NZ Trucking Magazine, October 2023

GREY GHOST – A POWERFUL TRIBUTE OCTOBER 2023

Official magazine of the

Long Haul Publications

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OCTOBER 2023

TRUCKING NEW ZEALAND

kiwi favourites The results are in and we couldn’t be happier. Scania has been voted the number one* truck brand in the country by the people whose opinion we value the most New Zealand truckies.

We’re chuffed to have rated highest on all measures, including most preferred, comfort, safety, sustainability, performance, efficiency, service and parts. Thanks New Zealand. It means a lot.

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

52% were heavy truck drivers, 23% were owner/operators or employees of a heavy truck brand. Truck brands currently driven by respondents – Scania 29%, Kenworth 28%, Volvo 18%, all other brands 25%.

This Matt’s Towing 2015 Renault Premium Lander 460 4x2 is pictured just south of Ashburton, heading north on SH1.

Photo: Dave McCoid.

CONTENTS EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

8 Trucking Toward a Better Future

EDITOR

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

10

46 Just Trucking Around 60 Inside ITOY – Euro HPMV

ADVERTISING MANAGER

64 Wanaka Memory

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

66 New Rigs 72 New Bodies and Trailers

Mike Devon Ph: 027 332 4127 Email: mike.devon@nztrucking.co.nz

74 Million Mile Club 76 Craig’s Trucking Snapshot

SUB EDITOR

Tracey Strange EDITORIAL SUPPORT

Carl Kirkbeck, Craig McCauley, Shannon Williams, Russell Walsh.

CONTRIBUTORS

DIGITAL IMAGING

Craig Andrews Faye Lougher Alison Verran Mike Verran Andrew Geddes Niels Jansen (Europe) Paul O’Callaghan

Willie Coyle

(UK, Europe, Australia)

PUBLISHER

Will Shiers (UK) Rod Simmonds (USA) VIDEO PRODUCTION

Izaak Kirkbeck Milly McCauley Howard Shanks

Road Noise News

52 Absolute Classic

For all advertising enquiries:

(Australia)

REST 6 Editorial

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

Howard Shanks

THE

34

PATCHELL CELEBRATES 50 YEARS Drive, Ambition and Teamwork

82 International Truck Stop – Meeting Daniel Louisy 86 American Connection – Meeting Red

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89 Remembrance – Milton Durham

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78 Aussie Angles – 2023 Hall of Fame

90 Mini Big Rigs – K200 tech build 94 Little Truckers’ Club 96 What’s On 97 Cartoon

42 HEAVY WITH AMBITION

Josh Adamson is Driven to Succeed

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Ricky Harris ART DIRECTOR

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48 SO, WHAT’S IN A NAME? Grey Ghost a Nod to the Past

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100 Moving Metrics 104 Product Profile – NAPA 106 EROAD Fleet Day 2023 110 A Changing World Conference – Labour and Employment 114 Carriers Corner 116 Truckers’ Health 118 Health & Safety 120 Legal Lines 122 Business Together 124 NZ Trucking Association 126 National Road Carriers 128 Transporting New Zealand 130 The Last Mile BROUG HT TO Y OU BY

54 30 YEARS OF SMILES

Special Rigs for Special Kids 2023

GREY GHOST – A POWERFUL TRIBUTE OCTOBER 2023

Official magazine of the

Loading up in the Rayonier Matariki Glenbervie forest.

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EDITORIAL

MORE ROAD RAMBLINGS

I

n September, I wrote an editorial for our weekly EDM broaching the topic of the need to reduce vehicle tailpipe emissions, spurred on

by Christopher Luxon’s $257 million pledge to provide 10,000 EV charging stations by 2030, and the perplexing promise to scrap the clean-car discount introduced by the Labour government a couple of years ago.

Luxon’s contradictory promises aside, I also discussed the seemingly standard line of commentary in the media against investing in the road network because it’ll encourage people to drive more, following the parties’ ‘we’ll fix the roads!’ electioneering promises.

So, in a display of being able to walk and chew gum at the same time (that is, I agree with the need to reduce emissions while supporting the need to upgrade roading infrastructure), I’d like to explore the conundrum a bit further, because complaining about the promise to invest in the country’s national roading infrastructure makes no sense.

One observation is that there seems to be a conflation of private transport in cities and urban environs and transport that drives the economy. Yes, encouraging urban commuters away from their cars towards other modes of transportation makes sense on many fronts, and yes, we’re unfortunately a long way from weaning every

vehicle owner off fossil fuels – or even encouraging them into public transport or onto their bikes. But we’re even further from banishing diesel in heavy transport, particularly when considering long distances.

Sure, some trucks operate successfully on alternative propulsion such as battery electric and hydrogen. However, these remain prohibitively expensive and exceptionally niche, with limited supporting infrastructure.

We know that won’t always be the case, though. When the industry achieves parity with diesel in cost, range, ROI – all those factors that drive business decisions – these vehicles suddenly won’t be ‘alternative’ anymore. The thing is, whether that happens by 2030 or 2050, we’re still going to need decent roads on which to operate them.

As we’ve discussed ad nauseam, road transport is central to how we live our modern lives. Rail and coastal shipping have their place, and I agree we should use them fully. A carefully constructed multi-modal freight system makes sense. However, short of the types of restrictions under which truck operators were forced to operate half a century ago, and for more reasons than I have space to mention, road transport will remain the majority mode in that mix.

Good roading infrastructure is therefore critical to the country’s

resilience, freight efficiency and prosperity.

For example, on 7 September, Newshub ran a story on a report conducted by the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research (NZIER) that stated extending the SH1 expressway from Warkworth to Wellsford and Cambridge to Piarere would reduce travel times by up to 16% and 18%, respectively, and could “boost New Zealand’s GDP by nearly $500 million per year”.

Newshub quoted the report: “Each investment will deliver economic gains of over $6 billion over the first 20 years of their operation. This is a much greater return compared to the initial capital expenditure during their construction.”

Not only that, but reduced travel times and a straight run at a constant speed on a good road also result in reduced fuel consumption and improved efficiency – no matter what powers a vehicle – resulting in reduced emissions. Driving Auckland to Warkworth on the ‘old road’ and then returning on the new expressway illustrates this perfectly. It also illustrates the fact that investment in roading infrastructure improves road safety.

Multiple lanes allow faster vehicles to pass those driving at slower speeds easily and you remove the possibility of frustration, resentment and dangerous decisions made when patience runs out. Proper barriers and central medians

further decrease the chance of serious accidents. Road safety is agnostic to vehicle propulsion – and if you argue fewer vehicles on the road naturally means improved safety, you’re living in an idealist fantasy.

I’m not saying every piece of state highway needs to be ripped up and redone, but there are core stretches that certainly do.

I wish I had multiple pages to explore this topic fully. I wish I had the capacity to weigh up the cost, economic gains, environmental impacts, safety potentials and so on, of building better roading infrastructure versus not doing so and doing the same for rail and public transport and for converting every vehicle from combustion – because a multi-modal, EV-powered, quality-highway future doesn’t come free whichever way you look at it.

But as I said in that editorial, what’s needed is for society to decide what we all really want, what the non-negotiables are and what we’re willing to sacrifice to achieve it. On the one hand, we want to be able to do our part to protect the environment. On the other, New Zealand is an isolated island nation that has its work cut out keeping pace with a world that moves on regardless.

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Lindsay Wood is director of Resilienz, an independent climate change consultancy based in Nelson.

By Lindsay Wood

DOES CARBON GROW ON TREES? Knowing what to do to beat climate change starts with knowing where we stand. So, why are leaves green?

T

rees are the stars in tackling the climate crisis – we have the ‘billion trees programme’ and the building sector is trying to use more timber and less concrete and steel. We also have the ongoing debates about whether pines are as good as native trees in our quest to decarbonise.

Here’s a helicopter view of trees’ incredible role ahead of a future article explaining the mysterious world of carbonaccounting and emissionstrading schemes.

Let’s start with the most important chemical reaction in the world – photosynthesis. The chemical chlorophyll, found in all leaves, absorbs red and blue light but reflects green light, which is why leaves look green.

But it’s the almost-invisible chemical process that’s the real magic because chlorophyll is a key to photosynthesis, where trees apply the red and blue energy from sunlight to conjure water and CO2 from the air into the basis of wood, with carbon making up about 50% of the weight of wood. Leaves release the oxygen back into the air for good measure! How cool is that?

For the 12,000 years since the last Ice Age, we’ve lived in an amazing period geologists call the Holocene, when the balance of CO2 in the air kept global temperatures incredibly stable and comfortable, with average temperatures varying less than

a degree over all that time.

This is why it’s also called the “Goldilocks Zone” – neither too hot nor too cold.

Trees and photosynthesis are heroes in that stability, with the vast tropical rainforests and Canada’s Boreal Forest sometimes called ‘the lungs of the earth’, because of their critical role in keeping the atmosphere in balance.

But thanks largely to all the coal and oil we’ve burned, we’ve pushed the climate out of the Goldilocks Zone and into climate territory we humans have never experienced. Ever.

And the mega-dumb thing is we’re still doing it.

Despite our engineering prowess, photosynthesis is still the only large-scale way we know of to suck CO2 from the air, which is why protecting existing forests and planting new ones is mission-critical. For an indication, 1ha of mature trees absorbs perhaps 20 tonnes of CO2 annually (the emissions from about eight months of driving a petrol-powered car).

We know global overheating is caused by increasing greenhouse gases, acting like

extra blankets around the Earth.

CO2 is the biggest villain, mostly coming from burning fossil fuels like petrol, diesel and coal (which, ironically, started out as trees millions of years ago).

Tragically, another way CO2 is increasing is from vast forest fires because, when timber burns, the carbon in it reverts to CO2, and the global warming contribution from fossil fuels escalates that.

We know deforestation is a big problem, and we likely think of it as pretty recent, but it’s been happening worldwide since the start of agriculture 10,000 years ago. New Zealand is a mini example: since the first human settlement, humans have removed more than 70% of our forests, with pre-European Māori clearing more than 30% and almost 40% going since Europeans arrived. Our billion trees programme sounds huge but barely replaces 10% of what’s been lost.

So, humans have lived in the Goldilocks Zone for more than 10,000 years, and forests have been critical to keeping that balance. However, we’ve screwed up that balance

through 200 years of burning colossal quantities of fossil fuels, on top of millennia of deforestation.

Currently, our best strategies to reverse this are to slash fossil fuel usage and restore lots of forests. This is where the Trucking Toward a Better Future competition comes in – hungry for your ideas to help the heavy transport sector burn less fuel.

Next issue: We consider the basics of climate change.

IT’S BACK As we announced in the September 2023 issue, the Trucking Toward a Better Future Competition is back for 2023. There’s a prize pool of $7500 up for grabs. Scan the QR code for full details.

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ROAD NOISE NEWS

BAD HABIT IS TOP TRUCK OF THE YEAR MYTRUCKING – TOP TECH MyTrucking is known as an innovative company that loves helpful tech. The company has now responded to customer demand and introduced a new feature to its mobile customer app, a document scanner.

“Our customers have been asking us about this for ages.

Farewell to blurry photos of dockets and other paper,” said Sara Osborne, head of sales and marketing at MyTrucking.

Released last month to Apple and recently rolled out to Android devices, this latest app upgrade aims to take the work out of paperwork.

The app features numerous handy features. It automatically finds the edges and flattens and squares images. Scans remain in jpg and are clear and easy to read, saving time for dispatchers and office staff.

“This was one of our top requested features on our mobile app, so we figured it was high time we made it happen. More information can be found on our news page at mytrucking.com,” said Osborne.

A

fter a month of public voting on the New Zealand Trucking website, Rob and Tania Jeffery’s 2.8m K200 Aerodyne Bad Habit has won the 2022-2023 John Murphy Memorial Top Truck of the Year competition.

Rob and Tania operate the Kenworth as RT Southern Linehaul for Christchurch-based Bascik Transport nationwide.

Their single-truck operation has just celebrated 16 years in the transport industry, and Bad Habit is the fourth and most impressive Kenworth Rob has

10 New Zealand Trucking October 2023

had the pleasure of piloting as an owner-driver.

“It’s bloody awesome to win,” said Rob, “Thanks to New Zealand Trucking and Andrew [Geddes – photographer] for the awesome write-up and photos.”

As ever, the Top Truck of the Year competition is supported

by Power Retreads, which will award Rob a set of premium Vipal retread tyres. Rochelle Thomas of Auto Art by Rochelle will also produce a bespoke painting of the winning truck based on the Top Truck poster

that appeared in the June 2023 issue.

These prizes, along with the 2022-2023 John Murphy Memorial Top Truck of the Year plaque – awarded in memory of the former editor of New Zealand Trucking magazine – will be presented to Rob and Tania in the coming weeks. Look out for that report in an upcoming issue.

Congrats, Rob and Tania, and well done to all the other trucks in this year’s competition. And thank you to everyone who voted this year.

GOVT ANNOUNCES RAFT OF ROADING INVESTMENTS

T

he government recently announced numerous road funding initiatives in the North and South Islands to boost road resilience.

North Island A further $567 million is being made available to Waka Kotahi for immediate works on state highways in Tairawhiti, Wairoa, Hawke’s Bay, Coromandel and Northland. The funding comes from the $6 billion National Resilience Plan announced in Budget 2023 and is on top of the $525 million already provided to Waka Kotahi in the immediate aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle.

“In Budget 2023, we established the National Resilience Plan to support building infrastructure that is more resilient to the impacts of climate change,” said Minister for Cyclone Recovery Grant Robertson.

“We need to ensure that transport infrastructure is rebuilt quickly post the weather events, but also that they are built in a resilient way as increasingly

severe weather events will continue to hit New Zealand.”

Minister of Transport David Parker said that almost all links had been restored in cycloneand flood-affected areas, but many roads needed to be made safer and more resilient.

“We need permanent solutions in places where Bailey bridges were put in to reopen river crossings. This extra funding will replace or strengthen and rebuild damaged bridges. It will also improve the road surface on major stretches of road where potholes and cracks left after the weather events have made travel slow and frustrating for locals.”

South Island More than $12 million has been allocated to improve the resilience of roads affected by recent extreme weather in Nelson, Tasman and Marlborough. A dedicated Transport Resilience Fund has been established for early preventative works to protect the state highway network

from future severe weather disruption, and the regions will also be eligible for funding from the National Resilience Plan for projects that mitigate the effects of climate change and extreme weather.

Areas in the region that will receive funding from the Transport Resilience Fund are: SH6, Whangamoa Hill and Rai Saddle; SH6, Kawatiri to Owen reiver erosion; SH60, Birds Hill overslip; SH1, flooding at Dashwood; SH63, the wash flooding; Weld Pass long-term detour route improvements study; SH63 Windy Point and Narrows rockfall; SH65 Higgins rockfall; salt lake flooding investigation; Tuamarina to Picton flooding.

These projects are in addition to the $127 million the government has invested in the top of the south’s roads following flooding in 2021 and 2022.

“The government also supports completion of the Hope Bypass and is setting aside funding in the government’s recently announced transport

plan,” said Parker.

Also announced is a $22 million investment across 18 projects on the West Coast.

Areas in the region that will receive funding from the Transport Resilience Fund are: SH6 gates of Haast River erosion; SH6 Wanganui River protection; SH6 Whataroa River protection; SH73 rock shelter DSA and strengthening; SH73 Otira River bridge abutment protection; SH6 Buller Gorge rock scaling; SH6 Douglas Culvert No.2 replacement; Cascade Corner; Cobden Hill West; Depot Creek; Ormon Falls; east of McGraths Corner; McGraths Corner; Whites Bridge west approach; Rocky Point; SH73 Candys Bend scouring; SH6 Meybille Bay slip; SH6 Epitaph slip – remote monitoring.

The Haast to Hawea section of SH6 has also been identified

by Waka Kotahi as a high priority for improving the overall resilience of the state highway corridor, with planning work programmed for the 2024-27 NLTP period.

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how infrastructure frameworks are keeping up with facilitating these initiatives.

It is the 18th edition of the conference, and this year will cover: • Power train – optimising the efficiencies • Managing Innovative vehicle solutions • Infrastructure challenges and regulation development • Industry training needs and skills shortage.

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past two years, and Australian vehicle application of innovative technology • HWR Group – hydrogen diesel hybrid technology • Jacob Ennis, supply chain policy, Ministry of Transport (panel session) • Peter Brown, maintenance and operation, NZTA (panel session) • John de Pont, TERNZ – A comparison of the Australian and NZ approaches to PBS. There will also be an industry panel session for industry providers and operators to share their views and experience on

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transport industry. It attracts a wide group of delegates including transport operators, engineers, equipment suppliers, government agencies, and service providers.

Keynote speakers this year will include: • Gavin Hill, Transport Certification Australia (TCA) – The impact of road freight on road assets • Les Bruzsa, National heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) Australia – Examples of Australian high productivity vehicle configurations in the

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his year’s IRTENZ Conference, ‘Future Highways – Future Vehicles’, features speakers from New Zealand and throughout the world to present on the latest developments on key transport matters, including vehicle productivity and efficiency, road safety, legislation and policy and infrastructure.

Taking place over three days at the Jet Park Hotel at Hamilton Airport, 14-16 November 2023, the conference includes local and international speakers who represent all sectors of the

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“UDC knows that businesses are looking for finance that allows them to grow and upgrade their fleet, but it must be simple, flexible and suit their business needs,” said Alistair Doyle, regional manager – commercial – for UDC Finance, northern region.

Doyle identified some particularly fleet-focused UDC Finance products. “UDC has different revolving credit facilities available where lending is secured against the company’s fleet assets. This can be structured through different payment plan options to suit cash-flow requirements.

Alternatively, we can also offer a pre-approved credit limit facility if assets are purchased regularly but the fleet is not extensive.

“Either facility is useful to

business customers, especially small and medium enterprises (SMEs) looking for finance, which allows them to grow and upgrade their fleet. What we offer are finance products that are simple, flexible and suit the business needs of those customers,” he said.

UDC’s nationwide team of specialists have extensive finance experience. Operators can meet with local, dedicated commercial managers. UDC offers an easy online application

Alistair Doyle. process, and businesses can borrow against new or existing assets.

UDC offers fixed or floating interest rates for loan terms as well as flexible repayment structures to suit a business’ cash flow.

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ROAD NOISE NEWS

SCANIA TESTS SOLARPOWERED HYBRID TRUCK

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cania is part of a new research collaboration testing a 560hp plugin hybrid truck with a trailer covered in solar panels on public roads.

The researchers developed new, efficient, lightweight solar panels for trucks, helping decrease operational costs and local emissions.

The two-year research project examines the generated solar energy and how much carbon emissions decrease via the use of solar panels. They also study how trucks can interact with the power grid and bring forward new models for what will happen if several trucks like this one are connected to the grid.

On the 18m trailer, an area of 100m2 is covered by thin, lightweight and flexible

solar panels with a maximum efficiency of 13,2kWp. They are estimated to deliver 8000kWh annually when operated in Sweden. The batteries have a total capacity of 300kWh, with 100kWh on the truck and 200kWh on the trailer.

Solar energy gives the hybrid truck a prolonged driving range

of up to 5000km annually in Sweden. The vehicle can double the amount of solar energy, thus driving range in countries with more sun hours, like Spain.

“Scania’s purpose is to drive the shift towards a sustainable transport system. Never before have solar panels been used to generate energy to a

truck’s powertrain like we do in this collaboration,” said Stas Krupenia, head of the research office at Scania.

“This natural energy source can significantly decrease emissions in the transport sector. It is great to be at the forefront in the development of the next generation’s trucks.”

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ROAD NOISE NEWS

VOLVO FH CELEBRATES 30 YEARS

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olvo Trucks is celebrating 30 years since introducing the Volvo FH. Launched in 1993, the company’s flagship model is its most-sold truck, with nearly 1.4 million units sold in about 80 markets worldwide.

“Volvo FH is the perfect representation of a customerfocused mindset and a model that has been pushing the boundaries for 30 years,” said Roger Alm, president of Volvo Trucks.

“In all crucial areas like driver comfort, fuel efficiency, safety and productivity, we have never

stopped improving this truck.

I’m very proud that today our customers can order the Volvo FH as electric, gas-powered and diesel,” he said.

The FH debuted with a completely new chassis, using a design that facilitated flexible solutions for different transport applications. The driveline had a new 12L engine, and the all-new cab offered new levels of aerodynamics and driver comfort.

Innovation milestones over the past three decades include the driver’s airbag, automated I-shift gearbox and Volvo

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Ylva Dalerstedt, longhaul segment manager at Volvo Trucks, said the first-generation Volvo FH was a game changer that totally transformed the concept of a modern truck.

“Since then, we have continued to set new standards in trucking and launched five further generations of this truck,” Dalerstedt said.

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“Our success formula has been to make use of the very latest technology in a way that always adds clear benefits for our customers and drivers.

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ROAD NOISE NEWS

SCANIA INTRODUCES SMART DASH

S

cania has unveiled its new digital dashboard, Smart Dash, opening the way to smarter, safer and better truck driving experiences.

The dashboard has a mix of manual controls and digital displays and can be individualised to driver requirements. Drivers can choose what information to display or omit, and the whole setup is intuitive and user-friendly.

The company said the dashboard’s modular build and digital solutions ensured that Scania trucks offered a secure, connected and comfortable atmosphere behind the wheel.

Drivers received discreet nudges from the Smart Dash whenever a hazard was anticipated or an action was requested.

“Apart from great overview and endless opportunities to individualise the driver

station, our Smart Dash is also the leverage for increased communication and digitalisation in and around the truck,” said Stefan Dorski, senior vice president and head of Scania Trucks.

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“Scania trucks can now be closely integrated with everything from the fleet management system to the actual driving environment and an array of cloud-based services for improved safety, uptime and

productivity.”

The Smart Dash driver station includes two displays: the driver display in front of the driver and the centre information display, a touch screen that is available in 10.1in or 12.9in. The driver

can give input via the touch screen, push buttons or voice. Scania has settled for a balanced mix of physical and digital controls, steering away from hiding vital functions one or two levels down in a menu.

“The most well-used functions should, of course, be readily available,” said Eduardo Landeo, product manager, Scania Trucks.

“It is all about offering the drivers the best possible experience and making sure that new technology always supports the drivers rather than annoying them or bringing cognitive overload. Or even, in the worst-case scenarios, create situations where their focus wanders from the road and direct vision to adjust basic things such as the interior temperature.”

CUMMINS, DAIMLER, PACCAR JOIN FORCES FOR US BATTERY-CELL PRODUCTION

A

ccelera, a zero-emissions business unit of Cummins, and Daimler Truck and PACCAR have formed a joint venture to advance battery-cell production in the United States.

The planned joint venture will manufacture battery cells for electric commercial vehicles and industrial applications, creating American manufacturing jobs in the growing clean-technology sector.

Total investment is expected to be $2 billion to 3 billion for the 21-gigawatt-hour factory.

Accelera by Cummins, Daimler Truck and PACCAR will each own 30%, and jointly control the joint venture, which will initially focus on the lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) battery technology family

for commercial battery-electric trucks.

The LFP battery cells produced by the joint venture will offer several advantages compared with other battery chemistries, including lower cost, longer life and enhanced safety without the need for nickel and cobalt raw materials.

The partnership expects

to see growing demand for battery technology throughout this decade, and American customers will benefit from a dedicated battery-cell factory.

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COVER FEATURE

Last month, in the first of our two-part cover story, we looked at Christchurch-based Fenco, a relative newcomer to the linehaul industry. A lifelong truck devotee and part-time driver, owner Glen Stuart is also an Air New Zealand pilot. His story gave us a fresh look at the industry through the process- and procedure-driven eyes of aviation – potentially a peek at where our world is heading.

In part two, we investigate a multi-generation trucking business at the other end of the country in a totally different yet equally challenging area of transport operations, log cartage. We discover a flourishing enterprise, not at all put off by an ever-changing world and a collapsing road infrastructure.

They’re embracing the need to adapt – and, again, there’s a truck featured in the middle of it.

Both businesses are different in place, market and product – one a recent arrival, the other entrenched in a beloved industry – yet they have uncannily similar messages.

20 New Zealand Trucking October 2023

PRINCIPLES AND PROGRESS PART I

Ian and Shelley Newey are welcoming to a fault, extrovert and happy.

They love what they do – individually and as a couple – a union of skill, talent and shared outlook. They know the world is changing and look for opportunities, not obstacles. Theirs is a resilience fuelled by sharp young energy, partially grounded in eternal management truths handed down by a previous generation.

How appropriate also that, when we arrive, we find one of their newest additions to the fleet is an unintentional metaphor for everything they represent – well-grounded adaptation.

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

T

he next thing, Keith’s ringing me. ‘Shelley’s here saying you’ve broken up with her.

What the hell are you doing? You don’t ever let the good ones go, mate!’ Fourteen hours later, we were all back on again!” Ian Newey recounts the tale, a stake-in-the-ground moment for he and his soulmate, Shelley. As he recounts the events of those 24 hours many years ago, his voice rises to the crystal-clear-and-excited crescendo that’s a trademark of a yarn with this family-, truck- and business-passionate fellow.

If you could compress the whole Newey Transport story into a single moment, that was probably it.

The confident, caring, yet laser-focused Shelley, who loves nothing more than happy people living their best lives, knew full well the potential in a life with this lanky bloke who also happens to make her heart race. And Ian, an energy and enthusiasm overdose; thanks to his father, mate and mentor, Keith, he has an insatiable work ethic and opportunity-focused mind.

For his part, Keith is like a prompt in the wings of a Broadway show, just doing enough to keep everyone on track and help them shine without the spotlight ever reaching him. Yes, folks, there’s a shade of Trevor Hawkins in Keith Newey, that’s for real.

“Yeah, so, Shells had finished university and was working in HR at Tyco in Auckland. I had the Foden by then, and we were trying to do the remote thing.

She’d seen this young guy with his own truck and thought, ‘Wow, young with his own business. This guy’s loaded!’” Laughter erupts around the room.

“Na, na, I was going hard – it was different then. Shit,

we went hard, man. I was either working or asleep, and it all got too difficult, so I called it off.

“Trouble was that Shells, dad and mum got on like a house on fire. So, she went straight around there, all in a mess, saying, ‘Ian’s broken up.’ You know what happened next? The phone call…”

Let’s not load up the poor guy with too much here... This is a woman of immense character, a passionate people person, an HR specialist. Shelley knew partnerships were a two-way thing, so she compromised and upped sticks, moving away from the bright lights and big post-grad opportunities, back home to the north (she’s a Kamo lass) to be closer to ‘Mr Work and Sleep’. Initially, she went to work for Alan Lang at Intertruck Distributors in Whangarei. But in a classic case of ‘all you’ll ever need is under your feet’, she ended up in a senior HR role at New Zealand Refining at Marsden Point.

That’s not the end of that story, either. Anyway, moving on…

Back up the truck Let’s just back up a fraction and find out how we got to that point and beyond.

Ian is the son of Keith and Carolyn Newey and part of a hugely respected Northland family that’s been in and around transport for three generations at least.

Ian’s grandfather ran buses – Mack buses, believe it or not – and Keith is probably best known in trucking for the Golden Bay Cement contract he held between 1989 and 2009. Ian picks up the thread....

“When Golden Bay Cement went down the contractor model, it purchased 10 R-model Macks

New Zealand Trucking

October 2023 21

1

2

3

4

5 22 New Zealand Trucking October 2023

1) Shelley and Ian Newey, trucking in modern times. 2) Dad Keith, mum Carolyn, and Keith’s R-model – bought back and fully restored by MTD and given to Keith in 2013 as a retirement gift. 3) New in 1989, the 350hp R-model. 4) One of Keith’s first CH Macks, Torque ‘o the Town. of identical spec and then advertised the contracts to tow leased company trailers.

Keith took Mack No.10, a 350hp Econodyne and 12-speed. The truck loaded out of Golden Bay’s Portland facility just south of Whangarei to North Island silos, the farthest being Otaki. At its peak, the family fleet comprised four immaculate Bulldogs.

“I grew up in the cab of a Mack cement tanker, travelling all over the country. The dream was always to drive a Golden Bay cement tanker like Dad.” Although he eventually got there, his was the classic case of the boy’s dream being only a part of the man’s story.

“I actually went into the forest from school and my journey led me to work for Ken Holmes, harvesting and machine operating mainly in the Riverhead and Woodhill Forests.

I had my HT licence, dad had

told me to get that sorted before the rules changed. It was the days when you just showed up, answered some questions, went for a drive – and done! Thank goodness I did that.

“Around the turn of the century, maybe a bit before, I went to work for Craig Stokes, driving a log truck. Holmes and Stokes had shared an office at the old Riverhead Forest HQ, and so that’s how that happened.”

Then, he chuckles: “I’ll never forget Craig saying, ‘Why don’t you go drive for your old man, wreck his gear, then come and drive for me when you’re sorted?’

The trouble was Dad had longserving guys; someone had to die to get a seat.

“I absolutely loved the job at Stokes. I was there for 18 months and went everywhere – Northland forests, Central, Mangatu in Gisborne. It was challenging, challenging stuff,

6

10

9

5) Torque ‘o the Town II, an ex-cement tanker that became a logger… “This is how you retire them!” 6) Ian’s first log truck, an ex-Sheldrake 1995 Foden S108. 7) Ian’s first brand new truck, a 2005 Mack Quantum. It is still in the fleet, having done more than 2,100,000km. 8) During the Aztec years, 2011 to 2017. Yes, these two are also still in fleet. 9 & 10) The late Mike ‘Bull’ Rainsford’s Trident holds a special place in Ian’s heart. After Mike’s passing in 2021, Ian bought his friend’s truck in memorium, retaining Mike’s stripes but changing it out of Aztec’s colours. with no two days the same.

“Then the ultimate happened – the cement job. Keith bought a new Mack Trident, and he set it up as a double-shift unit with driver Dave Kerr. He asked me if I wanted the second seat. At last, the dream job.

“Now, how do you say this without it sounding wrong and disrespectful? After six months, I’d had enough. Don’t get me wrong – fantastic truck, great job – but after the constant personal test of the remote logging, it just couldn’t hold my interest. Once you’ve done all five silos five times… you know? It was just a case of ‘press repeat’. I needed constant challenge.”

It just so happened that Asset Forestry subsidiary Flex Distribution was setting up owner-driver contracts out of the Pouto Forest at the bottom of the northern arm of the Kaipara. Keith pointed Ian in that

direction and, in 2002, Newey Transport was born. “We kicked off with an ex-Graeme Sheldrake 500hp Cummins-powered Foden bought through Ashley Hall. It ran for three months before the motor blew up. Fun times.”

Ian’s first new Bulldog came in the form of a 470hp 8x4 Mack Qantum in 2005, a truck still in the company today with 2,100,000km on the clock. Ian drove the truck himself for the first 600,000km before putting a driver on and taking the wheel of a new Hino 700 Series in 2011. That truck that ran to 1,100,000km and is also still in the yard, although now a donor truck. “A great machine, but she’d had enough. She was tired.”

Anyway, back to the story…

In 2006, a year after the Qantum arrived, Ian and Shelley set up Marsden Transport Solutions with Glen and Suzie Curran. Keith joined the fold in

2009, following the decision of Golden Bay parent Fletchers to bring the cement tankers back into the company fold. Keith retained two Mack Tridents; one was sent to MTD in Palmerston North for stretching and a logging B-train was found for the other. “It’s how you retire trucks,” says Ian, with a laugh. “Send them logging.”

Over the course of the next three years, Ian and Shelley added their first new Granite, and Keith an additional Qantum.

The next big move came in 2011. Ian and Shelley sold their shares in MTS to Glen and Suzie, and took their three trucks as IK and SM Newey Transport to the Northland arm of AZTEC Forestry Transport Developments, where Ian worked under Steve Segetin as northern operations manager and Shelley as health and safety manager. When Keith retired in 2013, Ian and Shelley doubled

the size of their fleet overnight to six.

“The AZTEC era was a great one and we certainly enjoyed it.

In the six years we were involved, a hell of a lot of wood came online, and the fleet grew from 23 trucks when we arrived to 50 by the time we left, of which we contributed 10 by the end.

“It was a hell of a busy few years. But all journeys come to an end, and it was time for us to move on. The timing was also right. There was new wood coming on stream, plus significant restructuring in the forest ownership up here. It all meant we were able to leave and set up without standing on toes.

We were also in a really good space in terms of equity. If we had to park up six of our 10 for a while, then we could.”

Home sweet home Keith owns a plot of land on

7

8 New Zealand Trucking

October 2023 23

1) Paula Ewers, IK & SM Newey Transport’s new general manager. 2) Once the humble family home, now the nerve centre of Newey Transport.

Kepa Road in Ruakaka, and when Ian and Shelly moved house in 2011, they retained their previous home of nine years two doors up on the corner of Kepa and Sime. Today, it serves as the company office.

This is a real family affair where nothing’s forgotten or left behind… famous old trucks, the family home… it’s gold!

“The little house is becoming a shrine,” says Ian. “I am a bit too sentimental at times. That’s how some stuff gets to stay. I can’t part with it.”

Ian will say ‘we were lucky’ when he talks about winning new contracts early on, but we’re not entirely sure. Luck is often the result of effort and attitude, and to that end, it was probably inevitable something would come the couple’s way.

“We secured some good contracts and recently just had a renewal of one of our key customers. That normally sparks a capex round and that’s why there’s new gear filtering in.

Yep, we’re Mack people through and through. Obviously, there’s history with the brand, but Carl [Capstick – MTD Sales] and Murray Sowerby [former MTD general manager] have just been amazing over the years, sourcing and trading trucks when we’ve needed and spec’ing new trucks.

There are also huge benefits in sticking with a product you know so well. You know what noises are just ‘noises’, which ones don’t matter, and which ones do.

There’s not much we don’t know about a Mack truck.”

Today, the Newey fleet stands at 35, of which 17 are

The latest unit to join the fleet, All Torque, No Work, hard at it, second day on the job.

24 New Zealand Trucking October 2023

owned by Ian and Shelley, and the others by owner-drivers or subcontractors. Trucks are based from Te Hana in the south to Kaitaia in the north and fleet operations extend from as far south as Hunua and Clevedon, south of Auckland, to Parengarenga, 30 minutes south of Cape Reinga, encompassing the full width of Te Tai Tokerau.

“When we’re running at capacity, we can move approximately 80 loads a day. It can get pretty busy.”

Although the Newey trucks are painted and branded in fleet livery designed and applied by virtuoso Darryn Caulfield, it’s not a stipulation for those contracted to the business, and it’s here we find the beginnings of the broader forward-facing story.

“They have to retain something that’s them. They have to be

allowed to demonstrate the pride they have in what they’ve accomplished. They all have Newey LTSC numbers and are all on our GPS, and there’s a lot expected of them regarding rules and compliance. Getting to the point where they can put on a new truck, or even a secondhand truck, is a big thing for a lot of people, and you must allow them to individualise and be proud of that achievement.

“We’ve helped a number of people get a start in trucking, providing vendor finance into a second-hand truck to get them up and running – people who just have to own a truck to fulfil a dream. It gives us and them an immense amount of pride.

“The Granite you’ll be doing the story on, it’s a manual. We’re largely AMT now, and the older

3) Newey’s truck wash is located next to the Allied fuel pump outside the yard, where the local industry can make use of it. 4) MACKGuyver, the company’s trusty fleet service vehicle. guys wouldn’t have a bar of a stick anymore. But young guys do. There are still young fellas who don’t have to learn to drive a manual, but want to. They want to be able to say they can, and so we can provide that option still. It’s cool, you know?

From there, they can progress, and progress and progress.”

Their way No one gets hurt.

Everyone speaks honestly.

We succeed together.

Embracing our differences.

You are important.

It’s on the wall leading into the main office, the 21-year commemorative shirt, the back of the business cards – it’s all over the business. Compared with so many other places, the difference here is the intent to

apply those values – they’re not window-dressing. And there’s a reason why that’s so.

“She lights up the room whenever she comes in,” says Ian of Shelley. “She just loves people, and where this business is today has her fingerprints all over it.

Being an HR specialist, that’s her thing – it’s her buzz. She’s fanatical that it’s all done bangon. People know where they’re at, and that makes them feel valued and part of something.

We’re a family business and do our best to make our people feel part of it all. Me, I left school at 16. I just wanted to get stuck into working in the bush, on trucks!”

All of that is, of course, entirely true, although Ian sells himself short a little. He’ll also tell you – as you’ve read – that

he grew up in the passenger seat of a cement tanker, that he and Keith are as much great mates as they are father and son. Keith has been and continues to be a great mentor – a humble, unassuming bloke (…unassuming when he’s not squealing the tyres on his restored Holden HQ V8 outside the office – LOL).

Ian will tell you it was his father who told him there’s never any need whatsoever to bellow and yell at staff to get them to do what you want, and at the end of the day, people who are respected and treated with dignity will do almost anything for you.

As eternal as that management mantra is, Shelley would be the first to agree it aligns perfectly with 2023

best practice – ‘contemporary’ works when founded on eternal principles of respect and dignity never forgotten. These two are a matched pair indeed.

Legendary Mack salesman Carl Capstick has sold trucks to both Newey generations through his career. “They’re two peas from the same pod. Dealing with Ian is just as enjoyable as it was Keith. Simply great people.”

Just then, the hallway is alive, and Shelley walks in with daughter Jess. Ian’s description was bang-on. Shelley is the liveliest of live wires and takes no time to join the conversation.

“I’m just a people person, always have been. I have to do something that involves people – it’s where I get my energy.

“We’re super proud of our business. You can’t wave the big

Pass through Northland and chances are you’ll see a few of these around...

stick. People can’t be at work worried, sick, or worst of all, angry. You certainly don’t ever want someone driving a truck angry.

It’s got to be open, and they can’t be afraid to ask for what they need. If they have to go to the doctor, or there’s stuff going on they need to tend to, they have to be able to do that.

“We don’t have a huge turnover of drivers, and that tells us we must be doing something right.”

Ian grabs the momentary pause. “It’s one reason I like logs. It’s largely a Monday-toFriday thing, so the crew get a weekend.

They get to see the kids play sport on a Saturday. They’re not delivering groceries to a supermarket on Christmas Eve or a Sunday afternoon. That’s tough on people and families. Log cartage is hard, but it’s got that silver lining.

“We have great customers that support us – they get it... long-term relationships.

The wider industry is in a terrible slump at the moment, but Rayonier Matariki looks at its businesses through a long-term lens, and as such, has shown real commitment to its contractors through this time. You can’t ask for more than that.”

Paying it back On the days we were in camp, something special was taking place. Shelley had recently ended an eight-week HR contract at Channel, the name for the fuel-storage facility at the old New Zealand Refining site.

In the wake of that, she had been offered a position as head of HR on-site, her dream job, and she’d accepted.

“She’s given her heart and soul to our family dream,” says Ian. “Now it’s time for her to chase her big dream.” It’s resulted in manoeuvrings throughout the office.

Health and safety manager Paula Ewers had accepted the offer to move up to general

manager, Nadia McDonald will move into an HR/H&S role and recruiting for Nadia’s administration function was about to commence.

“I’m not going far,” says Shelley, “just up the road. But opportunities to advance in a business this size don’t come around a lot, so it’s perfect.”

The other key member of the crew not normally on-site is dispatch manager Russell Masters. He’s ‘that guy’ whose life is having the tiger by the tail, managing stocks in the bush and truck supply.

“Russell is the pivot all right,” says Ian. “He works from wherever he wants to – home, or the office. It’s a mission-critical job and one that requires trust and flexibility. His peak times are later in the afternoons when stocks are coming in, and in the morning when the first round is complete or glitches need attention – breakdowns, weather, sickness, all the usual.”

The yard and workshop are owned by Keith and Carolyn and leased back by Ian and Shelley. There are two mechanics who also leap behind the wheel when required.

Also in there on work experience is Ian and Shelley’s son, 15-year-old Blake, and there’s Luke (12), who hasn’t got involved as yet.

“The boys haven’t shown interest yet. Jess [10] said she’ll take it on. Someone’s going to step up, right?”

The Newey philosophy to embrace extends well beyond the boundary fence.

When they decided to install a new truck wash 10 years back, they put it outside the gate by the Allied fuel pump. That way, the local industry could make use of it.

“It’s no use having truck washes being installed but locked away in yards all over the place. It’s a waste of resource. Why not make it something everyone can use?

There’s a tag and timer, and we believe the charge is reasonable. They’re bloody

expensive things to do nowadays, and it is about optimising the outlay in a way everyone benefits.”

In addition to all that, Ian’s hugely active in industry representation, currently serving as deputy chair on the board of the NRC and IK & SM Newey Transport is also a member of the Log Transport Safety Council.

Then there’s the annual sponsorship of the Takahiwai Rugby League Club, another way of involving themselves and contributing to their community.

Flush ends, not random Leaving with the wrong message from this and last month’s cover feature would be tragic. It’s a tough old world at this moment in history, and you won’t find folk humbler than the Neweys. They’re certainly not interested in ‘look at us’. This is just a story about a truck-mad boy who met a peoplemad girl and together created something cool. It is not a manual on ‘how to’, like the Glen Stuart story, it is merely an insight into ‘how we chose to do this’.

They are two businesses finding their way in modern 2023 road transport with all its challenges, yet finding the opportunities to do things a little differently. Neither are changing the recipe – shit still has to be uplifted and carted somewhere else for money in return – but they’ve chosen to season their recipe a little differently, altering the flavour immeasurably.

In the Newey’s case, we find modern thinking and eternal business truths are one and the same and, at their core, petition a basic respect for your fellow man.

“You can’t drive a truck from home,” says Shelley. “We need the drivers to come to work, so it’s on us to create an environment where that’s not a burden, where they feel part of something.”

PART 2

FEATHERWEIGHT

TACTICS

I

t’s a quote that sums up Ian Newey’s thinking in a nutshell: “If you’re not carting 32 tonne on nine-axles at 50MAX, there’s no point… You should be then running seven axles. That’s in our view… You can cart close to 30 tonne with seven axles for a lot less capex.”

The more we discuss operating log trucks with Ian, the more apparent it is that doing so in Northland presents challenges most operators in other areas of the country can be relieved they don’t have to worry about. Moving as many logs as possible means having the most payload capacity as possible on trucks that must traverse highly restrictive roads.

The lighter the truck, the more it can carry within the limits.

For many, 50MAX isn’t even an option.

“Only two are rated at 54 tonne out of our whole fleet.

We can run 54 tonne out of Riverhead, Hunua and Clevedon, but we can’t even run 50 in some parts of the Far North,” says Ian. “It’s not going to change in Northland anytime soon,” he continues. “It’s all well and good throwing money at the state highways, but there aren’t many forests that lead directly off the state highways. The further north you go, the less attention the 44-tonne bridges are going to get. And if you’ve got a

44-tonne bridge between you and the forest, you need to be able to cross it…”

The problem extends to some of the forest roads, too. “The Dome, for example – it’s coming into its second cycle now. We used to pull out of there at 44 tonne with four-axle truck three-axle trailer combinations.

They want to reuse the existing tracks from the last cycle, but in 25 years, the road transport fleet has changed. We won’t pull 54 tonne out of there because we’re just never going to get up. But if they get the compaction right, the sevenaxle combination will, and with a decent payload,” says Ian. It all sounds simple, but Ian’s a

savvy operator who knows what he’s dealing with and does his homework.

“We built a cost model with the four different configurations – four-axle truck three-axle trailer, which is no longer fit for purpose, three-axle truck fouraxle trailer, four-axle truck fouraxle trailer, and four-axle truck five-axle trailer. We put them on a parity doing the same runs every day and added into that capex, fuel, tyres, all these assumptions.

“The nine-axle combination spat out the best result for return on investment, as you’d expect. But closely behind was the three-axle truck fouraxle trailer combination. So, it

became obvious to us which way we needed to go – our future in Northland is nine or seven axles.”

There’s nothing on it…

The bare combination needs to be astonishingly light to carry a close-to 30-tonne payload of logs with a modern vehicle restricted by what amounts to a 44-tonne GCM. However, in building the Granite, Ian had a template that came, interestingly, from the opposite end of the country.

“In 2017, we acquired two of Bill Richardson’s six-wheeler CHs with four-axle Southern Engineering trailers. They had both done only about 700,000km – the operators don’t do big Ks in the South Island. And they had sensational combined tare weights – 14,800kg. So, predominantly in

Heading for his next load... Billy is conscientious and easy on the gear. the Far North, with 44-tonne restricted bridges, these things were still coming out there with 29.5 tonnes on, where everything else was carrying 26 tonnes.”

Those trucks were on-sold to

28 New Zealand Trucking October 2023

a couple of guys looking for a stepping stone into the industry with low capex. Ian financed them into the trucks as ODs for Neweys, so while the trucks were still within the fleet, he knew what the concept could

deliver and wanted more.

“Over the Covid period, I said to Carl [Capstick], ‘I want that again, but new. How can we do it?’ We targeted a 15-tonne tare weight… We had to be realistic.

We knew it would have AdBlue

Billy chains up.

and other equipment the CH never did,” Ian explains.

To have any chance of achieving this ambitious target, the base had to be a Granite.

For the rest, Ian, Carl and the technical boffins at Motor Truck Distributors put their heads together. “We won’t go into too much detail about how we did it, but we got there in the end,” Ian says contentedly.

In essence, anything that didn’t need to be on the truck was binned, and anything that did have to be there was pared down to its most compact form possible. The second fuel tank, gone, leaving a single 350L tank at the right-hand side. Other than a small locker alongside, that’s all the driver will see approaching the cab.

The passenger has to contend with the 8x4 Trident’s left-handside combined entry-step/ SCR exhaust cassette with underframe exhaust. Watch your step, that round one at the bottom’s not for cab entry…

Behind this sits the 125L AdBlue tank. And because the tanks are all forward of the headboards, no tank guards are needed – more weight saved. This also goes for the batteries and air tanks, which were mounted inboard of the chassis under a simple board of MDF. “The whole mindset was tare

weight, without compromising the truck’s integrity,” Ian explains.

“We thought, if the Trident can have that exhaust/step assembly, why can’t the Granite?

It’s not like we could have ‘chimneys’ anyway. To get the trailer behind it, the headboard had to be right up there.”

That trailer was an existing 2011 Highway Hound step-deck unit with a 5.8m wheelbase.

Ian explains the reason for needing a 5.8m wheelbase trailer was to avoid cubing out.

“You typically cube out on the trailer with a four-axle singlebay configuration – you can’t get enough wood on it. So, to make it work, we needed a longwheelbase trailer so we could double pack it with 5.9s. And it keeps the load height down.

“A local engineer, Warwick Dawson, Dawson’s Design, did the drawings for us, and the trailer would fit – only just.”

The bolsters were also existing units – a Patchell set from an old refurbished truck.

The Newey team rigged the unit in the company’s workshop, leaving all the certification and welding to local outfit Ten-4 Engineering.

“We just bolted it all together like a Meccano set. The beauty of us doing that was we could see what we didn’t need and

The traditional burgundy pleated ultra-leather interior came as a surprise – what a privilege. The classic Mack instrumentation is still exceptionally appealing but is now being replaced by the new style introduced by Anthem.

New Zealand Trucking

October 2023 29

The concept: get rid of anything that’s not needed, and scale down whatever is left as much as possible. what could be removed as we were going. We’d go to the local weighbridge and keep checking what it weighed.” And the result?

A tare weight of 15,140 tonnes – 9700kg on the truck and 5440kg on the trailer.

Moo-ving through Glenbervie Not only is Newey Transport’s latest Granite special for the unique concept it explored and delivered, but it’s also special for being the last of its kind. We’re normally reluctant to talk about firsts and lasts, but in this case, we have it on good authority that Newey Transport fleet No.36 was the last Granite build for New Zealand and the last to enter service in the country. It’s also the last with an 18-speed manual transmission, and the last Mack for our market with the classic burgundy pleated ultra-leather.

Both features were something of a ‘happy accident’… The truck wasn’t expected with the Western Trim treatment, and as for the Roadranger shifter poking up from the floorboard, Ian says: “We already had mDrive autos in the fleet and loved them. But I was having a day when I wanted a manual. About a month later, I changed my mind and rang Carl, but it was too late to change it to an auto.”

Not that it bothers Ian – as we’ve covered, he doesn’t believe the want to conduct cogs is dead and buried among drivers.

The following morning, we meet No.36’s driver, Billy Kanara, bright and early at the Weigh Northland station. New to log truck driving but described by Ian as “a duck to water”, Billy’s one of those newcomers who wants to master the art of driving the old-school way. “I’m still getting my head around the

30 New Zealand Trucking October 2023

Roadranger,” he openly admits as we head off. No judgement here, mate!

Our destination is the Rayonier Matariki Forest in Glenbervie, just north of Whangarei, No.36’s usual haunt.

The skid is deep in the forest, but the access roads are by all accounts top class. And as we’d soon learn, the logging crew led by Northlander Jacko Rata is among the most efficient, efficacious and accommodating we’ve recently encountered.

The run up from Ruakaka is short, roughly 40km. Indeed, No.36 had clocked up a reasonable 40,500km in the five months it had been traversing Northland by the time we’d met Billy. We join SH1 at the roundabout with Port Marsden Highway and head north. It’s virtually flat running, a simple cruise with some stop-start through the city before turning

off SH1 into the access road.

There’s nothing to it, really.

Billy’s relaxed driving style barely summons the available 373kW (500hp), with the MP8 emitting a smoother, more refined note from that single low-exit exhaust than one would be accustomed to with a pair of stacks behind the cab.

“I think it needs a touch more power sometimes,” comments Billy. “For example, climbing the Brynderwyns with near 30-odd tonne on can be… slow.”

There are two access roads to the Glenbervie Forest, mainly used as one way in, one way out to smooth the flow of trucks on busy days. According to Billy, it’s not uncommon for trucks to queue. Luckily, it was quiet on both of our trips in.

“She’s quite a big site. You don’t realise it until you get over the hill and out the back there,” says Billy. “Oh, yell out if you

happen to see a cow…” he adds with a laugh.

A cow? Apparently, a farmer neighbouring one of the access roads had the misfortune of his herd escaping their paddock…

“There’s still about a dozen of them in here that haven’t been found!”

The drive to the skid is a full 20 minutes of dips, rises and switchbacks – no cows – but the Granite isn’t the least fazed heading in and later gets out just fine with trailer and 29-tonne in tow. Bigfoot CTI is fitted for the extra-demanding sites and has been called into action on occasion. Despite the on-and-off rain, there’s no need for it on our excursion. As Ian had commented: “You can’t beat the traction of a six-wheeler, they’ll climb up the side of a cliff. There are some of those forests around…”

Of course, the easy going is also down to the driver. For someone so new to the world of logs, Billy’s a smooth operator, always looking ahead, gentle on the gear, and conscientious to, at and from the skid. The MP8 certainly deploys every bit of its 2495Nm (1840lb/ft) on some of the more demanding climbs, as Billy smoothly drops it down a few cogs and lets it pull itself up and out at its own pace.

“I’d rather a manual than an auto out here,” he adds.

“When you select a gear, it stays in. Some autos can wander

Billy Kanara and log truck driving – like a duck to water.

Like a pro

T

rucking and truck driving is an interesting thing. It’s not always the most skilled, veteran personalities that make an impact. This much was abundantly clear as we met Fenco’s Glen Stuart for last month’s cover story Head in the clouds, Feet on the ground – a flying ace with a glint in his eye for truck driving and an ambition to own and run his own trucks.

Likewise, the path of Billy Kanara into logtruck driving. At 40, he’s new to the vocation but, with a background driving farm trucks and all manner of other machinery, the desire’s always been there… And so, through determination and the right attitude, he’s found himself in the driving seat of our cover truck, having been part of the Newey team only since the beginning of the year.

“I don’t quite know how that happened,” laughs Billy. “I’m the ‘rookie’, new to logs.

I only got onto them when I started with Neweys. I’m very much learning as I go, but the journey’s been good so far. I’m still alive, so I can’t complain!” he says with a solid laugh.

“Ian’s pretty good, hey. He’s looked after me and eased me into it,” he says. And so far, it’s so good… “It’s cruisy. There’s no stress, which is quite good. You’re out there on your own. And I’ve always been up early, an early start for logs doesn’t bother me.”

Those early-to-rise habits came from growing up on farms nationwide, including Greymouth, the Bay of Islands, Taupo and

Whangarei. “I’ve been driving trucks all the time, since I was little on the farms,” Billy hints.

Around 15 years ago, he headed to the Taupo region to go dairy farming. There, too, he took to the wheel on typical farm truck and tractor work. “I’d also have a play on the diggers when stuff needed doing,” Billy adds.

“I’ve been around machinery all my life – diggers, drills, all that. I got my wheels, tracks and rollers endorsements. I love that kind of work. It’s good money, too.”

About 10 years ago, Billy returned to Whangarei. “There was nothing wrong with Taupo. But in winter, it gets bloody cold!” he says with a laugh. During this time, he worked for Carters doing hiab work and a bit of drilling. “I’d move the machines myself and then operate them, so this now is probably my first job where all I do is drive.”

He lives with his partner Angelic and threeyear-old truck-mad son Hector. “The young fella’s three going on 21, he reckons. He’s a handful sometimes. He loves trucks, too… for now! I’ll make sure he gets all his licences anyway.”

An avid hunter and fisher, Billy jokes about his latest hobby: “Nappies, it’s 90% nappies now… But, nah, I try to get into the bush. But when you’re working five days and out there for one, that only leaves one day to spend with the young fella. At least being on logs is good. I’m home every night.”

Seems like a perfect fit for this ‘rookie’.

New Zealand Trucking

October 2023 31

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

Mack Granite CMMR 6x4 Tare: 9700kg GVM: 27,600kg GCM: 55,000kg Wheelbase: 6135mm Engine: Mack MP8 Capacity: 12.8L Power: 373kW (500hp) Torque: 2495Nm (1840lb/ft) Emissions: Euro-5 via SCR Transmission: Eaton RTLO20918B 18-speed Clutch: Eaton two-plate 15.5in Easy Pedal Chassis: 11mm

Log truck driving is not for chickens. between gears.”

Having come off Newey’s older four-axle Granite, Billy reckons the three-axle unit offers a bit more comfort and while the 8x4’s extra set of paws helps with maintaining course in the mud, the 6x4’s tighter steering lock comes into its own on the tighter sites he tends to visit.

Average fuel economy thus far is a fair 1.9km/L.

To the future Just as the Neweys’ approach to business melds modern leanings with traditional values, Ian’s approach to spec’ing No.36 melds the conditions of modern-day trucking with backto-basics thinking.

It might appear to be ‘just’ another Mack Granite at face value, but that would be selling

Front axle: Mack FXL 14.6 with unitised hubs

the concept short. It’s a truck created from a desire to do the job as efficiently as possible, to offer the best return possible, in conditions that force that kind of thinking. As the saying goes, ‘Out of adversity comes opportunity...’

And the best bit? As the curtain closes on the Granite, the Neweys’ three-generation allegiance to the Mack brand, and desire to push the limits of tare weight to get the most out of their investment in tough conditions, are both secure…

There’s a new Anthem on the way – a different configuration with a five-axle, 6.1m wheelbase, triple-bay trailer, no less. And they should, by all estimations, be able to follow No.36’s recipe with the Anthem platform, too.

Just call it the ‘Northland combination’.

Front axle rating: 6600kg Front-suspension: Heavy-duty parabolic springs with heavyduty shock absorbers Rear axle: Meritor RT46-160GP, hypoid single reduction, 4.30:1 Rear-axle rating: 20,900kg Rear suspension: Mack AP460 air suspension Brakes: Drum. ABS Auxiliary braking: Mack ‘PowerLeash +’ engine brake Additional safety: Park-brake door alarm Additional productivity: Telematics Gateway with 3G & WLAN Fuel: 1x 350L DEF tank: 125L Wheels: Alcoa Dura-bright Tyres: 295/80 R22.5 (f ), 11R 22.5 (r) Electrical: 12V Cab exterior: LED day running lights, LED roof lamps.

Smoke bug deflector, painted sun visor.

Dual roof-mounted airhorns. Rear cab air suspension with Panhard rod Cab interior: Full gauge package, Co-Pilot dash display, LCD multi-info display. Pleated Ultra Leather burgundy interior trim, luxury woodgrain dash, interior dome with red ambient floor lighting, Mack kick plates, 460mm rubber-grip steering wheel, rear wall storage pocket, cab centre storage box. ISRI Premium ‘Big Boy’ driver seat, ISRI sliding passenger seat, seat covers.

Mack AM/FM radio with USB, Aux-in and Bluetooth

Special thanks Our thanks to Ian and Shelley Newey for sharing their story, opening up their operation and allowing us to showcase their unique approach to transport, both in the office and on the road.

To Billy Kanara, thanks for having us along and tolerating our journalistic and photographic antics. And to Rayonier Matariki and Jacko Rata, for doing the same and accommodating us on your skid.

Finally, the legendary Carl Capstick… thanks for your unfailing support of our business.

32 New Zealand Trucking October 2023

TRA 23

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE PATCHELL GOUP ON KEEPING NZ MOVING FOR 50 YEARS It has been a honour to have played our part in it, the team at Transpecs are grateful for your support and Patronage.

0800 875 669 TRANSPECS.CO.NZ

TRA 23015 Patchell Ad A4 V6.indd 1

Since 1953

19/09/23 2:12 PM

PATCHELL celebrates 50 years

Driven by aspiration – and a little rebellion – Ian Patchell set out to make something of his engineering design talents. His path led him to open Patchell Industries. Fifty years later, the company is one of the most recognisable names in the industry.

Story by Mike Isle

A Volvo FH16 750 8x4 convertible truck and four-axle convertible trailer for B & P Hermansen Logging in 2017.

34 New Zealand Trucking October 2023

Photos: Patchell Group

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gakuru is a quiet little village in the Whirinaki Valley southwest of Rotorua.

It has a church, a machinery workshop, a community hall, a school and little else. Not that it needs much else. Most of what’s needed is produced locally.

It is a world and a generation away from the noise, bustle, expertise and history of the country’s largest heavy transport trailer and equipment supplier. Nevertheless, Ngakuru is where the Rotorua-based, internationally recognised Patchell Group, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year,

has its roots.

Many residents of Ngakuru, past and present, remember Ian Patchell, the young, tousledhaired kid who lived on a farm with his family just outside of the village. He was hardly a standout academically. Except for Mr Blandford’s engineering class and Mr Petchell’s technical drawing class at Rotorua Boys High, he didn’t enjoy any of the schools or classes he attended.

But where Ian stood out, even among the resilient and innovative farming community of the time, was with his engineering and design drawing prowess and enterprise. At

nine, he accidentally broke the only toy he was fond of – a metal truck. He welded it back together using the sun and a magnifying glass. He was only 10 when he started driving the family’s farm truck and organising a successful team of three men to transport hay bales and make a profit. At 12, he built a canoe and then, without his father’s knowledge, appropriated the Villiers engine, complete with its centrifugal clutch, that powered the family’s 15in Morrison reel-driven lawnmower and used it to power up the canoe.

There came a time

– inevitable perhaps – when the rigidity of school and even his life on the farm became at odds with the rebellious and aspirational youngster. In 1968, and telling no one, including his father, Ian threw off his school uniform, hid it in the bush, put on his best jeans, and set off to take on the world.

Today, the Patchell Group is a multi-million-dollar operation that came through the global financial crisis and Covid-19 largely unscathed. It employs upwards of 240 staff in seven plants around its View Road Rotorua headquarters.

Its tentacles are spread

Left: Pictured from Mangatete Road, the farm cottage and Patchell home circa 1955. The farm’s six-a-side milking shed is in the background.

Right: The original Ngakuru schoolhouse shown here relocated to Ngakuru village, with its first extension accommodating a second classroom at the rear of the original building. worldwide, mainly through its iconic Swinglift sidelifters brand and its equally iconic Patchell mudflap, which is omnipresent on New Zealand roads – testimony to the group’s prolific and proficient production output.

Was it meant to be that way? Was that what Ian Patchell intended when, in 1972, he opened his first general engineering workshop after working in various jobs in New Zealand and Australia, including a highly paid stint as a boilermaker at the Kinleith mills?

Ian certainly had the faith to make a go of it. But any lack of belief and confidence the newly married Ian Patchell had in 1971 was more than compensated for by the

support he received from industry legends such as local contractor Tom Henderson and transport operator Geoff Perfect. He also had the backing of larger-than-life characters with massive egos and prodigious work ethos, capable of consuming copious beers in the Lakehouse pub – characters such as John Scally, Joe Hose, Sandy Caulfield, John Beazley and Sonny Barns, and their mates, the Hunter brothers; transport operators all, specifically logging.

These men were generous enough to allow Ian to carry out minor jobs for them in their workshops until he could rent his own, part of an abandoned wool store at 73 View Road, which he rented from well-known retired local wool buyer, Harvey J Hornblow,

who Ian knew from his Ngakuru days.

Hornblow was among a group of contacts that gave the young boilermaker a leg up to start his business. In Hornblow’s case, it was three months’ grace on the rent.

Ian approached Bernie Jones, the general manager of Firth Industries, during this period to seek additional work. Ian already knew Jones from Goodwin Homes, one of Ian’s earlier jobs, and Jones knew of Ian’s capabilities.

Jones immediately introduced Ian to the influential Firth Industries’ resident director (Rotorua), Peter Humphrey. Peter introduced Ian to Tom Perfect, Firth’s yard foreperson in Rotorua. Humphrey and Perfect would then weigh in with Ian’s first experience

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1) In June 2000, this Volvo A-25 dump truck was modified by Patchells for Kand Logging to haul full-length tree stems on its self-loading trailer system from various bush sites to super skids for logging operations in the forests of Nelson. 2) This 90-tonne Patchell-built stems rig on a D400E Caterpillar dump truck built for Mitchell Bros, Wairoa. 3) 75-tonne scrap steel U-frame bin carriers for New Zealand Steel’s Glenbrook Mill at Waiuku, 1989.

4) 120-tonne hot-slab hauliers in operation at Glenbrook, 1989.

5) An approved HPMV pro-forma design dedicated 10-axle super B-train combination fitted with demountable log cages at the Port of Tauranga. Photo: ISO. 6) Patchell-built off-highway double for Williams Wilshier. 7) Low-Loader transporter built by Patchell for DG Glenn. 8) 2018 tri-axle Swinglift built for Raymond Transport. 9) Hilton Haulage seven-axle 60-tonne HPMV B-train when permitted as a complete unit.

with general repairs to machinery, building modifications, repairs and maintenance and modifications of new and used concrete moulds for many designs of piles and troughs, manufacturing shed doors for Firth’s concrete killing sheds for farms, and significantly, structural repairs and maintenance of Firth’s vehicle chassis repairs.

The latter was Ian’s first foray into road transport vehicle-structure repairs – where Ian would truly make his marque. Firth Industries was a fertile hunting ground for the fledgling Ian Patchell Ltd. When Firth opened a new block plant in a failed opposition’s block-manufacturing facility at Okeraka in the Bay of Plenty, Patchells was commissioned to install Firth’s new machinery and develop and supply new hoppers, conveyors and much of the ancillary equipment – in effect, taking an empty shell of a building and filling it with the support equipment Firth needed to begin production. The same was done at Firth’s new Silverstream plant in Wellington and its existing operation in Rotorua, which Patchells upgraded. Firth’s new concrete mixing plant was a much larger job on the corner of Old Taupo Road and Tallyho Street in Rotorua. Many of the Patchells hoppers and conveyors used in those jobs are still in use almost 37 years later.

Hard on the back of the ground-breaking and often back-breaking Firth contract, other big names started rolling in for the (then) fledgling Patchell Industries: NZ Steel at Glenbrook, Caterpillar in the United States (earning Patchells the much-coveted – and rare – designation of auxiliary equipment manufacturer), Pan Pac and its owner-drivers in Hawke’s Bay, plus long-term relationships with some of the largest logging operators in the country.

Along the way, Ian diversified, in 2004, acquiring a failed stainless company from its liquidator and in 2005 he purchased Rotorua Stainless and combined both into what is known today as Patchell Stainless Ltd. In

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9 New Zealand Trucking

October 2023 37

State-of-the-art design and engineering has always been a Patchell trademark. Here, a chassis-welding machine with its two robots welds a chassis, and the Patchell Stainless workshop manufacturing tank barrels.

2005, the intellectual property for Rob Wynyard’s innovative Swinglift brand of sidelifters was purchased, and earlier in 1995 he had started Si-Lodec Onboard Weight Systems, now managed and part-owned by Ian’s nephew, Shaun Morse.

Ian Patchell was on top of something special here, and he knew it. The last thing on his mind at that time – even in recent times – was celebrating its 50th anniversary. But using the occasion to sit down with him and talk about those 50 years offers a potential insight into the man and the companies

he created.

Ian is a dichotomy – there are no two ways about it.

He is unyielding and often tough to work with and for.

He can be forgiven for that; he won’t compromise on quality and expects others to follow suit. Yet he is widely known for being compassionate and generous with his staff, friends and acquaintances.

He and the Patchell Group are philanthropic, and what they do for the Rotorua community often goes unnoticed, and that is how Ian wants it.

At a function in the Rotorua

38 New Zealand Trucking October 2023

Event Centre on 8 September, more than 400 guests celebrated the Patchell Group’s 50 years in business. They weren’t there to pay homage; they, or most of them, were there out of respect and, for many, friendship.

They included politicians who talked of the group’s contribution to the community, former and current Patchell employees who spoke of the company culture and their passion for their work. There were customers, of course, who universally complimented Patchells on its quality of work

over the years. There were old friends of Ian’s, some going back to schooldays, who spoke personally to Ian under the privacy and pleasure of reminiscing. Chief executive Brent Whibley spoke warmly of the “team” at Patchells, saying it was all about people. In saying that, Brent stole Ian’s thunder – somewhat. In a private conversation with New Zealand Trucking earlier, Ian had said much the same thing about the people – Patchell people.

There is a common thread here. Ian and Brent don’t talk about the product,

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the bottom-line financial performance, market conditions or even the brand equity of the ubiquitous mudflap. They talk about people.

People have been the driving force within this company and the cornerstones of its success and growth. Ian has never doubted it nor even overtly

1) Ian addresses the guests. 2) Ian and CEO Brent Whibley at Patchells’ 50th celebration in September.

3) The Patchell mudflap – iconic.

ONE ONE TEAM. TEAM. ONE TEAM. ONE DREAM. DREAM. ONE ONE DREAM. Legends for decades.

Legends Legends for for decades. decades.

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celebrated it. It was just there – that passion for product and performance, permeating the group from its earliest days. Ian started and encouraged it but has never taken credit.

Even so, as a doyen of the industry, Warwick Wilshire, who was at the function, says: “Ian’s legacy to the industry won’t be the trailers or the forestry equipment he and his team built over those 50 years, it will be the team he built around him.”

So, what now for the Patchell Group?

And what now for Ian himself? At 74, he must be approaching retirement?

Ian alluded to those questions in his celebratory speech to the 400. He called it the “elephant in the room”. He expressed his belief that whatever happened and whenever it happened, the Patchell name would live on. It would live on in the current employees and future employees.

It would live on in the memories of those who have worked there or purchased plant there. It would live on in those who supplied the group and competed with the group.

“It will live on in the people,” Ian said.

“Patchell people.”

A Westland Milk Products truck and five-axle trailer carrying 38,500L of milk, crossing the Waimakariri River.

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Picture this: young Josh Adamson washing trucks at J Swap Contractors in Matamata. On completion, the truck needs to be moved off the wash. Driver Mike says to Josh, ‘You get in and move it’ — the perfect opportunity for a keen young fella, encouraging him to succeed.

Story and photos by Alison Verran

I

’ll always remember that,” comments Josh, “being allowed to move the gear and park it up.” We’re riding with Josh in his Kenworth T904 with a Cat C15 and over 1,400,000km on the clock. It’s a fantastic ride up Rocky Cutting Road in the hills behind Welcome Bay in Tauranga. The road is currently closed due to major slips in the area. We’re heading up to collect a 16-tonne digger that has been helping to rebuild the road, delivering it to a farm on Poripori Road on the other

side of the city. Josh has only been on this Kenworth for three weeks but has been part of the J Swap heavy haulage team for six months.

At only 22, Josh operates the gear like he’s been doing it for years. In fact, it’s only taken four years from obtaining his Class 2, now commanding his T904 towing a three-rows-of-four widening trailer with a 47-tonne gross load. The next step for Josh is a four-rows-of-four quad trailer, carting up to 59-tonne gross, to enable him to move

bigger machinery.

“I get around a bit, doing this job,” says Josh. “I’ve been to Whangarei in the north and Wellington in the south. I haven’t yet made it to the South Island, but I’m hoping that will happen.

“I love driving through towns in the T904. People are always looking up at it, with the high, long bonnet. Then they see a young fella driving it! Another great part of this job is that I also get to drive the machines. It adds variety to the job.”

Josh’s interest in trucks started

at an early age, growing up on a farm at Te Poi. “Chapmans had a yard at the end of the road. I got hooked on trucks, watching them go past. Then Dad finished farming and went driving trucks.

I would look up at them and think, ‘They look very cool, I want to do that one day.’ And now I’m doing it!”

Josh would visit his grandparent’s home on a main road in Matamata. “I used to sit on their fence and arm pump at all the trucks. It kept me happy for hours. I’m sure their

A selection of trucks from Josh’s driving career so far, illustrating his growth at J Swap, starting with the little Hino 500.

neighbours hated it though!”

Fence-sitting was a popular pastime for Josh – his primary school was on SH29, so he would regularly sit on the school fence and watch the trucks go by. “My creative writing at school was always about trucks, too.”

Knowing the trucking industry was for him, as a teenager, Josh would cycle for half an hour from his home to Waharoa to wash trucks for Whiteline. “That was pretty much my first job involving trucks. Dad worked there, and I ended up driving a

loader in their bulk store when I left school.”

Determined to get into the career he wanted, Josh approached J Swap Contractors for an after-school and weekend job washing trucks. His keenness and hard work paid off when the job progressed to something more. “They offered me a type of cadetship, where they would put me through my licence classes to get me where I wanted to be. I had always seen the Swap trucks and admired them, and now I’m part of the furniture,” Josh says

with a laugh.

“I started out on a fourwheeler Hino, just round town, doing local metal deliveries. I would also load palm kernels and go to local farms and fill up their stock food troughs. At the time, I thought it was a pretty shit job, but I look back now, and it was a pretty cruisy job. I would just tip off, fill the bins and then shovel it around to do a tidy job.”

Moving up to Class 4, Josh moved on to a larger Hino, followed by a Kenworth with a bulk bin, carrying out palm

kernel deliveries. After driving a few more trucks in the fleet, a more permanent option became available, and Josh found himself behind the wheel of a Kenworth T401 with a Cat C12 engine.

During lockdown, this Kenworth took him on deliveries around the Coromandel Peninsula.

Class 5 was achieved at just 19 years old, and Josh moved up to a Kenworth T401 truck and trailer unit, running at 45 tonne.

“I remember telling people that I couldn’t believe I was only 19 and had my Class 5. Everything

Collecting a 16-tonne digger from Rocky Cutting Road.

New Zealand Trucking

October 2023 43

just fell into place. I’ve never felt like I’m working. I don’t wake up and think, ‘Oh, I have to go to work’. I just love driving. I’ve always got stuck in and got the job done.”

A very young person with so much enthusiasm and drive can bring questions from industry veterans. “Old fellas often ask me, ‘Why would you want to drive trucks? I’ve been doing it for 30 years and I’m over it. It’s not worth it.’ I would say to them, ‘But I have the same enthusiasm you had 30 years ago.

It’s totally worth it.’ I enjoy every minute, and getting paid to drive around the country is great.

“They have to remember how keen they were when they started. Trucking back then was different, though. There are so many more restraints these days. I have to admit, most old fellas I’ve come across are happy to share their knowledge. I have always asked questions, even when I realised it was a dumb

question. I look up to the older guys for knowledge and experience. I’ve got a great workmate, Mike Haskett. He’s been at Swaps for 30-something years. He touches base with me every day to check how things are going. I really appreciate him giving me his time.”

For his part, Mike says it’s great to have a young one who listens to what you say and is willing to learn. Josh continues, “My dispatcher, Dan Pollock, would rather me ring and ask to get things right. He’s always happy to help.”

Dan is impressed with Josh’s genuine enthusiasm for the industry and says the young man has always been interested in heavy haulage. When he was on the bulk trucks, he often helped the transporting guys, loading and unloading their gear. “The biggest thing with Josh is that he listens.

If he keeps going the way he’s going, he’ll be on even bigger gear in no time. He’s an

Josh Adamson has always had an enthusiasm for the transport industry, and now he’s living the dream.

44 New Zealand Trucking October 2023

all-rounder. He’s pretty much at the point where he can do any job we give him on any gear. I have a lot of trust in him,” he says.

J Swap has a sizeable fleet, with plenty of senior drivers to help when needed. “I’m really lucky to have a great team around me. They kind of take me under their wing. I’ve just fitted in with the team. I don’t have to try hard to do what I do; it just seems to happen.”

A positive attitude is the reason for a lot of Josh’s achievements. He puts much of his success down to simply doing what is asked of him and staying away from drama. He’s had a plan from a young age and has worked hard to achieve it. “I didn’t care how long it took to get where I wanted to be as long as I did a good job along the way. If it took five or more years, fine, but I was lucky it only took four.

“Everyone has shit days along the way, but you have to stay positive and know that tomorrow is a new day. Don’t hold grudges. If you have a shit day and end up grumpy, you just have to start the next day positively.”

With a supportive team around him and a company that cares about its employees, Josh has thrived. “Swaps has been really good to me. It’s a good family business, and I feel like I’m part of that family. They didn’t even know who I was, but they took me on, washing trucks first… and now, four years later, I’m on a transporter!”

Most truckers are aware their families must often make sacrifices to cope with the unpredictable nature of the job. “I’m so grateful to my fiancé, Megan, who understands the industry and the challenges that come with it,” says Josh. “With the long hours – and sometimes getting called in at unusual hours – it’s important that I have her support. I appreciate everything she does, and she lets me do what I love… trucking. Oh, and she makes my lunch,” he laughs.

There’s no doubt Josh is proud of where he is. However, he also tells us he has so much more to learn. “It will be awesome to get onto the bigger gear when the time comes.

I’m looking forward to developing my heavy haulage career even further.”

Josh feels it’s important to have other interests apart from trucks. He is the club captain of the Matamata Squash Club and is a member of the Matamata Brass Band.

The thing we noticed most about Josh is his quiet, unassuming manner. Despite his fast-tracked career and being a young guy on decent-sized gear, he remains humble. There’s a fine line between being proud of what you do and having an ego. Josh clearly falls into the ‘proud’ category.

It is clear Josh has a bright future in the industry. He enjoys every aspect of the job, and there is no doubt he is driven to succeed.

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Randy Roth While touring the Pacific Northwest of the United States recently, Carl Kirkbeck caught up with Randy Roth in Cle Elum, just east of Snoqualmie Pass on the I90 in Washington State. Randy was prepping his 2018 Peterbilt for his run back home to Minnesota, the best part of 2400km east.

Randy was fascinated and full of questions regarding our way of doing things in New Zealand, mainly because we have so many cabover trucks.

“When I was a kid, I grew up in the passenger’s seat of the cabover K-model Kenworth bullpen my dad drove. I was just the right size to fit through the gaps behind Dad and close the gates,” explains Randy with a chuckle.

“At 18, I was into it and haven’t looked back. My first truck was a K-model as well – a great truck; I really enjoyed driving that one.”

Now 62, Randy still enjoys life on the road as much as he did back then. “The Peterbilt I have now is a glider kit that I had built to my specs. It is running a 3406 2WS Caterpillar with 18-speed Roadranger and 3:55 rears, so yeah, she goes real well. I went with blue this time because the 2009 I had before this was bright orange and was way too easily seen.

This one is a little more stealth,” he says.

“I am not too sure about the new 589 Peterbilt with the bigger, newer cab. I reckon

Randy Roth has spent some 44 years on the road and is still addicted to the drive.

O w h

Ashnoor Ali When Faye Lougher spotted this immaculate unit in Levin, she assumed it must be new, but driver Ashnoor Ali said it had been on the road for nearly two years.

The 2022 Scania 730S 6x4 tractor unit towed a set of equally immaculate Fruehauf curtainsider B-train trailers. The Owens-liveried Scania has a 12-speed automatic transmission and is owned by MJA Investments of Auckland.

Ashnoor has been with the company for two months and does a run between Auckland and Wellington. He was returning to Auckland when Faye caught up with him.

Originally from Fiji, Ashnoor said family brought him to New Zealand. He has been driving trucks for 25 years and, in Fiji, drove

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• linehaul for Zar Logistics.

“I love driving in New Zealand. The roads and the condition of the trucks are great.

It’s amazing work, and I really enjoy it.”

Once again, Faye was without her list of vexing questions and could only think

of a few off the top of her head. Liquorice allsorts or Macintosh’s toffees drew a blank look, so she went for the good old, ‘Beer or wine?’ to which Ashnoor replied that his drink of choice was water. “There is nothing better!”

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JUST TRUCKING AROUND www.trt.co.nz

Left: Randy’s custom-built 2018 Peterbilt 389 glider kit, complete with a big Cat under the hood.

Right: Randy’s trucking career began in a cabover. His first truck was this cool flat-roof K-model Kenworth.

I will keep this one for a while now. I just finished paying it off two months ago. It’s nice having that extra money in the back pocket – especially when the wife likes an open cheque book!” laughs Randy.

“We have a lot of problems over here with the laws and regulations that govern our weights and axle loadings on our rigs. They say we are the United States of America, but in reality, we are more like 48 individual countries when it comes to the rules and regulations that govern trucking. You have to

be real careful when going from state to state – you’ve gotta know your stuff, or you can get into all kinds of trouble with the law.”

Randy runs for Allen Henderschiedt Trucking out of Worthington, Minnesota, which he says is a good outfit to work with.

“My regular run brings me west through to Seattle with produce, and then I reload for home. It is 1500 miles (2400km) from Worthington to Seattle, and the last 50 miles (80km) across the Snoqualmie Pass can be the bitchiest in the winter months, that’s for sure.

The winter is definitely a hazard up here in the north, but wildlife is also a big problem.

I only just recently fitted the moose bar to the Pete, and then not two weeks ago, I hit a deer square in the middle of the bar. Thank goodness the bar was there because that would have definitely put me off the road.”

The obvious vexing question for Randy was, ‘Cabover or conventional?’ to which he replied, “Oh, that is a tough one, as I still like my cabovers, but yeah, I have to say having the big hood out the front is the way to go.”

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TOP TRUCK

SO, WHAT’S IN A NAME? It’s not uncommon to see names on trucks, personalised and often accompanied by an image. Sometimes humorous, of a personal nature or a family name, the true meaning is potentially lost to onlookers and only fully appreciated by the person who named the truck. But its significance is no less important.

Story and photos by Andrew Geddes

I

initially met Gerard Daldry of Protranz on a cold, gloomy King’s Birthday Weekend.

The big 770S Scania was on its maiden trip home to Christchurch from Invercargill, having stopped briefly to take in the Gore Truck Show, where, unsurprisingly, it came away with the Best Paint trophy.

Breaking cover at last year’s TMC Trucking Industry show in Christchurch as cab and chassis, the Scania promised to be something special by stepping away from Protranz’s usual colour scheme. Instead, it sported an impressive paint job with Grey Ghost proudly air-brushed between the factory roof spotlights in tones of grey and satin black and with grey covers.

On a colourless day, the name seemed hugely appropriate, with the only obvious colour coming from the over-width placards on the front of the truck. Further

inspection revealed impressive artwork adjoining the base greys. Even on a gloomy day, the Scania is impressive, subtle and understated. Devoid of the flashy bolt-on extras common these days, the blacked-out air horns, roof-mounted spotlight bar and stoneguard keep the mood broody.

Twin black aftermarket air ram intakes hint there’s still more to the truck than meets the eye. That story also follows Gerard’s ‘thinking outside the box’ philosophy, the Scania featuring the DC16 Euro-6 V8 engine rated at 574kW (770hp) and 3700Nm (2729lb/ft).

Transport Engineering Southland built the truck deck and trailer, with in-house engineering at Protranz readying the cab and chassis for deck fitment and additional engineering. Set up as a lift-out side-tipper, it will cart drainage

pipes, building and rural materials and bulk supplies. It’ll also do stock cartage duties.

Protranz built a stock deck for when crates are fitted, and it stretched an existing trailer from four to five axles for the job.

The images airbrushed into the cab suggested there was much more to the meaning behind Grey Ghost than the colour. To fully appreciate the name requires stepping back some 50 years to Gerard’s childhood.

He grew up in rural Rakaia, obsessed with trucks and heavily influenced by the drivers, their skills and their work ethic. As he fondly recalls that era’s fleet numbers and drivers, it’s obvious how positive influences on a young mind last a lifetime: Johnny Kerr, Brian Heany, Johnny Johnson… ”It takes a village to raise a child,” Gerard reflects, adding these drivers were formative in the local community, and as a young boy, he looked up to them. “Their jobs, dedication and they drove trucks – and that was just damn cool!”

Johnny Johnson lived down the road from the Daldry family home and drove a 3070 International truck and trailer stock unit for Burnetts Transport.

The unique look of Grey Ghost within the Protranz fleet emphasises the meaning it holds.

The original Grey Ghost, Mid Canterbury Transport’s No.75; inspiration behind the name of the Protranz Scania.

A young Gerard would phone Johnny and ask what he and his truck were doing the following day. “I was probably the biggest nuisance ever,” he laughs, adding he was often turned down. But an eager Gerard knew Johnny started work at about 6.30am and would listen for the sound of the engine, watch for the headlights, head down the driveway, cross the road and wait for the truck.

“He probably thought ‘for f”*k sake!’ but the truck would stop, let me in, and take me for a ride.”

Later in life, Gerard found that same truck and rebuilt it. It now resides in his collection.

Mid Canterbury Transport was another local transport company.

No.75 held legendary status, a D-series Ford driven by Bruce Glossop hauling a self-steer semi and three-deck sheep crate.

In those days, the transport industry was heavily restricted, though stock transportation had slightly freer movement but required permits and was not permitted to backload.

“This unit sported the Grey Ghost name on the top of its grey wooden crates. Bruce was known to be a ‘bit of a peddler’, and as a result, the unit might be in Invercargill one day, the Temuka sales the next. Then Addington

and Tekapo. The truck would and could pop up anywhere, usually out of the darkness of night.

Someone threw it the name Grey Ghost, and it stuck,” Gerard explains.

Ironically, the young Gerard never got to ride in the original Grey Ghost, but its name and the memories of the Mid Canterbury trucks stuck in his mind.

Forward to last year, and while the Scania was being built, several significant events secured the name of the 770. Gerard learnt of Bruce Glossop’s death around the same time Gerard’s own father passed and Protranz turned 25. An opportunity arose to create a truck that recognised those who had been influential in his life.

The grey colour scheme is a nod to the grey sheep crates of the original Grey Ghost. Initially, the cab graphics, beautifully executed by Dean Lawrence of Imagination Unlimited, featured ghost images down the back of the cab. Gerard says his children said it needed more, and images of ghost horse riders now feature, a picture of a midCanterbury D-series, and on the doors, a customised company logo with country shed design that pays homage to Gerard’s father. Open the door, and the step area features airbrushed wood graining, as does the back of the cab.

“It just kinda evolved,” says Gerard.

Beautiful airbrushing by Dean Lawrence pays homage to the past.

New Zealand Trucking

October 2023 49

Grey Ghost bucks the contemporary trend with its lack of bright work.

Gerard’s father and uncle were drivers at Mid Canterbury Transport, and he’d go out with them while they were loading bales of hay and have a steer in the paddock.

Moving to Ashburton after leaving school, he went to

Burnetts Transport with his sights set on driving a stock truck but he was too young to drive. Instead, he was employed driving trucks within the concrete plant.

On his 18th birthday, he got his truck license and, a few weeks

later, his trailer license. He found himself driving a short loop between the batching plant and the shingle stockpile – not what he had envisaged.

On his 19th birthday, he returned to Burnetts’ office and made a case to become a stock-truck driver, his true passion. He was told he needed to spend another year on the job, so he went back to his truck, removed his gear, jumped on his motorbike and moved to Christchurch. He found employment easily at Farrier Waimak, driving a mixer, as he had been on hire to Farrier with Burnetts.

A move to Wellington and Capital Concrete ensued. At this stage, Macks became a feature in his working life, progressing from R-models to a Super-Liner.

Gerard’s fondness for the brand remains, and Macks feature heavily in his classic truck collection.

In 1997, Gerard decided to branch out and purchase his own truck, returning to the rural dream, carting fertiliser and grain around the lower North Island with an S-Line International. In 1998, he moved back to Christchurch, eventually

1

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1) Gerard’s beautifully restored International 3070 truck and trailer unit, Burnetts No.81. 2) Gerard (left) and Johnny Johnson, the original driver of Burnett Transport No.81 – the truck Gerard used to go for rides in as a young boy. 3) The original Grey Ghost was sadly written off many years ago. Gerard tracked down the original Mid Canterbury Transport No.90 and restored it to its original livery. It makes up part of his classic truck

putting a driver on the truck and replacing the S-Line with a CH Mack.

In 2003, Gerard purchased a demolition company that had gone bankrupt. He admits he knew nothing about the demolition industry but invested in new trucks and machinery.

Out of the 2011 Christchurch earthquake tragedy came opportunity. The crippled city had to be restored, requiring demolition in huge quantities.

Protranz was in the thick of it all, and business took off. As Gerard says, the rest is history.

“But the breakthrough that put the company on the map, indeed worldwide, was a decision to think totally outside of the box,” he explains. “Many of the properties were perched high on cliff tops. There was no safe method to remove these structures. The company had some fine people within its ranks, but none with any education higher than secondary school. I think that worked hugely to our advantage, as we had never been told what limitations were…

Never tell someone they’ve got a problem without working out the solution first. A decision was made to design and build remote-control diggers. There was nothing like it available in the world at the time. It was a huge risk that paid off.”

In 2015, Protranz was recognised by the world demolition industry, winning an award for the remote-control machinery.

So, what’s in a name? In the case of Grey Ghost, it’s a life story moulded by early experiences that stuck with a child throughout his life. If there’s a downside to the tale, it’s that an ever-more complicated world, strangled by bureaucracy and red tape, would make Gerard’s happy childhood experiences all but impossible.

From Gerard’s perspective, it’s gone full circle. The Scania will, when required, be fitted with stock crates and join the DAF he presently has on those duties.

With the dream to do stock realised, he says he loves it. You can’t ask for more than that.

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CONGRATULATIONS MR PATCHELL, 50 YEARS AT THE HELM OF NEW ZEALAND’S LARGEST TRAILER MANUFACTURER IS SOME ACHIEVEMENT. For 33 of those 50 Years Patchell Industries has purchased trailer components from TATES, this includes ROR axles & suspension, Hutch suspensions, Aluminium wheels, V.Orlandi towing connections, also Haldex EBS brake systems.

Thank you Ian and the management team for purchasing product from TATES and recognising us as a valued supplier.

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30 YEARS OF SMILES Story and photos by Craig Andrews Dunedin’s Special Rigs for Special Kids celebrates 30 years of spreading joy.

S

pecial Rigs for Special Kids celebrated its 30th anniversary in August, and everyone came to the party – except the weather. Not that it mattered – nothing puts a dampener on this day.

There isn’t much more praise that can be heaped on the team that puts Special Rigs for Special Kids together year after year.

Three decades of holding this remarkable event have resulted in everlasting memories for thousands of children, parents,

54 New Zealand Trucking October 2023

caregivers, volunteers and, of course, the drivers.

This year, 324 vehicles, including livestock trucks, spreaders, loggers, waste disposal trucks, fire engines and – a sign of the times – many traffic management trucks lined up for the event. First, they gathered around the streets of the Edgar Centre in Dunedin. There, the drivers would collect their passenger (or passengers) and then drive the familiar route out to Mosgiel via Three Mile Hill and back again. People lined up along

the route to wave and watch the parade of vehicles.

Organiser Greg Inch is unquestionably the face of the event, but he will be the first to admit that he is just a small cog in a noticeably big wheel. Those who provide resources and volunteer their services for the event cannot be thanked enough.

It is a formula that works every year. Hundreds of children turn up, and all go away with a goodie bag and a smile, knowing that in 12 months, they will do it all again.

RR Pacific P510PF, The Nash.

Amanda and Ruby Vainikolo sitting in a Dynes Kenworth, ready for departure.

Greg Inch addressing the crowd for the 30th time.

Karl and Tikah Fergusson in one of four UD Quons Mike Dickey, who drives for Kaitangata’s Cranleigh Haulage, from the Nash and Ross fleet in Dunedin. with his passengers for the day, Ruby and Eve.

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VOCATIONAL TRAINING INVALUABLE TO THOSE STARTING OUT IN TRANSPORT The Road to success programme and MITO qualifications provide invaluable experience to those new to the transport sector.

M

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The Christchurch-based business focuses on containers, predominately to and from the Lyttelton Port, container devanning, general freight deliveries and container tipping for delivery of bulk commodities.

Mark came into the industry from a social work background and says the transport industry has been a welcome change of pace.

He says the Road to Success programme and Mito qualifications have been valuable programmes for someone new to the transport industry with little to no prior experience.

“Learning and working simultaneously reinforced the experience on the job and support from training facilitators coupled with work colleagues was just so helpful,” he says.

Mark says that while the training can be challenging, it is matched by the support he gets along the way.

“There is a lot of information to take in and action in the job.

As long as the participant is proactive and willing and doesn’t mind asking lots of questions to reinforce learning efficiently and effectively, it balances out,” he says.

Murray Young, General Manager at NZ Express, says the company recognised the immense value of the Road to success programme early on.

“When Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand picked up and administered the programme, it was an easy decision to pursue it and take on trainees, as well as offering the training to a cross-section of our existing staff,” he says.

NZ Express currently has in excess of 12 trainees going through various courses offered through Road to Success and MITO.

58 New Zealand Trucking October 2023

The courses range from Introduction to Commercial Road Transport Level 3 to National Certificate in Commercial Transport Level 4 Commercial Road Transport – Driver Safety (Micro-credential), Commercial Road Transport – Heavy Combination Vehicle Loading Fundamentals Micro-credential, Commercial Road Transport – Mass and Dimensions Microcredential, and the New Zealand Certificate in Business (First Line Management) (Level 4).

Murray says vocational training offers the opportunity to attract people into the transport industry.

“It enhances a trainee’s skillset, which positively increases the effectiveness and safety within the overall transport industry.

Additionally, training is an enabler to improve employment opportunities at all levels within

our sector,” he says.

“Transport and logistics play an imperative role in the New Zealand economy, and vocational training provides our industry with a pipeline of new talent to ensure the future sustainability for our industry.”

Murray says NZ Express’ truck drivers play a vital role in the success of the company, so it is important to both recognise and retain them.

“By offering a formal training qualification we can demonstrate our commitment to our staff and their personal development,” he says.

“We feel privileged to offer a formal qualification, representative of their skills and professionalism, and in turn, successful training provides us with certainty in the quality and safety of our service.

St su

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Start your Start your success story

success story

Scholarship applications now open!

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Multiple scholarships available across 15 categories Multiple scholarships available across 15 categories

Ready toReady start your success story?story? to start your success If you in the transport and logistics industry, If you work in work the transport and logistics industry, be eligible to apply a 2024 scholarship. you couldyou becould eligible to apply for afor 2024 scholarship.

Find out more at mito.nz/scholarships

Find out more at mito.nz/scholarships

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

European duotrailer and mega-trailer combinations have attracted their share of misgivings since their first appearance in 2016. However, their efficiency, profitability and reduced emissions per transported load are beyond doubt – they’re here to stay. Let’s find out how the Europeans do HPMV…

FIGHT OF THE

TITANS

T

he truck’s flexibility, speed and economy has undergone a technological evolution in all its aspects to the point that, during the 1970s, it almost completely replaced rail. In parallel, and as the reliability and power of diesel engines increased, load capacities underwent a similar evolution.

Today’s ‘mega-trucks’ are the latest instalment in this incessant pursuit of efficiency, making them another profitable and operational tool for the industry.

These units feature more than six axles, and over 500hp (368kW) power. They don’t exceed 25.25m in length for the mega-trailer and 31.75m for the duo-trailer, while gross vehicle mass is limited to 60 tonne for the former and 70 tonne for the latter.

There are common hindrances that opponents of these units

Story by Alberto Puerta

usually put forward. Some say the roading infrastructure is ‘limited’, though nothing could be further from reality. Of course, many European warehouses, scales, loading and unloading areas and so on are certainly not prepared for these giants, penalising the times and the execution of manoeuvres. But it is a mere matter of time before logistics and customers, in general, adapt their structures to achieve a rapid and full operation of the ‘megas’, as is already the case in the countries where they are established.

Another frequent point of friction is the fear that these units will end the need for traditional trailers. This is not true, since there will be a huge number of tasks that they cannot assume due to their very nature or complexity. It is becoming obvious that the large sets will be used solely in the transport

of bulk, heavy masses, parcel shuttles or large volumes of merchandise, with the ‘last mile’ as forbidden territory.

We must not stop in the face of progress, and the megas, as large articulated trucks, are simply complementary to today’s trailers.

Three-way duel After seven years, mega trucks have a maturity of use that allows us to compare them with each other and a traditional truck. For this, we have paired up with Spanish bulk transporter Bodegotrans, a family business based in Hinojedo, Cantabria.

Bodegotrans’ fleet totals 138 units, of which nine are 60-tonne B-double mega-trailers, and seven are 70-tonne duo-trailers.

Our trucks are equipped with tipping buckets.

The ‘David’ of this comparison is the conventional semi-trailer.

Photos by Juan Caraballo

Left: The conventional semi-trailer still has plenty of relevance among high-efficiency alternatives. Right: The duo-trailer is a slightly different concept, most closely aligning with our own A-train configuration.

Made entirely of aluminium with a lift on the first axle and an automatic awning system, it offers a tare weight of only 13.7tonne and a respectable 26.3tonne payload. It is paired with a DAF XF 530 tractor, which gives it the highest specific power in the comparison, with 13.25hp/t, and this has been noted in the results since it was the fastest with the lowest consumption.

It is evident that this type of truck will continue to be the majority in transport in general and in the case of bulk goods in particular. It is not for nothing that these are the majority combination in the company’s fleet.

Next up is the 60-tonne B-double mega-trailer set, to date, the most popular alternative due to its flexibility.

While it consists of two semitrailers connected by fifth wheels, as in other countries,

it’s used differently in Spain.

This is because to meet site deficiencies, the first trailer has been equipped with an extendable double chassis that allows the area of the fifth wheel to be ‘folded’ under the body and so convert it into a conventional semi-trailer. The total length of our aluminium-bodied test unit is 21m.

The mega-trailer is also paired with a DAF XF 530 4x2 that, although offering a favourable tare weight, may be somewhat underpowered for complicated areas but economical on the flat. In our opinion, all large sets should be driven by 6x2 or 6x4 configuration, but the legislation authorises this type.

Finally, the 70-tonne duotrailer is paired to a MercedesBenz Actros 2863, which presents a successful solution with the 6x2 rear tandem – a more rational solution than towing these

sets with a 4x2 tractor. With 625hp (460kW), the slopes and Cantabrian ports are met with a specific power of 9hp/t.

The set consists of two conventional 10.7m-long bathtubs that are coupled with a dolly with a twin-wheel axle. The total length reaches 27m.

How do they go?

Our first test route measures 295km, with 35km of regional roads to our delivery point not included in the data collection.

We made this decision so that the route was purely on the road and to eliminate the possibility of traffic jams, works or problems on narrow routes.

For its part, the height profile of our test route is the typical one that Cantabrian carriers headed towards the south of the peninsula must face each day.

The starting point in Torrelavega is 25m above sea level. We

ascend to the Castilian Plateau by the A-67, arriving at Reinosa – 1002m high. Finishing the rest of the trip, we join the A-62 in Venta de Baños to travel along the formerly called Route of the Portuguese until the Cañizal crossroads, 800m away, where we close this first part of the test.

Our second route kicks off at Peñaranda de Bracamonte, loading quartz at the Erimsa mine for the port of Santander.

We start the data control at the exit of the town, travelling along the CL-610 road towards Medina del Campo. It’s 54km of regional route with frequent passes through towns. In the Castilian town, we join the A-6 to take the A-62 again in Tordesillas. From Venta de Baños to the end of the test, we rode along the A-67 in the opposite direction to the outward journey, recording 273km under control on the highway. This The ‘B-double’ mega-trailer: similar to our own, but different.

New Zealand Trucking

October 2023 61

stage totalled 327km from the loading point to the destination in the Bodegotrans Logística warehouses in Tanos.

The test totalled about 620km (each truck’s tachograph varied slightly), carried out under normal working conditions. It’s fairly representative, with hard ascents and gradients of up to 7% (evident in the average speed and consumption) and the majority on the Castilian Plateau with the consequent increase in speed and reduction in consumption.

Analysing the results reveals a surprising detail; the average speed of the big units does not detract at all from that of the conventional semi-trailer. The 70-tonne duo-trailer kept pace at an average of 83.06km/h, while the 60-tonne B-double averaged 84.32km/h. The ‘control’ unit travelled swiftly, averaging 86.75km/h. The trucks are limited to 90km/h, and the duo trailer to 89km/h. In the descents, the golden minute at 95km/h was taken advantage of

to carry inertia and improve the average. There were no surprises in the consumption. The duotrailer averaged 51.28L/100km (1.95km/L), the mega consumed 47.43L/100km (2.11km/L) and the normal set 34.16L/100km (2.93km/L).

To obtain the profitability of each truck, we first divided the average speed by the average consumption to obtain an efficiency coefficient. The higher the number, the higher the unit’s efficiency. In our test, the most efficient is the traditional trailer, with an outstanding ratio of 2531. It is followed by the megatrailer with 1778, and the duotrailer with 1620.

However, the tables are turned when we look for the net profitability data, which is obtained by multiplying the efficiency coefficient by the payload capacity... Here we can appreciate the main argument for the use of larger units. The duo-trailer leads with a ratio of 7450 thanks to its 47-tonne payload. It is followed by the

mega-trailer with 6987 at 39 tonnes. The conventional trailer takes a not-distant third with 6656 at 26.3 tonnes of payload.

Given the results of this singular comparison, it’s clear these mega-trailers do not come to threaten the existence of other configurations, but rather it will be the market itself, the customers who decide their employment in the future.

A DEMANDING TASK The driver’s workload, apart from the responsibility of piloting these European mega combinations, is much higher than that of a normal truck. This is partly due to the lack of adaptation of the logistics and loading points. The length of the scales and dimensions of the facilities means that the driver must hitch and unhook several times to load and unload.

In the duo-trailer, the manoeuvre goes: disconnect the second trailer and unload the

62 New Zealand Trucking October 2023

Alberto Puerta is a Spanish commercial vehicle journalist who compiled this report for Spanish ITOY jury member publication Truck.

Both the duo-trailer (left) and mega-trailer concepts require the driver to unhitch and unload each trailer individually.

first, release it, unhook the dolly to access the second unit, proceed to unload it, and reverse the procedure to assemble the set again. The truth is that it is a crazy task that imposes extra workload on the driver.

Simpler but also complex, the loading and especially the unloading of the B-double mega-trailer, takes advantage of the ingenious double chassis on the first trailer, which allows the fifth wheel to be retracted under the body, making it a

‘normal’ trailer. To do this, the second trailer must be unhooked, and the first trailer’s chassis ‘picked up’ before unloading it. Once unloaded, it is unhooked for the second trailer. Complicated, yes. But much easier to operate than its larger counterpart.

Compared to the two giants, the conventional trailer is plain and simple. All you have to do is pick up the automatic awning, open the safety locks on the rear hatch and proceed to unload just once.

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WHEELS AT WANAKA MEMORIES

Wheels at Wanaka is on again in 2025. Keep 18 to 20 April free because you absolutely need to be there. Check out our image from 2023 (below) if you need inspiration.

This 1985 Mack Cruise-Liner, owned by McNeill Distribution in Kennington, north of Invercargill, had to be one of the truck stars of this year’s show – and pretty much any other show it turns up to. It was first owned by Len Mataira, Hastings. It was a rigid 6x4 originally.

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NEW RI GS ON THE R OAD WILLIAMSON G-RAFTER Scania G540-XT 6x4 rigid – day cab OPERATOR: Williamson Trucking, Bay of Plenty ENGINE: Scania DC13 13L Euro-6 402kW (540hp) 2700Nm (1991lb/ft) TRANSMISSION: Scania Opticruise GRSO905R 12-speed AMT with 3500 retarder REAR AXLES: Scania RPB735 hub reduction REAR SUSPENSION: Scania spring suspension front and rear BRAKES: Disc, ABS, EBS SAFETY: ABS, EBS BODY/TRAILER: Fotheringhame steel bin tipper, with removable sides FEATURES/EXTRAS: CTI, Alcoa Dura-Bright alloy wheels, tool boxes, stone guard PAINT: Factory SIGNAGE: Wrapped Signs, Tauriko OPERATION: Agricultural and aggregate work in and around the BOP region DRIVER: Bert Williamson SALES: Callan Short

CRUSADER CRUISER International RH 10x4 rigid – day cab OPERATOR: Container Waste, Christchurch ENGINE: Cummins X-15 15L 459kW (615hp) 2779Nm (2050lb/ft) TRANSMISSION: Eaton Roadranger RTLO20918B 18-speed manual REAR AXLES: Meritor RT46-160 REAR SUSPENSION: International IROS and Hendrickson load sensing lift tag axle BRAKES: Disc, ABS, EBS BODY/TRAILER: Palfinger 26T hook unit and Cowan Trailers new five-axle trailer FEATURES/EXTRAS: Factory roof mounted aero kit, ECAS second steer axle, offset front rims, Premium Plus interior fit out PAINT: Factory OPERATION: Waste retrieval and removal throughout the South Island from its Christchurch base SALES: Shaun Jury

w w w. t r g r o u p. c o . n z 66 New Zealand Trucking

October 2023

WORKING DOG OPERATOR: TMS Contracting, Warkworth ENGINE: Mack MP8 12.8L Euro-5 399kW (535hp) 2603Nm (1920lb/ft) TRANSMISSION: Mack TMD12AD mDRIVE AMT REAR AXLES: Meritor RT46-160GP REAR SUSPENSION: Hendrickson Primaax

Mack Trident 6x4 rigid – day cab BRAKES: Drum, ABS, EBS SAFETY: Mack Road Stability Advantage factory safety package BODY/TRAILER: Transport & General Transport Trailers alloy bins and five-axle trailer FEATURES/EXTRAS: Alloy front bumper, stainless-steel sun visor, bug deflector

PAINT: Factory SIGNAGE: Caulfield Signs & Graphics, Rotorua OPERATION: All manner of bulk supply deliveries from its Warkworth base DRIVER: Jeff Panui SALES: Carl Capstick

BOLD STATEMENT International 9870 R8 8x4 rigid – sky roof sleeper OPERATOR: LD Rural Transport, Cromwell ENGINE: Cummins X-15 15L 459kW (615hp) 2779Nm (2050lb/ft) TRANSMISSION: Eaton Roadranger RTLO20918B 18-speed manual REAR AXLES: Meritor RT46-160 REAR SUSPENSION: IROS (International Ride Optimised Suspension) BRAKES: Drum, ABS, EBS BODY/TRAILER: Delta stock crates and matching five-axle trailer FEATURES/EXTRAS: Custom charcoal interior trim, fridge, alloy front bumper PAINT: Factory OPERATION: Stock and bulk-milk transport throughout the South Island DRIVER: Lyndon Buchanan SALES: Shaun Jury

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

67

NEW RI GS ON THE R OAD

Scania P450-XT 6x4 rigid – day cab

OBSESSION 2 OPERATOR: Tony Pye Cartage Contractors, Napier ENGINE: Scania DC13 13L Euro-5 335kW (450hp) 2200Nm (1622lb/ft) TRANSMISSION: Scania Opticruise GRSO905R 12-speed AMT with 3500 retarder REAR AXLES: Scania RPB735 hub

reduction REAR SUSPENSION: Scania spring suspension front and rear BRAKES: Drum, ABS, EBS SAFETY: ABS, EBS BODY/TRAILER: New EMS bin FEATURES/EXTRAS: CTI, beacon, tool boxes, drop visor

MAIN MAN MAN TGX 26.640 Premium 6x4 tractor – sleeper cab OPERATOR: SRRH Trucking, Hamilton ENGINE: MAN D38 15L Euro-6 477kW (640hp) 3000Nm (2212lb/ft) TRANSMISSION: MAN TipMatic 12.30 OD REAR AXLES: MAN HY hypoid REAR SUSPENSION: MAN ECAS air suspension BRAKES: Disc, ABS, EBS SAFETY: ACC, LG, LKA FEATURES/EXTRAS: Fridge, LED headlights, Alcoa Dura-Bright EVO wheels, Hella Luminator spotlights, custom side skirts, Kesla light bars, Jost JSK 37 fifth wheel PAINT: Fleet Image, Auckland OPERATION: Linehaul duties throughout Central North Island and Hawke’s Bay DRIVER: Rizwan Hassan SALES: Mitch James

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

October 2023

PAINT: Factory cab. Chassis by Caulfield Signs & Graphics, Rotorua SIGNAGE: Caulfield Signs & Graphics, Rotorua OPERATION: Aggregate deliveries in the Hawke’s Bay region DRIVER: Tony SALES: Callan Short

Mack Trident 6x4 tractor – day cab

VIGILANTE OPERATOR: Clive Taylor Haulage, Paraparaumu ENGINE: Mack MP8 12.8L Euro-5 399kW (535hp) 2603Nm (1920lb/ft) TRANSMISSION: Mack TMD12AD mDRIVE AMT REAR AXLES: Meritor RT46-160GP REAR SUSPENSION: Mack AP460 air

suspension BRAKES: Drum, ABS, EBS SAFETY: Mack Road Stability Advantage factory safety package FEATURES/EXTRAS: Sliding turntable, hydraulics, twin exhausts, stainless-steel sun visor and bug deflector, custom stainless-steel marker light panels

SIGNAGE: Graphic Garage OPERATION: All manner of transporter, tipulator, flat-deck and bottom dump duties DRIVER: Alan ‘Bundy’ Chapman SALES: Nick Kale

STEPPING UP Kenworth T610 8x4 rigid – day cab OPERATOR: T Stevens, Gisborne ENGINE: Cummins X-15 15L 459kW (615hp) 2779Nm (2050lb/ft) TRANSMISSION: Eaton Roadranger RTLO20918B 18-speed manual REAR AXLES: Meritor RT46-160 XLFR REAR SUSPENSION: Hendrickson Primaax BODY/TRAILER: Logging equipment fitout and trailer by Patchell Industries FEATURES/EXTRAS: Kentweld front bumper, Bigfoot CTI, 7in twin exhaust stacks, bug deflector, stainless-steel SLS sun visor, stoneguard PAINT: Factory SIGNAGE: Caulfield Signs & Graphics, Rotorua OPERATION: Log cartage up and down the East Coast and Central DRIVER: Tim Stevens SALES: Adam McIntosh

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

69

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

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

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

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

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New Bodies & Trailers New Zealand has a rich heritage of body and trailer building, and we’re proud to showcase some recent examples of Kiwi craftsmanship every month. To feature on these pages, send a photo, features and the manufacturer’s name to carl@nztrucking.co.nz.

Raising the curtain A need for a new body to be fitted to a new UD had Helen and Andrew Kane of Akaroa Distribution chatting with the team at TMC Trailers in Hornby.

Naturally, versatility and ease of use were prerequisites for the build, and with curtainsides and the Anteo taillift installation at the rear, this rig is a pleasure to work alongside.

FEATURES: Transtex decking, internal lighting.

TMC Trailers

Move’n on up When a new Scania tractor unit in the Move Freight fleet was in need of a B-train trailer set, a call was made to the workshops of TMC Trailers in Hornby.

The new six-axle curtainsider combination is laid out for 36 pallets and came complete with mezzanine floors throughout, making it a productive unit with no shortage of load space.

FEATURES: 19.5in Hendrickson disc-brake axles on ZMD shockless air suspension, Alux polished alloys.

TMC Trailers

YEARS

Supporting the transport industry since 1953

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Bigger is better For years, the stock transport industry has searched for as much internal crate height as possible. The team at Total Transport Engineers LP have completed this build for Marie and Peter Cooke of MPC Transport.

The 11.28m (37ft) five-axle Monocoque stock trailer running on 17.5in IMT disc-brake axle/ SAF suspension assemblies. This change to 17.5in axles has netted an extra 125mm in height for cattle and 63mm for sheep compared to a build on 19.5in axle sets – definitely a big step in the right direction when every millimetre counts.

FEATURES: Stainles- steel deck sheathing, Wabco EBS, Alcoa alloy wheels and Bridgestone tyres.

Total Transport Engineering LP

Blackbee beauty

FEATURES: JOST jack knife alarm, Peterson LED lighting, Hendrickson InTraax ANT230 axle sets.

Mills-Tui

SAF Axles • Light and robust for New Zealand’s toughest roads.

• Lightweight without compromise to strength • 6-year/unlimited kilometre warranty • Local support, over 54 parts and service sites nationwide • Custom design (CD) program to suit your fleet’s needs.

A visit to the team at Rotorua’s Mills-Tui got a new Scania build under way for H Blackbee Contractors of Ruatoria.

A Hardox steel tipper bin was constructed for the truck, with a matching Mills-Tui F134 four-axle Hardox tipping trailer built and connected to the rear. Two-way tail doors on both truck and trailer make this a multi-faceted bulky capable of accomplishing the tasks it was designed for.

Inset: The Volvo as purchased in August 2011, with 1,200,000km on the clock.

STRENGTH OF A VIKING

T

his month’s first inductee into the Bridgestone Million Mile Club has well and truly earned its place at the table, with no less than 2,400,000km showing on the speedo.

The FH 520 Volvo started out as an 8x4 curtainsider pulling a matching four-axle trailer, Christchurch-based and running a courier freight contract throughout the South Island. The truth is, DUS105 very nearly made it into the Million Mile Club working that contract, clocking up just over 1,200,000km before it was sold on. Throughout its life in the South Island it proved reliable, needing only regular maintenance and the odd minor repair.

Upon entering the Graeme Wright Transport fleet of Puriri, just south of Thames, the Volvo had a drop-sider

body and hoist fitted for its new role on rural transport duties. At this time, the sump was removed for the first time and an inspection carried out.

Nothing untoward was found, and even though they were not required, a set of new main bearings were installed just because it made sense to do that at 1,200,000km. And with that, the sump was bolted back on. Since then, the mighty Volvo has soldiered on. Two clutches, three turbos and a few other bits and pieces have been replaced, but no other internal engine work has been needed, just regular maintenance.

Another reliability milestone to note is the fact that both diffs and the I-Shift transmission have also never been touched. Just more solid routine maintenance that is kept up to date in

the capable hands of the company’s own mechanics.

Graeme ‘Gunner’ Wright, bestows immense credit on the FH. “It has been by far the best truck I have ever owned,” he explains. “Absolutely no internal engine work with nearly 2,500,000km on the clock. There really are not too many trucks out there that can claim that prize, especially on the roads and terrain that we have to contend with around the [Coromandel] peninsula.”

Jason Wright is the man behind the wheel of the big Volvo, working all corners of the peninsula, delivering fertiliser and peat, as well as collecting silage bales and the like – he loves it. And straight up, with a mechanical history like that, it is not hard to see why.

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

74 New Zealand Trucking October 2023

NEIGHBOURHOOD BULLY

S

taying within the Graeme Wright Transport fleet in Puriri, we find our second inductee this month. Back in 2007, Gunner was in the right place at the right time when he received the call from good mate and MTD salesman Carl Capstick offering the pick of two Mack CL666RS Super-Liners that were a cancelled order. “One had a Roadranger and the other an 18-speed Mack box. We went with the Mack box purely because it gave us much lower gear ratios in reverse for manoeuvring in tight locations,” Gunner says.

The big Mack was painted in the fleet’s distinctive lime green and white, and an existing Mills-Tui body and matching four-axle trailer were removed from an older Volvo in the fleet, refurbished and fitted to the Super-Liner.

Once the unit was ready to get to work, the keys were handed over to Gary ‘Cog’

Fisher. Cog’s eye for detail was a big influence during the initial setup of the rig, as well as the way it was to be presented (winning it the November 2008 New Zealand Trucking magzine Top Truck).

The Super-Liner’s solid stance, with its massive one-piece fibreglass hood and big square stainless-steel grille, certainly is distinctive and partly responsible for its rather fitting name, Neighbourhood Bully. It is one of those trucks that you really cannot miss going down the road.

Under the hood is a big red Cummins Gen2 Signature, running at 620hp.

This received a preventative in-frame rebuild at 800,000km in the company’s workshop.

Since then, it has not had spanners to it, just the normal auxiliary things like the air compressor and turbo. The 18-speed Mack box has had two rebuilds, as well as a front diff.

So, yes, just like the Volvo,

the Mack has been a solid performer, a clear indication that the company’s attention to detail when it comes to routine maintenance is truly paying dividends.

An unfortunate turn of events a few years back nearly spelt the end of the road for the Bully, however the White Brothers Panelworks team in Hamilton worked their magic.

“When we got the truck back from them, you could not see any evidence of the damage at all; they really knew their stuff and did a fantastic job of rebuilding the Bully for us,” Gunner says.

The big hood out the front is what nearly wrote off the truck, as it was no longer in

production and there were none available. So it was out with the old moulds in Australia, and a new one was formed from scratch. This was quite a process, and took the best part of two months to get it out to New Zealand.

The current pilot of Neighbourhood Bully is Nick Cusack. Nick has been at the helm now for the best part of five years, and the pair can be found on regular runs around the Coromandel Peninsula delivering the likes of topdressing fertiliser to Cape Colville… definitely some challenging roads with some challenging road users, but what a rig in which to see this part of the country.

Carl Capstick (centre) handing over Neighbourhood Bully to Gunner Wright (right) and Gary ‘Cog’ Fisher back in 2007.

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

TO JOIN, EMAIL:

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

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 October 2023

75

CRAIG’S TRUCKIN’ SNAPSHOT

Long-time contributor Craig McCauley showcases a mixture of classic and contemporary images of Kiwi trucking.

The Rattler, E&D Transport’s 2002 model Kenworth K104, operates under the colours of Solly’s Freight.

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AUSSIE ANGLES

LEGENDS OF

RAZORBACK CELEBRATED Story by Mike Williams

The weekend of 25 to 27 August saw Alice Springs become the epicentre of the Australian road transport industry, as it hosted the highly anticipated 2023 Road Transport Hall of Fame inductions. This was a special year, as the legends of the 1979 Razorback Blockade were rightly celebrated.

Photos by Mike Williams and as credited

W

ith more than 60 deserving individuals being honoured, the 2023 Road Transport Hall of Fame celebrations was an occasion that showcased the industry’s rich history and achievements, highlighting the spirit of those who dedicated their lives to moving the nation forward.

One of the standout moments of the event was the inaugural History Makers Award, awarded to the surviving leaders of the Razorback Blockade. Spencer Watling and Carle Goodfellow were personally presented

78 New Zealand Trucking October 2023

with their awards, while Ted ‘Greendog’ Stevens was represented by two of his now adult children, Ben and Kelly.

Barry Grimson was unable to attend and was represented by Chris Moore. Colin Bird’s award was received by Kath Gilbert.

Jack Hibbert was unrepresented and seems to have disappeared into history.

The 1979 Razorback Blockade is not only a piece of transport history but a piece of Australian history and is, without doubt, the greatest act of insurrection in this country’s history. It was a pivotal moment in the industry,

highlighting the determination and solidarity of those who rallied together to overcome challenges and advance the interests of the road transport sector.

The award recognises the past and emphasises the importance of unity and perseverance within the industry. The History Makers Award was created at the suggestion of industry icon Bob McMillan and myself.

We pushed for the need to accurately record the history of the blockade in the best possible place, the Road Transport Hall of Fame. The contributions of

A wall in the Hall of Fame detailing the history of the Razorback Blockade.

Scenes of the blockade, Truckin’ Life’s December 1979 cover, and remembering Razorback. Photos: Razorback – The Real Story.

many others completed the work, most notably Kath Gilbert, with help from many others from other blockade sites who will no doubt be recognised with their own History Makers Award in the coming years. The team

at Truckin’ Life was pleased the recently relaunched masthead was one of the award sponsors.

As the sun set on the inductions, the festivities continued with the Transport Women Australia Dream Makers

The Transport Women Australia Dream Makers Ball celebrated the progress made in the industry.

Ball, an elegant affair held in the grandeur of the Kenworth Pavilion. This event was a celebration of achievements and a testament to the diversity and inclusion that define the modern road transport landscape. Transport Women Australia has been a driving force in advocating for greater representation of women in the industry, and the Dream Makers Ball showcases the progress being made.

The Kenworth pavilion provided a fitting backdrop for the gala, with the ring of gleaming prime movers surrounding the tables.

Kenworth’s presence was a nod to the industry’s technological evolution. The synergy between the event’s location and the celebration of pioneers and innovators emphasised the interconnectedness of heritage and progress.

The evening was an immersive experience, intertwining the event’s glamour with the industry’s grit. From elegant gowns and sharp suits to tales of cross-country journeys and unrelenting dedication, the Dream Makers Ball encapsulated the multi-faceted nature of road

transport. It was a reminder that behind every successful journey, there are countless stories of hard work, resilience and determination.

The road transport sector is often characterised by long hours, vast distances and its essential role in connecting communities and businesses. The inductions and Dream Makers Ball celebrated the individuals who have championed these endeavours and underscored the industry’s significance to the nation’s prosperity. The events showcased how road transport is not just about vehicles on the road but about the people who drive progress.

In a constantly evolving world, the Road Transport Hall of Fame inductions testify to the industry’s ability to adapt and thrive. It is a reminder that the road ahead is paved with challenges and opportunities to shape the future. As the legacy of those who have come before continues to inspire the next generation of road transport professionals, the industry’s story will undoubtedly continue to be one of innovation, perseverance, and the unwavering drive to move forward.

The famous Bertha, Kurt Johannsen’s Diamond-T. The first modern Australian roadtrain. Photos: RTHOF.

Want to know more about how the Razorback Blockade changed trucking in Australia? Mike Williams tells the story next month.

Kelly Zelvis, Ben Stevens, Gloria Watling, Spencer Watling, Linda Goodfellow, Carle Goodfellow.

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INTERNATIONAL TRUCK STOP Story by Will Shiers

Photos by tomlee.gallery

KEEPING IT REAL

I

can tell my readers how great the British trucking industry is until I’m blue in the face, but it won’t make a blind bit of difference. School teachers won’t suddenly start informing their pupils about the amazing variety of jobs in road haulage, and kids won’t deviate from their chosen career paths. Quite simply, readers already know all that, so I’m preaching to the converted.

What we need to attract fresh blood into road haulage is more people like Daniel Ashville Louisy.

In addition to being MD of Ashville Aggregates and Concrete, this larger-than-life character is also a social media star. To you and me he runs a fleet of Scania and Volvo tippers, grabs and volumetric mixers, but to the 460,000-plus subscribers

to the Ashville YouTube channel, his black trucks mean far more than that. Fans tune in religiously every Sunday to see the latest episode of Ashville Weekly and to catch up with the trials and tribulations of this high-profile West London operator. His videos have collectively clocked up more than 65 million hours of viewing. In case you’re wondering, that’s the equivalent of 7420 years!

Daniel puts Ashville Weekly’s popularity down to the fact that it’s real. “A lot of what’s been put out there these days is very polished, with people telling everyone how great everything is, but I share the challenges and the struggles I have and how I overcome them,” he explains.

“Plus, apparently, I can be funny

82 New Zealand Trucking October 2023

sometimes, but I don’t see it myself!”

He can also be informative and incredibly entertaining, like when he explained how MercedesBenz’s active brake assist works before accidentally rear-ending a VW Golf with a brand new Actros demonstrator. By his own admission, Mercedes-Benz didn’t talk to him for a while!

While the show does wonders for the British road haulage industry, I am keen to find out what Ashville Aggregates gets out of it. After all, it’s not like those 460,000 subscribers are going to want 20 tonnes of muck removed.

“It’s about putting the brand out there globally, so people know who Ashville are,” he explains, comparing it to the

popularity of famous British haulier Eddie Stobart. “Everyone knows what an Eddie Stobart lorry is, but how many are going to use their services?” he asks.

Daniel tells me that he used to spend a lot of money on Google Ads, but it was expensive at £5 ($10.50) per click. He says: “My competitors would click continually and run up a bill for me. Instead of spending that money with Google, I’d sooner invest it in my business. These days, when the phone rings, they don’t say ‘I found you on Google’.

Some people might say, ‘I saw one of your lorries’, but most say, ‘I watched one of your videos’.

Obviously, people are watching it worldwide, and I’m not going to deliver a skip to New Zealand, but we do get work as a result.”

But what about the competition? Doesn’t Ashville Aggregates’ massive social media presence assist its competitors?

“Usain Bolt could tell me what training he does, but I’m not going to get any faster, especially not at my age!” laughs the 41-year-old. “I know it’s frowned upon to show people what you’re doing, but it doesn’t bother me. In fact, my only regret is that I didn’t start [recording weekly bulletins] sooner.”

Not surprisingly, a strong social media presence means the company never struggles to attract new recruits. Although, as Daniel points out, sometimes this can be more of a hindrance than a help. Whereas many hauliers suffer from a driver shortage, Ashville Aggregates has the opposite problem and is inundated with applicants whenever it advertises a job.

“People are very enthusiastic

Right: A familiar face around the world and a modern-day trucking role model.

to work at Ashville. However, they are so enthusiastic that they often don’t read the application properly,” he explains. “There will be parameters, like a minimum of two years’ experience, but they tend to be completely ignored.

We then have the challenge of going through this massive influx of applications, one by one, which can be very timeconsuming.”

Daniel gets hands on.

In addition to his YouTube channel, Daniel has also been making regular appearances on the BBC News. “They speak to me about the construction industry, and love to pop down to the yard,” he tells me.

But we’re about to see even more of him on our screens, as he’s just landed himself his own National Geographic TV show. Building Impossible with Daniel Ashville sees the star

travelling the world to report on seemingly impossible engineering projects. The first series is set to air later this year.

While this is likely to be the launch of a new high-profile career, I genuinely hope that it doesn’t spell the end of another. After all, losing an incredible ambassador like him would be a massive blow for the industry.

BEATING THE ODDS

U

nlike many of the operators whose stories I report on, Daniel Ashville Louisy isn’t a second-, thirdor fourth-generation haulier, and nor was he born with a silver spoon in his mouth. He was raised in a single-parent family, living in social housing, and everything he has today he’s worked for. His rags-toriches story is inspirational and demonstrates incredibly good business acumen.

“I’m a builder by trade and was doing bathrooms, extensions, kitchens, lofts and basements,” he explains. On one occasion in 2013; he had a team of men digging a basement in London, but they had to down tools because the skip was full, and there was no sign that it was about to be collected.

“So, there were 10 fellas in the basement, everyone sitting around smoking cigarettes, and I said, ‘Why aren’t you digging?’, and they said, ‘How can we when the skip is full?’” he recalls.

“So, the next day, I decided I’d had enough, and said ‘I’m getting a lorry’.”

By his own admission, he knew nothing about trucks, but that wasn’t going to deter him.

After a little bit of advice from a friend, he purchased a used DAF CF85 8x4 tipper grab.

Running a lorry proved to be far more complicated than he’d expected, and looking back, he describes the experience as “a baptism of fire”. It didn’t help that he didn’t have his HGV licence, so had to learn rapidly.

Having invested in a truck, suddenly, the company found itself with very few basements to dig. So, Daniel went looking for work elsewhere. “I knew who my building competitors were, as I would see their names on tenders,” he says. “So, I went to them all and said, ‘I can’t beat the others on price, but I’ll be there when I say I’ll be there.’”

This approach worked, and one tipper-grab very soon became

three tipper-grabs and a tipper.

“Then Wandsworth [the London borough] banned grabs from taking out of skips, and I began to lose work,” remembers Daniel. “So, we started buying skip lorries, too.”

This was quickly followed by another change in direction.

“We would arrive at a job only to be told we couldn’t load as a concrete lorry was there, and that the concrete lorry was more important. So, we bought a volumetric concrete lorry! So, then, we had a concrete lorry, grabs, tippers and skips,” says Daniel. “But then, when we turned up with the concrete lorry, people were telling us that the pump wasn’t there, so we’d have to wait. So, we bought a pump too.”

But there was still one serious hurdle to overcome. “If we priced a job, and two other competitors priced it, I would end up having to use their sand.

And they would invariably say, ‘We ain’t got no sand.’ I would say, ‘I can see sand over there’, and they’d say, ‘That’s not for you, that’s for a special job.’ I kept coming unstuck. People would just keep backing me into a corner. I needed a railhead.”

Fortunately, his site had a defunct railway siding, which after much toing and froing, he got permission to reopen. And in the summer of 2019, the first train rolled in. As well as being a great move for his company, Daniel sees the railhead as being positive for both the economy and the environment.

“If a man has a million tonnes of stone elsewhere in the UK, and he can’t sell it, then why not bring it here by rail? Every train takes 120 lorries off the road,” he says.

The company continues to expand and recently opened Ashville Plant Hire, a joint venture with high-profile north England haulier Fox Group. It’s

also in the process of opening a concrete batching plant.

So, with plenty of new projects on the go, I ask about the future. Where does he see the company going in the next decade?

“In 10 years, I would like to see Ashville with hubs all over the UK, each with a wash plant next to a batch plant, recycling 95% of what comes back to the yard,” he says. “I would like rail terminals, which are all fed from an Ashville quarry, and I would like an Ashville locomotive hauling Ashville wagons. And I’ve been looking at ships, too, which carry 90,000 tonnes of material, much to my financial director’s horror.”

With incredible business acumen, Daniel Ashville Louisy is the embodiment of a rags-to-riches story.

84 New Zealand Trucking October 2023

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AMERICAN CONNECTION

It’s been far too long since we’ve had a dedicated section bringing you trucking content from North America. Now, though, we’ve re-established the connection.

86 New Zealand Trucking October 2023

TALENTED MISS RED We meet Miss Flatbed Red, an American artist with a love of all things trucking.

Story by Rod Simmonds

Photos: Rod Simmonds

Drawings: Miss Flatbed Red

teaches music and was – until Covid-19 hit the world – an up-and-coming designer and social media professional with the local newspaper. With Covid, the music lessons had to move online

(not very practicable for young students), and eventually, the newspaper shut down.

So Red had to do something, and her hand-drawn ‘rendering’ portraits of houses, pets, cars

S

ocial media has brought the world’s population closer, and thanks to the likes of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, there is no hiding anything among the trucking fraternity. Mainly, it has been of great benefit, connecting people of similar interests. And that’s how we got to sit down with Miss Flatbed Red (missflatbed.red) in Reno, Nevada.

If you look at photos posted online of the regular truck shows all over the United States – or as you may have seen in some of the many videos on her YouTube channel – Miss Flatbed Red will be there. Red had travelled 2200 miles (3500km) over two and a half days to get from home in Findlay, Ohio, to Reno as part of the AHTS Convention and Truck Show.

She had just appeared on the local TV channel promoting the show, and in true American fashion, with a coffee and breakfast burrito, we met at Starbucks. Web pages, YouTube and internet searches can only explain so much, but the lost art of conversation is the only way to understand how people tick.

Red is a delight and is soon joined by her husband Chris, who, as

we find out, is a trucker through and through and got Red into the scene.

Red is an accomplished musician – trumpet is the weapon of choice. She studied in London,

CHICKEN LIGHTS SHINE BRIGHT

O

ne legend says that the truckers moving loads of chickens at night through small towns in the 1920s were often the victims of thieves. To help stop this problem, they started putting lanterns around their cargo – thus the name, chicken lights.

So the story goes, and in Reno, Nevada, during the AHTS Convention and Truck Show earlier this year, we were treated to some special displays of the true American chicken lights.

With the older classic trucks sporting the basic light setups from their respective eras, some new trucks operated by East Coast Wine Transportation from Healdsburg, California, showed off chicken lights with a modern touch.

Two Peterbilts with matching polished stainless wine tankers and seriously loud subwoofer stereos turned it on for all to see and appreciate.

The drivers’ attention to detail and obvious pride showed the best of the ‘Californian Dreaming’ style. The crowds were in awe. The standard has been set pretty high now, chickens or not.

88 New Zealand Trucking October 2023

and the like started the fledgling business. The number of commissions began to increase, and Red decided they needed a catchy name… ‘flatbed’ was available, and it was catchy and fitted the future plans.

Interestingly, the truck drawings were a secondary thought, only starting after she had been dragged along to the MATS Louisville Truck Show in 2017, where an exhibitor asked for a drawing of his show truck.

From that start, Red’s venture has grown to commissions being sent worldwide, including to New Zealand and Australia, even if the shipping cost is sometimes more than the actual artwork.

Red now travels around the main US truck shows, most are typically held in spring and summer, and is now a truck devotee. Her involvement with AHTS started with some design of promotional material, but now includes all the design work on the show’s posters, marketing and promotion.

The rendering takes many hours, and as Red says, “Lucky I charge by the inch and not the hour!” Some take up to 40 hours, others 15, and many somewhere in between. They really are pieces of art.”

Red currently has many commissions in the pipeline.

After each truck show, she gets more work. So, between music lessons, travelling and her activity on social media, life is extremely busy.

And just like that, an hour or more passed effortlessly – talking

trucks, talking drivers and the old buggers still truckin’. No matter where in the world you are, the subjects are the same.

The artist with one of her first commissions, this Peterbilt hay haulier for Cunningham Brothers.

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MINI BIG RIGS

Story and photos by Carl Kirkbeck

CHALLENGES CONQUERED This month, we pop into Pukekohe to catch up with long-standing model truck builder Peter Gillon, and view his latest creation, a K200 replica of fleet No.16 in the lineup at Brett Marsh’s Tauriko depot near Tauranga.

C

hoosing to build a replica of No.16 certainly posed a few problems for Peter. Kitset manufacturers the world over have long focused on supplying the hobby with trucks based on what features in their local market. Thankfully, with the technology available now, there are aftermarket manufacturers out there that

fill in the gaps. The low-volume, hand-crafted conversion kits they manufacture enable us to build the trucks we see on the road in our part of the world.

If you were faced with building a Kenworth K200 2.8m Aerodyne cab from scratch, the task would be more than daunting for most. However, in a little corner of Latvia exists a company, A&N Model Trucks.

A&N specialises in developing moulds and casting various truck cabs that are otherwise not available. A&N’s attention to detail and fit and finish is superb and its resin truck cab castings are backed up with an array of accessories; the likes of tri-drive suspension and axle sets, and even an X-15 Cummins.

Among the A&N offerings is the K200 2.8m Aerodyne cab conversion package that Peter needed for this project.

It comes complete with all the highly detailed photo-etched metal parts required to finish the build. The grille, steps and exhaust shrouds would prove

near impossible to create by hand with crisp detail – this is where the photo-etching process makes light work of forming them in minute detail.

Armed with the A&N K200 package, Peter set about the project. His first step was to form the chassis for the tractor unit. This was completed by using Evergreen plastic extrusions, as well as various items out of the parts bin. The front axles and suspension sets were purchased from Auslowe, of Cowes, Victoria, in Australia, with the plastic guards and mounts also sourced there

by Peter. A&N provided the

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Peter has truly captured the essence of No.16, from the plastic guards with stainless-steel inserts, through to the pinstripes and scrolls.

The K200 kit from A&N – everything you require to complete a real Kiwi build, including the big red X-15 Cummins.

1

3

2

4

rear suspension set, with its Kenworth AirGlide 460 package and the wheels and tyres were sourced from various Mobius kit sets Peter already had.

The big A&N K200 2.8m Aerodyne cab was next to be assembled and was then fitted to the chassis with the A&N Cummins X-15 between the rails. Peter then modified the supplied A&N dual air intakes and exhausts to match the single setup found on the actual truck. Topping off the cab, Peter scratch-built the drop visor out of sheet styrene plastic, painting it to match and fitting it in place.

The trailer is also a one-off custom. Starting with the Italeri three-axle refrigerated trailer, Peter added another 60mm in length to the body to gain the

5

6

7 1) Peter modified the supplied dual-exhaust stacks and air intakes to singles to match the actual truck.

2) Technology to the rescue – the photo-etched parts from A&N, such as cab steps, add realism and detail.

3) Rhino guards from Auslowe. It’s hard to comprehend they are shown here in 1:24th scale. 4) The Kenworth K200 2.8m Aerodyne sleeper cab, big from any angle. 5) The AMMO Alclad metal finish paint system, applied to the likes of the front bumper, brings the big K200 to life. 6) Italeri’s tri-axle reefer trailer, stretched 60mm with a fourth axle fitted, gives it the correct Kiwi look. 7) Realistic stripes and scrolls, achieved using the Testors Custom Decal System software and an ink-jet printer, add the finishing touch.

New Zealand Trucking

October 2023 91

Every detail replicated, right down to the ferry hooks and Fruehauf mud flaps. correct proportions. The fourth axle was added to complete the layout, as well as the finer Kiwi details like ferry hook tie-down points and his own LED reversing lights.

When painting the model, applying the base coat of white was simple enough. However, the real challenge started with all the stripes and scrolls. Once again, modern technology came to the rescue. Peter has invested in the Testors Custom Decal System software; this has revolutionised model building for many. The ability to take a photograph, drop it into the software, scale it to fit, then simply print it via a normal ink-jet printer to blank transfer paper is a dream come true for modellers the world over.

Once the ink is dry, a clear coat is dusted over the transfer paper to waterproof the design, then the homemade decal is simply

applied as per normal.

Another area where modern model building has evolved is replicating polished metal finishes. Peter has used AMMO Alclad Polished Aluminium and Alclad Chrome on the K200. This system has you paint the items you want to coat firstly with a gloss black. Then, once this has dried, you apply the AMMO coatings with an airbrush at around 12psi. Generally you need to apply two to three coats to achieve a good depth of effect, but as you can see looking at the finish on the K200’s front bumper, the realism is spot on.

The big K200 and its trailer have been quite an exercise for Peter, but when you get to the finish of a project of this magnitude, the sense of reward is well worth the challenges faced, especially with the level of technology available to model builders today.

BUILD-AMODEL TRUCK COMPETITION It’s time for the Annual Craig Christensen Build a Model Truck competition, and our great friends at Italeri, maker of model truck kitsets, have kindly given us another three model trucks as prizes.

L

ast year, we featured Craig Christensen and his incredible homemade model trucks built from items and waste materials found around the home. Inspired by Craig’s ability to create a model truck from bits and pieces, we are again setting the challenge for our budding model-truck builders to see what they can rustle up.

We want you to build a model truck and trailer combination from any household items you can find. It can be built in any scale, and also be completely imaginary regarding axle/wheel combinations – let your mind run loose. There will be extra points for the livery design and the colour scheme you choose to adorn your rig.

The competition will close at midday on Monday, 6 November, with the winners contacted immediately and the results printed in the December 2023/January 2024 issue of New Zealand Trucking magazine. So, no excuses – you have plenty of time!

There will also be a qualified mystery judge to decide the winners. To keep it fair, we will run three classes – up to the age of 6 years, 6 to 12 years and 12 to 18 years. The judges’ decision will be final.

The prizes for age group will consist of an Italeri kitset model truck and a New Zealand Trucking cap. They are pretty cool prizes to work for, and we’ve given you plenty of time to get building. So don’t hold back.

Send the photos of your build along with the name and age of the builder and the build information to carl@nztrucking.co.nz before the competition cut-off.

Happy constructing!

a

b

a) Our good mate Craig Christensen is the inspiration for our annual Build-a-Model Truck Competition. b) An example of Craig’s work: a sharp Scania 143 with matching five-axle B-train.

Voted no. 1 in Safety.

We’re incredibly proud to be voted #1 in safety in NZ Trucking magazine 2023 national trucking survey.

From stronger cabs, to smart emergency brakes, to side-detection alerts, our focus is always on the best possible protection for our drivers and fellow road users.

*Nationwide online 2023 survey by NZ Trucking magazine with 720 respondents - made up of heavy truck drivers, owner/operators or employees of a heavy truck brand. Volvo came in second in comfort at 17%, followed by Kenworth at 14%.

LITTLE TRUCKERS’ CLUB

TRAN

The Little Truckers’ Club logo is hidden somewhere in this issue, Find it, and you may win a prize. Email rochelle@nztrucking.co.nz with your name, age and where you found the logo.

HI, LITTLE TRUCKERS!

WHAT DID THE TORNADO SAY TO THE TRUCK? WANT TO GO FOR A SPIN?

Well done, Gwen Donnelly. What beautiful colouring.

JUST FOR FUN!

FL FIL

SCRAMBLED WORDS This month we have a list of trucking related words but the letters are all muddled up. Can you unscramble them and tell us what they are? To help, I have put one letter of each word in the correct place for you. Have fun, kids!

94 New Zealand Trucking October 2023

166-0723

HULAAEG _ _ _ _ A _ _ KUBL _ _ L _ LEVIKSCKO L _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ T _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ TTROANSP REFGIRAREDET R _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ YAEVH _ _ _ V _ C _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ CROENNTIA FOYRTESR F _ _ _ _ _ _ _ KNATS _ _ N _ _ MAREYICHN M _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ B _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ BSGDLIUIN CURDERSINIAT C _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Answers: Haulage; Bulk; Livestock; Transport; Refrigerated; Heavy; Container; Forrestry; Tanks; Machinery; Buildings; Curtainsider

Hi Little Truckers. It’s been a busy month for me doing my art. I painted a two-man handsaw with eight trucks on it from STL Linehaul in Christchurch. I think it turned out pretty cool! Do you have any art work that you think is pretty cool? Or something you have created and are proud of? If so we would love to see it and even publish it right here in Little Truckers’ Club for everyone to see.

Congratulations 11-yearold Gwen Donnelly. You are the winner of the Kenworth grille colouringin competition from the August 2023 issue. What an awesome, colourful job you did! Keep an eye on your mailbox for your awesome prize!

Also, congratulations to 12-year-old Nikki Wheelan, who found the Little Truckers’ Club logo on page 88 of the September 2023 issue. Keep an eye on your mailbox, your prize is on its way, too.

If you would like to see yourself here in Little Truckers’ Club all you need to do is email your stories, jokes, photos, and/or drawings to me at rochelle@ nztrucking.co.nz with a wee paragraph telling us about them along with your name and age.

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WHAT’S ON Show organisers Please send your event details, at least eight weeks in advance, to: editor@nztrucking.co.nz for a free listing on this page.

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

IRTENZ Conference 2023

Kenworth 100 Celebration

Future Highways 14-16 November Jet Park Hotel, Hamilton Airport Contact: Kate Bucknell, kateb@tenz.com, 021 917 506

3 February 2024 Mystery Creek, Hamilton Contact: Facebook – Southpac Trucks, spt.co.nz

Dunedin Truck Show 27 January 2024 A&P Showgrounds, Mosgiel Contact: Facebook – DunedinTruckShow, 021 146 5229

NZTA and NRC Conference 2024 Technology Maintenance Safety 13-14 March 2024 Te Pae, Christchurch Contact: bill.james@trucking.nz, 0800 338 338

WHAT’S BEEN Special Rigs for Special Kids, 27 August.

Events Gallery Visit the New Zealand Trucking website to view galleries of the latest truck shows from New Zealand and abroad. Go to nztrucking.co.nz/events or scan the QR code to view on your mobile.

96 New Zealand Trucking

October 2023

HEALY’S HUMOUR

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ROAD USER CHARGES EFFICE

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100 Moving Metrics 104 Product Profile – NAPA 106 EROAD Fleet Day 2023 110 A Changing World Conference – Labour and Employment 114 Carriers Corner 116 Truckers’ Health 118 Health & Safety 120 Legal Lines 122 Business Together 124 NZ Trucking Association 126 National Road Carriers 128 Transporting New Zealand 130 The Last Mile BRO UG HT T O Y OU BY

MOVING METRICS

THE SALES

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Vehicle class

Description

NB

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

(mediumgoods vehicle)

NC (heavy-goods vehicle)

TD (heavy trailer)

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

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

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

100 New Zealand Trucking October 2023

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

First registration of TD class heavy trailers for First registration of TD class heavy trailers for August, August, year on year, major year onby year by majormanufacturer manufacturer 20

15 10

18 15

14 14 10

8 8 5

4

5

11

3 3

7

7 2

8

5

4

10 8

44

3

15

12

11 9

10 6

13 11

9 6

4

4

TE S

20

er

Number of units

25

2

2

44

6 3

4

7

6

8 8 7 6

Aug-20

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Other suppliers of class TD heavy trailers not included in above Aug-19 40

Aug-20 33

Aug-21 27

Aug-22 50

Aug-23 51

First registration of NC class vehicles year to date 2018 – 2023, by major manufacturer

First registration of TD class heavy trailers year to date 2018 – 2023, of byTDmajor manufacturer First registration class heavy trailers year to date 2018 – 2023, by major manufacturer

180 140 120 100 80 60 40 20

2019

2022

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2023

Other suppliers of class TD heavy trailers not included in above Jun-18 407

Aug-19 354

Aug-20 273

Aug-21 303

Aug-22 321

Aug-23 343

New Zealand Trucking

October 2023 101

This information is put together from metrics provided by the NZ Transport Agency.

New Zealand Trucking acknowledges the assistance of the media team at NZTA in providing the data.

ROAD USER CHARGES Total value and distance of road user charges purchased

Summary of RUC transactions for August 2023 Number of individual RUC licences issued for month

263,983

Total kilometre RUC distance purchased (All types)

1,086,135,385

Total value of all RUC purchases (All types)

$162,680,449

Purchase period

Distance purchased (km)

Value of purchases

1 Jan 2018 – 31 Dec 2018

15,736,558,458

$1,875,364,397

1 Jan 2019 – 31 Dec 2019

16,166,434,103

$2,041,939,272

1 Jan 2020 – 31 Dec 2020

15,421,400,378

$2,069,615,049

1 Jan 2021 – 31 Dec 2021

16,204,803,262

$2,249,341,814

1 Jan 2022 – 31 Dec 2022

17,683,361,155

$1,710,831,998

1 Jan 2023 – 31 Aug 2023

11,792,468,798

$1,122,023,642

RUC distance purchased for RUC type 1 vehicles

Purchase period

Distance purchased (km)

Average monthly distance (km)

1 Jan 2019 – 31 Dec 2019

11,502,905,782

958,575,482

1 Jan 2020 – 31 Dec 2020

10,952,303,565

912,691,964

1 Jan 2021 – 31 Dec 2021

11,427,917,860

952,326,488

1 Jan 2022 – 31 Dec 2022

13,375,038,937

1,114,586,578

1 Jan 2023 – 31 Aug 2023

8,727,424,329

1,090,928,041

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

Description

2

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

6

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

43

Unpowered vehicles with four axles

14

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

951

Unpowered vehicles with five or more axles

H94

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

33

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

408

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

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

102 New Zealand Trucking October 2023

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

Average monthly RUC purchases for year (All RUC types)

RUC purchases August for selected types

RUC distance purchased year to date for selected RUC types

By comparing distance purchased year to date with the same period for previous years, trends in changes to activity by RUC type vehicles will become clear.

New Zealand Trucking

October 2023 103

PRODUCT PROFILE

The importance of

SAFETY FILTERS Air is a critical component of combustion for a diesel engine. An air filtration system is designed to keep the engine intake air as clean as possible by removing particulate matter or debris. If the air reaching the engine is not clean, the engine will lose efficiency and have a shorter life.

D

onaldson air filters deliver superior protection for heavy-duty off-road and on-road equipment. They are designed to withstand harsh environments and are ideal for all heavyduty applications, from four-wheel drives to trucks and earthmoving equipment.

The filters are designed to provide effective, consistent performance over an engine’s life. They feature superior seal technology and a vibration-resistant interface, which helps to protect the engine and give it the clean filtered air it needs to perform.

Many Donaldson air cleaners contain two filters. The larger is known as the outer or primary filter. The role of the primary filter is to capture and retain contaminants from the incoming air, providing essential engine protection.

Many housings designed for off-road or high-dust environments often incorporate a smaller filter installed inside or, sometimes after, the larger primary filter. This smaller filter is often referred to as a secondary or inner filter or a safety filter.

The safety filter has two functions, to remain positioned and protect the engine from contaminants dislodged during routine primary element servicing, and to act as

104 New Zealand Trucking October September 2023 2023

a backup if the primary element has been damaged before installation or incorrectly fitted.

Many air filter housings designed for low dust or highway vehicle applications do not include safety elements. While safety elements are not essential in low dust environments, extra care should be taken during routine servicing.

Engines should never be operated with just a safety filter installed.

Servicing While new air filters provide good engine protection, an air filter that has spent time in service and has built up a dust loading is even more efficient. An air filter will continue to provide cleaner and cleaner air throughout its usable service life.

Over-servicing can sometimes stem from a ‘better safe than sorry’ attitude, which may

also achieve a ‘killing your engines with kindness’ result. Prematurely servicing an air filter means the media never achieves optimal efficiency and repeatedly allows excessive amounts of contamination directly into the engine.

Over-servicing impacts can be subtle but costly: higher-than-ideal oil burns, premature loss of performance and consistent failure to achieve OEM-published engine life.

Donaldson air filter indicators maximise filter life through various restriction measuring devices that help you get maximum filter utilisation and the greatest engine protection.

Donaldson is a leading manufacturer of filtration solutions for on-road and offroad heavy-duty trucks, working vehicles and agricultural machinery. Contact your local NAPA Auto Parts or Repco store for more information on Donaldson filters.

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EROAD

Fleet Day 2023 EROAD Fleet Day is an annual event bringing together transport industry professionals, exhibitors and experts to discuss the latest trends and challenges in fleet management and discover advances in vehicles and fleet management technology.

We explore key outcomes from EROAD Fleet Day 2023 – people and partnerships, emissions and tech.

Dom Kalasih.

E

ROAD Fleet Day 2023, held in Hamilton on 26 July drew more than 800 fleet management professionals.

It focused on three crucial aspects of modern fleet management: safety, efficiency and sustainability – underpinned by data and technologies.

Keynote speakers included Sir Graham Henry, who gave a talk on leadership and what it means to manage a tightly knit fleet team. “It’s about cultivating the right culture, selecting the right team members, and supporting them to perform effectively under pressure,” he said. “Technology is an enabler, but a strong, connected team that embraces the fleet’s culture is essential for long-term success.”

Josh Hedley, national fleet and plant manager at Downer New Zealand and Brian Yanko, manager, fleet service group at New Zealand Police, also spoke about the value of partnerships and relationships in fleet management. By sharing knowledge and learning from one another, fleets could

106 New Zealand Trucking October September 2023 2023

Dom Kalasih: Industry is not waiting Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand interim CEO Dom Kalasih said technology continued to evolve and contribute to potential solutions to manage our largest risks: climate, safety and commercial sustainability.

“Technology is there providing solutions to reduce emissions, improve safety, efficiency and business sustainability,” he said.

Kalasih said New Zealand’s regulatory framework needed changing to provide

uncover innovative solutions to common challenges, ultimately benefiting the entire industry, they said.

Other notable speakers included Martin Miles of ChargeNet, Kathy Schluter from Keith Andrews, Jack Gordon-Crosby from

more agility so the country could more easily take advantage of technology.

He said the transport sector had a reputation of being a “technology taker” and was waiting for solutions.

“Our industry is not waiting. Arguably, New Zealand is leading the way; there are some awesome investments and commitment to solving these challenges.

The industry is already demonstrating leadership, innovation and investment.”

OptiFleet, Charles Dawson from AutoSense, Rob Covich from Scania New Zealand and Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand’s Dom Kalasih, among many others.

Here are some of the main messages to came out of this year’s Fleet Day.

Embracing emission reduction strategies Transport is a key sector in New Zealand – it is also a significant contributor to our emissions footprint, with almost 17% of greenhouse gas emissions coming from transport (Waka Kotahi).

In 2022, the government launched New Zealand’s first emissions reduction plan, which calls for a 41% reduction in emissions from the transport sector by 2035 from 2019 levels. Kathy Schluter, GM of sales and customer experience at Keith Andrews, stressed the importance of preparing for emissions reduction now.

“With low- and zero-emission transport rapidly gaining momentum, fleet managers must proactively assess their fleet operations and start planning how they’ll transition to low-emission vehicles,” she said.

Scania and Hyundai also discussed how the EV and hydrogen share of the heavy truck market was heading in one direction. With three in five fleet businesses already being asked to share sustainability performance during vendor selection, early adoption of green technologies was the key to staying ahead, they said.

Kathy Schluter.

No single solution

Rob Covich.

Rob Covich, pre-sales and logistics director for Scania New Zealand, said that when it came to reducing emissions in the transport sector, no single solution would solve the country’s problems.

“Scania’s approach is to look at energy efficiency, including ICE vehicles, driving vehicles as efficiently as possible, renewable fuels and smart and safe transport. It’s important for us to make sure our vehicles are connected; it’s important to have the data and visibility over what your vehicles are doing.

“Scania’s global target includes reducing emissions by 50% by 2025 within our operations. The thing is that for us, 90% of our emissions happen after our product leaves the factory, so we have a target to reduce our vehicle emissions by 20%. That

New Zealand Trucking

October 2023 107

EROAD

Fleet Day 2023 includes the introduction of platforms such as Euro-7 and Euro-6, but also alternative fuels.”

Covich said there wasn’t a single solution that Scania felt was the right fit right now.

“Scania is investing heavily in R&D with

hydrogen as well, but one thing that gets lost a little with some people is that electricity has proven to be the most efficient opportunity for us to make savings as far as vehicle running. The challenge with a full-cell electric vehicle is there is a lot more

energy required to create hydrogen. You have to store it, transport it and convert that hydrogen energy back into electricity.

“This is the main reason Scania has chosen to put a real big push on the battery-electric vehicle journey.”

Energy security

Jonny Parker.

If New Zealand is going to change its emissions factor and enhance its energy security, changing fleets and the fuel mix we use is vital, according to Jonny Parker, CEO of EV charging consultancy Thundergrid.

“Since the closure of Marsden Point refinery earlier in the year, New Zealand now imports all petrol and diesel products,” Parker said.

“In the three months ended June 2022, the value of these imported products was $2.2 billion – our No.1 import. For the first time, we are now a net importer of coal.

“Our largest piece of energy is imported. That exposes New Zealand to vulnerabilities in regard to energy security. And our transport networks are using the majority of our energy.

“We have the opportunity to use homegrown energy through geothermal, hydro, wind and solar. We can do that and inject that into our vehicles as a transport fuel. So while moving to electric vehicles is all being pushed under the environmental banner of reducing net emissions for New Zealand, which it will, one key factor is the energy security it gives.

“By choosing electric vehicles, you are enabling energy security. We can become energy independent and we can run more efficient forms of transport.”

108 New Zealand Trucking October September 2023 2023

NZT 23

Distraction and fatigue Not enough sleep is the No.1 cause of driver fatigue. Fatigue contributes to 40% of all heavy truck accidents in New Zealand.

AutoSense’s Guardian Seeing Machines use face- and gaze-tracking algorithms to measure a driver’s head position and eye closure. Audio alarms and seat vibration are immediately activated when safety parameters are exceeded.

“Through AutoSense, our goal is improving road safety through technology,” said Paul Fossi, national sales manager at AutoSense NZ. “We have over 5000 units nationwide, and from those, we get 125 verified sleep events every single day. That’s 125 people we are waking up every day,” he said.

“And we only have 5000 units, so you can only imagine what is really happening on our roads. It is a hell of a lot of luck that there’s not more carnage up there.”

Fossi said business owners only saw the tip of the iceberg when it came to fatigue in the workplace.

“You can only control as a boss what you can see. You can help sort out the driver shift patterns and help support diet and

Paul Fossi.

hydration. But you need to try and explore more about what could be happening at home if there are issues there – stress, family, financial, medical, babies, gaming – all these things that can be happening,” he said.

“It’s not just the truck driver’s problem; it should be treated as a wellbeing issue.

You need to be able to have those tough

conversations with your drivers to say, ‘You need some help out there, are you well enough to work?’

“After the working week, you assume your drivers are all good to go the next day, but the reality is, we don’t know what they do – the assumption that your driver is okay is not enough.”

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A Changing World Conference 2023 In last month’s wrap-up of the Transporting New Zealand conference, we looked at new ways of monitoring and measuring compliance and fatigue. In this final report, we get expert opinions on managing staff and the best ways to navigate employment law and ongoing labour issues.

Paul Mackay Business New Zealand Paul Mackay, manager of employment relations policy at Business New Zealand, gave an update on New Zealand labour issues and changes to legislation.

He said much was going on in the transport sector, making employment more difficult. “The transport industry is made up of many owner-operators who are involved in the logistics chains, but they’re also in business for themselves, which is kind of a bit different from the normal employment model where you’ve got one business with a lot of employees and a management structure.”

Review of contracting “Then there’s the review of contracting, and who is an employee and who is a contractor.

After the election, there is likely to be some more work around clarifying these definitions to make it easier for you to use, rather than make it harder for you, in your business,” he said.

Review of the Holidays Act “Hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of remediation have already been paid out, and probably nearly as much into consulting fees and lawyers’ fees in terms of getting help to do this remediation process. I participated in that, and came up with a series of recommendations that the government accepted in total, in fact, pretty much.”

While all political parties supported

110 New Zealand Trucking October September 2023 2023

Paul Mackay.

the idea of a review into the Holidays Act, Mackay said it had been a very slow, grinding process. “You have to make sure that the recommendations that have been made can actually be made to work in real life. And then the next challenge is to turn those findings into an actual law.”

Income insurance scheme “Originally, to look after redundancies, every company had to provide on its books for a redundancy entitlement, up to 44 weeks’ worth of pay, for every employee. Business New Zealand campaigned the government to say we needed something different,” Mackay said.

“If people are made redundant, then the scheme picks you up, helps you get back on your feet and delivers you back to work. It’s highly simplistic in terms of its intent.”

Fair pay agreements Mackay said fair pay agreements were a hot topic in most industries. “But the extent to which the transport industry would be caught by a claim at this stage is a little bit murky because, as an industry as a whole, it has very low union penetration and very low levels of employment versus selfemployment.

“But there are within the other sectors, for instance, hospitality, supermarkets, groceries – the logistics processes involve a lot of this industry. And it’s possible that claims in those areas may, in fact, catch your people.

“So, it’s worthwhile talking through some of the basic elements of fair pay agreements and particularly about how some of the mechanics could be problematic for many.

“Our whole focus is on helping organisations and members understand the processes and getting through.”

Daniel Hummerdal WorkSsafe Daniel Hummerdal, head of innovation and partnerships at WorkSafe, said there was a “disturbingly negative” perception of health and safety. “I think it has to do something to do with the fact that we deal with death and serious injury and disaster, blood and gore, twisted metal and all the things that we don’t want to do,” he said.

“But that’s the reason why we want to have safety because we don’t want those things.”

Hummerdal said there was a lot of talk about triggers when it came to safety – risks, slips, lapses, mistakes, bad cultures, loss of situational awareness – and then on top of that, there are constraints, throwing a ‘behavioural lasso’ around people and operations to keep them within certain parameters – checklists, reminders, safety culture programmes.

“It’s a very limited approach to learning if

you’re focused so heavily on bad outcomes to improve your systems,” Hummerdal said.

“So, the question is, ‘What is happening in the rest of this continuum of outcomes?’”

Hummerdal said operators needed to start looking at why things go well.

“You don’t have to have an accident to go out and explore this. You don’t have to wait for negative events. This is happening every day, every hour of your business. And I personally find it’s a lot easier to learn from normal work than accidents,” he said.

“When there’s an accident, people get defensive. Blame gets involved. Who is responsible for this mess? Who’s gonna pay for it? When it’s normal work, especially if it’s good work, it’s positive work. People are proud.”

Hummerdal said there were lots of dimensions impacting performance.

Value and failure Demand value: Demand is the work people have to do to meet the business’s purpose.

Failure demand: The distractions that take people away from what they’re doing. “This is where people start doing workarounds because they have to overcome something in the business,” Hummerdal said. “All of a sudden, you run around doing lots of other things that are not at all part of the original plan.”

Goal conflicts “You always have to be thorough and do things by the book to achieve quality.

But you also have to be efficient,” said Hummerdal.

“You have to arrive on time but adapt to weather and traffic. You have to make sure that customers are happy. You have to be safe. You have to take care of the environment. You have to follow the rules.

You have to listen to your boss. You have to listen to your colleagues.

“If you fit in when you’re a newcomer to the business – all these goals that you have to work towards, some of them will come into conflict.”

Edward Cox Gibson Sheat Lawyers There are calls for strengthening the chain of responsibility provisions in the Health and Safety at Work Act in line with a more effective regime, according to lawyer Edward Cox. “I don’t think our existing chain of responsibility legislation works. It does need a change. Where does the enforcement stick usually land? It lands with you guys and your drivers,” he said.

“Why is it that the person who is in the probably weakest economic position in the chain – the driver, and then possibly after that, the operator – why is it that they get stung for the sins of those elsewhere in the supply chain, who, in my view are often the cause of the problem?

“If I had a dollar for every time my clients had called me and said, ‘Actually, we were pressured into taking this, or we were told we wouldn’t get paid to come back for the second load…’ I would be a much wealthier lawyer than I am now.”

“We have a chain of responsibility in legislation in New Zealand, and it basically says that anyone who causes or requires someone to break any of the core obligations – transport obligations, speed, work time, risk time, gross weight

Edward Cox.

limits – that they can be liable. And there’s a fine of $25,000. Well, I’d have to say this would be one of the great lowlights of my legal career. It has never ever been used.

There are no cases on it. No one has ever been prosecuted under these sections.

“That’s all we need to say to prove that this legislation doesn’t work. Can we fix it?

The answer is yes. But do you try to rewrite the current Land Transport Act? Well, yes, frankly, it’s so out of date. But a modern

bit of legislation would have overlapping duties for other parties in the supply chain.

“We need an economic model that investigates the true operational and economic causes of offending where that occurs up the chain and not simply targeting the young driver, or the operator who is in a poor economic position to push back and say, ‘No, we won’t take that load.’”

New Zealand Trucking

October 2023 111

A Changing World Conference 2023 David Turner Risk New Zealand

David Turner.

David Turner, chief executive at Risk New Zealand, said transport companies should make risk management a habit in the workplace.

“Let’s start making risk part of everything we do. It’s talking about it when we start our toolbox talks or when we are planning for the day,” he said.

He said that while businesses can have risk management plans in place, how were they measuring whether they were working?

“Some things can look great on paper, but they’re not actually delivering what we need. So, we need to keep checking that, adjusting it,” he said.

“Many plans are made and left… we’ll see how we are in six months or two years. But then, in that time, we’ve actually accumulated quite a bit of an issue, other risks because we haven’t kept on it.

“It’s simply monitoring it, making sure it’s working for us and not just a nice document sitting in the corner or on the shelf. It’s developing our management, our management skills, who is leading our staff, making sure from the tone from the top down that it’s getting through.

“We don’t need to bring out the templates. We don’t need to bring out fourhour discussions on risk. We need to start saying, ‘Do we understand it?’ Identify a

risk, report it, let’s talk about it.”

Turner said businesses needed to leave their comfort zones when discussing risk management. “Our risk is ourselves in the comfort zone. Again, once we step out of that, start challenging what we do, our business and direction, we see it from a whole different angle.”

He said talking about risk was never going to be exciting.

“By just making it a habit, by getting it ingrained in people’s thinking, then they do start getting interested in it. Especially if we talk about how it’s going to benefit them, complement the organisation,” he said.

get more for the efforts they’re putting in.”

have an expectation that he knows nothing about and expect a different result, then you’re not going to get it.

“I’m a firm believer that if you do not empower the people you have working for you, and if you don’t value them within the business environment you’re putting them in, then don’t expect that they will work in your best interest.”

Kyne said many owner-operators had a huge passion and commitment for what they

What’s blocking good risk management?

Turner said the industry’s approach to risk was hindering its progress. “It’s how we talk about it, maybe at the end of a board meeting for four minutes, and we never really get to it,” he said.

“It’s doing little things like bringing it to the front, saying, ‘What are our key risks within our strategy? Where are we going?

Who do we want to be?’

“Every person is a risk manager at some level. As humans, we do risk management every day. We rely on what we are told. We have to get that instinct back.”

Mike Kyne Kyne Management Services Changes are required within the workplace to improve business, according to Mike Kyne, director at Kyne Management Services.

“We are still operating under a regime that talks about a 40-hour week, and we are trying to stretch that. If you look at the amount that is being paid to a lot of people for what they do, we just can’t sustain that.

“We need to change the way we are doing things to not only get more productivity, but to influence people and empower them to

112 New Zealand Trucking October September 2023 2023

Reactive employer vs proactive employer Kyne said there was a lot of frustration when dealing with staff, but it was important to get it right from the start. “What’s important is when you’re taking somebody on, it’s not just somebody to drive a truck for you, they’re also going to be driving a vehicle that has your name on the driver’s door. They’re representing you. If you take a person and

Samantha McNaughton.

Covid impact on logistics

Mike Kyne.

did but struggled when it came to managing staff.

“They know most of their clients, and they’re very proud of what they’ve achieved – starting with one truck, a mortgage and two kids 25 years ago. And then suddenly they’ve got 15, 20, 40 trucks, and the business has gotten too big and they’re struggling to run the people. They’re not struggling with running trucks – they know that backwards. But they’re struggling in managing people,” he said.

He said his advice for owner-operators was to show leadership. “We tend to manage reactively rather than proactively. And young people won’t put up with that. So, a lot of the employment disputes and personal grievances that I deal with are people feeling unaligned.

“What you’ve gotta do is turn around the way that you manage people and put the onus of responsibility back on the person who’s being employed by you to do the work. And a lot of that comes down to how you talk to them.”

Hanga-Aro-Rau Workforce Development Council is the skilled-standard-setting body for the road transport industry, as well as the manufacturing and engineering border logistics sectors.

Deputy chief executive Samantha McNaughton said that while it was pretty obvious what Covid-19 did to many industries, the increasing skills and labour gap was confronting the logistics sector most.

“It has been decades that we have been talking about the skills shortage.

It has been decades that we have been talking about the ageing workforce.

But what Covid did is compounded it even further, and the skills gap and the labour gap is accelerating at quite a rapid rate,” she said.

“We have this really intense skills and labour shortage that has been coming at us for some time. But Covid added to those challenges.”

So, what are the options available to the industry regarding the logistics sector?

“Covid has taught us that we’ve had an over-reliance on migration. If we’ve needed to find skills or labour in the past, we’ve looked outside first and brought those skills and labour inside,” McNaughton said.

“And so Covid was possibly a bit of a jolt, a bit of a wake-up call, that we need to be looking differently at our domestic labour market and workforce as well.

“I’m absolutely pro-migration, being part of whatever solutions we need to grow, develop, sustain and maintain

our workforce, but it can’t be the only solution,” she said.

Covid also enabled some employers to think differently about the technology that they were using. “For some businesses, for some components of the logistics sector, this involved quite rapid transformation, which had a really cool added benefit because all of a sudden there was a market of people that didn’t previously come into the logistics industry because of the quite manual work, but suddenly became quite attracted to it because of the technologies,” McNaughton said.

“Technology does have a huge part to play in changing the profile of the workforce, but also attracting different and new people into it.”

McNaughton said that while many operators had embedded technology into their day-to-day operations, they knew that when they replaced technology, it didn’t necessarily replace the people.

“It changes the type of skills those people need. All of a sudden, you’re creating new pathways – educational pathways and career pathways that didn’t previously exist because of the advent of technology,” she said.

“Creating a culture of ongoing learning and development, and credentialing through micro-credentials or other qualifications, adds to creating and retaining people within an industry and offers them multiple career pathways and opportunities.”

New Zealand Trucking

October 2023 113

CARRIERS’ CORNER

The politics of

POLITICS It’s taken plenty of restraint for me to avoid broaching the topic of industry associations and the drive for ‘one voice’ – far too many column inches have already been given to it. So perhaps there is some irony in me allocating further ink to the subject…

I

admire the passion for the subject of one industry association. But I’d be equally as keen to see that enthusiasm focused on the betterment of the industry as opposed to the politics behind it.

As a relative newcomer to the industry, I believe the work of others in promoting the sector deserves public acknowledgement and praise. But is some of that also at the heart of many of today’s challenges and the potential to (again) realign and come together as a singular body (in some form)?

I believe there can never be a single organisation capable of being all things to everyone; we simply have too many individual needs and wants. And, as small as our population may be, the diversity of thought and opinion is as wide as anywhere on the planet. I see choice as valuable, and different approaches allow operators the ability to participate in an organisation more closely aligned to their own wants, as opposed to something that’s ‘one size fits all’.

Furthermore, some brilliant recent examples of cross-association cooperation and partnerships have driven the outcomes the industry has sought. For example, the work of the Livestock Working Group and Intermodal Safety Working Group has been significant, with both groups achieving important engagement and change for the benefit of the industry nationwide.

At the heart of it, we must place our trust and confidence in the CEOs the associations

have appointed and focus on the boards doing what they’re in place to do – govern.

We’re fortunate to have three CEOs with vastly different yet relevant backgrounds, and we must believe they are there to act in the industry’s best interests – collaboration or otherwise – and empower them to act as they see appropriate.

Do I see scope for greater efficiency, collaboration, and in turn, outcomes? You bet I do. But does this have to come by way of a unified body? I’m not so sure it does.

Talking of politics, it’s hard not to get a little excited to hear a political party committing to some serious roading infrastructure investment by way of National’s recent transport policy election announcement. Give it a month, and we’ll see whether those plans become reality. In the meantime, we’ll leave the politics to the real politicians!

the work of the Livestock Working Group and Intermodal Safety Working Group has been significant, with both groups achieving important engagement and change for the benefit of the industry nationwide.

Do you agree with Blake or want to engage with his comment? He’d love to hear from you.

Contact Blake at: blake@transcon.co.nz.

Blake Noble is managing director of Transcon, a 16-truck general-freight operation based in Warkworth, north of Auckland. He is also the founder of specialist transport growth and advisory provider Delivery. Head to getdelivery. nz to connect with Blake.

114 New Zealand Trucking October September 2023 2023

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TRUCKERS’ HEALTH

IN IT FOR THE

LONG HAUL I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase, ‘summer bodies are made in winter’. Though I understand the concept, I don’t think a set timeline is helpful when it comes to mindset and overall physical wellbeing. So, let’s talk about longevity and sustainability.

O

verhauling your nutrition can feel daunting and overwhelming, but if you tackle one small aspect at a time, you don’t feel like you have to give up the world to achieve a better lifestyle. Here are five simple tips to make small changes to your lifestyle to encourage long-term improvements in your health and wellbeing.

1. Keep a food diary for a week This may sound like a bit of a drag, but until you fully understand what, when and how you’re eating, you won’t know where potential improvements could be made.

Once you have a good idea of your eating patterns, you can recognise what areas need tweaking. I would suggest focusing on one meal/element each week. If you try to change too many things at once, it feels overwhelming and too much change is not comfortable or sustainable.

For example, if your breakfasts have been sausage rolls, you know that breakfasts could be a good start for improvement. Try oats or toast for a week, and if it’s working well, then you can move on to improving another element in your diet.

2. Get your steps in This means investing in a pedometer or smartwatch (if you don’t already have one).

A step aim for your day can be a positive and simple way of measuring your activity.

A good standard target to aim for is 10,000 steps per day. You would be surprised how your steps add up. I understand that you are mostly seated and driving long hours, but a few five-minute walks over the day can easily get you toward that 10,000-step count.

116 New Zealand Trucking October September 2023 2023

3. Be mindful of a quick fix Taking part in an extreme weight loss challenge for a set amount of time isn’t the best place to kick-start a healthy lifestyle.

It can often lead to binge eating and disappointment. This leads us to believe that nothing ‘works’ and you may as well give up on trying. When we enter this territory, we often return to old habits and are sometimes worse off than when we started.

If the diet requires you to eat extremely low calories, cut out entire food groups or live on meal-replacement shakes, it is not a sustainable option to improve your health and wellbeing.

4. Set mini goals and milestones If you are someone who works well with time-based goals, then that is something you need to embrace. It is not about encouraging crazy behaviour for short periods but about setting mini goals and milestones to keep you focused and disciplined throughout your journey. I would not recommend setting weight-specific goals because these can be demotivating if not reached.

You must also remember that if you’re doing well with your new regime, you may gain muscle and lose fat – so the scales may not be moving much initially. You are better setting more positive goals. For example, week 1 – being able to walk 5km without puffing, and week 8 – being able to walk 10km. We are moving the emphasis away from the scales and further towards overall fitness – which is much more important. It feels good to achieve goals, and that sense of pride can make you push to work hard to accomplish more the following week.

5. Keep a positive mindset This is easier said than done, but it is such an important factor in any health and wellbeing journey. Having a positive mindset around our fitness regime can make a huge difference in our success. If we tell ourselves that we must get out of bed early to go for a walk because we are too fat, we are already putting a negative spin on our journey. If you reframe it and think, I’m getting up for a walk because I want to better myself – you are more likely to follow through with your exercise commitments and enjoy the exercise more.

Try these five simple steps and see how they impact your health and fitness over the coming months. I believe anyone can make a massive difference to their health in six months. You can start today and thank yourself in six months or put it off and be in the same position you are in now. My theory is that the time will pass anyway, so you may well use it for positive self-improvement.

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HEALTH AND SAFETY

COMMUNICATION SKILLS As in life, effective communication is the key to successful health and safety.

W

ho works in your workplace?

What are their roles? What are their levels of literacy or language?

Safewise currently employs five women.

Three are Kiwis, and two are South African.

We have two health and safety consultants and three support office workers, and one manages the health and safety app, Site App Pro. A few months ago, we underwent some communication coaching, which primarily focused on identifying behaviours and distinguishing them from judgements. We learnt how to give feedback (positive) and development (when things go wrong).

In August, both consultants attended a workshop on communication run by an international expert. This had quite a different approach to the coaching.

At Safewise, we firmly believe that the success of health and safety, like most things, depends on communication – on having conversations and building relationships.

One of the common links between the coaching and workshop was this – talking from the heart builds conversation and

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relationships. Obviously, we still talk about risk assessments and form completion. But we also, and always have, talk about personal impacts on people. We share stories. We make sure that we inform, but we also listen.

My challenge is to talk to people about them and the things that are important to them. I believe you will find common ground: people are not so different.

How can Safewise help?

Tracey Murphy is the owner and director of Safewise Ltd, a health and safety consultancy. She has more than 15 years’ experience working with organisations from many different industries. Tracey holds a diploma in health and safety management and a graduate diploma in occupational safety and health. She is a professional member of the New Zealand Institute of Safety Management and is on the HASANZ register.

We work with organisations that need more health and safety knowledge or more time than they have in-house. For more information, check the website, safewise.co.nz

3:12:58 PM

Danielle L. Beston Barrister At Law Log Book & Driving Hours Transport Specialist Work Licences Nationwide Road User Charges Contributor to New Zealand Trucking ‘Legal Lines’ Column Telephone: (09) 985 5609 mobile: 021 326 642 danielle.beston@trafficlawyerauckland.co.nz Referral Through Solicitor Required and Arranged

118 New Zealand Trucking October September 2023 2023

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LEGAL LINES

IMPAIRED DRIVING OFFENCES Drug-impaired drivers can expect new offences and penalties if they take any of the 25 specified drugs above the legal limit for driving.

E

arlier this year, the police decided to defer random roadside drug testing indefinitely. The reason given was that an appropriate saliva testing mechanism could not be found following the procurement and testing process. However, it is still illegal to drive while impaired, and this does not mean that police will not be testing for drugged drivers. Instead, they will be employing different methods to ascertain whether someone has been driving under the influence of drugs.

Compulsory impairment testing A Compulsory Impairment Test (CIT) is a behavioural impairment test undertaken by a specially trained police officer. Unless the officer has good cause to suspect the driver has consumed a drug or drugs, it cannot be required. It comprises eye, walk and turn, and one-leg-stand assessment.

A driver who fails to complete a CIT in a manner satisfactory to an enforcement officer is required to undertake an evidential blood test. Failing or refusing to undergo a CIT is an offence.

Blood tests A blood test can be taken when a CIT is not satisfactorily complete or a driver refuses to do a CIT. A blood test can also be required when a driver has been admitted to hospital after a crash or is involved in an incident where they were not in control of their vehicle. The blood test will be able to show the presence or level of drugs in their system.

If a positive result is ascertained, it usually indicates recent drug use and not historical use or passive or accidental exposure, which

120 New Zealand Trucking October September 2023 2023

would be unlikely to cause impairment.

Specified drugs The 25 drugs that will be tested for include Amphetamine, Cocaine, Codeine, Diazepam, Fentanyl, Ketamine, MDMA, Methadone, Methamphetamine, Morphine, Oxycodone, THC (cannabis) and Tramadol, to name a few.

If you’re interested and want to see the full list, you can find this under Schedule 2 of the Land Transport (Drug Driving) Amendment Act 2022.

Part 1 of the schedule sets out the level of

The schedule makes a distinction between “highrisk” and “tolerance” levels because the penalties for “high-risk” levels are more serious. drugs needed in your system to constitute a high-risk blood concentration level. Part 2 of the schedule sets out the level of drugs needed in your system to constitute a tolerance blood concentration level. The schedule makes a distinction between “high-risk” and “tolerance” levels because the penalties for “high-risk” are more serious.

These drugs were identified as having the highest risk of impairment and road safety in New Zealand. The government appointed an expert panel that made recommendations based on statistics, facts, data and scientific literature and looked at limits set by other countries.

Repercussions If the level of drugs detected in your system falls below the tolerance level, you have not committed an offence. If your level is above the tolerance threshold but below the high-risk threshold, this will constitute an infringement-level offence and incur between 50 and 75 demerit points. If you incur at least 100 demerit points within a two-year period, your licence will be suspended for three months.

Criminal convictions will occur if the level of drugs detected in your system exceeds the high-risk threshold. Examples of the most common offences and penalties are: • a prison term of up to three months or a fine of up to $4500, and a mandatory disqualification from driving of six months or more for driving or attempting to drive with one qualifying drug above the highrisk threshold • a prison term of up to six months or a fine not exceeding $4500, and a mandatory disqualification from driving of nine months or more for driving or attempting to drive with more than one drug, or drug and alcohol, above the high-risk threshold • a prison term of up to two years or a fine not exceeding $6000, and a mandatory disqualification from driving for more than one year for third and subsequent convictions for drug driving • a prison term of up to three years or a fine not exceeding $10,000 and a mandatory disqualification from driving of one year or more if a driver has caused the injury or death of a person and has a qualifying drug above the high-risk threshold.

Please note that this article is not a substitute for legal advice, and if you have a particular matter to be addressed, you should consult with a lawyer. Danielle Beston is a barrister who specialises in transport law, and she can be contacted on (09) 985 5609 or 021 326 642.

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BUSINESS TOGETHER

Embracing technology for

SMALL BUSINESS SUCCESS In today’s fast-paced landscape, integrating technology into your small business is not just an option; it’s a necessity. Technology can empower a business to operate more efficiently, enhance customer experiences and unlock growth opportunities. Let’s explore why integrating more technology is crucial and provide practical steps to make it happen.

T

echnology integration is essential for small business success. By assessing your needs, setting clear objectives and investing in the right tools, you can harness technology’s transformative power to propel your business forward. Your small business can thrive and flourish with the right technological foundation in a digital age filled with possibilities.

Why integrate more technology?

Efficiency and productivity: Technology streamlines processes, automates tasks and reduces errors, increasing productivity.

Competitive advantage: Staying techsavvy is essential for remaining competitive and responsive to market changes.

Customer engagement: Technology enables personalised experiences, efficient communication and online transactions, leading to satisfied and loyal customers.

Data-driven decisions: Technology provides real-time insights for informed decision-making, leading to better strategies and profitability.

Cost savings: Automation and efficient resource allocation reduce operational costs,

positively impacting on your bottom line.

Global reach: E-commerce and online marketing enable businesses to reach a broader customer base beyond their local market.

Innovation and adaptation: Embracing technology fosters innovation, helping businesses stay relevant in a changing environment.

Invest in essential tools: Invest in technology tools and software that align with your objectives, like POS systems, inventory management software, CRM systems and accounting software. We are quick to invest in more tangible assets like plant and equipment, but we need to see a shift to investment in our systems and IT to see the best results. Start looking at investment into cloud systems not as a cost but at the value that they add.

Employee training: Ensure your team is trained to use technology effectively, reducing resistance to change.

Stay informed: Keep up with technology trends and innovations in your industry.

Feedback and adaptation: Continuously seek feedback from customers and employees and be open to making improvements.

How to integrate more technology Assess your needs: Identify areas where technology can have the most significant impact in your business. The act of process mapping or value chain mapping your processes can help to identify areas that can be improved. Look for manual repeatable tasks as these are the low-hanging fruit for efficiency gains. Identify actions that can be templated. Additionally, real-time data can help you make decisions faster when trends change and put you in a position to respond quickly – look to build dashboards that inform your decision-making with today’s information.

Set clear objectives: Define measurable objectives for technology integration, aligning them with your business goals.

real-time data can help you make decisions faster when trends change and put you in a position to respond quickly…

Roylance Watson is a chartered accountant and associate at Vazey Child Chartered Accountants in Hamilton.

Email: roylancew@vazeychild.co.nz Phone: (07) 838 5988 Website: vazeychild.co.nz

122 New Zealand Trucking October September 2023 2023

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Carol McGeady general manager

The power of

DIVERSE VOICES

I

n the dynamic landscape of modern industries, lobbying has emerged as a crucial tool for shaping policy and influencing decisions that impact businesses and communities. A unified and influential voice is essential to drive positive change, particularly in the trucking industry, where intricate regulations and policies directly affect operations. However, recent successes of the New Zealand Trucking Association (NTA) and National Road Carriers (NRC) demonstrate that a wide range of voices, rather than a single monolithic entity, can effectively achieve lobbying goals.

Lobbying, at its core, seeks to influence lawmakers and decision-makers to adopt policies that align with the interests of a particular group or industry. While a single voice may appear strong, diverse perspectives offer a more comprehensive and nuanced approach to advocating for change. The collaboration between NTA and NRC is a testament to the strength that emerges when independent entities unite for a common cause.

By incorporating a wide range of voices, the lobbying effort becomes more representative of the entire industry. Trucking, like many industries, is multifaceted, with a multitude of stakeholders – from large transport companies to small, family-owned businesses. Each entity brings its unique challenges, insights and perspectives to the table. When these diverse voices collaborate, the resulting lobbying effort becomes a mosaic of ideas that resonates with policymakers on multiple levels.

One of the key advantages of collaborative lobbying with a diverse range of voices is the ability to conduct a more comprehensive analysis of the issues at hand. NTA and

124 New Zealand Trucking October September 2023 2023

NRC, for example, are better equipped to examine proposed policies from various angles, identifying potential unintended consequences and highlighting areas that may have been overlooked. This thorough examination enhances the credibility of their lobbying efforts and fosters a more informed dialogue with policymakers.

Moreover, the combined knowledge and expertise of multiple organisations enables a more robust assessment of the industry’s needs. While a single voice may possess valuable insights, it is unlikely to encapsulate the entire spectrum of challenges and opportunities the industry faces. Collaborative lobbying ensures no stone is left unturned and the advocacy effort remains well-rounded and holistic.

The involvement of multiple organisations in lobbying enriches the quality of discussions and enhances the credibility of the advocacy effort. Policymakers and the public are more likely to perceive a coalition of organisations as legitimate industry representatives rather than a single entity with a potentially self-serving agenda.

In the case of NTA and NRC, a collaborative approach sends a powerful message that transcends self-interest. By working together, these organisations demonstrate a commitment to the greater good of the trucking industry and the communities it serves. This credibility can open doors to meaningful conversations with decisionmakers, leading to more impactful policy outcomes.

While each entity maintains its independence, they can share the research, outreach, and communication burden. This resource-sharing optimises the impact of lobbying campaigns, ensuring that efforts are focused, strategic and well-executed.

NTA and NRC’s collaborative approach exemplifies this principle, as they combine their strengths to amplify their influence.

By leveraging the strengths of each organisation, they can operate on a larger scale and allocate resources where they are most needed. This approach ensures efficient resource utilisation and maximises the chances of achieving positive change.

In a complex and interconnected world, effective lobbying requires a multifaceted approach that embraces the power of diverse voices. The collaboration between the NZTA and the NRC is a compelling example of how independent organisations can unite to achieve meaningful and positive change.

By harnessing the strengths of diverse perspectives, collaborative lobbying provides a comprehensive analysis of issues, enhances credibility and maximises the impact of advocacy efforts. In an era where inclusivity and collaboration are valued more than ever, the trucking industry’s success story demonstrates that a chorus of voices can be more impactful than a single note. As industries continue to navigate an evolving landscape, the power of diverse voices will remain a driving force behind effective lobbying and positive change.

Some good examples of the success of collaboration are HARMfree Transport and Logistics, a workplace harm-prevention programme that was awarded some initial funding from the ACC Workplace Injury Prevention Grant, the TMS Conference & Exhibition scheduled for 13-14 March 2024 and TruckSafe, an accreditation safetymanagement system currently under development.

If you’d like any more information, please reach out.

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Justin Tighe-Umbers CEO

ELECTION 2023 Use your vote wisely

T

he election is just around the corner, and we’ve had months of promises and potshots from the major and minor parties. The gloves have come off, and some minor parties are showing signs of being quiet winners come election day.

This rise in some of the smaller parties seems to have a lot of seemingly intelligent people thinking they can ‘game the system’ with their votes. I’m unsure how to put this simply enough: you can’t game the system.

You have two votes, one for your preferred elected representative and one party vote.

There is no way you can game the system with just two votes.

What you can do is use your vote wisely.

Think about what attributes the parties – and their leaders – have that align with your values and will support the wider transport industry and your business.

I recently read an interesting article in CEO World magazine by Dr Jim White titled Attributes of Successful Leaders. White’s view is that no company, or in this case, country, can thrive without good leadership. Leadership is not about personal power or getting people to submit. Instead, it is about setting a good example, inspiring others to do better and be more successful while valuing the welfare of all. White believes good leadership comes down to six key attributes: integrity, courage, wisdom, truth-seeking, respect and equality.

I reckon these qualities are a great place to start if we want to assess the leaders we want to lead New Zealand post-election 2023.

When it comes to party policies, BusinessNZ’s Deloitte and Chapman Tripp Election Survey is a great place to gain some additional insights. The survey found

126 New Zealand Trucking October September 2023 2023

93% of businesses felt changes made by the government in the past three years had increased the cost of doing business. On climate change, 59% of respondents agreed it was affecting the costs of inputs to their business – a significant jump on 2020, when 27% of companies were feeling the impact on input costs.

Transport (roads, rail and ports) emerged as the leading type of infrastructure with the most potential to contribute to New Zealand’s business growth. Only National, ACT and New Zealand First responded strongly that roading is a priority when asked what major infrastructure issues would be a focus.

The transport industry and many of the sectors our industry relies on have been grappling with ongoing staff shortages for some time now. Perhaps unsurprisingly, 59% of survey respondents were not confident the current immigration settings are providing the skills needed for their businesses, with only 18% saying current settings meet their needs. When asked what changes could be made to the immigration settings to meet business and industry requirements, National and ACT have policies designed to make it easier to bring in skilled labour to plug shortages.

In a nutshell, we’ve heard a lot of promises. The big question is what promises will become reality and benefit the transport industry and the 108,000 people who make a living from it So, don’t try and game the system.

Take the time to look at the various parties’ policies and weigh what attributes and promises are most likely to deliver meaningful outcomes for the road transport industry – and New Zealand.

We’ve heard a lot of promises.

The big question is what promises will become reality and benefit the transport industry and the 108,000 people who make a living from it.

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Event Co-Manager: Carol McGeady (NTA)

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Sponsors & Exhibitors: Bill James

Chief Operating Officer carol.mcgeady@trucking.nz +64 21 252 7252

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Our industry needs to speak with ONE VOICE

O

ur industry needs to speak with one voice to emphasise the importance of getting transport priorities right. Different organisations that are not on the same page undermine the effectiveness of getting a strong and effective message across to the government. We cannot afford to be divided.

It just makes no sense.

Economist Cameron Bagrie told our conference in June that governments don’t want to deal with a divided sector with different opinions. Cameron advised, “Park the egos – one team, one dream.”

Recently, Transporting New Zealand chair Warwick Wilshier wrote about industry unity. As Warwick said, “Associations will need to educate and provide solutions to the government. We need to drop the selfinterest and replace it with group interest.

“Everything we do, we do for the good of the whole New Zealand transport industry, whether someone’s a member of Transporting New Zealand or not. People will eventually see that and support that vision.”

We are also starting to hear grumblings from suppliers to our sector that this growing fragmentation across the industry doesn’t make sense. It’s sad if we don’t take heed and act on the advice of such key stakeholders.

We’ve had and continue to get great support from our membership, but I challenge others to take a pause and seriously consider whether what they’re doing supporting a fractured industry is actually helping or hindering the way forward.

Government policies and funding As the general election draws closer, the

128 New Zealand Trucking October September 2023 2023

need for our industry to speak as one is more apparent than ever. We must raise awareness that a resilient transport network is vital for communities and the wider economy.

Having a sector that is aligned on how that is funded would also be helpful.

The newly announced Government Policy Statement on Transport (GPS) spells out government priorities for the National Land Transport Fund (NLTF) from 2024 to 2027. It proposes spending $20.8 billion to fund 14 major projects throughout the country, most in the North Island.

Transporting New Zealand totally supports upgrading the country’s deteriorating roading network, which has been underfunded for years.

However, according to Prime Minister Chris Hipkins and Transport Minister David Parker, raising fuel taxes by 12 cents a litre is the best way to fund the new projects.

We disagree. Transporting New Zealand does not believe raising the fuel excise duty (FED) at the pump and road-user charges (RUC) to pay for the improvements will deliver a resilient roading network. This current draft isn’t going to prepare our transport system for the major challenges it will face over that time, particularly severe weather and an increasing freight task.

RUC increases have to be passed on when the community and businesses are already struggling with the rising cost of living. Not only will motorists have to pay more fuel tax to run their cars, all their consumable goods will go up as well – again.

Investing the money collected needs to benefit those who pay. The Ministry of Transport’s latest road pricing study shows that trucks pay the most share compared with all other road users. It’s high time other road users started paying more of their fair

share – and the same goes for rail freight.

Where, then, should the money come from? We believe that a range of funding sources should be explored, including public-private partnerships and the limited use of tolls and congestion pricing.

There is smart technology available that enables road pricing by vehicle type, so congestion pricing could make a real difference and free up the network.

The draft GPS is months late, and it talks about a project being “underway” to look at the future of revenue in transport. We really hoped we’d see much more advanced thinking on this by now.

Roadside drug testing regime welcome Transporting New Zealand is pleased that the roadside drug testing regime will be changed, keeping drug-impaired drivers off the road. Random oral roadside drug testing was scheduled to begin in March but was indefinitely deferred after police advised sufficiently accurate saliva tests didn’t exist.

Now, positive saliva tests will be sent to the lab for evidential testing before an infringement notice is issued. Drivers with two positive screening tests will be banned from driving for 12 hours and receive an infringement fee and demerit points.

It’s a practical fix and well overdue.

Between 2019 and 2021, drug and alcohol impairment were a factor in 43% of fatal crashes. Unless we get serious about this country’s approach to drug-impaired driving, New Zealand certainly isn’t on the Road to Zero.

Reducing drug-related harm on the roads is a priority for Transporting New Zealand’s commercial road-freight operator members.

Key Key Key

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FUTURE HIGHWAYS HIGHWAYS HIGHWAYS FUTURE FUTURE FutureHIGHWAYS Vehicles re Vehicles Future Vehicles Future Vehicles

Jet Park Hotel, Hamilton Airport, 14th - 16th November 2023 rport, Jet Park 14th Hotel,-Hamilton 16thAirport, November 14th - 16th November 2023 2023 Jet Park Hotel, Hamilton Airport, 14th - 16th November 2023 The IRTENZ 18th International Conference nternational The IRTENZ Conference 18th International Conference The IRTENZ 18th International Conference Power Train – Optimising the Efficiencies

timising the Efficiencies Power Train – Optimising the Efficiencies Managing Innovative Vehicle Solutions Power Train – Optimising theSolutions Efficiencies ative Vehicle Solutions Managing Innovative Vehicle Infrastructure Challenges and Regulation Development Managing Innovative Vehicle Solutions es and Regulation Infrastructure Development and Regulation IndustryChallenges Training needs and Skills Development Shortage Infrastructure Challenges and Regulation Development needs and Skills Industry Shortage Training needs and Skills Shortage Keynote International Speakers Industry Training needs andSpeakers Skills Shortage ernational Speakers Keynote International Keynote International Speakers Industry Panel session: y Panel session: Industry Panel session: Industry Panel Key industry providers and operators will share their session: views and experience on how infrastructure

are their Key industry views providersframeworks and and operators experience will share views on and how experience infrastructure on how infrastructure are keeping up their with facilitating these initiatives Key industry providers andthese operators will share their views these and experience up with facilitating frameworks are keeping initiatives up with facilitating initiatives on how infrastructure frameworks are keeping up with facilitating these initiatives

For registration and sponsorship enquiries, contact Proudly supported by...

For registration and sponsorship enquiries, contact Event Manager: Proudly supported by...

Proudly supported by...

For registration and sponsorship Event Manager: enquiries, contact Proudly supported by...

Kate Bucknell Event Manager: Kate Bucknell National Secretary Kate Bucknell National Secretary ph: +6421917506, E: kateb@tesnz.com NationalE:Secretary ph: +6421917506, kateb@tesnz.com ph: +6421917506, E: kateb@tesnz.com

THE LAST MILE

SORT YOURSELVES OUT!

T

owards the end of May, a rumour circulated that Transporting New Zealand (TNZ) and National Road Carriers (NRC) were discussing forming a single organisation representing the industry. Good, I thought, sanity is about to prevail, and the organisations involved recognise that a single united voice is the only way to represent the industry’s interests – especially to the government.

My thoughts were soon dampened when I read a summary of the NRC AGM, with the chair saying they were not discussing becoming a single entity with any organisation. That clears that up, I thought, but no, within a couple of days, the chair of TNZ said that this was not quite correct, adding that TNZ has had some informal talks with NRC representatives and that he had a “raft of correspondence going back and forth between himself and the chairman of NRC”. He said that one industry organisation remained the goal.

Not to be outdone, the CEO of NRC followed up by saying that the organisation’s position was to cooperate across all industry associations, TNZ and the New Zealand Trucking Association, working in good faith to align what they call for from the government. He added that if they did this well, they might find they were better positioned to take steps towards industry consolidation.

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A little over two years ago, the then-constitute members of the Road Transport Forum, the Road Transport Association, NRC and the NZ Trucking Association parted company, deciding to go their own way. This resulted in the Road Transport Association rebranding to become Transporting New Zealand. It is not unreasonable to say that since the split, TNZ is still finding its way as an industry representative organisation, but seemingly is now talking about linking up again. What has gone wrong? Was the split a wrong move?

We may never know, but at a time when the industry faces numerous challenges and with an election looming, we need to show a united front represented by a single authoritative voice, especially to whoever might win the election on 14 October.

Come on, people, sort yourselves out. Put your ideals to the side; stop acting like little kids. The sandpit is big enough for all to play together. The industry needs a united voice, but this is not happening at the moment and is possibly causing irreparable harm to our industry and its image.

WE SHOULD CONGRATULATE Waka Kotahi NZTA for holding the overspending on its new Wellington head office for roughly 1000 staff to only $4 million over budget (The Post, 7 July) after shaving $6 million off the cost of furnishings, technology and materials.

The article described the new office as the “deluxe” option of those considered.

It is unreasonable to expect staff to work in second-rate conditions, but functionality is all that’s required. It should never be forgotten it is our money that is being spent, and at the moment, I am sure NZTA could have used some of this money to better effect – fixing potholes, for example.

IT WAS ANNOYING to read that a month after opening, problems appeared on the Puhoi to Warkworth section of the Northern Motorway. It seems that the unstable ground causing the problem has been known about for some years by NZTA and highlighted in just-released engineering reports, but NZTA “thought” the motorway would bypass the area.

What? They thought it would be all right? What sort of organisation pays millions of dollars for consultants and then just carries on with what they “think” regardless? Are they saying this construction was not completed to plan, and nobody was checking to ensure areas of concern, such as known unstable ground, were addressed?

On top of this, we are now told that work on the Transmission Gully site, north of Wellington, is still not yet complete.

Consistency counts for everything; apparently it does not matter if the outcomes are good or bad as long as they are consistent.

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