NZ Trucking Magazine, August 2022 by NZTrucking

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CONTENTS

REST 8 Editorial

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

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

10 Road Noise – Industry News

EDITOR

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

40 Remembrance – Bryan Menefy

FIELD EDITOR

50 Good on Ya Mate – Half and Full Centenary

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

52 Just Trucking Around

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

PRODUCTION MANAGER

Tracey Strange

Ricky Harris

CONTRIBUTORS

ART DIRECTOR

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

John Berkley

Niels Jansen (Europe) Paul O’Callaghan

PUBLISHER

54 Great Dashboards – Volvo F12F

IN ALL THE RIGHT PLACES

60 Where’s that Road?

56 Top Truck

Practical, Eye-Catching, Idiot-Proof

70 Craig’s Truckin’ Snapshot

DIGITAL IMAGING

Willie Coyle DIGITAL MANAGER

62 Aussie Angles – Elphinstone’s SelfLoading Solution

72 New Rigs

Louise Stowell

78 New Bodies and Trailers

OFFICE ADMINISTRATION

80 Million Mile Club

Georgi George

82 Wanaka Memory

(Europe)

Howard Shanks (Australia)

Will Shiers (UK) VIDEO PRODUCTION

84 Mini Big Rigs – Chip off the Old Block

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

88 Little Truckers’ Club 90 What’s On / Cartoon

Jonathan Locke Izaak Kirkbeck Milly McCauley Howard Shanks

STEPPING INTO THE BREACH Paddon’s Other Ride

New Zealand Trucking magazine is published by Long Haul Publishing Ltd. The contents are copyright and may not be reproduced without the consent of the editor. Unsolicited editorial material may be submitted, but should include a stamped, self-addressed envelope. While every care is taken, no responsibility is accepted for material submitted. Opinions expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of New Zealand Trucking or Long Haul Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved. This magazine is subject to the New Zealand Press Council. Complaints are to be first directed to: editor@ nztrucking.co.nz with “Press Council Complaint” in the subject line. If unsatisfied, the complaint may be referred to the Press Council, PO Box 10 879, The Terrace, Wellington 6143 or by email at info@ presscouncil.org.nz

94 Moving Metrics 98 Incoming Cargo – Zero-Emission Incentives

102 Special Report – Rollaways 104 Industry Update – Pricing Index 2022 106 Vipal’s Knowing your Tyres 108 Product Profile – NAPA

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110 Carriers’ Corner

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114 Health & Safety 116 Legal Lines

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112 Truckers’ Health

118 NZ Trucking Association

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AUGUST 2022

120 Transporting New Zealand 122 The Last Mile

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EDITORIAL

YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW

ow many of us think we’d be pretty good at something because we’d seen someone else do it, watched a few videos or TV shows, or had some or other exposure to the task? “I reckon I could do that. How hard can it be?” Despite having no – or minimal – formal training or experience, we’ve all had that thought at some point. It’s called the DunningKruger effect. If you’re unfamiliar with the concept (without going too indepth), it’s “a cognitive bias whereby people with low ability, expertise, or experience regarding a certain type of task or area of knowledge tend to overestimate their ability or knowledge”. It can be further explained by the idea that those with low levels of ability, expertise, experience or skill are usually ignorant of that fact. As a result, they often have more overconfidence than those with no experience. This lack of knowledge means they don’t know when they’re

not doing something right. “Bodging it”, I guess you could say. I won’t continue and prove the theory by banging on too much about it. But the other day, I watched a fascinating episode on the subject on PBS’s Be Smart YouTube channel, wherein the host set out to demonstrate how big the gap can be between what we think we know and what we do know. He was interested in playing flight simulator videogames and watching cockpit recordings online, so he jumped into a Boeing 737 simulator cockpit to see if he could successfully land the commercial jetliner with guidance from an experienced pilot ‘on the ground’, should its pilot become incapacitated. He was confident, thought that he had the knowledge and felt he was managing the job, but still crash-landed two out of his three attempts. The other, he was instructed how to put the plane on autopilot for it to land itself – so there you go. It got me thinking about

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August 2022

how nobody is immune to this. The teenager who grabs the keys, sneaks out for a joyride and crashes. The DIYer who reckons he can do it himself but costs himself twice as much when he has to call in the pros. DunningKruger in action. And then I read the story that Auckland Council just successfully trashed its own climate plans in court, published on The Spinoff on 14 July. The writer, Hayden Donnell, tells the story of how a group of climate activists has sued Auckland Transport (AT) and Auckland Council for failing to meet their climate obligations and being in breach of government directives calling for reductions in vehicle travel and emissions. The problem is AT’s Regional Land Transport Plan (RLTP), which will allegedly either raise carbon emissions or reduce them by just 1% with government climate interventions. AT won by arguing, among other points, that the RLTP is no obligation to meet any

emissions targets and that a government policy statement mandating a transition to a low-carbon transport system was “minimally directive and its climate change targets had to be balanced against other priorities, including improving freight corridors”. (Interesting one that, considering the prevailing ‘get freight off the roads’ ideology.) Donnell does an outstanding job of unpacking it all, and I strongly recommend reading the full article. But just considering the basic facts of the case, I’m left wondering, how much of the climate thing is just a bodge? Is it a case of Dunning-Kruger – where those pulling the strings to reduce emissions think they know what they’re doing, but not really – or is there perhaps more pisstaking going on behind the scenes than we realise? Now, that’s a concept with which we’re all familiar.

Gavin Myers Editor

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ROAD NOISE NEWS

MOVE LOGISTICS GROUP JOINS ASX New Zealand transport and logistics group, MOVE Logistics Group, has officially joined the Australian Securities Exchange. The 153-year-old New Zealand company, which has been listed on the NZX since 2017, started trading on the ASX on Friday, 1 July, after lodging an application with the ASX earlier this year to dual list as a foreign exempt entity. Chair of MOVE, Lorraine Witten, says the dual listing is an important milestone for MOVE. “This takes our company one step closer to achieving our aspirations of being a significant transport and logistics provider across Australasia,” she says. “We have an exciting strategy and are executing on opportunities to strengthen and grow our business. The dual listing provides access to a broader range of investors and a larger pool of capital as we look to unlock the full value of our company for shareholders in Australia and New Zealand.” MOVE has been allocated the ASX ticker code of ‘MOV’. MOVE Logistics is one of New Zealand’s leading logistics companies, providing end-toend supply-chain solutions to small-to-medium enterprises as well as large corporate customers.

10 New Zealand Trucking

NZ Post takes delivery of first Xcient FCEV

he first of Hyundai New Zealand’s five Xcient hydrogenpowered fuel-cell electric trucks has been handed over to NZ Post, making it the foremost hydrogen-powered truck to enter service in this country. The truck will replace a conventional diesel-powered vehicle and is expected to save 170 tonnes of CO2 per year (based on 200,000km). Green hydrogen to fuel the truck will be supplied by BOC from its Glenbrook facility until the first commercial refuelling stations are ready in early 2023. Once the commercial infrastructure is in place, this truck’s ideal first operational route will likely be AucklandHamilton-AucklandWhangarei. In the meantime, NZ Post will put the truck through a validation process. This includes operating it in different configurations – first as a truck only, then as a truck and trailer combination on several routes, gaining New Zealand-specific performance information to refine software settings and

August 2022

define the best-operating routes for this technology. “We are very proud to be leading the way by putting the country’s first hydrogen truck into commercial operation,” says NZ Post CEO David Walsh. “Sustainability is a big deal to all of us at NZ Post, and we see hydrogen technology as one way to contribute to reducing our emissions within New Zealand’s roadfreight sector.” NZ Post has a stated goal of being a fully carbon-neutral business from 2030. The company approximates that 95% of its emissions come from fuel burn. While heavy transport makes up just 4% of the company’s transport fleet, it is responsible for 25% of emissions. NZ Post (excluding Fliway) currently has 169 trucks made up of linehaul and metro. Hyundai New Zealand CEO Andy Sinclair says he’s delighted that NZ Post is the first to invest in this zero-emission transport technology. “Heavy transport emissions are notoriously

hard to offset, as electric battery vehicle alternatives can’t offer companies the same productivity. Larger trucks are driven all day, every day, over long distances. Taking multiple hours to recharge a battery regularly is time the truck can’t be on the road. Hydrogen technology is an important solution for NZ Post and other similar businesses to introduce as part of reducing heavy freight emissions. “Kiwis should keep an eye out for the Xcient FCEV – it might be their parcel in the back, travelling without the environmental impact of diesel and in a remarkably quieter manner,” he says. “With the start of commercial operation of our Xcient Fuel Cell trucks, I hope New Zealand will lead the way in sustainability,” said SeungMin Lee, Hyundai Motor Company vice president and head of commercial-vehicle global new-business development group.

(From left) Steven Mitchell (South Island Commercial Manager) Greg Hedgepeth (CEO) Chombree Hari Hari (Christchurch Trucks Office Manager) Murray Hamilton (Christchurch Trucks Operations Manager).

CHRISTCHURCH COMMERCIAL TAKES TOP TURNERS AWARD

Milk-E joins Fonterra fleet

century ago, the Fonterra site at Waitoa was home to New Zealand’s largest fleet of electric milk trucks. It will now also be home to the country’s first (modern) electric milk tanker, which joined the Fonterra fleet in July. The truck, named Milk-E by a Fonterra farmer in a naming competition run by the co-op, is part of Fonterra’s fleet decarbonisation programme. Fonterra received co-funding from the government’s Low Emissions Transport Fund (LEFT), administered by EECA (the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority). The truck is an XCMG E700 8×4 battery swap, supplied by Etrucks. It will operate at 46-tonne GVM with the trailer. Providing the electrons is a 282kWh swappable battery, and Fonterra is expecting a range of about 140km on a full charge. The truck takes three hours to charge, but Fonterra has a battery-swap system installed at the Waitoa site allowing a fully charged battery to be swapped out in six minutes. The electric motor produces 215kW rated power and

360kW peak power, with rated and peak torque at 1200Nm and 2800Nm, respectively. Drive goes through a sixspeed automatc transmission to the 4.11:1 rear axle. Fonterra national fleet technical manager Richard Suckling and the team at Fonterra's Morrinsville workshop conieved, built and adapted Milk-E for the job. The team assembles more than 60 tankers a year at the facility. “Being a New Zealand first, there’s been a lot of creative thinking and Kiwi ingenuity to bring Milk-E to life,” says Fonterra COO Fraser Whineray. Changes to the battery configuration have allowed the team to try other additions to improve milk collection efficiencies, reduce safety concerns, and lessen the amount of work required to customise a Fonterra tanker. “It’s been great to see the team turn challenges into opportunities, so in addition to trialling Milk-E’s on-road ability, we’re also trialling a new electric pump, hose configuration and cabinetry,” says Whineray.

The tank will be the same size as a regular Fonterra tanker carrying 28,000 litres. However, because of the weight penalty of a batteryelectric truck, it will hold about 2300 litres of milk less. The need for a hydraulic tank and pump has been removed, replaced by the fully electric motor and pump. Positioning the electric pump on the driver’s side has reduced the pipework on the truck by 3.4m, reducing tare weight. The milk hose now falls naturally back across truck guards and is secured onto a Bayonet connection, which locks the hose in place and seals the end of the hose in transit. Newly designed doors that open out sideways with minimal moving parts, result in improved safety. EECA group manager Investment and engagement, Nicki Sutherland, says: “We’re pleased to see this project come to life. New Zealand has ambitious targets to reduce carbon emissions rapidly, and transport is key. If successful, this project could be replicated across several New Zealand businesses.”

Christchurch Commercial has won the Champion Commercial Branch Award at the Turners Annual Business Conference, held at Church Road Winery in Napier. Thirty branches from around the country participated in the three-day conference, with 25 awards claimed at the function. Led by Steve Mitchell, the Christchurch Commercial team thrived, despite the unusual times and a planned consolidation of two branches into one, which involved a big move to a new location on Racecourse Road. Mitchell went on to pick up the Leadership Award. “The Christchurch Commercial branch moved mountains this year and has the financial result to prove it,” says Greg Hedgepeth, CEO of Turners Auto Retail. “Staff engagement levels were very high, and they maintained an exceptional level of customer experience. A truly great effort from Steve and the team.”

ROAD NOISE NEWS

Volvo FL electric local testing

he Volvo FL electric truck is undergoing approval and training tests to check its performance under New Zealand conditions over the next few months. The 16-tonne fully electric FL arrived in New Zealand in April and has since been put through its paces in a pre-commercial trial on New Zealand’s roads to validate performance data from Volvo headquarters in Sweden. The tests will work out how different driving styles impact battery range – which European trials have set at 150km to 300km depending on conditions and load. Batteries can fully charge in six to eight hours using a

standard charging system. However, this accelerates with a 150kW charger that gets a flat battery to 85% in 60 minutes. The Volvo FL electric has a 600V system with four traction batteries, 425Nm of torque and a two-speed gearbox. The batteries have an expected life of eight to 10 years. At the point when the long-term value of an electric vehicle battery becomes limited for the trucking industry, there is the opportunity for a second life. Electric vehicle batteries retain 70% to 80% of their original capacity and can be used in applications within construction and residential settings.

Over the next few months the truck will go through approval and training process to test the FL’s performance under New Zealand conditions. Technical service and support teams will get the chance to do some hands-on training. Volvo has signalled its

intention to offer the entire Volvo Trucks product range fossil-free by 2040, and electric trucks will play a key role in achieving that goal. The New Zealand order book is due to open as early as 2024 for heavy-duty trucks (up to 44 tonnes).

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Hamilton section of Waikato Expressway opens

he 22km Hamilton section of the Waikato Expressway has been officially opened by Waka Kotahi. “The Hamilton section will reduce traffic congestion, improve safety, reduce travel times and boost economic growth in the Waikato and beyond,” said Waka Kotahi regional manager, Jo Wilton. Running from Ngaaruawaahia in the north to the existing Tamahere interchange south of Hamilton, this significant road connects Auckland to the agriculture and business centres of the Waikato and will improve productivity in the region. The Hamilton section is the final section of the four-laning of SH1 between Bombay and

south of Cambridge. Work on the earlier sections of the expressway began in the 1990s in Tamahere and Pokeno and continued with Ohinewai and Mercer in the 2000s. In 2009 the remaining seven sections were funded for construction with Te Rapa (opened 2012), Ngaaruawaahia (2013), Cambridge (2015), Rangiriri (2017), Longswamp (2020), Huntly (2020) and now Hamilton (2022). The full 102km Expressway will reduce travel times between Auckland and Tirau by 35 minutes for approximately 20,000 vehicles a day. The road has had its speed limit increased to 110kph. “The Expressway is built to the highest safety

specifications The entire route is lined with central and side safety barriers, meaning safer journeys for generations to come,” said Wilton. The road traverses the city’s gully systems – Mangaharakeke, Mangaone

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and Mangaonua gullies – where Waka Kotahi has restored wildlife by putting in native plants and removing pests. In total, there have been over 860,000 plants on the project.

ROAD NOISE NEWS

Report outlines freight sector priorities for Waikato and Bay of Plenty

aikato economic development agency Te Waka has released a report highlighting eight priority issues for the region upon which to act to support the continued growth and efficiency of the freight and logistics sector. “The freight and logistics sector is already one of the key drivers of economic development in our region. We anticipate strong future growth as freight volumes increase and key industry investments come onstream in the coming months and years,” says Hamish Bell, chair of Te Waka. “These investments are significant in their own right and also create a platform for wider investment for other industries to grow,” he says. “We have identified the sector as a key platform for growth, and we’ve brought

together industry leaders to develop a consensus view of the priority needs and actions. The result is a unique and important perspective on freight, logistics and transport priorities.” The eight priority actions identified in the Waikato & Bay of Plenty Freight Action Plan report are to: • Advocate for and participate in a study that takes a system-wide view of capacity across the Waikato/Bay of Plenty regions, including key links to Auckland, with bottlenecks/ constraints identified and prioritised. • Advocate for and participate in a study that assesses the resilience of critical network assets and identifies mitigation plans to limit potential disruption, including the Kaimai Tunnel and SH29 (Kaimai Ranges). • Encourage the completion

of regionally significant road capital projects – including SH1, SH2, SH29 and the Southern Links projects. • Support the continuation of road maintenance expenditure to maintain current assets in the Waikato/ Bay of Plenty regions. • Accelerate the Road to Success Programme for the Waikato/Bay of Plenty regions by socialising the programme and advocating for more funding and support. • Provide support for truck drivers to be on the New Zealand immigration skills shortage list for the Waikato/ Bay of Plenty regions. • Take a leadership position in the rollout of hydrogen infrastructure in New Zealand. The report also identifies other issues of importance to the sector where consensus on solutions is currently lacking, including inland ports and other freight aggregators,

seaports, and price competitiveness of rail. “The action plan highlights the crucial importance of investing in capacity and infrastructure to manage the forecast future growth in freight volumes,” says Leonard Sampson, chief executive, Port of Tauranga. Bell says Te Waka is mapping out the next steps for working on the priority actions. “We will now work to bring the industry together with local and central government stakeholders to deliver on these actions.” Te Waka developed the Waikato & Bay of Plenty Freight Action Plan in partnership with Priority One, EY, Tainui Group Holdings, Fonterra, KiwiRail, Port of Tauranga, Netlogix and Mondiale.

Two new programmes for Wairarapa logistics sector

rom July, UCOL Wairarapa will offer the New Zealand Certificate in Commercial Road Transport Skills and the New Zealand Certificate in Commercial Road Transport (Heavy Vehicle Operator). The programmes are free to domestic learners until the end of the year. “Truck drivers are in demand all across the country, and it can be a well-paying career, with pay rates of up to $40 an hour,” says Bob Stewart, UCOL Wairarapa academic portfolio manager, trades, conservation and primary. “If a secondary school student started the Certificate

14 New Zealand Trucking

in Commercial Road Transport Skills in July and followed it up with their Class 2 licence and the Certificate in Commercial Road Transport (Heavy Vehicle Operator), they could be making a good living just six months out of school.” The Commercial Road Transport Skills Certificate introduces learners to the commercial road transport industry. The programme aims to prepare learners to get their Class 2 licence, which is required for the Certificate in Commercial Road Transport. Learners will learn about different types of vehicles, how to load them correctly, pre-start vehicle checks, and transporting dangerous

goods. They will practice driving small trucks and can earn their Forklift Operators Certificate and First-Aid Certificate. “The programme is ideal for anyone wanting to work in a trucking yard or loading area or progress onto UCOL’s Certificate in Commercial Road Transport,” says Stewart. The programme runs for 17 weeks for full-time students. Secondary students interested in the programme can attend lessons two days a week through UCOL’s U-Skills Trades Academy. The Certificate in Commercial Road Transport (Heavy Vehicle Operator)

is aimed at people who work in the sector or have a Class 1 or Class 2 licence and want to work as heavy truck drivers. Graduates will walk away with either a Class 4 or Class 5 licence, as well as a forklift driver endorsement, a dangerous goods endorsement, and a comprehensive first aid certificate. The programme includes workplace learning and is ideal for those already working in the logistics industry who want to become drivers. Both full-time and part-time study options are available.

August 2022

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ROAD NOISE NEWS

HWR to decarbonise transport fleet with hydrogen

.W. Richardson has partnered with zeroemissions transition company Fabrum to decarbonise its transport fleet with hydrogen. Fabrum is developing and deploying an end-to-end scalable hydrogen-refuelling solution for HWR to enable fleet-ready access to hydrogen. This coincides with HWR’s plans to have 10 dualfuel hydrogen-diesel trucks on the road by the second quarter of 2023. Fabrum is developing the first green-hydrogen production system for HWR for its Southland site, using a 1.1MW membrane-free

electrolyser combined with its cryogenic technologies in a containerised system for decentralised pointof-use refuelling. Fabrum will also supply hydrogen storage technology that integrates with compression and dispensing technology to enable an end-to-end production solution through to dispensing hydrogen gas. “Fabrum is a key part of our hydrogen project as their world-leading solutions enable hydrogen production capability on-site and on-demand,” says HWR chief executive Anthony Jones. “As HWR rolls out dual-fuel technology and its hydrogen

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HWR CEO Anthony Jones. refuelling network across New Zealand, Fabrum’s ability to scale to grow with us means this alternative fuel source will be a solution for the entire heavy transport industry.” HWR has trailled dualfuel hydrogen technology for its truck fleets since late 2021. Dual-fuel is a future fuels solution that works for the entire heavy transport industry, enabling this lowcarbon transition in an accessible and sustainable

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ROAD NOISE NEWS

Iveco celebrates its team nationwide

veco NZ has a long history in New Zealand, a leading manufacturer and importer of commercial vehicles spanning the light, medium and heavy-duty truck segments, including a range of small to large buses. Recent operational changes to the company’s sales model mean that Iveco controls the entire sales process from ordering to delivery as an OEM, and is represented throughout New Zealand. The team in the South Island is represented by Straun Syme, who since 1993, has been looking after the Iveco brand and its

customers. Straun is based in Hornby, Christchurch, and can be contacted on 027 434 0846. Robbie Greenhalgh covers the Waikato/BOP regions and has been in the transport industry for more than 17 years. He can be contacted on 022 1234 626. Elliot Barnard has been part of the Iveco team for five years and looks after sales in the lower North Island. He has 15 years’ experience in the automotive industry. Contact Elliot on 021 347 869. Keith Tuffery, who has been with Iveco for 27 years, is the acting sales manager and

manages sales in the lower North Island, based in New Plymouth. Contact Keith on 027 489 1761. David Didsbury heads up the hugely popular Daily brand and is an industry authority in light commercial vehicles. He is responsible for all fleet customers and is based in Auckland. Contact David on 027 403 2035. Pieter Theron looks after the medium and heavy-duty truck sales for the Auckland

and Northland regions and has spent his working career in the industry in various senior roles. He can be contacted on 021 347 992. Trevor Wills looks after the retail light commercial vehicle sales for the Auckland region and has a proven track record in delivering outstanding customer service. Contact him on 021 237 118. Iveco has you covered all the way from north to south.

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Got your ears on? Tune in to Trucking Radio 24/7

fter months of behind-the-scenes preparation and excitement within the industry, New Zealand’s first and only radio station dedicated to the trucking industry launched on 1 August. Trucking Radio 24/7 is live and ready to listen to on iHeart Radio, or via the Trucking Radio 24/7 website – nztrucking. co.nz/trucking-radio-247/ – and app available for Android and Apple devices. Trucking Radio 24/7 offers a unique mix of music, industry-based interviews, listener engagement, roading reports, competitions and much more. “The team at New Zealand Trucking Media has been humbled by the initial response to Trucking Radio 24/7. Our aim is to keep the transport industry moving with engaging, entertaining and informative content specifically curated for those who live and breathe road transport,” says Dave McCoid, editorial

director of New Zealand Trucking Media. To download the app, visit the Google PlayStore or Apple App Store on your device and search Trucking Radio 24/7 – or simply scan the relevant QR code below. The app has a simple and intuitive interface. Listeners can engage via the nifty ‘shoutouts’ feature, which allows them to send a message directly to the studio at the tap of a button. Alternatively, they can make contact by completing the form on the website. Like something in particular? Listeners can hit the thumbs-up button on the app play screen at any time. Join us on Trucking Radio 24/7 as we travel the roads of New Zealand with the country’s truck drivers. For more information or to get involved, contact Matt Smith at matt@nztrucking. com, 021 510 701

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COVER FEATURE

ONCE AGAIN WITH

HARTE

The Northern Milk Run starts as everyone else is thinking about the day’s end and finishes as smartphone alarms around the Tasman region herald dawn’s arrival. To do this job takes a special kind of tenacity and drive – in the people who chose this life and the machines that must get through no matter what. Story by Dave McCoid

Photos and video by Craig McCauley and Dave McCoid

PART I …and soul

itting at Nelson Airport, waiting to board a plane on the way home from four days in the company of Wakefield’s Leithem and Kirsty Harte, I hear news of falling economic productivity, the labour market shortfall, and high levels of benefit payout. My head rocks back, and my eyes roll under my closed lids. I have no idea what to think. Harte Transport Ltd (HTL),

owned by Leithem and Kirsty, is one of TSI’s contractors in the Tasman Region, TSI being the distribution arm of Foodstuffs South Island. Like so many others, the Hartes are a clear example of the people – and trucks – delivering life’s essentials so efficiently that what they do has become largely invisible. Their story is a classic one of risk, courage, and reward. But at their age and stage in life, the reward still presents itself as the opportunity to work their

arses off. Business is always a long game, and Leithem and Kirsty, who are both 41 years young, are people who can see well beyond the horizon. They must be that way. Otherwise, their night-owl, ‘passing each other like ships in the night’ lifestyle would be hard to keep up. “Like everyone else in business, the past couple of years have been a challenge,” says Kirsty. “The end of last year was so busy, we never slept in the same bed at the

Through all conditions 362 days a year.

Kevin Harte with the trusty Daihatsu back in the day.

A humble toiler.

The Fuso Fighter with trailer on hook.

Expansion with the changing face of the industry and the knock-on effects of the 2016 Kaikoura earthquake. The 8x4 Fuso. Big gear.

24 New Zealand Trucking

August 2022

same time between the end of September and the end of January. It was just nuts, with an economy often still in lockdown yet gathering pace at the same time.” In concert with the ‘vision’, of course, the other key to ultimate success is embracing the journey. Leithem is living his trucking and business dream, running the linehaul side of the operation on a four-on/fouroff rotation with his stalwart wingman Te Reremoana Nepe, aka Nemo. The nightly Hope to Christchurch and return linehaul leg kicks off midafternoon and pretty much burns the daily work hours’ allocation. The four-on/four-off system allows a decent break, shift flexibility between the two men, and gives Leithem the opportunity to pitch in and help Kirsty at home, ensuring she also has some flexibility in her life. Aggghhh… Kirsty! Kirsty is one of those who run on adrenalin and won’t ever be beaten, whether that’s the next delivery or the couple’s long-term goals. Standing in the Hope depot in the wee small hours of a crystal-clear winter morning, she runs the cutter, stripping out the linehaul unit and loading the regional trucks like a Navy Seal commander orchestrating a coastal incursion. She’s fast and precise, with instructions to the troops as sharp as the morning air. That’s not saying the scene lacks conviviality or the odd cheeky quip, but they’re all there to get shit done. If you’re going to get up at 1.30am, why muck around? Besides, after the unload and reload, Kirsty will have her own delivery runs, some days as far away as Blenheim and Murchison. Then, there’s a household to run, admin, and customer service stuff to sort. Somewhere in there, she’ll also find time to clean the 8x4 Scania she calls her ‘baby’ and polish its alloy feet. Crikey.

Wars and an everchanging peace No, not our dynamic duo, more the story of how the slick HTL business came to be. It starts on Leithem’s side. He was born in Nelson and raised in Wakefield to the southwest, the son of local milk vendors Kevin and Ianthe Harte. “I missed the era of the runner on the milk trolley – thankfully,” laughs Leithem. “But I did the exchange bottles at the gate for about 10 years. The days before refrigeration when wet blankets and buckets of water kept the milk in the back of the truck cool. By the time I was old enough to work as a runner, it was a mixture of glass and plastic bottles, and the range of products was increasing all the time. I guess the first truck I drove on my own was our old Daihatsu Delta with a fivespeed box. I could drive that on a restricted licence. “Because I didn’t have any university ambitions, I left school at the end of the sixth form. The folks had just bought out another vendor, so there was plenty of work in the family business.” Then came the Nelson milk wars of the late 1990s. “Yeah, they were interesting times. Nelson’s vendors all worked under the Nelson Milk Co-Op. Then Meadow Fresh came to town, and a heap switched over to them. You had opposing vendors delivering to the same place at the same time. There was a fair bit of shit getting thrown around.” The Hartes went to Meadow Fresh and, within a short time of starting, came an offer to sell their central Stoke and Tahunanui runs back to the company and take on runs encompassing Richmond, Brightwater, Wakefield, and as far out as Murchison, 117km to the south. “It was a huge undertaking and meant we’d need to grow. Dad was opposed, but I saw the potential. I was all fired up. He came around eventually,

Leithem and Kirsty: proud as punch and as immaculate as ever. and we took it on. “We bought a 1992 Mitsubishi Canter five-speed to go with some old Isuzus. It was a Jap import, so it had some mod-cons like air conditioning. It did the water pump in the first week; you’ll always be tested, I guess. “Initially, it was a nightmare, with estimates of how long the runs would take coming up well short. It was six days a week from 4am to late at night. In time and with systems and understanding, it did settle down.” They say the only constant in life is change, and the sale of Meadow Fresh to Goodman Fielder in 2006 saw the loadout point move to Goodman Fielder’s Nelson operation. However, that was nothing against the rapidly changing landscape of milk distribution nationally. As well as an ever-increasing range of products in the milk and dairy business, the rising costs of traditional vendorstyle domestic sales saw that model give way steadily to retail sales, supermarkets especially. As a consequence of the growth in business-tobusiness transactions, the Hartes soon realised they

needed trucks capable of carrying significantly more; enter the scene a pair of Fusos, one a 6x2, and the other a 4x2.

Not just change in the air One day, with things having settled down a bit in the late 2000s, Leithem’s mate told him he had his wires crossed and that the chatty, cheeky… demanding… gal at the Sprig and Fern Bar in Brightwater was, in fact, single and he should pursue that which he had previously thought was out of bounds. As they say, the rest is history, and with one thing leading to another, the core duo of tomorrow’s Harte family business were wed in 2013. In 2014, Leithem and Kirsty bought out Kevin and Ianthe. In the face of unease over the direction Goodman Fielder was taking its business, they decided to try and rectify the issue of too many eggs being in one basket. Their accountant was also a business advisor, and in Leithem’s words, “he started teaching us how to do things properly, recommending a business plan and SWOT

[strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats] analysis be done”. Together, the pair did exactly that. Diversification was at the top of the list, using the plant and skills they had to broaden the revenue base. Also in there was a personal dream of Leithem’s, to run and operate a linehaul unit. With this new clarity, the pair set about supplementing their three-day-a-week run to Murchison via Tapawera with additional food-service freight. It also initiated a name change for the business to Harte Distribution and Freighting. “We started visiting butchers and produce suppliers, advertising our service,” says Leithem. “‘Work’s work,’ we thought. If we get an additional $100 a month, it would be a $100 we didn’t have prior.” Having worked in the hospitality industry, Kirsty understood just how important it was for customers to get what they need when they need it. It wasn’t long before $100, turned into $1000. Then came an approach from Foodstuffs for them to deliver chilled and frozen freight to the outlying areas they covered on the days

Nelson-based wholesale distributor Trents couldn’t. “We said yes, of course, but also put it out there that we’d like the chance at some point to service all Four Square stores along our run – Brightwater, Wakefield, Tapawera, and Murchison – with milk, also.” The test was a delivery to Four Square Wakefield. “An excellent owner and businessman,” says Leithem, “but well known for a meticulous approach when it came to temperature spec.”

Shaking things up When Trents’ current transport provider shut up shop, the Hartes found the regular Foodstuffs chilled and frozen arrangement expanded to include ambient grocery, kegs, and alcohol. It also meant the tourist and ski village of St Arnaud at the top of the Wairau Valley was now in the mix. This brought about the need for a two-axle trailer to hook behind the 4x2 Fuso, as well as a six-daya-week roster all the way to Murchison. Then, as we all know, in late 2016, something else happened. Mother Nature

New Zealand Trucking

August 2022 25

felt the need to realign the Kaikoura coast, and overnight, the Wairau ValleyMurchison-Lewis Pass route to Christchurch was – metaphorically speaking – the new SH1 for the foreseeable future. Of course, St Arnaud and Murchison were on the new passage, the latter being the only town of any size. As a result, the demand for hospitality skyrocketed. That meant rapid expansion for HTL, which changed out the 6x2 Fuso for an 8x4, also adding a Scania R480 8x4 reefer within 12 months. “Sometimes when long weekends were looming, we’d have to run both units down to

‘Murch’,” says Leithem. What the mayhem did, however, was solve the lack of resilience in their business. General freight was now more than holding its own. They were now in control of their company’s destiny. In 2018, Goodman Fielder restructured distribution in the Tasman region, resulting in the buyback of all existing contracts, with only a few re-let. The Hartes were one contractor offered a new position. “We didn’t like the new structure and contract,” says Leithem. “Because of where we’d got to, we could decide if we wanted to let the milk

go and concentrate on the freight. But that was a massive decision, especially for me. Milk distribution had put the food on my family’s table my whole life. I remember saying to Kirsty, ‘I’m not sure if I can do it’.”

Old worlds for new Then came the rumour that Meadow Fresh had lost its milk supply contract with Foodstuffs to Synlait. With the turmoil of the Goodman Fielder restructure swirling around Kirsty and Leithem’s heads, the uncertainty of what this latest news might mean to the business only complicated matters further. It was time to

do what they’d done before, take control into their own hands and make forwardfacing decisions. “By this time, we’d actually been working for Foodstuffs for just over half a decade, so we felt we had a solid service record with them as a subcontractor,” says Leithem. “We made up a resumé of what we’d done for them, what we thought we could do for them and made an appointment with TSI’s transport manager. “We got in the car and headed for Christchurch. We laid it all out and said we’d love to be considered at some point for a position on the ‘inside’. We’d never

Old faithful still at it, and still looking sharp. The Milkman was retained, and is used as back-up and for bulk local deliveries.

The Harte Transport fleet today. formally been told anything about where we sat and were shocked in a good way when they said, ‘Oh, we definitely consider you guys to be on the ‘inside’, as you put it’. “We told them Goodman Fielder was restructuring, and we weren’t overly thrilled with the options on the table and didn’t know what we were going to do, hence the exploration exercise with Foodstuffs. The meeting ended with a ‘we’ll be in touch’. We certainly left feeling good about it.” The process of taking control, and the recognition from Foodstuffs that they were already seen as more than a

regular casual, empowered the pair to decline the Goodman Fielder proposal and move forward with what they had outside that arrangement. “We emailed them on a Friday afternoon declining the proposal, and within five minutes, the phone was ringing. However, the decision had been made, and it was just time to move on. We both had a gut feel that our future lay elsewhere. “We also emailed TSI’s manager letting him know what we’d done, just to keep Foodstuffs in the loop, and they were in contact within a couple of days. They said, ‘You know milk, how would

you undertake the milk deliveries to Four Square stores and supermarkets in Nelson?’”

Take the Viking by the horns “We proposed three options,” says Leithem. “One was running the linehaul leg as well as the distribution. Hey, if you don’t ask, you’ll never know,” he laughs. “But it also gave us control of the situation, right from Christchurch. There’s nothing worse than your livelihood being dependent on too many others. If we had control, the buck stopped with us. “The next day, the phone

rang. ‘Buy a tractor unit, tow a company semi, linehaul to Nelson, and distribute. You’ve got three-and-a-half months to be running.’ I got off the phone, and I was shaking.” “What’s up?” “We’ve got the linehaul and the delivery. We’ve got three months to find a tractor unit.” “You’re shitting me?” “Nope!” We didn’t say much to each other for about two days as we processed the new challenge and tried to get our head around what we had achieved. Five years after writing their business plan, it had all come to fruition. Well, almost. The

New Zealand Trucking

August 2022 27

Kirsty and Tony ‘attack’ the linehaul unit shortly after its arrival in. The Northman’s load is matched with locally supplied product and reloaded onto local trucks. good news did put the ‘eggs in basket’ question back on the table. “Yes, but our dealings with TSI had been great all along,” said Leithem. “We decided we were in boots and all and so shed the general freight.” That signalled another name change, this time to the Harte Transport Ltd we know today. “Looking back, it’s hands down the best business move we’ve ever made. TSI are a great organisation; transparent, and they communicate. We’ve had rate reviews where the rate goes up! When do you ever hear of that?” Now the pressure was on to find the tractor unit. It was pre-Covid, obviously, but lead times were already challenging. Volvo and Scania couldn’t supply in the timeframe, MAN and Kenworth could, but the price difference between them was significant. “You’ve got to walk before you can run. Plus, two other things made the MAN an attractive proposition. One

28 New Zealand Trucking

was that Foodstuffs ran a fleet of MANs and so they knew the costings for them in detail, so could help in that context. The other was Glenn Heybourn at Heavy Trucks in Christchurch. I don’t know if his being a Wakefield lad helped,” laughs Leithem, “but he was just fantastic through the purchase and set-up. While our build was going on, they transitioned to Penske New Zealand also, so he had a lot on his plate.” In the end, a MAN 32.540 8x4 sleeper-cabbed tractor was selected, affectionately named ‘The Milkman’. Even though linehaul was a whole new venture, and costs had to be kept in check, the result was a truck that caught the eye. In Leithem’s heart, this machine had been a long time coming, a personal goal. He’s a stickler for European trucks dressed to look Euro-cool and not some weird transAtlantic crossover. Without great expense, The Milkman nailed it. The roof spoiler, August 2022

stainless-steel visor, top and bottom Kelsa-Bars, chrome grille infills, and driving lights both on the top bar and set into the grille stood the truck apart. It looked Euro-cool; it looked fantastic. The maiden voyage for the new venture was Friday, 8 December 2018. Kirsty and Leithem went to Christchurch to pick the truck up, load it, and bring it home. In the four years between then and now, their 362-day-a-year operation has replicated itself faultlessly. “Yep, we get notified when the trailer will be ready in Christchurch, and we leave Nelson based on that, allowing about six hours to get there. Ninety-nine per cent of the time, it’s somewhere in the 2pm to 3pm bracket out of Nelson. Nemo or I motor down, and depending on how the afternoon’s gone, we might need a break as we approach Christchurch. When tourist traffic and the like is light, we might get to just outside the DC gates at Hornby. Bear in

mind, we’ve only got empty crates and pallets on going down, so it’s effortless driving. Once we have our half-hour break and head into the DC, it’s a run through the drivethrough wash, swap semis, and motor off. We normally make Murchison on the way home before taking another break. If there’s not much traffic heading home or we don’t encounter any holdups, we might get to the top of the Hope [Saddle] or even Kohatu. We can take a break anywhere, really. Then, after that, it’s the homeward leg to Hope, arriving in at around 3am to 3.30am. It’s good because it starts early enough so we can be in, unhooked, washed, and in bed before the sun rises.

Location, location, location One of the recent pluses for the immaculate wee fleet has been the move of base operations from Stoke to Hope. The new site on the

Cleanliness is next to godliness as they say. Somewhere in her chaotic life, Kirsty always finds time to clean ‘her baby’. Right: Having the vision, and enjoying the journey. Theirs is a tough gig, but Kirsty and Leithem Harte love what they do. premises of Crate Services in Hope has more room and chiller space than the old inner-Stoke site. However, the real plus is the location itself. “It’s barely 10 minutes west of the old depot but, living in Wakefield, that’s 20 minutes’ travel, and more importantly, 20 minutes less overall for the linehaul truck. As anyone in trucking knows, 20 minutes is a lifetime in terms of making it or not. It has huge implications, especially on the first half of the night. Getting to the DC is very doable if we want to. “Kirsty and I also have to acknowledge our landlord, Phil Gardiner. He has been so accommodating and great to work with. Nothing is a problem.” Of course, once the linehaul lads are in, the real work starts, as Kirsty would say. She and regulars Tony Wells and Bruce Still do the distribution in the Richmond, Stoke, Brightwater, and Wakefield suburbs and the three-times-a-week service to Tapawera, Murchison and Blenheim. The product brought up from Christchurch is matched with produce and food products sourced locally by Foodstuffs. It’s a process that takes a couple of hours on average, after which the Fuso, Scania and MAN disappear into the night

to complete distribution’s toughest phase… ‘the last mile’. The whole shooting match is usually done by about 8.30am on local-only days, and on days Kirsty and one of the lads take the Scania and Fuso to Murchison and Blenheim respectively, the expected knock-off time will likely be about 12.30pm to 1pm. “Tony and Bruce are awesome blokes,” says Kirsty. “Both are semi-retired, not looking for full-time work but just so reliable as you’d expect for their age group. Sometimes I’ve got to work, and they’re already there, just having a cuppa. They know what needs to be done. I give them heaps, and they give it back,” she laughs.

Lead by example Part two of this feature is obviously all about The Milkman’s replacement, ‘The Northman’. Leithem admits he never envisaged his linehaul dream all those years ago coming to fruition in the form of a MAN – it wasn’t a marque he’d had a lot to do with, but now he’s glad he has. “In terms of plant, there’s no doubt The Milkman has been an absolute key to the success of the operation. That truck has been just fantastic. It’s done 1,100,000km and only had three nights off

the road – the first of those wasn’t until 850,000km. And I can say, hand on heart, that it’s never been unable to complete a night’s work. We made sure from about 800,000km to start scheduling preventative maintenance on major components. It’s a whole lot easier than having it stopped on the Shenandoah at midnight. It’s been on contract maintenance the whole way, so it’s all planned and accounted for. “One thing that’s been hugely beneficial is our local service agent Lloyd Heslop Motors. They have a couple of MAN experts in their ranks who know the product better than inside out. And they’ve been great at working in with the truck’s strict timetable at service time. “At about 750,000km, we had to start looking at the replacement. Ideally, I would love to have had the new model with the new interior, and even though they’d started filtering into Australia, I was just a bit too early here. We worked with Owen Humphries at Penske New Zealand in Christchurch, and he was great. Obviously, there was a lot of interest around the build, and there’s plenty that needed tending to. He was always across it. The new one next time, eh?” A truck is one thing, but

‘lead by example’ seems to be the overarching mantra at HTL. Leithem and Kirsty’s two children Alanta (16) and Deacon (10) are getting an education too many kids are missing out on. They witness just how hard it is to ensure one of life’s staples sits immaculately on the shelves of chillers at shops and supermarkets. In fact, the odd cancelled holiday to guarantee service continuity is a price even they have paid. Yet the food-delivery supply chains of the country operate so seamlessly that humanity can now fulfil their food needs in air-conditioned comfort, dressed in a onesie and Ugg boots; their biggest irritation is probably the truck that held them up on the way to the store – ironically enough – or maybe the distance they had to park from the supermarket’s front door. It’s a daily miracle, unrecognised for the most part. One thing’s for sure, though, Alanta, Deacon, and all the children of contractors like the Hartes will not grow up lacking understanding or a genuine appreciation of those who conduct the food-supply symphony. Oh, and as for work ethic? I’d say that’s in their genes anyway!

New Zealand Trucking

August 2022 29

The

PART 2

NORTHMAN!

elling the first one’s easy, as they say; selling the second, that’s the art. There’s no question The Milkman held up its end of the deal when it came to replacing MAN for MAN at HTL. The team at New Zealand Trucking got word from Penske New Zealand early in the year that a MAN like no other was being prepped in Christchurch for a Nelson client, and were we interested? It was a 6x4 26.640 decked out in such a way that it could stand proudly in the line-up at Belgium’s Truckshow Ciney or the Netherlands’ Truckstar Festival in Assen. If we’re being honest, but for one detail, we had more than a fair idea of who it might be. We’d met Leithem and Kirsty a couple of years ago while doing some promo work. At

that stage, The Milkman had clocked about 550,000km, and Leithem was singing its praises. Based on what he said then, and knowing his penchant for Euro-cool, our heart of Hartes told us who it would be. It was just that 6x4 thing… really? “Yeah,” laughs Leithem. “That’s raised a few eyebrows. The truth is, it’s just not needed. If we come out of Christchurch at 40-tonne GCM, that’s a big night. The second steer impacts the ride and bashes the truck up – there’s no question of that, especially having done a couple of months in The Northman. Yes, there’s a small saving in RUC with the 8x4, but there’s one less axle to run and, believe me, if you didn’t keep a close eye on alignment and tyre welfare, it impacted the life of all four

steer tyres significantly. It was superfluous, it really was. With the 385/55 fronts, we can go to 7.2 tonne. We had to present a case for the 6x4 to TSI, but they signed it off no trouble.”

Taking it all in Although their first linehaul truck, The Milkman, proved Leithem and Kirsty Harte had an eye for Euro-cool, The Northman removes all doubt. Dunedin’s Alan and Leanne Coombs now have kindred spirits in the north of their island. The Northman draws on a Viking theme with a striking graphic of Odin, one of Norse mythology’s most revered gods. “It’s called the Northern Milk Run, and so that was easily associated with MAN. It’s a bit personal, also. I like the Norse mythology

thing. The Norsemen were the ultimate travellers. They believed in reward for bravery, and that the spirit is always travelling. When you think of our business and life journey, and the fact this machine will work 362 days a year – yeah, it just all ties in.” The Northman looks spectacular. “He got carried away!” says Kirsty. It’s over budget, and he’s still lucky to have access to the bank account! Her attempted ‘scowly’ face is doing a poor job of hiding her pride in the company’s latest asset. “You only live once, don’t you? Plus, it’s sometimes easier to ask for forgiveness rather than permission?” says Leithem in his own, quiet, understated style. (He’s a lot like his truck; an apparent understatement masks an inner complexity and resolve.)

The truck’s overarching theme is Nordic, something Leithem has a personal interest in. The god Odin is depicted in the main image.

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August 2022 31

Summitting the northern side of the Hope Saddle. The only section of the route Leithem will flick the AMT into manual. “But, yeah, I did a bit.” The truck appears to sport clean lines initially, revealing its complexity the more you hang around, just like any good custom job should. Less is more until you realise there’s more. Classic case in point is the side skirts. ‘They’re cool’, you think, and then you ponder how many TGX MAN 6x4s you’ve seen with full skirts? At that point, Leithem says, “I had them made by the Design Coach and Body Company in Christchurch. They did a great job. One thing we learned from The Milkman was the need for a compromise between looks and the ease of maintaining those looks. I wanted side skirts and full deck plating. Every morning before knocking off, the tractor gets a full wash. Yep, sometimes after a big night, that seems like a real chore, but we do it. Having full coverage around the chassis makes it so much easier. We also wanted to swap polishing for cleaning. The Milkman had too much polishing; The Northman has more washing and cleaning. That’s why I

32 New Zealand Trucking

went for plastic guards also. They’re quick to replace and can hide a couple of marks before they look awful. “TTR [Total Transport Repairs] in Christchurch rigged the tractor, made the deck covers, and fabricated the slick HTL monogrammed plug and light panel behind the cab. “For half the year, we’re in the dark for almost the whole shift, so having plenty of light and making things as easy as possible is vital. There are blank plugs for every lead and additional load lights built into the fabrication. The deck cover is actually in three parts, too. If we need to get into it on the side of the road, we have to be able to move it. Working with Mike at TTR was great. Initially, it was through Penske, but because of the detail, everyone decided us working directly with Mike was better. They built exactly what we wanted.” Kelsa-Bars on the roof, low in the grille, and skirting the lower spoiler frame the truck’s outer lines. They complement the MAN badge, Bussing Lion chrome flash, and the August 2022

neat honeycomb mesh also in the lower grille section. Technology today means driving lights are much less garish. Stedi horizontal LED light bars on the top Kelsa-Bar, and traditionally shaped round LED driving lights in the central Kelsa-Bar enhance not just safety but also the staunch ‘through rain and hail’ look. Grey tones in the lower-front spoiler and subtle grey striping connect the off-white base colour, black highlights, and polished metal, as do a series of custom-designed scrolls, some of which were designed by Leithem and Kirsty’s daughter, Alanta. The Norsethemed scroll in the central sun visor carries the truck’s overarching theme to the front of the truck. The side skirts, black guards, and stainless-steel taillight wings keep the balanced look running along the entire length of the tractor. “The colour, design, and mural were all done by Brent and Avan at Riccarton Signs. They are fantastic to work with and got what we were after with the theme. The Odin

graphic is spectacular. We were blown away when they presented one for us to hang on the wall at home. I think they’ve actually done one for their office also?” Understated by day, certainly not by night. Flick a switch, and in the inkyblackness, The Northman comes to life spectacularly. There are about 72 Hella marker lights, illuminated whip aerials, and strategic green strip lighting. “All the lighting was done by Ignition Auto Electrical, again in Christchurch. Reuben was the young fella who wired it up. He’s your man for this sort of thing. I could have done some of it myself, I had the strip lights, but I decided to get him to do it all. He was so fastidious, tidy and detailfocused. We’re rapt with his work. “Seeing the look on people’s faces as we pass through towns is so cool,” says Leithem. “There’s a switch that flashes the markers for the truck-to-truck stuff, but I also say to Nemo, ‘If someone looks and waves or takes a

A cab that’s served its industry well: Leithem’s custom-built cabinets in the top of the sleeper.

video, always give the lights a flick and wave back’. For me, it’s all part of creating a positive community interaction, and hey, you just might spark an interest in a young… or not so young person.”

This long boat rows! I climbed aboard with Leithem at the Foodstuffs Christchurch DC in Hornby. At 9pm on a Wednesday, it’s a hive of industry, with trucks arriving from all corners of the South Island. HTL tows the same two Fairfax semi-trailers all the time; great for keeping track of repairs and maintenance and just knowing individual quirks. Through the wash, he rolls up alongside tonight’s trolley, a 15.1m Fairfax quad steerer with full skirts. Leithem is a fastidious trailer connector. He’s four years in, yet watching you’d think it was his first time and he was being audited to boot. He’s precise, backing under, taking the weight of the semi on the JOST fifth wheel, then winding the legs up just clear of the ground. He eases The

Northman back until we hear the signature ‘click’ of the jaws wrapping the Kingpin. There’s no banging or lurching – the semi hardly budged at the point of connection. A tug test is always followed by a thorough visual of the yoke with a torch before he winds the legs home, and connects hoses and leads. He opens the back doors and looks in. The shoring bars are in place, strapped and secured. Frozens up front, chilled, and then bulk milk. “There’s so much twisting and racking on the road the bars have to be strapped into their slots. But nah, she looks good, eh?” The obligatory weighbridge crossing registers us at 35.5 tonnes, which prompts the other big question: 640hp? “Yes, I’ve copped a bit over that, too,” laughs Leithem. “Well, first of all, I wanted one, so that’s simple; but no, for me, it makes sense and in the first two months of operation, it’s bearing fruit. “The Milkman had enough grunt for the job, but it still worked hard in places. Both

The D38. One of the sweetest sounding big bangers.

Crossing the Owen River.

Nothing makes a linehaul operation tick like teamwork and trust. Nemo (left) and Leithem exemplify both. Nemo and I are cruisers, and me and Kirsty being the owners means we pay the bills, so that’s always moderating. Nemo’s an ex-military driver, and we absolutely trust his discipline. He is just fantastic to work with. In fact, it’s his first brand-new truck here in New Zealand in his 40-odd years of driving. I’m a tidy person, but the pride he has in this truck is unbelievable.

34 New Zealand Trucking

“I wanted this truck to return the same trip times, whether we were light and early, or heavy and late. If we’re late out of the DC, we are late out. It’s going to take ‘x’ time to get home with breaks regardless of load, so the truck is out of the equation. The situation will be no worse on arriving at Hope, and we’ve driven no different to every other night.” If you remember the Waiotahi Contractors test of August 2022

May 2019, you’ll remember our love of the sound coming from MAN’s biggest banger. That hasn’t changed, and I’ll stand by my belief that the way MAN plumbs up the outlet makes it the nicest sounding of the big bores. “It sounds like a train, eh?” says Leithem. “Yep! That’s it exactly.” The 15.2-litre D38 in Euro6c trim produces 478kW (640hp) at 1800rpm. It’s not a flat power curve, rising

gradually from 1400rpm and 440kW (590hp). Torque hits the magical 3000Nm (2213lb/ ft), and it’s a dead flat line from 900rpm through to 1400rpm, so work out for yourself where on the tach the lion’s den is. It’s mind-boggling to us greyhaired folk that it matches the peak power of a Cummins Big-Cam 400 while still under 1000rpm. Putting tonight’s load under the power-toweight microscope, you come up with 13.5kW (18.0hp) per tonne and 84.5Nm (62.3lb/ft) per tonne. Like all big Euros, there’s an ultra-slick AMT behind the D38, MANs TipMatic 12 30 OD with retarder 35. Underneath the MAN ‘genetic code’ that brings the transmission to life is ZF TraXon hardware, so it’s smoothness is not surprising. “With the power they have on tap, along with the way they manage and deliver it in applications like this one, the Europeans are rapidly becoming the only option,” says Leithem as The Northman easily keeps in stride with the Christchurch traffic. “They’re safe, smart, and perform at a

different level.” Rounding out the specs are MAN hypoid HYD-1370/ HY-1350 axles with differential lock on the rear axle, rated at 23 tonnes for the pair, on MAN 8-bag ECAS with shock absorbers and stabiliser bars. The eight-tonne rated MAN VOK-09 dropped front axle rides on parabolic springs with shock absorbers and stabiliser bars. Brakes are disc with ABS and EBS.

MAN – pass Lewis – fail We rolled north through Amberley, making the left turn at Waipara onto SH7, the main artery linking the upper West Coast, Buller and Tasman regions with North Canterbury and Christchurch. It’s a road that’s seen an awful lot of traffic over the past decade, and it shows. It would be fair to say the stretch from the eastern side of the Lewis Pass onto SH65 at Springs Junction, SH6 at Sullivan’s Bridge south of Murchison, through to the SH63 junction at Kawatiri is buggered, and a long way from fit for purpose. The initial 100km or so was like having a chat in a library while the scenery passed by. The D38 is not among the uber quiet, sitting in the high 60s decibel-wise, but you wouldn’t want it to be. “There are some nights when I drive all the way home and just listen to the motor doing its thing.” Leithem lets another linehaul unit pass, obviously someone with somewhere to be. We head out of North Canterbury’s easy rolling country and come alongside the Waiau River at the Hamner turn-off. From here, the road starts to run with the contour of the land and track of the river until veering away towards the Lewis Pass at Glenhope, 30km-odd further on. The stretch is all up, down, and around sort of stuff and, of course, each section has a name only known

to the trucking fraternity; ‘Handyside’, ‘Boundary Creek’, ‘Hay Paddock Hill’, ‘Glen Wye’ all sap the hardearned ground speed of under-powered trucks. The Northman climbed Glen Wye, a steep pinch almost like a mini version of the Crib-Wall on the Arthurs Pass, at 50kph in 10th gear and 1300rpm. Even here, this far in, if you wanted a justification for 640hp pulling 35 tonnes in a time-scheduled FMCG environment, you had it. The MAN simply rolled along like a giant Toyota Corolla, unimpressed by the challenges as they popped up. Like many of its European cohorts, the truck is all about brute strength and intelligence. It bristles with things such as adaptive cruise control, emergency brake assist 2, electronic stability, anti-slip regulation, lane guard, easy start (hill hold), launch control, and anti-jackknife. Leithem speaks highly of MANs BrakeMatic, the company’s blending suite, implicating both auxiliary, retarder, and service brakes. “It’s just great in our going. It’s effortless driving. You set the speed and it does the rest. I will, on occasions, flick it into manual on descents if it wants to try and do too much to help. At our weights, it’s not necessary. “We drove the old truck in manual at quite a few points, but the only place I’ll regularly take this out of auto are the switchbacks on the Nelson side of the Hope Saddle. “The Milkman was such a good training ground for knowing straight away how to get the best out of The Northman.” MAN’s EVBec (Exhaust Valve Braking – electronically controlled) produces a max holdback of 630kW (844hp) at 2400rpm (Sheez! That’s spinnin’). The exhaust flap is upstream of the turbos and can build up more back pressure when braking. The

4 1) Once into Foodstuffs Hornby, it’s through the wash. 2 & 3) Leithem is a fastidious connector of the towed unit. 4) The end-of-night Nerta experience.

A graphic representation of the inadequacy of our main roading arteries.

targeted airflow increases the exhaust turbine speed and therefore intake turbine speed, which raises pressure levels in the system, increasing brake output. The heat is dissipated through the exhaust system, making it ideal for

36 New Zealand Trucking

highway work in challenging topography… like the Lewis Pass, which is where we now were. The surface of the pass is a disgrace, and the truck’s ability to climb is at times thwarted by Leithem’s status as bill August 2022

payer. Here we were again in a European cab that is behaving impeccably. MAN’s biggest offering is not the towering bulk of Rowdy’s Globetrotter, but there’s a lot of truck all the same. Originally, the cab was on spring suspension only, and Leithem had that changed to full air. Like the Volvo in June, a massive stabiliser bar works wonders to keep the ship in trim. You wouldn’t blame any truck for giving the odd lurch in here, but it never really came. A caveat on that is Leithem’s driving style. If you had a ‘fizzer’ on the tiller, I’m sure the coffee might empty on the floor as you tried to sip away. “It’s like night and day compared to the old girl,” he says. “That second axle constantly reminded you it was there. This steers slightly differently, and there was an adjustment period for sure. But you get out of this after four shifts and feel better than you did after one in The Milkman. I love it.” We won’t dwell on The Northman’s inner world;

we’ve seen and driven the new model in Europe in 2020, and with it now in the wings locally, there’s no real point. It’s best to save the words for the new kid, because it really is a pearler. Briefly, then, a cab we know well that has served many in the industry with aplomb. Spacious, wellappointed, with oodles of storage including the custom motorhome cabinets Leithem’s had made. The build quality is what you’d expect from a truck that toughs it out in Europe’s super-seven slugfest. Like DAF, MAN are – or maybe were – their own thing, significantly different to even their Griffin cousin. The slightly disorganised design language of the infotainment and switch-gear complex to the left of the binnacle has been well and truly addressed in the new machine. And when I said ‘were’ above, it’s because I detected a definite family ’air’ to aspects of the new shed’s control department in 2020. I’m sure I’ll be shot down for that. Back to The Northman.

The binnacle is big and clear and set out in the almost industry standard format of gauges split by a central telemetry screen. Wipers’ dip and indication are on the left steering column wand, and gear selection and auxiliary braking are on the right. I don’t think there’s any doubt the outgoing MAN has the biggest, chunkiest steering wheel in the Euro league – something that’s actually an asset on roads like these. Getting in is easy; getting out something you do reluctantly. Farewell, old friend.

Deer, deer, dear! The Northman had two starts to its working life, and as we approached Springs Junction on the long straight past the weighbridge, Leithem recollected why on 2 March the big fella was put back under starters orders. “Yeah, we were right here on the way home, and a bloody deer ran across in front of us. I thought we were okay because nothing was coming so I slowed and moved over to the right, but when he got to the left edge, the bugger turned and came straight back into the front left corner. I was gutted! “A 1am call to Kirsty informing her of my latest incident didn’t go as I expected. Kirsty asked if I had killed it and tied it to the truck? When I answered ‘No!’, she hung up on me! She waited for me to arrive in with the paperwork and camera ready, another job for her to complete, and the only words she said was, ‘Go to bed because in 10 hours exactly, you’re taking this thing back to Christchurch’. It wasn’t my fault that two years earlier, just about to the day, I hit a boar and did damage to The Milkman.” But it did mean a few weeks back in the dry dock for the Northman. Thankfully, The Milkman hadn’t been traded; she is now a spare and handles the local bulk

deliveries off the back of the semi. “Yes, thank goodness for that. We thought it would be a good backup, saving anywhere between 40km and 100kms a day on the new one, and allow the linehaul truck to make servicing appointments that much earlier. We were not expecting to call it back into the front line so quickly.” But that’s all history and The Northman is now 40,000km into its 1,000,000km tour of duty, having launched again in mid-April. We rolled on north over the Shenandoah Saddle and followed the Maruia River out to O’Sullivans Bridge and into Murchison. It’s another horrible stretch of stressed highway with narrow lanes and corners. There’s absolutely no margin for error. Except for the Kawitiri (meaning deep and swift) section, where the foothills of Mt Owen plunge into the Buller River, the SH6 passage north from Murchison to Nelson is a significant improvement. To date, the MAN is returning 2.39kpl (6.74mpg). Make no mistake, that result is purely down to the approach taken by its drivers. On the trip down earlier, we were on the Balmoral Straights between Culverden and Hurunui in North Canterbury. In the distance behind appeared a set of lights. In the time it took us to travel the 30km from Hurunui to Waipara and the junction with SH1, what turned out to be a 13-litre MercedesBenz Actros and B-train was right behind the MAN. Having and using The Northman’s assets in the mountains means Leithem and Nemo never have to play catch-up.

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

MAN TGX 26.640 6x4 BLS Tare: 9740kg (load certificate) GVM: 26,000kg GCM: 60,000kg Wheelbase: 4260mm Engine: MAN D3876LF09 Capacity: 15.21 litre Power: 478kW (640hp) Torque: 3000Nm (2213lb/ft) Emissions: Euro-6c Transmission: MAN TipMatic 12 30 OD with retarder 35 Clutch: Single disc MFZ 430 Front axle: VOK-09 dropped Front-axle rating: 8.0 tonne Front suspension: Parabolic front springs Rear axle: MAN Hyoid HYD-1370/HY-1350 differential lock on rear axle Rear-axle rating: 23 tonne (pair) Rear suspension: MAN 8-bag ECAS Brakes: DISC. ABS, EBS. MAN BrakeMatic Auxiliary braking: EVBec (Exhaust Valve Braking electronically controlled). Gearbox Retarder 35 Additional safety: ACC (Adaptive Cruise), EBA 2 (Emergency Brake Assist 2), Lane Guard, ASR (Anti-Spin Regulation), ESP (Electronically Stability Program) Productivity: Easy Start (Hill Hold), Launch Control Fuel: 490 litres DEF tank: 80 litres Wheels: Alcoa Dura-Bright Tyres front: 385/55 R22.5 Tyres rear: 275/70 R22.5 Electrical: 24V Cab exterior: ECE-29 compliant all-steel cab. Nordic insulation. Full air suspension. Fog and driving lights. Aero package – roof and side skirt kit. External storage locker accessible from the inside. Remotecontrolled and heated mirrors. Remote locking. Electric cab-tilt. Cab interior: Air-sprung leather driver and passenger seats with arm rests. Climate air conditioning with pollen filter. Red and white interior lighting. Air connection in cab. Single bunk. Fridge. Rear cab wall – gooseneck reading light, control module, alarm clock, and charging port. Options: Kelsa-Bar roof, central grille, and under-bumper. Additional LED roof lights and central driving lights. Custom side skirts, full-width deck plate and custom-made trailer connection. Custom taillight bar. Additional marker lights. TV. Nespresso machine and microwave. Custom work: TTR Christchurch

Into the light We rolled into Hope at about 3.30am. Standard procedure is to swap out the two MANs and a full wash for the linehaul unit. In typical Harte style, Leithem changes into full overalls and gummies… you’ll rarely find a hair out of place

on these two. Kirsty even had her hair and makeup done for the early morning shoot. Another perfect example of their grow-with-the-businessnot-ahead-of-it style is Leithem’s little yellow Karcher home-sized water blaster.

“She’s been a little ripper. I’ll get myself a proper one when the budget allows. The key is this stuff,” and he points to a truck-wash product called Nerta. “It’s bloody amazing and halved the time it takes to clean the truck. The way we’ve

New Zealand Trucking

August 2022 37

set it up helps, but this really is the icing on the cake. When The Milkman was 40,000km old, we’d already lost the ability to make it look like new. This one still comes up mint.” Leithem washes his pride and joy, and Kirsty and the troops unload, reload, and vanish into the night. It’s a surreal scene. You forget it’s 3.45am; you’re just hanging with the Hartes and their team in the middle of a working day. In their little depot, they’re flanked by Tasman’s biggest metropolis, the citizens of which are still out the monk. Some will wake and stagger to the fridge, and find there’s no milk. They’ll then drag themselves down to the shop, and there it will be, sitting on the shelf. They neither know nor care that 10 hours ago it was in Christchurch, but the Hartes and their team do. It’s their job to ensure ignorance is bliss, and once again, it looks like they have just the right MAN for the job.

SP EC IAL THANKS Through rain, through hail, through wind, and snow, the groceries must get through. The Harte’s are an inspiration to anyone wanting to chance their arm at business, and a lesson in what it takes to do it well. Thanks to Leithem, Kirsty, and crew for letting us be part of a tight knit, cool wee group of happy hard workers. Thanks to Blair Fraser at Penske NZ for the initial heads-up on a slick piece of kit, and Dean Hoverd for always helping with whatever we need to get a story done. And a huge thanks to everyone in the food supply chains of New Zealand, for allowing us the privilege of easily accessible essentials. What you do is truly a miracle of the night.

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REMEMBRANCE

BRYAN DAVID

MENEFY 2 April 1965 to 22 June 2022 By Faye Lougher

undreds gathered in Palmerston North on 2 July to farewell a legend in the transport industry – Bryan ‘Ruffy’ Menefy, who lost his long battle with motor neurone disease 10 days earlier. A procession of trucks – with the CVST providing a front and rear escort – travelled across town to take Ruffy from his home to the Lychway Chapel and on to the cemetery following the funeral. A special frame had been built above the turntable of his 2018 Super-Liner to carry his casket. A testament to the regard Ruffy was held in, the chapel was packed, with mourners spilling out into the foyer and lining up outside to pay their respects. No one was surprised to hear that Ruffy had organised his funeral in advance, choosing the music (Pink Floyd of course) and lining up some of his closest friends to speak. Born at Ross on the West Coast, Ruffy later moved to Taihape with his family. As a child he would occasionally go for rides in the trucks of Mid Island Transport. Although his father wasn’t in the transport industry, Ruffy’s grandfather, Eric Menefy, had a specialist transport business in Dannevirke. When the family moved to Palmerston North, as a young boy Ruffy said he spent a lot of time hanging around the

40 New Zealand Trucking

Mack dealership and that’s obviously where his love of the brand came from. He remained loyal to the brand his whole life, with that loyalty extending to those he dealt with in business or as friends. A Mack man through and through, he began his trucking career in 1986 with Ian Easton – driving a Mack, of course. After working for others, in 1997 Ruffy bought his first truck and became an ownerdriver at Owens Tankers in Auckland, operating fuel and chemical tankers. About 2006 he sold out of Owens Tankers, focused on flat-deck work, and built Menefy Trucking Ltd into the significant business it was prior to his illness. The love for the Mack brand never left him, and over the years he slowly built his collection of Macks both classic and new. Known for not taking no for an answer, this led to him badgering former Motor Truck Distributors general manager Murray Sowerby until he became the proud owner of the world’s first 8-wheeler Mack Super-Liner and the world’s first 8-wheeler Volvo FH16 750 tractor unit. His trucks were always immaculate inside and out and Ruffy and his team took great pride in the fleet’s appearance. Friend Paul Nixey shared an anecdote at the funeral about the time he went on an early morning trip on a -5°C day August 2022

Top: Bryan with his new Mack Super-Liner in 2018. with Ruffy and mentioned he was looking forward to a ‘mince and cheese salad’ at the next stop. He was told in no uncertain terms he’d be bloody cold eating it because there was no way he’d be eating it inside the cab! Paul said a dedicated group worked until 2am on the day of the funeral to ensure the trucks would have passed Ruffy’s close scrutiny. A Pink Floyd fan from way back, Ruffy’s understated trucks were instantly recognisable for their striking graphics and being named after Pink Floyd songs. The trailers were also painted with Pink Floyd song titles. His beautifully restored Mack R797 was named Vera Lynn

in honour of the World War II sweetheart – but it’s also a song from The Wall. I had the pleasure of meeting Ruffy several years ago and getting the opportunity to write about many of his trucks. He was generous with his time and I loved catching up for a chat about our shared love of Fords and motorcycles. As long as I turned up with custard squares, I knew I was sure of a warm welcome. Goodbye Ruffy, you will be missed by more people than you can imagine. Our condolences go to your soulmate Lorraine and to your family.

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Driver Mick Nicol (left), and owner John Clarke. Both men are rapt with the unit to date.

IN ALL THE RIGHT PLACES Story by Dave McCoid

When most people think about the Trout River live floor system, names such as Fulton Hogan and Downer pop up front of mind. But Wokatu Holdings from Scotts Gap in Southland is another company that has seen the system’s wider potential… and it’s gone big time.

42 New Zealand Trucking

Photos by Ken Bell and as credited

t certainly attracted its fair share of interest at the recent Gore Truck Show – an 8x4 Scania truck and five-axle trailer at 23m and 50Max, both with Trout River live floors, owned by Wokatu Holdings in Scotts Gap, Southland. To answer the first question that 90% of you will no doubt have: Take a pen, draw a triangle with Nightcaps, Otautau, and Orawia as your three corners, drop the good biro into the middle of your triangle, and that’ll roughly be the rural area known as Scotts Gap.

August 2022

“Ninety-five per cent of what we do services our farms. We look after a couple of long-term clients also,” says Wokatu Holdings owner John Clarke. “There are five trucks in the fleet; they’re older. The trucking thing is as much a personal interest as anything else. I decided in 2007 that I didn’t want a boat, and so collected trucks instead,” he laughs. “The Trout River unit came about because I was increasingly irritated with feed and fert sheds with low roofs. They’re a pain in the arse. I was talking to a mate

‘Bonkers’ at the Railway Hotel in Otautau, and he suggested the Trout River system might be worth a look. So far, it’s been brilliant. The unit can put feed, fert etc into a shed that’s 3.5m tall without having to push up after unloading. We use it to put animal bedding in the wintering sheds and spread rice gravel on the farm lanes. There are no issues with stability when spreading because there’s nothing in the air. It’ll take up to 75mm aggregate also.” John secured an ex-Open Country Dairy Scania R500 8x4 mid-last year and

commissioned a 7.6m Trout River live floor body. That unit went to work last December, and the brand-new 10.1m five-axle trailer hooked on in late May this year. The full combination is a spectacular sight in its bright red base colour with black ribs on the bins, black covers, black Rhino guards with chrome insets, Alcoa alloy wheels, and a plethora of Narva lights. Aside from access and efficiency, safety was a significant consideration. There’s the obvious elimination of heightrelated issues, but the live floor system also affords significantly improved control and reduced risk around auger deliveries. “I’ve seen what happens when a tail-door lets go while tipping into an auger, and it’s not pretty,” says John. “With this, we have total control

and zero risk of that sort of thing happening. Having the SI-Lodec scales also allows us to charge each farm in the business for the exact feed delivered. We’ve found them to be very accurate to date. Another advantage in our work where multiple farms might get deliveries off the one load is the ability to reverse the floors and easily redistribute the load for road travel.” The Wokatu unit is truly a ground-based operation with Razor electric drives operating the rollover Kiwitarps. Because of the abrasive nature of the work in and around farms, fertiliser and feed works, both truck and trailer are fitted with central greasing. The driver of the unit is Mick Nicol. His summation is simple (but, then, little else is needed.) “I love it. It’s easy

Backed in and discharging – how to strike a happy union between HPMV and old barns and sheds with low roofs.

The Trout River live floor makes auger deliveries a piece of a cake, with total control of discharge, and the ability to redistribute the load.

and safe to operate. It’s idiotproof.” Trout River’s New Zealand agent is Dunedin-based Reid Engineering, and owner Corey Reid is excited about the Wokatu unit. “It’s great to have another unit in an application outside the expected norm, and being a truck and trailer combination is awesome. The Wokatu unit is demonstrating the potential.” Of course, one question is just how much potential? Surprisingly, with an 8x4 Scania up-front fitted with hub-reduction diffs and running 50Max, the combination is suitable for a 29-tonne payload. “The shape of the sides means 44.5m3 will bulk it out,” says John. “But that’s about the only limitation

we’ve encountered. We can work with that no trouble in our operation. It’s no biggy.” In an area like Southland, where there’s no shortage of considerable holdings within a 70km crow’s-fly of Invercargill, the fast turnaround of the live floor certainly offers a mitigating factor to a slightly reduced cubic capacity. Especially weighed against the lost money and time of the ‘unload, push-up, unload, push-up’ saga that often accompanies conventional HPMV tipping combinations on rural bulk-feed and fertiliser deliveries. “I was in Australia last month, and within an hour or so leaving Brisbane and heading north, we counted 30 Trout River units on the road. That in itself says a lot.”

The rear detail of the truck and trailer. Air rams work the tailgate and brake pots at the grain doors. (Bottom) Spreading shield is fitted when laying gravel on the catte lanes.

TROUT RIVER LIVE FLOOR TRUCK AND TRAILER

Photo: Trout River NZ.

The Trout River live floor system operates via a PTO-driven hydraulic motor that powers two drive chains per unit, each capable of exerting a 22.6-tonne pull on the belt at the base of the bin. The belt has a 950mm exposure to the load. Each unit has an air-operated tailgate and grain doors, with brake pots used to open and close the latter. The driver controls the feed rate of the belt to the rear of the door and pressure sensors stop the feed if too much is piling up.

A spectacular-looking unit, Wokatu Holdings nine-axle Trout River live floor combination.

44 New Zealand Trucking

August 2022

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AFTERLIFER

STEPPING INTO THE

BREACH Story by Dave McCoid

Photos by Dave McCoid and Carl Kirkbeck

It might be thanks to a high-profile first owner, a unique spec, or maybe some cool or quirky customisation, but – like people – some trucks remain in the limelight their entire life. We were recently pointed in the direction of just such a machine. Initially one of a unique pair of twins, we found it bridging a gap for its high-profile current owner.

actually drive it myself,” says New Zealand rallying supremo Hayden Paddon. “I really enjoy it. It gives me some ‘me’ time – time to think and, to be honest, I just love driving it. I’m pretty good with the gears now – occasionally, a downshift might still catch me out, but it’s a lot of fun.” You wouldn’t believe it, would you? Driving along, you pass the Paddon Rally Group team transporter coming the other way, yet the thought of looking deep into the windscreen on the driver’s side to see whose hand just gave you a wave doesn’t really enter your head. Even if you did and you thought you saw what you just saw, you’d probably say to yourself, “I swear that looked like Hayd…? Nah, you’re seeing things, you silly fool. Maybe it’s time you had a rest stop?” But no, there’s a better than odds-on chance you were

46 New Zealand Trucking

right. It probably was Hayden Paddon himself behind the wheel. Heading the front of the team’s semi-trailer – for the time being – is the 2012 Freightliner Argosy originally owned by Aaron Parkinson’s Hog Haulage, one of a pair purchased by Aaron at the time. Not only were they the first two Generation 2 Argosys to hit the road, their black grilles ensured anonymity was not something either truck would ever enjoy. They made their mark on the Kiwi trucking landscape from the moment they drove out of the pre-delivery bay at Trucks and Trailers a decade ago. “Both trucks gave me a great run,” says Aaron on reflection. “All the Freightiners have to be honest.” When we last caught up with this member of the duo, she was in the ownership of Josh Gemmell’s No Limit August 2022

Trucking. He’d previously bought the Argosy and the Taupo-to-Auckland leg of TNL’s inter-island fresh-pork run off Aaron, and had just taken on the Wellington-toTaupo leg also. The Argosy was to stay on the northern end and swap in Taupo with a new K200 Kenworth running the south end. (New Zealand Trucking, June 2015) Since then, the Argosy has spent time at Heavy Haulage New Zealand – also owned by the Gemmells – and, more lately, D&D Carriers in Kaiapoi. How the truck has ended up in the keep of the flying Paddon is, once again, the story of the early 2020s… Covid-19. Well, to be entirely fair, it is in part. The catalyst to the whole chain of events was the arrival in early 2020 of the spectacular semi the ‘Freighty’ tows, about the time all hell was breaking loose globally.

Hayden Paddon powering up Auckland’s Northern Motorway on his way to the Rally of Northland.

“We run three cars from our Highlands base in Cromwell,” says Hayden. “For a long time, that meant three trailers, which was a logistical and

THERE’S A LOT ON! Rest? Who needs rest! This year, the Paddon Racing Group team is contesting the Rally of New Zealand championship with three cars driven by Hayden, Ari Pettigrew, and Andy Martin, plus Hayden is contesting selected rounds of WRC2. “There’ll be a little bit of back and forth overseas, but it’s all preparation for next year when we will contest the entire WRC2 series, as well as home events. “Doing WRC2 with your own team is not the norm. You’d usually run with a European setup, but we’re taking our own car and people… doing it the Kiwi way!” Hmmm, Bruce McLaren, Ed Hillary, William Hamilton…. doing it the Kiwi way worked before!

The electric rally car?

On deck at the events the team attends, the truck would hardly be noticed by the bulk of attendees… but not all. We’d all take a minute to think ‘Aww yeah? Who were you once upon a time?’ Photo: Paddon Racing Group.

organisational pain. What we needed was one big trailer! “We found the semi in Mount Maunganui. It was owned by ACDC drummer

Phil Rudd and had only done 3000km in seven years. It was perfect. “Obviously, the plan was, and still very much is, to back

a tractor under it supplied by our key sponsor Hyundai New Zealand. However, Covid-19, and the supply-chain issues that have ensued around

“Yes, that’s very much a work in progress. Aside from compliance and finding its fit, there’s ongoing development work. Rallying is hard on batteries. Although the stages are short, they’re intense, and the car has to present at stages, one after the other. That means recharging or battery swap-outs are not an option. It has to cope. “It’s a fascinating project. It and projects like it are key to the sport’s future.”

1 & 2) She’s still pretty tidy on the inside too. Hayden is not backward in saying how much he likes hauling the big semi to his events. 3) Some trucks always find their way into the limelight. Now here’s a cool name to have on your ownership papers! 4) Set up and ready to go racing!

the globe in its wake, have delayed that. So, we looked at the budget and grabbed what we could in the interim. We bought the Freightliner in mid-2020, and she’s bridging the gap, allowing us to use the semi.” With its 422kW (565hp) Detroit Diesel DD15, 18-speed Eaton Roadranger manual transmission and Meritor 46-160 rears on Air-Liner suspension, the Argosy is easily fulfilling its part-time role. The semi has been re-configured to transport three cars in the rear section, as well as tyres, parts and compressors. In front, there are amenities, with the team control room up on the gooseneck. At the events themselves, a self-supporting awning

48 New Zealand Trucking

is erected to the side, allowing the engineers and crew a clean and dry space to work on the cars. When we caught up with Hayden at the Paddon Racing Group HQ at Highlands Motorsport Park in Cromwell, the team were assembling the cars and associated support equipment for the Rally of Northland just over a week away. “We have eight full-time staff here,” says Hayden. “I live onsite. All I need is a room with a bed. “There’s a lot to coordinate and boxes to tick when we’re travelling to away events. The semi makes it so much easier and cost-effective. It’s all in here! And, of course, you’re on an even tighter schedule with North Island rounds like this one. I have to be

on the ferry on Sunday afternoon, it’s that simple.” We met Hayden rolling north the following week. The Argosy looked a picture, all liveried up with the big semi in tow, belying the fact she’s well on the way to her second million kilometres. Yes, there may be a newer and quieter Hyundai Xcient just around the corner, but for now, this instantly recognisable old truck is ensuring one of our modern motorsport heroes gets to where he needs to be so he too can do great things. “If you do a story on this truck, you have to promise to come back and feature the new one!” says Hayden with a laugh. Some instructions are just too easy to follow.

AND NOW A MESSAGE FROM… “Hyundai New Zealand is extremely proud to help drive Hayden’s success, whether he’s racing at home or representing his country on the global stage. Our commitment to Hayden and his team is unquestionable. We are thoroughly excited about our motorsport activities, including the NZ Rally Championship with the Hyundai i20 AP4, the development of our Kona Electric rally car and our return to WRC2 with our i20 N Rally2 car.” – Hyundai New Zealand “Z Energy has partnered with Hayden Paddon for almost a decade, and much like Hayden is moving with the times. We are committed to supporting Kiwis with whatever fuel they need for their journeys.” – Z Energy

August 2022

NZT 22

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GOOD ON YA MATE

BIT OF A LEGEND Story

by Gavin Myers

Photos: Frews archive

Giving 48 years of one’s working life to a company is impressive. When you consider that’s almost half of the company’s 100-year existence, the achievement becomes even more noteworthy.

n October 2021, Frews Transport of Canterbury celebrated its centenary, an achievement of which any company can be rightly proud. But another special milestone was in the making: transport manager Barry Taylor was preparing for retirement after 48 years with the family-owned group. And when Barry left the office for the last time on 10 June, it was 48 years to the day. How many people can lay claim to that? “I was 16 when I first started driving a parcel van, then I moved onto the trucks. I started driving with Frews in 1974 because I was a young married man with a young family – I had to chase the dollar,” recalls 70-year-old Barry. “I started with local driving, then out of town to Timaru, then Dunedin and Invercargill for a bit, picking up meat and frozen products. Then the odd trip to Auckland carting fresh pigs up there on rails,” he says. Barry started with old S Bedfords and over the years, drove everything from Accos, ERFs, Kenworths, Macks and Isuzus. “There was a Seddon among them – she was a good old girl, a rebuilt 4x2 tractor unit with a 290 Cummins, which they blew out to a 325. It could keep up with the big Kenworths.” Around Christmas of 1988, Barry moved into the office as transport operations manager, but hanging up the

keys wasn’t easy. “They worked on me for more than 18 months to go into the office. I eventually gave up and did it,” Barry says. It’s a job Barry held right up to his retirement – coordinating drivers, trucks, machinery, maintenance, and daily jobs among the many other tasks typical of the role. “There were some funny memories over the years. Some of the staff would come up with interesting stories. One of the guys had their wife phone me to say he wouldn’t be at work as he thought he was going to be sick, so he was going to have the day off in case,” he laughs. That attitude was the polar opposite of Barry’s work ethic. As Hamish Frew, owner of Frews Contracting Christchurch, says: “Barry was always reliable, and put the business first. He turned up every day, even if he was crook. He always had that attitude – pretty old school.” After almost half a century, there’s bound to be a bit of mystique around the man. “There’s a bunch of stories and history, kind of legendary myths from those days – big loads, low-horsepower trucks, crazy feats of driving and perseverance,” Hamish says. “Barry become quite legendary around our workplace. That’s how we see him – as a bit of a legend.” Hamish adds that Barry wasn’t ready to

Barry showing the mechanic John Henry how to do his job.

50 New Zealand Trucking

Hamish Frew (left) and Barry Taylor at the Frews centenary celebration last year.

head into retirement without a succession plan. “The company looked after me well over the years,” Barry says. “The older brigade is starting to retire, and the problem is there’s no new blood coming through. The young ones who come in want to get on the big flash rigs, not do the contracting work: it’s hard to entice them in.” But Barry has some good advice for youngsters coming into the industry. “You have to enjoy what you do. If you don’t enjoy it, you’ll never last. And you’ve got to like the people around you. “If you look forward to getting up in the morning and it’s not a chore, then you’re in the right place.” Forty-eight years would attest to those wise words.

A couple of the line-haul trucks Barry drove.

August 2022

NZT 22

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JUST TRUCKING AROUND

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Willie Reid Alison and Mike Verran caught up with a Taranaki legend behind the wheel of a Kenworth Legend. Willie Reid drives for JD Hickman, based in New Plymouth, and has the pleasure of steering his 2017 Kenworth T900 Legend – No.158 in the Legend Series. Willie carts containers between Taranaki, Hawke’s Bay and the Bay of Plenty. Alison and Mike saw him at Sulphur Point in Tauranga as he was about to return to New Plymouth. Willie had his daughter, Sammi, riding with him. “When the kids were little, I would put a sheepskin on the floor of the truck, and they would come with me. They were usually asleep about 10 minutes out from the yard.” Sammi is now 25. “I still go with Dad when I can. I love the conversations we have when travelling together,” she says. Willie has always been interested in trucks. “I always drew trucks at school. I thought, ‘One day, I’m gonna drive one of these.’ Both my fathers were truck drivers – my biological dad and my adopted dad. One drove trucks in the army and then went on to loggers; the other was in general heavy haulage. I didn’t really ride

with them much but always wanted to drive one.” Willie has been driving trucks for 43 years. “I started at 15 years old, driving in a quarry. After a while, they would get me to go and spread down a farmer’s track. Each time, I would try and drive a bit further down the road!” “I love getting out, doing my own thing

Graeme Evans A brisk winter evening found Carl Kirkbeck chatting with Graeme Evans of Welcome Bay while Graeme was in Thames and planning his next port of call. Graeme was enjoying his first shift in the HWR Group T610 Kenworth and B-train tanker combination. “I am normally in a Volvo. However, this evening I was given the 610, and I have to admit that this new cab on the Kenworth has a nicely laid out interior, with a lot more room than the old cab. It is a real pleasure to drive.” Graeme’s driving career started when he was 16, collecting freshly bailed hay from the paddocks near Kerepehi on the Hauraki Plains. At 18, he sat his HT licence, then at 21, he completed his trailer licence. This is where his story is a little different from most. When Graeme left school, he started an electrical apprenticeship, working for Baxters Electrical of Paeroa. The

New Zealand Trucking

August 2022

electrical industry was Graeme’s gainful employment until about 20 years ago. By then, the need for change and the call of the road had grown, placing Graeme firmly in the driver’s seat again. Graeme has been with the HWR Group on fuel deliveries for more than five years now and loves the job. “They are a fantastic crowd to work for, a great atmosphere.” When talking with Graeme, we ask what he enjoys most about the driving profession. “It is the space and freedom of being in your own thoughts and enjoying the scenery, a bit like mowing the lawns.” The vexing question for Graeme was steak-and-cheese pie or bacon and egg? Graeme is definitely in favour of the steak and cheese. However, he adds: “I have to be good and avoid them now.” Don’t we all, mate?

and listening to the radio while I do it.” Willie reckons he has a long list of issues with the industry these days, with the main one being other road users. “They don’t know how to bloody drive.” Willie’s vexing question was: ‘Beef, pork, lamb or chicken?’ “Pork. Whenever I go to a roast shop, it’s definitely pork roast for me.”

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Ben Collier Howard Shanks caught up with Ben Collier and the Mack Super-Liner he drives for Adelaide-based ABC Transport at a parking bay on the outskirts of Cooper Pedy in South Australia. He had just checked the oil and water and was closing the bonnet when Howard arrived. Ben had a load of new cardboard cartons, bound for a melon farm at Mataranka in the Northern Territory. Ben reckons he has an easy run as he loads melons from the same farm for the Adelaide markets. Animals roaming the Stuart Highway are common on long, dark nights, so Ben’s Mack is fitted with an extra heavy-duty bullbar.

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

UNFORGETTABLE In 1977, the arrival of the Volvo F Series heralded new levels of safety and comfort. The F Series here had a genuinely distinctive dash, with its raised triangular-shaped wrap facing the driver. It was a lovely truck to operate, with everything close to hand. This fine 1982 F12F example is preserved in the collection of J Swap Contractors, Matamata.

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TOP TRUCK

DRIVEN DREAMS A

At New Zealand

Trucking, we meet

drivers from all walks

of life and all corners of the globe. This month’s Top Truck owes its existence to the dream of a young lad working on the family cropping farm in the small village

of Raiwali, in the district of Haryana in north India.

56 New Zealand Trucking

frosty start to a perfect Bay of Plenty bluesky day at the Mainfreight Tauranga depot, and we find Amarjeet (AJ) Singh busy preparing the big AS-cabbed Iveco X-Way 570 for its appointment with the camera. AJ had travelled from his home base in Palmerston North only hours before on an FTL run as a contracted Daily Freight owner-driver. AJ’s journey to owner-driver has been hard-fought and well-earnt, but listening to his history, you soon see that a battle plan based on dreams

August 2022

Story by Carl Kirkbeck Photos by Carl Kirkbeck and Gavin Myers

and fuelled by desire has been at play. “It all started for me at about 16 years of age, working on the family farm. I would help with driving all the farm machinery, tractors pulling trailers loaded to the maximum – the bigger, the better,” laughs AJ. A couple of years later, he was chatting to good mates from his village who had already emigrated to New Zealand, and their conversations planted the seeds of change. AJ already had a desire to see other parts of the world and was seriously looking for the

opportunity to drive highway rigs. There was only one thing to do: heed the call and book a one-way ticket to New Zealand. In 2012 and only 18, AJ found himself standing within the halls of UCOL in Palmerston North, ready to embark on the first step of his plan, a National Diploma of Business. Once he completed his studies, it was onto stage two: begin the journey to driving the highway rigs he dreamt of. Gaining New Zealand residency and a start at Provida Foods on a class-2 rigid in 2015 was

Humble beginnings allow the biggest of dreams. just the ticket. This led to an opportunity in 2017 to move up to truck and trailer work at Linfox on general freight. “Finally, I was getting into the bigger gear, but I still wanted more. So I eventually moved across to Fonterra, completing four seasons on the milk run out of Longburn. It was great work, and I was getting to see more and more of the country.” AJ may have been scratching his itch for driving real highway rigs, but there was still one more stage of his plan to be executed: ownership.

“All the time, I had been talking with my mates in various owner-driver positions in different companies and was picking their brains. With their encouragement, I approached Daily Freight. An opportunity to run in the FTL fleet existed, so I was in boots and all. The X-Way runs the 13-litre Cursor engine at 425kW (570hp) with 2500Nm (1850lb/ft) of torque on tap at 1000rpm. This feeds to a 12-speed Hi-Tronix AMT transmission, behind which is a pair of Meritor MT23-150/D axles rated at 23 tonnes riding

on Iveco eight-bag ECAS suspension. The Fruehauf body was already fitted as the rig had started life as an Iveco demonstrator, so all that was needed was a new set of curtains. Finally, the trailer was built to match by the team at Roadmaster using low maintenance Hendrickson disc-brake axles. “Basically, it’s a typical 36-pallet combination, and I’m running it at 50Max,” explains AJ. “I cannot fault the unit at all – the comfort of the big Euro cab, heated leather seats, double bunks and a tonne of

storage. Plus, its Euro-6. It is perfect for the job I do, and the Iveco team are brilliant to work with. Pieter Theron has been so helpful and Raymond in service is just magic. It is a great working relationship.” For AJ, it had been just a touch over nine years since he was that lonely fresh arrival, standing in the halls of UCOL. Now, he was signing the papers, catching the keys to the big Iveco and embarking on his first run as an owner-driver. “Finally, I was doing what my heart was set on doing – the amazing places I have

New Zealand Trucking

August 2022 57

1) AJ Singh: young, driven and making it happen. 2) New Roadmaster trailer completes the 36-pallet combination.

been to already, places that I would never have dreamt of going to if I had not been doing this job. And it has not even been one complete year. A few weeks ago, I was right out the back of Murchison on a big farm doing a delivery – the beauty of the place; it was so good I had my 10-hour break there. But, man, those sandflies.” Full credit needs to be given where

it is deserved and especially where it has been hard-earned, and here at New Zealand Trucking, we would be the first to say that AJ’s achievements are more than admirable and serve as a shining beacon for all the budding young drivers out there. Heaven knows, we need all the help we can get. What AJ has accomplished in 10 short years is commendable, and listening

to his story unfold, you realise that it really does not matter which corner of this spinning blue orb you come from… If diesel is in the veins and desire for adventure in the heart, anything at all is possible, including taking out the New Zealand Trucking magazine Top Truck position for August 2022. Congratulations, AJ.

TOP TRUCK adapted masthead.indd 1

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

ll monthly Top Truck winners from September 2021 until this issue are in the draw. Once again, Power Retreads has placed its support behind the trophy and has put up the major prize for the winning truck – a set of eight premium Vipal driveaxle retreads. This prize package is valued at between $3500 and $4500. Likewise, Little Truckers’ Club contributor and renowned truck artist Rochelle Thomas will again present the winner with a portrait of their truck. Voting will be via public vote on the New Zealand Trucking website, nztrucking.co.nz Simply tick the box next to the truck you want to vote for. Voting opens on Friday, 12 August 2022 and runs until Sunday, 18 September 2022. The winner will be announced in the October issue of New Zealand Trucking magazine. Good luck to all those who have trucks in contention. Get online and get voting for your favourite truck.

www.nztrucking.co.nz

OUR QUALITY MAKES TYRES NEW AGAIN

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OUR QUALITY MAKES TYRES NEW AGAIN

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OUR QUALITY MAKES TYRES NEW AGAIN

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NOVEMBER 2021

FEBRUARY 2022

APRIL 2022

JUNE 2022

OCT 21

Top Truck

OUR QUALITY MAKES TYRES NEW AGAIN

The team at New Zealand Trucking is delighted to bring you the John Murphy Memorial Top Truck 2021–2022.

DEC 21 / JAN 22

Top Truck

www.nztrucking.co.nz

Top Truck OCTOBER 2021

Top Truck

AUG 22

OUR QUALITY MAKES TYRES NEW AGAIN

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OUR QUALITY MAKES TYRES NEW AGAIN

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OUR QUALITY MAKES TYRES NEW AGAIN

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OUR QUALITY MAKES TYRES NEW AGAIN

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OUR QUALITY MAKES TYRES NEW AGAIN

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OUR QUALITY MAKES TYRES NEW AGAIN

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DEC 2021 / JAN 2021

MAR 22

FEB 22

Top Truck

OUR QUALITY MAKES TYRES NEW AGAIN

MAY 22

NOV 21

Top Truck

SEPTEMBER 2021

JUL 22

SEPT 21

Top Truck

APR 22

TOP TRUCK OF THE YEAR 2021–2022

JUN 22

OUR QUALITY MAKES TYRES NEW AGAIN

MARCH 2022

MAY 2022

JULY 2022

Top Truck AUGUST 2022

New Zealand Trucking

August 2022 59

WHERE’S THAT ROAD? Take a look to the right, eagle-eyed truckers, and see if you know where this stretch of bitumen is. Last month was obviously a walk in the park, so we have found one for August that’ll get you scratching your head! Yes, they poured in, one after the other, all month long – obviously, there aren’t too many truck-driving folk who haven’t motored north from New Plymouth. The spot in the June issue was, of course, SH3 at the Mohakatino River crossing, just to the South of Mokau. Picked randomly from a long list of correct entries, our winner was Phillip Nicholas from Hawera, who was right on the money.

TO ENTER Flick us an email at editor@nztrucking.co.nz Subject line: Where’s that road? AUG-22. Tell us your answer, and let us know your postal address. Note: You must include the subject line, otherwise it might get lost in the pile. We’ll pick a winner at random from the correct entries, and see what’s in the prize basket. Competition closes midnight on 31 August 2022. June’s ‘Spot that bitumen’ was SH3 at Mohakatino River crossing.

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AUSSIE ANGLES

Engineering the trailer combination to load themselves was primarily driven by the shortage and availability of new trucks.

Story and photos by Howard Shanks

ENHANCING THE SELF-LOADING

CONCEPT Australian trailer builder Elphinstone Engineering has embraced innovation with the introduction of its EasyLoader self-loading log trailers.

lphinstone Engineering is redefining log haulage by introducing a SelfLoader powerpack option for its EasyLoader trailer models. The new powerpack enables standard prime movers to haul and operate logging trailers without the expense of specialised PTO and auxiliary equipment fit-up. Additionally, it is backwards compatible, meaning retrofitting the unit to older EasyLoader trailers is easily done. The innovative concept

62 New Zealand Trucking

of engineering the trailer combination to load themselves was primarily driven by the shortage and availability of new trucks. “Our customers are finding it increasingly difficult to get purpose-built prime movers suitable for dedicated log trailers in time for the commencement of cartage contracts,” says Graeme Elphinstone, founder and director of product design. “Initially, we’ve designed the Self-Loader powerpack option to suit our EasyLoader August 2022

trailer combinations. The EasyLoader is a lightweight, versatile trailer platform that allows operators the flexibility to interchange trailers depending on their logging application at the time,” Graeme explains, adding that the modular design includes bolt-on options and easy bolster adjustment to suit multiple log length requirements. “As a result, it’s not uncommon for our customers to get more than 1,000,000km from our trailer sets if they are properly

maintained.” Elphinstone EasyLoader trailers are available in 19m mini B-double to 36.5m multibay B-triples and A-doubles. “On the other side of the coin, some of our customers have diverse operations, including transporting other freight forms. The SelfLoader powerpack option gives them better vehicle utilisation across their fleet with their prime movers. When not carting logs, they can easily uncouple their standard prime mover

from our EasyLoader trailer set and operate the prime mover in another part of their operation without any tare weight penalty. Traditionally, dedicated log trucks have an additional hydraulic oil tank, PTO and robust cab guards, which while a necessity in logging applications, only add unnecessary tare weight to a prime mover in general freight.” With the Self-Loader powerpack option, all the hydraulics are located on the lead trailer. An electricstart petrol engine drives the hydraulic powerpack. The Self-Loader powerpack option adds approximately 200kg to the tare of the standard tri-tri EasyLoader B-double trailer set. The controls for the powerpack are conveniently located next to the engine. Additionally, a remotecontrol module is an option well worth considering as it enables the operator to move around the trailers when loading or unloading the unit. “We’ve retained the traditional under-bolster electrical and air-coupling location, which suits most purpose-built log trucks,” Graeme says. “However, we’ve added a front-mounted connection point to suit a standard prime mover with Suzi-Coil hoses and both standard and heavy-duty seven-pin electrical plugs for ease of connection.” In addition, ball valve taps are located in this section, allowing the powerpack hydraulic system to be isolated when the trailers are connected to the traditional log truck fitted with a PTO and cabin-mounted trailer controls. The supplementary air inlet fitting is unique to Elphinstone logging trailers fitted with the company’s EasyAir air transducer on-vehicle weighing system,

which requires full air pressure to achieve the highest accuracy. This fitting allows a constant supply of air to feed into the trailer air reservoirs regardless of the position of the prime mover’s park or trailer brake switches. The EasyAir air transducer measures air pressure from both sides of the suspension, enabling faster response times. It automatically accounts for atmospheric conditions and variations and then converts this information into a digital weight display in the truck’s cabin. These trailers feature Elphinstone’s AutoTensioner air load-binder winch, an airoperated auto-tensioner loadrestraint device that will take up tension on the strap and maintain constant pressure while travelling. “We are always listening to our customers, and in the early 1990s, they were raising concerns about the problems they were having with existing load restraint equipment in the field. So we commenced designing and building our own winches to address these problems,” Graeme explains. “Aside from improving the ease of operation and maintenance, we saw a need to include more pre-tension into our design for added safety. Several mounting options are available: frame mount, under-tray mount and bolster mount, and our winch mounting brackets are engineered to match winch capacity.” During transit, if the load moves or compacts, the winch will automatically activate to maintain the correct tension on the load. It has a lashing capacity of 5000kg. These winches comply with AS/NZS4380:2001 Motor Vehicles – Cargo Restraint Systems. Conversely, if, for any reason, there is a problem with air

4 1 & 2) Air-operated, auto-tensioner load-restraints maintain constant tension while travelling. 3) The hydraulic motor mounted on the front of the trailer winds a chain connected to the top trailer, which enables the rear trailer to roll on and off the lead bottom trailer. The left-hand panel houses light and ABS sockets as well as the air-line couplings. The additional air supply line maintains a full charge of air to the trailer air tanks regardless of the truck’s brake button position. 4) Hydraulics driven by electric-start petrol engine.

1) The optional hand-held remote-control unit allows the operator to move around the unit to inspect the trailers during the loading and unloading process. 2) The introduction of Elphinstone’s Self-Loading powerpack option to its EasyLoader trailers is making it viable for operators to use lease trucks, like these Penske rental MAN units, in specialty applications like logging, helping operators fulfil contracts amidst the worldwide shortage of new trucks. 3) Graeme Elphinstone (left) demonstrates how to operate the EasyWeigh hand-held remote reader that connects to the trailers’ onboard scales, to new drivers in Eden, NSW. 4) Logging contractor C3 Forestry Actros with Elphinstone EasyLoader trailers loading plantation timber. supply or controls, the winch will lock as if it is a manual winch. Furthermore, the winch can revert to manual operation if there are any air supply problems. “Because clean air is critical for the accurate operation and longevity of the EasyAir air transducers and AutoTensioner components on the trailer, we conveniently locate all the air-drain pull cords on the chassis,” Graeme explains. The air drain pull cords are colour-coded blue for easy identification. For added safety, the winch straps have remote release mechanisms to minimise the need for the driver to walk around the left side of the trailer when unloading. These pull chords are colour-coded yellow. Additionally, these trailers come with load restraint guards that comply with Forest Safety Code (Tasmania 2007) S12.2 for Cab Shielding. Each guard is securely mounted in

64 New Zealand Trucking

rubber bushes that eliminate vibration and includes a generous radius on all outer edges to minimise operator injury. Conversely, this mounting system prevents distortion and damage to the guard. The guard can restrain a load of 500N applied horizontally at any point on the structure, which disperses over an area of a 400mm diameter circle, and is capable of withstanding inertia forces generated during vehicle braking with logs as small as 50mm diameter. Furthermore, the guards can withstand wind forces generated when the vehicle travels at 100kph, and they are high enough to restrain all the logs on the load. Moreover, because the cab guard’s location is on the trailer chassis and not the prime mover, it is always in line with the logs on the trailer. “The efficiency in modern log haulage has unquestionably transformed where timber is sourced August 2022

and milled,” Graeme says. “We have one customer in Tasmania transporting logs to Victoria for milling. It’s very costly to send a driver and dedicated logging prime mover across on the ferry with the B-double trailers merely to use the prime mover’s PTO to load the empty trailers for the return journey. “The Self-Loader powerpack option now saves thousands of dollars in shipping costs because only the trailers make the crossing on the ferry. Now a standard prime mover collects the loaded trailers from the port in Melbourne and delivers the logs to the sawmill. When the trailers are empty, the driver starts the powerpack and loads the rear trailer onto the lead trailer for the return journey to Tasmania.” While the Self-Loader powerpack option enables the EasyLoader trailer to function when connected to a standard prime mover, Graeme advises that a remote

hand-held EasyWeigh reader is required for operators to realise the full protentional of the trailer’s advanced on-vehicle weighing system. But for the most precise weighing of the entire payload, a pair of fifth-wheel loadcells should be fitted to the prime mover. “Our current onboard weighing systems are ‘upward compatible’, which means that we can easily make software upgrades if and when required,” Graeme adds. “Our systems currently communicate and supply raw data to in-vehicle units (IVU) like MT-DATA/Navman. So, for instance, if they make changes to their systems, we can adapt to suit their updates.” Elphinstone Engineering has indeed kicked a goal for its customers’ bottom lines by introducing the SelfLoader powerpack option that seamlessly integrates into the EasyLoader trailer platform.

INTERNATIONAL TRUCK STOP

A steam-powered Citroen.

SIMON LOOS

MUSEUM Story and photos by Paul O’Callaghan

Simon Loos is one of the Netherlands’ largest transport companies, with 650 trucks and 750 trailers. It’s also home to one of the most spectacular collections of classic and vintage trucks, rarely seen by the public. 66 New Zealand Trucking

he Loos headquarters at Wognum has a Mercedes-Benz dealer situated on the same site. It was the company’s 1000th Mercedes-Benz, a rare example of customisation combining the rear section of a GigaSpace cab cleverly moulded into the lines of a Big Space front, that acted as the gateway truck on our journey to the invite-only, private museum that occupies a far more anonymous warehouse nearby. Upon being greeted by

August 2022

Marjan and Piet Loos at the door, we followed the Dutch protocol of first sitting in the guest area and accepting an offer of ‘koffee’. Through a series of hand gestures and smiles, we managed a conversation until the arrival of a translator in the form of employee and lifetime friend P.J. Heddes, who filled us in on the history of Simon Loos. The story begins in 1938 when Simon Loos Senior established his delivery service between Alkmaar and Hoorn in the North Holland region, north of

Amsterdam. His first truck was an Albion; the second was a Guy. He then moved on to the Henschel brand, with a Thames Trader included in the mix. Indeed, Simon Senior’s love for the German-built Henschel is demonstrated by the fact that there are no less than seven in the collection, including a rare underfloor-engine rigid and drag model in the colours of P.A.M. van Berne. Although most vehicles in the group are in the traditional Loos colours of red, white and yellow,

1) The quality of restorations is outstanding. 2) A Scania Vabis 76 with Dutch-built Heiwo box bodies and its 111 stablemate 3) No Dutch collection is complete without the presence of the DAF marque. 4) The FTF on the left was loaded with concrete ballast, ready for a playful jaunt. 5) The unique Actros 2648. 6) This American GMC is an ex-WW2 truck. 7) Along with the T113 and rare T111 (front), the Loos collection also contains a T500 Highline. 8) A rare Magurus Deutz Jupiter V8. some have been left in the livery of companies that were either absorbed into the Loos organisation or simply ceased to exist for various reasons. Nowadays, the primary products Loos transports are food and beverages, mainly within the Netherlands but also throughout Europe, with a particular focus on the Benelux area. The company even operates LNG-powered trucks for citycentre deliveries, a solitary gas-powered Benz in the collection bearing testament to the eco-friendly approach.

But back to the old stuff. After inspecting the Henschels, Piet Loos insists we look at the rear of his Bedford TK with a beautifully crafted wooden body, where we are dumbfounded as to why it has no rear door on one side. P.J. comes to our aid by explaining that the truck was used to deliver baguettes in Amsterdam, which were simply thrown out the back of the truck. However, the following line-up of trucks is more of our era and sets our tongues wagging. No less than 10

Mercedes-Benz trucks are featured in the collection, outnumbering any other marque. Six are Actros of different generations from the original MP1 to the MP3, while there is also a pair of NGs and SKs, respectively. It should also be pointed out that all the vehicles are coupled up to trailers, with artics and drags, making it all the more impressive. As if that wasn’t enough, P.J. drops the sides on a FTF articulated combination to reveal a load of precast concrete, added to provide

ballast in the rare event that any of the vehicles are actually taken for a drive. There are three stunning examples of the now-defunct Dutch truck brand in the collection. Another German manufacturer in the collection is Magirus Deutz, with two tractor units – one conventional and one cab over – while a tilt-bodied rigid and drag also looks resplendent in the blue and white colours of W. Van Maanen, as per the two tractor units.

1) This ex-DAF hospitality truck with one of the last-ever Mercedes-Benz V8s. 2) This Bedford TK delivered bread in Amsterdam. 3) A Dutch-built Ginaf recovery truck with forestry-spec version 3 FH. 4) A brace of German-built Krupp trucks. 5) From left: P.J. Heddes, writer Paul O’Callaghan, and Marjan and Piet Loos. Unsurprisingly, there are four DAFs in the collection, including an ex-DAF Trucks XF Super Space Cab four-axle rigid with a hospitality body fitted. The most recent is a new-looking XF Space Cab in Bavaria Beer colours, which was driven straight from service into the warehouse. Scania fans will not be disappointed to see a customised T111, an

ex-Loos fleet T113M with a Dutch Esteppe highroof conversion, a T500 Highline and, of course, the ubiquitous R143 model in the popular Dutch power rating of 420hp. An R500 Topline artic coupled with a skelly trailer completes the Swedish brand’s presence. That’s not forgetting that there are an additional three vehicles from the Vabis era.

From Volvo, the solitary F88 narrow-grille rigid and drag with tilt bodies is astounding, although an unusual eightwheeled version 3 FH tractor unit adorned with forestry artwork has also joined the collection in recent times. Other rarities include a brace of German-made Krupps and Bussing, a Dutch Kromhout and a steampowered Citroen.

Today the company is run by Piet Loos’s son Simon, the third generation involved in the business. Simon shares his father’s love for old trucks, and it’s a passion they can enjoy together, explains the very hands-on Marjan. Running such a large fleet is a stressful business and what better way to unwind than with this amazing collection of classics?

68 New Zealand Trucking

August 2022

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NEW RI GS ON THE R OAD

International 9870 R8 8x4 rigid, Skyroof sleeper

CHIPS ON THE MOVE OPERATOR: HWT 2016 Ltd, Move Logistics, Temuka ENGINE: Cummins X-15 15-litre 459kW (615hp) 2779Nm (2050lb/ft) TRANSMISSION: Eaton

Roadranger RTLO20918B 18-speed manual REAR AXLES: Meritor 46-160 REAR SUSPENSION: IROS BRAKES: Drum. ABS, EBS BODY/TRAILER: Fruehauf

tipping chip-liner with mezzanine floors for freight FEATURES/EXTRAS: ECAS front suspension. Alloy bumper. Stainless-steel drop visor

SHINING IN THE WINTERLESS NORTH Kenworth T410 SAR 6x4 rigid OPERATOR: Northern Rural Haulage, Whangarei ENGINE: Paccar MX13 12.9-litre 375kW (510hp) 2500Nm (1850ft/lb) TRANSMISSION: Eaton Roadranger RTLO20918B 18-speed manual REAR AXLES: Meritor RT46-160GP with dual diff locks REAR SUSPENSION: Kenworth Airglide 460 BRAKES: Drum. ABS, EBS BODY/TRAILER: Transport and General Transport Trailers truck body and five-axle trailer FEATURES/EXTRAS: Six-inch chrome exhausts. Stainless-steel sun visor, bug deflector, steps, toolbox, diesel tank panels, lower grille panel, and bumper. Colour-coded diesel tank. Extra marker lights. Alcoa Dura-Bright alloy wheels PAINT/SIGNAGE: Fleet Image, Hamilton OPERATION: Bulk aggregate, Northland and wider Auckland DRIVER: Lance Bettin SALES: Mitchell Redington

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August 2022

PAINT: Ex-factory OPERATION: Freight exChristchurch, wood residue ex-Marlborough SALES: Shaun Jury

A ‘KRAFTY’ GRIFFIN INDEED OPERATOR: Rossiter Log Haulage ENGINE: Scania DC16 16-litre Euro-5 462kW (620hp) 3000Nm (2213lb/ft) TRANSMISSION: Scania Opticruise GRSO906R 12-speed AMT with 4100D retarder REAR AXLES: Scania RB735 Hub reduction

Scania R620 B8x4NZ 8x4 rigid

REAR SUSPENSION: Spring suspension front and rear axle BRAKES: Drum. EBS, ABS BODY/TRAILER: Kraft Engineering – shorts. Refurbished five-axle multi-bay trailer FEATURES/EXTRAS: Off-set rims. Broshmik stone guard. Roof-mount light bar

and driving lights PAINT: Haddock Spray Painters 2003, Whakatane SIGNAGE: Wrapped Auto Signs, Tauranga OPERATION: Log cartage, Bay of Plenty DRIVER: John Eriepa SALES: Callan Short, Scania NZ

CUTTING YOUR CLOTH Iveco Eurocargo ML160 4x2 sleeper cab OPERATOR: Cirtex, Wiri ENGINE: Iveco Tector 7 6.7-litre Euro-6 239kW (320hp) (1100Nm) 811lb/ft TRANSMISSION: ZF 12AS1210 TO 12-speed AMT REAR AXLES: Meritor MS11-154 with diff lock REAR SUSPENSION: Iveco 4-bag ECAS with shock absorber and stabiliser bar BRAKES: Disc. ABS, EBS SAFETY: AEBS, ABS, ESP, ASR, Hill Hold BODY/TRAILER: Boss Motor Bodies. Hiab crane FEATURES/EXTRAS: Cool box for sleeper cab PAINT: Ex-factory OPERATION: Distribution, industrial matting SALES: Pieter Theron

Free phone: 0800 50 40 50 New Zealand Trucking

August 2022

NEW RI GS ON THE R OAD

REDDY FOR ANYTHING! OPERATOR: Reddy Tranz, Auckland ENGINE: Cummins X-15 15-litre 459kW (615hp) 2779Nm (2050lb/ft) TRANSMISSION: Eaton 20E318B MXP UltraShift 18-speed AMT REAR AXLES: Meritor RT46-160 GP REAR SUSPENSION: IROS

International 9870 R8 8x4 rigid – Skyroof sleeper

BRAKES: Drum. ABS, EBS BODY/TRAILER: Domett – truck body and five-axle trailer FEATURES/EXTRAS: Stainless-steel deep visor. Off-set rims. Tinted windows, elevated bunk, fridge PAINT: Ex-factory

NEW MANS IN THE BLUEGRASS BAND MAN TGM 18.320 4x4 rigid (one of two) OPERATOR: Bluegrass Contracting, Te Poi ENGINE: MAN D0836LFL88 6.87-litre Euro-5 235kW (320hp) 1250Nm (922lb/ft) TRANSMISSION: ZF 9S-1310 OD REAR AXLES: HP-1333 Hub reduction REAR SUSPENSION: MAN Parabolic leaf spring BRAKES: Drum SAFETY: MAN BrakeMatic system BODY/TRAILER: Paul Hoyle, special build FEATURES/EXTRAS: Central Tyre Inflation. TRS supplied off-road wheels and tyres. Custom cab side-skirts PAINT: Ex-factory SIGNAGE: Tonz Signs and Graphics, Matamata OPERATION: Ground spread operations, Waikato DRIVER: Brook Nettleton SALES: Mitch James

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

August 2022

SIGNAGE: AAA Signs, Papatoetoe OPERATION: Live seafood and general freight inter-island DRIVER: Evaan Reddy SALES: Rob Byers

DAF XF105 Euro-6 FAD 8x4 rigid – Space Cab sleeper

SILVER ARROW OPERATOR: MLD Group, Matamata ENGINE: PACCAR MX-13 12.9-litre Euro-6 390kW (530hp) 2600Nm (1920lb/ft) TRANSMISSION: TraXon 16TX2610 16-speed AMT REAR AXLES: DAF SR1360T

single reduction with interaxle and full cross-locks REAR SUSPENSION: DAF 8-bag SR1360T BRAKES: Disc. ABS, EBS SAFETY: ACC, FCW, AEBS, LDW, VSC, AB BODY/TRAILER: Home-built

– custom FEATURES/EXTRAS: Dual air horns. Air management kit. Black-out grille. Coded tanks. Stainless-steel diesel tank trim. Additional marker lights. Polished alloy wheels. Night heater.

PAINT / SIGNAGE: Fleet Image, Te Awamutu OPERATION: General cartage, nationwide DRIVER: Merv Philips SALES: Adam McIntosh

CLEAN TRUCK CLEAN UP! Scania R650 B8x4HA 8x4 rigid – Sleeper cab OPERATOR: JF Dixon, Taupo ENGINE: Scania DC16 16-litre Euro-6 485kW (650hp) 3300Nm (2434lb/ft) TRANSMISSION: Scania Opticruise GRSO926R 12-speed AMT with 4100D retarder FRONT AXLES: Scania straight front axles REAR AXLES: Scania RB735 Hub reduction SUSPENSION: Front: Spring suspension. Rear:Scania High air suspension BRAKES: Disc. ABS, EBS BODY/TRAILER: Patchell – Refurbished multi-bolster on truck with four-axle multi-bolster trailer and four-axel binwood trailer. Crane mount: SDM Mechanical Rotorua FEATURES/EXTRAS: Onboard scales. Leather seats and V8 trim package. Fridge PAINT: Ex-factory, metallic SIGNAGE: Caulfield Signs and Graphics, Rotorua OPERATION: Self-loading log cartage, Central North Island DRIVER: Jarrad Dixon SALES: Callan Short

Free phone: 0800 50 40 50 New Zealand Trucking

August 2022

NEW RI GS O N THE ROAD SAFETY KEY – ACRONYM BY ALPHA RegFea New Rigs Safety 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 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 FCA – Forward Collision Avoidance FCW – Forward Collision Warning FUPS – Front Under-run Protection System HH – Hill hold HSA – Hill Start Assist LD – Lane Departure Warning LG – Lane Guard LKA – Lane Keep Assist PCS – Pre Collision System PD – Pedestrian Detection

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

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NEW KIWI BODIES & TRAILERS New Zealand Trucking brings you New Kiwi Bodies & Trailers. Bodies and trailers are expected to last twice as long as trucks, and

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

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

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

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

No farmers, no food... No trailers, no freight Daily Freightways has one of the most recognisable liveries in freight cartage, and it’s never short on smartlooking kit. This latest five-axle curtain-side trailer from the TMC family for contractor Deols Transport in the Garden City of Christchurch sets the presentation bar high. The magnificent sign-written Structurflex curtains are framed in oodles of lights, stainless-steel drop guards, toolbox doors, and Alux alloy wheels. Out the back, stainless steel reappears in the top and bottom light infills and monogrammed under-rider infill.

Features: 19.5” TMC disc-brake axles and air suspension. TMC

Hug, prune, shred, deliver! Mills-Tui is branching out with this bark, mulch, firewood, and chip bin made from Hardox steel. Mounted on a 4x4 Hino FM500 1835 wide cab, the slick wee fella is headed for Cambridge- and Tirau-based Canopy Arborists. The body sports a two-way tailgate, and there’s a pintle hook coupling for towing around the various bits of kit required. The ground-operated tarp ensures ease of use, and safety is front of mind. The alloy wheels, stainless-steel toolbox doors and

Peterson lighting make the unit an effective billboard for the company’s professionalism, and the ideal tool for the job.

Features: Mills-Tui Hardox Steel body with two-way tailgate. Mills-Tui

KIWI 16/17

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

0800 KIWI TYRES (0800 549 489) | kiwitrucktyres.nz 78 New Zealand Trucking

August 2022

KIWI 175

Too nice to get muddy! Cambridge-based West City Haulage has taken delivery of this spectacular log build, a work of art from Rotorua’s very own MillsTui. Recently put to work for Aztec Forestry Transport Developments, the Scania R620 8x4 chassis has Mills-Tui double laydown bolsters, Mills-Tui cab guard, fuel and DEF tank guards, and Bigfoot CTI. Stainless-steel second-steer mudguards, toolbox door, lower diesel tank guard, and tail-light bar work superbly with polished alloy wheels and Mills-Tui-branded mud flaps, setting the scene for what’s to follow. What is following is a slick Mills-Tui F175 low-rider five-axle multi-bolster log trailer. The big trolley sports sliding centre bolsters, a ball-race greasing system, and

Features: (Trailer) ROR SL9 disc-brake axles and air suspension. Mills-Tui a PSI tyre inflation unit. Hella provides the illumination and, once again, polished alloy wheels, a stainless-steel tail-light bar, and immaculately placed matching mudflaps complete what is a ‘stand back and take it all in’ unit.

Unmistakeably theirs

Features: TMC 19.5” disc-brake axles and air suspension. TMC

STL Linehaul in Christchurch has added another six-axle 20/40 B-train set to its instantly recognisable fleet. In true STL style, these bad boys are your ‘go anywhere, anytime, with anything’ sort of gig, able to accommodate 20’ and 40’ cans, with a seemingly endless stash

of toolboxes, dunnage racks, cover boxes, and deck pins. Stainless-steel toolbox doors, rear infills and polished Alux alloy wheels make the iconic STL red and black livery ‘pop’, while the old-school scrolls point to a deeply rooted trucking culture.

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

KIWI 17

KIWI 175

265/70R19.5

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

265/70R19.5

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

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

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

New Zealand Trucking

August 2022 79

DARTH TATER

eeping it in the family’ is the theme for both of this month’s Bridgestone New Zealand Trucking magazine Million Mile Club inductees, having motored to their milestone mark in the livery they’ve worn from the showroom floor. Our first recipient is extra special, so we’ve given this machine a bit more show and tell. ‘Darth Tater’ is an ex-Top Truck (New Zealand Trucking, April 2007), and the truck upon which a young business owner entrusted his hopes and dreams. Phil Collinson started his Invercargillbased Eden Haulage in December 2005 with a brand-new International 9800i Eagle bought from Straun Syme of Southern International. The first Eden truck was also the first to wear a catchy

Still looking every bit the part… Darth Tater set the bar incredibly high for every truck that would follow in his wheel tracks at Eden Haulage. Inset: Top Truck April 2007. produce-inspired name, something that’s become synonymous with the fleet. Towing a five-axle Total Transport Engineers ex-Cadbury B-train, the big new Inter was driven by Phil for the first three years of its life. Powered by a 525hp ISX Cummins, backed up by an 18-speed Roadranger transmission and Meritor rears on International Nav-Air suspension, Phil hoped it would be a bullet-proof spec. It has proven itself to be every bit that and beyond. “The truck had an in-frame at 1,300,000km, which was purely preventative. The gearbox and diffs haven’t been touched,” says Phil. “Darth is currently sitting at 1,700,000km travelled.

“I’ve had three Internationals, and they’ve racked up 5,700,000km between them. They are a very under-rated brand in New Zealand and have been the lowest cost-per-kilometre trucks in the fleet.” Darth Tater no longer has a full-time driver and is used seasonally, towing either a quad-axle Fairfax reefer or Roadmaster quad-axle curtain semi. There’s no question, though, that when it’s on, it’s on, and Darth’s duties can include carting stone fruit, fresh produce, meat and fish between Southland, Central Otago, and Christchurch, with even the occasional foray into Marlborough. Today, Eden Haulage is a brand known the length of the country for its sharp fleet of golden rigs. That image is in no small way attributable to this grand old Tater.

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

80 New Zealand Trucking August 2022

SMURF’S MACHINE!

ere’s another top achiever on J Swap Contractors’ substantial list of million-milers – fleet No.1082, ESF709, which has toured the required miles to qualify for this badge of honour. Chris (Smurf) Clothier

proudly sits behind the wheel of the 2007 CAT-powered C-15 T404 Kenworth, with an 18-speed Eaton automated manual transmission with Cobra shift, Meritor diffs and KW airbag suspension. Fitted with Transfleet Equipment bulk bins, 1082

has spent 15 years carting stock feed and aggregate around the North Island, with a load to the South Island from time to time also. A 16-year veteran of J Swap, Smurf says he loves 1082. “If they offered me a new truck, I would still want to

stay on this one! I call her ‘My Machine’. These older trucks are nicer to drive and are way better looking than those new ones.” Smurf has helped contribute to the 1,180,000 miles travelled in this sharp machine.

Another loyal trooper for its original owner. Fleet No.1082 has more than justified it’s inclusion in the cap-ex all those years ago.

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

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

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

New Zealand Trucking August 2022

WHEELS AT WANAKA MEMORIES

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

YO HA YO WA

Nothing like it in all of earthmoving: the Caterpillar D9, a machine that was instrumental in forming modern New Zealand’s infrastructure. Here, Paul Clarke’s D9D in the livery of W Stevenson & Son drags its scoop up around the play pit, ready to make a pass in front of a crowd that just couldn’t get enough.

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HAMMAR HAMMAR HAMMAR 130: 130: 130: HAMMAR 130:HAMMAR HAMMAR HAMMAR 130: + Versatile + Versatile + Versatile – handles –130: handles –130: handles two two 20’ two 20’ containers 20’ containers containers or or one or one one

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HAMMAR HAMMAR HAMMAR Sideloaders Sideloaders Sideloaders areare Made are Made Made in in New in New New Zealand Zealand Zealand from from from local local local and and Swedish and Swedish Swedish components components components to to suit to suit suit YOUR YOUR YOUR transport transport transport needs. needs. needs. MADE MADE INMADE IN IN HAMMAR Sideloaders HAMMAR HAMMAR are HAMMAR Made Sideloaders Sideloaders in Sideloaders New Zealand areare Made are Made from Made in in New local in New New Zealand and Zealand Zealand Swedish from from from local components local local and and Swedish and Swedish toSwedish suitcomponents YOUR components components transport to to suit to needs. suit suit YOUR YOUR YOUR transport transport transport needs. needs. needs. NEWNEW ZEALAND NEW ZEALAND ZEALAND MADE MADE INMADE INNew INNew Hammar Hammar Hammar New Zealand Zealand Zealand Ltd, Ltd, 16 Ltd, 16 Marphona 16 Marphona Marphona Cres, Cres, Cres, Takanini, Takanini, Takanini, Auckland. Auckland. Auckland. 0800 0800 0800 2 HAMMAR 2 HAMMAR 2 HAMMAR sales.nz@hammarlift.com sales.nz@hammarlift.com sales.nz@hammarlift.com www www www hammarlift.com hammarlift.com hammarlift.com NEWNEW ZEALAND NEW ZEALAND Hammar New Zealand Hammar Hammar Ltd, Hammar 16ZEALAND New Marphona New New Zealand Zealand Zealand Cres, Ltd, Ltd, Takanini, 16 Ltd, 16 Marphona 16 Marphona Marphona Auckland. Cres, Cres, Cres, 0800 Takanini, Takanini, Takanini, 2 HAMMAR Auckland. Auckland. Auckland. sales.nz@hammarlift.com 0800 0800 0800 2 HAMMAR 2 HAMMAR 2 HAMMAR sales.nz@hammarlift.com sales.nz@hammarlift.com sales.nz@hammarlift.com www hammarlift.com www www www hammarlift.com hammarlift.com hammarlift.com

MADE IN NEW ZEALAND

MINI BIG RIGS

Bob Henderson’s Scania 142 in Modern Freighters livery, with a passenger’s seat regularly occupied by Craig. Right: Post Transpac saga, Bob Henderson’s new Scania 143 TopLine on contract to Cooltrans.

A CHIP OFF THE

OLD BLOCK Story by Carl Kirkbeck

Craig Christensen grew up with a dad who shared his involvement in the transport industry. So it is unsurprising that trucking is Craig’s passion, pastime and profession.

Images: Carl Kirkbeck and Christensen collection

hose who caught our feature on the SEA Electric re-powered Hino 500 of Alsco New Zealand (New Zealand Trucking, May 2022) will remember meeting the driver and enthusiastic ambassador of the electric Hino, Craig Christensen. While we took notes on the Hino, Craig mentioned his passion for

the industry extended to scratch-building model trucks. This naturally grabbed our attention, and a plan was hatched to visit his workshop and see first-hand the fruits of his labour. Craig’s interest was ignited by his father, who was a diesel mechanic and driver. In 1965, when Craig was born, his dad worked for the Levin

Dairy Company. At about four or five, Craig began tagging along with his dad to the workshops as his right-hand man. “The company had three Bedfords pulling A-train milk tankers that I was fascinated with, and I would go for rides in those,” explains Craig. In 1972, the Dairy Company ordered a new R-model Mack from Brightwater’s plant in Australia to replace an ageing Hino arctic unit used for the cream run. Unfortunately, a flash flood went through the Brightwater plant before the R-model could be built, so a replacement to fill the order was sent directly from Mack in the USA. It arrived

1/50 KW C509 & Drake 2x8 & Craig’s hand-built Scania based on Bob Henderson’s 142. It’s seen here in Modern Freighters’ white and red livery post the Transpac saga and now sporting “Centurion” at $649.50 Spe Cooltrans stickers. Right: Dressed in Cooltrans blue and white, Craig’s Scania depicts Bob Henderson’s 143 that replaced the older 142.

New Zealand’s largest stockist of quality models and vintage toys Highway Replicas 1/64 day cab Kenworth SAR ‘Kwikasair’ $149.50

CKD and was assembled as build No.39 at Motor Truck Distributors in Palmerston North. “When the Mack arrived, we went down to the workshop to see the new rig, and here is me, a little seven-year-old, looking up in awe at this shiny bulldog sitting up atop a big chrome grille. The next thing, Dad hits the air starter, it near shot me through the roof with fright, but that was it, that was me hooked on trucking right at that moment.” The Dairy Company closed down about a year later, and with that Craig’s father moved across as head diesel mechanic for Modern Freighters. He also increased his part-time, casual relief driving for Newman’s Coachlines, driving at weekends and holidays. With a dad working around all these heavy vehicles, it was only natural a young sprocket would find opportunities to start learning to drive (oh, bring back those days). “I started off with sitting on Dad’s lap to steer. Then, as my legs grew long enough, I progressed onto pushing in the clutch. This eventually became me changing gears. So, yeah, the interest was bred by a dad that shared his passion with me.” For Craig, the fascination with machinery of all shapes and sizes became the catalyst that started his model building. Like many others, it started with kitset aeroplanes, then cars, before transitioning to trucks as they became available on the

3 1) In a corner of Craig’s model cabinet, is an area dedicated to celebrating the memories of his dad, a father who inspired the next generation of transport enthusiasts. 2) Fully operational steering front axles, folded up and machined by Craig. 3) A handfolded tin wind kit for the Scania, built using skills acquired at the Horowhenua Electric Power Board. 4) Craig Christensen’s connection with the transport industry, professionally and as a pastime, was encouraged by his father.

4 market. However, before the arrival of plastic kitset trucks in New Zealand, the creative desire to replicate some of his father’s work led Craig to his backyard. “I would hunt out all sorts – off-cuts of timber, plywood, tin cans and even coat hangers for axles,” laughs Craig. It was Craig’s employment with the Horowhenua Electric Power Board as a fitter welder that helped hone his modelbuilding skillsets. “It was a fantastic place to work – all the tools of the trade, as well as big guillotine presses and lathes, certainly gave me plenty of opportunities to make and machine all sorts of parts, cutting and folding up tin to make wind deflectors as well as scratch-building my own steerable front axles.”

C509 & Drake 2x8 & 5x8 Low Loader n” at $649.50 Special Combo Deal!

Another moment of inspiration saw a change to the 143’s B-train combination from foldaway-sided van bodies to flat decks with a load of bridge pylon casements. Right: A couple of Craig’s early attempts at model building, including a Newman’s Coach similar to those his dad drove out of the Levin depot.

New Zealand Trucking

August 2022 85

3 1) The workshop is always a hive of activity; another Scania is in for a strip-back and rebuild. 2) Even the diesel tanks have operational fuel caps: Craig’s vision to utilise items beyond their original purpose is displayed in every aspect of his builds. 3) Another of Craig’s creations – a Mack Super-Liner based on the 1000th Mack produced by Motor Truck Distributors for Southern Transport.

2 One of Craig’s builds truly stands out – and for a good reason – the big Scania 142. This model is currently sporting the old colours of New Zealand Towel Services (NZTS), who Craig worked for before Alsco of Salt Lake City, Utah, purchased the business. However, since this model was first built in the late 1980s, it has had no less than four liveries adorn its cab, with the white and red of Modern Freighters the first. “When Dad worked for Modern Freighters, I got to know owner-driver Bob Henderson and spent a lot of time as a passenger with him running linehaul. We would leave his place in Levin loaded with chicken for Auckland, unload, then down to Hutton’s at Te Rapa for sausages, straight back to Wellington to unload, then reload, back to Bob’s at Levin to catch three hours sleep, and jump back into the saddle and do it all

over again. Man, we did some Ks in that thing,” explains Craig. Craig’s 142 truly captures the essence of the mighty Scania. From the basic proportions through to the finer details – the mirror arms, wind kit, and Pacific Aerials Z brackets on either side of the cab for the CB and RT aerials. And the details do not stop there. Look inside the windows to the cab’s interior, and on the engine cover you will find coffee mugs, a log book and the all-important copy of issue No.1 of New Zealand Trucking magazine – everything you need for a linehaul run to Auckland. The more you look, the more you see Craig’s ability to envisage beyond an item’s specific purpose to become another form in a corner of his builds. A great example of this: a simple pair of standard quarter-inch gutter bolts with nuts becomes a set of Hadley air horns to

adorn the cab’s roof. Brilliance right there. As we chatted with Craig, it became obvious just how much enjoyment and satisfaction he gets from building something from what most would perceive to be rubbish or waste. As they say ‘one man’s rubbish is another man’s gold’, or model truck in Craig’s case. “It is quite simple,” he says. “You get a wheel, and then you start building a cab, you work the two together to get the proportions about right… None of it is to perfect scale; it just has to look about right. And always keep your eyes open for items you might be able to use in a build, don’t throw anything away. “You definitely do not need to spend hundreds of dollars on plastic kitsets to build a model truck – there is one in your backyard right now waiting to be built.”

MODEL TRUCK COMPETITION Inspired by Craig’s ability to build a model truck from items found at home, we are setting a challenge for our budding model truck builders. We want you to create a model truck and trailer combination from any household items you can find. Build it to any scale or configurations – let your mind run free. There’ll be extra points for livery design and colour

86 New Zealand Trucking

August 2022

scheme. To keep it fair, we will run three classes: up to seven years, seven to 14, and 14 and over. Our great friends at Italeri have sponsored an Italeri model truck kitset for each of the three winners, and we’ll also send each a New Zealand Trucking cap! The competition closes at midday on Monday, 7

November, with the winners contacted immediately and the results printed in the December 2022 /January 2023 issue. There will also be a qualified mystery judge, and the judges’ decision will be final. Don’t hold back – get into it now! Send photos of your model and build information to carl@nztrucking.co.nz. Happy creating!

CMY

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LITTLE TRUCKERS’ CLUB

Reminder!

Joke of the month

How does a turkey drive his truck? He wings it!

This is your last chance to get your entries in for the Scania Colouring Competition. You will find the picture to be coloured in last month’s (July) issue. Send your entries to me at rochelle@nztrucking.co.nz before Friday, 12 August. Winners will be announced in the September issue. Grab your felt pens, crayons, colouring pencils or even paints and get creative. I can’t wait to see your entries!

HI LITTLE TRUCKERS! Hi there, little truckers! Did you enjoy your school holidays? What adventures did you get up to? Did any of you brave the cold weather and go out on the road with Mum or Dad? I have been painting up a storm and working on some awesome competitions for you in the next few months, so watch this space. Congratulations to eight-year-old Lucas Campbell, who found the Little Truckers’ Club logo on page 56 of the July issue. Keep an eye out on your mailbox, Lucas, something cool is coming your way! Don’t forget all you need to do if you want to see yourself here in Little Truckers’ Club is email your stories, jokes, photos, and/or drawings to me at rochelle@ nztrucking.co.nz with a short paragraph telling us about them. Don’t forget to add your name and age. We love seeing them all!

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

88 New Zealand Trucking

Find A Word

Bedford ERF Ford Freightliner International Leyland Mack Mercedes-Benz Peterbilt Scania Volvo Commer

Located in the grid are all the different truck names I could think of. All words can be found going across, upwards, downwards and backwards. ONE of the words is NOT in the grid. If you think you have found it, send in the answer to me at rochelle@nztrucking.co.nz (along with your name and age) and go in the draw to win a cool prize! To help you out, I have found one for you. Good luck, kids! W O F R T P E T E R B I L T Q D H J G I B T M P August 2022

Q E C E Y N J G U E N T B T Q C T V Y B D S D Q

W L S W T H N V D J M R G R W F F Y B N A M K N

E K G T R G V F U H B E H H Y U N D A I F E S H

F J H S E V O J I G C W J I R T E K K R C A L F

D G J A S R V K K D X Q I N T G S O V L O V H T

S S E D D O N A T K I N S O N H F K Z T Z I M E

A N R F D R G S J S Z S I Z Y J S B N D H H T N

Z B F H S F F K T D S D O X U M D C E S Z G E E

X V Y J A C R K Q A D F K C I A A C B A X F A D

F F X C Z K E N W O R T H V O C G Z S U H E Z O

U T Z O X C A L W X T I M B P K H F E T D R O F

S G D M C H K H E C Y O U N P B O B D U Y B L A

O A G M U F R E I G H T L I N E R N E N E N E D

P I H E H T H B R C I P H S M B K M C V R X Y F

DAF Foden Fuso Hino Isuzu Kenworth MAN Mitsubishi Scammell Seddon Atkinson Western Star Hyundai G N J R B R G V T V O L G U L H L N R X Y I L S

N A Y C V N F C Y B P M S Z H J G Y E K A E A M

S C A M M E L L U N L V A U H M C U M Y S N N T

M S F X B L U A I M K M S O F P B S E N T A D R

M F D S K O Y S L A N O I T A N R E T N I L S O

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20 August 2022 Southern Field Days Site, Waiumu Contact: Dianne 027 773 2700, Facebook – Southland Hug a Rig Day

SPECIAL RIGS FOR SPECIAL KIDS 28 August Assemble Edgar Centre, Portsmouth Drive, Dunedin Contact: specialrigs.org.nz / greg.inch.nz@gmail.com

2022 ROAD AHEAD CONFERENCE 28 and 29 September Ascot Park Hotel, Invercargill Contact: conference.transporting.nz, info@transporting.nz

90 New Zealand Trucking

August 2022

MOBIL DELVAC ROAD TRANSPORT HALL OF FAME 30 September Bill Richardson Transport World Contact: roadtransporthalloffame.co.nz / events@twevents.nz

MOTOR TRUCK DISTRIBUTORS’ 50-YEAR CELEBRATION 22 October At the Manawatu Car Club Octoberfest Manfield Park, Feilding Contact: 50years.macktrucks.co.nz

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

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94 Moving Metrics 98 Incoming Cargo – Zero-Emission Incentives 102 Special Report – Rollaways 104 Industry Update – Pricing Index 2022 106 Vipal’s Knowing your Tyres 108 Product Profile – NAPA 110 Carriers’ Corner 112 Truckers’ Health 114 Health & Safety 116 Legal Lines 118 NZ Trucking Association 120 Transporting New Zealand 122 The Last Mile BROUG HT T O Y OU BY

MOVING METRICS

THE SALES

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

Summary of heavy trucks and trailers first registered in June 2022.

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

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 June, year on year

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

Vehicle class

Description

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

(mediumgoods vehicle)

NC (heavy-goods vehicle)

TD (heavy trailer)

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

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

94 New Zealand Trucking

August 2022

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

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

First registration of NC class vehicles year on year to date, by major manufacturer

First registration of TD class heavy trailers year on year to date, by major manufacturer

New Zealand Trucking

August 2022 95

This information is put together from metrics provided by the NZ Transport Agency. New Zealand Trucking acknowledges the assistance of the media team at NZTA in providing the data.

ROAD USER CHARGES Total value and distance of road user charges purchased between 01 January 2018 and 31 June 2022 by purchase year

Purchase period

Distance purchased (km)

Value of purchases

1 Jan 2018 – 31 Dec 2018

15,736,558,458

$1,875,364,397

In June 2022 there were 48 different types of RUC purchased for a total distance of 1,439,616,336km at a value of $118,663,200.

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

A description of RUC vehicle types is available at https://www.nzta.govt. nz/vehicles/licensing-rego/road-usercharges/ruc-rates-and-transactionfees/

1 Jan 2022 – 30 June 2022

9,629,868,601

$1,033,160,729

RUC purchase for June 2022, all RUC types

Please note data may differ slightly from that reported for the same period previously due to adjustments being made to the base data.

RUC distance purchased for RUC type 1 vehicles

Purchase period

Distance purchased (km)

Average monthly distance (km)

1 Jan 2019 – 31 Dec 2019

11,502,905,782

958,575,482

1 Jan 2020 – 31 Dec 2020

10,952,303,565

912,691,964

1 Jan 2021 – 31 Dec 2021

11,427,917,860

952,326,488

1 Jan 2022 – 30 June 2022

6,986,935,958

1,164,489,326

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

96 New Zealand Trucking

August 2022

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

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

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

Unpowered vehicles with four axles

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

951

Unpowered vehicles with five or more axles

H94

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

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

408

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

Average monthly RUC purchases by year (all RUC types)

RUC purchases June 2022 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

August 2022 97

INCOMING CARGO

To kick off its hydrogen programme, Hyundai New Zealand is introducing five Xcient Fuel Cell trucks to New Zealand. These will soon be joined in the market by 20 heavy FCEVs supplied by Hyzon.

HEAVY TRUCK

INCENTIVES QUICKEST ROAD TO REDUCING EMISSIONS Story by Dion Cowley Green hydrogen’s place in reducing carbon emissions from New Zealand’s transport fleet is indisputable. Hiringa Energy lays out the maths, responding to the Ministry of Transport’s recently released New Zealand Freight and Supply Chain Issues paper. 98 New Zealand Trucking

Images: Hyundai New Zealand and Hiringa Energy

ransitioning the heavy-trucking fleet to zeroemission technology presents a vital opportunity for reducing emissions associated with our critical supply chains. The key focus is on heavy vehicles because they make up 23% of New Zealand’s transport emissions. While light vehicles currently produce the most emissions, it will be trucks that generate the most by 2055 without

August 2022

further intervention. Other forms of heavy transport – aviation, rail, coastal shipping, and ferries – will also benefit from hydrogen technology, and developments are underway. But heavy trucks are the ‘low hanging fruit’.

Fleet operators need incentives The bulk of heavy-truck fleets are owned by a couple dozen commercially minded fleet

operators (as opposed to millions of passenger vehicle owners). The heaviest trucks drive the most kilometres and emit more than 150 times more CO2 than the average passenger vehicle. Replacing these heaviest trucks with green hydrogen fuel-cell electric trucks (FCEV) prevents approximately 300 tonnes of CO2 from entering the environment each year depending on payload (based on 225,000km per annum for

Figure 1 – CO2 comparison of emissions from different vehicle types and investment comparison.

Figure 2 – Projected total cost of ownership comparison.

currently operating line-haul freight trucks). Ultimately, this vehicle technology will be cheaper to produce and maintain than the internal combustion diesel engine due to its significant reduction in parts. The problem is that while prices are reducing, the capital cost of zero-emission heavy trucks is still high. With New Zealand purchasing about 6500 heavy vehicles yearly, fleet turnover will take several decades.

However, every purchase of a heavy vehicle with an internal combustion engine (ICE) locks in up to 20 years of diesel emissions.

Why green hydrogen Green hydrogen is seen by many within the heavy-freight industry as the preferred zeroemission mobility technology because of the operational efficiency benefits it offers. These include maximising the

payload able to be carried due to the fuel’s high energy density and, therefore, revenue per trip; refuelling being similar to refuelling of diesel; and the long ranges of green hydrogen vehicles, cutting out EV recharging or fleet rotation issues. The rapidly rising diesel price is a stark reminder of how exposed New Zealand is to geopolitical influences. Once online in 2023, the green hydrogen produced at

Hiringa stations in Te Rapa, Tauriko, Wiri and Palmerston North won’t be impacted by what’s going on in global politics because it’s a locally produced fuel made from wind, rain and sunshine.

Accelerating freight decarbonisation The government has multiple ‘levers’ at its disposal that can be pulled to accelerate freight decarbonisation. One example is a capital cost barrier reduction through a ‘Clean Truck Discount’ scheme. If a small portion of the cost of new diesel trucks was used to discount the cost of new zero-emission trucks coming into the country, it could go a long way to reducing the up-front cost barriers associated with zero-emission trucking. But this isn’t the only lever. The total cost of ownership for a truck depends on several inputs, as seen from Figure 2, and many levers could be combined for maximum impact. Relying on one incentivisation scheme alone is risky, so the government needs to consider a variety of tools: a) Capital cost support via EECA’s Low Emission Transport Fund or similar b) Exempting zero-emission heavy vehicles, including combinations from Road User Charges until 2030 (currently, exemption is only for prime mover up until 2025) c) Allowing increased weight for zero-emission heavy vehicles under the VDAM Land Transport Rule d) Streamlining of zeroemission vehicle compliance e) Providing a fuel rebate on green hydrogen produced and supplied to the transport market eveloping a Low Carbon f) D Fuel Standard similar to international examples, that

A view of the Xcient Fuel Cell’s hydrogen tanks stacked behind the cab.

is designed to decrease the carbon intensity of fuel and provide an increasing range of low-carbon and renewable alternatives over time g) Accelerated depreciation of zero-emission trucks h) Government procurement requirement of zeroemission freight services With the government’s support, TR Group is importing 20 hydrogen fuel-cell heavy trucks, which will be leased to many of New Zealand’s largest truck fleet operators from early 2023. In addition, Hyundai has already committed to having five of its Xcient FCEV heavy trucks on New Zealand roads,

100 New Zealand Trucking

with the first two already in the country. So this technology is not coming to market sometime in the future; it is ready now. A key enabler for fleet operators has been the RUC exemption available until the end of 2025. RUC costs associated with type 309 vehicles are approximately 30 cents/km, with a B-train being another 22 cents/km. These combine to cost operators at about 52 cents/km. At 120,000km per year, this costs about $62,000. Removing this cost helps close the gap between dieselpowered and zero-emission trucks in the short term until August 2022

economies of scale kick in and the total cost of ownership of a zero-emission truck is less than a diesel truck and no longer requires exemptions or incentives. Hiringa Energy sees this crossover point being between 2027 and 2030 (this is also demonstrated in Figure 2). Government investment would have a significant and fast impact on emission reduction if it was focused on decarbonising the heavy fleet. Trying to convince millions of car owners to go electric will take a long time, time that we can’t afford to lose.

Dion Cowley is the project development and public sector lead for Hiringa Energy, a Taranaki-based producer of green hydrogen and developer of the infrastructure to deliver it.

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SPECIAL REPORT

Story by Gavin Myers

WHY ALL THE ROLLAWAYS? Recently we’ve seen and received a disappointingly steady stream of news releases related to truck rollaways. What’s going on?

he reports are similar: “A truck has rolled into…”, “Police are investigating the cause…”. It begs the question: how can someone ‘forget’ to apply a parking brake? And, how can a parking brake be misapplied? A truck rollaway could happen to anyone – and quite often as a result of driver error. Given the mass of even a light truck, significant injury and damage can occur with even a low-speed rollaway. In most of the recent reports we’ve seen, the trucks in question were rubbish-collection trucks and similar metro-oriented vehicles.

102 New Zealand Trucking

August 2022

This is no coincidence and is reflected in the interaction Gary Puklowski, managing director of Autokraft Electrical & Diesel has had with customers who choose to fit the MAX-SAFE AntiRollaway Brake System. AutoKraft is its New Zealand distributor and installer. “In essence, a rollaway can happen in any truck at any time. The most susceptible trucks would have to be the ones where the operators are getting in and out of frequently, with high levels of interaction externally of the vehicle,” he says. The MAX-SAFE Anti-Rollaway Brake System is an active braking system for

when handbrakes are not appropriately applied. It provides audible warnings if a driver tries to exit the vehicle with the brake not fully applied and automatically fully applies the parking brake if the warning is ignored. More than 240 units are currently installed into trucks on New Zealand roads. “It could be a momentary lapse of concentration, a park brake lever with a fault, or an emergency situation where the operator has to act quickly and forgets to apply the park brake. Any of these situations could allow a rollaway to happen. Reducing the vehicle’s capacity to rollaway is critical and the key to

prevention,” Puklowski says. Puklowski’s comments point to driver error being a cause of rollaways and, indeed, he notes that mechanical failures are not the norm from what he’s seen. “One of the largest issues we hear about is cardan-shaft park brakes not being applied to the correct force.” Cardan-shaft park brakes are mounted directly to the driveshaft at the gearbox housing and act on the driveshaft, preventing it from turning and holding the vehicle stationary. They need to be applied with sufficient force to hold the vehicle stationary depending on its load and the angle of the road on which it is parked. According to Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA), about 55,000 trucks on New Zealand roads are fitted with cardan-shaft brakes. In March 2021, the NZTA released a report into cardan-shaft park brakes after conducting a random roadside in-service testing and evaluation programme of 90 trucks between three-tonne and 23-tonne GVM. According to the NZTA, cardanshaft brakes have been linked to several rollaway incidents, and the agency was prompted to conduct the programme after a fatal incident in March 2020. The full report can be found online. However, some of the findings provide insight into the problem. The testing programme was designed to simulate the required standards of a CoF and subjected vehicles to stall and forward and reverse pull tests. Numerous conclusions found by the programme indicated a lack of maintenance and driver education regarding cardan-shaft brake systems. • 80% of vehicles tested could meet the current CoF inspection stall test, but they did not provide enough holding power for the pull test; • 12% of vehicles tested were not capable of meeting the current CoF inspection stall test; • 67% of vehicles tested could reach the target pull test force but required more lever travel and more lever force than the manufacturer’s specifications to achieve it; • more than 20% of vehicles indicated an issue with the cable operation of the cardan-shaft brake, including worn, stretched, and seized cables; • more than 30% of vehicles indicated poor adjustment of the cardan-shaft brake system, including worn shoes, excess lever travel and incorrect

1 3

adjustment of the brake shoes; • 67% of drivers were unaware of the type of park brake fitted to the vehicle they were driving; • 70% of drivers had no knowledge or experience with cardan-shaft brakes; • 78% of drivers were unaware of when the most recent park brake servicing had occurred; and, significantly, • 28% of drivers had encountered park brake issues, including a rollaway event, with the vehicle they were driving. While the MAX-SAFE Anti-Rollaway Brake System is available for vehicles fitted with a cardan-shaft park brake, relying on even an active warning system should not be the first line of defence. As with any mechanical system, braking systems need to be correctly and timeously maintained, whether mechanical (cardan shaft) or pneumatic. In March 2021, NZTA banned Sanwa Seiki pneumatic park brake mechanisms after issuing numerous safety alerts and incidents involving trucks fitted with this

2 1) Cardan-shaft brake system fitted to the driveline of a truck. 2) Inner workings of the MAX-SAFE Anti-Rollaway Brake System fitted to a truck equipped with a cardan-shaft hand brake. 3) Light trucks such as this Isuzu N Series are typically fitted with cardan-shaft handbrakes.

system over 10 years. In addition to the NZTA noting the vulnerable location of the Sanwa Seiki lever mechanism between the driver’s right-hand leg and the door, it also noted these mechanisms were prone to wear and tear over time (aggravated by their placement in the cab) and, when worn, may not fully engage the brakes. Given these mechanisms were fitted to trucks up to 18 years old, the chances of faults were high, and the NZTA mandated a replacement of the Sanwa Seiki park brake control valve and preferable relocation to the centre console. Vehicles not retrofitted and certified as compliant within six months would not obtain a CoF. In an RNZ report on 18 March, NZTA was quoted as saying 750 of roughly 1000 mandated trucks had so far met the requirements of the ban. NZ Police CVST declined our request for comment. NZTA and WorkSafe could not meet our request for information before going to print.

New Zealand Trucking

August 2022 103

INDUSTRY UPDATE

UNDERSTANDING TRANSPORT COSTS

perators within the transport sector often struggle with financial and operational issues and are looking for ways to improve efficiency, reduce costs and build a strategic, long-term view of purchase planning. The Transporting New Zealand/ Grant Thornton Transport Cost Index provides current and historical transport cost data and forecasts and is designed to help New Zealand transport operators manage the costs of running their business. The index is a quarterly report on the typical components contributing to the respective cost movements of transport rates. “Operators need to be empowered to have conversations with their clients on managing costs,” says Dom Kalasih, general manager of industry at Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand. “The index provides a transparent and independent reference source on the respective cost movements of the typical components and is

highly valued and gives critical support for those conversations,” he says. For example, the components include (but are not limited to) fuel, wages, tyres, repair and maintenance. As an additional reference, the index also allocates the respective cost components as proportions of the total cost as seen as an average across the industry. That said, Kalasih says it is important to appreciate that those proportions may vary by company and activity type. “The index is not a price index, and it does not tell businesses how much they should charge. It is more valuable than that because the granularity of the information allows operators to apply that information to their respective business activity.” The data is underpinned by Waikato University’s representative survey of transport businesses, which is taken every five years to ensure the data reflects market conditions and quarterly data analysis and reporting by international business advisory experts Grant Thornton.

A recent Transporting New Zealand survey asked road transport operators to break down their main costs. More than 400 businesses took part. Almost nine in 10 operators reported that cost increases had had a major negative impact on their business. Fuel accounted for the biggest cost increase. A year ago, only 20% of the industry had fuel making up more than a quarter of business costs. Today, 64% say fuel represents more than a quarter of costs, and 45% say it is in excess of 30%. A year ago, it was 8%. “To put those numbers into context, take the case of a typical operator with a truck and trailer combination doing 100,000km a year with a burn rate of 1.8km/l. A year ago, they’d be paying in the order of $1.30 a litre for fuel. Now they’re paying $2.70 a litre – an increase of $77,778,” says Kalasih. “Another useful way to demonstrate the significance of this is if fuel were 20% of operator input costs and it went up 50%. All other things being equal, that equates

104 New Zealand Trucking

The index is exclusively the property of Ia Ara Aoteaora Transporting New Zealand. “Rising costs are impacting road transport operators throughout the country. New Zealand, like the rest of the world, is facing inflationary pressures. The transport industry is particularly vulnerable and at risk because we are a service industry,” says Nick Leggett, CEO, Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand. “We estimate the cost of fuel as a proportion of a transport business has gone up from about 15% to 20% to about 30% to 35% – a massive jump. Wages and other costs are also increasing. “My big message for operators is to know your costs,” he says. “Transporting New Zealand is in a unique position to help members by giving them access to the index. We provide the index to all members each quarter and are happy to provide advice on how members can use and apply it to their business.”

to a 10% increase in total input costs. “If an operator’s profit was 10% of total costs and they couldn’t recover any of that increase from their clients, then all their profit has gone to paying for the increased fuel cost. “Now, when you consider that the price of diesel has actually gone up over the past year in the order of 100%, if an operator cannot recover those increases, then their business is simply not financially sustainable,” he explains. Kalasih says the biggest risk for road transport operators is not passing costs on to customers. “Nearly one in five businesses surveyed reported they were unable to pass on increased costs, and only half felt that their customers appreciated the need to increase rates,” he says. “We’re further concerned that some large players give a flat ‘no’ when operators tell them they need to increase costs. That’s frankly unacceptable.”

August 2022

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KNOWING YOUR RETREADS

THE MANY BENEFITS OF TYRE

RETREADS Vipal Rubber presents valuable information to help you get the most from your tyres. This month – the advantages of fitting Vipal tyre retreads to a commercial vehicle.

pting to fit retreaded tyres on your trucks has numerous associated benefits.

technical process combined with high-quality products results in a retreaded tyre that will perform as well as a new one with lower overall costs. Save on your tyre All used tyre casings that bill are in good condition can be Retreads are very cost considered for retreading. effective. Not only can you The first role of a retreader pay less for your retread, but is to thoroughly examine the you will lower the cost per casing to ensure it is in a kilometre. suitable condition to meet the required standards. If the tyre Safe and effective does not meet the standards vip-0084-22-anuncio-nztruck-08-2022-NZ-21x14,4cm.pdf 1 01/07/22 Retreads match the safety and required, the casing will be performance of a new tyre. A environmentally disposed of.

A sustainable world Tyre retreading is recycling that contributes to a more sustainable world and environment. It is a large part of the circular economy by extending a tyre’s life. This change in the consumption cycle reduces the extraction of natural resources, saves resources, and still contributes to the world’s circular economy. Get in touch: sales@ 10:13 powerretreads.co.nz / powerretreads.co.nz

RETREADS BENEFIT THE ENVIRONMENT 1. R educing the use of petroleum reduces CO2 emissions 2. I t reduces the generation of waste that pollutes the environment 3. F ifty-seven litres of petroleum is saved per retreaded commercial tyre, compared to new tyre production 4. 100% of the waste generated is destined for the recycling process 5. Lower demand for non-renewable natural resources 6. A s part of the tyre industry, retreading requires skilled labour creating more direct and indirect jobs for New Zealanders

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alibration is required when a sensor and/or control unit has been repaired or replaced, the sensor installation is incorrect, the windshield or bumper has been removed, repaired or replaced, or when the chassis structure has been changed or adjusted. The system uses sensors installed in a vehicle to induce the surroundings, collect data, identify, detect and track static and dynamic objects during driving so that drivers can be aware of potential dangers in advance and effectively increase the comfort and safety of driving. The calibration system can assist a workshop, whether it is independent or a workshop taking care of an entire fleet. Operators can calibrate without needing to outsource, saving time and money. The portable system is designed to be transported and stored and used by a single operator. It features a compact design with the beam and mainframe able to be folded, meaning it takes up minimum floor space when not in operation. The software allows the operator to locate camera calibration panels and the radar reflector panel in the correct position. It provides

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professional recalibration for the ADAS camera and radar when the sensors have been removed, replaced or repaired. The Launch system provides commercial diagnostics for more manufacturers than any other system, including Iveco, MAN, Scania, Volvo, Renault, Isuzu, Nissan, as well as Hino. It offers high precision accuracy and comes equipped with a millimetre precision laser range finder to measure distance without mechanical measurement. Features include an innovative structure design to meet the demands of storage, movement and

calibration. It supports multidirection fine-tuning, including level, front and back, and right and left adjustment – meaning there is no need to tediously move the device – centring and paralleling in under a minute. The lifting height of the X-431 ADAS HD can reach three metres, for calibrating heavy-duty vehicles. The target adopts a multipoint hanging way, which is safe, firm and not easy to fall off, and new upgraded aluminium alloy material makes for durable use. NAPA Auto Parts, in partnership with Launchtech NZ, is excited to release the Launch HD ADAS System in New Zealand and is sure that it will be the ideal solution for all current and/or new customers. Please get in touch with your local NAPA HD commercial specialist if you wish to enquire any further on this product or any other equipment solutions, including lifting, brake testing, tooling and diagnostics.

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CARRIERS’ CORNER

WHO WAS IT, AND WHAT DID THEY DO? I’d like to know how and why it is that public commentators and B-grade experts are given a platform every time an incident involving a truck occurs on the open road. (I particularly enjoy it every time I see the infamous, self-styled road safety expert, Clive Matthew-Wilson, get rolled out by the mainstream media.)

t happens despite immense and unwavering evidence of the value those in trucking provide to their communities and society, including delivering fuel, keeping supermarket shelves full of stock, maintaining the roads, and playing their part in helping the country earn export dollars. I may be biased, but the past few weeks have left me sickened at the vile commentary doing the laps in print and broadcast media about trucks being the catalyst for unsafe roads, and direct contributors to a raft of nasty vehicle vs vehicle accidents (a term I apply broadly, given some of the circumstances). It’s the simple headline that always starts with ‘Truck vs…’ or ‘Truck and car collide’. Perhaps I’m hypersensitive, but I’m 99% sure that sequence of nouns ain’t no coincidence; our media friends are pretty determined to paint the industry in a stereotyped and demonising light. Perhaps I need to flip this on its head and ask why rail is, for some unknown reason, the apparent golden child of transport, there to save us from the dreaded and dangerous truck combinations so evilly roaming our roads? We can talk about the practicality and viability of plucking logs from a forest all day long or doing milk collections from all manner of rural locales, but at the heart of it is the reality that rail has even greater infrastructure

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issues than roading. By comparison, irrespective of the dilapidated state of our highways and byways, at least the road network covers the entire country, unlike our track and wagon brethren, who can only dream of such a footprint. I’m not here to trigger a road vs rail (or shipping, for that matter) debate, other than to say that each mode has an essential role and that the ‘horses for courses’ analogy should be suitably applied in the consideration and application of each mode. What I am looking for is acknowledgement: simple, enduring respect and understanding for the role we collectively play for our country through good, bad or indifferent times. Need I mention the immediate calls to action delivered upon for any manner of recent significant local events? Think the Christchurch and Kaikoura earthquakes, Covid-19 response, or the carnage generated by any ‘one in 50-year weather system’ rearing its

head. The trucking industry is there – rain, hail or shine – getting the job done. What grates with me most isn’t the lack of recognition for what we’re doing in exceptional circumstances – it’s the taking for granted of what we do as a matter of course, day in, day out. Our ability to magically keep those supermarket shelves stocked, to keep the tank full at the local service station, to get the building materials to the new house site. It’s the crazy-o’clock starts, the challenging shift patterns, the 60-plus hour weeks, the compliance with legislative worktime and fatigue-management protocols, the telematics and driver monitoring/ mechanisms, and the myriad of other norms to which we commit. When you cast your eyes back across that list of offensively selfless tasks and investments the industry makes to play its part in contributing to the smooth running of NZ Inc, it leaves me baffled why we continue to be cast in such a light. So, as I say, if anyone can tell me how the media has been convinced that we’re a bunch of reckless roaddestroying highway roamers, I’d love to hear from you.

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

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TRUCKERS’ HEALTH

SIX SIMPLE STRETCHES

s a truckie, you spend long periods of your day sitting down. This is obviously unavoidable in your line of work. But it does mean that you may feel stiff or have aches and pains from being in the same position for hours on end. It may not always be possible to stop for breaks or take short walks, but here are six simple stretches that you can do to help ease out those stiff and tired muscles. Hold each stretch for a minimum of 30 seconds each side.

If you want to feel an extra stretch through your calf muscle, flex the foot and gently pull it back toward yourself.

place the other foot beside the outside of the knee. Once you are comfortable, place the opposite elbow on the outside of the bent knee and gently twist as much as you can manage. You should hopefully feel your muscles easing as you gently push away with the elbow.

1. Quad stretch Lift one leg up and hold your leg around your ankle. If your balance isn’t too sharp, hold a chair or support to keep you steady. Try to keep your knees together as best as you can. You should feel a nice stretch down your quad/thigh muscle. 2. Hamstring and calf stretch Keep one leg bent whilst straightening the other leg as best as you can. Depending upon your flexibility, grab your ankle, calf or knee and bend down towards your leg, keeping your back straight and your shoulders back (no hunching).

112 New Zealand Trucking

3. Tricep stretch Put your hands above your head, take one elbow with the other hand and gently pull the arm slightly towards the centre of your body. You should feel a nice stretch down the back of your arm. 4. Back and glute stretch This is probably the trickiest stretch in the bunch, but it is a pearler for stretching through your back, glutes and torso. Sit down on the floor, keep one leg straight as you

5. Shoulder stretch A nice simple one for your shoulders. Place both arms straight

August 2022

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out in front of you, lay one arm across your body onto your bicep, flex the arm underneath and gently pull the arm towards you. You don’t need to be too aggressive with how hard or far you pull the arm; even a subtle movement will give you a good stretch.

6. Neck stretch People who work at a computer or drive for long hours often complain of having a sore or stiff neck. Here is a simple way to ease it out. Stand up (or stay seated) and gently place one of your hands on the opposite side of your head, gently and slowly move your head towards the bent elbow and hold when you reach a comfortable position and can feel a good stretch down your neck and upper shoulders. If it feels right, stretch out your other arm and flex the hand to counterbalance the stretch. Stretching for five to ten minutes when you wake up in the morning and before you go to bed at night can make a massive difference to your stiffness, aches and can improve your flexibility. You don’t have to commit a massive amount

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HEALTH AND SAFETY

PLANNING AGAIN…

t only seems a couple of weeks ago that we were happily watching Covid-19 case numbers drop. Mask-wearing compliance was dropping off, people were venturing out to the movies, concerts and nightclubs. How quickly things change. Covid-19 numbers are on the rise – quickly. So many people also have the flu, some of them have been sick for two weeks. There are gastric bugs and the usual winter colds. This is a good time to review how things went last year, with wider work issues and with the impacts of Covid-19 and the flu. Some of the things to consider will include: • How did you know what was happening? Was one person in the team delegated with keeping abreast of the information, reviewing it, deciding what was relevant, and sharing it with those who needed to know? • How did you remain in contact with your team? How did you keep them informed, how did you maintain morale and the team ethos? • How well prepared were you with the resources you needed? • How did you communicate with your customers?

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sick leave. In my small workplace, we have had 20% of the team off sick already, and it’s only just starting. This may or may not include working from home, or a hybrid structure, covering absent workers, and ensuring that workers are supported. Think about their pay or if they need support when sick. Equally importantly, think about the workers who are carrying the load for those off sick. They are doing their own jobs and more. Recently, a release from Ashley Bloomfield said that the term ‘fully vaccinated’ has been replaced with up to date with your vaccinations. (This includes boosters. Boosters may or may not be required depending on your workplace.) Also, the government has reduced the reinfection period from three months to 29 days. This could have a significant impact on your workers

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

and workplace if they are household contacts. Reviewing, planning and preparation are the keys to making uncertainty less traumatic. It’s sensible to start early.

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

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

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LEGAL LINES

ALCOHOL INTERLOCK DEVICES

ince 1 July 2018, alcohol interlock devices (interlocks) have been mandatory in sentencing for high-risk first time and recidivist drink driving offenders. Interlocks are a device similar to a breathalyser, that must be blown into before the vehicle will start. During the journey, the device will also ask for another test at some point to ensure the person driving the vehicle is sober.

• they have a medical condition that

• • •

•

Qualifying offences You will be caught by the alcohol interlock legislation if you are convicted of an offence and: a) You have been convicted of having at or over 800μg of alcohol per litre of breath; or b) You have been convicted of having at or over 160mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood; or c) You have been convicted of any of the following two offences within five years: • driving with excess breath or blood alcohol • driving with excess breath or blood alcohol being a person under 20 years old • driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs • failing to give a blood specimen • failing to undergo a compulsory impairment test, or • driving with excess breath alcohol causing injury or death. There is at least a 28-day stand down period in most cases before you can get an interlock device installed and you are disqualified from driving until it has been installed. You cannot exit the programme until a minimum of 12 months has expired provided that you have not attempted to drive with alcohol in your system or tampered with the interlock device for a specified period. Then you must apply for a zero-alcohol licence, which is compulsory for three years.

Who is exempted Even if a person qualifies for an interlock, they are exempt from applying if any of the following conditions apply:

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•

makes the person incapable of providing a valid breath sample they live in a non-serviced area and cannot be serviced remotely they have never held a New Zealand driver licence their licence has been revoked or suspended (except if suspended for excess demerit points or for a 28-day roadside suspension) they are not likely to have lawful possession of a motor vehicle “to the extent of being able to use it and fit it with an alcohol interlock device” they are not likely to have lawful possession of a vehicle “that is technically able to be fitted with an alcohol interlock device”

In reality, the majority of people are going to fall into the last two categories. If you find that you cannot afford the service fees associated with an interlock, then it is advisable to dispose of your vehicle so that you can’t be ordered to have the device installed. A common misapprehension is that if you wait long enough, the sentence will go away and the requirement to have the interlock installed will pass. In fact, the consequences of being ordered to have an interlock installed and failing to do so are that you effectively remain permanently disqualified, which could amount to a lifetime ban on driving. In my opinion, information packs should be provided to offenders prior to sentencing so that people understand exactly what they are getting themselves into before it’s too late. This would avoid confusion, which often results in defendants returning to court to ask to be re-sentenced because they didn’t appreciate how onerous their obligations would be once the interlock was required to be installed.

What is the cost An interlock costs around $2500 for a year and interlock providers estimate that 70% of their clients say that they cannot afford the device. A subsidy scheme for lower income drivers has been introduced, which means that if you meet the financial eligibility criteria you do not have to pay for the alcohol interlock licence, its installation into your vehicle and the monthly servicing fee will be discounted by $50. The subsidy will last 15 months and will not be extended beyond this. People are eligible for a subsidy if they are: 1. entitled to receive a sole parent support, supported living payment, a community wage, an emergency benefit, veteran’s pension, youth payment or young parent payment, or 2. entitled to receive weekly income compensation under the Veteran’s Support Act 2014, or 3. their family income or superannuation income are within the same limits that would make you eligible for a community services card. Despite the subsidy it appears that cost will remain a barrier for a significant proportion of people because the financial threshold for obtaining the subsidy has been set very low. In addition to this, if participants miss more than one monthly service in a row, their subsidy may stop. Between July 2018 and January 2019, 2309 interlock sentences were handed down but on average only 30% of all interlocks were subsidised. Considering the evidence of the effectiveness of interlocks at stopping attempted drink driving, perhaps further means of testing is needed in order to allow more people to successfully complete the programme.

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

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Enter the TR Group NEW ZEALAND TRUCK DRIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS

perating heavy vehicles is not a walk in the park. Very rarely do we get to see the country’s top heavy-vehicle operators do what they do best. It’s been more than four long years since the last national truck driving competition and now is the time to revive this important event. Thanks to TR Group, EROAD, Spartan Finance and Hydraulink, the TR Group New Zealand Truck Driving Championships is back. This is a modern, all-inclusive competition, designed to test and reward the nation’s best drivers, while also encouraging other operators to gain an even higher level of competence. It also promotes disciplines that every truck driver needs to exercise in order to get to and from their destination safely. So give it a go and support your drivers to compete. Two heats will take place; in Auckland on Saturday, October 15 at the TR Group yard in Penrose, and in Christchurch alongside the

TMC Trucking Industry Show, on Friday, 25 November. The Finals will be the following day, on Saturday, 26 November at the show. The competition is not designed to trick competitors and will simply showcase the knowledge, skill and talent that most drivers already have. Running this alongside the country’s largest transport industry show gives visitors a chance to see our best drivers in action – a rare opportunity, especially for the next generation who will get the chance to see their heroes in action. So, how will the championships work? There will be three competitions running simultaneously and competitors must select one to compete in: The EROAD Class 2, Spartan Finance Tractor-Semi or Hydraulink Truck and Trailer Competition. The competition will be short and sharp, not designed to drag on and have you sitting around bored all day. Competitors will be briefed the morning of the heats and here,

names will be drawn out of a hat to determine the time slot that they will compete in. The heats will be broken up into three components: • Theory Test – about 30 questions, mostly multiple choice answers and all based on the New Zealand Heavy Vehicle Road Code. • Pre-trip Inspection Test – assessed by a TR Group judge, who will ensure nothing has been overlooked and will deduct points for errors. • Driving Course Manoeuvring Test – based on time, skill and accuracy. This will be a maximum of 15 minutes, with points awarded for quick time and points deducted for errors. Following the heats, finalists will be announced and will compete in Christchurch on 26 November. Winners from the 2018 driving competition will have automatic entry into the Finals. Finals will be an amazing atmosphere, with huge support from industry and the public

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visiting the TMC Trucking Industry Show. Don’t let the crowds put you off; it adds another challenge to the competition, but at the end of the day, visitors will be in awe of your skill and young people will be inspired, so a mistake here and there is nothing to be nervous about. The Final has two components: The Driving Course Manoeuvring Test – slightly different from the heats but still a maximum of 15 minutes. Plus the On-Road Driving Test – this will take place with a TR Group assessor around the streets of Christchurch and will be roughly 20 minutes. Thanks to Z Energy, the ‘Z Business Driver’s Hub’ will be set up as a dedicated space for

competitors, sponsors and TR Group judges to relax, with complimentary refreshments. All competitors will be given free entry to the Teletrac Navman Industry Awards Function, following the Finals. This will be a social, laidback atmosphere with an awards ceremony taking place from 6pm. The prizes are well worth the effort. Winners of each competition category will receive a trophy, prize pack including $2500 cash and a trip for two to the 2023 Brisbane Truck Show. Runner-ups will take home a prize pack including $1000 cash. So, what are you waiting for? Hop onto the NTA website to enter, it’s free! We strongly encourage managers to get behind their drivers

and support them to enter. This could be done in a variety of ways. You could offer to sponsor your top driver(s) to compete and pay for their trip to Auckland and/or Christchurch. Larger companies may also run in-house competitions to determine their top drivers. Guidance on this is included in the information pack available online: nztruckingassn. co.nz/driving-championships or email us for information: Rebecca. dinmore@trucking.nz. Finally, don’t forget to come and support these fantastic drivers. It’s going to be a massively fun weekend in Christchurch, so gather your friends, family and colleagues.

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Transporting New Zealand can be contacted on (04) 472 3877 Nick Leggett chief executive officer or info@transporting.nz

IS ROAD TO ZERO FAILING?

t might be controversial to suggest, but when do we accept that Road to Zero is failing? How long do we give it and how many lives have to be lost before, as a community, we demand that Waka Kotahi and the government actually address the key drivers of road safety and not just myopically focus on speed? Speed is an critical factor, but it is only one of the things that can reduce accident rates. Professional truck drivers and all road users deserve a nationwide road safety strategy that actually deals with the root of the problem. Highly produced and paternalistic PR campaigns that wag the finger at us achieve little more than getting the public’s back up. Combine this with what many Kiwis see as draconian speed limit changes, and you have a government bureaucracy that seems to be moving further and further away from day-to-day reality for most Kiwis. We need a multi-pronged approach that treats the public with respect and prioritises raising the driving skills of road users and improves the poor quality and dangerous state of our roads. All road users must be aware of the situation around them at all times. This includes making judgements on fatigue, weather conditions, the state of the road and what the traffic is doing. Truck drivers are professionals, so they do this every day. However, most motorists are not, which is why I agree with AutoSense ambassador and professional racing driver Greg Murphy when he says that providing new drivers with better driving skills would make a big difference. From domestic and international experience, we know that improving

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roads and building new ones also brings significant long-term safety benefits. Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand strongly advocates investing in roads that are appropriate to the public’s expectations of modern travel. We appreciate the increased safety outcomes that well-designed roads deliver and remain convinced that providing well-engineered roads with proper safety infrastructure, such as median and shoulder safety barriers, is a much better long-term solution than simply reducing speeds on what remain poorly designed and obviously dangerous roads. The misnomer that safety is all about speed was a key part of Transporting New Zealand’s discussions with the government over the proposal to raise the speed

limit on the Waikato Expressway. I am glad – regarding this road at least – that sense has prevailed. Once the Hamilton section is completed, the new speed limit will mean that light vehicles can travel a continuous 78km on a median-divided, four-lane expressway at 110kph. Not only does the Waikato Expressway decision represent a victory for common sense but, hopefully, it can help finally convince decision-makers that investing in modern, well-designed roads can deliver benefits for safety as well as productivity through the efficient movement of people and freight. If so, not all may be lost yet for Road to Zero.

Get your industry award nominations in Planning is well underway for The Road Ahead Conference in Invercargill on 28 and 29 September, and a few sponsorship opportunities remain. If you or your organisation are interested in these, please contact us at info@ transporting.nz or on 04 472 3877. The conference also allows attendees to celebrate our industry at the Transporting New Zealand Industry Awards. The awards are intended to recognise the individuals, organisations and companies in the road transport industry that have exceeded industry requirements in raising skills, safety practices, knowledge, training, industry awareness,

innovation and expertise. They will honour activities and achievements that ultimately improve the daily lives of those in our industry and the general public and ensure the industry is a rewarding and safe environment to work in. Nominations for the Transporting New Zealand Industry Awards are made by members of the industry and I would encourage all those that work with or alongside an organisation or individual they believe are deserving of recognition to get in a nomination. You can find entry guidelines and a nomination form at transporting.nz/our-events/ industry-awards. Nominations close 27 August.

August 2022

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THE LAST MILE

HERE WE GO AGAIN

e were appalled at the tragic loss of life on SH1, south of Picton. Our thoughts are with the families and friends of those who lost their lives and all of those involved with the crash. Eventually, we will hear the underlying cause of this tragedy, but could it have been avoided? Yes. From what I understand, this piece of road has been long recognised as particularly nasty. But it does not appear to figure highly on the agenda of those who decide where to spend the dollars they get from RUC. Cycleways have a greater priority, so does subsidising people who buy electric cars. The recent revelation of the overspending on many cycleway projects should be a wake-up call to us all. The NZTA has a bucket of money – our money – and is happy to spend it, knowing the government is right behind it. This is immoral. Try running a business by continuing to overspend and see how far you get. But, of course, being a government agency, there will be no accountability, and no heads will roll – the spin doctors will see to that. Yes, the minister has reportedly written to the NZTA setting out his expectations for spending public money. But the framework the NZTA follows is set by the government, and where is the oversight ministry, the Ministry of Transport, in all this?

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It must (should) have been aware of what was going on, but its record of controlling public expenditure is also suspect. Many of the policies the NZTA is working on were set in place by the previous Associate Minister of Transport, Julie Anne Genter. This is the same person who recently said there was no need for a second tunnel through Mt Victoria in Wellington to improve access to/from the airport because, for the same amount of money, the government could give everybody in Wellington an e-bike. The government can refocus the NZTA on things that really matter, such as bringing our state highway system up to a safe standard. However, this is unlikely, given it doesn’t want to upset the Green Party, whose support it might need after the 2023 election. The people who decide our roading priorities need some hard lessons in reality and should not blindly follow the ideology of a few. We need roads to move goods. Coastal shipping and rail just won’t cut it, yet the ideologists are convinced that is the answer, and they have the ear of the government more than the people who earn their living using the roads to keep the goods moving. Another restructure within the NZTA was revealed by Phil Pennington, a reporter for Radio New Zealand, in late June. Waka Kotahi unit facing restructure deemed ‘no longer effective’, documents reveal. It appears a core unit within the agency has been deemed so ineffective, it is being pulled apart. This comes four years after the NZTA came under fire for not doing its job of keeping our roads safe. As one reads through this sorry story, you cannot help but conclude that these people have been made scapegoats for an organisation that has failed; failings that have been pointed out for many years, including by our industry representatives. One must hope that included in the people who have lost their jobs are those senior managers within the organisation that have been leading the agency during this time, but somehow I doubt it. We can only wonder how many years of knowledge and experience will leave the agency when these people go. I guess, though, we will see more spray-and-walkaway consultants popping up as it tries to fill the knowledge gap. Nice work if they can get it. I have just finished the book The Hunter & the Hill. This summarises the political career of Norman Kirk. Elected Prime Minister in 1972, he died while in office in 1974. Shortly after his election, he said his government’s priorities would centre on health, education, housing, crime and infrastructure. Fifty years on, what are we still grappling with? Perhaps it is an indictment of our political system that successive governments cannot solve the underlying issues, despite spending billions of our dollars. French writer Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr coined the saying, ‘The more things change, the more they remain the same.’ How right he was. The Accidental Trucker

122 New Zealand Trucking

August 2022

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NZ Trucking Magazine, August 2022

Articles inside

The Last Mile

NZ Trucking Association

Transporting New Zealand

Legal Lines

Moving Metrics

Health & Safety

Product Profile – NAPA

Incoming Cargo – Zero-Emission Incentives

Truckers’ Health

Vipal’s Knowing your Tyres

Carriers’ Corner

Industry Update Pricing Index 2022