New Zealand Trucking November 2021 by NZTrucking

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MADE FOR NEW ZEALAND

A flash of red brightens up a gloomy day in the east as a Freightliner Argosy in Owens livery powers up Traffords Hill towards the Bay of Plenty.

CASTROL’S NEW SUSTAINABILITY STRATEGY Castrol is helping to drive a more sustainable future with its recently announced PATH360 strategy. The strategy sets out aims for 2030 to save waste, reduce carbon and improve lives, not just in Australia and New Zealand, but on a global basis. “Customers in the mining and CVO sectors are committed to reducing their carbon emissions,” said Jane Carland, General Manager, Castrol Australia and New Zealand, “and we are aiming to be an important partner in working together to help them achieve their goals and our target is to halve the net carbon intensity of our products by 2030.” Castrol became a pioneer in carbon neutral lubricants when the premium Castrol VECTON range of diesel engine oils became the first to be certified as carbon neutral in Australia and New Zealand. In 2021, all Castrol products we sell in Australia and New Zealand will be committed to carbon neutrality in accordance with PAS 2060. That includes Castrol’s traditional market leading product ranges, such as Castrol RX. CIRCULAR THINKING Jotika Prasad, Castrol Marketing Director, Australia and New Zealand commented, “As well as commiting to offer our carbon neutral products to our customers, we are aiming to halve our global use of virgin plastic packaging from our 2019 baseline. As part of our PATH360 strategy, we’ve adopted the circular thinking approach, which means we’re looking at the life-cycle of our existing and new products, to see how they can be improved, extended, reused or recycled. We’re also supporting new and growing sectors, like renewable energy and e-mobility with products and services.” CASTROL’S 120 YEAR FIGHT AGAINST FRICTION, CORROSION AND WEAR The world will need improvements in end use energy efficiency. In one estimate, these improvements can provide almost 40% of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions required (as per Energy Technologies Perspectives 2020 IEA Page 73). How can these improvements be made? Jotika Prasad, Marketing Director, Castrol Australia and New Zealand said that around a quarter of the world’s energy was believed to be lost to friction, corrosion and wear as per study by Kenneth Holmberg and Ali Erdemir. “From the company’s earliest days, we have been dedicated to delivering high performance products that help save energy by fighting exactly these problems. With new science and technology, we are well placed to remain at the forefront of development.”

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REDUCING PRODUCT LIFE-CYCLE CARBON EMISSIONS

WIND ENERGY IN CHINA

Castrol aims to deliver high performance with lower life-cycle carbon by improving operational efficiency and exploring opportunities to transition to renewable energy. Castrol is also working with its suppliers and partners to source lower carbon raw materials, reduce packaging, and influence what happens to products after customer use.

These include support for projects such as the Zhaoyuan Zhangxing wind energy scheme in China, located on China’s eastern coast. Traditionally, electricity in China’s Shandong Province has been supplied by fossil fuel-fired power plants, mainly relying on shale oil and coal. The project’s wind turbines harness strong prevailing coastal winds to generate clean, renewable electricity. Both carbon emissions and local air pollutants are reduced as electricity generated by fossil fuel-fired power plants is replaced with clean, renewable energy, which mitigates more than 180,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide are each year by replacing fossil fuel power.

For example, three of Castrol’s plants globally moved to renewable electricity in 2020. At the same time, the company has developed new light-weight bottle designs which use less plastic, saving on a global basis 7,000 tonnes per year by 2023. The new packaging has also been designed for optimised distribution efficiency. AIMING TO BE A LEADER To help fulfil its carbon neutral programme, Castrol buys carbon credits from bp Target Neutral which supports a portfolio of carbon reduction, avoidance and removal projects around the world. These projects have additional benefits that support the UN Sustainable Development Goals, improving the lives of millions of people through better health, decent work, training and gender equality.

BUILDING ON ACHIEVEMENTS

LIGHTING HOMES IN INDIA Another such project has supported investment in solar energy in India, through a large-scale project that hat not only reduces carbon but also helps provide reliable and cost-effective off-grid electricity for families and business. To date, 60,000 solar units have been distributed. By displacing the use of kerosene, the project has cut carbon emissions by 55,000 tonnes of CO2e per year. In addition, the project has also helped create more than 300 skilled jobs involved in sales, financing, installation, and maintenance services for the solar systems.

Castrol’s Senior Vice President, Mandhir Singh, said: “PATH360 builds upon work we’ve been doing for years, pulling it all together into one integrated sustainability programme. We know that many of our customers are looking for more sustainable offers and help with their sustainability goals, and this is what this programme is designed to deliver.”

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CONTENTS

EDITOR

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

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ART DIRECTOR

Tracey Strange

John Berkley

CONTRIBUTORS

DIGITAL IMAGING

Craig Andrews Carl Kirkbeck Faye Lougher Craig McCauley Jacqui Madelin Shannon Williams

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Niels Jansen (Europe) Paul O’Callaghan (Europe) Howard Shanks (Australia) Will Shiers (UK)

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Louise Stowell OFFICE ADMINISTRATION

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PRODUCTION MANAGER

Ricky Harris

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.

ROCK AND ROLL

Does DTNA’s Golden Child Have What It Takes?

54 11 FOR ’11 Rigs of 2011

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

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BROUGHT TO YOU BY

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REST 8 Editorial 10 Road Noise – Industry news 50 Obituary – Dave Lowe 52 Just Truckin’ Around 68 Gallery – Dave Connor 70 Classics Locker – Molesworth Loadstar 74 Unsung Heroes – 86 Wanaka Memory 88 New Rigs 92 New Bodies and Trailers 94 Million Mile Club 96 Where’s that Road? 98 Rhino Photo Comp 100 Light Commercial Test – Mazda BT-50 110 Little Truckers’ Club 112 Little Trucker Down Under 114 What’s On/Cartoon WATCH TH E VIDEO O N YO U TU BE

ATLANTIC HARVEST

Holiday Trucking Across Europe

140 Legal Lines

104

MINI BIG RIGS

Tri-ed and True

142 NZ Trucking Association 144 Transporting New Zealand 146 The Last Mile BROU GH T TO Y OU B Y

INTERNATIONAL TRUCK OF THE YEAR

Associate Member

EDITORIAL

90%

TOWING THE LINE

he fascinating item of the month had to be the bipartisan approach taken by Labour and National on one of modern man’s greatest challenges, building affordable and adequate shelters for our species. Given we probably have the most fractious government and opposition duo in donkey’s years, you’d have to say the revelation that ‘we’ve been working together for some months’ came as a bolter for many. Obviously, anyone who thinks for a moment that there’s not more collaboration and collusion going on than we plebs are ever led to believe, would be a bit naïve. Although, having said that, this lot is renowned for acting and announcing first, then consulting retrospectively.

I still believe, however, that on this one, they each may have garnered more brownie points from the populous had we known. The big kicker for me was the message it again sent to our industry. I mean, we’ve just had a divorce of sorts among those at the front lines of our political face. I wonder how much worse the issues of infrastructure, driving hours, compliance, and labour must get before we see them in the same light as Labour and the Nats see housing? Housing must really be buggered, eh? As we roll on into Christmas, the government’s learned the hard way that you can’t use the same bat to deal with Delta, as you did to combat Covid version No.1. It’s all a bit of a mire now, with infections on the

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TRADER

rise, Auckland becoming ever more restless, locking down the Waikato more difficult than finding a blemish on Elon Musk’s face, and with inflation and increases in the cost of money now with their heads well over the parapet. At least those in power – Ashley and the bug doctors – now openly speak about living with it, opting for a freedom/suppression strategy correlated to infection. The traffic light system announced on Friday 22 October was still contingent on a lofty vaccination goal of 90% double-jabbed in each DHB. While we wait to hit those targets, the economic damage being wrought is almost beyond measure. At best, it’ll be early December before we see any real relaxing of the status quo, with some

DHBs still languishing in the high 70% regarding first jabs. And yes, while the increased support and rescue packages announced on Friday were likely welcome news for many poor folks walking the solvency plank, they are a bit like having your stubbed toe attended to while you’re cable-tied to the railway tracks. The thing I grapple with most is the delay in getting things going again while we pussy foot around vaccination’s stragglers and prep the health system for the influx of those who simply won’t get jabbed. The point being they’ll turn up to the very health system they wanted no part of this week, expecting it to save them next week? Odd. Oh well. At least they can lay in bed in the knowledge that the level of service they’ll be getting will likely be 10 times better than that of their grandkids. They’ll spend their lives trying to pay off north of $160 billion. Actually, I wonder if Elon, Bill, or Jeff would pay that off for us if we asked nicely? Read of the month? The Independent Police Conduct Authority’s public report, Concerns About Police Enforcement of Heavy Vehicle Towing Regulations and Auckland Motorway Contract.

Dave McCoid Editor

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ROAD NOISE NEWS

NEW NAME, TRUCK AND BUS SPINOFF FOR DAIMLER AG

aimler AG shareholders have approved the realignment of Daimler AG, which will see a spin-off of the truck and bus business and the subsequent listing of Daimler Truck Holding AG as an independent company on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. Shareholders also approved the renaming of Daimler AG as Mercedes-Benz Group AG, effective as of 1 February 2022. The new name emphasises the future focus on cars and vans of the brands Mercedes-Benz, Mercedes-AMG, MercedesMaybach and Mercedes-EQ. The two measures must now be entered in the Commercial Register. Both companies can then create decisive value added for all stakeholders. Two current members of the Daimler supervisory board, Marie Wieck and Joe Kaeser, will step down from their positions and join the supervisory board of Daimler Truck Holding AG. As their successors in the supervisory board of Daimler AG, the shareholders elected Helene Svahn and Olaf Koch.

FUSO’S NEW MEDIUM-WEIGHT FIGHTER

uso is introducing the only Euro-6 drivetrain in a medium-duty Japanese truck to New Zealand via the new Fighter range. The truck comes equipped with Fuso’s standard suite of advanced safety features, including autonomous braking, lane departure warning and electronic stability control, as well as a few extras. “It has always been our goal to provide a superior level of safety for operators across every vehicle class. With the introduction of the new-model Fighter, we now have a united offering that delivers on that goal,” says Fuso New Zealand managing director Kurtis Andrews. “Fighter is proven in New

Zealand more than nearly 30 years and is something of an unsung hero in the Fuso family. As well as advanced safety features, this new range is the only mediumduty Japanese truck available with a Euro-6 certification. We believe it is the best of its kind,” he says. Equipped with an active emergency braking system, lane departure warning, and electronic stability control, the new Fighter also comes with driver attention assist monitoring and introduces active sideguard assist as standard – a first for Japanese trucks. Active sideguard assist employs radar technology to monitor the truck’s left-hand blind spot

and warns the driver of any cars, cyclists or pedestrians. Additional safety upgrades include a front underrun system, which provides added protection in a collision by dissipating impact forces and preventing cars from running under the front of the cab. Euro-6 models also feature daytime running lights, fog lights, and an adjustable speed limiter. There are 23 models in the Euro-6 Fighter range, with wheelbases from 4270mm to 6530mm in 4x2, 6x2 and 6x4 configurations, including a 4x2 factory tipper. The new Euro-6 range is scheduled to arrive in New Zealand in late 2021.

I N SPI R I N G TH E WAY F OR O U R N E X T G EN ER ATION OF T RU CK ER S Little Trucker Down Under is a kids’ trucking magazine, launching in December 2021. It’s full of pictures, short stories, competitions, puzzles and colouring pages. One-year sub, four issues, is $29.

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ROAD NOISE NEWS

CONNETICS MAX-SAFE IMPROVES SAFETY

fter a three-month trial involving three heavy vehicles, Christchurch-based Connetics will be implementing the MAX-SAFE anti-rollaway safety solution. Connetics is responsible for designing, constructing, and maintaining overhead and underground lines used for utility and infrastructure services. The company operates from depots in Wellington, Christchurch and Central Otago. Its fleet of 280 vehicles includes various crane trucks, bucket trucks and tippers, many of which can be called upon 24 hours a day. The new safety solution will be automatically included in any new heavy-vehicle purchases and progressively retrofitted to the existing fleet. The MAX-SAFE maximum safety anti-rollaway brake system provides an active safety solution if the parking brake is not fully applied before leaving the vehicle. It protects the driver, occupants, bystanders and workers, and prevents damage to the vehicle and surrounding property. It’s one of many heavy-vehicle safety solutions developed by Australian mechanical and electrical engineering company SGESCO-MAX. Thousands of vehicles throughout Australia have been using its antirollaway brake system for close to two decades. In New Zealand, the MAX-SAFE Maximum Safety range is sold through Autokraft Electrical and Diesel, the company’s distributor based in Palmerston North. In implementing the MAX-SAFE maximum safety anti-rollaway solution, Connetics fleet manager Wayne Johnstone says the organisation wanted to improve safety across its fleet by taking a greater and more proactive approach to safety.

Volvo FH16 Bluetoothcontrolled truck.

PLAY EVERY DAY

etting to play with toys all day is a dream for many, but that’s exactly what vintage toy collector Bob Collins gets to do. Based in Porirua, Collins has been running Toy Heaven for the past two years. Specialising in cars, trucks, aircraft, and construction and farming equipment, the company has a selection of up to 400 different models, mostly diecast. “I’ve dabbled in toys for a long time – and it just snowballed into creating an actual business out of it,” Collins says. Collins’ late son-in-law was an ardent collector, and he took on the job to start selling the toys on Trade Me. “It just really grew from there,” he says. “Since then, I’ve picked up a few agencies and have a few more in the pipeline with different model-makers.” Collins’ primary customers are mostly fellow collectors, followed closely by kids and people buying models as

gifts. The shop offers an extensive range of trucks – about 30-40 different options. Most of the trucks available are European, but Collins is looking to extend that. He says his job is unique in that he gets to play with toys all day. “The worst part is when you’ve ordered a whole lot of toys, and you’re waiting for them to come in,” he says. “I get a thrill being able to provide to collectors, to people like me who it really means a lot. “When they get a 1968 Nissan Fairlady, or something they’ve been after, and I’ve been able to supply it... it’s quite a thrill to be able to provide something that they are keen on collecting. They know they can rely on me to get them a good one at a good price. “There are some I regret I’ve sold that I wish I had kept, but that goes with the territory.” Check out Toy Heaven at toyheaven.co.nz

VOLVO FH16 WITH BLUETOOTH APP CONTROL Collins says one of his favourite models is the Volvo FH16 with Bluetooth app control. Model 6731 is available at 1:32 scale and was recently released worldwide by Siku Toys. The many functions of the tractor unit from Sweden promises lots of playing fun. Made from metal with plastic parts, the model is distinguished by its numerous features and details. The tractor unit can be coupled to any of the Siku radio-controlled trailers or attachments. The new model has been released at the same time as the Siku 6734, a three-axle tipping trailer, which comes with the world-famous Schmitz Cargobull livery. Together, these are the construction site professionals with a large load capacity. The original transports up to 30 tonnes of asphalt, concrete rubble, gravel, or sand. In 1:32 scale, the tipper can be tilted, and this causes the tailgate to open automatically.

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ROAD NOISE NEWS

EACTROS ENTERS PRACTICAL OPERATION

he Mercedes-Benz eActros is starting practical operation with four near-seriesready battery-powered eActros vehicles, just before the launch of series production on 7 October. Three trucks recently commenced operation in a shuttle transport at Logistik Schmitt, which is based in the northern Black Forest, for the food logistics service provider Simon Loos in the Netherlands and at Tevex Logistics in North Rhine-Westphalia. Another eActros is being configured as a refuse collection vehicle for Remondis, a leading company for recycling, water management, and municipal and industrial services. The electric trucks were built as part of the trial runs in the production facility. The two eActros at Simon Loos and Tevex Logistics are equipped with refrigeration units from Frigoblock for temperature-controlled transport.

14 New Zealand Trucking

WHERE’S THE LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL?

ick Leggett, CEO, Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand, has said the Government must come out and tell New Zealanders when the country will accept living with Covid-19 and open up as the rest of the world has. “I do feel for the people in Auckland who believe they are in a long, dark tunnel and no one can see any light indicating the end. We need a date and a plan.” He added that there’s no clarity on vaccine mandates, targets, and passports, or on how and when the Government will allow businesses to operate to their full capacity and people who desperately need money to get back to work. “Aucklanders, quite rightly, want the Prime Minister to visit the place she calls home to see how much they are hurting. People are in despair,” he said, adding, “we continue to be held back by a few who have never followed the rules, and never will, but whom this Government indulge. Their actions are starting to make Auckland feel lawless.” “The Government is putting these rule breakers, sick with Covid-19, into the same managed isolation hotels (MIQ) as healthy, tested, double vaccinated returnees. The returnees are now at risk of catching Covid-19 in New Zealand. MIQ is such a mess. Chief ombudsman Peter Boshier has confirmed he has launched an investigation into the Government’s management of it, having received hundreds of complaints. “Doctors and nurses are saying that despite having 18 months to prepare for Delta arriving on our shores, the hospitals are not prepared, they have to ration PPE gear, and there is nowhere near enough staff. Surely, we have had enough time to build ICU capacity? No, it appears not,” Leggett added. Leggett said he has been contacted by journalists serious about the concept of the

November 2021

Covid-19 free South Island cutting off from the North Island. “This is not a good idea, and would be impossible to do,” he said. “While New Zealand had a low vaccination rate when Delta arrived because the Government decided to wait to vaccinate us, people have rallied to the call to get vaccinated as quickly as possible. That young people might not have been vaccinated is not their fault, they were at the end of the queue. “We are now at the stage that those who were vaccinated first – older people – already need their booster shot, but there is no sign of that. “If we just face the fact that the Government wasn’t ready for Delta, and didn’t have a plan, they’ve now had time to come up with a plan and they need to share it with us. It needs to be clear, specific, detailed and easy to follow.” Leggett said freight companies need to know what is required so they can continue moving goods around the country in trucks, driven by drivers who need to feel confident they are safe. “All businesses need to know where they stand legally with mandating vaccination for employees, as well as people who visit their business, and what will be required to do that and to store personal health records. It would be best if the employees could store their own records, digitally, like they do in Australia. Australians already have both domestic and international vaccine passports on their phones. You check in using the tracer app and it automatically shows the business a green tick if you are double vaccinated. “As Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has said in reference to vaccinating, or not, ‘I can’t look after you if you won’t hop on the lifeboat’. “It’s time those of us on the lifeboat here – the double vaccinated rule followers – were allowed to move back to normal life. We cannot be held back by a small minority,” Leggett said.

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ROAD NOISE NEWS

TMC TRAILERS TRUCKING INDUSTRY SHOW POSTPONED

he TMC Trailers Trucking Industry Show has been pushed out to 25-26 November 2022 as a result of potential Covid-19 interference. Organisers, New Zealand Trucking Association, said possible event restrictions meant running the show on its planned dates of 11-12 March 2022 was too risky. “We have been watching the Covid-19 situation very closely in the lead up to the 2022 TMC Trailers Trucking Industry Show, just five months away. They strongly feel that running this largescale show on 11/12 March 2022 is a high risk due to

the uncertain environment at present. “Although vaccination rates may be up by then and events permitted, we feel industry and the public might still have reservations about large crowds, booking travel and making commitments, when as we have seen the situation can change in a flash,” NTA said. NTA said securing the new date was only possible because of the willingness from the Christchurch City Council, Agriculture Park committee and all the users of the park including Riding for the Disabled and the various other community organisations to ensure this

large-scale event happens in Christchurch. “The show will go on, but later in the year.” All the competitions that were to run at the show will now run in November. New dates for the TR Group Driving Championship heats in Auckland will be announced soon. “It’s been a very difficult decision and a lot of planning from our team to secure the new date,” said NTA chief

executive Dave Boyce. “We have received huge support from the sponsors and exhibitors who had some concerns already due to the congested supply chain that goods/equipment would arrive in time for the show,” he said. “With so many people travelling to Christchurch and from overseas to attend the show, hopefully all travel is restored by then.”

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ROAD NOISE NEWS

TARANAKI CELEBRATES HYDROGEN PLANS WITH HIRINGA

he roll-out of a hydrogen refuelling network and the introduction of hydrogen fuelcell electric vehicle trucks and buses are part of the latest achievements announced by Venture Taranaki. The Taranaki H2 Roadmap update details progress and changes since the roadmap’s original release in March 2019.

The roadmap discussed the role hydrogen could play in New Zealand’s transition to a net-zero economy by 2050 and highlighted the role Taranaki could adopt, including a series of Taranakibased projects that could lay the groundwork for the nationwide development of the hydrogen sector. Achievements include work on the roll-out of a hydrogen

refuelling network and the introduction of hydrogen fuelcell electric vehicle trucks and buses to New Zealand by local Hydrogen experts, Hiringa. “When the H2 Roadmap was developed, the type of projects that could be envisaged in Taranaki included the use of hydrogen to power heavy transport or underpin industry such as the

production of new greener products and services, and was seen as quite futuristic, almost far-fetched,” says Justine Gilliland, Venture Taranaki chief executive. “Yet, in a relatively short period, much has already been achieved. This is a real credit to the ambition of our entrepreneurial Taranaki enterprises described in the update we’ve just released.”

HIRINGA-BALLANCE KAPUNI HYDROGEN PROJECT FAST-TRACKED The Hiringa-Ballance Kapuni Hydrogen Project has been approved under the government’s fast-track consenting process. The project aims to establish a greenhydrogen hub in Kapuni, including new infrastructure for hydrogen production, storage, offtake and refuelling, and four wind turbines. It was announced as part of Venture Taranaki’s H2 Roadmap during September,

which included the rollout of a hydrogen refuelling network and the introduction of hydrogen fuel-cell electric trucks and buses. The roadmap discussed the role hydrogen could play in New Zealand’s transition to a netzero economy by 2050 and highlighted the role Taranaki could adopt in this space, including a series of Taranaki-based projects that could lay the groundwork for the nationwide development of the hydrogen sector.

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ROAD NOISE NEWS

CAL ISUZU BOOSTED IN THE BAY

he CAL Isuzu dealership in Tauranga has undergone a significant rejuvenation and now offers a full suite of newtruck sales, parts and service – including engineering and electrical services. The new, larger site allows the CAL Isuzu Tauranga team to carry a broader range of parts, in many instances accelerating repair turnaround

times. A key feature of the updated premises is a new CoF inspection lane and pit, and two extra service bays. “CAL Tauranga now offers a true one-stop-shop service, as customers will be able to have a CoF inspection in addition to any manner of other truck-related work,” says Steve Hoyne, dealer principal of CAL Isuzu Tauranga. “The revamp has really

lifted our presence in the area, and feedback from our customers is that they enjoy coming to the new facility. “Our 22 employees also appreciate the enhanced workplace environment, including a new cafe and landscaped outdoor area, so it’s a win-win all round for everyone who is involved with the dealership.” Isuzu Trucks is now represented by 11 Master

Truck Dealers, who offer full sales, parts and service facilities, and 17 authorised service centres throughout the country. “A strong dealer representation and service network nationwide is crucial to maintaining high levels of sales and support for Isuzu Truck customers,” says Dave Ballantyne, general manager of Isuzu Trucks New Zealand.

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ROAD NOISE NEWS

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Z ENERGY AND NESTE TO BRING LOW-CARBON FUELS TO NZ

Energy and Neste have announced a collaboration to bring low-carbon fuels to the New Zealand market. The Z and Neste partnership aims to supply Neste-produced renewable diesel over the next few months. “Z and Neste recognise the opportunity to work together in this endeavour in New Zealand, given complementary skills in different parts of the supply chain,” the companies say in a statement. Z general manager transition, Julian Hughes, says that Z is committed to bringing low-carbon solutions to its customers.

“Z has been an early mover and early investor in biofuels because we recognised it as the simplest way to help our customers lower their emissions without having to replace their fleets. This is why we invested in a local biodiesel production plant, and despite a pause in local production, continue to supply biodiesel to our most committed commercial customers,” he says. “Renewable fuels differ from conventional biofuels in that they have the same chemical composition as their fossil counterparts. This enables us to offer higher blends of renewable content in fuels than we could with conventional biofuels,

resulting in up to 90% emissions reduction potential for land transport fuels, and up to 80% emissions reduction potential for aviation fuels.” Peter Zonneveld, vice president, sales, Neste renewable road transport business unit, says Neste has been looking for capable partners in New Zealand

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ROAD NOISE NEWS

VOLVO TRUCKS GETS RECORD ORDER FOR ELECTRIC TRUCKS

olvo Trucks has received an order for 100 Volvo FM Electric trucks from DFDS, Northern Europe’s largest shipping and logistics company. The deal is the largest commercial order to date for Volvo electric trucks. “This is a major milestone in our commitment to fossilfree transportation, and I am very proud of the partnership we have with DFDS,” says Roger Alm, president at Volvo Trucks. “Together, we are showing the world that electrified heavy-truck transport is a viable solution already today. I believe this will encourage many more customers to confidently take the first step in their own electrification

journey.” The first deliveries of the Volvo FM Electric to DFDS will start in the fourth quarter of 2022 and continue throughout 2023. The trucks will be

used for both short and long transport in the DFDS logistics system in Europe. The FM Electric can carry a weight of 44 tonnes and has a range of up to 300km. With

a top-up charging session during lunch, the distance can be extended. The vehicles can be charged both via overnight depot charging and high-power charging on route.

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ROAD NOISE NEWS

THE LARGEST ORDER IN THE HISTORY OF SEA ELECTRIC

EA Electric has taken a significant step forward in the USA, with an order for more than 1000 SEA Hino M5 EVs – the singlelargest order in the company’s history – for GATR EV. The zero-emission trucks

will feature the patented SEADrive 120a Power System, specified for truck platforms with a gross vehicle weight of 5800kg to 8100kg (US class 3 to 5 trucks). The package features a 1500Nm electric motor in combination with a

138kWh battery pack. Headquartered in Los Angeles, CA, SEA Electric has been making major waves in the North American market over the past 18 months, establishing a nationwide network of technology

partners, plus collaborations with leading OEMs. For SEA Electric, the milestone far exceeds the previous benchmark order for the company. “This is our first four-digit order, and it comes in a

ROADMASTER

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Roadmaster Ltd is a leading NZ manufacturer and repairer of heavy transport equipment with our head office located in Rotorua. We are looking for experienced Fabricator Welders and a General Hand who wants challenging work to join our team in Rotorua. You must be able to work under pressure as there are often time constraints in completing the work. We want people who are prepared to work in difficult conditions and enjoy the satisfaction of getting the job done. People who are committed to a long term career with us should apply.

FABRICATOR / WELDERS - AUCKLAND / ROTORUA SITES • Experience in Fabrication and Welding, MIG & ARC to NZQF Level 4 or overseas equivalent • Preferably 5-7 years’ experience with heavy machinery • Ability to understand and read engineering drawings • Mathematical competence and ability to understand dimensions • Exceptional workmanship maintained within time constraints • Preferred but not essential is past experience from within the heavy transport industry • Extremely important is the ability to follow instructions and produce quality workmanship.

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non-incentive state, which proves that commercial EV solutions can expand in areas with no incentives, while all corners of the market are seeking premium EV solutions,” says Nick Casas, SEA Electric vice president of sales and marketing. The first 40 vehicles are expected by the end of December 2021, with the

remaining vehicles throughout 2022. “GATR has a partnership with Merchants Fleet, which will benefit the end-user, who will not only be able to access an electric solution straight away but will be able to transact with one of the most respected leasing companies in the USA.” The deal enhances

Merchants’ robust commitment to the acceleration of fleet electrification throughout North America. As the nation’s fastest-growing fleet management company, Merchants Fleet has committed more than US$2 billion (about NZ$2.78 billion) towards having 50% of its mobility fleet electric by

2025 and 50% of its clients’ fleet electric by 2030. The company has also launched an innovative Adopt EV programme designed to help guide businesses through each step of the fleet electrification process— from assessing needs to purchasing the right vehicles, to charging options and infrastructure support.

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MANAGING COVID-19’S RISK TO YOUR BUSINESS

hile Covid-19 Delta variant rages across Auckland, spreading to neighbouring regions, occasionally, the blame is directed at truck drivers. TDDA notes that people need reminding that truckies move 93% of New Zealand’s freight. Conversely, the agency advises that trucking companies need to start thinking about workplace Covid-19 testing to manage the risk this pandemic keeps delivering. “Have you considered what a positive Covid case within your crew will cost in terms of unavailable drivers, parked trucks, company finances, and your reputation?” says Kirk Hardy, CEO, TDDA. “Downtime is expensive, and your risk-mitigation plan must now include infectious-disease controls. This is why hospitals, essential services and frontline industries are increasingly reliant on regular Covid testing for employees. Workplace Covid testing is simply risk management.” When picking a testing type and provider, TDDA advises that workplace tests should be quick and non-invasive so that

employees feel comfortable. Saliva PCR testing is noninvasive and easy to administer (instead of deep nasal swabs), is highly accurate and has been shown to detect infection in people up to three days earlier than a nasal swab. “You also need a testing provider with a reputation for quality and consistency, and that is IANZ-accredited. Don’t hire a handyman when you need a master builder. Certifications and accreditations are crucial,” Hardy says. “When selecting a testing company, ensure they produce results quickly so you can rapidly respond if needed. Lastly, ensure your provider is mobile and can visit you where your workers are.” “TDDA is helping businesses manage Covid-19’s risk with fast, accredited saliva testing for your entire workforce. Like drug and alcohol testing, our new Covid testing service is designed to mitigate risk and keep businesses operationally safe. Transport companies now have a safe and easy way to manage Covid’s risk to their businesses.”

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MAIN TEST

ROCK AND

ROLL

Story by Dave McCoid

Photos and video by Gavin Myers and Dave McCoid

The pesky bug may have hampered Cascadia’s ability to spin its marketshare wheels in 2020, but Freightliner’s new kid on the Kiwi block is now popping up with increasing regularity. It’s a truck named after mountains, so what better place than Central Otago to seek out an early example? And it’s owned by a company as grounded as the rocks they haul, almost as old as their hometown, and well-versed in this American truck brand.

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But first… a refresh If we thought Daimler pulled out the stops communicating the new Actros, Arocs, and Fuso’s journey to this part of the world, the Freightliner Cascadia showed it was merely warming up. On numbers sold, the Cascadia must surely rank as one of the most successful modern highway trucks ever built, and its launch Down Under is certainly a big thing. In mid-2019, Australasian journos were allowed to document the truck’s preparation for its journey south first-hand in the United States. We were exposed to the inner workings of design, development and production at Daimler’s US HQ in Swan Island, Oregon; the highaltitude testing ground at Madras about three hours up the road; the Detroit Diesel engine plant in Detroit, Michigan; and finally, to where our new Cascadias will be born, the assembly facility in Charlotte North Carolina (New Zealand Trucking magazine, September and October 2019). Then came the official Antipodean ribbon-cutting in Sydney two years ago this month, with the highestpowered delegation of Daimler dignitaries ever seen at any swanky ‘barbie’ in these parts (New Zealand Trucking magazine, Feb 2020). All that must have been a big expense for sure, but it was peanuts compared with the cost of getting the trucks ready for an ANZAC assault, with zero change from AU$100 million (about NZ$105 million), according to Daimler Australia CEO Daniel Whitehead. It was also infinitesimal in importance compared with the real backstory that was going on, the one they wanted us all fully briefed on. At the top of the Daimler food chain the decision had been made to have a sort-out of the company’s regional structure in our neck of the woods. South Africans would now fall under the care of Daimler Europe. The Anzacs would be looked after by Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA).

That means we now benefit from the gargantuan might of DTNA’s product research and development machine, and it also meant we got the Cascadia. While for some, that might induce a starry-eyed ‘wow!’, it also meant the end of our old mate, the Freightliner Argosy. For many a resident in the smallest country affected by the rejig, namely us, that news induced a throwing of toys from the odd cot for obvious VDAM reasons. It’s sad that the last-ever example of a greenfield US cabover truck found its happiest home in a wee country that couldn’t ensure its survival. It’s a bit like being given the last remaining brontosaurus and only a single cabbage to keep it alive. Eventually, you will need a big hole. Like it or not, much of what comes our way does so due to our ANZAC mates over the drain. Were they not there, New Zealand would be a very different country and what swung us in the direction of DTNA’s keep was a regional new-truck market with a US share of 20%-plus (total sales somewhere about 14,500). In other words, the size of the pie. With New Zealanders comprising 0.49 of 1% of the DTNA market’s human population, and only marginally more in respect to the trucks, you could say our ability to steer developmental direction is … limited. Suffice to say once the reshuffle was signed off, the Argosy was buggered (Aussie never warmed to it, anyway), and for us, Daimler’s cabover strategy took on a Volvoesque platform flavour… You know, if you want a cabover Mack, it’s called a Volvo, and now if you want a cabover Freightliner, it’s called a Mercedes-Benz Actros or Arocs.

Look at me now Fifty years ago, a bonneted US truck was all about the power train – huge bonnets with a little shed tacked on the back for the driver to sit in and work the ‘reins’ and ‘whip’, keeping all those horses up front in trim. The design of early modern trucks was

New Zealand Trucking

November 2021 33

in many ways a metaphorical evolution of the stagecoach, sitting up high, looking out over the power unit. Truck drivers were lucky, though. In time, they were allowed to sit in a fully enclosed evermore waterproof tin shed, with an increasing level of amenity – heaters even. Over time, the needle has shifted almost 180 degrees, especially in the on-highway sector. Now, an approaching Freightliner Cascadia, International ProStar, and T410/610 Kenworth are more like an approaching cab with a bonnet of sorts hanging off the front. The 2020 Cascadia 116 is probably the extreme member of that industry subset. There’s nothing wrong

with Cascadia’s looks for its industry genre, nothing at all. In fact, we found the 116 very photogenic, never taking a bad Polaroid at all. Yet its appearance is certainly dominated by the cabin area. That visual impact of the shed is softened somewhat on its bigger brother, the 126, on account of having to house the bigger banger out front. The latest version of the truck received a new grille; the notched horizontal bars might not be to everyone’s taste but, hey, we’re all different. It’s shiny and polishable, so that’s a plus … for some. See what I mean? Much of the development work for the journey south involved FUPS adaptation and inclusion, fuel tank straps,

and battery box mounts. If you look at the front of a 2020 stateside example, nothing sets it apart, so Freightliner’s cosmetic surgeons have done well. The roots of Cascadia’s Goliath-like position in the US Class-8 market today is largely the work of Martin Daum. Things were a bit ‘doldrumy’ when he arrived in 2009 as the new boss at DTNA, so he set lofty developmental goals for the truck, seeking a 5% reduction in TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) every two years. Today, Cascadia accounts for just less than 40% of its market. Maybe the success of that strategy had some contribution to his current perch, CEO Daimler Truck

AG… (Ya think?). Stateside, nothing’s changed, but it’s difficult to know what sort of wash from that mandate will arrive here. I’m sure everyone buying a Cassy in Godzown would love a 5% reduction in TCO bi-annually, but realistically, that’s unlikely. As you can imagine, aerodynamics is a really big thing in the US, and many of the early gains were created there. Then, advanced safety systems rose to the surface – the reason Cascadia’s Detroit Assurance-5 system is lineball with the latest from Mercedes-Benz – and when we were there in 2019, downspeeding was a hot topic, as was propulsion in general (FYI, ‘down-speeding’ is not

The Cascadia is loaded in a jiffy and Brad pulls out from the pit and up the access road. Leaving the gates at the top of the access road, with all that’s behind him unseen by the passing cars. going slower, it’s giving it longer and longer legs for low-rpm cruise). Then there’s ever more evolved fleet-maintenance programmes, and in time you’ll likely see some form of OEM distribution and even supply-chain management offerings also. It seems to be the way the big boys’ world is heading. But rest assured, we’ll give the aero guys at Swan Island

a hernia with essentials such as bull bars in New Zealand, twin stacks, and all the other good stuff. We’ll keep it real… for a time, at least.

Spring in Cromwell In life, there are times when your inner self tells you that some things just shouldn’t be. Standing on Rogers Street in Cromwell, on a clear spring morning, we’re looking into the yard of McNulty’s

Transport, and there ‘looking’ back at us is a Freightliner Cascadia. It has an element of penguins-in-the-Arctic about it. The US is where you see Freightliner’s most successful endeavour. But Cromwell? Who’d have thought? Just then, owner Brian McNulty appears. “G’day boys. There she is. Spike’s here somewhere, down the back, I think. So is Brad, the driver. Come with

me, let’s go for a walk.” Of course, If you’re a South Island trucking propeller head, you’ll know ‘Spike’ is wellknown McNulty’s operations manager Brett Tomkies. Down behind the concrete batching plant near a big shed, we find a group of blokes sorting sides, tailgates, and things, a scene that’s likely repeating itself in transport yards all over the county at this time of day. There’s a big round of ‘G’days’, handshakes, and a bit of a yarn, before we’re heading for our truck of the moment with driver, 28-yearold Brad McKee. Brad’s been with the company for three months, and has driven the Cascadia for its 23,000km life to date. We jump into the cab and pull on the door. It shuts with a dense airtight thud, something we are well used to in a Cascadia from time spent stateside, but not something the average Freightliner punter here will find familiar. Brad dips the clutch, selects his gear, and we pull out onto Rogers Street to deliver last night’s on-cart. We always knew this day was coming, and we’d seen a Cascadia as far south as Sydney, obviously. But the past two years have indeed been interminable. Yet instantly, here was the real deal, doing real work in New Zealand. No demo or evaluation unit, a proper purchased truck, expected to earn an honest dollar for its no-nonsense owner for many a year. All the things we were familiarised with at the Madras test facility 28 months ago were back front of mind; the vision, the left/right clearance, the mirrors, and the soundness of the build. Of course, to this point, we’d been the beneficiaries of only ‘ra-ra’ positivity from all corners of the DTNA and Daimler Australia camps. There were no downsides to

New Zealand Trucking

November 2021 35

The Cascadia’s configuration makes it ideal for negotiating the tricky Kawarau Gorge. Cascadia by all accounts, and to be fair, we’d found them an easy and comfortable truck to drive. That made Brad’s less than enthusiastic opening comment a wake-up call on the realities of day-to-day work. “There’s just no reference point on that bonnet. In fact, there’s no bonnet. You just have to learn how to judge it and remember it’s there at all.” He was right on all counts. Meandering out through Rogers Street and down

36 New Zealand Trucking

McNulty Road (yes, they even have a street named after them… How famous is that?), the bonnet was merely a thin white meniscus along the bottom of the vast singlepiece windshield. Maybe not so bad thundering along the open highway, but in other circumstances? Yes, well, you’ll see in a minute where we’re going here.

Mountains, to mountains, to sea As we said in the opening, Cascadia was named after

November 2021

the Cascade mountains of Oregon. The Madras proving ground on the high plateaux of the inner state was where we first got behind the tiller of a Cascadia, so it’s cool that our first Kiwi encounter is in Central Otago. If you imagine a world-class truck-test complex in the middle of the MacKenzie Country, you’re pretty much there in terms of the location and surroundings of the Madras facility. The MacKenzie is postcard size by comparison, of course… Everything in the US is bigger.

Our load was aggregate from McNulty’s Amisfiled Quarry, opposite Mount Pisa on SH6, about a quarter distance between Cromwell and Wanaka. Brad had loaded the night before, and we were bound for a regular dropoff point, the Firth concrete plant on Glenda Drive in Queenstown. Supplying the Firth plants in Queenstown and Wanaka makes up the bulk of the work done by the Cascadia and the company’s 4864 Western Star, which you’ll remember was the Top

Crossing the Shotover River on the entrance to Queenstown. Truck in the February 2020 issue. Another member of Daimler’s house, it’s now done more than 330,000km and is still kept in showroom nick by driver Brendan Savage. It’s not all backwards and forwards, though. There is occasional outwork

and runs to the East Coast to deliver and pick up aggregates and other quarried material. It’s all to do with unique regional geologies and

The Nevis Bluffs make a dramatic backdrop.

The view from the office window doesn’t get much better.

New Zealand Trucking

November 2021 37

the rocks that come from them, some being good for this and others for that. You don’t get to 143 years in the transport game without being savvy, and the McNulty’s crew are no slugs when it comes to budling trucks and trailers fit for purpose. “It’s pretty much all shorthaul. You’re trying to keep two busy concrete plants stocked, plus our own, so the less trips you have to do and the more you can put on, the better,” says Brian. The new addition will cart

32 tonnes of product on eight axles at 48-tonne HPMV, which sounds great, but Brian remembers the company’s first MBE-powered Columbia bulky carting 31 tonne on seven axles at 45-tonne GCM. “We can run three tonne heavier, yet only cart one tonne more,” he laughs. “Agh! It’s just how it is today. Extra axles, compliance, and all the exhaust shit. It all adds up.” The Cascadia was spec’d for the Firth supply job, and that’s what the bulk of its life will entail. In the 116 model, the truck runs the Detroit

Diesel DD13, 13-litre diesel burner with GHG17 US emissions via EGR and SCR, which is even a notch more planet-friendly than Euro-6. In the McNulty truck, output is set at 351kW (470hp) and 2237Nm (1650lb/ft). That’s a modest performance spec by today’s standard, and just to note, you can get the DD13 up to 377kW (505hp) and 2508Nm (1850lb/ft) also. “We don’t need that power for what we do,” says Brian. “There’s only one hill between here and Queenstown and none between here and

Above and below: Tipping off at Firth Queenstown – a bit of wriggle and jiggle.

Above and right: Firth Wanaka is an easier affair.

Wanaka. The occasional run out to the coast is nothing in the bigger scheme of things.” Similar to all modern engines, though, it’s how the performance is delivered that’s the key. The torque curve is flat from 975rpm, would you believe, and when the lines meet at 1500rpm, both key numbers are so close to their respective peaks as to make no difference. Power achieves its ultimate high point just up the needle at 1625rpm. Behind the motor is an Eaton Roadranger

The Cascadia cab is a bright and spacious workplace, with a commanding view.

RTLO16918B 18-speed manual transmission. Upfront, a Meritor FG941 axle at 6300kg rating sits on taper leaf parabolic springs and shock absorbers. Way out back, Meritor MT4014XGP with full cross-locks at 18,600kg capacity ride on AirLiner 40,000lb air suspension with dual levelling valves. Fitted with drum brakes, the McNulty’s Cascadia has EBS, ABS, and all that it needs to run HPMV, but it’s not spec’d with the Detroit Assurance-5 safety pack. Obviously, there’s cruise control and the usual garb, but no adaptive, lane departure or side keep etc.

Here and there, then here again Brad points the Cascadia into the Kawarau Gorge, a 25km-odd stretch of the

57km run from Amisfield to Frankton on the outskirts of Q’town. The gorge links the Clutha Valley to Queenstown and beyond, tracking the Kawarau River through the Gibbston Valley. It’s all scenic splendour, yet another roading horror. But once used to its foibles, it’s all in a day’s work. It’s a bit narrow and windy in some places and dippy and ‘uppy’ in others. Then there are bits that look fine and tighten up, and others that look nasty yet roll benignly under the truck’s wheels. The biggest thing on this stretch is the comforting knowledge that most motorists on it with you aren’t paying the least bit of attention to the act of driving. Why would you when there’s that scenery to look at or a bungy jump to watch? Even more snuggly is the

realisation that amid the region’s economic boom, now well into decade three, the good old government doesn’t appear to give a Covid-filled cough about improving the state of the region’s key transport modality so that it might keep pace with what’s happening around it. Care and maintenance through the gorge take the form of large splotches of black bitumen over potholes. I guess the take-home is that SH6 Kawarau Gorge is likely to remain the way it is for a while yet. Given the awful carriageway, the Cascadia’s rubber front and rear air suspended cab gave us a lovely ride. Obviously, the data collected from the field test units in 2018/19 was on point. The truck sat flat through the corners

and absorbed the bumps and slumps admirably. Directionally, it was a point and shoot affair with the Cascadia going exactly where Brad pointed it. As you’d expect, all controls fall into easy reach. There’s no question this is a road the McNulty boys know well. “Sometimes, you’ll be on all Queenstown, but often there’ll be a mix of Queentowns and Wanakas. We share it around. Then you get the odd away trip to the coast, so it works out okay really.” By now, we’re passing Roaring Meg power station, a historic site that McNulty’s actually carted product to when it was built. The climb away from here is the biggest pull on the job, maybe a kilometre long in total and akin to, say, the lower western

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Kaimais at its worst. Elands on the Napier-Taupo maybe? And it’s not a hill you can get a run at. Rounding the bottom corner by the powerhouse and over the ‘pinchy’ bridge, you’re into a gutsy pull that varies in grade all the way up. The Cascadia made quite short work of it, dropping to 30km/h, 1400rpm, in fifth direct. From there, it descends away down and around some rocky outcrops, and the Jacobs was strong and able to keep proceedings in check, with only a little help from its friends (Brad and the footbrake). If you read last month’s celebration of the Jake’s birthday, this was a perfect example of a modern iteration. The rock walls of the Gibbston Valley certainly weren’t crumbling in the resonance generated by the Jacobs’ boom. Yes, it got a little more audible in the cab – about 74dB, but we didn’t resort to handwritten signs to communicate. While we are on the topic, cruising at 1300rpm and 90km/h was about 70dB. The next marker was the wee nip up onto Pleasant Flats from the Kawarau River crossing as the road exits the gorge at the Queenstown end. It’s steeper than Meg, but way shorter, barely 400m in all reality, and here Brad demonstrated the Cascadia’s lugging ability, letting it run back to 20km/h at 1000rpm, again in fifth direct. Daimler has put a great deal into the low-end performance of the DD13 and 16 motors to get the most from fuel use and down-speed running in the vast tracts of the US. The benefit for us was a motor that sounded incredibly comfortable at low rpm. Pleasant Flats further vindicated Brian and Spike’s spec on the truck, meaning at full weight, it’ll still hold high range on the steepest pinch of its most common job. You know also that performance is only going one way as she

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Entry doesn’t get any simpler; Right: Superb mirrors, and an impeccably well-behaved TES trolley in the gorge.

UNSHAKEN

ascadia certainly has a point to prove as it completes immigration here. It’s been through a bit of a timewarp and arrived in a country where the cabover is king, and unless there’s about 5,000,000km² of New Zealand we haven’t yet discovered, that’s unlikely to change. We won’t use the phrase, ‘the truck it replaced’, because that’s not the case, so let’s say, ‘a popular previous model’, was indeed a cabover, and it had some issues the Cascadia doesn’t. It was a bespoke model in Daimler’s line-up, with no real ongoing development path. If you can imagine a phone ringing somewhere at the DTNA, Swan Island HQ in the US, here’s how product development for the Argosy used to work, albeit a little tongue-in-cheek “Who’s on the phone? Australia and who? New Zealand? They want what?

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On what? The Argosy? I thought that went years ago? Gad-dammit! Tell ’em next year!” So, we did it ourselves. Truth be told, there’s Antipodeans among us who probably deserve a place in Freightliner’s developmental hall of fame. But that means Kiwis will look at Cascadia and label it a ‘Freightshaker’, and other such cruelty. Brian McNulty will tell you that Freightliners have been great trucks to them in many ways but tell you also about the time they were bringing a brand-new one home and the air vent fell out onto the floor. Cascadia, though, is a whole ’nother animal. This is a Daimler platform vehicle developed for us, and as long as the truck receives the support it deserves, the only thing that’s going to rattle are the cages of the others in its boutique market corner. Obviously, the first thing that impresses on entry is room. We said that in our

US coverage. Space around the driver is plentiful, and the whole ambience is light and airy. It’s a full-width cab with a firewall-to-back-of-cab measure of 1655mm. Being a day cab, you can’t stand up obviously, but there’s scads of headroom. The whole dash, wrap, steering wheel set-up is instantly platformrecognisable. If you’d jumped in from your Actros, Arocs, or Shogun, you’d take moments to suss stuff out, and once 49X arrives, add Western Star to that list also. Being a short-run quarry and gravel machine, the McNulty truck is a fleet spec with high-wear heavy plastics forming the dash mouldings and panels in that Daimler charcoal tone, high-wear vinyl on the floor in the same colour, with hood linings in Daimler fawn. There’s the odd flash of brushed aluminium and carbon fibre-look trim just to class it up. In practical terms, you could wash it all with a bucket of soapy water.

1 2 3 4

1 and 2) A lovely clear binnacle and wrap set-up, with oodles of working room. Note the lack of bonnet even when the camera’s this high up in the cab. 3) Thank goodness for Kiwi practicality. You’d be lost without the locally made ‘godsend’ console between the seats. 4) Airy and spacious.

Fit and finish-wise, it was all Daimler platform quality. The binnacle is standard for the times. An electronic six-gauge cluster sits in two groups of three on either side of the telematics, trip, truck, and driver info screen. The wrap is integral to the binnacle and sweeps out to the left, housing extra gauges, climate management, brake valves, entertainment, and switchgear in logical groups. There’s no infotainment in this jigger and, speaking to the subject of built-for-task, the hoist controls are mounted right there, in the wrap. Not everyone’s cuppa obviously, but bloody handy – and fast. The indicator, wipers, and

dip are on the left wand, and the heavily blanked-out shift wand on the right serves only to activate the Jacobs engine brake on account of the big shift wand coming out of the floor. The Smart Wheel serves the driver with categories – cruise, phone, and light stuff – on the right, and then navigating them all on the left. It goes without saying, there’s a plethora of options when spec’ing your workstation – this is just one. The pamphlet says there’s “generous storage” in the bonneted day cab. Okay, Forrest. A caddy and cup holders under the central wrap, an oddments tray on top, glove boxes and a

stow in the overhead, door pockets, under the seat on the left, and the godsend console – designed and built in Christchurch FYI – between the seats. Visibility; it’s expansive in all directions with a huge single-piece screen and big side windows. Kenworth’s magic mirrors now have a foe. Cascadia’s are magnificent and follow a similar form factor. Like the T410/610 model K’Dubs, the A-pillar is heavily raked, making mirror cam challenging looking to the future; and now there are two best-in-class US conventional trucks when it comes to clearing left and right at

Flip the lid and there’s another cleverly designed modern engine installation. Daily checks are all easily sorted.

intersections. You might remember we did a wee test on Brian Atchison’s ProStar in 2019, measuring at what point you could see the ground in front while sitting in the driver’s seat? The Inter came out a hair under 4m while 6’2”-ish Brad could see our ground marker at 3.75m in the Cascadia. But just hold that thought for a tad. Remember that ProStar packs big iron. It really is the Chris Angel mind-freak of visibility for a lorry with a 15-litre banger under a bonnet. We’ll stand to be corrected, but even just looking, we doubt the Cascadia 126 with its bigger Michigan burner will top it (it’s 126” BBC for a start). Back to 116, though, there is literally no bonnet visible, and Brad’s frustration at having zero reference points is interesting. In the US, most fleet trucks have those dorky blind-spot mirrors on the bonnet corners sticking up like a cray’s feelers – God forbid we ever need them here. They solve the problem there, but here, there’s certainly an adaptation curve required, and we’d suggest an out-of-cab visual if you’re unsure rather than the touch test. That bonnet is ducted for engine air, so probably expensive if it goes crack … just sayin’. Entry and exit? We’ve been to Swan Island, and the US is not short on hefty Jeffs. There’s been more research into getting in and out of this thing than the Covid-19 vaccines probably, so if you can’t do it easily, it’s you. Oh, and the grab handles were colour-coded to the interior. That made us happy to get in with Brad. Nothing’s more unnerving than a driver who needs grab handles in fluoro yellow to see them – LOL. Daily’s are under the ‘schnozz’ and no problem to get to. It’s a another engineering miracle in terms of installation, with the 13-litre nestled nicely in behind the low and squat radiator.

frees up too. Anyone who has added Euro-6 trucks to their fleet will likely be aware the bar for fuel consumption has been reset to the good. The McNulty Cascadia looks to align itself well to that trend. Granted, it’s a 50% loader most of the time, but given the shorthaul, stop-start nature of the truck’s usual workload, add the ‘horribleness’ of the Kawarau Gorge, plus the fact she’s 24,000km new, we thought 2.05kpl (5.70mpg) out

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of the box was exceptional. And again, when you think all but a few trucks improve with age, the prognosis looks better than promising.

Tip of the day Truck drivers’ book of life, fact 4352. Nowhere in Queenstown has any room. Firth is no exception. Brad threaded his way in along Glenda Drive and turned up what looked like anything but an entrance to a concrete batching and despatch plant.

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“It gets quite tight in here [No shit?], especially if their trucks are all in. Wanaka is much better.” If there was ever a time the Cascadia’s invisible bonnet was a huge benefit, this was it … as long as you knew where it was, that is. Once upon a time, a 470hp rigid US truck with a bonnet, in a place like this, would have been as manoeuvrable as an Italian nonna in a budget motel shower. In 2021, the Cascadia’s nimbleness in

Brad’s hands belied the size of the payload it delivered, probably 25% more than its 1980s forbears. The MAN mixer truck on the wash obstructed the available workspace already in short supply as Brad backed the TES five-axle trailer into the bin as smooth as silk. Up went the hoist, and out came the sand. Cool as a cucumber, he jack-knifed the trolly around the front of the MAN mixer and poked the truck into the aggregate bin

Brad McKee pilots one of the country’s early Cascadias. (He’s not that serious really, he’s a friendly fellow).

IF IT BURNS FUEL

he was after. Again, up and out. Walking around the trucks that morning with Brian, we commented on the prevalence of the TES bodies and trailers. “Yep, Keisty [Stephen Keist – TES] builds a bloody good product at a fair price. He’s our preferred supplier absolutely, and he stands behind what he builds. If there’s a problem, he’ll fix it, no issues.” Watching Brad punt the Cascadia around the yard,

Brian McNulty rates TES equipment highly.

rad McKee was raised around machines. You could say from the moment his eyes first focused, there’s never been a steering wheel too far from view, and at 28 years of age, that still hasn’t changed much. In fact, if he’s not driving the Freighty Cascadia for McNulty’s Transport, he’s either working on his stock car or driving it. I guess you could say, if it burns fuel and goes, Brad’s in. “Operating machines has always just been there, the whole time,” he says. “I don’t mind going out with mates, but I’m just as happy with a few beers and working on the stock car at home, to be honest.” Brad hails from Clinton in South Otago, where his dad Kent owns and runs KD McKee Contracting/ Firewood. Out of school, he started his working life in the family firm before trying his hand at building. That was followed by a move to dairy farming in the Mayfield area, but like us all, if there’s diesel or petrol in the veins, it’s an impossible fight. Following the farming gig, he again drove trucks and

machines for his dad, which led to a job at Buchanan Transport in Cromwell on a Volvo drop-side truck and trailer. It was a short stint with Buchanans, although it added valuable experience as rural transport does. From there, it was another tour of duty with his father, followed by revisiting the building game. In 2015 Brad really spread his wings taking a linehaul job with Palmerston Northbased PTS. “I was at PTS for about two and half years. It was good work and I certainly got around the place, all over the country in fact. Everywhere but north of Auckland really. Scott [Myers] was a good bloke to work for.” PTS also gave Brad the chance to get more experience in and around the stock cars scene. “Yeah, I crewed for the Palmerston North Panthers, including at the national teams’ champs. That was great. I was supposed to go back up this year but couldn’t make it.” Three years ago, he returned home, driving for ATL (Alexander Transport Ltd) in a Western Star 4884. “That was a cool truck. It had a 600 Cummins in it, a real solid machine. I did the

long freight with runs up as far as Christchurch and all over the central and south.” For the past 18 months, leading up to his start with McNulty’s in July this year, Brad worked for Hoffman Contracting as a machine operator. “Yeah, I’m enjoying McNulty’s. It’s the cruisiest place I’ve ever worked. It has a great culture. It’s one of those places that people go to and never seem to leave,” he laughs. On the subject of trucks… there’s the great experience he had with the Western Star at ATL, which has really stuck with him, and he also has a soft spot for his family’s first choice, Scania. “Dad’s always had second-hand Scanias, and some of the runs he’s got out of the gear he’s owned is just incredible.” When he’s not at work, it is, of course, stock cars. Brad has his own Fordpowered machine that he does all the work on himself and enjoys running in local meets. So next time you’re watching the dust fly in the south, keep an eye out for the flying Brad McKee and give him a huge shoutout as he roars on past. A young bloke going places.

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we thought it time to see where Freightliner’s finest fits in the battle of the snub noses. Bumper-to-back-ofcab for the 116 is 2970mm (116 inches). By comparison, ProStar is 2895, and the T410 and T610 2850. Western Star’s 4800 series is still the snubbiest at 2271mm, although bear in mind, its cab is the most dated and old-school in terms of depth. Bumper-to-front-axle-centres are: Cascadia 1315mm, Pro 1295mm, the K’Dub Brothers 1240mm, and the Star’s front axle is set forward, so never mind.

Where to now? Breaking free of the Queenstown chaos, the run home empty is a doddle. The Amisfield quarry is a vast open area, out of sight of the road. They seemed a cheery bunch of guys and gals on the loaders, and in no time, we were climbing our way out of the pit. “It’s as cruisy as hell,” said Brad. “There are no dockets, it’s all electronic.” A couple more into Queenstown, and then an afternoon run to Wanaka. There’s certainly a difference in the two, with far less frenzy-infused traffic on the way, more spread out, no hills, and a userfriendlier delivery point at the Ballantyne Road facility. We’ve said in previous scribbles that Cascadia would suit a ‘bulky’ with its torpedo nose running up the cab and along the bin lines. It certainly looks sleek. For obvious reasons Cascadia won’t reach the same dizzy heights of market share here as it does back home, and it’s limited potential may be even more boutique than originally thought. In mid 2019, Daimler Australia boss Daniel Whitehead was talking-up the potential of an 8x4; but by the Sydney launch, Global truck and bus boss Martin Daum had cooled right off, going as far as saying 8x4 was a

CORNERSTONE!

sing cornerstone as an analogy for the name McNulty in the history of Gibbston and Clutha Valley commerce is not overstating it at all. As you’ve read, home for McNulty’s Transport is Rogers Street in Cromwell. Rogers Street intersects with a main thoroughfare, McNulty Road, and that too is about as perfect a metaphor as you could ever wish for. From the get-go, Brian McNulty strikes you as someone who shuns the limelight. He appears to be at his most relaxed enjoying an afterwork ‘toolbox meeting’ with the boys. There’s no big and brash business HQ, it’s as humble as the man whose name is on the gate, not to mention his lieutenants, yet it’s entirely appropriate that Cromwell has a carriageway that bares the family moniker. Cromwell was founded in 1862 when an Irishman and an American prospecting for gold, happened upon nugget nirvana at the junction of the Clutha and Kawarau rivers.

The area had been known as ‘The Point’, or ‘The Junction’, getting its name Cromwell, not in honour of the English general, but rather an antagonistic act. You see, the Northern Irishman J Aitken Connell sent from Dunedin to survey the place in 1863 received a bit of stick from the local Southern Irish prospectors. Because Oliver Cromwell was generally despised by the Irish for having wrecked genocidal mayhem in their country during the 17th century, Connell threatened to call the town Cromwell just to piss them off. He was obviously a man of his word. Why the history lesson? Why so far back? Well, we may as well start that far back if we want to do the McNulty’s Transport story justice. Yep, when Brian says, in typical Brian understated style, “We’re the oldest carriers in the area,” man, he ain’t joking. The firm was started by Brian’s great-grandfather, Tom McNulty, in 1878, would you believe? Although sketchy, early records show the work undertaken

included carting rocks – what else? – to the borough reservoir in about 1892. Sadly, Tom drowned in the Kawarau River in 1911, leaving nine children in rather dire circumstances. One of those children was Brian’s grandfather, Francis Patrick McNulty. He stepped up, winning work carting fruit from Webb’s Orchard in Cromwell to the Clyde railhead. He and brother Tom formed a partnership for a short time, but that dissolved, and Francis continued on, supplying the gold dredges on the Clutha with coal. This appears to have been a mainstay of his work. The first motor truck appeared in 1925. It was a 1924 model International, and Francis used the good IH to cart grain from Hawea Flat, completing two trips every three days. (The Cascadia would do a rounder to Hawea Flat having delivered 32 tonne in about two hours.) A Chev was purchased in 1934 to cart gravel and pipes for the Roaring Meg power station and bricks to

the new Cromwell hospital. In 1938, it was fitted with a hoist to reduce labour and improve efficiency. In 1942, Brian’s father Frank (Francis Michael) McNulty began work in the family firm and 20 years later, in 1962, he brought his dad out. Frank grew the business, introducing quarrying to the portfolio making the company a supply and cart enterprise. By the time Frank’s two sons, Alan and Brian, entered the fray in the late 1970s, the business largely comprised the model we see today, McNulty’s Transport, Cromwell Certified Concrete, and the quarrying operation. As generation four put its stamp on the business, things in the region were beginning to take off. The building of the Clyde Dam was underway, the first dam in a proposed five-dam project laid out by the Clutha Development Commission in 1972. As a consequence of Clyde, the rail line to Cromwell was discontinued in 1980, making the Gibbston and Clutha valleys totally reliant on trucks. Boom! In addition, tourism and wine were showing an everincreasing potential in the region, and as we know, not a lot else needs to be said about that, with the frenzy showing no sign of abating 30 years on. The filling of Lake Dunstan in the early 1990s marked the end for the company’s quarry, it was to become a lake within a lake. Although they stockpiled gravel, they were out of the quarrying game for a time. “It took a lot of time and money, but we were eventually compensated for that,” says Brian. At about that time, Fletchers and McNulty’s signed a joint venture in respect to the concrete business, which had grown substantially on the back of

satisfying local residential and commercial demand, while other suppliers fed Clyde’s insatiable appetite. “The aggregate was bought off Fulton Hogan, and we secured the cartage as part of the JV deal that stands to this day. “Dad always wanted to get back into quarrying. About thirty years ago he had a mate tell him he wanted to sell his farm just up the road where the Amisfield quarry is now. “We bought 50 hectares, got the consents and we were back into it. Today we supply the aggregate to the three plants from the Amsfield site, as well as general commercial sales. We’re in the process of securing consents for the next 20 hectares now. It’s a long, expensive process, I can tell you.” The business was running sweetly when tragedy struck in 2007. Brian was running the quarry and the trucks, and brother Alan the concrete operation. Alan went into hospital for a routine operation on a niggly back, and via an unexpected complication, passed away. “Yeah, it was a bit of the shock, all right. A bloody tragedy.” Brian brought the business outright in 2011 and that’s how we see it today. Brian’s wife Jan has a career in the concrete game that spans more than 40 years, and today she runs the Cromwell Certified Concrete operation based in the Rogers Street yard. Brett Tomkies, aka Spike, a long-time friend of Brian, has been in the business full time a little over 10 years. “Yep, we keep it real alright,” he laughs. “We’ve always just stuck to our core business, and done what we’re good at. There are 16 trucks, made up of a mix of bathtubs, flat decks, cement tankers,

From left: Brian and Jan McNulty, and operations manager Brett ‘Spike’ Tomkies. By simply being real people, they create a place where people like to work. a panel trailer, and a crane truck. Brand-wise, Freightliner and Isuzu take the lion’s share with a few Hinos, and of course, the Western Star. “We’ve had a good relationship with Trevor McCallum through the Freightliners and, likewise, we go back a long way with Isuzu dealer Cooke Howlison – they’re exceptional to deal with,” says Brian, and then he pulls out a release of ownership they sent his grandfather in 1945 for the Chev. Just like that. Time may heal, but it also calms obviously. You can’t instil a culture in a business unless you imbue it yourself. As Brad McKee says, “It’s the most laid-back place I’ve ever worked.” Brian, Jan and Spike have seen it all... got the tee-shirt. We can attest to the fact that in our two days on-site, there appears to be an overarching calm and camaraderie. To an outsider, it’s a classic case of ‘spot the

guys whose name is on the street sign down the road.’ Without knowing it’s almost impossible. The loader drivers and quarry staff were all friendly as hell and chatty, as were the drivers. We were there for the Monday morning ‘get things underway’ witching hour that besets all transport operations, and what we saw proved beyond all doubt that you can’t instruct people to be workmates – you create the environment, and the rest takes care of itself. Having the operations manager helping do things like getting a tailgate out, helps no end. Like others of its ilk, maybe the gold nugget in this business is the guys at the top are never far away. But, given its history, maybe there’s something else at play here? Maybe there are McNultys all through the business, every day, ones who have been there since 1878?

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

Freightliner Cascadia 116 6x4 rigid Tare: 9580kg (load certificate) GVM: 50,000kg GCM: 24,000kg Wheelbase: 4950mm Engine: Detroit Diesel DD13 Capacity: 13-litre Power: 351kW (470hp) Torque: 2237Nm (1650lb/ft) Emissions: Euro-6 (GHG17) Transmission: Eaton Roadranger RTLO16918 18-speed manual Clutch: Eaton Advantage XL Front axle: Meritor FG941 Front-axle rating: 14,000lb (6300kg) Front suspension: Parabolic springs and shock absorbers Rear axle: Meritor MT40-14XGP with full cross-locks Rear-axle rating: 18,600kg Rear suspension: Freightliner AirLiner 40,000lb suspension with dual-levelling valves Brakes: Drum (Meritor Q Plus). ABS, EBS with active traction control Auxiliary braking: Jacobs braking 3-stage Fuel: 453-litre (single tank) DEF tank: 45-litre Wheels: Alcoa polished alloy wheels Tyres: 275/70 R22.5 Electrical: 12V Cab exterior: Aluminium cab / steel doors. Air suspension. Heated mirrors with remote adjustment. Dual roof-mounted air horns. Cab interior: ISRI air suspended driver’s seat. DC stereo with Bluetooth and USB connections Option: Diamond plate alloy DEF tank cover

A typical modern highway conventional, where the living quarters dominate the overall look.

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vocational thing and therefore more in the Western Star’s box of tricks. Maybe 49X will be Daimler’s ultimate platform Kiwi conqueror. The McNulty Cascadia is the first of two coming to the company. This one, No.37, is called ‘The Chain’, a song from Brian’s favourite group Fleetwood Mac. The next one will be ‘Little Lies’. Brian laughs. “I swore I’d never buy an auto but the next one’s coming with the AMT, and all the safety fruit too, so it had to be Little Lies really. It’ll go under one of the cement tankers and run out to the coast every

The Cascadia climbs away from the Roaring Meg power station. day. Mechanicals-wise, it’s identical – engine, back end and all that.” What a fascinating prospect that will be. It’ll be worth touching base in a year or two for a beer and comparison. McNulty’s has a long history with the Freightliner brand. Their work profile means they are a payload chaser, so it’s understandable Freightliner would make the radar blip. Over the years, they’ve had Columbia, Century Class, and Argosy all working across the spectre of fleet operations. “My first Columbia, an MBE-powered truck on cement, was a brilliant truck,” says Brian. “The second one

on tip work, not so great. Trevor’s been good, and they’ve been supported. “I bought these because you just couldn’t not. Half a million kilometres free servicing and a 1,000,000km warranty on the major components. It’s a no brainer.” Brian likes to turn the trucks over around the 700,000mark which should mean a trouble-free life. DTNA says the DD13 and 16 have a B50 life of 1,600,000km, meaning half of all engines made should run that distance without needing major repair or overhaul. Whether that number’s tweaked for us and

the Ockers, who knows? Likewise, the fault per vehicle per year KPI. When we were in the States, the director of vehicle durability and reliability for DTNA, Napolyon Isikbay, told us the new truck was running at less than 1.1. Again, US stats, not ours. In the US there are all sorts of options around fleet management, servicing programmes, and the almost endless potential with Detroit Connect communications to and from the truck. DTNA can update these things on the fly, it’s that hooked into the mothership. “The trucks come with a complementary ‘Best

Basic’ five-year service plan, and there’s the ‘Complete’ programme based on cents per kilometre. Australia is currently in the process of getting Detroit Connect to New Zealand,” said Trevor McCallum, Cable Price brand manager for Freightliner.

Nowhere to run – summary It’s here, and it’s good. It was always going to be. We may not have chosen a swanky tech-fest for our first Cascadia, but we did choose a well thought-out and wellspec’d one. On the power front, it needs nothing more than what it has, and for the

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Thanks to Brian, Jan, and Spike for taking the time out to let us visit and write our first Cascadia story. It was the perfect placement. Thanks, Brad McKee, for the in-cab time, and accommodating our photographic needs. Fantastic mate. Thanks also to Mr Freightliner himself in the great southern land, Trevor McCallum. Always obliging as ever. Your help is greatly appreciated.

times it does motor off somewhere else, it’ll be better than fine. Forty-odd years ago, 470hp would have given you a place at the bar among the biggest, hairiest, and tattooed of our brethren. Truth is, we completed two days with ease, in comfort. Aside from a limited market for the bonneted 6x4 configuration in New

Zealand, Cascadia’s ultimate success will be in the support it receives, allowing every truck sold to live up to its US reputation. You don’t sell 150,000 of a new model off the bat when they’re shitters. US operators aren’t dumb. DTNA is among the world’s giants when it comes to designing, evaluating, building, and

selling trucks, and it’s done its homework before giving us its golden child. That means if Cascadia is anything less than an outright success in its somewhat specific market Down Under, the fault will be in our backyards, be it here or Melbourne. Nowhere else.

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OBITUARY

DAVID LOWE

1940 to 2021

first met Dave in 1980, just after he produced the first two books in his series, New Zealand’s Cavalcade of Trucks, through his company, Lodestar Press. After that, I spent many an hour at Dave’s house in Henderson, either collaborating on the next book or playing with the always-changing model railway

layouts in his basement. We would spend hours going over our photo albums, selecting the photos to be used in the next two books, making sure each truck complied with the traffic regulations of the time, no logs over bolster height, no tarps flapping. We always attempted to show the trucking industry in a positive light.

By Ed Mansell

THE FIRST ELEVEN CAVALCADE OF TRUCKS

50 New Zealand Trucking

November 2021

We enjoyed many trips away in his Datsun wagon, or latterly, in the yellow banana van. Taihape, Napier, Waipukurau, Rotorua, Tauranga, Taumaranui, and Taupo were the obvious locations to snap away. In the good old days, photography was an expensive hobby – with the cost of film, then the outrageous developing fees – but we still mostly came away on the positive side when the films were developed. Dave taught me that to relax while taking photos was to carry a thermos flask of English breakfast tea, and we had a laugh or two after spilling the odd cup as we tossed them down to catch the next truck coming our way.

As we were both on the road a lot – Dave selling books for his employer and my business in the toy and hobby wholesale trade – we would meet and produce our latest set of snaps. After a while, it was decided that the small format of the books needed to change with the times, and Wheels on the Run came along. This was a disaster to start with, as the manufacturer didn’t creaseseal the book’s spine, and many editions fell apart after first use, but they came to the party and redid the spines on the remaining books, a lesson learnt for future editions. Great New Zealand Trucks and More Great New Zealand Trucks followed in an even larger format, and our partnership ended with

our final edition, New Zealand’s Cavalcade of Trucks: A New Generation. Dave retired and moved to

Whanganui with his wife June to be closer to their daughter, Tracey, but we stayed in touch regularly by phone.

EDITOR’S NOTE I was deeply saddened when I heard of Dave’s passing. Ironically, two significant influences in my own truck-photography life have both been David’s. David Jacobs in the US with his two books American Trucks and American Trucks 2, and David Lowe here in New Zealand. Both were hugely talented cameramen. The impact that Dave’s decision to publish the Cavalcade series in 1980 would have on the truck enthusiast scene in New Zealand, will always be difficult to convey to those who weren’t there. My own dear friend, now passed, Guy Spurr, and I called into the Lowe residence in Whanganui several times during our travels and were always welcomed with a couple of hours’ worth of chat and, of course, that cuppa Ed spoke of. It’s always grand when your heroes turn out to be wonderful people.

New Zealand Trucking

November 2021 51

JUST TRUCKING AROUND www.trt.co.nz

Justin McRae Justin McRae was scrubbing up his CYJ 530 Isuzu when Milly McCauley wheeled up for a chat. He has been working at Sollys Contractors in Golden Bay for three and a half years and has been on his current Isuzu for 18 months. Both of his parents were truck drivers. His mother and father drove for Ellesmere Transport in Canterbury, and his mum also did a stint with Halls Refrigerated Transport. His father currently drives for Stuart Drummond Transport in Nelson. After high school, Justin worked in a supermarket, moving his way up to management, but he always wanted to start truck driving. “Travelling and being able to see the country” was Justin’s response to what was his favourite part of the job. He said

he often carts timber from Nelson to Invercargill and has travelled to much of New Zealand in his time at Sollys. When asked how his work was affected by the current Covid-19 pandemic, Justin said: “There’s been no shortage of work, but it has made my favourite diet of mince and cheese pies and Blue-V a little harder to find.” His favourite accommodation would

be none other than the sleeper-cab of his truck, fleet No.4, and when questioned what his dream truck was (other than the Isuzu), he said he would love to drive a Kenworth. Considering the current circumstances we live in, Milly asked Justin the vexing question, to vaccinate or not to vaccinate? Justin answered, “I will vax if it is mandatory.”

Corey Kara Craig Andrews tracked down Kara Transport’s tidy six-wheeler Hino to find a very busy Corey Kara going about his daily work. Dunedin-based, Corey is no stranger to hard work. He had just pulled into the depot after a metro drop-off and was about to head to Central Otago in a Western Star with a load of steel onboard. A quick chat was all it was going to be today. The transport game for Corey started back in 2005 when he obtained his HT in a Nissan and started as a contractor for a couple of companies in the Dunedin area. Like many people, he recalls sitting alongside his dad when he was a young fella. Ben Kara was a storeman/ driver for ASC Flowers in Palmerston North and then for Owens. Corey has fond memories of those days. He spends most of his time driving the Western Star and running the small company alongside his wife, Jen. The Western Star goes into Central Otago two to three times a week, so he’s just busy enough. Ideally, he

52 New Zealand Trucking

would like to spend more time just managing the company, so is on the hunt for a full-time driver for the Star. Kara Transport got its start in July last year, which was challenging by any measure. Corey’s only industry negative is the effect Covid-19 has had on his clients, while the upside is meeting great people and building relationships. He loves the personal touch, and people interaction is the key for him. He says everything he does is for his family. The Hino he had just jumped out

of was a 2005 model, with about 380,000km on it. It’s one of two Hinos doing largely metro work in Kara’s colours. The koru on the side of the Hino was designed by Corey and represents the five members of his family. The vexing question for Corey was green or grey? “Green all the way,” he said. It’s one of the primary colours of the Green Island Rugby Club, and the teal featured strongly on the trucks happens to be Jen’s favourite colour.

November 2021

NZT

JUST TRUCKING AROUND www.trt.co.nz

Overseas Robert Isaac Robert Isaac, better known as ‘Rab’, was taking a well-deserved break at the famous Roebuck Roadhouse at the intersection of the Great Northern Highway and the Broome Highway, in the Kimberly region of Western Australia, when Paul O’Callaghan caught up with him. Hailing from the picturesque fishing village of Pittenweem in Fife on the West Coast of Scotland, Rab upped sticks and moved to Perth with his partner more than 10 years ago. When his initial employer Sadleirs sold its Nexus North West road-freight business due to a downturn in the Pilbara mining sector, Rab made contact with Wade de Campo and has been driving for the family firm based at Pemberton, 400km south of Perth, ever since. The transport of vegetables to Perth is a large proportion of the business. However, Rab says he’s happiest the further he gets away from the bustle of the city. Although his Scania R620 Highline may be a little cramped for the weeklong haul to Darwin, he has no interest in the US brand of trucks. While he enjoys driving for the small, tight-knit family firm, he wishes they weren’t so loyal to Scania and would love a Volvo

FH16 Globetrotter XXL or a Mercedes-Benz Actros. The relaxed atmosphere and desolate stretches of highway in the north-west are Rab’s favourite aspects of driving in Australia. On the downside, he’s critical of restrictively low front-axle weights, which mean the biggest Scania cabs, so commonplace in Europe, are rarely seen in Australia.

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RIGS OF 2011

11 for ’11 New Year’s Day 2011 had us listening to Foster the People pumping up their kicks while playing Call of Duty: Black Ops on the PS3. As we finished off the last of the Christmas ham, little did we know to expect a somewhat shaky start to the year ahead. Story by Gavin Myers and Carl Kirkbeck

arely back from holidays and settled into work, the entire country was rocked to the core by a second severe earthquake heavily impacting Christchurch city. The quake, centred close to Lyttelton at a depth of only 5km with a magnitude of 6.3, struck at 12.51pm on Tuesday 22 February. These dynamics translated into an intensity of shaking among the strongest ever recorded globally in an

54 New Zealand Trucking

Photos from NZT archives and as credited

urban area. The time of day could not have been worse, with many in the heart of the CBD back at the desk after lunch. Tragically, 185 people lost their lives, most unfortunately through building collapse, some triggered and preloaded after the quake five months earlier. And if that was not enough, a third was waiting in the wings only a few months later. On 13 June at 2:20pm, another quake, this one a 6.0, caused another

November 2021

wave of destruction to the Garden City, obliterating what was left of any nerves. In complete contrast, 29 April was a day of much delight and jubilation for us mere peasants of the Commonwealth. We were roped in with 2-billion other viewers around the globe watching Will and Kate tie the knot. The middle of the year marked a milestone in space travel, with the retirement of

the Space Shuttle programme after 135 individual missions into orbit. The missions were supposed to finish after the last trip. But when they returned from the 134th run into space, it was found that the replacement ship was not quite ready for despatch. So, on 8 July, it was back into the DC again, and hook onto the quad loaded with fresh fruit and veg, Energizers, toilet paper and tinfoil, then head back to the ISS to restock the

January/February pantry and collect the Cheps one last time. New Zealand’s major global attraction for 2011 – the Rugby World Cup – commenced on 9 September with much celebration and anticipation. The hype that surrounded the games was palpable, as we all ended up in battle mode fighting to win the rights to tickets through the ballot system. There we were, hoping for tickets to the cup final at Eden Park, only to be informed that we were unsuccessful in that draw and instead had won the rights to purchase 27 tickets to the Botswana vs Turkmenistan pool K final for $407.90 each – plus booking fee. A point worth noting is that the 2011 RWC holds the record for the largest sporting event ever held in New Zealand, even larger than the America’s Cup of 2003 and the Taihape Gumboot Throwing Internationals of 1957, the year of the unfortunate steel-capped scandal.

In the wee hours of 5 October, we learnt there was a place called the Astrolabe Reef just off the coast of Mount Maunganui and that the installation of the new 75,000-tonne water feature and monument on top of said reef had been a storming success. Yes, at precisely 2:20am that morning, the MV Rena, owned by Greek shipping company Costamare Inc, had run aground directly on top of the reef as it was heading into Tauranga Port. It was found that navigational errors were the cause, leaving us asking the question, how difficult was it for the skipper to navigate away from the gin bottle back towards the water bottle? On the trucking front, our selection of feature trucks for 2011 was an interesting polar shift on the year prior. Throughout this year, we had the North Americans featuring on no less than six covers, the Japanese on three and the last two from Europe. Once again, like last year, most have moved on from the original purchasers, while others have passed through multiple fleets. So, without further ado, we open the yearbook for 2011 and present to you New Zealand Trucking magazine’s class of ’11 and invite you now to drop in and see how well they have aged.

Then

THE DIFFERENCE IS IN THE DIFF Kenworth T904 Off-highway logging spec Then: FLC340, CM Meihana Now: Same owner We kicked off 2011 in spectacular style, with the first of two Kaingaroa off-highway loggers to feature that year. Charlie Meihana bought his Kenworth T904 with the vision of it being a 20-year truck. We commented, “many of the big hauliers around here are remarkably long-lived – when the operator gets the mix right, that is”. As it powers into the second half of its projected operational life, Charlie clearly did just that. Given the off-highway payloads of 120-140 tonnes, he reckons it’s done remarkably well. “It’s done over 1 million kilometres off-highway, about 28,000 engine hours,” says Charlie, who double-shifts the truck with his son Jesse. “I’ll never sell it. It’s immaculate inside and out. It’s never failed a CoF.” One reason for that is Charlie’s meticulous approach to maintenance. At 11,000 hours, it had an engine rebuild, with another 15,000 hours later – just before last Christmas. “Unfortunately, the conrod bolts (which have a stress spec and cannot be reused) weren’t replaced, which I did not know. So, one of them let go, and it punched a hole through the block.” Other than that, it’s had a new radiator core and intercooler, a new compressor and a new turbo, and Charlie also replaced the actuators and injectors – “just to keep it in tip-top condition”. After 7.5 years, he decided to swap in a brand-new factory gearbox too. As for suspension, Charlie replaced the torque rod bushes every 4.5 years. The truck has gone through a couple of diffs, and both axles have had new bearings. However, the drive’s brake linings were only replaced for the first time last year, while the steerers are still original. “We get a lot of comments on its condition,” says Charlie. “It still drives tight, too – like new. It’s been a real blessing our truck, considering the work it does and the nature of our job.”

Now

Credit: Charlie Meihana

March

April

Then

LA CRÈME DE LA CRÈME

JAPAN TOUGHENS UP THE HINO

Volvo FM480

Hino 700 Series FY2945 AIR

Then: FMF973, Fonterra Now: Hall Brothers Transport, Dunedin

Then: FRT774, (PR & BJ Martin) NZ Post Now: MYF515, RNS Transport, Auckland

Volvo trucks are often considered among the cream of the crop, or “la crème de la crème”, as we headed our main test of one of the 50 new FM480s Fonterra added to its fleet for 2011. If there’s one fleet that might hint at the capabilities of its chosen truck, Fonterra would be right up there. Packed full of operation-specific technology and sporting Fonterra’s (at the time) new livery, FMF973 originally joined the Clandeboye fleet – which we reported would collectively rack up 19,000,000km per season. Now in the hands of Dunedin-based Hall Brothers Transport, its current mileage is a cool 1,300,000km. For the past four or so years, the truck has mainly been doing tip-truck work around the Dunedin area, carting to and from construction sites and the odd outof-town job. “We have purchased a few of these ex-Fonterra trucks over the years, and for value and driver comfort for the money, there is nothing better on the market,” says operations manager Marcus Bulger. Marcus adds that other than general wear and tear, the only issue has been the I-Shift gearbox playing up. Thanks to Dunedin’s Diesel transport Service, a new control housing with the original ECM solved the problem.

April’s test of the new Hino 700 in NZ Post livery was also one of the first to showcase the 22m HPMV configurations just starting to enter service. This 55-tonne GCM, eight-axle truck and trailer unit was operated by Phil Martin and was, in fact, his fourth big Hino. The 700 Series FY2945 and 10.5m Fruehauf trailer was a regular sight on Phil’s 795km Taupo-Auckland-Rotorua run, which he’d already been doing for the past 14 years when we ran the test. To bring the 700 in line with HPMV requirements, all that was needed was to shift the Ringfeder back. With 450hp (331kW) on tap, what really impressed us about the 12.9-litre, Euro-4 via EGR powerplant was the delivery of its 2157Nm torque. “The Hino puts up a respectable fight,” we commented, comparing it to Paccar’s MX and Cummins’s ISX units. Drive was sent to the Hendrickson Air rear axle via an 18-speed Roadranger and 4.555:1 diff. Today the truck runs out of Howick for RNS Transport, owned by Ronesh Sharma.

Now

a was unable to supply Unfortunately Ronesh n. atio ck for public current image of the tru

Now Credit: Marcus Bulger

May

June

Then

CORONADO PACKS A PUNCH

THE LONG AND SHORT OF IT

Freightliner Coronado

Western Star Constellation 4800FXC 8x4

Then: 1DD151, Summerland Express Freight Now: Same owner

Then: FUG674, Mike Lambert Ltd Now: Same owner

Our first encounter with the new Freightliner conventional for the 2010s came dressed in the bright green colours of Cromwell’s Summerland Express Freight and was christened ‘Jelley Baby’ after its original driver, then 60-year-old Arthur Jelley. When compared with its predecessor, the Century Class, we declared that the Freightliner Coronado heralded “purposeful, aggressive styling” and “certainly packed a punch”, thanks to its new Detroit DD15 powerplant. As we reported, Summerland owner Ross ‘Smilie’ Millard was determined to be the first to put the new engine on the road in New Zealand – a Detroit Diesel fan through and through, it was no wonder Summerland and Detroit Diesel became synonymous. Maintained in-house, Jelley Baby’s 418kW (560hp) DD15 was rebuilt at 1,100,000km, and the truck has now clocked up 1,660,000km. Today, Jelley Baby is still an integral part of the Summerland fleet and is the pride of current driver Craig Hewlett. The duo runs general freight, with some tip work when required, mainly between Christchurch and Dunedin with the odd trip between Christchurch and Cromwell. “Other than a few minor issues over the years, Jelley Baby has been a good truck that still does a good day’s work,” says Barbara Millard.

When we tested the Mike Lambert Western Star Constellation, we stated, “… a ‘Made in the US’ sticker is what many in the logging game look for when it comes to buying a truck…” This new American was “making some big ripples in the bush”, and we set out to find out why alongside driver Murray Croft. Ten years down the track and still carting logs for Mike Lambert Ltd, predominantly to local Northland sawmills or for export to the port at Marsden Point, the reasoning behind those initial observations have definitely been proved. Tony Cummins, Holmes Group general manager, which took over Mike Lambert Ltd, says that the company has had several Western Stars and none has given many problems. This unit was equipped with the Detroit Diesel Series 60 EGR engine, putting out 391kW (525hp), and 18-speed Roadranger combo. “The Detroit motors are an honest workhorse. It is about to hit 1,000,000km and has had very little done to it other than a new turbo. Most servicing and maintenance have been done in company workshops,” Tony says. Over the decade, it has had only three drivers, with Ricky Corpuz being on it for three years. “It will still be going to work every day for a few years to come,” says Tony.

Now

Credit: Craig Andrews

Credit: Tony Cummins

New Zealand Trucking

November 2020 57

July

August

Then

THOR POINT

THE MACTACULAR LEGEND

Scania R730 LA6x4MNA

Mack Titan

Then: R730V8, Grandlit Transport (Daily Freight) Now: Rudsits Transport, Papakura

Then: Papanui 5, Vern Higgins Now: Wilson Brothers Earthmoving, Opotiki

A new bearer of the highest-horsepower crown is always a technological and performance achievement accompanied by intrigue and fanfare. So much so that when we featured the new Scania R730 in July 2011, it was with a double test of the Grandlit Transport (Daily Freight Express) R730 LA6x4MNA Highline sleeper cab and the Rob Dham Logging R730 LB8x4MSA – the first R730 on logs in New Zealand. On both trucks, we concluded, “How much better can it get?” With 1,375,000km behind it now, the Daily Freight R730 cover star today resides with Papakura-based Rudsits Transport, which purchased it in March 2018 when it showed up at sister company Broshmik Trucks with engine issues. “Broshmik Trucks stripped it to a cab and chassis and sent it for a full panel and paint job. A low-millage, second-hand engine was fitted, along with hydraulics. An extensive amount of custom work was completed, including exhaust system, rear bumper, guards, sun visor, stone guard, and lighting,” says operations manager Brock Rudsits. Since then, it’s done a variety of work, towing bottom dumpers, flat-decks, transporters, curtain-siders, over-dimensional work, and even as a yard truck. However, most of the work for R730V8 consists of tipping artic work. “Bulk tipping is primarily where our work lies, so it makes sense to use it in that field, even though it might be a bit of overkill,” says Brock. “The positives, the entire country seems flat now,” he says. “Negatives, it can get a bit rowdy.”

A 100-tonne Mack Titan prowling the Kaingaroa in the colours of Vern Higgins & Sons… it’s hard to imagine a more enticing cover prospect. At the time, Papanui 5 (Big Daddy) was the latest in a line of Vern Higgins Macks stretching back 26 years. It featured a distinct Viking theme, green flames and “The Beast From the East” moniker, referencing Vern’s East Coast heritage – and, most likely, the Titan’s immense capability. With the venerable 600hp (448kW) 15-litre ISX teamed up with Mack’s own 18-speed manual and a 160,000kg Meritor rear axle, there’s little Papanui 5 couldn’t be tasked with. After about six years off-highway, the Titan joined the fleet of Wilson Brothers Earthmoving in Opotiki. The Titan, says Harry Wilson, has become a bit of a ‘garage queen’, parked up in a shed preserving its value. “At the time, I thought it was a lot of truck for the money. The plan was to make it a transporter but then I ended up buying a Super-Liner which I thought was a better option,” he explains. “We’ve done nothing to it other than take the logging gear off it. It still runs,” Harry says, adding he’s had offers. “A few people have asked me whether I wanted to sell it and put it back to what it was doing. But trucks are getting dearer, and the wait for them is getting longer. We like to keep a spare up our sleeve.”

Now

Credit: Brock Rudsits

supply a rry was unable to Unfortunately Ha cation. the truck for publi current image of

Now

September

October

Then

KENWORTH LOOKS FORWARD

CHILL THRILL

Kenworth T408

UD GW26-470 Quon Air Suspension 6x4

Then: TLL10, Tranz Liquid Logistics Now: KUE28, Abernethy Contracting, Gore

Then: CALCON, Calcon Now: No longer registered, written off

The second Kenworth to feature in 2011 came in September and was quite the opposite to Charlie Meihana’s T904. This time round it was the T408, which introduced a new look for bonneted Kenworths – and some impressive new technology. It featured in Tauranga-based Tranzliquid colours, hauling a tri-axle tanker. When the T408 joined the fleet, Tranzliquid owner Greg Pert saw it as a “significant truck”. We reported that Greg “actively sourced the safety options on the rig, which is believed to be the first fully EBSS-equipped [Electronic Brake Safety System] Kenworth in Australasia”. Part of the EBSS suite included the Active Cruise Control with Brakes (or ACB), a radar-guided cruise control system that we concluded was “a neat little machine”. The T408’s current owner, Craig Abernethy, agrees. “Yep, it’s still got that, and it still does what it should. In fact, everything still works fine on the truck,” he told us. “It’s pretty high spec’d and people told me the original owners would’ve done everything to the book.” While the truck had gone through a couple of hands beforehand, Craig says his short time with KUE28 has been trouble-free. He’s had it for about six months now and uses it to cart the company’s three diggers around the Gore area. “It’s a pretty cruisy life,” he says. “It will probably do 20,000km a year with us.” Not a bad gig for a truck with almost 1,400,000km under its wheels.

The UD GW26-470 Quon featuring in our October issue had a noble start. One of six UDs (and Nissans) in the fleet of Christchurch civil engineering and construction firm Calcon, it was called into action in the aftermath of the 2011 Christchurch earthquakes to do its bit rebuilding the city. The Euro-5 via SCR and EGR model featured UD’s GE13TD engine, good for 340kW (470hp) and 2255Nm. It was coupled to a good-ol’ 18-speed Roadranger. While it was concluded 400hp would’ve been sufficient for Calcon’s work, the extra 70hp of grunt was appreciated by driver Richard Blomquist. Our test concluded: “Despite being near enough a completely new vehicle model … it’s still cut from the same cloth, and we’d be very surprised if it doesn’t go on to achieve the same reputation for reliability and driver satisfaction that previous generations have achieved.” And so it did, remaining in the Calcon fleet when the company was sold to Higgins Contractors in 2013, soldiering on without issue to 2018. At this point, it met an unfortunate demise, being written off in an accident. “It ran fine for us. There were no issues with it. They’re good trucks,” we were told by Hamish Waddell, operations manager for Higgins Christchurch.

Now

Credit: Craig Abernethy

Then

November

Then

December

THE ULTIMATE EXECUTIVE DECISION

ISUZU GOES BUSH

Kenworth K108E 2.3m Aerodyne 8x4

Isuzu CYH530 LS 8x4 tipper

Then: K2OO, Guy Knowles Transport Now: JTA266, Brenics, Christchurch

Then: FWN966, Forestry Roading Services Now: FWN966

Could there have been a better fleet to take on the world’s first K108E 8x4 2.3m Aerodyne rigid than that of Guy Knowles? Back in November 2011, the K108E was punted by Southpac as a facelift. But there’s no doubt its look is almost universally associated with the K200 model designation that came later with the introduction of the SCR engine. That was a characteristic Gary Johnstone, managing director of Brenics, was happy to use to the company’s advantage when he bought JTA266 from Guy about three years ago. “Whilst it’s a K108E, it’s still a K200 to me, and what that did to the image of Brenics, even though it was second-hand, was really good. It lifted the profile of the company dramatically,” he says. “When we bought it, we didn’t need to paint it – we just put a lime green stripe over where Guy had his red stripe and put Brenics curtains on it. It’s interesting, the truck has never been known as an ex-Guy Knowles unit. People just haven’t picked it up,” Gary laughs. Gary fell immediately in love with it and drove it full time for more than 18 months. Today the truck runs full-time linehaul between Christchurch and Dunedin, and Christchurch and Nelson. Now, with 1,450,000km on the clock, Gary says it has had a bit done to it mechanically. “But it’s still a real great truck. You can just keep rebuilding a Kenworth, so it will continue to be an important part of our fleet for the next few years. “The truck is very dear to me. I have a soft spot for it.”

There’s always one... Unfortunately attempts to track down the current owner of FWN966 proved unfruitful. The last we were aware it was in and around the Wellington region. When we featured it in the December 2011 issue, the Isuzu Giga CYH530 8x4 tipper was employed by Forestry Roading Services (FRS), and we caught up with it in the Mount Allan block, in the ranges just outside Mosgiel. At 390kW (530hp), it was a bit more powerful than the 400 and 460 Isuzus in the FRS fleet at the time. With drive going through an 18-speed Roadranger, it was the cross lock and Eaton Detroit lockers that festooned the rear axles which came in for praise. “These trucks have wonderful differentials… they just don’t seem to want to die,” said its driver at the time Lindsay Alexander. The unit was fitted with custom rear shock absorbers to mitigate road irregularities. “If Mount Allan can’t break it, you have to wonder what it takes to make them bleed,” we concluded. We’d love to know how accurate we were… If anyone knows how this truck is doing today, let us know.

Now

Credit: Gary Johnstone

Now

TOP TRUCK

CHASING GREAT Story by Andrew Geddes ‘Chasing Great’ seems an apt name and description for any Mack Super-Liner. Hiab & Transport Solutions (HTS) own a classic example in superb condition, encompassing everything that sets a Mack fan’s heart pumping.

The truck With one of the trucking industry’s boldest and most recognisable grilles, Mack created something special when it introduced the Mk1 Super-Liner in 1977. The Mk2 in 1985 did nothing to detract from the first model’s majesty, and both iterations are today among the most sought after trucks for any classic truck collector. Their value is continually increasing, with prime examples regularly fetching eye-watering prices. Interestingly, New Zealand has the distinction of being the last market in the world to sell the Mk1 and 2 SuperLiners. The models served in many roles; logging, heavy

Photos by Andrew Geddes and as credited haulage, general freight, and linehaul. They all saw the dog atop that big, square, instantly recognisable bonnet. For those looking for horsepower and an image to boot, the Super-Liner was hugely popular and hard to beat. Forty years is a long time in road transport, and finding a Mk1 or 2 in regular service nowadays is getting harder for sure. Thankfully, New Zealand still has many examples in the hands of collectors and classic truck buffs. Christchurch-based Chris and Tracey Hancox are the proud owners of ‘Chasing Great’, a Mk2 that stands out for several reasons, the most noticeable one being its

sleeper box. While a common spec over the ditch in Australia, New Zealand boasted only a handful of Super-Liners with ‘accommodation’. More interestingly, the HTS machine was the only example officially assembled in New Zealand for New Zealand, at the Motor Truck Distributors production line in Palmerston North. A 1988 model, original owners A. F. Porter Ltd from Hamilton spec’d the truck for heavy-haulage duties. A partial cab rear section was especially imported, along with the sleeper box and grafted onto a standard cab to allow full a walk-in bunk access.

Chris Hancox and standing behind him Leon Karena. Leon was a huge mentor to Chris in his early days at ABCO Meats. Sadly, Leon passed away in 2018.

Mack’s legendary E9 V8 rated at 500hp (373kW) was mated to a Mack 12-speed transmission, putting the power to the ground via a 105-tonne rated heavy-duty rear end. It would have been considered a state of the art heavy-haul spec in the day, and while time has moved on, and horsepower has reached much loftier heights, even today, the Super-Liner’s credentials are more than respectable. Class never really goes out of style.

The proud owners Chris and Tracey formed Hiab & Transport Solutions (HTS) in 2017. At the time, they already owned an FM Volvo, purchased in 2013 as a sideline to Chris’ day job. The Volvo was the first truck to sport the charcoal and

white colours, and all that was required was a name change from the original CTH (Chris and Tracey Hancox) to HTS to better reflect the work the company now undertook. The Volvo is still in the fleet today and has plenty of company in three UD Nissans, one DAF, and four other FM Volvos. Chris says they are ideal for the work they do, which covers Hiab/flatdeck and curtainsider work, transporting building and construction materials to site. It is work that can see them covering most of the South Island, with regular visits to the North as well. The Volvo relationship is no accident either, dating back to Chris’ time as an owner-driver with Goodman Fielder, where he had good experiences with the brand. The Super-Liner is not the only classic in the couple’s ownership either. A 1988 R-model Mack cohabitates with its bigger sibling – the R-model referred to as Tracey’s truck. Both Macks are what could be termed ‘useable classics’, and while not intended for everyday use, they can be rallied to the front lines if and when needed, towing flatdeck semis or curtainside

Uncompromising attention to detail both outside and in. B-train units. “But only in the right hands,” Chris says with a wry smile. That desire to have not only a classic truck but a practical classic truck, meant lengthening the Super-Liner’s

chassis at the tail end of its restoration. With a minimal rear-sleeper wall to fifthwheel clearance in its original set-up, Chris figured the tolerances were pushing the limit just too far. A bonus to

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the extra length was better proportions and stance.

The restoration Chris purchased the Super-Liner in September 2012. He’d been on the lookout for something similar, and as luck would have it, Auckland-based Ward Demolition had been carrying out earthquake clean-up work around the Christchurch area. One of the units involved was the Mack. The opportunity arose to purchase it, although for several years after the deal was done, the truck sat largely untouched, with only the occasional bits and pieces being worked on as time allowed. “Restoration proper didn’t start until 2015,” says Chris, at which point the cab, sleeper, and bonnet were removed from the chassis. Generally speaking, these were in good condition, and Wilcock Truck Painters in Christchurch took care of their prep and full respray. Meanwhile, Chris put his efforts into the chassis, doing the required engineering, sandblasting, and painting of these components himself. A complete rewire and airline system upgrade was also carried out. Todd

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Young, a mechanic at Road Metals, assisted Chris with other general mechanical work. “The V8 wasn’t in bad shape,” says Chris. “But as a preventative measure, we fitted a new rocker shaft and turbo.” Elsewhere, brakes drums, bearings, and the clutch where all replaced and bought up to spec. A complete new interior was also fitted. As a testament to Chris’ skills, the majority of the restoration work was completed by him, or with the assistance of key people at key times. ‘Chasing Great’ is no chequebook restoration. Everyone who knows Chris would agree he’s a grafter, and he’s the first to say that without skills and dedication, owning such a truck and getting it to this point would not have been an option. The adage, ‘you get out of life what you put into it’, is never more relevant than with this project. It’s a philosophy that puts Chris in his yard undertaking maintenance of the fleet during the weekends. In a relatively short time, the Hancoxs’ have built an incredibly sharp fleet, a reflection of their passion for the industry.

In May 2017, mostly complete, the Super-Liner was fired up for the first time and road tested. It lived once again! The final push came in February 2020, with the TMC Trucking Industry Show in Christchurch the goal for the unveiling. The last big job left was striping and signwriting, and for that, the Mack was delivered to Timaru Signs, where I work as a truck signwriter. I had the privilege of undertaking that final job. Unfortunately, then came the small issue of the Covid-19 virus, consigning the show, the unveiling, and normality as we know it to the history pages. While 2020 will go down as the year to forget in many ways, ‘Chasing Great’ was nevertheless complete. Time for Chris to relax? Yeah, not likely!

Opposite: 1) The cab lifted off the chassis as part of the disassembly process. 2) The cab stripped back, exposing the rear wall with sleeper access originally brought in and grafted to a standard cab shell. 3) Prepped and a fresh new look. Photos: Roe Boutherway.

Origins

hris’ introduction to trucking started in 1985, at age 12, spending most of his spare time hanging around Abco Meats on the northern end of his home town, Oamaru. The local abattoir ran a small fleet of trucks distributing meat through the region. After school and on weekends, Chris washed the trucks, progressed to loading, and took any opportunity given to go for rides. The role became official when Chris left school at 14, taking on a position as an offsider. This meant he was moving and backing trucks in the yard, and onto the loading docks. D-Series Fords, Isuzus, Commers and Scanias, in both truck and A-train combinations were all part of his first real introduction to life behind the wheel. By 18 he was on linehaul duties in a company A-train. In 1991, Halls Refrigerated Transport purchased Abco, and due to a shortage of drivers at the Oamaru depot, Chris, still only 18 years of age, found himself behind the wheel of a Scania 112 B-Train combination. At the time, company policy dictated linehaul drivers must be 25 and Chris recalls being handed the keys with the explicit instruction, “Don’t f&$% it up!” As it turned out, his run was similar to the work he’d done for Abco anyway, running south from Oamaru to Invercargill and back up through Central Otago. Chris credits the late Leon Karena at Abco Meats as a huge influence and mentor during those early years. By 1992, Chris had moved camps, still on linehaul, but carting bread for Quality Bakers in a Ford 8000 Louisville truck and trailer combination (New Zealand Trucking magazine Top Truck Dec ‘96-Jan ‘97). It was to be the first of two associations with the company. Stepping away briefly from linehaul work in 1998 Chris joined the iconic Oamaru-based North Otago Road Metals fleet (now Road Metals Ltd), driving an R-model Mack carting shingle and plant equipment. The new century also heralded new horizons for Chris who, by now, was married to Tracey. Leaving their hometown of Oamaru, the couple headed to Christchurch, where Chris found employment with Goodman Fielder. Starting as a company driver, the opportunity to become an owner-driver came about two years later, and Chris jumped at the chance, choosing Volvo as the truck of choice. Starting with an FM, they progressed steadily, eventually to the pinnacle FH Globetrotter curtainside truck and trailer. After 12 years with the company, Road Metals in Christchurch was looking for a transport manager. Chris grabbed the opportunity to be closer to home and took the job, remaining in the role until 2017 when he and Tracey formed HTS.

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Left: Garden fresh. The truck has attracted crowds of onlookers since it first appeared in 1988. Photo: Dave McCoid. Right: George Daley was the truck’s second owner, and it has to be said, it looked no less resplendent. Photo: Roe Boutherway.

CHASING GREAT

OWNERS Fascinating footnote Talking to previous owner Carey James while compiling the history on Chris’ SuperLiner brought up an interesting series of events that puts into perspective just how things could have been much different. At time the Super-Liner came into Carey’s keep in 2003, he was driving for Masterton-based carrier Renalls. He bought the truck from previous owner Tony Rhodin, who had run it at STL.

At the time, the motor was in bits, and the truck was at Haulage Parts in Palmerston North. Carey started the process of putting the Mack back together, with the team at Haulage Parts rebuilding the engine for him. Tony would call in to see how progress was going from time to time and when the Super-Liner was road-legal, Tony was again able to take it for a drive. Tragically, Tony lost his life in 2004 as a result of a truck accident, and the Mack was

A.F. Porters, Hamilton – reg OC4307 G & C. A. Daley, Paeroa – reg DALEY1 Tony Rhodin, Napier/Hastings – reg RATUPU Carey James, Woodville – reg 0MACK0 Dispatch Transport, Auckland – reg DGN527 Ward Demolition, Auckland – reg DGN527 Hiab & Transport Solutions, Christchurch – reg V8MACK

used in his funeral procession. Under Carey’s ownership, the Mack was treated as a classic truck, also participating in charity events like childcancer truck runs. Carey eventually sold the truck back to Andrew Porter, who was only a teenager when Robin Porter bought it new. Together with Peter Ward, Andrew formed Dispatch Transport, and the big Bulldog was once again put to work with Jacko Johnson at the wheel. All in all, a lucky reprieve. Looking tough in Ward’s livery.

It seems ‘Chasing Great’ could well have ended up as scrap at a relatively early stage of its life, and thankfully more than one passionate trucking person has ensured this ‘Macknificent’ and special piece of New Zealand’s transport history has made it through the passage of time.

Acknowledgements Chris is quick to acknowledge and thank those who have helped him ‘chase great’. Road Metals’ Murray and Dan Francis, Grant and Alex from Northwest Auto Electric, Todd Young, again Road Metals, Gordon and Rod Wilcock at Wilcock Truck Painters, and Jason Merritt at Truck Stops Dunedin. All have played a significant part in the Mack’s restoration.

BACK DOWN THE ROAD A BIT

BURNSIDE BONANZA This month, we feature Dave Connor, a real trooper who has amassed a significant truck photo collection with as little fuss as you can imagine. Readers will remember we tested the UD Quon Dave drives for Christchurch-based Charter Transport in the November 2019 issue of New Zealand Trucking magazine. He’s a quiet, easy-going bloke with a reputation for never ending a day’s shooting with a ‘one that got away’ story. Thanks, Dave, it’s a privilege to have you supply this month’s gallery.

“Riding around with my uncle in the late 1970s early 1980s got me into trucks. Then, following the arrival of Truckin’ Life magazine from Australia at the local bookshop, along with an introduction to Big Rig Photos and the famous Cavalcade of Trucks series, I talked mum into letting me take her camera out, and haven’t looked back since. “I cycled a lot of miles with camera in bag and then mowed a lot of lawns and chopped a lot of fire wood to pay for photo printing and new film. “In August 1987, I had a selection of photos published in New Zealand

Trucking magazine, taken with my newly purchased 35mm SLR camera (first purchase after starting work). Now, 34 years later, here is episode two, a selection from the previous Instamatic camera from about 1983, when I first got my driver’s licence. Driving was certainly easier than biking over Lookout Point to Burnside. With two meat processing plants on either side of the Kaikorai Valley Road, Burnside was a favourite place for Dunedin photographers who were into stock trucks. There was often rich pickings.”

A Waipahi Transport Fuso hooking back up to its trailer after unloading.

An early attempt at moving shots. A farmer’s 500 series Dodge leaves the Burnside Freezing Works sheep yards.

Wilsons Transport T2670 waiting to unload at the Dunedin Master Butchers Association (DMBA) sheep ramps.

An Andrews Transport from Riversdale B series ERF about to unhook and back into its trailer to unload both units. No sliding drawbars here.

Cook Transport from Hyde had this Detroit Dieselpowered K-series Kenworth, still one of my favourite trucks. Cab pens are so cool. It used to rattle the Stanley Hotel’s windows on the way through Macraes.

O’Mallys Transport ran this N10 Volvo from Ranfurly. Almost empty at the DMBA.

Ranfurly’s McLaren Transport owned this 3072B International. Here seen unloading at the ramps at the bottom of Short Street. ‘Valley Rebel’.

68 New Zealand Trucking

The weapon! Kodak’s Instamatic 25.

November 2021

A White Road Commander from Clydevale, belonging to Clutha Valley Transport, delivers another load.

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CLASSICS LOCKER

Story by Faye Lougher

John and No.6 today.

Photos Simmons collection

MARLBOROUGH LOADSTAR MAKES THE MEMORIES Thanks to an enthusiastic Marlborough octogenarian, a 1952 Austin Loadstar with a storied past still does duty today.

ohn Simmons from Blenheim is a regular reader of New Zealand Trucking magazine and thought we’d be interested in a 1952 Austin Loadstar – No.6 – of which he is now the selfappointed custodian. The 83-year-old’s first job was working at the Blenheim Butter Factory, making butter. “The trucks would come in with the cream on them, and while the drivers were inside, I’d rush out and jump in the one that had backed in first and shift it and back in the other one. I got my heavy traffic licence when I was 18 in one of the butter factory trucks, an old OLB Bedford with a crash gearbox.” The Molesworth Station

mail truck used to come in every Tuesday and Friday, and John says he’d stop and have a yarn to the driver, who he knew. “The boss called me into the office one day and said he was horribly disappointed in me; all I thought of was trucks. So I left and started driving them.” At 19, John went to work for general carriers J.A. (Joe) Robinson, who serviced Marlborough. “They carted just about anything, including boats. They launched a few boats from Picton, and I’ve got a photo of one of the trucks towing a fairly big launch down to the water. Joe also had a registered horse float that took about six or seven horses. It was only on a four-wheeler

truck, the same size as No.6, only a flat deck, and it was properly partitioned off.” Although Joe had bought No.6 second-hand, he added an S Bedford to the fleet, followed by three new Loadstars, Nos.8, 9 and 10. He also purchased a Leyland Comet 90 with a five-speed gearbox and two-speed diff. “I went on No.10 and drove that for 12 months, then I went on the Leyland, and I drove that for 10 or 11 years. That was a good truck,” says John. “After all the Austins, Joe bought a couple of Butterbox Internationals. I got one, and that was the first brand new truck I ever had.” Joe had five 702 Austins that gave great service, and three F.J.K. Austins, then went to the Inters. In those days, rabbits were a problem for Molesworth Station and although

there were rabbit boards, Molesworth carried out its own pest control using poisoned carrots. One of John’s first jobs, when he started at Robinsons in 1958, was to assist with carting 700-tonne of carrots to Molesworth Station’s airstrip. “After that, it was 300, then 400 tonnes every year. It was a good winter job because there wasn’t much doing around Marlborough in the winter. “The first carrots weren’t poisoned. They would feed two lots of carrots and then poison the next lot. They were carted in bags to the station, then diced, and we would fill the airstrip with carrots and then the woolshed. They were all hand-loaded off the ground.” Another job was to cart the bulls out to the back of Molesworth Station every year. “Imagine nine bulls on a

Coming home from Wakefield on John’s Hino. Right: John’s late wife Barbara was along for the ride at the 100-years of Marlborough parade. two-axle truck – the Leyland had a 20-foot deck with a 22-foot cattle crate on it – and hard on the brakes all the way down Wards Pass, really hard. It was good when I got to the bottom.” John worked for J.A. Robinson for about 15 years and says when he left the company, it had 15 trucks and about seven or eight drivers. He then got a job driving trucks for Master Butchers. “To start with, I went on a TK Bedford that had been through the mill with the previous driver, and then they got the International 1950 A. It had the V8 motor and idled on four cylinders, cutting in on the other ones at about 1600 revs. But I never drove it below 2000 revs, so that didn’t matter. I put that around the clock about three and a half times, and they did the motor up on it after that. It needed

the injectors done and an oil leak fixed, but they’d saved that much money because that truck cost so little to run over the years, so they spent money getting the motor done up, but they didn’t need to.” John says he thinks the 1950A was about a 1973, and it was one of the clean air motors. “When you started it in the morning, there was a cloud of black smoke, but that’s all you saw all day. Coming up that steepest hill, which is the Lion’s Back, south of Seddon, in second gear, you couldn’t see anything at all coming out the exhaust pipe. She was just clean once she’d got rid of that black smoke in the morning. It had a 10-speed Roadranger gearbox. I think the best truck I drove was that 1950A – that was a damned nice truck.” John stayed at Master Butchers for 15 years and

says he spent the rest of his life driving trucks on and off, aside from 17 years when he and his late wife took over part of a family farm in the foothills to the south of Blenheim. “We did a bit of everything. We had sheep and cattle, and we always had a paddock of grain in every year.” In 1967, John says No.6 went to Molesworth Station and remained there indefinitely. “We know it was in 1967 because the original sticker is on the windscreen still, it was never registered again. It had become sort of obsolete for what Joe was doing – we were mainly into five-yard tip trucks then, and No.6 was a four-yard. They used it to ferry the carrots from the woolshed over to the airstrip as they needed them. And if they couldn’t dig down there in Blenheim, there was a bit of a buffer for them to keep going.

The truck was also used for a bit of gravel cartage.” The truck is now at the Marlborough Vintage Farm Machinery Museum at Brayshaw Park in Blenheim, but there is quite a story to how it ended up there. “When Joe sold out to Marlborough Transport, he gave that truck to Bill Chisholm, and Bill gave it to his daughter Ann. Ann gave it to Pete Croft, who manages the Molesworth farm in Hanmer, with the proviso that it went to the Steam Museum in Wakefield, Nelson. I rang Molesworth to see if I could get hold of it, and the manager said, ‘No, Pete Croft owns it, ring him’. So, I got his number and rang him, and he said it had to go to the Steam Museum. I said, ‘That’s what I want it for’ and he told me to come and get it.” John hired a truck, and he

From left: Loading with an old red Massey tractor alongside the river; out of the Taylor riverbed into Brayshaw Park; looking good on the move.

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Spreading gravel in Brayshaw Park.

and his brother Allan headed to Hanmer. When they arrived, Pete started the truck in the shed without any trouble and drove it onto the back of the truck for the trip back to Blenheim. “The gearbox was buggered in it, and the motor was only running on about two cylinders. We unloaded it at my yard here, and the Steam Museum brought the pieces up, and I fixed the gearbox. Finally, after about 12 months, it went to Wakefield. One of the Steam Museum members, Tony Hanson, grew up in Blenheim and he said, ‘It doesn’t belong here, it belongs in Blenheim’, and he engineered getting it back here.” John says at the time, he had a Hino that he’d bought off his son Tony when he owned Early Bird Transport. “I went over and put the Loadstar on the back and drove it straight up to Brayshaw Park.” As mentioned, John had restored the gearbox before it went to the Steam Museum, but the motor hadn’t been touched since it was replaced before it went to Molesworth in 1967. “When I started at Robinsons, that motor was sitting in the shed, wrapped in a great big plastic bag. Just the block, and then when the motor packed up in the original truck, they put that in it. It’s a four-litre Austin motor, and the truck has a four-speed crash gearbox. “That motor is still in it now. It’s got liners in it, which

72 New Zealand Trucking

Launching the second boat built by J.P. Brunsell for service in Pelorus Sounds in the early 1950s. John drove this truck for Joe Robinson. was unusual for those days – Engine Reconditioners in Blenheim bored it out and put liners in it. When we got it back, the motor was still huffing and chuffing. I started to take the head off it and when I dropped the bolt out of the pipe from the manifold down to the brake booster, it fell over and I thought, ‘Well, it shouldn’t have done that’. It had come off the brake booster and that’s why it was missing all the time. I took the head off it and gave it a valve grind. I put a new hose back on it and I clamped it on both ends.” John says the engine runs okay, but it tends to oil the plugs. “That’s because it’s been sucking that dust in for years and it buggered the motor up, so it’s probably only running on two cylinders. If you clean the plugs up, she runs on six for a while.” The Loadstar still gets used now and then, and when we interviewed John, it had a load of wood on the back. “She hasn’t fully retired. I’ve got a battery in it at the moment, and I’ll be bringing that load of wood up to the shed so we can split it. We’ve also been getting a bit of gravel out of the river if we can November 2021

get down there.” John says Marlborough Vintage Farm Machinery at Brayshaw Park has one of the best collections of tractors in New Zealand. “Along with a lot of stuff that we will never get around to restoring because none of us is getting any younger! “We have a former priest, John Neal, who is a Caterpillar man. He’s restored dozers up there, including a little Cat 15, and he had every last nut and bolt off it. He does a marvellous job, strips everything right down, all the old paint. He did his service at Marlborough Tractor Services that used to do Caterpillars here in Blenheim. “We’ve just had a D2 donated, and we also have a D4 that we’ve been given, and the people who owned it are paying for the restoration.” John’s three sons have all driven trucks at some point. The eldest, Johnny, initially did a joinery course but went on to drive milk tankers. Tony worked for Riverlands Meat before buying his own truck and working as an owner-driver for Jim Barker at Otorohanga Transport. He then bought Early Bird Transport in Nelson. After he sold that, he

John at 83. went to Heagney Brothers for a while and then to Stocklines driving one of its trucks. Kenny, John’s youngest son, has driven trucks for many years. He now drives the UD GW26-460 Quon owned by Greg and Carol Robinson of Elite Excavators that was the New Zealand Trucking Top Truck in September 2021. “You could say that driving is in our blood,” says John’s daughter Janice Thompsett. “Several of dad’s brothers drove, as did my three brothers, and I always dreamed of being a truck driver too but took up admin instead. My sister Kay now drives the bus that picks up employees of Dominion Salt, taking them to and from work out at Lake Grassmere.”

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UNSUNG HEROES

It didn’t take long for us to receive our first Unsung Heroes submission from a reader. Bluff Sand Supply & Cartage manager Casey Barris jumped at the opportunity to share the company’s three CWA Nissans, which he says form the core of the company’s fleet. Pictured (from left) are: “The 300”, a 1991 CWA300; “The Hiab”, a 1993 CWA340R, and “The Beanpole”, a 1995 CWA31. Casey says: “The 300 is an ex-H.A. Foote truck and is definitely one of the most versatile and favourite among our small crew. The Hiab is the first truck I learnt to drive as a boy 10 years ago, my personal favourite and a real weapon of a Nissan. I’m 27 now, and it still runs as great as it did when I first hopped in the saddle. The Beanpole is an ex-Ryal Bush truck and the pride of our fleet. It’s named after my grandfather, Greg Low, who was rarely seen out of the cab over the years. The Beanpole has paid for itself countless times over with the work she has done and is an absolute ode to the Nissan brand – a true workhorse and a truck that will always be close to my heart and a timeless piece of Bluff Sand Supply’s history.” Thanks for sharing, Casey. May they keep going strong for many years yet!

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

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

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

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PRODUCTIVITY’S

BIG TIP Mining company executives have little time for the finer details of truck and trailer specifications and even less for manufacturers’ marketing garrulity. Except, that is, when your trailer combination promises to deliver a 10% payload increase. Townsville-based trailer-builder Mick Murray Welding knows this only too well.

he introduction of Mick Murray Welding’s Highway-Bowl sidetipping trailer roadtrain combination, which delivers significant productivity gains, has not gone unnoticed by mining company accountants. For mining companies seeking their fortune from a mining operation located in the

‘Boom-fields’ of Queensland’s Cloncurry-Mount Isa region, heeding the advice of the company accountant is pivotal to the success of the mine, more so than any other region in the country. Today, tourism brochures promote the ‘Curry’ as the home of the Royal Flying Doctor Service, the destination of the first Qantas flight, and not surprisingly, its

Story and photos by Howard Shanks

mining heritage. But as Dr K.H. Kennedy’s paper, A Short history of the Cloncurry Copper Field, noted: “The Cloncurry region is likely to have the same impression on a modern visitor as it had on the inveterate traveller A.C.C. Lock, who in 1949, despaired having reached ‘the end of the world’. The relentless heat and windswept dust which rolled across the desolate

Kenworth T659 8x6 Tri-Drive looks the business in Toll’s characteristic teal. red earth remained a lasting memory.” In the early 20th century, mining companies in the Cloncurry-Mount Isa region did attract the attention of stock exchanges in London and Melbourne. Nevertheless, like most boom fields, the tyranny of distance, the adversity of the region and the outbreak of hostilities in 1914 sent copper prices plummeting, which brought the inevitable end to mining operations. Today, a smattering of rusting relics are all that remains of the region’s early copper empire. In the past decade, the price of copper has risen fast and high without any sharp decline. At the time of writing, copper is trading at US$4.30/ lb (about NZ$6/lb). But mining

accountants are all too familiar with how quick and far the price of copper can fall. So, they constantly read the market with the keen eye of an eagle. They understand a minute 1% imbalance in supply and demand can influence prices by as much as 10%, up or down. Increasing unit payload efficiency is undoubtedly one optimistic step miners employ to even out the fluctuations caused by global copper prices. The exceptionally low tare of the Highway-Bowl sidetipping trailer, combined with optimised axle group placement, gives these multicombination units the ability to achieve the highest PBS gains. The high-tensile steel deep-dished-designed cradle

chassis delivers a very light tipper chassis with a low centre of gravity. The bin construction is from QT450 grade abrasion-resistant high tensile, giving the body a very light tare. Tipping is via two five-inch (125mm) doubleacting hydraulic cylinders with hardened rods. The Highway-Bowl sidetipping trailer has a single hydraulic ram construction, which lessens the need for extra controls and hydraulic circuits, consequently reducing potential downtime. The single-ram design means there is only one action for tipping when the trailer tips, speeding up the overall process considerably. In the meantime, the body floor design encourages this fastunloading process, reducing

From top: Haldex braking and stability system.

Single hydraulic ram construction lessens the need for extra controls and hydraulic circuits.

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M T

Low tare and optimised axle group placement achieve the highest PBS gains.

product build-up in the corners and sidewalls. As a result, the whole load can be tipped in as little as 30 seconds, depending on the hydraulic flow supplied. Meanwhile, the robust bin-to-chassis pivot bearing distributes loads evenly across the bin and chassis, resulting in a low-maintenance operation. In addition, an optional selfopening sealed-lid system, which significantly improves the safe operation for loading, transit and unloading of dangerous goods such as the copper concentrate these trailers haul, is also available. The running gear is nothing short of top-shelf premium pedigree, with BPW (SHZA10110-15 120-mm square x 15mm) axles and suspensions used exclusively throughout the trailers and dollies. The electronic brains of the braking and stability system is by Haldex. Throughout Queensland’s outback and the Northern Territory, BPW is the preferred trailer axle and suspension brand, and it has the lion’s share of the market to corroborate this accolade.

Oakdare’s Michael Connolly says about his BPW equipment: “Over the past few years, we’ve been specifying BPW disc brakes on our trailers, and we’re nearly at 95% of disc brakes through the trailer fleet,” Michael explained. “We’re finding we’re getting great service life out them both on-bitumen and off. The main reason we originally went to disc brakes was for weight saving. Still, we’ve found that they have better dissipation of the heat, which is giving us a lot better tyre life, and the braking capability of the discs is far superior to the drums. Also, there is a lot less time spent on the daily servicing of the trailers without the grease points, and we don’t have to adjust the brakes for the life of the pads. From a service life point of view, we have trailers that have worked in mixed service with both on and off-highway operation that have over 300,000km, and the pads are still good.” These units undoubtedly tick the boxes of lower operating costs, increased vehicle utilisation and productivity gains with the consolidation of a light tare, premium running

gear components and the addition of low-maintenance features such as a complete auto-greasing system. This Kenworth T659 (8x6 Tri-Drive) quad roadtrain predominantly hauls copper concentrate 270km from Gunpower Mine and 180km from Cannington Mine to the Oonoomurra rail siding, east of Cloncurry. So far, the Mick Murray Welding Highway-Bowl sidetipping trailer combinations are

living up to their expectations. However, there is no question that they certainly operate in one of the hottest and harshest environments in the world. The bitumen road is so hot in the summer months you can place a frying pan on the street in Cloncurry and cook an egg. It’s that hot. For the time being, at least, that 10% productivity gain that initially caught the eye of the mining accountants is paying dividends.

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

Mick Murray Welding – Trailers Model: Highway series bowl-type sidetipping trailer Suspension: BPW air Axles: BPW SHZA10110-15 120mm2 x 15mm Brakes: BPW disc

D p o

T L

Hubs: BPW EcoPlus Brake control: Haldex Wheels: 10-stud alloy PCD: 285mm Spare wheel carrier: Twin (standard) OA length: 9913mm Body length: 8730mm

Taking on the ‘Curry’ requires top-shelf gear.

NZT 21

Bennett Log Haulage Ltd Trailer Manufacturer: Koromiko Engineering Ltd

TKO contracting Ltd Trailer Manufacturer: Transfleet

Musson Logistics Ltd Trailer Manufacturer:Mills Tui

Don’t let your payload weigh on your mind! Tipping Units, Bulk Haulage, Logging and Weighbridges AWE McNicol Trailer Manufacturer: Patchell Industries

Mclellan Freight Trailer Manufacturer: MD Engineering Balclutha

Rotorua and Christchurch Phone: 07 349 4700

www.silodec.co.nz NZT 21054 SI Lodec FP NZT.indd 1

16/09/21 9:38 AM

INTERNATIONAL TRUCK STOP

ATLANTIC

HARVEST Story and photos by Paul O’Callaghan

About this time last year, the nomad of global trucking – Paul O’Callaghan – found himself holiday relief driving between Ireland and Italy in the middle of lockdown, Brexit and alpine snowstorms.

egin with the fact that I’m not the biggest fan of Christmas, then add a level-five lockdown, and the net result is that I’d rather be plying the highways of the European continent through the so-called festive period. There’s never a shortage of companies seeking drivers at that time of the year, so it’s a case of taking your pick. Bring International (since rebranded as Amigo International) of Ballinlough, County Roscommon in the west of Ireland, is a company I’d recently been out for, taking a load of fresh fish down to

the Basque region of Spain. They have some of the most enjoyable work, the flashest ‘plant’ (how trucks are often referred to in Ireland) and, to top it off, pay an attractive holidayperiod bonus. Pre-Brexit, Irish exporters had the option of shipping direct from Ireland to France or using the landbridge option through Britain, which offers flexibility through more regular sailings. However, a well-publicised French ban on persons entering the country from the UK threw the ports into chaos, with thousands of trucks piled up in abandoned airfields and

along the motorways of Kent. Luckily, news of this reached Ireland early enough that the operations manager at Bring could make alternative plans; load a day earlier, catch the last direct sailing to France before Christmas and avoid the problematic UK. Bob’s your uncle. My steed for the journey was a top-spec Scania S730 Highline and a similarly wellappointed French-built Chereau refrigerated trailer. Although single-drive 4x2 is all that’s needed on the continent for the 40-tonne maximum GVW, many Irish hauliers opt for a 6x2 setup

Brembo Services A4 Autostrada. to avoid drive-axle overloads in the UK (in this case, a nonsteering tag axle).

From Atlantic waters Day one sees me leaving County Roscommon on a perfectly clear, crisp winter’s night with a collection at a tiny pier in County Galway, where I load four pallets of freshly harvested mussels via an old forklift and a pallet truck. With the fridge temperature set to 4°C, I settle into an enjoyable night drive along virtually deserted Irish roads, destined for another harbour four hours

away in County Kerry, in the country’s southwest. The rooftop spotlights turn the night into day along narrow twisting roads out on the beautiful Beara Peninsula. Wild deer are momentarily dazzled in the piercing glare as I navigate a path up over lonely mountains, suitably detached from the conditions outside by the plush cabin and the heated seats warming my posterior. The pier-side parking spot is about as picturesque and tranquil a location as I’ve parked overnight in recent memory. Seawater seeps

from the one-tonne bags of mussels – which were living in the Atlantic waters just hours previously – as I wrestle with the pallet truck that has deposited the pallets at the back doors from an ageing JCB forklift. (The condition of the forklift is admirable considering the outdoor seaside life it endures.) Back doors closed, and my final collection is not very far as the crow flies, close to Bantry in neighbouring County Cork, except that the direct route over the mountain involves tunnels cut into the rock that are too

small for trucks. So, it’s a scenic tour around the Beara Peninsula via Eyeries and Castletownbere to reach my destination – where I’ve been warned not to attempt finding the pier myself, such are the dangers posed by getting lost on tiny lanes in the area. (I later discovered that a truck from a different firm had recently needed to be rescued by crane after taking a wrong turn.) Upon being guided down a tiny lane with grass growing in the middle to the similarly small pier, cars are moved, allowing me to turn around in Loading Atlantic mussels in Ireland.

Kenmare Bay, County Kerry.

Tranquil overnight parking spot.

S730’s sumptuous interior makes continent crushing easy.

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Venetian lagoon road. preparation for loading. Once loaded, I assume that I have lots of spare time to make the port of Rosslare in the southeast of Ireland (only 280km), although the office advises: “Remember, you’re still a half a day’s drive from West Cork to Rosslare. This is the last direct boat before Christmas, so don’t miss it.”

Advantages of Covid restrictions Italian, Spanish and Irish truckers.

Dining with Alex from Romania.

Big truck, small pier in West Cork.

Heeding the advice, I press on through relentless rain past the cities of Cork and Waterford, arriving at the port in ample time. The Stena Line MV Epsilon has a surprising amount of freight tonight, and despite the lockdown, drivers can sit and enjoy a few drinks, which helps pass the time on the 18-hour crossing. One of the advantages of Covid19 restrictions is that freight drivers no longer have to share cabins; everyone gets a cabin to themselves. Nice. The following evening, arriving in the Brittany port of Cherbourg, the ship disgorges a fleet of Irish trucks, carrying everything from seafood and fresh meat to pharmaceutical and computer products destined for various corners of the continent. My first delivery is at a small seafood distributor not far from Cherbourg. I unload the solitary pallet and leave the ‘Convention relative au contrat de transport international de marchandises par route’, or CMR – basically the delivery document

required for all international goods movements. A nice element to this work is that trust is paramount, meaning that goods can be deposited at ungodly hours without the need to get documents signed, which keeps the wheels turning. My second delivery at a large transport company near the city of Rennes goes smoothly too. Relieved to have both of these drops complete, I can now settle into a relaxing long-distance drive to the last drop, a mere 1500km away near Venice, Italy. Tonight, I’ll pass the cities of Angers, Le Mans and Tours before calling it a day in the wee hours at a service area near Bourges. Day four is when the trip gets exciting as I’ll be crossing through the Alps into Italy. As diesel is cheaper in France, I top up at an Esso Express behind two Greek drivers heading to Ancona to catch a ferry to Igoumenitsa the following day, seeing them arriving home on Christmas Day. It’s snowing hard as I approach the summit of Mont Blanc and weave up the mountain pass, holding back the 730 snarling horses of the by now half-loaded V8 as our progress is impeded by a slower dry-freight truck. At the mouth of the tunnel, all refrigerated trucks must wait for an escort through the tunnel. This is due to the tragic fire in 1999 that began with a refrigerated truck and led to the death of 35 people.

Aosta Valley, Christmas Day 2020. Exiting the other side of the 13km tunnel into Italy, an illuminated Christmas tree sets the scene as the snow continues to fall. Italian police are checking cars but wave the truckers through. An hour later, I call it a day at a small Agip service area in the picturesque Aosta Valley, turn on the night heater and snuggle in for the night. A bitter wind is blowing down the valley as I enter the café for an Italian breakfast of fresh orange juice, coffee and brioche, which fuels me up for the day’s drive. I’ll skirt across the fertile, pancake-flat plain of Lombardy towards Milan and out onto the A4 towards

Venice. Much to my surprise, all motorway service areas are packed with trucks on Christmas Day, mostly from Eastern European countries, such as Lithuania and Poland. As I’m not unloading until the following day, I park at a service area near Vicenza that remains open and has facilities for truck drivers, although the restaurant itself is closed. No problem when you have an in-cab microwave, though.

Brandy, salami and smugglers Transport Dolfin is a familyrun company south of Venice, which is reached by traversing

Mont Blanc, Freench side. Christmas Eve.

a strange road akin to a very long bridge crossing the Venetian lagoon. Upon arrival at the yard, my 16 pallets are immediately transhipped onto a waiting Iveco rigid truck that will whisk them a further 700km south along the Adriatic Coast to Bari. Although I’d love nothing more than to drive down there myself, economics dictate that a local Italian company can do it more cost-effectively. Furthermore, the main issue is the lack of backloads from the arid south of Italy. Although I fail to wash out the trailer in the yard, the owner’s son warms

to me after noticing me taking photographs of their immaculate fleet. It’s a healthy mixture of MAN TGX, Scania V8s, and a stunning new green Iveco S-Way 570. He kindly helps me fill the 10-gallon drums with water and even hands me a gallon of detergent. The pressure of the trip is off once the mussels have been delivered, and all I need to do now is find a suitable place to park, reasonably close to my loading destination in Milan on Monday morning, two days away. Brembo services on the A4 are chosen as there is ample parking and a

Mont Blanc, Italian side. Heading home.

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service road that allows me to exit the area and go for a walk. On the first night, I get chatting with the driver of a Spanish truck who is actually Romanian. He invites me to join him for some goulash prepared at the side of his trailer, which we wash down with a glass of ‘Palenka’ – a fruit brandy with origins in Central Europe, specifically Hungary. The increase in the heat I feel in my chest is matched in equal terms with a slight loosening of the tongue as Alex and I chat in a mixture of Spanish and English as he tells me about his retirement plans for 2022 and settling back in Romania with his wife. The transport industry in Europe has changed a lot in recent years, not always for the best, but it’s still nice to meet someone from a different culture who has a similar interest in meeting new people. Night two at Brembo brings 12 hours of continuous snow, leading to chaos on the Autostrada as trucks are diverted into the now-packed service area. My Galician (Spanish) neighbour – who has also incidentally delivered mussels to Italy – and I move our trucks to help a struggling

Trasnport Dolfin, Italy. Showing off that distinctive Euro style. Italian truck park up. Victor Slomp (see Just Truckin’ Around, April 2021) is grateful and insists we join him for a coffee as a gesture of appreciation. Around midday, the snow stops and I’m able to reach my loading point, where fine salami is manufactured. With a minimum of fuss, the 26 pallets are loaded, and I’m closing the back doors while signing the CMR. Another trip through ‘the Blanc’ and a full day driving see me reach Langres Secure Parking. Parking anywhere within about five hours of Calais is very dangerous. People smugglers have been

known to cut holes in the roofs of refrigerated trailers, bypassing the rear door, which is the usual tell-tale sign of unwanted guests in your trailer. The channel tunnel is the quickest way back into England, where I make two deliveries the following day; one south of London and one further north near Leicester. Backloads from Britain to Ireland are usually plentiful, although after 1 January 2021, things got a whole lot more complicated as the UK left the customs union. But for this trip, it will simply be a case of load the groupage load and head straight for

the ferry from Holyhead to Dublin, which takes the same time as Picton to Wellington, although generally without the turbulence of the Bass Strait (from my solitary experience of crossing that stretch). After unloading in Dublin, I head back to the yard. “Would you do another trip in the same truck after a few days off, as the regular driver won’t be back for a few weeks?” is the question posed once I return. I am happy to oblige, although the full itinerary has yet to be confirmed. Definitely France and then either Italy again or Spain – it’s not a bad old gig, this freelance driving.

Journey’s end in Roscommon.

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SERVICE • KNOWLEDGE

QUALITY • LATEST RANGES

DRUM ROLLER MOUNTS

• BITELLI • BOMAG

• DYNAPAC • HAMM

• SAKAI • IR

• KOMATSU • PNUEVIBE

• VIBROMAX

WHANGAREI . HENDERSON . PENROSE . HAMILTON . PALMERSTON NORTH . LOWER HUTT . CHRISTCHURCH

WHEELS AT WANAKA MEMORIES

We bring you a pictorial memory from this year’s phenomenal Wheels at Wanaka event, just to keep the embers well and truly lit on the run up to 2023!

With the country currently at sixes and sevens, Wheels at Wanaka 2021 gave us all a moment to remember when it was at eights and nines – D8s and D9s that is. Here, a Caterpillar D8H and D9G play in the Three Parks dirt. The shot provides a fantastic comparison between the model sizes. Both tractors are owned by Dunedin’s Paul Clarke – the D8 resplendent in the livery of Auckland’s Green & McCahill Contractors; the D9 in Ministry of Works colours.

FOR ALL TRUCK

DRIVERS

Young and Old, Big and Small 100’s of Die Cast Models: Trucks, Trailers, Construction Vehicles, Radio Control Vehicles, Pick Up’s, Utes, 4X4s, Cars, Vans, Service Vehicles, Farm Tractors and Implement’s, Forestry, Racing and Sports, American Muscle, Vintage, Rare and Collectable plus many others.

In a range of sizes and scales from 1:64 Scale (about 75mm Long) to 1:12 Scale (500mm Long).

For enquiries email: bob@toyheaven.co.nz or Phone: 022 1986 937 Check our listings on Trademe under trader name: “shilling” or visit:

www. toy heave n.co.nz

Scan below to find out more

NEW RI GS ON THE R OAD

Hino FM 2632 AT Air X-long 6x4 rigid

COOL IS GOOD! OPERATOR: Mitre10 Trade, Palmerston North ENGINE: Hino 9-litre A09C-US 235kW (320hp) TRANSMISSION: Six-speed Allison Automatic REAR AXLES: Hino THD17 hypoid full lock-up REAR SUSPENSION:

Hendrickson HAS 400 air suspension BRAKES: Drum, ABS SAFETY: Vehicle Stability Control (VSR), Anti-Slip Regulation (ASR) BODY: Garry Douglas Engineering. Adjustable position H frame, adjustable

rear tailboard, container locks, 50mm coupling. Crane, Palfinger PK19001 FEATURES/EXTRAS: Stone guard, alloy toolboxes with stainless steel doors, wide single front tyres. PAINT: Alro Truck Centre, Palmerston North

VILLAGE VALUE ADD! UD QUON CW 26-390 OPERATOR: Adamson Contracting, Egmont Village ENGINE: GH11TC Euro-6 291kW (390hp) TRANSMISSION: UD Escot-VI 12-speed AMT REAR AXLES: UD RTS2370A REAR SUSPENSION: UD Parabolic leaf spring with rubber cushion BRAKES: Disc EBS, ABS SAFETY: Full safety suite BODY/TRAILER: Sharky’s Engineering, Palmerston North. Beacon and reverse safety pack, Broadway Electrical, Palmerston North FEATURES/EXTRAS: Cab skirts, stone guard PAINT/SIGNAGE: Paint, ex-factory OPERATION: Civil construction, Taranaki DRIVER: Richie Adamson SALES: Rex Hanson

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SIGNAGE: Capture Signs, Palmerston North OPERATION: Trade deliveries, Manawatu DRIVER: Anton Goodin SALES: Tony Pedley

Volvo FM500 8x4 rigid – sleeper cab

‘ELIMINATION, MY DEAR WATSON’ OPERATOR: Sherlock Contracting, Rotorua ENGINE: Volvo D13C 13-litre 373kW (500hp) TRANSMISSION: Volvo I-Shift 12-speed AMT REAR AXLES: Volvo RTS2370A hypoid single

reduction REAR SUSPENSION: Volvo RADD-GR air suspension BRAKES: Disc EBS, ABS SAFETY: Full safety suite BODY/TRAILER: Mills-Tui body with Power Tarps cover/ Palfinger hook loader

SOUTHERN STRONGMAN OPERATOR: Symons Contracting, Otautau ENGINE: Cummins X-15 15-litre 448kW (600hp) TRANSMISSION: Eaton Roadranger RTLO22918B 18-speed manual REAR AXLES: Meritor RT50-160GP REAR SUSPENSION: NEWAY

FEATURES/EXTRAS: Factory-fitted engine-driven HPE F81CF clutchable pump. Volvo navigation and load indicator. Stone guard, alloy toolbox with stainless-steel doors, polished alloy wheels PAINT: Ex-factory

OPERATION: Demolition material, Bay of Plenty SALES: Todd Martin

Kenworth T610 SAR 6x4 tractor 130-tonne GCM – 760mm mid-roof sleeper AD246/10 BRAKES: Meritor Drum EBS, ABS BODY/TRAILER: Tractor set-up: Transport and General Transport Trailers. Trailer: TRT two-axle dolly and threeaxle transporter (rows of eight on both) FEATURES/EXTRAS: Heavy-duty tow pin, Kentweld bumper, stainless-steel

bug deflector, and trim on tank steps. Extra marker lights PAINT: Ex-factory OPERATION: Heavy haulage, Southland DRIVER: Stu Fletcher SALES: Chris Gray

Free phone: 0800 50 40 50 New Zealand Trucking

October 2021 89

NEW RI GS ON THE R OAD

Photo: Andrew Geddes

BLUE BY YOU!

Scania R500 8x4 rigid sleeper

OPERATOR: Bleeker Cartage, Maheno ENGINE: DC13 13-litre 373kW (500hp) Euro-5 TRANSMISSION: Scania GRSO925R 12-speed AMT REAR AXLES: Scania RB662 REAR SUSPENSION: Scania air front and rear BODY/TRAILER: Body and five-axle trailer, Lusk Engineering FEATURES/EXTRAS: Air management kit, stone guard, polished alloy guards, Alcoa Dura-Bright wheels. Stainless-steel

COMING AROUND THE MOUNTAIN! OPERATOR: Sandford Livestock Ltd, Auroa ENGINE: Cursor 13, 13-litre 425kW (570hp) Euro-6 TRANSMISSION: Iveco Hi-TRONIX 12TX2420 TD 12-speed AMT REAR AXLES: Meritor RT23-153 REAR SUSPENSION: Iveco 8-bag ECAS air BRAKES: Disc EBS, ABS SAFETY: Full safety suite

Scania-branded cab infills, and Scania cab graphics PAINT: Ex-factory SIGNAGE: Timaru Signs Graphix OPERATION: Grain and stockfeed throughout Otago DRIVER: Brendon Gameson SALES: Kere Menzies

Iveco X-Way 570 8x4 rigid – AS Sleeper BODY/TRAILER: Body, Jackson Enterprises. Crates, Delta FEATURES/EXTRAS: Air management kit. Roof mounted light bar, additional lighting. Stone guard. PAINT/SIGNAGE: Fleet Image, Te Awamutu OPERATION: Livestock cartage DRIVER: Matt Kiff SALES: Keith Tuffery

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International 9870 R8 8x4 rigid – Sky Roof sleeper

GOOD THINGS COME IN 9S OPERATOR: Stephenson Transport, Waipawa ENGINE: Cummins X-15 15-litre 459kW (615hp) TRANSMISSION: Eaton Roadranger 20918B 18-speed manual REAR AXLES: Meritor 46-160 REAR SUSPENSION: IROS (International Ride Optimised Suspension) BRAKES: Drum EBS, ABS BODY/TRAILER: Truck and five-axle trailer, Jackson

Enterprises. Total Stockcrates FEATURES/EXTRAS: Stainless sun visor, alloy wheels PAINT: Paint and stripes, IDNZ SIGNAGE: CSM Hastings OPERATION: Livestock, nationwide DRIVER: Craig Pinfold SALES: Hugh Green

TOMORROW’S TRUCK FOR YESTERDAY’S TREASURE

DAF CF530 Euro-6 8x4 rigid (x2) OPERATOR: Canterbury Waste Services (CWS), Christchurch ENGINE: PACCAR MX-13 Euro-6 390kW (530hp) TRANSMISSION: ZF TraXon 12TX2610 OD 12-speed AMT REAR AXLES: PACCAR SR1360T with dual diff lock REAR SUSPENSION: PACCAR air with electronic handcontrol adjustment BRAKES: Disc SAFETY: Full safety suite BODY/TRAILER: Foot Engineering, Auckland. Palfinger hook FEATURES/EXTRAS: Air management kit (roof and skirts), stone guard, additional marker lights, DAF mudflaps, polished alloy wheels and diesel tank (Wheelie Bright, Christchurch) PAINT: Ex-factory SIGNAGE: Horton Signs, Rangiora OPERATION: Waste to landfill, ex-Christchurch SALES: Chris Grey

Free phone: 0800 50 40 50 New Zealand Trucking

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new Kiwi bodies & trailers New Zealand Trucking brings you New Kiwi Bodies & Trailers. Bodies and trailers are expected to last twice as long as trucks, and new technology and advanced design features are showing up almost every month.

New Zealand has a rich heritage of body and trailer building and, each month, we’re proud to showcase recent examples of Kiwi craftsmanship. If you want a body or trailer included on these pages, send a photo, features and the manufacturer’s name to trailers@nztrucking.co.nz

Double-take M&D Hubert and Mills-Tui have put some serious thought into this gem. A six-axle B-train, both units are independent semitrailers, and each unit boasts a sliding bogie and turntable, allowing straight swap-outs when loading under hoppers. With a Mills-Tui-designed hightensile chassis, the trailers are set up for 20’ containers, are heightadjustable for dock loading, and are equipped with JOST landing legs and turntables.

green and white colour match.

Looks are no secondary consideration either. A full Rhino guard set, polished alloy wheels, and Mills-Tui mudflaps throughout complement the already striking

Features: Hendrickson disc-brake axles and air suspension. KnorrBremse EBS. Mills-Tui

60 divided by 7 equals? Cool! This uber-cool seven-axle 20/20 skeletal B-train from the TMC camp was built for Taranaki-based JD Hickman. The unit is set up with a rear steer axle on the lead trailer and will operate at 60-tonne HPMV in and around the company’s Palmerston North operation. With polished alloy wheels, clean lines, and in that distinctive Hickman colour,

there’s no question it will make whatever’s at the head look even more spectacular – it’ll be more a case of additional enhancement.

Features: ROR 22.5” disc-brake axles and air suspension. TMC

KIWI 16/17

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

0800 KIWI TYRES (0800 549 489) | kiwitrucktyres.nz 92 New Zealand Trucking

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KIWI 175

Containing the demand! In need of some additional swing capacity, NZL Group signed the bottom line at Patchell Industries’ Swinglift division for this truckmounted side-lifter set-up on a nippy Hino wide cab 2632. The model number for the Swinglift unit is SL20 and it boasts a 10-tonne lift capacity. It runs a CAN bus-controlled operating system with operational interlocks assisting in safe operation. The Human Machine Interface (HMI) display with LED screen shows real-time data to assist the operator in lifting and diagnosis of faults. Features: 10-tonne lift. CAN bus OS with operational interlocks. LED HMI and inbuilt hydraulic weigh system. The system also has an inbuilt hydraulic weigh system.

Patchell Group (Swinglift)

Carting’s cutting edge Nelson’s Stuart Drummond Transport has stuck with tried-andtrue Patchell Industries log gear for its latest Scania R730 truck and five-axle log unit. The truck has a painted-steel cab guard and layover bolsters with auto locks. Keeping everything roadside-compliant are SI-Lodec scales and ExTe airoperated load-restraint winches. Of course, Alcoa Dura-Bright wheels make their invaluable contribution to productivity and image, with stainless-steel taillight bars setting off the entire unit. Features: (Trailer) Hendrickson INTRAAX disc brake axles and air suspension. Patchell Industries

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

KIWI 17

KIWI 175

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

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

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

265/70R19.5

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

265/70R19.5

New Zealand Trucking

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THE RIVER RUNS LONG!

his Bridgestone New Zealand Trucking magazine Million Mile Club is going to be a real cracker, and we’re sure we’ll see the return of marques to the pages of the magazine not seen in a long time – a prime example being Moff Molloy’s Foden A3-8R.

And just look at her! What an absolute jewel. Running under the banner of Hawkins River Sheffield, Moff pitches the kilometres posted at about 2,040,000km. Under the cab is another bygone brother, a Caterpillar C12, with an Eaton Roadranger 18-speed manual and full lock-up

Meritor rears on air suspension. In classic South Island drop-sider setup, she’s obviously still at the front lines of daily chores. Keep your eyes peeled around the roads of Canterbury for this stunning example of cool.

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

94 New Zealand Trucking

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WEST IN THE EAST Hubbard Contracting from Whakatane looks to the West for the Stars in its business. Owner Hubbert Matchitt lept at the chance to celebrate some of those Stars, and we’d have to say Western Stars are in no short supply in the early weeks of the Bridgestone New Zealand Trucking magazine Million Mile Club. Hubert said they have three that would make the grade, so here’s the first. An ex-Priority Logistics machine, the 4800-series Star is

nowadays busy hauling machines to and from the company’s jobs. Running 550hp (410kW) Cummins ISX power, Eaton AutoShift 18-speed transmission, and Meritor 16-160 diffs on 46,000lb AirLiner suspension, Hubert says the 2008 Star is right on the magic 1,600,000km mark. Like every one of our club members so far, you wouldn’t know the number of hard-working kilometres that’s passed under her tyres.

THE HILLS ARE ALIVE WITH THE SOUND OF... Troy Butcher from GameOn 2 Contractors in Karaka, South Auckland, sent us in our first Scania for the Million Mile Club, and what a honey! A 2004 164L, with the legendary Scania V8 packing 580hp (433kW) nestled under the cab. Behind that is a proprietary 12-speed synchromesh transmission, with an airsuspended rear end and GCM of 60 tonnes. New to Mainfreight contractor Mark Lane, the truck was driven for the first four years of its life by Troy’s brother Reon. Troy bought the truck from Mark

in 2016 and uses it in his contracting business for transporting, artic work, and

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

to pull a belly dumper. “When Mark rang me and said he was selling it, it was

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

a no brainer,” says Troy. “At 1,700,00km, she’s still a great truck to drive. I love it.”

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 November 2021 95

WHERE’S THAT ROAD?

t’s been far too many haircuts since we’ve had a game of ‘Where’s that road?’. We think it – and ‘Liveries gone but not forgotten’ – need a revival next year, so expect more of them. And let’s not forget ‘What truck is that?’ either. We’ll throw that in, too. Last month, we had a past livery, so this month, it’s ‘Where’s that road?’ Have a look here, eagle-eyed truckers, and if you know where this stretch of bitumen is, flick us an email at editor@nztrucking.co.nz, with the subject line, ‘Where’s that road? Nov21’, followed by your answer. You must put the subject line in, otherwise, it might get lost in the pile. We’ll pick a random winner from the correct entries and see what’s in the prize basket. The competition closes at midnight on 30 November.

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RHINO PHOTO OF THE MONTH COMPETITION

LIFE BY NIGHT

hat an awesome shot to submit for the Rhino photo of the month. As the country sleeps, supply chain works at breakneck pace to ensure the lives of all Kiwis run as smoothly following the next

sunrise, as it did for them after the previous. Part of that means big wheels turning, trucking the vitals through the wee small hours. Palmerston North-based Marshall Howl drives for one of the country’s longest standing full-fillers

of overnight demand, Halls Group. He poised in the middle of the Desert Road one winter’s night this year and captured this beauty, with the moon illuminating Mt Ruapehu in the background, and in the foreground, his trusty 2007 Kenworth T404,

marker lights ablaze, pointing north. Thanks Marshall, not just for the photo, but for doing what you and all the other overnighters do. Your pic is our Rhino Photo of the Month winner for November 2021.

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98 New Zealand Trucking

November 2021

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Low-end torque and traction control make low-range 4WD redundant on most terrain in most conditions.

LIGHT COMMERCIAL TEST

MORE THAN A

FACELIFT Forget Ford. Mazda’s BT-50 now shares its underpinnings with Isuzu’s rugged D-Max. We took it to rural Northland to see how it fares. Story and photos by Jacqui Madelin

hen the latest Mazda BT-50 was revealed, the big news was that it no longer owed much of the business beneath the skin to Ford. Instead, its mechanical and structural framework was developed with Isuzu and is shared with the latest D-Max. As a result, Mazda says this is an entirely

new ute – only the steering wheel badge was carried over. Launched late last year, all variants of the starting line-up get the 3.0-litre turbo diesel, matched to a six-speed auto. There is no manual, and no single-cab or cab-chassis versions, though demand could see those added to the local line-up. Mazda reckons about 94%

of the ute market is in double cabs, 86% of those use auto transmission, and 59% are 4x4. It has therefore also introduced a more affordable 2x4 range, starting at $47,490 for the GSX 2WD, with the top-spec two-wheel-drive just $500 less than lowest-spec 4x4 in price, the four-paw lineup opening at $54,490. We sampled the BT-50 GTX

Subtle wedge shape flowing back from streamlined nose reflects Mazda design language across its range.

4x4, a step below the Limited, at $58,490. This gets you four-wheel-drive with a locking rear diff, 18-inch alloy wheels on Highway-Terrain tyres, automatic LED headlights and LED running lamps with auto levelling, plus fog lamps. Rain-sensing wipers and dualzone climate control keep the weather at bay. There’s a nine-inch infotainment touchscreen with a 4.2-inch multi-info display for the driver. Two charging ports, satnav, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are included. Active and passive safety tech includes adaptive cruise control with auto stop and go, auto emergency braking capable of detecting pedestrians and bicycles, a blind-spot monitor, forwardcollision warning, rear crosstraffic alert, a reversing camera

and rear parking sensors, plus traffic sign recognition – yes, the speed sign will show in the instrument panel, so there’s no excuse for missing it. You also get trailer-sway control, lane-departure prevention, and more. Both the Mazda and Isuzu utes score five-star crash-test ratings, but Mazda’s sharper front-end design loses it points in the vulnerable road-user impact category, and in hits with pedestrians. The GTX we drove doesn’t give much away to the Limited. Okay, your exterior mirrors aren’t chrome-trimmed and heated, your cab headliner isn’t black, you get six speakers instead of eight, your front seat isn’t heated and, most obviously, it has cloth seats instead of the Limited’s brown leather. And you can’t

start your engine remotely. If those don’t matter to you, you’ll save a good $2500 up-front. Our test came over a busy few days of moving house, and so the ute was used as a back-up shuttle, with some extended Northland backroad, wet boat ramp and grass jaunts thrown in. The first thing to note was this Mazda nudges the on-road drive feel of a ute a whisker closer to that of an SUV. Sure, unladen, it’s still noticeably lighter out back, with a bit more jiggle over rougher surfaces – both inevitable with a ute. But even when empty, it proved a tad more composed on road, enough to suggest that with a full load it’d likely feel as refined as any utebased SUV. And even with a

modest load, that jiggle was largely addressed. This motor isn’t as powerful as its Ford-sourced predecessor, but it is lighter: Mazda claims a bit more speed as a result, and the auto is certainly impressive. The combo of low-end torque and good traction control systems meant low range was overkill in all the terrain we sampled. But feedback from those who have off-roaded it suggests it holds its own in this bracket. Mazda claims 8.0l/100km economy overall: after 335km of largely semi-urban or rural hilly driving with very little highway cruising, we returned 9.9l/100km. The ergonomics were good, and it was easy to adjust the driver environment both for this tester and her much meatier spouse. Nice little

Streamlined front gives way to business out back.

GTX comes with handsome 18-inch alloys plus an alloy spare.

New Zealand Trucking

November 2021 101

Good ergonomics include driver-side buttons to open both passenger-side gloveboxes and easy-to-use array of steeringwheel-mounted controls for frequently needed ancillaries.

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

Mazda BT-50 GTX 4x4 wellside Engine: 3.0-litre in-line four-cylinder intercooled turbo diesel Power: 140kW @ 3600rpm Torque: 450Nm @ 1600-2600rpm Claimed fuel economy: 8.0l/100km Rugged tray liner a cost option.

CO2 emissions: 208g/km Fuel tank capacity: 76 litres Transmission: Six-speed auto with high/low range Suspension: Independent double wishbone with coil springs and anti-roll bar front, rigid (live) rear axle with leaf springs

Rear seats relatively roomy for this bracket, and they fold out the way for easier luggage carriage. touches include a bag or coat-hanger hook behind the front passenger seat – great to prevent take-away spillage – and the roomy second glovebox. The ancillaries were all easy to use, with the ute’s ability to read and display speed signs – which we’d anticipated might irritate – much appreciated. It’s easier than you think to miss one when traffic is thick, or you’re hunting for road names, so the fact it’s visible in the instruments in front of you if needed is a bonus. Really the only electronic irritant was the lane-keeping system, which felt a touch too intrusive, especially on narrow country roads. Skimming a white line, diverting to avoid

102 New Zealand Trucking

debris, broken tarmac edges, or a cyclist resulted in an immediate warning. It can be switched off, but not with ease – or while moving. Yes, it’s useful on long trips where fatigue might cause you to stray off course, or around town where distractions might do the same. It’d take a back-to-back test for a firm result, but our feeling is this Mazda stands up there with the latest Hilux and Ranger for the best ute you can buy. That said, New Zealand pricing may discourage those seeking a workhorse who don’t factor in looks. Matched spec puts it above the Isuzu and Ford in the value stakes, where Hilux leads.

Wheels/tyres: 265/60 R18, alloy wheels plus alloy spare Brakes: Vented disc front, drum rear, ABS Stability/Traction control: Y/Y Airbags: 8 Min turning radius: 12.5m Max payload: 1070kg Kerb weight: 2030kg Gross vehicle weight: 3100kg Cargo length: 1571mm Cargo width: 1120mm between wheel arches, 1530mm at top rail Cargo height: 490mm Ground clearance unladen: 240mm Towing braked/unbraked: 3500/750kg Length: 5280mm Wheelbase: 3125mm Width: 1870mm Height: 1790mm Seats: 5 Options fitted: Deck liner $640 (inc GST)

But this is undeniably a handsome ute, eschewing the more common, Americaninfluenced blunt front for a

sleeker, Mazda-family look, without losing its longappreciated capability on worksites and farms.

November 2021

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MINI BIG RIGS

TRI-ED AND TRUE This month’s feature will cause a mild case of déjà-vu for longstanding readers, as we look over the latest creation from the workbench of model truck-building extraordinaire Marty Crooks.

he main test in the November 1993 issue of New Zealand Trucking magazine featured the latest addition to the Papamoabased Mike Lambert Ltd fleet. This new steed was something very different for the Bay of Plenty-based logging contractor. Although a tri-drive, a configuration already represented in the fleet via the bonneted T900 Kenworth, this machine was a cabover Kenworth K100E. It signalled a break away from tradition for the Lambert operation, “known for an almost single-minded adherence to bonneted trucks”, to quote the road test. The reason for the

Story by Carl Kirkbeck

Photos by Marty Crooks

shift from the company’s entrenched ethos was the forest industry’s move to harvesting and processing 8.0m logs. Although this cut was no trouble for most trailers at the time, the BBC (bumper to back of cab) measurement of bonneted prime movers meant they could not legally accommodate the new length. “I don’t like sending my drivers out in a cabover, but if we are going to have to cope with 8.0m logs, this is the only way to do it,” said Mike Lambert at the time. The pilot of the test truck, Fred Downs, was extremely complimentary of his new charge, with comments such as: “The ride is brilliant, the traction is brilliant, the

retardation is brilliant, and as for operating at 55 to 60 tonne on the off-highway roads, she just loves it.” This first tri-drive K100E Kenworth in Mike Lambert livery was also quick to leave a lasting impression with truck and transport enthusiasts of all ages, none more so than a young Marty Crooks in Wellington. The fact that it was a cabover Kenworth in the distinctive red, white, and black, the tri-drive bogie set under the rear end, plus the in-house built trailer and convertible log gear, made this an intriguing build that captured his imagination. Neither did his intrigue or interest in the unit wane over the years, because 28 years later, we feature Marty’s ‘tip of

1) In the beginning... An old AMT Kenworth K123 kitset, scaled drawings of the subject matter and a bundle of parts from Auslowe. 2) A heavily modified early K123 sleeper cab from AMT, now in day-cab K100E trim. 3) The Caterpillar 3406C is seen here trial-fitted, sitting between the chassis rails, plumbed up and ready for paint. 4) Completely scratchbuilt chassis by Marty using various Evergreen styrene plastic profiles, sitting on tri-drive bogie and AirGlide suspension from Auslowe. 5) An immense amount of research went into replicating the three-axle trailer and logging equipment originally purpose-built by the team in the workshops at Mike Lambert in 1993. 6) The fully operational convertible trailer in piggyback mode on the rear of the K100E, almost ready to head into the bush for a load. 7) Scratch-built headache rack complete with shovel, loading lights, and polished diesel tanks that Marty formed from aluminium tube. 8) The painted and detailed Caterpillar 3406C now installed and looking extremely realistic, plumbed and wired up. You can almost hear the spool-up of the turbo. 9) The interior was also heavily modified by Marty, and again it is the small details: hard hat, cleaning cloth, clipboard and the all-important protective blue towel on the driver’s seat. 10) Applying the paint to the cab is always daunting. Marty says it is all about taking your time with preparation and using good-quality, fine hobby-grade masking tape to achieve crisp lines. 11) Final assembly taking place on the bench. Note the use of custommade jigs by Marty to assist with the accurate installation of the rear Rhino guards.

New Zealand Trucking

November 2021 105

the hat’ to an iconic logging truck of the era, in model form, as only he can do it. The first thing we need to understand is that no offthe-shelf kitset of a K100E Kenworth exists, so the starting point for Marty was an AMT kit based on an early left-hand-drive sleepercabbed K123 Kenworth tractor unit. The only parts used from this early AMT kit were the shell of the cab and the front springs. Marty first modified the cab to resemble the later-model K100E, reducing it to a day cab, as well as building an entirely new roof turret, sun visor, lower-front headlight panels, and grille all from Evergreen sheet styrene plastic. Inside the cab, a floor pan from aftermarket custom model truck parts manufacturer Auslowe was modified to fit, with

the distinctive tall K100E wraparound dashboard being scratch-built by Marty. As for the new door panels and overhead console, these were also handmade. The seats and deep-buttoned interior linings were scavenged from a Monogram Snap-Tite W-model Kenworth kitset, and then made to fit the K100E build. The chassis and cross members are a one-off Marty special, all made again from Evergreen sheet styrene plastic products. Marty says it is all in the planning, “I draw the whole thing up to scale on paper first to get everything right and in proportion. It’s easier to rub things out on paper rather than having to re-build.” Measuring a lifesize K100E and taking plenty of reference photos for this build was key to ensuring Marty had all the

information he needed to get the layout correct. The specifications printed in the main test back in November 1993 were also a big help for the wheelbase measurements and other technical information.

The tri-drive axle set and AirGlide suspension were all purchased from Auslowe, as well as the trailer suspension and artillery wheels which fit this build perfectly. The artillery wheels casts are the result of meticulous

handcrafting by the team at Auslowe, with the end product cast in resin. The front axle has operational steering rather than static to add another touch of realism. Sitting above the front axle between the

chassis rails, Marty has fitted a heavily modified Caterpillar 3406C, again picked out of the donor Monogram SnapTite W-model Kenworth kit. Hand-crafted are the correct air intake, exhaust systems, and plumbing, with the air

cleaner mounted to the headache rack exactly as found on the real rig. When constructing the trailer and logging equipment, another layer of difficulty was realised as this logging rig was an in-house build.

For Marty, this meant a lot of homework studying countless photographs of the rig, and talking to many of the drivers who used to operate the units, grabbing as much detail as possible to assist with the build. Various profiles of Evergreen have been utilised to construct the trailer chassis, drawbar and bolster sets. The entire model operates exactly as the real rig did, both as a shorts or longs unit. The folding bolsters, scratch-built sliding ball race turntables and hydraulic rams are all operational. The level of detail and accuracy is extraordinary. Completing the model are the finer details that take it to the next level – genuine handmade and polished aluminium diesel tanks, airline plumbing to the brake pots, and the chassismounted load gauges connected to the airbag

New Zealand Trucking

November 2021 107

“Into the bush for export longs to Kinleith rail, then change over and three short random into Carter Holt Harvey Putaruru. Over.” plumbing, as were present on the real truck back in the day. And let’s not forget the towel on the driver’s seat. For Marty, this build has

been a labour of love for the past 18 months, the culmination of a journey that started 28 years ago after visiting the real truck with

his uncle while on holiday in Taupo. Countless hours have been spent studying the subject matter throughout the entire construction,

and the finished result certainly reflects the level of dedication applied by Marty to this build.

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LITTLE TRUCKERS’ CLUB Jack Murray, 3.

Austin Sanford, 9.

HI LITTLE TRUCKERS!

i there, little truckers. I love looking at all the photos you have sent through to us with your copy of New Zealand Trucking magazine. I love them so much that I have printed some of them so all our readers can see them too. Congratulations to nineyear-old Sophie Murray for winning the Find-a-Word draw in the October issue. The missing word was DRIVER. The Little Truckers’ Club logo was found on page 65, and the first entry received this month was from five-year-old Hunter Barrington. Keep an eye out on your mailboxes – a prize is coming your way. Please don’t forget, if you would like to see yourself here in Little Truckers’ Club, all you need to do is email your 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. I do enjoy seeing them all. Have a fantastic month, kids.

Did you know?

Semi-tractors have no bodies. They have a ‘fifth wheel’ that carries weight. A semi-trailer has no front wheels. The front of the trailer goes on the truck’s fifth wheel. The semitractor carries weight from the trailer and pulls the trailer. Here’s a semi-truck and trailer diagram so you can see.

Jonathan Liang, 20 months. “Jonathan chose New Zealand Trucking magazine from Countdown. He loves the pictures of trucks and machinery. He looks at the pictures every morning and night and is very good at remembering and can point out similar things. This is how he found the logo.”

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

Joke of the month How do trucks get flat tyres? Forks in the road

Jake Brinkley, 7. “Loves trucks just like his dad.”

Henry Don, 6. “My favourite truck is a Mack, and I love getting the trucks to honk and toot. I think Kenworths have the best horns.”

The word ‘truck’ comes from the Latin word ‘trochlea’, which means ‘wheel’ or ‘roller’. The word truck was first used in print in about 1777 to describe a ‘wheeled vehicle transporting heavy items’.

Semi-truck with ‘box’ trailer. Blue is the axles, differentials, driveshafts, and fifth wheel 1. Semi-tractor 2. Semi-trailer 3. Engine compartment 4. Cab 5. Sleeper (not on all trucks) 6. Air dam (not on all trucks) 7. Fuel tanks 8. Fifth wheel coupling 9. Inside cargo space 10. Landing legs for parking trailer 11. Tandem axles

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Building our future, together

e announced the launch of our latest publication, Little Trucker Down Under just a couple of months ago, and already we have been overwhelmed with the response from the trucking community. The support from our awesome sponsors has blown us away, showing they recognise the value of building our transport future. Together, we have nearly 3000 copies going to schools

and/or given out at their premises. The subscriptions from both New Zealand and Australia are rolling in faster than we could have expected. When we launch with our first issue this December, we expect to have 4500 to 5500 copies in the market. All these copies aim to inspire our future. If your business wants to be part of Little Trucker Down Under, please contact matt@nztrucking.co.nz or phone 021 510 701.

Brenhan & Susanna Chapman mld.co.nz

THANK YOU to these companies for their support and sponsorship. They have been as excited and enthusiastic as we have about the launch of Little Trucker Down Under.

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WHAT’S ON Wheels at Wairarapa 5 to 7 February 2022 Clareville Show Grounds Contact: (06) 379 8124, wheelsatwairarapa.co.nz, wheelsatwairarapa@waiaps.org.nz

Bombay Truck Show 12 February 2022 Bombay Rugby Club Contact: bombaytruckshow@gmail.com

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

114 New Zealand Trucking

November 2021

Hootnanny Country Rock Festival with Truck and Car Show 25 to 27 February 2022 Thames Racecourse Contact: hootnanny.co.nz, info@hootnanny.co.nz

TMC Trailers Trucking Industry Show 25 to 26 November 2022 Canterbury Agricultural Park Contact: truckingindustryshow.co.nz, info@nztruckingassn.co.nz 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.

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118 Moving Metrics 122 Incoming Cargo – Nikola Tre 126 Person of Interest – Mattias Lundholm 130 Company Profile – Steelbro 134 Vipal’s Knowing your Retreads 136 Truckers’ Health 138 Health & Safety 140 Legal Lines 142 NZ Trucking Association 144 Transporting New Zealand 146 The Last Mile BROU GH T TO YOU B Y

MOVING METRICS

THE SALES

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

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

Summary of heavy trucks and trailers first registered in September 2021 This information is compiled from information provided by the NZ Transport Agency statistical analysis team and through the Open Data Portal. The data used in this information reflects any amendments to the data previously reported.

Vehicle type This summary includes data from two heavytruck classes and one heavy-trailer class. A goods vehicle is a motor vehicle that: (a) i s constructed primarily for the carriage of goods; and (b) either: (i) has at least four wheels; or (ii) has three wheels and a gross vehicle mass exceeding one tonne.

Vehicle class

Description

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

(mediumgoods vehicle)

NC (heavy-goods vehicle)

TD (heavy trailer)

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

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

118 New Zealand Trucking

November 2021

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

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

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

First registration of NC class vehicles year to date 2018–2021 by major manufacturer

First registration of TD class heavy trailers year to date 2018–2021 by major manufacturer

HAVE WE REACHED SATURATION POINT? Periodically, the Ministry of Transport updates its information relating to the volume of freight moved by trucks on the road. The data is derived from a combination of RUC purchases and passes over the weigh-in-motion sites. It is therefore subject to the vagaries of both systems. The data available for each year from 2001 to 2019 shows the trend in road-freight volume over that time. We can expect the data for 2020 and 2021 will be distorted by Covid-19 when it becomes available. During this time, the effects of significant events stand out. The impact of the Global Financial Crisis in 2008/09 and the economy’s recovery after this is clear to see along with the introduction of HPMVs and 50MAX. It is interesting to compare this data with other related data as the influence of the significant events tends to line up. For example, there was a decline in the number of people holding and obtaining a full class-5 licence after 2009, a trend which appears to be continuing. This suggests that HPMVs, especially 50MAX, are achieving one of the original goals, namely more freight moved by fewer trucks. Freight movement is directly influenced by economic activity, as measured by GDP (as shown in the chart Annual GDP at December).

Conclusions These charts suggest that since 2014 and up to and including 2019, freight volumes have largely flattened. There is also a high possibility that the industry had reached a point of saturation where it was no longer physically able to move more freight in the environment, and with the constraints prevailing at that time.

Freight moved by road

Average load on trucks

Annual GDP at December

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

ROAD USER CHARGES

RUC purchase for September 2021, all RUC types

Total value and distance of road user charges purchased between 1 January 2018 and 30 September 2021 by purchase year

Purchase period

Distance purchased (km)

Value of purchases

In September 2021 there were 48 different types of RUC purchased for a total distance of 1,166,348,194km at a value of $172,007,508.

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 – 30 Sep 2021

11,950,766,268

$1,654,600,489

A description of RUC vehicle types is available at nzta.govt.nz/vehicles/ licensing-rego/road-user-charges/rucrates-and-transaction-fees/ Please note data September differs slightly from that reported for the same period previously due to adjustments being made to the base data.

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 – 30 Sep 2021

8,513,142,673

945,904,741

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

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November 2021

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

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

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

Unpowered vehicles with four axles

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

951

Unpowered vehicles with five or more axles

H94

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

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

408

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

Average monthly RUC purchases by year (all RUC types)

RUC distance purchased year to date for selected RUC types

RUC purchases September 2021 for selected types

The red dots represent the cost of RUC purchased for that RUC type for the year to date September 2021 only, thus for RUC type 6 vehicles, powered vehicles with three axles, (except type 308, 309, 311, 399 or 413 vehicles), the higher value results from the high cost of RUC for these type vehicles above 12 tonne.

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INCOMING CARGO

THIRD TIME Two zero-emission, heavy-truck prototypes to wear the Nikola Badge have come and gone over the past five years and, for reasons that could be the plot of a good movie, neither has materialised in the ways promised. But now, Nikola three seems to be coming good – and it looks very promising indeed.

ver the past five years, those with a forward-looking vision of the trucking industry’s future have been teased and tempted by the concept vehicles released by the Nikola Motor Company (now Nikola Corporation). With all the promises under the sun made by company founder and former CEO Trevor Milton (who voluntarily stepped aside as executive chairman and from the board in Spetember 2020), the Nikola story has been a roller coaster ride of ‘will they, won’t they?’ New Zealand Trucking editor Dave McCoid twice attended events hosted by the company. When the Nikola Two was launched in 2019, he and the assembled media were able to watch it, from

a distance, drive around in circles under its own power, supposedly – memories of the event are still shrouded in scepticism. The One wasn’t anything more than a concept vehicle. Late in 2018, the company unveiled its third concept, the Nikola Tre cab-over, which was intended to be available in battery electric vehicle (BEV) and hydrogen fuel-cell electric vehicle (HFCEV) versions. Unlike its large conventional forebears, the Tre was aimed primarily at the European market. And, again unlike the One and Two, it was the model with the most promise of making it to production, thanks to development partner Iveco backing the project. We weren’t holding our breath. But the odd CNH

Y K C U L Story by Gavin Myers Photos by Richard Kienberger

Industrial (Iveco parent company) press release would come through every so often, updating the industry on the Tre’s progress. Now, in September, two very significant events have hammered home the reality of the Tre – Iveco and Nikola inaugurated their joint-venture manufacturing facility in Ulm, Germany, and the journalists in attendance were able to get up close and personal with the Tre. And by up close and personal, we don’t mean they only saw it standing under some bright lights or slowly parading past – they were able to climb aboard and go for a ride. While the opportunity to get behind the wheel won’t happen just yet, that’s a very promising development indeed.

The demonstration unit was the Tre BEV (battery-electric vehicle) in a 6x2 configuration and specified according to US regulations. This means it’s an extended tractor unit when compared to the European version. This particular prototype is not allowed to run on European roads unless local authorities issue a special permit. Gianenrico Griffini, president of the International Truck of the Year jury, was in attendance and was one of the journalists able to climb aboard the Tre and go for a ride with a test driver. “The Nikola Tre tractor-trailer combination looks impressive,” Griffini says. “It’s certainly a well-designed vehicle. It is fast and seamless in acceleration, quiet at cruising speed, there’s

Left: Production versions of the Tre will likely feature external cameras instead of mirrors. Right: The Tre BEV’s electric drive axle offers up 480kW (645hp) of continuous power.

INTERNATIONAL TRUCK OF THE YEAR

Live and in action: The Nikola Tre adds some credence to the brand’s story.

First impressions of the Tre BEV impressed the assembled media, even though the chance to get behind the wheel will only come at a later stage.

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Hydrogen tanks and the fuel-cell unit are neatly packaged behind and under the Tre FCEV’s cab.

no vibration, and there’s also strong deceleration with regenerative braking.” However, Griffini notes that the prototype shown in Ulm probably differs from the final version we’ll see in a few months’ time. “The production truck will likely have external cameras (instead of traditional mirrors) and another digital instrument cluster,” he suggests. According to Nikola, the Tre is “designed and projected as a safe, reliable and highperformance, zero-emission transport solution”. You won’t be wrong in thinking it looks vaguely familiar; the Tre is based on the Iveco S-Way platform. However, out goes the venerable Cursor engine and in its place is an electric axle, co-designed and produced by FPT Industrial (the arm of CNH responsible for powertrain development). With its 753kWh battery pack,

the Tre BEV offers up 480kW (645hp) of continuous power and a range of up to 560km. Recharging the battery from 10% to 80% will take two hours with a 240kW DC charger. With a wheelbase of 4.72m and GCW of 37.2 tonnes, Nikola says the Tre BEV will be ideal for return-to-base, metro/regional applications that involve frequent stops and lighter payload capacity, with a requirement for manoeuvrability and lower operating costs. Griffini was also able to tour the new 50,000m2 Ulm factory (of which 25,000m2 is under-roof). Featuring a final assembly process that has been designed for ‘electricborn’ vehicles, the Ulm factory will produce the Tre for both the North American market and European Union countries. Depending on market demand, the assembly line can simultaneously manage both

the Nikola Tre BEV and the Tre FCEV. Installed capacity is about 1000 trucks per shift per year, but that can be scaled up to 3000 trucks a year if required, Griffini reports. The Tre BEV will enter production by year-end, and the first models produced will be delivered to select customers in the United States in 2022. The FCEV version will follow with the Ulm plant beginning production of these by the end of 2023. “Launching the battery technology first will drive the maturity of the underlying platform before adding the fuel cell as a rangeextension technology,” Nikola says. The Tre FCEV will feature Nikola’s electric and fuel-cell technology – utilising fuel-cell power-module technology licensed from Bosch. Fuelcell power-module assembly will commence in 2023 at Nikola’s manufacturing facility

in Coolidge, Arizona, in time with the production of the Tre FCEV. Together, says Nikola, the teams have designed a modular platform capable of fuel cell as well as battery propulsion technology. With the backing of CNH, those targets should be achievable. Gerrit Marx, president, commercial and specialty vehicles, at CNH Industrial and designated CEO of the Iveco Group, commented: “Despite all the industry and global pandemic challenges we have been facing since we first announced this partnership in September 2019, it is extremely rewarding to be able to stand here today as a team and witness the execution of all of our hard work delivered on time and according to our original plans.” Mark Russell, CEO and president of Nikola, added: “This is yet another important milestone for Nikola as we execute on our strategy and vision to be a global leader in zero-emissions transportation solutions.” The Ulm site is expected to operate according to the principles of the World Class Manufacturing programme, with the goal of achieving zero waste, accidents, failures or stock, confirmed by its key characteristics, including fully digital shopfloor management designed to guarantee 100% traceability and paperless operations.

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PERSON OF INTEREST

Sodertalje, Sweden, 15 June 2014: The Scania AB headquarters office building located at the production site in Sodertalje. Scania develops and manufactures trucks and buses worldwide.

SOUNDS LIKE LEADERSHIP He arrived three years ago from Scania’s HQ in Södertälje, Sweden, on the tail end of a flurry of restructuring for the brand’s representation here. Then in August this year, former Scania New Zealand managing director Mattias Lundholm was on his way home again. We sat down with him just before he boarded the big silver bird and had a chat. “

e’re all genuinely sad to see him go,” says Scania New Zealand marketing and communications manager Laura Blackburn. “He’s a great boss; you couldn’t ask for better.” You can tell when someone’s fair dinkum, and this was no PR line – the body language told it all. Look around Scania’s Auckland HQ, and there are signs everywhere that humanity has its place in achieving serious business KPIs. There’s the soundproof cell for personal calls – or venting in the event the day’s not going according

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to plan. The common room has a guitar on the wall, available for all and never left hanging for long when a social occasion is underway. And this is no trite, symbolic effort; Lundholm is more than handy on the end of a six-stringer, having played in bands back home. The music thing is real. “Aggh!” he says with an air of frustration. “I’ve had assignments overseas before, and when they’ve ended, I’ve been ready to leave. There’s been a sense of completion, that the job is done. Not here, though. I’m going home for family reasons. When this Covid thing is done with, November 2021

I would really like to come back. “It’s such a great place to do business. It’s my kind of place. People here know how to get the job done but enjoy work and have a bit of fun at the same time. You’re not always dealing with a procurement department where business is transactional. Here it’s personal; real people with amazing IP in the industry and their business. They are the ones buying the trucks. You must know your stuff if you’re going to sell trucks here.” Fifty-year-old Lundholm is a big Scandinavian fella with a deep voice. He’s welcoming,

“The music thing is real people! We were Mattias’ kind of market, and he was our kind of guy.”

FAST FIRE Did you have a hangi while you were out here? “I was invited but wasn’t able to make it. See, I need to come back.” Bungy jump? “Hell no! You’d have to be crazy.” Tattoo? “No way.” Favourite beer? “A Polish lager called Tyskie (Tis-key-ya). Yes, I can get it here.” Takeaways? “McDonald’s. No question.”

After three years in New Zealand, Mattias Lundholm left a lasting impression.

smiling, and appears selfdepreciating, but he obviously has a serious resolve and considerable ability. His recent assignment history at Scania is the guy being sent in when something needs fixing, establishing, or in New Zealand’s case, both. The ‘tough gigs’ guy in other words. Brand boffin, OEM competitor, or not, few would argue that over the past three years, Scania’s local strategy has been extensively discussed in both bars and boardrooms. The previous wholesaler and importer was discontinued in 2018 and little old us became an outpost of the mothership itself. A thousand-odd days down the track, there appears no intention to hand it off to an appropriate suiter. “New Zealand holds a special place for Scania. We have a long history here. It is a modern economy that can only function with trucks. There is no real alternative. But it also has long distances

and demanding hills and conditions. You come here, and you pitch your product against everyone else in realworld demanding conditions. It’s an exciting place if you’re a manufacturer. “I became involved in the New Zealand situation a few months before I was posted here. We were getting too many calls in Sweden from customers who weren’t happy. We needed to figure out what the problem was. “Sales had been in a much stronger position historically and certainly weren’t where we wanted them. What we found out was it wasn’t the product – our products were good. It was support. “We looked at the options, and the only real fix was to set up ourselves. We set goals, and there have been challenges. We’ve restructured the support network with ten captive workshops and 14 non-captive, and we’ve significantly increased the parts inventory. Today, Scania

Endearing memory? “Oh, easy – something that is just so New Zealand. I was in the Far North with my family in the Hokianga. I went into a small general store, and my bloody Swedish credit card wouldn’t work. I was so embarrassed; I mean, I knew the money was there obviously, but the thing just wouldn’t accept. ‘Oh, don’t worry about it, mate. Send me the money,’ said the guy. Tell me. Where else in the world can this happen? I’ll tell you, nowhere.” What’s happening when you get home? What’s the next mission? “I have no idea – whatever they want me to do. I came from VP connected services, driver training, and new business. What’s next? Whatever they want me to do.”

Fearless and good-humoured brand loyalty – the top of Mattias’ goods wagon.

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POST-IT NOTE Between this interview with Mattias and the November issue going to print, we learned two things. Scania selected its new man for New Zealand. Brazilian Rafael Alvarenga was appointed managing director for New Zealand. He comes here after a four-year stint as services director for Scania India. We’ll find out a bit more about Rafael and bring you that in the Christmas issue next month. We also learned what Mattias’ new gig would be. He’s been appointed head of customer experience, based at Scania’s HQ in Södertälje, Sweden. They say all things happen for a reason and we just can’t help thinking three years in New Zealand is going to help him in that role immeasurably. All the best, Mattias.

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in New Zealand has a whole new look, and we know we are on the right track, having achieved number one in sales for the over-16,000kg market earlier this year. “Now it’s a case of planning to support the hard work already done. We are currently forecasting and putting resources in place to support our late 2022-2023 targets. What additional parts, techs, partners will we need to service what we intend to sell? With supply chain restraints around Covid, we’ve already increased our parts stock 20% over our original plan. “We’ve done some amazing things in the past three years, and it’s just getting to the point where it’s all coming together. We can now make the most of what we’ve built, and I have to go back. Yes, there’s a frustration all right, but it’s an exciting time for whoever comes in.” Forecasts, the future, it’s a great segue into Lundholm’s vision of trucking in terms of the century’s two big-ticket conversation topics – propulsion and navigation. Like many, he sees a mixed future for whatever propels tomorrow’s trucks. “I think it’ll be a mix of everything, and I’m including diesel in that, too.

November 2021

That might put me on the fringes, but I think diesel in the remotest, hardto-get-to locations won’t be easy to surpass. Unless there’s a huge leap in battery technology, pure EV with its higher weight and less payload will have limitations. What operator is happy to carry less on a heavier truck? That means hydrogen will certainly have its place also. In the end, I see a mixture. “In terms of autonomy? Specialist applications, certainly, but a widespread global adoption of driverless vehicles for personal and commercial mobility is not something for my lifetime. We are going to need truck drivers for a long time yet.” And so Mattias Lundholm’s work here is complete, maybe not ‘done’ as he would like, but that’s not his fault. He’s an interesting character – humane, humble, yet uncompromising in terms of expectations – what most business references would identify as keys to good leadership. He’s certainly set an impressive stage for whoever comes next, and although the show is all theirs, something tells us he’ll maintain a keen interest in events on the other side of the globe.

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BUSINESS PROFILE

The original Steel Bros. premises in Christchurch.

RICH HISTORY STILL IN THE MAKING This year will be Christchurch-headquartered trailer manufacturer Steelbro’s 143rd anniversary. We popped in to check out the latest premises in Wigram, reminisce over past achievements and learn about the company’s focus in 2021. ”

he company owners and staff take great pride in the history and achievements of Steelbro over the last 143 years,” says marketing projects manager Joy Taylor. “Many people (past and present) have contributed to the Steelbro success, and it is a privilege to be part of that family. “Our history gives Steelbro an excellent foundation in design and innovation, and these elements are at the core

Old sheep truck.

of all Steelbro products. It has been vital in Steelbro building a credible, world-leading sidelifter brand. There have been many challenges over the last 140-plus years, but we have responded, adapted and thrived.” Brothers Joseph and David Steel started Steel Bros. Coach Factory in Christchurch, putting up £5 each. They were not the only builders in the city fabricating horse-drawn wagons, coaches, gigs and

drays but a great reputation for quality and reliable carriage builds saw them flourish, growing to 22 staff less than two decades later. In 1890 Steel Bros. (as it was then known), took its first tentative step into producing motor carriages. By 1930, the company was in full swing, designing and building motor bodies. During the war years, it produced grenade castings, concrete mixers, landing craft and dummy aircraft.

Tri-axle tanker.

The company became New Zealand’s leading motor-body building and engineering company in the 1950s and 1960s, later introducing the Hiab truck-mounted crane into New Zealand. As well as building truck bodies, by the 1970s, Steel Bros. was also assembling Toyotas and even building Lotus sports cars. The 1980s saw the winddown of Steelbro’s vehicle assembly and motor body building business. Steelbro (as the company was now known), decided to concentrate on developing the concept of container transportation, and the revolutionary Sidelifter was born. There have been numerous major milestones for the company since its inception. But standout moments in the past 50 years include global expansion, with initial exports to the Pacific Islands, Australia and United States in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Development and specialisation of sidelifters in the 1990s saw the list of export countries grow to more than 110 worldwide. Steelbro now has overseas offices in Perth (owners), Queensland (service), Malaysia and China and a network of distributors across the globe. It has about 215 employees (15 in New Zealand), a number that is expected to grow steadily in years to come. Steelbro was purchased by Howard Porter PTY in 2015 and this marked another important moment in its history, providing significant investment and what Taylor terms “excellent synergy”,

An old delivery truck.

An early semi-trailer. due to the companies’ similar backgrounds. “It allowed for a renewed focus and investment in research and development. It also brought new partnerships and manufacturing options online, all of which created continued growth,” she explains. The origins of Western Australian-based Howard Porter were like Steelbro’s, a family-based pioneering coachbuilder in Australia, with origins dating back to 1936. Today it is a manufacturer of road transport equipment with a strong focus on innovation and quality products. Since acquiring the Steelbro business, Howard Porter has provided substantial investment in quality manufacturing, innovation and market development. Things have come a long way since the early days of horse-drawn wagons, coaches, gigs and drays. “The business today continues to focus on innovation to produce Sidelifters that fit our customers’ needs and aid them to increase productivity,” says Taylor. Christchurch is not only the headquarters of Steelbro but is also the design and

engineering hub; guiding the company’s global workshops and facilities with proven designs that are developed and tested here in New Zealand. To this end, Steelbro offers full lifecycle support with technical support, spare parts, and servicing available throughout the product’s lifecycle. “Steelbro has firm roots in Christchurch but is internationally focused and always looking for opportunities for growth. It’s important to be innovative and search for new avenues for growth – we have products being sold and used all over the globe,” says Taylor. As technology has improved, Steelbro has worked to stay a step ahead and help operators remain competitive. The design team (based in Christchurch) is always ramping things up on the research and development side – the Rail Underbelly Leg and SBS303 Sidelifter are prime examples of its focus on innovation. The Steelbro Rail Underbelly Leg is an optional stabiliser for the SB450 45-tonne lifting capacity Sidelifter. It is designed to lift heavy

Contributing to the war effort: Steel Bros. landing craft and dummy plane.

Lowbed trailers ready for delivery. containers to and from rail wagons, where lifting access may be restricted. The Rail Underbelly Leg provides increased stabiliser outreach under the rail wagon. This increases the stability of the Sidelifter when lifting heavier containers to and from the wagon. The SB303 30-tonne liftingcapacity Sidelifter is the latest release from the New Zealand-based engineering and design team at Steelbro; a fast, light Sidelifter for use within an urban environment to deliver and pick up both 20- and 40-foot containers. Research and development manager Richard Brown says this inline crane design is light, with tare weights starting from just seven tonnes. It provides the user with fast movement of containers from trailer to ground and ground to trailer thanks to its ability to quickly deploy and stow stabilisers.

The key to increased speed is the new Steelbro HYDRAlift hydraulic system. This technology (which is the result of a fundamental rethink of Sidelifter control), combined with the latest in hydraulic piston pump technology, provides the Sidelifter with multi-function operation via proportional joystick control – enabling precision control throughout the lift. This functionality ensures containers can be delivered safely at speed. In the past three years, Steelbro has invested in retooling and improvements to its China manufacturing facility along with workshop facilities in Christchurch, Queensland and Malaysia. The company has had several different New Zealand workshops over the years in different areas of Christchurch, including Lincoln Road, Treffers Road, Wrights Road

St John’s Ambulance.

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and Dakota Crescent. Its latest move to Dakota Crescent in April this year effectively doubled its workshop floor space, with the capacity to build and repair truck trailers alongside research and development projects. Of its 12- to 45-tonne capacity Sidelifters, the most popular model globally is the SB450 with its large lifting capacity and heavyduty chassis. It is popular in many overseas markets. “The most popular model in New Zealand is 36-tonne SB363 which offers flexibility and functionality whilst optimising payload for customers,” Taylor says. With a team of five talented engineers on-site in Christchurch, design and development have always been the key to Steelbro’s success. “Investment in research and design means that our products evolve and continually improve to meet and exceed customer expectations,” Taylor says. “Our head engineering team in Christchurch collaborates and guides the Steelbro/ Howard Porter engineering teams in Perth and China, and

132 New Zealand Trucking

also works closely with our product development teams to ensure successful technology transfer,” she says. The many challenges transport operators face in 2021 are considerable and multi-faceted, but Steelbro is as committed as ever to helping provide practical, efficient and cost-effective solutions. “Efficiency and increased competition in the transport market mean customers want to maximise payload and hence returns, and this is what drives demand for a durable and weight-optimised unit,” Taylor says. “A sidelifter decreases operating costs by its ability to deliver a container without extra equipment or infrastructure by the driver of the truck, and only the container is left behind, not the trailer, so equipment can be fully utilised. “Safe operation is top of mind for most customers, and the Steelbro SMARTlift load-monitoring system delivers a safer, smarter sidelifter. Steelbro Smartlift was first introduced more than 15 years ago and with

November 2021

continual development and improvement, it is still the easiest and best control system for our Australasian markets. “With software and sensors, SMARTlift monitors and controls sidelifter lifting operations every 50 milliseconds; it predicts and prevents unstable situations and has onboard diagnostics for easier fault-finding.” SMARTlift can also provide

Clockwise from top: Business development manager Greg Bailey and marketing projects manager Joy Taylor; Product support fabricator Dan Bourgeois on the tools; Product support specialist Johnny A’Court on top of a new build; The new premises in Wigram.

container weighing as part of a normal lift cycle. Steelbro’s increased support and servicing assure customers that they have the backup they require, and Taylor says that minimising disruption to its operations is top of mind. A lot has happened in 143 years of operation, but the driving principles of quality, innovation and customeroriented service remain.

ROAD SAFETY TRUCK

It was a tight squeeze to get into Rangiora Borough School, but that wasn’t a problem for Mark Amer “Log Truck Driver” who was volunteering for the day.

North Canterbury students from Rangiora Borough School thoroughly enjoyed their visit from the NTA Road Safety Truck. It’s a big school with close to 600 students, so the Truck stayed overnight for a 2 day visit so that every student could participate. Fantastic engagement from the students and teachers as the students worked their way through the safety programme. The school is located in the middle of town so trucks go past all day and to access to the school in all directions you need to cross major roads. The students leant about blind zones, stopping distances and when they climbed in and sat in the drivers seat they saw for themselves what the driver can and can’t see. Each student was given a workbook that is full of activities and safety tips. Feedback from parents after the visit is that the Road Safety Truck workbook has become a favourite and the whole family has read it. The team had a great time and are sure there are some future truck drivers in this bunch of students. The team were thrilled to receive some wonderful thank you notes.

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VIPAL’S KNOWING YOUR RETREADS

STEP CHANGE IN

RETREAD TECH Vipal Rubber recently developed an innovation that facilitates the identification of a tyre’s wear, winning the brand a gong at the Recircle Awards.

he Vipal Rubber VT560 tread with Eye Control technology is collecting industry awards and winning over the New Zealand transport industry. Quality and innovation are factors that have always guided Vipal Rubber’s activities and the development of its products and services during the past 48 years. With these innovations, the company became a leader in Latin America and one of the world’s main manufacturers of products for retreading and repairing tyres. The exclusive Eye Control technology developed by Vipal to control tread wear was awarded the Best Retreading Industry Innovation award at the first Recircle Awards 2020, held in March this year to recognise companies and professionals in the tyre manufacturing, retreading and recycling industries. One of the recently released models with this specification was the VT560, widely used in New Zealand.

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Eye Control technology is a low-relief marking on the tread that is shaped like an eye. As the tread wears out, the ‘eye’ reveals some information. In this way, it is possible to easily and quickly evaluate the wear process, identify anomalies in the tyres, determine when to rotate the wheels, and understand the right moment to send the tyre for retreading – preserving the casing and increasing its useful life. Eye Control makes it more possible than ever to increase control over the conservation of tyres and, consequently, reduce operating costs for transport operators.

Eye Control is simple but brilliant.

November 2021

Thanks to this innovation, VT560 is one of Vipal’s traction treads suitable for mixed use between paved and unpaved roads, which makes it fitting for New Zealand fleet requirements. It features good grip on different road surfaces and an optimised rubber compound to ensure optimum resistance to abrasive wear. Its design features make it an ideal tread for highly severe applications, offering great traction and preventing damage to the tyre, extending its service life for longer. The most used sizes of the VT560 are 220, 230, 240 and 250mm widths for 11R 22.5,

295/80 R22.5 and 275/70 R22.5 tyres. According to Vipal Rubber’s commercial coordinator, Dijan Rigo, more than 2000 tyres have already been retreaded with VT560 in New Zealand. “With its non-directional design, this tread recently launched by the Vipal brand has been widely used by our partners, such as Power Retreads, for example, which applies it in tyre retreading for several of its clients. “It is a tread that meets the needs of the New Zealand market in a very satisfactory way, with the versatility and durability that carriers need.”

TRUCKERS’ HEALTH

Summer starter pack

ummer is just around the corner. What does it mean to you? Does it mean three months of overindulging on delicious foods and beverages? Potentially. But it doesn’t have to. Of course, it is lovely to socialise with friends and family and enjoy beautiful gourmet summer meals and bevvies on the deck – but it doesn’t mean that it has to be a complete writeoff. Here are my five tips for enjoying summer without increasing the waistline too much.

Plan active days

Explore the great outdoors

As the weather warms, we get thirstier, which can be dangerous when we are lured towards the beers or wines (or whatever your tipple is). There is nothing wrong with a few beverages, but it’s important to stay hydrated (with good old-fashioned H2O) to keep everything balanced. Drinking plenty of water will make you feel more alert, less hungry and a bit less lethargic after drinking alcohol or having a long hot day in the sun.

With the warmer, beautiful weather, it’s a great time to head outdoors and be active. Swimming at the beach, going for a bike ride around the neighbourhood, taking a stroll on the beach or having a game of backyard cricket... It doesn’t mean you have to strap yourself to a treadmill or do endless cardio sessions – get outdoors, get active, and do the things that you enjoy. When something is enjoyable, you often don’t class it as a ‘workout’ but rather an activity that changes your mindset around exercise to be a more positive experience.

Enjoy lighter summery meals

I don’t know about you, but I love and always crave comfort foods in winter. The great thing about summer is that you often feel like lighter meals such as salads, fruit or delicious barbecues. It often means that we will be eating more fruit and veggies than we ordinarily would, which is great. Obviously, not all barbecue foods are healthy – things like potato salad and oily meats can feel quite heavy on the tummy. Don’t skip these out altogether – just manage your portion sizes on the heavier foods and make sure to incorporate plenty of fresh fruits and veggies throughout your day.

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Working out on your own day in and day out can feel like a horrible daily grind at times. The great thing about summer is that often people have a wee break from work (hopefully). So if you know your friends and family are kicking around, try and arrange an activity that will get your heart rate up. It can be anything from a beach walk, bushwalk, bike ride, backyard games or whatever you enjoy doing with your friends and family.

Stay hydrated

Relax

As silly as it sounds, taking the time to relax is really difficult for some people. Our bodies need movement throughout the day but it is equally important to rest and recover and not constantly feel stressed. Of course, everyone relaxes in different ways. It is important to find a way to relax that doesn’t elevate your heart rate too much, otherwise you are defeating the purpose. You could grab a book and find a nice spot in the sun, try yoga or pilates, do a low-impact activity such as lawn bowls. Whatever you choose, just make sure you aren’t puffing, sweating or raising your heart rate too much – you need to feel calm, at peace, and relaxed.

Explore the great outdoors – tip No.1 for a successful summer.

enjoy and cherish every moment. I know that lockdowns and Covid-19 have put a massive dampener on many summer events and special occasions that we had planned, but it is important to appreciate the things you can do. Sure, we may not be able to travel overseas or attend events on a large scale, but we need to enjoy what we can – our family and friends, the activities that we can do – let’s make the best of summer 2021. 

Look to the future

Most of all, if you are lucky enough to have a break over the summer, please

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HEALTH AND SAFETY

WorkSafe New Zealand Inspections

was reading the August edition of Safeguard magazine and noted that a person was fined a total of $12,000 on two charges: obstructing WorkSafe inspectors and failing to provide a statement at an interview required by WorkSafe. WorkSafe inspectors may visit any site at any time. Usually, they will make an appointment, but not necessarily. Their visits may appear quite random; they often visit the same site frequently, although they provide a positive report each time. Under section 168 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015, any inspector may, at a reasonable time, enter any workplace. They require the PCBU or person in charge to provide information and allow them access. You are within your rights to, and should, ask to see their warrant card, especially if it is an unexpected visit. Section 179 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 states that a person must not, without reasonable cause, hinder or obstruct an inspector. Section 209 states that it is an offence to give false or misleading

information. Each of these can attract a fine up to $10,000 for an individual. Generally, WorkSafe inspectors will visit to confirm that the workplace is complying with the act. They may issue provisional improvement notices (PINs) or prohibition notices if they are unhappy with the outcome. A PIN requires some corrective action to be taken. WorkSafe will want to see evidence of the improvement before lifting the PIN. A prohibition notice prohibits the use of the item or items included in the notice. WorkSafe must approve corrective actions and lift the notice before the item or items can be used. 

Generally, WorkSafe inspectors will visit to confirm that the workplace is complying with the act. They may issue provisional improvement notices (PINs) or prohibition notices if they are unhappy with the outcome.

How can Safewise help? We work with organisations that need more health and safety knowledge, or more time to address these issues, than they have in-house. For more information, check the website, safewise.co.nz. 23031 DANI1 TRUCKING AD.pdf

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About Tracey Murphy Tracey Murphy is the owner and director of Safewise Ltd, a health and safety consultancy. She has more than 12 years’ experience working with organisations from many different industries. Tracey holds a diploma in health and safety management and a graduate diploma in occupational safety and health. She is a professional member of the New Zealand Institute of Safety Management and is on the HASANZ register.

Danielle L. Beston Barrister At Law Log Book & Driving Hours Transport Specialist Work Licences Nationwide Road User Charges Contributor to New Zealand Trucking ‘Legal Lines’ Column Telephone: 64 9 379 7658 mobile: 021 326 642 danielle.beston@hobsonchambers.co.nz Referral Through Solicitor Required and Arranged

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LEGAL LINES

Good news for commercial tenants

hen New Zealand was plunged into a level4 lockdown at midnight on Wednesday, 17 August, several things went through my mind. Having experienced this before, I started running through a checklist of things I needed to take care of. The first was to dash to the local Countdown – a decision I would later regret because the supermarket became a location of interest and resulted in me having to undertake a period of self-isolation. I then bundled computers, files and stationery from my office into my car until it was full, not knowing when I would be back. So, when the government announced a proposed new law that will allow for an abatement of rent because of restrictions put in place to combat Covid-19, I was relieved to know that there would be guaranteed relief from the financial hardship that comes with leasing a commercial property.

lockdown before the proposed new law comes into force, then the new clause will not apply to me. What is interesting is that I have not previously thought to ask for a reduction in relation to outgoings. But as this is specifically mentioned in the amendment, then it should still be open to me to pursue relief in this regard.

The rationale

The fair proportion of rent and outgoings that will cease to be payable when there is an epidemic is to be agreed by the landlord and the tenant. However, the clause does not provide guidance as to what is to be considered when deciding what constitutes a ‘fair proportion’. When the government first proposed making statutory amendments to insert a new contractual term into existing leases that would give tenants the right to claim rent relief, it set out several factors to be considered. These included the impact on the tenant’s business, the landlord’s mortgage obligations, the parties’ respective profits in recent years and the parties’ ability to survive financially. None of these factors are repeated in this year’s proposed clause but it appears from a common-sense point of view that these are all criteria that could arguably be relevant. There has not been any guidance from the courts as to how to assess fairness because the Auckland District Law Society’s Deed of Lease requires the parties to submit to any dispute to arbitration, which is a private dispute resolution process, and those decisions are not publicly available. I note that the same requirement will also apply to the proposed new clause because it requires all disputes to be resolved by arbitration. 

Covid-19 lockdowns result in many businesses not being able to operate from their usual premises, with staff members having to work from home. Mine is one of those businesses that has been impacted in this way because I cannot meet with clients in level 3 or 4 at my office. My day-to-day operations are also significantly disrupted because my home office is nowhere near as well equipped as my work premises. I can perform most of the tasks I normally do, but often they take a lot longer and as a result, I cannot work as efficiently during lockdowns. The proposed amendment to the Property Law Act 2007 recognises the challenges faced by commercial tenants during the pandemic. If the legislation is passed, a clause will be inserted into leases that provides that a fair proportion of rent and outgoings will cease to be payable when there is an epidemic and the tenant is unable to gain access to all or any part of the leased premises to fully conduct their operations from all or any part of the leased premises because of reasons of health or safety related to the epidemic. While landlords will be frustrated by the proposal, tenants are likely to welcome them, particularly when they have been impacted by the lockdown and are unable to negotiate an outcome with their landlord.

Time frame

The proposed new clause would apply in respect of a rental period ‘all or any of which’ is in the period that started on 28 September 2021. That suggests that if you pay your rent by calendar month, then the clause would apply for September’s rent and outgoings but not for August. What is certain is that it will not apply retrospectively to previous periods of lockdown occurring in New Zealand.

‘Fair proportion’

Does it apply to me?

This clause is similar to the rent abatement provisions in clause 27.5 of the Auckland District Law Society Deed of Lease. If your lease agreement already includes a ‘no access in emergency’ clause, such as clause 27.5, then the proposed amendment will not apply. I am lucky that during previous lockdowns, my landlord has been open to negotiating an abatement of rent due to my inability to access my premises because of Covid-19, despite the lack of a ‘no access in emergency’ clause in my lease. If we enter into a rent variation agreement about the latest

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November 2021

Please note that this article is not a substitute for legal advice, and if you have a particular matter that needs to be addressed, you should consult a lawyer. Danielle Beston is a barrister who specialises in transport law. Contact her on (09) 379 7658 or 021 326 642.

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NZ TRUCKING ASSOCIATION

Boosting the skills of young drivers

re our young drivers skilled enough to share the road with heavy vehicles? Sharing the road with trucks is associated with a greater risk of serious injury and death for drivers of passenger vehicles. The onus for minimising risk lies not just with truck drivers but also with car drivers. Specifically, car drivers need to understand the unique performance limitations of trucks, including greater stopping distances, the position of blind spots, and reduced turning manoeuvrability, so that they can appropriately act and react around trucks. But young drivers often take more risks or carry out risky manoeuvres, which are associated with increased crash risk for young drivers. Simply raising awareness of truck limitations is insufficient. We propose that initiatives aimed at increasing young driver awareness of trucks and truck safety need to be evidence-based, undergo evaluation, and be delivered in a way that: • increases young driver risk perception skills; and • reduces risky driving behaviour around trucks. In Australia in 2019, 188 people died from 173 crashes involving heavy trucks, a 27.2% increase in fatalities compared with 2018. Collisions involving trucks are 2.6 times more likely to result in a fatality, and passenger vehicle occupants are 10 times more likely than truck occupants to suffer serious or fatal injuries. Crash statistics indicate that 78% of fatalities and 76% of injuries resulting from passenger vehicle-truck collisions are sustained by passenger vehicle occupants. An indepth review of fatal truck-passenger vehicle collisions in the United States reveals that 67% of fatal crashes are attributable to the unsafe driving behaviours of passenger vehicle drivers. The most prevalent behaviours were veering out of their lane (19.9%); failing to give way (14.4%); speeding (14.1%); and driver inattentiveness (8.7%). Worldwide, road trauma is the leading cause of death among young people under 29 (World Health Organisation, 2020). In Australia, young drivers are grossly over-represented in road crash statistics. In 2020, of the 1106 people killed on Australian roads, 208 were young people aged 17 to 25 years (approx. 19%), despite this age demographic constituting only approximately 12% of the population (National Road Safety Strategy, 2021). A young person’s highest crash-risk period is immediately after obtaining a provisional driver licence (where the driver is unsupervised) and increased risk continues until about 24. Young male drivers tend to engage in more risky driving behaviours than young female drivers. Truck driver visibility is impeded by the size of their vehicle. Trucks have greater blind spots than passenger vehicles, and impaired visibility increases crash risk. Truck drivers have four main blind-spot areas: immediately in front of the truck,

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behind the door on the driver side of the vehicle, the length of the passenger side of the vehicle, and directly behind the truck. To minimise the crash risk associated with lane changing or merging, other motorists need to avoid driving in these blind spots and need to be mindful of the intentions of truck drivers if they are situated in a truck blind spot. There is little research into motorists’ knowledge of truck and heavy-vehicle blind spots. A study conducted in Malaysia found that when questioned on their understanding of the location of truck blind spots, less than half of the 100 surveyed respondents were aware of blind-spot locations to the front, left and right perimeters of a heavy vehicle. Furthermore, when asked to recall whether they remembered learning about heavy-vehicle blind spots from driver schools when learning to drive, 69% of respondents recalled receiving little or no driver education regarding blind spots of heavy-vehicle drivers. If similar studies were carried out in New Zealand, the statistics would be similar. The Australian Trucking Association’s SafeT350 virtualreality programme will be available throughout New Zealand in early 2022. The programme is currently being installed in the Road Safety Truck. It will also be available to use online. While the initiative targets young drivers 16-25 years, we will also make it available to all drivers to lead change in driving behaviours when driving and sharing the road with heavy vehicles. If you would like to donate to this initiative, please contact the team (details below).  Contact us if you are interested in being involved as a volunteer or are a company wanting to participate in the careers hub. Call Carol McGeady on 021 252 7252 or email carol.mcgeady@nztruckingassn.co.nz.

NZ Trucking Association can be contacted on 0800 338 338 or info@nztruckingassn.co.nz

By Carol McGeady, executive officer NZ Trucking Association

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THE NEED TO PRIORITISE FREIGHT If Covid-19 has taught us anything, it’s that New Zealand needs to get much better at prioritising the movement of freight during a time of crisis.

he world has been living with Covid-19 since February 2020, and it’s obvious we’re going to have to find permanent ways to deal with the disruptions it will continue to cause. The disrupted supply of goods from overseas is having a huge impact on New Zealand businesses, as is closing the border to all but the lucky few who win the MIQ lottery. Shortages are only going to get worse – raw materials, parts and assembled products, foods we don’t produce here, and there is a scarcity of workers and the skills and knowledge needed to grow our economy. As if all this wasn’t enough, our industry was hit with the fairly staggering news that two of the three Interislander ferries were being taken out of action in September. The Kaiarahi was diagnosed with gearbox problems and was put out of service, and the Aratere had to go to Sydney for drydock work, expected to take at least a fortnight. KiwiRail had a loadsharing arrangement with Bluebridge’s Strait Shipping to manage capacity, and we were assured freight would

144 New Zealand Trucking

continue to flow, but this was the last thing the transport industry needed during a lockdown. New Zealand’s supply chains are already under strain due to a combination of domestic and international factors. I recently met with Minister of Transport Michael Wood and KiwiRail chief executive Greg Miller to discuss how removing two ships from the freight system at a time of national stress would compound our supply chain problem. Unfortunately, I did not receive a satisfactory explanation from Miller. I only wish KiwiRail and the government had done a bit more forward planning into the operations of Interislander because the consequence of having these two ferries out of action was to slow down the economy further. After all, Interislander and KiwiRail are owned by the government. Supply chain issues were further compounded when Dr Ashley Bloomfield decreed that essential workers, including truck drivers, crossing the level-4 Auckland border needed to have had a Covid-19 test within the previous seven days. This came as a complete surprise as there had been no consultation with the industry before the go-ahead was given to implement it. We have no issue with Covid-19 testing per se, but we weren’t happy with being blindsided by law changes on the fly with no explanation of how they are supposed to work. November 2021

Understandably, there was a lot of stress among drivers and operators – a new testing regime was coming into force, with spot-testing to begin, but absolutely no word from the government on how this would work on the ground. There was also no information on how to prove testing had taken place. Even the police were left scratching their heads about how they would enforce this and how they would actually deal with having to turn trucks around if a driver could not prove a recent test. If we had been consulted on this testing requirement, we could have developed a plan that provided what the government was asking for in a way that resulted in the least possible disruption to the supply chain. Unfortunately, the current government seems determined to ignore the very industry that enables the country to keep running. Covid-19 will be with us for the foreseeable future, which means we need a government that listens to the needs of the private sector and is willing to work with us to help solve the problems associated with the virus and its impacts.

Nick Leggett chief executive officer

ost in the industry will be aware by now of the departure of OCANZ (Owner Carriers Association of New Zealand) members National Road Carriers and the NZ Trucking Association from Transporting New Zealand. I want to assure transport operators and RTANZ members that Transporting New Zealand remains hard at work representing the industry and advocating for transport operator’s interests in Wellington. I know many of you, like me, had hoped for greater consolidation of our various associations into one entity to represent New Zealand road transport operators. This would have provided us with one unified voice would undoubtedly be the best model to represent the industry on a national level while avoiding the current duplication of resources. However, National Road Carriers and the NZ Trucking Association have decided to go their own way. Transporting New Zealand and our four Road Transport Association member associations will be taking the opportunity to refresh our services and make sure the advocacy we provide on a national level continues to evolve and remain relevant to transport operators. There are interesting times ahead and a strong voice in Wellington will be more important than ever.

LAST MILE

Why the surprise?

he vitriol that followed the rebranding of the Road Transport Forum in September did not come as a great surprise. Neither did the reaction to the negative comments by some who fronted the change; their response most likely confirms the remarks made by many that the organisations representing the industry have lost touch with the membership they claim to represent. Why you would want to change a brand name and its associated logo that has been around for 25 years and was readily identified within an industry is a mystery to me. But then I don’t have a degree in spindoctoring either. Despite what the new name says, the road-freight industry does not transport New Zealand – that would be a task that would challenge even our most experienced heavyhaulage colleagues. Our industry moves the freight that keeps New Zealand alive, end of story. Sure, the arteries we use to do this are in urgent need of major surgery before they collapse altogether, and saving them is beyond the skills of our most qualified engineers. But moving goods to keep New Zealand alive is what we do, and that’s the message we need to get out to the politicians and the country through clear representation. When the Road Transport Forum was first established in

1997, the idea was to give the industry a single voice at a national level and give the media and the government one point of contact on issues affecting the industry. Before this, there were two industry organisations – the Road Transport Association and the Owner Carriers Association (OCANZ). OCANZ itself represented two organisations that were primarily concerned with the owner-driver sector of the industry. These are now known as National Road Carriers and the New Zealand Trucking Association. Has the idea behind the establishment of the RTF been realised? Well, we still have three industry associations and a national body so the answer is pretty clear to me. This is not to take away any credit for the work the forum has done on behalf of the industry since its inception, but one cannot help to wonder how much more effective it could have been if it were indeed a united voice. Unfortunately, we now live in a world where slick marketing and fancy names have become more important than actions; we see this most days at 1pm. For a long time, I have believed that when organisations feel the need to rebrand/rename, it is just an attempt to gloss over their shortcomings, a type of camouflage. Is the welfare of our children really better because Child, Youth and Family changed its name? Are we getting better service from the Transport Agency because it has changed its name? Is the CVIU more in tune with the industry since it became the CVST? Successful businesses do not see the need to rebrand/ rename themselves. They stick with what they have and what is recognised. Coca-Cola has been around since the late 1800s and is one of the world’s most recognisable brands. McDonald’s has been in operation since 1955. Toyota started producing cars before World War II. Apple first appeared on the scene in 1976. Mainfreight also appeared around this time. If you asked any of these companies if they feel the need to change their name to better reflect what they do, their reply would be very predictable. Although some answers may be polite and others may not be. I would have thought that those who were responsible for deciding to rebrand the RTF would have known a simple truth: no matter how much you try to disguise them, you cannot sell rotten apples by calling them oranges. You have to chuck the rotten ones out and replace them with fresh ones. Maybe this is the underlying problem with the forum – the rot has set in, but nobody has the intestinal fortitude to call in the vet and put it out of its misery. The saying ‘Actions speak louder than words’ is reported to have come into use in the mid-1500s. Those responsible for the new organisation should remember this because it is ultimately what they achieve, not what they say they do, on which its members will judge success. 

Has the idea behind the establishment of the RTF been realised?

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New Zealand Trucking November 2021

Articles inside

The Last Mile

NZ Trucking Association

Transporting New Zealand

Company Profile Steelbro

Health & Safety

Legal Lines

Vipal’s Knowing your Retreads

Moving Metrics

Incoming Cargo Nikola Tre

Truckers’ Health

Person of Interest Mattias Lundholm