with when I was a kid. Those old fellas taught me how to tarp and to load wool – the proper way to stack it all.”

As a tribute to his koro, Raymond has a treasured photo of him behind the driver’s door of his rig.

Raymond reckons the main issue with

the industry these days is being unable to take kids in trucks. “Kids used to turn up at a yard on a pushbike on weekends and want to help wash your truck. You’d give them $10 to help out. Kids don’t or can’t do that these days. It’s a shame. The

passion has gone; it’s just a job for many drivers today.”

There wasn’t much pondering of the vexing question: Wine, whiskey or beer?

Raymond was quick to answer. “Beer. I love the taste. I love it more than I should.”

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UNSUNG HEROES

The FM183 with the Rural Works ute on its back after being picked up following its latest COF (top), and with a digger and the ramp trailer.

It’s another one for the old Hinos this month – Aaron ‘Woody’ Woodcock at Rural Works submitted his 1983 FM183 Hino after we showcased Ralph Scott’s FF1418 in the Dec 22/Jan 23 issue.

“This old girl used to tow a trailer over the Remutakas to Wellington most days in earlier years. The younger generation now would refuse to drive it on that run,” Woody says. “It is now used most days to shift a digger from job to job and cart the odd load of gravel or dirt, among other things as well.”

Woody has owned the FM183 for a little more than eight years and estimates it’s covered north of 700,000km. “Its mileage is

I

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

not accurate due to the rear tyres having been changed from 1000s to 900s many years ago. I’m thinking that was done for gearing on the Remutakas.”

Interestingly, says Woody, the 183hp FM183 started life as a 4x2 and was later converted to a 6x4. “It has LSDs in both diffs, which with the light tare weight, makes it very good for traction off-road. It has a 10-speed Roadranger. It tows a brilliant little spring-loaded fold-out ramp trailer, designed and built by John Shields from Carterton Engineering,” Woody concludes.

Thanks for sharing, Woody. and drivers alike often look on these old trojans with fondness – like the holey jumper you put on when it’s cold. This section is aimed at those trucks. They may be near to God, but they are also dear to our hearts.

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

Submit to: editor@nztrucking.co.nz

54 New Zealand Trucking March 2023

Driving and the brain.

Hosted by Nathan Wallis (Neuroscience Educator), Kelly McLuckie (Success Formula people coach) and Greg Murphy (Motor Racing Legend), you'll learn about the brain and how it works when driving, the impacts of fatigue, sleep and distraction and tips to help drivers with these issues.

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MITO’s New Zealand Certificate in Commercial Road Transport - Heavy Vehicle Operator (Level 3) programme provides the skills and knowledge required for your drivers to safely and competently operate heavy rigid vehicles or heavy combination vehicles. For drivers who have been in the industry for a while, it can give formal recognition of the skills they have gained on the job.

A passion for driving Currently working as a driver trainer for H.W. Richardson Group, MITO graduate Jodi McNamara has spent the past 10-plus years dedicated to growing her skills and knowledge in the commercial road transport industry.

“I realised my passion for driving when

56 New Zealand Trucking March 2023

I got a seasonal job delivering 45kg gas bottles,” Jodi explains. “I really enjoyed being out and about and doing something physical, so I decided to pursue a career in the industry.”

After beginning a full-time job with H.W. Richardson Group’s Southern Transport, Jodi was exposed to transporting a variety of different goods – from fertiliser to aggregate to concrete panels.

“It gave me the opportunity to drive all sorts of different truck set-ups and a variety of different loads. So I gained a lot of experience in a reasonably short amount of time – approximately two years due to Southern Transport’s variety of trucks in their yard.”

Jodi completed MITO’s New Zealand Certificate in Commercial Road Transport (Heavy Vehicle Operator) (Level 3) programme in 2020.

“I found the e-learning part of the programme especially flexible because you can do it whenever it suits you,” she says.

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WHERE’S THAT ROAD? Look here, eagle-eyed truckers, and see if you know where this stretch of bitumen is. We’re back at the North Island this month – that’s as much as you’re getting from us!

Yes, we knew it would be like opening the gates on a yard full of wild broncos when we selected the Dec 22/ Jan 23 competition winner. There was a stampede of entries!

The answer, of course, was Hawks Crag in the Lower Buller Gorge on SH6.

The winner of the competition was Chris Cowan from Yaldhurst in Christchurch. Great job! Time to raid the prize bin again.

TO ENTER

Hey! It was Christmas, okay? The time of goodwill to all folk. Hawks Crag in the Lower Buller Gorge on SH6 yielded our biggest entry count yet.

Flick us an email at editor@nztrucking.co.nz Subject line: Where’s that road? March 2023.

Tell us your answer, and let us know your postal address.

Note: You must include the subject line, otherwise it might get lost in the pile. We’ll pick a winner at random from the correct entries, and see what’s in the prize basket. The competition closes at midnight on 31 March 2023.

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REAR SUSPENSION: Volvo 8-bag air suspension BRAKES: Disc, ABS, EBS BODY/TRAILER: Roadmaster truck deck and matching 5-axle trailer FEATURES/EXTRAS: Full driver safety

KRIGARE PRINSESSA Scania R650 B8x4NA rigid - sleeper OPERATOR: Harper Log Transport, Hastings ENGINE: Scania DC16 16-litre Euro-6 484kW (650hp) TRANSMISSION: Scania GRSO926R manual 12-speed with 4100D retarder REAR AXLES: Scania RB735 hub reduction REAR SUSPENSION: Scania spring front suspension and Scania air rear BRAKES: Disc, ABS, EBS BODY/TRAILER: Patchell logging equipment and Patchell 5-axle multi-bay trailer FEATURES/EXTRAS: V8 leather trim, CTI, scales, fridge, LED light bar PAINT: Haddock Spraypainters SIGNAGE: Caulfield Signs & Graphics, Rotorua OPERATION: Log cartage in and around the Hawke’s Bay region DRIVER: Rochelle SALES: Callan Short

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March 2023

package, fridge, offset front rims PAINT: Ex-factory OPERATION: General freight New Zealandwide SALES: Todd Martin

FLYING HIGH OPERATOR: Cameron Aviation Services, Rotorua ENGINE: Scania DC16 16-litre Euro-5 462kW (620hp) 3000Nm (2213lb/ft) TRANSMISSION: Scania Opticruise GRSO905R

Scania R620 B6x4NA rigid 12-speed AMT with 4100D retarder REAR AXLES: Scania RB735 hub reduction REAR SUSPENSION: Scania spring front suspension and Scania air rear

BRAKES: Disc, ABS, EBS BODY/TRAILER: Transport & General alloy bathtub and new 5-axle Transport & General alloy bathtub trailer FEATURES/EXTRAS: Alcoa Dura-Bright alloy rims, CTI,

toolboxes PAINT: Ex-factory OPERATION: Cartage of fertiliser throughout central North Island DRIVER: Matt SALES: Callan Short

K&S KRUISER DAF CF530 Euro-6 8x4 tractor - sleeper OPERATOR: K&S Freighters, Cambridge 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 full lock-up REAR SUSPENSION: Paccar 8-bag air suspension BRAKES: Disc, ABS, EBS SAFETY: ACC, FCW, AEBS, LDW, VSC, AB BODY: Rigged by Southpac, sliding fifth wheel, toolbox and guards FEATURES/EXTRAS: Stone guard PAINT: Ex-factory OPERATION: Container movements SALES: Adam McIntosh

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

61

NEW RI GS ON THE R OAD

International RH-T6 6x4 tractor unit

SLIPPERY RH OPERATOR: Crane & Cartage, Auckland ENGINE: Cummins X-15 15-litre Euro-5 410kW (550hp) 2508Nm (1850lb/ft) TRANSMISSION: Eaton Roadranger RTLO20918B

18-speed manual REAR AXLES: Meritor RT 46160GP full cross locks REAR SUSPENSION: IROS (International Ride Optimised Suspension) BRAKES: Drum, ABS, EBS

FEATURES/EXTRAS: First RHD RH tractor unit, factory aero kit, toolbox, offset front rims PAINT: Ex-factory OPERATION: Grocery products throughout Auckland and

RIDING CLOUD NINE Volvo FM540 6x4 tractor - sleeper OPERATOR: McLeod Transport Limited, Mt Maunganui ENGINE: Volvo D13C 402kW (540hp) 2600Nm (1917lb/ft) TRANSMISSION: I-Shift 12-speed AMT REAR AXLES: Volvo RTS2370B REAR SUSPENSION: Volvo 8-bag air suspension BRAKES: Disc, ABS, EBS BODY/TRAILER: Various crane counter-weight support trailers FEATURES/EXTRAS: Full drivers safety package, blind spot monitor, stone guard PAINT: Ex-factory SIGNAGE: Wrapped Auto Signs, Tauranga OPERATION: Delivering various crane counter weights to site SALES: Todd Martin

w w w. t r g r o u p. c o . n z 62 New Zealand Trucking

March 2023

Northland DRIVER: Ian Cathcart SALES: Rob Byers

Kenworth K200 8x4 Aerodyne - 2.3m sleeper cab

THE LEGACY OPERATOR: Ongarue Transport, Taumaranui ENGINE: Cummins X-15 15-litre Euro-5 459kW (615hp) 2779Nm (2050lb/ft) TRANSMISSION: Eaton Roadranger RTLO20918B 18-speed manual REAR AXLES: Meritor RT 46-160GP, full

cross locks REAR SUSPENSION: Hendrickson Primax BRAKES: Disc BODY/TRAILER: Domett trailer and deck, Nationwide crates FEATURES/EXTRAS: Dual air intakes,

Alcoa Dura-Bright alloy wheels, fridge, CTI OPERATION: Livestock transport throughout the North Island DRIVER: Howie SALES: Adam McIntosh PHOTO CREDIT: Rob Van der Hoek

PHAT CAB FOR VOWLES Kenworth K200 6x4 Aerodyne - 2.8m sleeper cab OPERATOR: Vowles Transport, Morrinsville ENGINE: Cummins X-15 15-litre Euro-5 459kW (615hp) 2779Nm (2050lb/ft) TRANSMISSION: Eaton Roadranger RTLO20918B 18-speed manual REAR AXLES: Meritor RT 46-160 REAR SUSPENSION: Kenworth Airglide 460 BODY/TRAILER: Factory fitted fifth wheel FEATURES/EXTRAS: Drop visor, painted fuel tanks, king single bunk, twin fridges, TV PAINT: Ex-factory OPERATION: General freight throughout both islands SALES: Adam McIntosh

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

63

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

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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

Lock and load for Sherlock Sherlock Contracting, Rotorua, has taken delivery of a Mills-Tui S133 three-axle front half of a tipping B-train. The unit will be based out of the company’s Rotorua depot and used for general construction and demolition throughout the North Island. It was built with options in mind, allowing the Sherlock team to connect to purpose-built rear units when required. An air-operated high-lift tailgate ensures demo waste can be offloaded with minimum fuss.

Features: Peterson lighting, Hendrickson disc-brake Mills-Tui axles on air, Knorr Bremse EBS.

Multi-functional Calder Stewart This 15.2m flat-deck quad semi-trailer was recently delivered to Calder Stewart’s Milton plant, fresh from the Fruehauf workshop. The unit will be used mostly throughout the South Island, servicing the plant’s extended divisions – Calder Stewart Construction, Steel, Reo-Express and Precast – with all products associated with the end-to-end builds. The semi runs ROR SL9 19.5 disc-braked axle sets on air suspension and is fitted with Wabco EBS and tail guard. Removable stanchions, two-piece headboard and access ladders with three points of contact tick the H&S boxes.

Features: Alcoa alloy wheels, Piranha rear LED lights with Hella side markers and indicators, custom toolboxes and dunnage racks. Fruehauf

KIWI 16/17

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0800 KIWI TYRES (0800 549 489) | kiwitrucktyres.nz 66 New Zealand Trucking March 2023

KIWI 175

Cool runnings for Scott Scott Carrying has put this crisp build from Fruehauf to work. The new Schmitz Cargobull 15.6m refrigerated semi will run between Christchurch and Auckland with chilled, frozen products. Under the PPG painted chassis, you will find SAF Intradisc 22.5 wide-track axles and suspension sets, with Wabco EBS making for a stable combination. Up top and towards the front is

the Carrier Vector HE-19 dual-temperature fridge with rear evaporator. Alcoa

Dura-Bright rims fitted with Bridgestone 385/55 R22.5 tyres complete the package.

Features: Twin alloy toolboxes with stainlesssteel doors, Rhino rolled guards with stainless-steel inserts, handwash water tank.

Fruehauf

Features: Custom tool boxes, dunnage racks, stainless light bar and dock cart infill.

TMC

Diversity for Booths

A multi-purpose step-deck quad semi was the order of the day for Booth’s Transport, and the TMC team have delivered just that. The basis for the build was an overall length of 15.2m, with a full complement of ISO container twist locks. Also included

are ISO stanchions allowing for front-seated 20ft or full-length 40ft containers. Finishing off the build is a pair of matching movable trestles for long and over-length loads, with the combination running on 19.5 ROR discbrake axles on air suspension.

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New Zealand Trucking

March 2023 67

Wheels up! The rigours of hiab work have not fazed this high-flying Volvo.

HIGH-FLYING SWEDE

O

ur first inductee into the Million Mile Club this month is the hardworking pride and joy of Leon Wech of Hibiscus Hiab. The mighty Volvo FH12 started life as a tanker in the Nelson Tasman area in 1996. Upon completing 1,300,000km delivering fuel, it was time for a new owner to take the reins.

Junction Road Transport, Palmerston North, was the next proud owner, fitting the crane and deck for their application.

From here, it was a move further north, with the FH finding a new home within the Mason Contractors fleet of Warkworth.

In about 2009, Masons sold the Volvo, and it wheeled its way into the yard of Hibiscus Tanks at Silverdale. Leon was a

staff member at Hibiscus Tanks when the Volvo arrived. In 2011 Leon purchased the business from his boss, and the Volvo was still an active line on the company’s asset register, where it remains today.

The Volvo has been a solid performer – with 313kW (420hp) on tap through a manual 12-speed transmission. As Leon put it: “Five plus five and two reverse with no AMT computer to be found. Bulletproof.” In 2012, the 12-litre engine was reconditioned, clocking a near-perfect 15,000 hours since, with just a new set of injectors last August. As for the diffs, they are original, with just the odd seal replacement here and there.

Leon has only praise for his old workhorse. “Yeah, I cannot complain. It

is one of those trucks that just goes to work and does its job. Sure, it is a bit old and slow now by comparison. But, hey, it has 3,000,000km on the clock, so you have to give credit where it’s due. She has a matching four-axle trailer. So it’s fair to say she is still putting in a hard day’s graft. What’s more, she regularly gets her front wheels up in the air,” Leon says with a laugh.

“She’s a great truck and does an honest day’s work. She lives in a garage, so there’s no rust in the cab or the like, and no issues at COF time. You can’t ask for more than that.” We could not agree more, Leon. She’s a solid member of the Million Mile Club.

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

68 New Zealand Truckiny March 2023

POSITIVE INTERACTION

G

eoff and Jacci Woods-Bryan of Gejac Transport Services emailed us a couple of weeks ago to inform us that their mighty 9870 International Eagle had clocked up a million miles.

So, here it is, the latest member of the club.

This particular 9870 debuted on the InterTruck display stand at the 2017 THE Expo at Mystery Creek.

It was spec’d new by CRG Linehaul to service a contract in the Owens fleet, and in doing so, the prerequisite was a truck that was as much as possible ‘wash n go’ – no polishing. As seen here, all the chrome, stainless steel and alloy is painted or powder-coated, giving the

unit a unique near-stealth look.

The truck was built with the Cummins X-15 set at 432kW (580hp) and mated up with the Eaton Fuller UltraShift AMT and Cobra Shifter. At the rear end, there are a pair of Rockwell 46-160 diffs running a 4:10 ratio, all riding on International’s IROS air suspension.

The truck’s original driver did the first 200,000km from new, with Geoff taking over the reins and running it through to the 1,600,000 mark. First as a company driver and then purchasing the unit from Carl Gardiner in October of 2021. “The truck has been absolutely awesome,” says Geoff.

“Straight up, it has had

its regular services and an in-frame at 800,000km. It has only ever been on the back of a tow truck once, and that was literally for no more than 100m because of a blown clutch actuator. All my servicing is done by Tony and Josh and the team at Dunedin Truck Servicing. They are

a great bunch to deal with, and nothing is a problem for them.”

Geoff adds that “the TMC B-train has been the perfect mate for it. We are running 50MAX all day, every day. It’s a solid combination that’s not only good-looking, but also productive.”

‘Interaction 2’ all blacked out at the 2017 THE Expo, was a head-turner for sure.

Photo: Craig Andrews

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 March 2023 69

WHEELS AT WANAKA MEMORIES

Here it is, the last image in our gallery of memories from the amazing Wheels at Wanaka 2021. Why is it the last? Because next time you see an image from Wheels at Wanaka, it will be this year’s event – bigger and better… if that’s even possible.

We can hardly wait.

Special, and rare. It sums up the event and Vic Draper’s Vickers Vikon bulldozer, one of only two operating in the world at the time the photo was taken.

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AUSSIE ANGLES

8X8

BUSH

BASHER

Story and photos by Howard Shanks

Tatra trucks disregard all conventions regarding design – and the applications they are expected to operate usually defy most conventional trucking tasks. New or used, they are sought-after pieces of equipment for specialised, unconventional applications.

A

ccording to the oil-stained papers on the passenger side floor, this Tatra T815 8x8 started life as a service truck on a mine site somewhere in Queensland’s Bowen Basin region. A little over a decade later, after toiling faultlessly at the mine site, its service

body was removed, and the Tatra wound up in an auction yard. A logging contractor in Eden spotted it and thought it might suit an upcoming contract – if the price were right.

The upcoming log haulage contract exhibited some unique challenges, one of which required logs to

be loaded from roadside stacks onto log trucks.

This might not sound like a challenging conundrum, but the narrow bush tracks in the steep mountainous forests around Eden and Bombala often have deep gutters. Furthermore, unlike clear felling or large-scale thinning operations where logs stacks are extremely large, it’s economically feasible to transport an excavator to the site for a few weeks. However, in this new logging contract, the smaller log stacks mean a nimble road-going log loader would be more economical than the traditional excavator with a log grab.

The solution is to mount a Prentice log loader onto the used Tatra T815 8x8 chassis.

But what makes the Tatra 8x8 the best truck platform for the Prentice log loader?

For starters, these are the preferred trucks by many modern NATO armies today because of their go-anywhere, low-maintenance attributes.

Tatra commenced automobile manufacture in 1850 when it began building

vehicles in Czechoslovakia.

Originally specialising in cars and carriages, Tatra branched out into truck manufacturing in 1898 and hasn’t looked back since. The Danish army recently ordered dozens of self-propelled Caesar howitzers built on the Tatra Force 8x8 chassis. At the beginning of last year, Tatra trucks, together with the DAF Trucks and Czech Tatra Defence Vehicle companies, announced it had received a contract for almost 900 logistics trucks on a Tatra chassis for the Belgian army.

Then, in the middle of last year, Tatra trucks with Rosenbauer, an Austrian manufacturer of special fire vehicles, won a contract for more than 70 Tatra Force military fire trucks for the Bundeswehr. These commercial successes indicate that the capabilities and parameters of Tatra trucks are increasingly appreciated in the armies west of the Czech border. Most recently, Tatra trucks will also serve the US army with military training, which has bases in Germany.

1) The external mechanical components are mounted neatly behind the cab, freeing up the chassis rails. 2) The unique Tatra chassis design revolves around a central load-carrying tube and axles with independently suspended swinging half-axles bolted into a single unit, which the company pioneered in the early 1920s. 3) Inboard air bellows combine with centre-pivot leaf springs.

It’s no looker, but it is unstoppable.

All about the T815 The T815 cabin might not be the prettiest looking, but it is very functional and comes standard with an inbuilt ROPS and FOPS canopy, ideal for mining operations and certainly a bonus for forestry vehicles. There is a noticeable lack of plush creature comforts inside the cabin that are often taken for granted in many modern trucks today. But, considering the environment this truck is destined to work in, the plain steel dash is undoubtedly a more sensible approach.

The dashboards warning lights are large and bright, as are the switches. One feature not found in many other trucks is the large handrail for passengers to hold onto when the Tatra 8x8 gets into off-road severe going.

The Tatra T815 8x8 utilises the company’s 12.7-litres T3D-928 Euro-5 air-cooled V8 diesel engine, producing 325kW (435hp) and 2100Nm (1550lb/ft) torque. The engine uses a turbocharger and charge-air cooler positioned directly above the engine. In addition, it is equipped with a mechanically controlled direct in-line injection pump. With a cylinder spacing angle of 90°, it features other unique technical solutions, including a ‘rollable’ mounted crankshaft bolted from the individual segments.

The advantage of the Tatra engines is the absence of complex electronic control and easy maintenance and serviceability.

The Tatra V8 draws external air via the front of the cabin through a shrouded multiblade fan, which is then split to flow between the finned cylinders and the centre of the block valley. As a result, almost two-thirds of the air exits from the top of the engine compartment.

Meanwhile, the rest of the air gets forced down around the cylinders. The system keeps

Tatra’s so-called crown or cylinder-type differential is just one component that gives this truck massive traction.

Tatra’s air-cooled Euro-5 V8 is quite the piece of engineering.

1

2

3

the engine in its most efficient combustion zone and minimises heat soak when the truck is at rest. As a result, the cabs are cooler and air-conditioning units more effective.

The engine drives through an Allison 4500 six-speed automatic transmission with double PTO outlets. Tatra’s own 2.30TRK two-speed static shift auxiliary gearbox provides the deep reduction. Instead of the usual engine retarder, a Telma electric FN83-00 retarding unit is located at the rear of the chassis and provides a staggering 3000Nm (2212lb/ft) of retardation.

According to the manufacturer, Tatra trucks employ a unique chassis concept that originated in the early 1920s and has not yet been rivalled. The main principle uses a central loadcarrying tube and axles with independently suspended swinging half-axles bolted into a single unit.

The Tatra’s chassis is an enclosed box section that houses most wiring and airlines.

The chassis is then solidly mounted to a central tubular core, containing a straight tail shaft. As the chassis is modular, sections can be added or removed without the usual metal cutting. You can add a drive, a lazy or a drive/steer, building the capability and capacity of your Tatra to suit your load profile.

All drive axles are swinging half axles with air bellows and springs added on the rear axle sets. Telescopic dampers and stabiliser bars are standard on the T815.

The Tatra-designed independent half-axle suspension is simple but

effective. Each axle gets cushioned by a coil spring enclosed in air bellows, mounted on the top of the axle housing and secured to the centrally mounted tubular chassis. In addition, this T815 has the optional multi-leaf steel spring, which is used on a bogie axle arrangement when the application demands ultra-heavy-duty use.

The bellow air supply is mechanically controlled by the load and axle position, maintaining spring frequency no matter the load on the individual wheel.

Consequently, as a result, when the truck moves over rough terrain and a wheel drops into a pothole, it does not affect the wheel on the opposite side of the truck.

The chassis is insulated against twisting moments, and the load is protected.

Additionally, both wheels are in complete contact with the surface, maximising traction.

Axle differentials, inter-axle differentials and reduction hubs complete a formidable traction formula.

Tatra axles are constantly driven and equipped with locks in their basic version. A pair of driven crown wheels (one per half-axle) and a pair of pinions transmitting torque from the differential are placed in the axle housing. The differential is placed outside the axle in the central loadcarrying tube. Unlike classic axle solutions with a bevel differential, it is a so-called crown or cylinder-type differential. The inner space of the housing is adapted for the swinging motion of the halfaxles.

It’s indeed easy to understand why the Tatra T815 8x8 is sought after by forestry and mining operators with its purpose-built off-road design features. Some might say the Tatra T815 is a bulletproof truck, and we hope to find that out when we head up the bush to see this one working in its new forestry operation roll.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7 1) Sparse, no-nonsense cabin. 2) The dash includes big bright warning lights. 3 & 4) The cockpit features a no-frills checker-plate floor with relatively straightforward access to brake pedal airlines and electrical wiring inside the front firewall. 5) The Allison 4500 six-speed automatic transmission combines with Tatra’s own 2.30TRK two-speed static shift auxiliary gearbox, which provides deep reduction. 6) The Knorr-Bremse air-dryer is standard on the Tatra 815 models, and replacement parts are easily sourced as they are fitted on many European-sourced vehicles. 7) Relatively unfamiliar badges in this neck of the woods. 8) Fun fact: These climate controls feature on numerous vehicles, including some Italian supercars from the early 2000s.

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

Tatra T815 8x8 Engine: Tatra T3D-928 Horsepower: 325kW (435hp) at 1850rpm Torque: 2100Nm (1550lb/ft) at 1100rpm Gearbox: Allison 4500 Auxiliary gearbox: Tatra 2.30TRK Front axles: Steered, driven with swinging half-axles, disengageable drive, axle differentials and hub reduction Rear axles: Driven, with swinging half-axles, inter-axle differential, axle differentials and hub reduction Front suspension: Air bellows with telescopic shock absorbers and stabiliser (load sharing) Rear suspension: Air bellows with centre-pivot leaf springs (load sharing) Fuel tank: 2 x 420 litres Rims: 22.5x11.75 (front) 22.5x9.00 (rear) Tyres: 385/65 R25 (front) 315/80 R22.5 (rear) Brakes: Four separate brake systems with Wabco ABS

74 New Zealand Trucking March 2023

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INTERNATIONAL TRUCK STOP

BATTLE A HARDENEDM W I TH C H A R

Mack trucks made an essential contribution to winning the Second World War. But after the liberation, the Bulldog also played an important role in Europe.

Thanks to rolling stock from the U.S. army dump, European road transport operators got up and running again fairly quickly.

Story and photos by Niels Jansen

fter the Second World War, hundreds of British and American army trucks found their way to civilian entrepreneurs.

These old wagons had all but disappeared from the road in about 1960, and only heavy haulage and breakdown companies continued to use ex-U.S. Army equipment – for decades. The 1943 Mack LMSW is a fine example.

There were 664 heavy 6x4 chassis fitted with the Gar Wood crane built for the British and Canadian armed forces.

Over the years, quite a few enthusiasts have restored a Mack army truck. Often these were old crane trucks still rusting away within

the grounds of a towing company. Frans Rongen, from Oirlo in the Netherlands, is the proud owner of a 1943 Mack LMSW 6x4 crane truck. It took the 65-year-old enthusiast no less than 15 years to restore the vehicle.

He did virtually all the work on the mechanics and superstructure.

Since 1985, Frans has worked as a service mechanic for Still Intern Transport, a manufacturer of forklifts, stackers and reach trucks, but his experience working on trucks goes back to his youth.

“In military service, I was trained as a technical specialist. I tinkered with all the rolling stock of the military, from Leopard tanks

to FTF heavy-haulage tractors.

I also obtained my driving licence in the army. Between 1974 and 1979, I was often stationed in Germany. Later, I started working at a DAF dealer in Kleve, Germany. In addition to mechanical work, I was responsible for the towing service there. Back in the Netherlands, I worked as a mechanic for different transport companies.”

Frans was 30 when he got into the vintage truck business. He explains: “I really liked tinkering with ‘old stuff’ – not only cars but also tractors.

In the 1990s, I started restoring seriously. My first big project was a 1962 Ford Country Super Six tractor.

Since then, I have worked on all sorts of wagons.”

Frans has not only the technical knowledge for the job but also the equipment and space. Eventually, though, he wanted to have a classic truck of his own.

But something like a DAF or Scania didn’t appeal because “there are already enough of those”, Frans says.

“I was tipped off about the Mack about 20 years ago, sitting as an eye-catcher outside haulage operator Hannink in Winterswijk.

They had taken over the ex-army wrecker in 1961 from construction company Kok in Haarlem. The latter had bought it in 1953 from the army dump. To unload large pipes from barges, they had extended the Gar Wood ‘twin boom’ masts of the crane.

After that, Hannink also used it for several years for towing duties.”

Frans says that at first sight, the old Bulldog seemed to be in reasonable condition, but mechanically everything was in bad shape. And so, after buying it, he put it in a corner for a while.

“About 15 years ago, I started dismantling it bit by

bit, taking it apart to the last bolt. Thereupon, I completely overhauled the gearbox and cardan, as well as the PTO of the winch and crane. They had taken quite a beating during the former lifting operations – the chassis was even bent. The truck had been lying on its side once, looking at the damage.

“I also renewed the spring hands and the central axle of the tandem because the latter was broken on the left side. After the chassis was completely stripped, everything was blasted and metal-sprayed.”

The Mack LMSW was factory-equipped with a sixcylinder, 160hp EP gasoline engine. “That ran well but was far too thirsty,” says Frans.

“So, I installed a six-cylinder 1959 Mack Thermodyne diesel that I overhauled myself. I also fitted new main and connecting rod bearings, piston rings and valve guides.

Staff at the Mack Museum in the U.S. gave me contacts from whom I could get the genuine parts. Some body parts, such as the lower left and right sides of the hood, I made myself, and did the same with the fenders and the bumper. Fortunately, I can do a lot in my shop!”

In 1953, the Dutch army bought 12 LMSW wreckers from the Canadians.

The Mack as it was found.

The business end of the truck is also built to last.

Mack built 664 LMSW models during the Second World War.

New Zealand Trucking

March 2023 77

The only job outsourced to a professional company was the paint. Although the blue is not a metallic but a 1950s RAL colour, it still shines nicely. Because the original cab and parts of the bonnet were quite affected by rust, Frans decided to look for a donor.

“I found a bare cab from a civilian L-series in the U.S. From the two cabs, I then made one.

The floor plate is also my own work. To meet the inspection requirements, new safety glass was fitted all around. Because the dashboard had partially rotted away, I made new sheet metal parts for it. The cab was newly upholstered and so were the seats. They are old seats, but nice and compact and well-sprung. The steering wheel is huge, but that is welcome because it lacks power steering.

“By the way, the gearbox with high and low reduction is also unsynchronised. Remarkably, the original cab still had almost all the instruments and switches in it, although the glass of some gauges was faded. I was lucky to find an original mileage meter at a classic vehicle meeting. And I got hold of a 1960s double air horn with low and high tone. Such details make the rig special!”

The prior extension to the Gar Wood crane was done in a rather primitive way. They were crooked, too, so Frans partly cut them up. “But I did use the base. The whole body, with the

lockers, fenders, back end and such, is new. That was a big job and took me almost two years to finish. I also overhauled the 30-ton Gar Wood winch and moved it a bit on the chassis.

The old crane was replaced with an original Holmes Twin Boom Wrecker model CA8P, with an eight-ton towing capacity each.

I modified the PTO for the crane and winch accordingly, which was necessary because the Holmes is placed further back on the chassis.”

The Mack stands sturdily on large Trilex wheels with a 1400x20 tyre size – still the original rubber but retreaded.

“In the old days, American trucks rarely had brakes on the front axle,” adds Frans. “But the LMSW does because it was mandatory for a crane truck at the time. The handbrake is also extra-heay duty and has huge claws. When winching, it holds the wrecker perfectly in place.”

The unit is also equipped with outriggers on the rear drive shaft, and everything on the crane is in working order. The arms can swing left and right to make winching 100m away possible.

And, of course, everything is built to last. Overlooking the blue Bulldog is impossible. And if that happens, the sound of its big diesel will surely grab attention.

1

2

3

4 1) The first metres out of the shop were exiting! 2) Under the bonnet lurks a 187hp Thermodyne diesel engine. 3) Everything about the wrecker is in working condition. 4) The restoration took Frans Rongen 15 years.

It is impossible to overlook the big blue Bulldog.

Du

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

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MINI BIG RIGS

The 1976 WhiteFreightliner 4x2 from Model Barn.

COMPLETING THE RIG Story and photos by Carl Kirkbeck

Model truck looking unfinished? Complete the picture with some creative intervention.

A

comment across the office from our editorial director Dave McCoid initiated this month’s build.

Dave had recently visited our good friends at Model Barn and purchased a 1:43 scale White-Freightliner 4x2 tractor unit. But sitting on the shelf, it looked lost and incomplete. “What it needs is a set of Idaho hay trailers – that would fix it,” said Dave.

That was all the prompting

we needed to head straight to the workbench and break out the Evergreen sheet plastic, hobby knife and ruler.

We started with a little Google research. Typing in ‘Idaho hay trailers’ reveals a plethora of flat-deck A-trains.

A typical Idaho combination generally comprises a singleaxle 24ft flat-deck semi with a matching 24ft two-axle pull trailer. As in the past, a few basic calculations reveals that an American 24x8ft trailer in 1:43 scale equates near enough to a length and width of 170x57mm for our build.

We started by cutting out the two trailer decks from strong sheet plastic. I find that

2mm is stable and stays true added millimetre will be. over time. The next stage, The painting skillsets learnt using the images found on from previous projects we’ve the web as a guide, was to detailed bring the trailers to form the chassis rails, adding life. I have chosen to add a combing rails, cross members level of heavy weathering to and suspension sets. the finish of this unit to give When it comes to builds it a ‘I have spent 40 or so like this, you can apply a years working on the ranch healthy amount of creative and never been washed’ look. license. Yes, the photos are Weathering is an acquired used as a guide and reference taste, but it transforms the for measurements, but there’s model into a true one-off no need to feel it must be original. We will investigate accurate to the fraction of a the art of weathering in a millimetre. Taking the time to future issue and demonstrate keep the assembly square some of the products and and true to form is far more techniques used to achieve it. important. Something slightly All we need now is a load 1/50 KW C509 Drake 2x8 & 5x8of Low Loader out of alignment will& be seen hay.

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Cutting the trailer decks out of solid 2mm Evergreen sheet plastic ensures a strong base that will not warp over time.

Adding the chassis rails, combing rails and cross members forms the base for the suspension sets and axles.

The completed combination mocked-up and ready for paint and detailing.

A new skid plate added to the turntable with a hole drilled in the centre of it, ready for the trailer to be hooked up.

The White-Freightliner never came with a set of air cleaners.

We solved that problem with a little creativity and spare parts from other projects as well as some Evergreen plastic.

Twins, sort of, but not identical – adding weathering is an acquired taste, but it does individualise the model.

BLE

each

Forty years of hard toil showing on the face of the old White-Freightliner and A-train flat-deck combination.

In typical Idaho hay-haulier fashion, piggybacked and heading into the paddock for another load.

LITTLE TRUCKERS’ CLUB I went to Carterton and attended the Wheels at Wairarapa event held at Clareville Showgrounds – three days of cars, machinery and, of course, trucks.

It was very cool, and I even met a few drivers and got some photos. The Kenworth W924 in this month’s puzzle was one of the trucks there!

tracting– Brausch Con tliner 2021 Freigh ctured Coronado pi iver here with dr lick. ar G Gemma

HI, LITTLE TRUCKERS! Summer went by way too fast. I hope you all enjoyed some time in the sun truck spotting, giving our drivers big waves and arm pumps – you’ve got to love it when they blast their horns, and I know they love it when they see you.

Congratulations to William Fridd (13), who found the Little Truckers’ Club logo on page 17 of the February issue. Keep an eye on your mailbox; 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!

Located in the grid are words related to the Kenworth W924 pictured. They are all things that you can see. When you find a word, write it in the space provided. There are 12 words in total. All words can be found going across, upwards, downwards and backwards. When you have found all the words, either take a photo or scan the page and send the answers to me at rochelle@nztrucking. co.nz. Include your name and age, and you will go in the draw to win a cool prize! To help you out, I have found one for you.

Good luck, kids!!

HP Transport, Upper Hutt – 2022 Kenworth T659 (Truck of the Show).

Matai Transport, Taupo – Tony Burling found this rare 1978 Kenworth K124 in a paddock nine years ago and fully restored it to the show truck we see today.

Tyler Sainsbury (9) has been recovering from surgery in Starship Hospital. “My mum got me this New Zealand Trucking magazine as I have been in Starship Hospital and just had surgery. I love looking at trucks!” he says. We hope you get well soon, Tyler! The team at New Zealand Trucking Media wishes you a speedy recovery.

Johnny Burling, Masterton – Peterbilt.

The Little Truckers’ Club logo is hidden somewhere in this issue − find it and let me know where it is, and you may win a prize. Email me with your NAME and AGE at rochelle@nztrucking.co.nz

H Q P S P A L F D U M C

84 New Zealand Trucking March 2023

E T M T D V K P T L D X

A E I E W H E E L S S E

D R R P S B N O R K A G

L T R K P N W I E J M D

I Y O J A E O U W H N A

G U R H Z N R E P M U B

H I L G X M T Y R E B Z

T A N K C L H Y Q G V Y

S O K F G R I L L E C T

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+ Fast – new SledgeLeg™ technology, 50% faster + Narrow – SledgeLeg™ use for confined spaces + Light – from 8.4-tonne tare + Safe – optimal crane geometry + Reach – long outreach cranes + Weighing – by each crane or total + Strong – 36-tonne Safe Working Load (SWL) + Stable – legs extend for firm base and transfer + High lift – ideal for stacking option + Ease – crane/stabiliser side-by-side design + Safety+™ – computer monitored handling as std + SDS – Hammar Soft-Drive System + Flex – Trailer or Truckmounted

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TD32769

MADE IN NEW ZEALAND

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.

All scheduled events may be subject to change depending on weather conditions etc. Please check the websites before setting out.

NZ Super Truck Racing

Gisborne East Coast Truck Show

18/19 March 2023 – Invercargill 25/26 March – Pukekohe Contact: Facebook – NZ Super Truck Racing

15 April 2023 – Gisborne A&P Showgrounds Contact: gizzy.truckshow@gmail.com, Pete de Denne – 027 434 4727

Tui Truck Stop Show & Shine

Brisbane Truck Show

26 March 2023 – Tui Brewery, Mangatainoka Contact: Facebook – Tui Brewery, hospo@tuihq.co.nz

18 to 21 May 2023 – Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre Contact: brisbanetruckshow.com.au

Wheels at Wanaka 8 and 9 April 2023 – Three Parks, Wanaka Contact: wheelsatwanaka.co.nz

WHAT’S BEEN Wheels in Wanganui, 22 January 2023.

Kamo Touch a Truck Show, 29 January 2023.

Bombay Truck Show, 21 January 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.

86 New Zealand Trucking February 2023

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90 Moving Metrics 94 Incoming Cargo – Andreas Gorbach 98 Vipal’s Knowing your Tyres 100 Road Ahead Conference 104 Product Profile – NAPA 106 Business Profile – YHI energy 108 Profile – VWorks 110 Carriers’ Corner 112 Truckers’ Health 114 Health & Safety 116 Legal Lines 118 NZ Trucking Association 120 Transporting New Zealand 122 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.

Summary of heavy trucks and trailers first registered in January 2023 This information is compiled from information provided by the NZ Transport Agency statistical analysis team and through the Open Data Portal.

First registration of NB and NC class vehicles for January 2023 by major manufacturer

The data used in this information reflects any amendments to the data previously reported.

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

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

Vehicle class

Description

NB

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

(mediumgoods vehicle)

NC (heavy-goods vehicle)

TD (heavy trailer)

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

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

A table of all vehicle classes is in Table A of the Land Transport Rule Vehicle Dimensions and Mass 2016 Rule 41001/2016 https://www.nzta.govt.nz/ assets/resources/rules/docs/vehicle-dimensionsand-mass-2016-as-at-1-October-2019.pdf Note: Vehicle classes are not the same as RUC vehicle types or driver licence classes.

90 New Zealand Trucking March 2023

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

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

First registration of NC class vehicles for years 2018 – 2022 by major manufacturer

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

New Zealand Trucking

March 2023 91

otal at a

pes govt. useron-

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 01 January 2018 and 31 January 2023 by purchase year

RUC purchase for January 2023, all RUC types In January 2023 there were 47 different types of RUC purchased for a total distance of 2,417,636,107km at a value of $175,203,157.

htly

ments

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 adjustmvents 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

18,241,798,066

$1,797,425,014

1 Jan 2023 – 31 Jan 2023

2,417,636,107

$175,203,157

RUC distance purchased for RUC type 1 vehicles

Purchase period

Distance purchased (km)

Average monthly distance (km)

1 Jan 2019 – 31 Dec 2019

11,502,905,782

958,575,482

1 Jan 2020 – 31 Dec 2020

10,952,303,565

912,691,964

1 Jan 2021 – 31 Dec 2021

11,427,917,860

952,326,488

1 Jan 2022 – 31 Dec 2022

13,375,038,937

1,114,586,578

1 Jan 2023 – 31 Jan 2023

1,982,223,866

1,982,223,866

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

92 New Zealand Trucking March 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 January 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

March 2023 93

INCOMING CARGO

Dr Andreas Gorbach, member of the board of management and head of truck technology at Daimler Truck AG.

MANY ROADS MANY FORKS Rarely has uncertainty dominated the view from the world’s windscreen as it does today. But getting in front of people such as Daimler Truck AG’s head of truck technology, Andreas Gorbach, at IAA in Hanover last year certainly helped provide clarity from the perspective of one of the global OEM giants.

Story by Dave McCoid

Overview Head of truck technology at Daimler Truck AG, Andreas Gorbach, is one of those people who simply answers questions, leaving silence in their wake. Only the bravest dare go down the ‘yeah, but…’ path. He’s not unfriendly – quite the opposite – but he answers stuff with extreme clarity.

He started his round table at IAA Hanover last year with a summation of what technology meant at Daimler Truck, describing it as a “key

Pictures by Dave McCoid and as credited

lever” that delivers a positive outcome for customers, shareholders, and society.

He then spoke about “key technology”, assigning it two fundamental attributes; first, long-term differentiation, meaning a technology that makes an ongoing difference within five to 10 years across all customers, markets, and brands; and, second, commonality – engineer once and deploy many times to create scale and therefore profit.

“What are the two most

94 New Zealand Trucking March 2023

relevant technologies according to these attributes for us? The power to drive and the intelligence to drive.”

The power to drive pointed to diesel, BEV and FCEV, and intelligence to drive to electronics and software. Both are relevant technologies, differentiators today and in the future.

He says diesel has met the key technological attributes for 120 years – a propulsion technology that answers all variables of industry, application and regulation

across many countries. “But the one-size-fits-all story will discontinue.

“With electronics, we’ve added it to the truck step by step. We describe functions and purchase control units from vendors, adding more and more intelligence to the truck.”

“Both of these technologies – diesel and electronics – have been the foundation of our success and the cash generators for what we do in the future.”

Decarbonisation and

eActros heavy metro and regional.

digitalisation are the two big frontiers moving forward, he says, expressing Daimler Truck’s commitment to decarbonisation as a signatory to the Paris Accord.

Diesel will remain in focus for the next 10 to 20 years, with BEV and FCEV forming the basis for decarbonised propulsion in the future.

Digitalisation will be key to advancing electronics with software-based architecture using centralised hardware to flash applications across the air to common operating systems.

“We need to transform the truck into a programmable device. This, in short, is our technology strategy for the next 10 to 20 years.”

Question and answer session (Summary of key questions asked from the floor. Answers as bullets with quoted additional comments.)

Proprietary electrical engines at Daimler Truck?

•T o date, the supply of all

electric engines has been outsourced. However, significant resources are currently being deployed, building in-house know-how.

• There’s no definitive plan for when vertical integration will occur. But volumes over the next five to 10 years mean it doesn’t make sense yet.

Daimler’s choice to use LFP (lithium-iron phosphate) batteries in the trucks as opposed to LMC (lithium-ion) batteries? LFP is generally seen as heavier and less energy dense.

•L FP is better suited to high levels of charge cycling without impacting life.

Passenger cars must last about 150,000km – a truck, 1,000,000km-plus.

• An LFP battery has no nickel and cobalt, so there are fewer costs and geopolitical issues.

• LFP batteries are slightly less energy-dense. However, trucks generally don’t have the same packaging issues as a car. “We have also

found a way to compensate energy density on a cell level and on a pack level.”

• LFP batteries have better thermal propagation characteristics.

Additional comment “We can pack 600kW/h (300km) LFP batteries sufficiently. For long ranges, we are sure hydrogen is the best solution. Packing 1MW of battery in a truck doesn’t make sense. If we were using LMC cells, I still wouldn’t push for an 800-1000km BEV truck.”

Is there a battery breakthrough that would allow over 500km? How far do you think it is?

•N o. The charge comes from the electro-chemical potential between the elements. There’s a maximum electro-chemical difference between all the elements on earth.

Additional comment “Even if you take the elements that have the biggest difference in electro-chemical

potential – giving you the highest energy density, the highest voltage, highest potential energy density – you would never come close to the energy density of hydrogen.

Hydrogen has 33kW/h per kg; a battery today, 0.5kW/h per kg. Even if a breakthrough battery was 1.0kW/h per kg, that’s still a factor of over 30 away. There are no elements on earth to compete with hydrogen.”

How much flexibility is there in the timeline to meet the Paris Accord? What are your milestones and dates?

•S tep-by-step electrification.

By 2025-26, all relevant trucks will be electrified.

Additional comment “Some years ago, we were under pressure to get started.

The product portfolio will now not be the limiting factor.

The dominating factor will be the infrastructure. The price of electricity, hydrogen, and diesel impacts the TCO case for the customer.

“The products will be there,

Gen H2 hydrogen linehaul tractor unit.

Note the liquidhydrogen saddle tank. Daimler Truck believes the future of road transport is a two-horse rodeo, meaning BEV and FCEV.

of our energy requirements.

To decarbonise, we have three options: first, reduce consumption by 70%; second, produce 70% ourselves – and in that, we don’t have enough wind or solar, so we would need 30 of the largest nuclear power stations; and third, import green energy. We can’t trade electricity on a global scale, so it needs to be a molecule.

“Australia, the Middle East and Africa could all produce green hydrogen, transported as a molecule.”

Electrolisers? Use a lot of electricity and water. and we will have the flexibility to walk at the same pace as the infrastructure and as the TCO case for customers evolves.

“I am honestly rather scared that the speed on the infrastructure side is not fast enough to comply with the Paris Accord, which will then put us in a difficult situation at the dealership. I want to sell a BEV or FCEV, and the customer says, ‘I can’t buy it, there is no infrastructure’, and I have to tell the customer, ‘I cannot sell you the diesel truck as I cannot pay the penalty.’

And then we come to an awkward situation.

“We want to be so flexible that we will never be the bottleneck for the technology.”

Do you see engine collaboration as diesel declines?

•Y es. Captive product in the medium-duty product has already gone to Cummins.

•H eavy-duty products are best-in-class and of high enough volume to warrant continued production.

•W hen the time comes, partnership will be based on our technology.

•C onsolidation in the diesel industry will be needed to keep volumes high enough for all parties, including suppliers.

When do you think the complete elimination of diesel will occur?

•U nsure. We are aiming for 2039 for the main markets, dependent on infrastructure and energy prices.

• Decarbonisation speed is not determined by product portfolio.

Additional comments “If there is still one drop of oil below the surface of the planet with more than 40MJ (megajoules) of energy per litre, and the federation of states among the Paris Accord becomes unstable, then those countries will continue with diesel. We can consciously decide not to sell to those countries, but other OEMs will.

“We need strong collaboration between the states that signed the Paris Accord, and they need to invest in infrastructure and provide cheap, green energy.

It’s a fragile situation on the planet at the moment; who has the power and political willingness to go down that path and continuously reinvest in cheap, clean energy?”

Hydrogen combustion engines?

• We are closely monitoring, as are all players. “Too sexy to look away from, too immature to bet your house on.”

• Efficiency is significantly better than it was.

• Fuel cells are at their best under low load, e.g. a 40-tonne combination on the motorway at 80kph requiring only 100kW of the 300kW available. With a construction vehicle under full load, the hydrogen combustion engine would be better.

Hydrogen in what form?

Gaseous or liquid?

•M y personal preference is liquid. It is: • easier to produce • easier to transport •b etter for us [Daimler] – lower cost •b etter for the customer – wider range • l ower investment at the filling station.

•E veryone in the supply chain has an advantage with liquid. However, today, grey-compressed – at 350700 bar – has a greater infrastructure.

•G rey today, green tomorrow, with gas a transitioning to liquid-dominant long term.

Additional comments “Irrespective of road transport requirements, we must transport green energy as a molecule. The world trades heavily in energy. Take Germany. We import 70%

(Qualified as commentary only, Daimler Truck not directly involved) • Today, some regions can produce green hydrogen at 1c per kW/h.

• Need to use electrolyser and transport as a liquid or pipeline.

• Water can come from seawater with the salt extracted.

• 12 hours of flow of the Rhine would make enough hydrogen to run 20% of our global truck fleet for a year – so the volumes required are not as great as people think.

• Oil and gas production consumes more water per year than hydrogen production would.

Will there be a collaborative hydrogen infrastructure like you’ve done with Traton and Volvo on the MCS charges?

•T he MCS project is only the start of what’s needed.

• There will only be microprojects with hydrogen on specific routes, working with Shell and Total.

• The right political signals are needed. All OEMs together don’t have the resources to address the infrastructure issue. It’s not their role – “We don’t build bridges and roads.”

D T

96 New Zealand Trucking March 2023

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VIPAL’S 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 more examples of treadwear and damage.

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yres are a significant investment for transport companies, which makes determining the factors that can lead to their demise essential.

Tread lift/separation Appearance: Tread separated from the protection belt. Belt package is intact.

Probable causes: Adhesion loss between the tread rubber and the tyre casing. Can be caused by tread penetration. Tyre overpressure can aggravate the problem.

Tyre: Remove tyre from service.

Actions: Consult your tyre dealer/retreader to change the tread design to suit the application.

Rib tearing

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Appearance: Tear at the base of the main tread grooves. No tread missing.

Probable Causes: Caused by severe localised impacts, hot tyres and sharp turning.

Tyre: Consult your tyre dealer/retreader to repair or retread casing.

Actions: Review driving procedures. Inspect tyres periodically to identify possible tearing at early stage.

Diagonal wear Appearance: Localised flat spots worn diagonally across the tread, often repeating around the tread circumference.

Probable causes: Runout or out-of-balance, in conjunction with a slow rate of wear. Can also be caused by loose wheel bearings. Aggravated by misalignment.

Tyre: The tyre may be rotated to the outside drive dual position. If wear is excessive, submit to retreader for further options.

Actions: Diagnose cause and correct. Perform periodic maintenance on the vehicle.

98 New Zealand Trucking March 2023

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VIP_0010-23_AN NZ TRUCKUNG MARCO_21x14,4cm.pdf

1

14/02/2023

15:13

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The Road Ahead Conference 2022 Transporting New Zealand’s 2022 The Road Ahead Conference looked at what’s on the horizon for transport operators. The conference focused on a changing workforce, sustainability and environmental requirements, future fuel sources, supply chain issues, and disruptors like the digital revolution. In this final report, the Commerce Commission’s David Chrystall discusses cartel conduct, the University of Otago’s Rebecca Lilley focuses on driver health, Success Formula’s Kelly McLukie talks about safety culture, and Datacom’s David Ffowcs-Williams discusses digital disruption and transport supply chain. We also report on a panel session with Retyna (EV sector) and Z Energy.

David Chrystall Principal investigator at the Commerce Commission

The Commerce Commission is warning New Zealand companies against entering into cartel-like arrangements with competitors following a 2021 law change that made it a criminal offence to do so.

According to Chrystall, a cartel is a collaboration between a group of competitors to control prices, output and other areas where they would otherwise compete.

“It’s the removal of the competitive tension – that rivalry that should exist in any properly functional market,” he says.

“Competition is a cornerstone of any economy. The rivalry between competing businesses to do better with customers is very important.”

Chrystall says cartel conduct isn’t just about raising prices to rip off consumers.

“A lot of people think that price fixing and cartel conduct is about ripping people off. When you have these cartel agreements, not only does it increase prices, but it decreases what we call consumer surplus and creates what we call a deadweight loss. And it’s the loss of that consumption that we’re concerned

about,” he says.

“There’s nothing good about a cartel from an economic standpoint. Most of the cartels I’ve investigated are always secretive. They end up involving a level of deception to the clients, and it’s essentially a kind of economic theft. You’re stealing from society, denying consumers the benefits they should be getting in a normal functioning market. It’s akin to fraud, essentially.”

Penalties Chrystall says the penalties for cartel conduct is up to seven years in prison for individuals or fines of up to $500,000.

“The first thing to think about is, who are my competitors? Competitors are businesses who do or could offer the same or similar services to your customers. The Commerce Act under Section 30 is essentially a prohibition on competitors entering into a contract arrangement or understanding. This is purposefully very broad – there only has to be some form of communication that results in a shared expectation or what the courts deem a meeting of minds. You must have the intention to fix prices or allocate markets, but you don’t necessarily

David FfowcsWilliams

Head of supply chain, Datacom Using data and technology to get the most out of the supply chain can result in major improvements to the running of your business, says Ffowcs-Williams.

Sharing data information is vital and results in huge savings for businesses and the industry as a whole.

“When we work as an industry and share information, everything gets better for everybody. We are not very good at

100 New Zealand Trucking March 2023

have to know that you are breaking the law. Ignorance of the law is no excuse.

“Our priorities really are to make New Zealanders better off. And we are currently focusing on this piece of legislation to educate people around cartels. There’s a range of enforcement outcomes. Just because the law is being breached, it doesn’t necessarily mean we bring a prosecution. It depends on the amount of harm associated with the conduct.

“The commission does recognise that there are genuine, pro-competitive reasons why competitors do need to get together to collaborate on certain deals. Is it adding additional competition into the market?

There are parts of the act that allow for genuine collaboration.”

this in this industry,” he says.

“And I see this across every single business I work on – there are emails coming in and there is paper moving around the place, and there are different standards. This is one of the biggest problems we could solve if we can move data faster to be in the right place at the right time. The cost reduction to the industry is literally hundreds of millions of dollars.

“Every single business I go into has paper and email everywhere. You don’t need to get rid of it. You just need to treat

Truck drivers are at a high risk of adverse health and injury events, with working conditions a significant factor.

Lilley, who has undertaken a feasibility of a national survey of truck drivers, says the health of professional truck drivers is of growing concern.

“Our economy and national wellbeing is intimately tethered to trucking,” she says.

“It became abundantly clear to the New Zealand public and businesses during the Covid-19 lockdown that it’s a critical service, and we really need to keep our truck-driving workforce healthy and safe to keep our economy moving.”

Despite that, Lilley says very little about this occupational group is understood at a population level.

According to the 2018 census, there are more than 37,000 professional truck drivers in New Zealand, and this group is predominantly male. It is mainly European, followed by Maori.

“But most concerningly, this group is rapidly ageing, with 60% of professional

truck drivers over 45 years old. And that is a concern with regards to some health and safety aspects,” says Lilley.

“Previous research into work-related injury throughout New Zealand has identified that far too many professional drivers are being killed while working on New Zealand roads.”

Of the average 346 fatalities on New Zealand roads a year, at least 96 are workrelated. About 27% of the annual road toll is associated with work activities, and of this, 21 deaths occurred in workers for which the road is their main place of work.

Around 10 professional drivers are killed on New Zealand roads yearly while working.

“This occupational group is placed in the top five hazardous occupations in New Zealand. We kill more truck drivers on our roads than other comparative economies,” says Lilley.

“What has us most concerned about these deaths is the major role that fatigue and driver health is playing and triggering or contributing to these truck crashes, particularly single-vehicle events. Our study identified that in one three crashes resulting in the death of a professional driver occurred when the driver was impaired, be that due to fatigue, a preexisting fatiguing health condition, and in a very, very small number, due to legal or illegal substance use.

“The truck-driving workforce is rapidly ageing, and we can expect this workforce to have increasing health concerns that may affect their safety, but also public safety and vital supply chains.”

Lilley says there are many healthdamaging aspects regarding professional truck driving, and improvements in driver health are urgently needed across the workforce. “We know very little about the current health status of our professional

drivers, making it a highly neglected area of knowledge,” she says.

A national study funded by the Health Research Council found that one in four drivers reported poor health status. The most common health complaint was pain caused by work, commonly attributed to back pain, followed by pain experienced in the knees and shoulders.

Other commonly reported diagnosed health conditions included high cholesterol and high blood pressure, both preconditions for heart disease that can manifest through sudden heart attacks or strokes. Asthma was also common in one in four respondents, and other concerning diagnosed conditions included depression, migraines, diabetes, and sleep apnoea, which is a highly fatiguing sleep condition and prevalent in overweight people.

Lilley says broken sleep suggests work patterns need looking at among truck drivers. According to the study, 37% of drivers experience sleep problems two or three nights a week, and a further 28% reported having sleep problems four nights or more a week. Of those reporting problems, 40% said their poor sleep quality had troubled them during the day while they were driving. About 17% of this group used alcohol or drugs to aid sleep.

“Despite this being a small-scale survey, which is not representative of truck drivers as a whole, we are identifying some concerning trends in the current state of truck-driver health that should be acted on and managed by employees and employers under health and safety in the Employment Act and by government regulators of transport safety,” Lilley says.

“There’s sufficient early evidence here for the industry to start taking action to improve driver health within the transport sector.”

it appropriately.”

Williams says when changes are introduced into your organisation, you must embed the change within the culture of the business.

“The biggest challenge we are finding within businesses is communications within the organisation. And what we find is that you must put that communication across seven times to get it down to the grassroots. Organisations are putting the information out there, but no one feels that it is being communicated to them.

So, we have to drive through those user

groups to actually get that information to the grassroots.”

Williams says organisations can use artificial intelligence and machine learning to work through their data to uncover opportunities within the business.

“You’ve now got something that allows you to regulate patterns that will tell you where to change the business,” he says.

“And this really does work, and it makes sense and it’s not expensive. You don’t need to get to four to get to five – that’s the cool thing. You can actually go from two to five, and you can choose

what you want out of this to get different outcomes for the business.”

Williams says dispatch and visibility should be as automated as possible.

“How do you pre-build runs for the next day so you know your capacity? The worst thing you can obviously do is go and buy freight capacity at 10pm. It tends to be reasonably expensive at that time of night. Automating this enables you to see the freight that’s coming in – you can see what’s forecast.”

Rebecca Lilley

Senior research fellow, University of Otago

New Zealand Trucking

March 2023 101

Kelly McLuckie Success Formula

Not enough business owners in the transport sector invest in safety culture, according to McLukie. She says safety culture is something all organisations should prioritise to retain staff, be more productive, more profitable, and more attractive to the workforce.

Success Formula’s Traction programme was developed in 2011 with input from transport operators, regulators, unions, and academics.

The intention of the programme was to measure safety culture and leadership within transport businesses and find ways to support organisations to improve.

“We used to have a very audit-based idea – as in, have we got policy and procedures? Tick. But it’s probably sitting on the shelf in a rusty ring binder, and we pat ourselves on the back,” McLukie says.

“When we developed the Traction programme, it was because this idea wasn’t working. It wasn’t improving safety in our businesses, it wasn’t making them more productive or profitable. It was just causing a whole bunch of work. We may have looked compliant to the regulator, but it didn’t really shift the dial in terms of what we were doing and the way we’re running a business.

“The programme is designed to say, ‘Is the work that you imagined, is your policy and procedure and how you plan, is that what really happens in the business?’ And at its heart, that is what culture is about – how we do things around here. It’s about what the people in your business believe, how they act and how they behave,” she says.

McLukie says culture is something

102 New Zealand Trucking March 2023

everyone who runs a business should prioritise.

“If your organisation is running well and your people are engaged, they are more productive, they’re safer.

You’ll have fewer accidents, and you’ll start to see some of your financial metrics go down, such as insurance claims and unplanned repairs and maintenance, and your turnover starts to decrease,” she says.

“When people are on the journey with you, and they believe in your organisational culture, your business runs more smoothly.”

McLukie says many factors influence driver behaviour. “More than twothirds of the large losses or major accidents are driver error, but what are the conditions that influence driver’s behaviour on the road? We’re all part of a big system, and as leaders in your businesses, you influence the culture, you influence the dispatch, you influence the route, you influence the customers,” she says.

“So, when a driver is out there on the road making decisions, whether they be good or bad, there’s a lot of additional things that you are able to influence or control that make a difference. And that’s what safety culture is.

“Not enough of us in transport are investing in safety culture. And I really believe that’s going to turn the dial of making us a more attractive industry for people to come and work in.

“As human beings, we all want to feel part of something. So, the more you can make your staff feel engaged, valued, like they’re part of the team, the better you’ll be,” McLukie says.

“Culture is a reflection of the leaders.

It’s worth investing in them. And safety culture and organisational culture make good business sense. It makes it a profitable, productive, successful business.

PANEL DISCUSSION – WHAT WILL POWER YOUR TRANSPORT BUSINESS INTO THE FUTURE? Liz Yeaman Retyna

According to Liz Yeaman, managing director of Retyna, a specialist consultancy focusing on electric vehicles and renewable energy for transport, New Zealand is good at renewable energy generation.

“Over the past decade, we’ve been at 80% to 85% renewable energy generation. But as things are changing, the cheapest new electricity source in New Zealand is now grid-scale wind and grid-scale solar. So, as we increase electricity demand, which has been static for the past decade – despite population growth, despite us all having more and more screens in every room of our house and everything down to our cigarettes becoming electric – we are now going back into a period of energy-generation growth, and it is going to be coming from grid-scale wind and grid-scale solar.”

Yeaman says New Zealand has a big advantage in renewable energy.

“We have massive resources for it.

There are different ways you can take our advantage in renewable energy generation and get it to turn the wheels of the truck. The first of those is battery electric – direct electrification. It’s all made here in New Zealand, which means we are no longer sending money overseas to buy oil to come into this country. This is money that is going to be spent in our local economies rather than coming in from imported oil,” she says.

“One thing about charging batteryelectric trucks is you can do it in your own yards. You can do it when those trucks are not being used – when they are loading and unloading. And you can even generate your own electricity. You can be

From left: Facilitator Dom Kalasih; Liz Yaaman, Retyna consultancy, director of ChargeNet; Ryan McDonald, Hiringa Energy, head of new business; Nicholas Williams, general manger strategy at Z Energy; Anthony Jones, group CEO HWR, HWR Hydrogen. (We covered off similar presentations by Hiringa Energy and HWR in the February 2023 issue – Ed.) involved in creating your own fuel as well as buying it.

“All of those technologies work. They all perform, and they’re really good. The real choice between them comes down to economics – can it do the job, and how cheaply?

“Volvo, Scania and Fuso have been bringing in electric trucks in the past few years. We have big companies like Mainfreight and Toll buying more and more electric trucks at the moment for those urban delivery trips where they can easily make them work with the technology that’s here right now.

“But what we’re not seeing here yet are the trucks that are on the road in the States and in Europe. And the reason that we don’t have them here yet is because there isn’t government policy that is pulling them here. And it’s really important that we look to the future about what’s coming.”

Yeaman says climate change isn’t the only driver behind bringing electric trucks onto the roads. “Obviously, climate is really, really important, but it’s not just governments, but the trucking manufacturing companies themselves are probably the strongest lead into this

change in technology,” she says.

“So, if we look at the European truck makers – Volvo and Scania and Mercedes-Benz and so on – they have all come together in Europe and created an alliance and said publicly that they will no longer be producing diesel trucks by 2040. So, this change is coming, and it is being led by the industry as much as the government itself.”

Nicolas Williams Z Energy

Z Energy is looking at all the technologies that may power transport in the future, says Williams.

“We are thinking hard about the rollout, deploying capital, and seeing where the customer demand is,” he says.

“One thing that’s important to note with the technology is how far away is the current technology from its theoretical limit.”

We are seeing really high efficiencies with hydrogen technology, whereas the battery technology and some of the electrical technology have a long way to run. That’s the other thing to think about over the next five to 10 years – how much

does technology run to actually improve these chains.

“And then the other consideration is land use. We’re already having debate in New Zealand about our pine trees and the extent to which we are going to take out acreage in New Zealand to sequester carbon. New Zealand doesn’t have a lot of land, and that land is highly contestable in its land use.

“So, one of the things I think we need to be thinking about as a country, and certainly from a policymaker perspective, is how do we make sure that we’re diverting energy into its most efficient kind of use.”

Williams says Z Energy is increasingly seeing that biofuels are struggling to scale. “I can talk a little bit about Z’s approach to biofuels in regard to the mandate. But we’ve obviously tried to do biofuels at a low scale. We couldn’t make it work. So, there’s a really interesting conversation to be had about biofuels and where that fits in the mix.”

“We are looking at all of these technologies. But we are probably looking to deploy capital more in the batteryelectric space and the DC fast-charging space.”

“There are different ways you can take our advantage in renewable energy generation and get it to turn the wheels of the truck.”

New Zealand Trucking

March 2023 103

PRODUCT PROFILE

TIME TO TALK ABOUT

OIL

Today’s heavy-duty diesel engines are expensive and more technically advanced than ever, with ever-increasing oil drain intervals. Fleets are often the backbone of many operators’ businesses, with reliability and component life meaning everything.

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ifferent fuels and environmental conditions can impact efficiency and longevity, which can be greatly improved with the correct lubrication.

Gulf Western prides itself in only using the highest-quality virgin base oils and the most technologically advanced API-approved additive systems, allowing the company to hold some of the highest OEM approvals in today’s market.

The facility has API (American Petroleum Institute) licensing and has an ISO 9001 Quality Assurance Management System certification.

Gulf Western Oil was launched in 1988 to design an oil specific to the Australian market.

Since then, it has grown from a small company blending lubricants for the local market to a multi-million-litre organisation with an extensive distributor network throughout Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Fiji, New Caledonia, Tahiti, Vietnam, China, Tonga, Samoa, Kiribati, the Christmas Islands, PNG and Russia.

104 New Zealand Trucking March 2023

TOP DOG Gulf Western TOP DOG INDESTRUCTIBLE was formulated using Gulf Western’s indestructible additive technology. It makes engines stay cleaner, use less fuel and last longer. TOP DOG INDESTRUCTIBLE 15W40 meets most modern engine manufacturers’ specifications, formulated to meet API CK-4.

It meets the specifications of modern and older engine manufacturers and OEMs and is backward-compatible with API CJ-4 and CI-4 engine oil specifications. It is suitable for heavy-duty diesel engines fitted with EGR systems and those fitted with DPFs. Being backward-compatible with API specifications, it is an ideal mixed fleet/universal engine oil.

For more information, contact NAPA Auto Parts on 0800 800 073 or at napa.co.nz

BENEFITS Top Dog INDESTRUCTIBLE 15W-40 meets the following international performance specifications: • Increased fuel economy through reduced friction • Extended drain intervals compared with earlier generation API grades • Vastly improved oxidation control • Suitable for EGR (exhaust gas recirculation) engines • Low SAPS formulation offering suitability for diesel particulate filters • Better dispersancy compared with conventional API CK-4 and CJ-4 specifications resulting in cleaner engines that offer an increased service life • Increased shear stability resulting in decreased oil consumption • TOP DOG INDESTRUCTIBLE 15W-40 offers advanced levels of engine protection compared with API CJ-4 and the new conventional API CK-4 specification.

GO THE DISTANCE

COMMERCIAL OIL PRODUCTS Gulf Western has commercial at the heart of it’s business, and their state of the art blending plant and leading technical experts produce many different OE approved oils for commercial vehicles, including: EUROSYN LV 5W-30 UHPD API CK4 ACEA E6/E4/E9/E7, MB 228.51 (formulation approved by Daimler Benz), Scania LDF-4, MAN M 3677/3575/3477, MTU Type 3.1,VDS4.5, Cummins 20086.

Allowable drain in excess of 100,000km whilst maintaining complete protection 300055 EUROSYN 10W-40 Scania LDF-3, E4/E7 VDS3 M3277 and ACEA E4 300059 EUROSYN 10W-40 LONG DRAIN API CK-4 ACEA E6/E9/E7/E4, MAN M3477 and M3271-1, Cummins CES 20086, Scania low ash, Volvo VDS-4.5 30009

Make sure your fleet goes the distance with Gulf Western

Available at NAPA Auto Parts 0800 800 073

BUSINESS PROFILE

Investing in your

CHARGING FUTURE There is much to wrap your head around in the ever-changing world of electric-vehicle charging technology.

And with new technology released all the time, operators sometimes need help knowing which direction to go in, what products to invest in and what brands to get behind.

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division of YHI New Zealand, YHI Energy offers charging technology solutions for home, fleets, public infrastructure and heavy-transport applications.

“We are committed to innovation, sustainability and bringing the very best brands from around the world to our local markets,” says Jasmine Roxborough, business development of EV charging at YHI Energy.

“Our products offer plenty of features that alleviate many of the reservations businesses have when it comes to charging technology,” she says.

“We have a wide distribution network across the country and great partnerships with installers and integrators, providing an ultimate turnkey experience from site scope to installation and the ongoing management of the products themselves.

“These technology investments can be a scary thing for companies. So having an integrator who can manage everything from end to end works really well for them. Our products are well future-proofed, so that gives people a little bit of a sigh of relief as well.”

YHI New Zealand was established in 1995 in Auckland, initially focused on the automotive sector with world-leading tyre brands.

In 2001, YHI added energy products to its range, and such products are now a substantial area of the business. It offers comprehensive product ranges in solar power, electric-vehicle charging, automotive, marine and motive power products, as well as UPS and power systems solutions and services.

“YHI Energy has been involved with the EV industry from the very beginning, supporting the first substantial corporate EV fleet in the country in 2015,” says Roxborough.

“Our comprehensive range of products allows us to provide a unique approach to our customers’ requirements, often challenging the status quo to achieve a greater outcome.”

106 New Zealand Trucking March 2023

Partnering with Siemens YHI has worked with some of New Zealand’s largest electric fleets and public charging projects and was appointed as a distributor of Siemens’ electricvehicle charging infrastructure in New Zealand. The partnership enhanced YHI’s capabilities to deliver a wide range of EV chargers to New Zealand’s rapidly growing market.

YHI supplies products from Siemens’ extensive portfolio ranging from 7kW to 300kW, from home to fleets, to public infrastructure and heavy transport applications.

The Siemens SiCharge D offers a superior DC charging experience thanks to its scalability, power allocation abilities and award-winning design in interface design and serviceability.

With its customisable configuration (CCS and/or CHAdeMO) and a 22kW Type 2 socket, operators can charge up to three vehicles simultaneously.

The SiCharge D starts at 160kW, and in increments of 20kW is scalable up to 300kW. Further to this is the ability to add additional DC dispensers. This means simultaneous charging of up to five vehicles at once (4x DC and 1x AC). Not only does this allow for multiple vehicles to be serviced at once, but it also means that finding the “perfect site” for multicharging stations is much easier.

THE SIEMENS SICHARGE D

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0800 99 33 44

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PROFILE

MANAGING THE MOVING PARTS Managing the moving parts of a trucking business can be a headache for many fleet operators and transport companies. Taking control of your mobile jobs with scheduling software helps raise efficiency, reduces costs and results in happier customers.

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ounded in 2008, vWork helps transport companies tame all those moving parts when managing mobile jobs or deliveries. “We help businesses with complex mobile operations who have a lot of people moving around or a lot of vehicles moving around,” says Sam Edmond, head of marketing at vWork.

“We help them reduce cost, improve efficiency, and increase customer satisfaction all in one go, and that helps them streamline their business to reach their goals.”

The current worldwide driver shortage means a lot of companies can’t complete as many deliveries or do as many jobs in a day as they want. Edmond says a good solution is using software like vWork to help businesses become more productive with the driving force they already have.

“A lot of companies get bogged down in paperwork, and you’d be amazed at how many businesses in New Zealand are still using paper,” says Edmond. “vWork is all app-based; all the jobs are scheduled centrally from a laptop or computer in the head office, and then

drivers use an app and go through a series of steps on their phone, and then they’re off to the next job.

“So, it’s killing that dead time and enabling you to move on to the next job more quickly.”

Onboarding vWork offers a rigorous onboarding process for businesses implementing the software into their operations. “vWork can be customised to the type of business you run and the types of jobs you are doing, so your business is operating as efficiently as possible,” says Edmond. vWork can be used in conjunction with other software already being used. It offers off-the-shelf integrations with platforms such as Xero, MYOB, Salesforce and telematics providers, including EROAD and Argus Tracking.

Key features of vWork vWork route optimisation

e-proof of delivery

vWork’s route-optimisation tool matches delivery schedules against capacity and constraints to build the most efficient schedules. Set daily routes in a fraction of the time across simple and multi-stop routes, improving fleet efficiency and reducing fuel consumption.

Move from paper proof of delivery to electronic options like photos and sign-on glass. Electronic proof of delivery automates the delivery process, speeds up the invoicing process, reduces manual invoicing errors and shortens billing cycles, reduces carbon footprint, and keeps customers informed in real time.

Three-way messaging Three-way messaging between customer, driver and dispatcher saves time when making changes on the fly. Other messaging capabilities include automatic e-mail reminders, text messages with maps, and portals that allow customers to self-book jobs.

Accurate mileage for job invoicing vWork uses three sources to derive distance travelled to calculate accurate mileage: straight-line estimates, Google Maps planned routes, and actual mileage calculated from EROAD.

Other features include: • Templated workflows that fit perfectly with how you run your business • Drag-and-drop scheduling for jobs, drivers, trucks and more • Option to manage resources and jobs from a single screen, including a live map view • Option to send automated e-mail and SMS alerts with key information that reduces driver downtime • Ability to access real-time data for up-to-date DIFOT reporting

108 New Zealand Trucking March 2023

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CARRIERS’ CORNER

A QUESTION OF INFRASTRUCTURE CAPEX Crikey, I find myself with proof of at least one more individual reading my ramblings. Last month, I intimated that we could see a changing of the guard come election time, but who was I to know that Jacinda would read this fine publication and use it to make the gargantuan call to hand over the baton to one of her peers so early in proceedings?

T

he situation has somewhat rolled on from there in recent weeks, with Auckland’s local political leadership rearing its head, albeit slightly after the horse had bolted, with the unprecedented flooding event affecting the wider Auckland region in early February. As I type this column, the building around me is being angrily buffeted by the turbulence associated with the arrival of cyclone Gabrielle, and I note that this time around, we’ve seen an immensely proactive approach from Civil Defence, in particular, concerning the coming attractions.

It’s certainly been a pretty turbulent time in our neck of the woods, once again bringing to the fore a range of challenges only too familiar to our sector; those of outdated infrastructure bringing us to our knees and a frustrating lack of communication, or rather clarity of communication. I’m pretty sure I’m not alone in expecting that ‘we’ surely have more capability and firepower to call on than local Facebook traffic-update groups for our ‘source of truth’ in the case of such events.

A quick Google of flooding events across New Zealand in recent years returns no shortage of content to cast one’s eyes over, the frequency and severity of such events increasing at an alarming rate, and each event bringing with it a pretty raw exposure of our weakest links when it comes to infrastructure, be that roading or otherwise. Does anyone remember the South Island transport network on the brink of being brought to its knees as a result of the Ashburton Bridge flooding in June 2021? Or, more recently, the

110 New Zealand Trucking March 2023

extensive damage to SH6 linking Nelson and Blenheim? Or the closure of the Mangamuka Gorge in 2020, the gateway to the Far North? It has been out of action for the best part of two years due to weather-related damage.

The fact that so many of these events are spoken about as unprecedented indicates their arrival and impact are at levels never seen before and that they are unexpected (as weather events often are) surely only adds to the need for greater resilience to be built into our roading infrastructure. I’m not talking about some minor tweaks to existing roads, but rather that we adopt a true national strategy on key transport ‘breaking points’ and focus on galvanising a network capable of withstanding the growing forces that Mother Nature seems determined to hurl in our direction. Nor am I talking solely roading, as rail has and will be as equally challenged by these weather events as our road transport network.

Across the country, we see some amazing pieces of infrastructure

that feature the best in design and environmental considerations and, through their execution, have delivered heightened resilience. Think Transmission Gully and the elimination of the dreaded Pukerua Bay stretch that so often crippled movements out of the capital and ultimately between our two main islands. How good would life be if we could take that same approach across key connections nationwide, marrying up rail and roading infrastructure to safeguard the operation of both?

There is myriad examples across the country where this joint effort could pay huge dividends, whether it’s HamiltonTauranga, Whangarei-Marsden PointAuckland, or Christchurch-AshburtonTimaru to name but a few.

Costly? You bet it would likely be huge, but if I liken it to opex on keeping an older fleet member operating versus capex of a new fleet member, there’s the potential the cost may well come out less going down the capex root once the commitment has been made and the cost of heightened resilience (or lack thereof) enters the equation.

Let’s hope that someone, somewhere within the NZTA is looking closely at their fleet replacement and renewal programme (and looking at how they can leverage KiwiRail’s own plan). I mentioned last month that my word for 2023 is resilience; I figure this is a pretty good place to start.

Do you agree with Blake or want to engage with his comment? He’d love to hear from you.

Contact Blake at: blake@transcon.co.nz.

Blake Noble is managing director of Transcon, a 16-truck general-freight operation based in Warkworth, north of Auckland. He is also the founder of specialist transport growth and advisory provider Delivery. Head to getdelivery.nz to connect with Blake.

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peaking of ‘snapping’ back into a routine, don’t do it.

Trying to start too many new habits simultaneously can feel overwhelming. Take baby steps and slowly introduce your previous (or new) practices. For example, you used to get up five mornings a week for the gym.

Now aim to get up two mornings, then three mornings, etc. Slowly building back up into routine won’t feel like such a shock to your system.

Also, be mindful of workout intensity.

If you have had two weeks off, don’t try to replicate the exact workouts you were doing before the holidays. It can be disheartening if you try to pick up where you left off and struggle to complete what you once found easy.

Try to get back into set meal times.

Being on the road can make keeping a mealtime routine challenging, but structure is important. It cues our body to know when it should be hungry and allows us to plan to get enough protein and nutritious foods. If you find this overwhelming, set meal brackets instead of hard and fast rules around mealtimes.

For example, breakfast between 7am and 8:30am, lunch between 12:30pm and 1:30pm, etc. This is not an exact science, but it provides enough leeway and ensures you eat at respectable and largely similar times of the day.

Go to the grocery store. Running on leftovers and takeaways can snowball from a few days to a few weeks. In the past, I know I’ve lived off Christmas ham and scorched almonds for a good few days. It’s so important to have the right foods in the house to make good choices with a variety of foods.

For example, get your meat at dinner (if you’re a meat eater). Ensure you have veggies and a carbohydrate such as rice or potatoes to finish off the meal. Check you have nutritious snacks to take on the

112 New Zealand Trucking March 2023

road with you – fruit, nuts and crackers are good. The more organised you are, the better choices you will make – even if you just focus on nailing one meal each week. For example, the first week back can be about ensuring you have a nutritious dinner every night.

Set yourself goals. Don’t overwhelm yourself by overpromising or putting too much pressure on yourself so early in the year. But it can be beneficial to set a doable and manageable goal. After all, how good does it feel to achieve a goal you’ve set for yourself?

It doesn’t have to be a lofty one, but if you get to the end of the month and you’ve completed it, you will feel accomplished and perhaps even motivated to set another goal for next month. Setting mini-goals is helpful and less overwhelming than saying, ‘I will walk a marathon by the end of the year.’

It is very easy to lose sight of a goal if the timeframe is too long or seems far from your reach. Of course, aim high but ensure that you’ve set up mini goals along the way, so you feel like you’re achieving something each month while working towards your monster goal.

Have a support network. If you feel like you’ve tried everything to get back into a routine, but you’re still really struggling, it may be time to employ the help of friends, family or a personal trainer. Teaming up with a friend who is also working to get back into healthy eating and exercise is helpful. It is not about someone else making you feel guilty because they’ve done more or eaten healthier; it’s about having a bit of accountability while you are still getting yourself back on track.

You may find that you only need this support person for a few weeks to get you back on the right path. Or you may enjoy it so much it becomes a regular thing.

Don’t dwell on the past. It is common for people to let their hair down and have an absolute blast in the holidays – which I highly encourage. But when you’re back to work and back to reality, you think, ‘I wish I didn’t eat and drink so much. I wish I exercised more.’ If so, ask yourself – is this serving me? Is this making me feel positive? Enjoying a break from routine and having fun with friends and family is essential. But now’s the time to draw a line in the sand and say, ‘I had an awesome holiday but will get back onto a healthy routine now.’ You can’t change what you’ve done, but you can decide where you are going. If you’re feeling sluggish and tired due to over-eating, drinking or not being as active, think about how good you feel when you look after yourself.

Keep a food and exercise diary. This doesn’t suit everyone, but if you think it might keep you on track, then definitely give a journal a go – even if it’s just for a few weeks to kickstart yourself back into good habits. If you find that it makes you obsessive or creates negative feelings around eating, please don’t use this method – you have to see what inspires you and creates positive thinking and habits within yourself.

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HEALTH AND SAFETY

INVOLVING DRIVERS IN

H&S CONVERSATIONS The Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 has a strong foundation of worker engagement and participation. Engagement, generally, takes place whenever health and safety are discussed, modified or actioned. It is an ongoing process. Participation is slightly more formal and allows workers to participate effectively in improving health and safety.

H

aving a safety committee is a simple forum for complying with the law, offering workers a chance to participate and improving the management of health and safety in an organisation. But how does this work when your organisation depends on having drivers on the road? Drivers are often the most at risk in an organisation, and are often the workers with the least representation.

There are a couple of things to consider: 1. W hat type of participation do your workers want? Engage the workers by asking them.

2. W orker representation; how big is your organisation, how many sites, how many workers and how many departments?

It is all about the workers Workers should be involved in the type of forum that allows them to participate.

(I would strongly recommend there be a 23031 DANI1 TRUCKING AD.pdf 27/5/10 3:12:58 PM forum, even if the workers don’t have an

opinion about this.)

In a small organisation, a toolbox meeting may suffice. A toolbox or departmental/site safety meeting might be more appropriate in organisations with more than one department or site. In this case, I’d recommend an organisational safety committee meeting should be held with a representative from each department or site in attendance.

Worker representation is also likely to be different between small and large organisations. Small organisations may have all workers attend. Larger organisations will have representation.

This should be one representative for each

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work area or workgroup (department) and for every 19 workers. The workers should elect the representative.

Drivers and other remote workers can participate in the smaller toolbox or safety meetings. Driver representatives can be rostered to be available for the safety committee meetings or join remotely.

Consider the time of day the meetings are held. An early meeting may make it easier to hold a driver back for an hour to attend the meeting.

Obviously, work hours still need to be considered so that the driver is legally compliant.

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.

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

114 New Zealand Trucking March 2023

“Are you done with that crazy looking thing?”

LEGAL LINES

RANDOM ROADSIDE DRUG TESTING The government has enacted the Land Transport (Drug Driving) Amendment Act 2022, permitting compulsory random roadside drug testing in New Zealand.

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any drugs slow your reaction times or affect your judgement, making you less safe behind the wheel.

In 2020, 94 people were killed on New Zealand roads where the driver was found to have drugs or a mix of alcohol and other drugs in their system. Sixty-eight further drivers died with alcohol alone in their system. While drug drivers already face serious criminal penalties if they are caught, the current law has made it difficult for police to carry out more tests that could deter drug driving.

What drugs can be tested for Under the new drug-driving regime, oralfluid tests will detect the most prevalent impairing illicit and prescription drugs at the roadside without the need for the police to have cause to suspect a driver has consumed drugs. The proposed change is just around the corner and will allow police to test drivers for the presence of drugs anywhere, anytime, just as they can for alcohol. Police officers will be able to saliva-test drivers for commonly used drugs such as THC – the psycho-active ingredient in cannabis – methamphetamine, cocaine, ecstasy, opiates and benzodiazepines.

Compulsory impairment tests It is hoped that the oral-fluid testing regime will complement the compulsory impairment test (“CIT”) introduced in 2009.

A CIT is a behavioural test of impairment undertaken by a specially trained police officer, which cannot be required unless the officer has good cause to suspect the driver has consumed a drug or drugs. It comprises eye, walk and turn, and oneleg-stand assessment. A driver who fails to complete a CIT in a manner satisfactory to an enforcement officer is required to undertake an evidential blood test. Failing or refusing to undergo a CIT is an offence.

116 New Zealand Trucking March 2023

The new drug-driving regime will allow police officers to switch from the oral-fluid testing process to the CIT process if: • a driver has passed the first oralfluid test, but the police officer has good cause to suspect the driver has consumed drugs that the device may not be able to test for; or • a driver has failed the first oral-fluid test and passed the second oral-fluid test, but the officer has good cause to suspect a driver has consumed drugs.

•

•

Offences and penalties The act proposes to establish infringement and criminal offences. These penalties will apply depending on the testing process and the level of drugs found in a driver’s system. The oral-fluid testing regime will be an infringement offence regime only.

An infringement combination offence and a criminal combination offence will also apply in different scenarios. This recognises the additional road-safety risk of driving after consuming multiple drugs or drugs and alcohol. Serious criminal penalties result if a blood sample identifies the presence of any qualifying drug in the driver’s system above the criminal limit drug concentration.

The proposed offences and penalties are as follows: • $200 infringement fee, 50 demerit points and a 12-hour prohibition from driving for driving or attempting to drive with one qualifying drug in blood below the criminal limit and above the infringement tolerance threshold or when two consecutive oral-fluid tests confirm the presence of a drug; • $400 infringement fee, 75 demerit

•

•

points and a 12-hour prohibition from driving for driving or attempting to drive with more than one drug, or drug and alcohol, in blood below the criminal limit and above the infringement tolerance threshold or when two consecutive oral-fluid tests confirm the presence of more than one drug; a prison term of up to three months or a fine of up to $4500, and a mandatory disqualification from driving of six months or more for driving or attempting to drive with one qualifying drug in blood above the criminal limit; a prison term of up to six months or a fine not exceeding $4500, and a mandatory disqualification from driving of nine months or more for driving or attempting to drive with more than one drug, or drug and alcohol, in blood above the criminal limit a prison term of up to two years or a fine not exceeding $6000, and a mandatory disqualification from driving for one year or more for a third and subsequent convictions for drug driving; a prison term of up to three years or a fine not exceeding $10,000 and a mandatory disqualification from driving of one year or more if a driver has caused the injury or death of a person and has a qualifying drug in blood below the criminal limit.

Defences A medical defence will be available to drivers who have taken prescription drugs in accordance with their prescription and have provided a blood sample through an evidential blood test. It is envisaged that low-level tolerance thresholds will be applied to the detection of drugs in blood to avoid penalising drivers who have accidental or passive exposure to drugs, low residual levels of a drug in their blood due to previous (but not recent) use and standard prescription doses of some medicines.

Please note that this article is not a substitute for legal advice, and if you have a particular matter to be addressed, you should consult with a lawyer. Danielle Beston is a barrister who specialises in transport law, and she can be contacted on (09) 985 5609 or 021 326 642.

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WHAT IS THE PSYCHOSOCIAL WORK ENVIRONMENT?

S

ome organisations have a culture that can be toxic, which has a negative effect on the health and wellbeing of staff. It also dramatically affects the organisation’s productivity and financial outlook.

Employers are often overwhelmed by running a business and sometimes don’t realise they have staff health and wellbeing issues. Some of the early signs can be an increased number of employee sick days, a greater number of workplace accidents or near misses, and reduced productivity.

A person conducting a business or undertaking must manage or, better still, eliminate the risk of psychosocial hazards in the workplace.

The psychosocial work environment relates to interpersonal and social interactions that influence behaviour and development.

A psychosocial hazard is anything that can cause psychological harm, i.e. harming a person’s mental health.

Psychosocial hazards at work can include: • Poor support and lack of role clarity • Poor physical environment • Violence and aggression • Bullying • Harassment, including sexual harassment • Poor workplace relations • Conflict • Traumatic events • Poor change management Psychosocial stressors are common in workplaces and take numerous forms.

Exposure to psychosocial stressors, if sustained, is linked to psychiatric/ psychological disorders, illness and/or physical injury. Decades of descriptive occupational health and safety research have reliably demonstrated that work-related stress stemming from psychosocial hazards is associated

118 New Zealand Trucking March 2023

with various physiological pathologies, including hypertension, coronary heart disease, impaired wound healing, musculoskeletal disorders and impaired immune competence.

In addition, health deficits that are, in part, stress-related include bronchitis, mental illness, thyroid disorders, skin diseases, certain types of rheumatoid arthritis, obesity, tuberculosis, headaches and migraine, peptic ulcers and ulcerative colitis and diabetes. Work-related stress can be influenced by organisational and individual factors. Factors that are known determinants of psychosocial stress and harmful to workers’ health are aspects of work design – how work is organised and managed.

Understanding what psychosocial hazards at work are is the first step in the right direction to eliminating them from your workplace. Good leadership is essential for a healthy working environment. A leader lacking empathy and good leadership skills can make a workplace unbearable.

Friendly relationships with colleagues and showing appreciation positively affect the psychosocial work environment. On the other hand, the absence of close relationships and a lack of appreciation and validation can negatively affect motivation and commitment.

Workplaces contain hazards, some of which may be psychosocial stressors.

Definitions of psychosocial hazards tend to be broad, and this breadth accurately reflects the complex relationship between the social environment and health outcomes.

It is unacceptable to work in a place where no one knows who is responsible, where the required tools aren’t available and the expectations and working schedule are unclear.

Across all occupations, there is widespread acknowledgement that psychosocial hazards constitute a

significant health risk for workers, yet in many workplaces, the focus remains on physical hazards. It is argued that the downplaying of workplace psychosocial hazards is primarily due to the perception that they present a more difficult and complex challenge when compared to other health and safety issues. Others, however, argue that the lack of awareness about psychosocial hazards and their mitigation explains their relative neglect.

Following global trends, the government recognises that psychosocial hazards must be minimised within our workplaces and that there is a requirement for workplace interventions to reduce psychological harm and promote mental health for all New Zealand workers.

The HARMfree Transport Programme, launching later this year, will provide transport business owners with the tools to identify and manage psychosocial hazards in the workplace.

HARMfree Transport provides a programme with transport-specific content to address the unique pressures the industry faces. Transport workers are subject to long periods of isolation, highpressure working conditions, circadian disruption and sleep deprivation, causing stress, anxiety, depression and fatigue.

Much information is available on these issues, but you must search for it.

Bringing all those resources and data into an easy-to-follow programme saves time for employers and the scheme is designed with easily implemented practical information.

If you would like to learn more about the HARMfree Transport Programme, please contact programme manager John Sansom at info@harmfree.nz

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In defence of TRUCKS OVER POTHOLES

I

was gutted to see a tweet over the holiday period from then-Transport Minister Michael Wood attempting to blame trucks for the increasing number of potholes.

In the tweet, the minister blamed the 2010 policy change under the previous National government allowing 50MAX trucks (up to 53 tonnes).

Since the tweet, I have spent considerable time defending the industry and correcting a blatantly inaccurate statement. The minister should have known better.

Peer-reviewed studies referenced on Waka Kotahi’s website confirm that 50MAX trucks have no more impact on pavement than a standard truck due to their additional axle configuration. Bigger trucks also mean fewer trips, resulting in fewer carbon emissions and trucks on the road.

The minister’s tweet was designed purely to create a soundbite and rile up a certain section of Labour’s support base, which is much less interested in facts than virtue-signalling. It was a lazy, cheap attack on an industry that, through extremely hard toil, kept the country’s supermarket shelves stocked through the most difficult days of the pandemic and continues to work hard to keep the economy moving.

New Zealanders have grown tired of this government continuously blaming others, including previous governments, road users and the weather. Transport is not the only portfolio where this happens, and I sincerely hope that the new Prime Minister Chris Hipkins and his rejigged cabinet can move on from it and start talking about how they will address the myriad problems concerning New Zealanders.

As road users, we just want the government to get on with improving maintenance across the network and building new roads where required.

120 New Zealand Trucking March 2023

The long wait for roadside drug testing is over From 11 March, the police will implement new powers allowing them to conduct saliva-based roadside drug tests and help improve safety for professional truck drivers.

Transporting New Zealand and the road transport industry has advocated for roadside drug testing for a long time, and although the relevant legislation passed last year, it is exciting to know that implementation is about to begin.

For truck drivers who work on our roads for thousands of hours per year, any measures that can make other drivers safer should be welcomed.

While not quite as fast as a roadside alcohol test, saliva-based drug testing only takes a few minutes to achieve a result and can detect the most common drugs, including cannabis, methamphetamine, benzodiazepines, ecstasy and cocaine.

A driver who fails two consecutive saliva tests can expect an infringement penalty, including demerit points, a fine and a temporary prohibition from driving.

If they dispute the results and opt for a blood test and fail that, then criminal charges could be laid, depending on the level and number of drugs detected and their combination with alcohol.

None of this can come a moment too soon. Around 100 people a year are killed on our roads by a driver found to have a

level of drugs in their system.

For truck drivers who work on our roads for thousands of hours per year, any measures that can make other drivers safer must be welcomed, and the government should be congratulated for seeing this through and passing the legislation with the overwhelming support of Parliament (only the Greens and Te Pati Maori opposed it). We look forward to its effective implementation.

Government right to reinstate RUC discount Transporting New Zealand welcomes the government’s decision to extend the Transport Support Package, including the reinstatement of the 36% RUC discount.

While this is good news for trucking companies, it is likely to be even better news for families who have avoided the further inflationary impact of increased transport costs.

Despite extending the Transport Support Package until 30 June, Transporting New Zealand is continuing its call for the government to retain the package until inflation falls below 6%.

Even once we reach that point, we believe the discount should be reduced slowly to avoid shocks.

In such a competitive industry with margins so tight and other input costs already impacting the bottom line, transport operators couldn’t be expected to soak up the extra RUC costs. We released figures earlier in the year that showed a 45-plus-tonne truck and trailer travelling 100,000km per year would have paid an additional $21,000 due to the removal of the discount.

With 93% of all freight being transported by trucks, and transport costs making up more than 12% of grocery prices alone, the government’s decision provides considerable price relief for road transport operators and New Zealand families.

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THE LAST MILE

HAS 2023 GOT OFF TO A PREDICTABLE START?

D

uring the summer break, central government goes into hibernation, very little happens, and few press statements are released. Those that are circulated are often controversial, distributed in the hope that they will be overlooked while the public has other things on its mind.

During the last break, a statement from NZTA was released about the pending start-up of the pedestrian crossing/traffic lights on SH1 leading to Wellington Airport. The bill is $2.4 million, about 25% of which was paid to consultants. The statement suggested that one of the main reasons for this project was that people wanted safer roads. How right they are. Safer roads: start with fixing up the potholes and other defects that are getting worse every day. This should be the main priority.

I recall that the person who made this statement may well have been the same one who, when the project was announced despite more than 70% of those who responded to the ‘consultation’ document indicating they did not want a crossing at the location, responded with a comment along the lines of, ‘Well, the same people who did not want the crossing also said they wanted road safety improvements on SH1, and this is SH1.’

Then we read about the government purchasing land in Rotorua to build 350 houses. This is despite its rejection of a plan from a private developer to develop 80 building lots on the

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same site in 2019 because of the potential for the development to increase the flood hazard for properties further downstream.

Then there was the revelation that Wellington’s two tugs were not suitable for ocean salvage following the incident with the Interislander ferry, Kaitaki, in Cook Strait, which should be a concern to anybody who travels these waters. This revelation mirrors that made after the Wahine disaster in 1968 when the two World War 2-era steam tugs in Wellington, the Taimoa and Tapuhi, were deemed unsuitable and replaced some years later. Is history repeating itself? I hope not.

As expected, the departure of Jacinda Ardern as prime minister had mixed reactions. However, what she did or did not do in the job is now history, just as this opinion will be after it is published.

Nothing we can do will undo what happened. No doubt, political analysts and commentators will be hard at work analysing and developing their theories and stories. I am certain a book about her premiership will already be in the making. This may or may not reveal things we never knew, but the least we can do now that she has decided is to let her and her family get on with their lives and let history be the ultimate judge.

The new cabinet is an interesting mix, and again, history will judge whether the new PM has made the right choices. But I wonder, reading through the list, if he considered the observation advanced by Laurence J. Peter in 1969 that “People in a hierarchy tend to rise to a level of incompetence”, known as the Peter Principle. Essentially, people often get promoted to higher positions based on success in previous jobs until they reach a level where they are no longer competent. In other words, skills developed in one job do not necessarily translate to another. This principle is often seen in government appointments, and I am sure that if you think about this, you will know of situations where the principle also applies.

It was interesting to see the government do a U-turn on the fuel excise tax and RUC after telling us they would expire at the end of January and there would be no extensions. As I have said previously, it must be an election year.

The Accidental Trucker

Something to ponder President Ronald Regan (1911 to 2004), the 40th President of the United States, told the story of a priest and a politician arriving outside the pearly gates at the same time to be met by Saint Peter. Saint Peter showed the priest into his room which was very spartan with just a bed, table and chair. He then led the politician to a palatial mansion and told him it was his. The politician asked how come he was given such lavish accommodation when the man of the cloth had a small room with few amenities. Saint Peter replied, “Well, you’re the first politician we have ever had here.”

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