12 Tackling the rebirth of a classic I nternational truck
Deals Data
20 Records are set to fall for the first half of 2024 on the truck sales front
Top Deals
24 1994 Mack CLR
26 2018 Kenworth T900
28 1999 Kenworth K104
30 2024 Mercedes-Benz Actros
34 2017 Mack Super-Liner
36 2024 Gorski three-axle dog trailer
38 2018 Hino 300 Series 616
Deals Showcase
40 Bringing the food to you with Isuzu
4 4 Register now for Casino Truck Show
Deals Events
48 Truck show calendar
52 Alexandra's biggest show yet
64 A trio of drivers share their trucks
67 Magnificent Mullewa
68 Coasting the Coast
77 South Australia Truck and Ute Show
82 Townsville Convoy for the Cure
Deals Opinion
86 NatRoad calls for a practical approach
Deals People
88 We meet Prue Clarke
106 Meet the postman
108 Behind the scenes at TML Transport
114 From driving to drawing
122 Nurse takes to the roads
Deals Advice
92 What to look for on resto projects
Deals Feature
98 The driving force for the Karma truck
1 18 Home on wheels with Kenworth
124 Mobile mancave a hit
Deals Just for Fun
102 Furry friends on the road
Deals Restoration
110 A classic fire truck resto
120 Making a Chevvy great again
128 Building a collection to envy
132 Marketplace Trucks, trailers, buses and more for sale
133 Parts Trader Parts, wreckers, engines and more for sale
148 Hot Deals
Hot hand-picked truck deals!
207 Plant & Equipment Forklifts, tools, generators and compressors for sale
217 Private Advertising
Sell your item!
217 Index
211 Sprightly unit
In the first of our forklift series we look at cracking and corrosion on older equipment.
211 Forever amber
Australia’s Vailo debuts wildlifefriendly amber variant of its LED stadium lighting flagship
When it comes to passion the trucking industry has it in spades.
Welcome
To Issue 507 of your Deals on Wheels Magazine
Standing in the middle of Grant St in Alexandra, Victoria, for about eight hours on a slightly overcast Sunday where the thermometer only just clicked over 12 degrees' celcius, it was pretty obvious nothing was going to stop the truck drivers, families and supporters from enjoying their day out.
In fact, more than 18,000 people rolled through Alexandra for this year’s Truck, Ute & Rod Show and the Deals on Wheels team was proud to be a part of it all.
Joining the Larsen’s Truck Sales team in their central Grant St location, we handed out hundreds of Deals on Wheels, Owner Driver and Unique Cars magazines, Australian Truck Radio
stubby coolers and Larsen’s beanies in black and pink.
While it’s always nice to give something back, it was also a fantastic opportunity to talk to the visitors at the show about what brings them out.
Overwhelmingly, family, pride, support for the trucking industry and a shared passion for the machines at the heart of the road transport task, both the brand new and the painstakingly restored, featured in 95 per cent of the conversations I had.
As journalists, we know that every person has a story to tell, and a story that deserves to be told.
After a day spent among the 320+ trucks and the thousands of visitors at this year’s show it’s clear the community spirit is strong among our trucking families and we look forward to doing our bit to help that along by sharing your triumphs, your talents and your tales over the years to come.
If you have something you’d like to share with your trucking community, please don’t hesitate to email me directly at geoff.crockett@ primecreative.com.au
The Deals on Wheels team at the Alexandra Truck Show
NHVR inspection blitz until September
The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator has launched its 2024 National Roadworthiness Survey (NRS) to run for 12 weeks from July
Random mechanical inspections of thousands of trucks, buses and other special vehicles at roadside and fixed inspection sites is what drivers can expect to see over the next three months.
The NHVR has announced the launch of the 2024 National Roadworthiness Survey, which is designed to provide a snapshot of the condition of Australia’s heavy vehicle fleet.
The organisation says inspections take an average of 45 minutes to complete and will include a detailed visual inspection and mechanical component testing via vehicle inspection equipment that is based on the National Heavy Vehicle Inspection Manual.
“The survey will provide a point-in-time snapshot of the mechanical condition of Australia’s heavy vehicle fleet so that we can identify current issues and help us create a nationally consistent inspection policy,” the NHVR says.
“The vehicles will be selected for inspection on a random basis using a method recommended by a statistician and inspections will be performed in a consistent manner nationally.
“Specific operators, industries or drivers are not being targeted.”
While the NHVR is only active in NSW, ACT, QLD, SA, TAS and VIC, all Australian state and territories are involved in NRS 2024, including Western Australia and the Northern Territory.
For truckies, time taken during the inspection must be considered as work time for the purpose of your work diary and for fatigue management considerations. Normal fatigue management rules apply.
“We have tried to minimise disruption to industry in the way we designed the survey, but drivers must still comply with fatigue laws and all other HVNL requirements,” the NHVR says.
A report outlining the key findings of the survey will be published in early 2025.
“We want the data to be as representative as possible of the condition of the Australian heavy vehicle fleet,” the NHVR says.
“The data collected will be used to inform policy and develop projects to reduce the social, environmental and economic harm from unroadworthy heavy vehicles.”
Roadworthiness will be a big focus for inspections heading into Spring.
Image: NHVR
DEALS Resto
Labour
OF LOVE
What started with a glimpse turned into a passion spanning generations...
Words: Kayla Walsh images: Dave Malady
I had my fair share of troubles
Back in 1992, when Dave Malady was just a teenager, his parents were travelling home from a holiday when a nice-looking rig caught his dad’s eye.
A 1948 International Harvester was sitting in the driveway of a house in Chiltern, Victoria, with a “for sale” sign too tempting to resist.
Dave’s dad, John, pulled up for a chat with the owner – and decided then and there that he was going to buy the truck.
“A man named Colin Sanders had owned the truck since taking it over from his father, who purchased it in 1948,” Dave says.
“He had recently been pulled over in the truck by an RTA officer, who carried out a road worthiness inspection and proclaimed it unsuitable for public roads.
“Col decided it was time to move the truck on and purchase a more modern means of transporting his timber fence posts and beehives around the local area.”
Sanders was asking $2,000 for the International, which he had named “Argus”.
Included in the sale was a tray load of parts he had accumulated from stripping another truck with a burnt-out cabin, which he had found in a paddock.
“When Mum and Dad got back from their holiday, Dad told me and my brothers that we were getting the truck,” Dave says.
“We were excited, to say the least.
“We had always had an interest in trucks, and the thought of actually owning one was a dream come true!”
Picking up the truck
The next weekend was set for the drive back to Chiltern, unregistered vehicle permit in hand, ready to bring Argus home to Warragul.
“Dad started driving the truck back and it wasn’t too long before he was pulled over by the police around Benalla!” Dave remembers.
“They wanted to make sure we had the right permit to be driving something obviously very old and desperate need of some TLC.”
Dave and his friend, who had recently gained their heavy vehicle licences, then took over the job of driving the truck home, with John following in the car.
Dave is delighted to finally have his name on the side of the truck
The purchase receipt for the truck
“I had limited experience driving any trucks, let alone an old truck with a crash box and two-speed diff,” he says.
“By the time we got to Healesville, it was getting dark and starting to rain. The lights on the truck barely lit up the road ahead thanks to its six-volt system, and the one windscreen wiper it had didn’t work!
“We briefly considered leaving the truck there for the night, but we pushed on and eventually made it home.”
The restoration begins
Once the truck was home and had been taken for a drive by every friend and family member who wanted to get in on the fun, the Maladys took it for a roadworthiness inspection.
“We were given a list of what was initially required, without getting too picky,” Dave says.
“The truck was in pretty good condition for its age, and at a great starting point for restoration.”
One thing that was decided, though, was that the truck was too long.
“It had a three-piece tail shaft, which just wasn’t practical, so we decided we would shorten it up by taking a 1m section of chassis out.”
But as is usually the case with vacuum/ hydraulic brakes, once you disturb them, you need to renew the whole system.
“All wheel cylinders and the master cylinder were either honed or re-sleeved and the hydrovac booster was sent off for restoration,” Dave says.
“All new brake lines were also fitted.”
The strip down
Shortly after this work was carried out, Malady began stripping the whole truck down, right back to the chassis. All major components including the chassis, cabin and panels were then taken for sandblasting and priming.
The panel preparation
The cabin and panels on the truck, although in reasonable condition, needed some work to get them ready to paint.
to whip the cabin and panels into shape
The truck was too long, so the Maladys took 1m off the chassis
The interior when the Maladys first got the truck
(right)
DEALS Resto
“It was at this time that a friend of Dad’s, Robbie Dupuy, offered to panel beat the cabin and panels, using the old skill of file finishing,” Dave says.
“The roof was heavily dented from people standing on it in its previous working life, so it and the panels were beaten back into shape using oxy/acetylene, hammers and dollies, files and the slightest smear of filler.
All major components were taken for sandblasting and priming
The engines in the K6 line are an International Harvester, BLD 250, 100hp inline 6-cylinder
“It was a real pleasure to see the old style of workmanship and the result.”
The engine
“The engines in the K6 line are an International Harvester, BLD 250, 100hp inline 6-cylinder engine,” Dave says.
“According to Col, the original engine in the
truck was starting to get a bit tired so he had the spare engine he had acquired from the burnt-out truck rebuilt to the K7 BLD269 spec.”
Sanders had this engine fitted in the truck not long before he sold it.
“I cleaned up the engine and painted it, but at this stage I didn’t touch the internals,” Dave added.
Painting
At this point, Dave had the chassis and driveline components painted.
The cabin and all the panels were then painted individually by Drouin Smash Repairs and fitted to the truck.
“I wanted the truck to be restored as close to the original as possible, including using the
The truck after the chassis was shortened
Dave really had to go back to basics with this truck
The cabin was painted by Drouin Smash Repairs
The engine caused Dave a lot of trouble
original paint codes and choosing enamel paint over the 2Pac option,” Dave says.
“The K line trucks only came out of the factory in International Red or International Green to my knowledge, with the interior painted in International Brown.”
Shiny bits
The Maladys were fortunate enough to have nearly all of the chrome and stainless pieces still attached to the truck, with only a few grill strips missing and the centre grill piece dented beyond repair.
“I was also lucky enough to have two spare nose cones complete with the strips I was missing,” Dave says.
“I did, however, have to have the centre piece replicated by a local engineering firm, which came up the same as the original.
“All pieces were sent off for polishing or re-chroming.”
Unfortunately for Dave, the emblem in the chrome centre piece on the nose of the truck was stolen while he had it in storage.
“Of all the things to be stolen, it had to be the one thing hardest to replace!” he says.
“I did have another one, but it was not in as good condition as the original.
“Thankfully I found a man in Geelong who specialised in the glass etching required to fix the emblem. I enlisted his services and once again had an emblem.”
As for the steering wheel and gear knob, Dave had them pearl coated – something a little different from the original.
Coming together
After the painting was completed, the engine and gearbox went back in, and the radiator was tested and replaced with a spare Dave already had.
All new rubbers were purchased, including the engine mounts, window tracks and rubbers and cab mounts.
The front guards and bonnet were then fitted, and the end seemed to be in sight – until disaster struck.
“Whilst running the engine and trying to adjust the idle to get it running smooth, a knock in the engine developed,” Dave says.
After removing the sump, it was found the crankshaft had broken.
Dave spoke with a local quarry man who had driven similar trucks in his younger years, who told him that this wasn’t an uncommon occurrence for this particular engine.
“I was devastated,” Dave says. “The bonnet, guards and radiator all had to come off and the engine had to be removed again.”
A mechanic friend of Dave’s offered his assistance, and the crank from the original engine was removed and sent for machining.
The pistons, rings and cylinders were found to be in great shape, so the cylinders were honed and the engine put back together, then put back in the chassis.
The interior
Dave had all the glass replaced and worked on the regulators and door lock mechanisms, so
The International being carted around on a log truck
as close to the original as possible I wanted the truck to be restored
This jinker had been earmarked to be scrapped
The rig is looking good these days they were all in good working condition.
He gave the task of restoring the interior to Warragul Auto Interiors, who did a “fantastic” job.
“The seat that was in the truck was from an old Holden car, and the roof and door linings were in poor condition,” Dave explains.
“A new seat was made from scratch, and the door trims and roof lining were replaced.”
The instrument cluster also got a tidy up, and the speedometer, which had a bit of surface rust, was taken to a screen-printing business.
“They scanned the numbers and printed them back onto the face after I cleaned it up, and repainted it.”
The
lull
At this stage, life was getting pretty busy for Dave, with building a house, living away from home, tying the knot and having kids getting
in the way of him completing the restoration.
“This lull ended up lasting quite a few years, and I did sometimes wonder if I would ever finish Argus,” he says.
Dave admits he considered selling the truck as an unfinished project, but he held tight – and when he finally found the time to continue his work, something big had changed.
“By this stage, the internet had come along,” he says.
“With the spare parts I had from the purchase of the truck, I was able to help other restorers with various bits and pieces all around the country, via the internet.
“I also made valuable connections for parts and advice I needed. It was one of these connections that got me motivated to keep working on the truck.”
Finishing it off
A major problem for Dave was still the truck’s engine, which was still hard to start. When it did start, it was coughing and spluttering in a way that didn’t inspire much confidence.
“I found a tune up kit on the internet, which I ordered from the US,” he says.
“It included a replacement distributor cap, spark plugs, leads, points and a condenser.
“I installed all the parts and fired the engine.
“What a difference it made - suddenly, Argus was a completely different truck.”
His motivation fired up again, Dave made a list of the work left to do on the truck and started ticking jobs off.
“I went from not going near the truck for years to spending every bit of spare time up the shed,” he says.
Of course, the brakes hadn’t liked sitting around unused for so long, so they needed some TLC once again.
The truck gets lots of attention
“All wheel cylinders and the master cylinder had to come off again and be re-honed, with new rubbers installed,” he says.
“The hydrovac booster was also sent off for rebuilding once again.”
When Dave started fitting the cylinders back onto the truck, he found that the brake line fittings were failing, so most lines were replaced yet again, the system was bled, and the shoes adjusted.
“I now have a hatred for the sight and smell of brake fluid pools on the shed floor,” he jokes.
Signwriting
Dave couldn’t wait to finally get the truck painted and see his name on the door.
He hired Grant Fowler to do the line work and signwriting, keeping the colours and font the same as the original.
“Grant did a fantastic job,” he says. “I stared at the truck so much when it was finished, I’m surprised I didn’t make the paint fade off!”
The jinker
Ever since he was a kid, Dave had an interest in log trucks, and knew he wanted Argus to be one too.
“When the opportunity arose to purchase a single axle jinker that was once on the same model of truck, I had to buy it,” he says.
“The jinker itself was earmarked to be scrapped. I couldn’t believe my luck when I was told I could buy it!
“I decided I wanted Argus to be a log truck long before I bought the trailer, now I had to set it up.”
Before Dave had the truck sign written, he had shortened the chassis to suit the jinker frame length, and had skids fitted that would carry the jinker.
He also had some other modifications done to ensure the truck, with the trailer folded up on it, was going to fit in his shed.
“I ended up with about a 2-inch clearance,” he says.
Dave also knew he wasn’t going to get the truck passed for club registration without mudguards over the drive axle.
“I had the mudguards made to try and fit the look of the era, even though the log trucks of that era didn’t have any,” he says.
Once he was satisfied the jinker was ready to be painted, it was loaded up and sent for sandblasting and painting.
“Once painted, the jinker was put back together, and a messmate pole was cut to size at a sawmill in Mansfield.
“I kept it rough sawn and put a clear coat of varnish on it to stop discolouration.”
The jinker was then positioned on the back of the truck, with a few adjustments made.
The final pieces were added, including the mudflaps and lights, and Argus was ready for its first inspection for the Club Permit.
After a few minor additions, Dave was given the all-clear to get the truck registered.
waiting for something to go wrong I was on edge
Dave and his daughters Josie and Anna are proud of the truck
DEALS Resto
On the road
Driving Argus on the road for the first time was “exciting but frightening”, Dave says.
Dave loves showing Argus off at truck shows
“I was on edge waiting for something to go wrong. “I had my fair share of troubles. A wheel bearing did get hot, and I had a rather concerning oil leak coming from the bell housing...”
Dave assumed the leak was from the rear main engine seal, but didn’t want to believe it.
“After days of deliberating with myself, I decided, much to my disgust, the gearbox needed to come out so I could see what was wrong.
“The tail shafts and cab floor were removed and the gearbox dropped.
“Not an easy task with just hydraulic jacks and an engine crane!”
The seal is a two-piece one, and Dave hoped he could fix the leak by just replacing the bottom half.
“The top half requires significantly more effort to fix, including dropping the crank.
“I took my chances, replaced the felt in the seal, put the gearbox back in (which I soon worked out, took a lot more effort and swear words than getting it out), put the tail shafts back in and took it for another drive.”
Dave was ready to throw the towel in when he saw a pool of oil on the ground after taking Argus for a drive again.
“I figured it must be the top part of the seal, but what if it wasn’t?”
“The gearbox was removed yet again. The sump was removed and I lowered the crank enough to get the top half of the seal out.”
At this point, Dave was “happy” to discover the seal housing was warped.
“I determined that when the crank broke, it could have created a slight wobble, enough to warp the cast housing.
“A spare was found in my collection and inserted. The crank was then set back in its place, the sump, gearbox and tail shafts put back in, and I was ready for another drive.”
Mercifully, there was no infuriating pool of oil on the ground this time.
Showing the truck
After enough hiccups to drive anyone demented, Dave now takes every opportunity to show off his now fully functioning rig.
“The amount of people that stop and look, ask for photos and compliment me on the job I have done is very rewarding,” he says.
Dave was delighted to take the truck along to the Heyfield Timber Festival recently, and intends to return every year.
“I’d also love to bring it to the Alexandra Truck Show,” he adds. “I’ll see how I go.”
Although he’s proud of old Argus, he doesn’t plan to bring any more trucks back to life any time soon.
“Oh no,” he laughs. “I’m never restoring anything ever again.”
Trucking isn’t just moving a load from one place to another. It’s a journey of a thousand experiences. It’s golden skies, fierce storms, hours of solitude and hard work.
Whether it’s on the road, in the yard, behind the scenes or in the back office, it’s not just a job, but a passion. It’s something you’ve inherited from those who came before you, that has paved the way for the next journey. It’s heritage. It’s a legacy. kenworth.com.au/legacy
DEALS Data
Leaders dominate
The stellar performance of truck market leaders means May’s massive truck sales result is pushing the market towards more record-breaking feats to end the financial year
As the end of the financial year quickly advances, the new truck deliveries numbers for May continue to push towards a record first half of the year. With 4,528 units delivered in May setting a new record for May heavy vehicle sales, all segments except the light truck sector posted positive growth when compared to May 2023.
Across all categories of the latest Truck Industry Council report, Isuzu remains clearly on top of the overall truck sales market in Australia, with its 1288 May sales meaning it has now recorded 5271 for the year so far. Hino sits in second place having just surpassed the 2000 mark for the year with 420 sales in May, while Volvo sits narrowly in third spot with 1517 for the year, just eight ahead of Fuso.
Kenworth completes the top five with its 316 May deliveries giving it 1302 for the year so far, with the likes of Iveco, Mercedes-Benz and Scania all close behind in an even market.
TIC is now looking forward to a busy June to round out the financial year.
Heavy Vehicles – Monthly Sales
Medium Vehicles – Monthly Sales
Light Vehicles – Monthly Sales
“The month of June is typically a strong month for trucks sales as we reach the end of our financial year and the signs are all positive that we will reach the halfway point of 2024 with a result that will rewrite the record books for heavy vehicle sales in Australia,” TIC CEO Tony McMullan says.
“These strong sales are a good indicator that business confidence remains strong in the road freight sector.”
Heavy duty
It was once again impossible to stop Volvo from leading the heavy duty market, with the global OEM recording 339 truck deliveries in the segment for May. The May deliveries take its yearly number to 1480 heavy duty sales to date, with Kenworth pushing hard in second place with 316 deliveries made in May.
Isuzu retained third place with 226 sales, while Scania (156) and Mercedes-Benz (102) rounded out the top five in the market with triple-figure numbers. From there, Mack (99) and UD Trucks (90) weren’t far behind, with the likes of Hino (72), Fuso (55) and DAF (49) helping contribute to a heavy duty sector that delivered 1615 new vehicles in May.
May’s numbers sees the heavy duty segment increase by 65 trucks, or 5.7 per cent, when compared to May 2023 sales.
Medium duty
Isuzu improved yet again in the medium duty segment for May, topping the leaderboard with 404 deliveries for the month. The medium duty truck giant continues to go from strength to strength in 2024, having now delivered 1,676 trucks in the segment so far in 2024 to nearly double the next best manufacturer.
Second place comfortable belonged to Hino with 203 deliveries made in May, with Fuso rounding out a distanced top three with 86 sales for the month. From there, Hyundai (15) and Iveco (10) were the only other brands to record double-figure sales for the month in a segment that recorded 750 new units delivered in May.
The medium duty sector once again performed well in May as a whole, increasing its delivery numbers by 9.2 per cent, or 91 units, when compared to the corresponding month last year.
Light duty
A familiar face continued to dominate the light duty market, with
Isuzu recording a whopping 658 sales in May to bring its yearto-date figure up to 2,601. Having sold just over half of the entire segment’s vehicles in May, it’s no surprise that the next best brand, Fuso, dropped down to 186 sales for the month.
From there it tightened up, with Hino (145) and Iveco (127) all pushing for second place ahead of a pack that includes Mercedes-Benz (64) and Fiat (56).
The Truck Industry Council (TIC) says the light duty truck sales are “really struggling in 2024” when compared to the other market segments.
“May was another strong month for heavy vehicle sales, with all except the light duty segment posting gains over May 2023,” McMullan says.
“Those weaker than normal light truck sales are tempering the overall heavy vehicle sales numbers in 2024, however the market still looks set for a new first half year sales record, with just June sales to come".
1. MTE 2007 MODEL 3 X 8 SWING WING / HYD ,NECK DOLLY NECK /DROP BED,11.50M LOW LOADER OPENS TO 4.30M BI FOLD RAMPS ,HONDA POWER PACK, QLD REGO POA.
2.DRAKE 2008 3 X8 SWING WING 3XPIN NECK, LEVEL DECK 11.50M DECK HEAVY DUTY RAMPS HONDA P/PACK ALL GOOD SUSPENSION /BRAKES TYRES, QLD REGO POA.
3. 2013 MTE 4 X 4 REAR STEER (LAST 2 AXLES/BPW) 10 STUD ON 9.76 X 17.50 LEVEL DECK, DOLLY NECK, STD RAMPS HONDA POWER PACK, GOOD RUNNING GEAR, ALL BRAKES CHECKED OUT, RUBBER 85% QLD REGO. POA.
4. 1997 LUSTY 3 X 4 DECK WIDENER /DOLLY NECK /LEVEL DECK ON SPRING & ROCKER SUSPENSION, GOOD CONDITION THROUGHOUT, HONDA POWER PACK, STD RAMPS QLD REGO. POA.
5. 2005 MACOL 3 X 4 DECK WIDENER, STANDARD NECK /LEVEL DECK /BI FOLD RAMPS, SPRING / ROCKER SUSPENSION HONDA POWER PACK, GOOD OVERALL CONDITION, QLD REGO POA.
6. 2007 RES 2 X 8 DOLLY (SIMILAR TO DRAKE STYLE) WITH HONDA POWER PACK FOR HYDLS, SLIDING QRTT, 10 STUD K/HITCH HEAVY DUTY AXLES & SUSPENSION 2.70 TO 4.30 WIDENING REBUILT THROUGHOUT, QLD REGO POA.
7. BRENTWOOD 2 X 8 HYD/WIDENING DOLLY WITH HONDA POWER PACK, GOOD CONDITION ALL ROUND, QLD REGO POA
With 525hp at hand and an 18-speed Mack gearbox to guide it this early 90’s Mack CLR V8 is sure to attract plenty of attention on the road.
While nothing beats the sound of the V8 rumbling, this 120-tonne rated truck features an alloy bullbar.
The team at MTP Qld Pty Ltd have a second complete unit as part of the package to help any buyer who’s keen to undertake a rebuild and needs spares.
There’s no denying the sheer road presence and the suggestion of comfortable cab time when you take a look at this 2018 Kenworth T909 and its 50-inch sleeper cab. This truck has been set up to tackle the country roads with bullbar and spotlights adding safety and strength to the set up.
With just 600,078km on the clock the truck has been used only for single trailer work since new.
For more info please visit us at www.sammut.com.au
Dig in and start working in a flash with this package deal.
On offer is a 1999 Kenworth K104 truck fitted with a tipper back, bundled with a Hercules tri-axle dog trailer with Bisalloy body and tarp included.
The truck has been fitted with a Caterpillar engine, rebuilt a couple of thousand kilometres ago, and a new gearbox. To
10.7 litre, inline 6 cylinder, 460hp
This truck is so new there’s only 100km on the clock.
The 2024 Mercedes-Benz Actros 2646L is fitted with the pure classic space sleeper cab, powered by an inline six cylinder, 460hp, engine, and packed full of all the latest safety gadgets.
It’s ready now for immediate delivery and comes with a four year, 800,000km warranty.
For more information phone Daimler Trucks Murwillumbah on 02 8279 7047
$269,900 South Murwillumbah, NSW
marches
MACK IN
Truck driving St Kilda AFL fans might be reaching for their wallets after just one look at the paint job on this stunning 2017 Mack Superliner.
Red, white and black feature prominently on the tidy looking truck which has just had its cylinder head and exhaust manifold overhauled and is ready to get back to work.
Always a popular choice with Mack fans, this Super-Liner features the MP10, 600hp engine.
For
information phone Kenworth DAF Melbourne on 03 9998 4888.
When it comes to making trailers to suit the construction industry the team at Gorski Engineering have decades worth of runs on the board.
The 2024 Gorski 3 axle dog trailer, rated to 45T, has more features than we have space to share them.
Aside from being made from Hardox steel, the trailer has TMC Drum Brake Axles, TMC LMV light-weight airbag suspension and an ABC EBS brake control system fitted.
Load up the team, load on the tools and get rolling with this 2018 Hino 300 Series truck.
With all the space of a dual cab, and a drop-side alloy tray on the back and an alloy bullbar and spotlights fitted on the front, this truck is ready to roll in all environments.
It even comes with a Rhino Rack on the roof and a revolving light.
TRUCKIE
talk
Every industry has its own lingo and truck driving is no exception. We’ve dug into the archives to explain a few of the terms in common use out there
We all know that Aussies have created their own language and slang over the years, with ‘barbie’ and ‘true blue’ becoming synonymous with the culture.
But did you know there is a specific language spoken by Aussie truck drivers? Truckies have their own terms for just about everything you come across on the road.
If you’re not in the industry you may find yourself confused when you find out a dog trailer has nothing to do with the fluffy animals, and a hairdryer is not something needed for wet hair.
So test yourself now – how much Aussie truck driver slang do you actually know?
Anchor
The brakes
Anteater
A Kenworth T604 (because of the aerodynamic design)
Bingle
A small road accident
Carby
A carburetor
Clocked
Caught speeding
Disco whistle
A police car siren
Diff
The differential that couples the drive shaft to half-shafts connected to the rear driving wheels
Dolly
A unit made up of a turntable, draw bar and axle group. It’s an essential piece of equipment that attaches multiple trailers together for long hauls across Australia.
Dog trailer
A trailer that can be attached to a semi-trailer
Evel Knievel
A policeman on a bike
Hairdryer
A Stationary Highway Patrol LIDAR/Radar set up
Jinker
A trailer to transport long logs
Juice Fuel
Live Load
A load that cannot be secured completely, such as liquids, livestock, hanging meat or earthmoving equipment with pneumatic tyres
Locker
Locked differential
Pig Trailer
A trailer with a non-steerable axle group near the middle
Plain Wrapper
An unmarked police car
Reefer
An insulated, refrigerated dry freight container
Roo catcher
A bull-bar
Spanner monkey
A mechanic
Slush Box
Automatic transmission
Learn anything new? Next time you’re on the road, maybe test out some of the terms over the UHF and expand your vocabulary.
Is there any truck driver slang we are forgetting? Let us know! Email tiarna.condren@primecreative.com.au
We wonder how they’d take being called Evel Knievel? Image: S.White/ stock.adobe.com
Juice her up! Image:
Gordic / stock.adobe.com
Kenworth T604s are often called ‘Anteaters’ because of their long noses. Image: PACCAR
Dragana
Words: Tiarna Condren
DEALS Showcase
Gourmet
ON THE GO
Behind every great mobile food experience is a great truck that brings the kitchen to the people, wherever they may be
From the Winter Night Markets in the heart of Melbourne, to providores with local delicacies in country towns, wherever you travel in Victoria, there is something good to eat. With food festivals as popular as ever, cooks and chefs are looking at ways to tap into that market by bringing their talents to the masses.
It’s not as simple as just loading some containers of food into the back of a truck and delivering them. There’s a lot of work that goes into taking a hospitality business on the road so its wares can reach a wider variety of hungry mouths —with considerations ranging from researching the right set-up, securing a builder for the kitchen installation, and finding the right set of wheels to support the operation.
The Li’l Dumpling Van
Based out of Geelong, The Li'l Dumpling Van is famous for its delicious dumplings, traditionally known as ‘dim sum’ (not to be confused with ‘dim sim’). Translated from Chinese ‘dim sum’ means to ‘touch the heart’, and many would say that is what these delicious morsels are designed to do!
Be it beef, chicken, pork or vegan varieties, these dumplings are handmade using only natural vegetable colouring and ingredients sourced locally from suppliers in the region.
“Our dumplings are all handmade and change colour throughout the year because we use fresh carrot, spinach, and beetroot,” explains Emma Ma, joint owner of The Li’l Dumpling Van. “Every batch is different because the veggies are different each time.”
The business opened during the 2020 lockdowns offering deliveries of frozen dumplings to the local area.
Once the lockdowns were over, Emma and husband Herris (the chef of the operation) were able to set the business free and offer panfried dumplings to punters on-the-go. On the transport side of things, this meant a mobile kitchen on a trailer, which was hooked onto their passenger ute.
Finding this combination functional, but not ideal, they then moved on to a light-duty truck with a built-in kitchen, which allowed them to store and serve more dumplings on event day.
The Li’l Dumpling Van has now expanded operations with a big, new (and very blue) Isuzu truck designed to stand out from the crowd.
“We wanted to do ‘little,’ but slowly it just happened to evolve into the biggest dumpling truck in the market!” Emma said with a laugh.
“Probably 80 per cent of children think we are the ice cream truck, but we don’t mind... if we’ve got your attention, the design is working!”
Images: Isuzu
The Li'l Dumpling Van is always a popular site
Herris could not be happier with his Isuzu NQR truck
Requiring an 8.5-metre-long chassis to accommodate their custom-designed kitchen and servery from Frank’s Food Vans in Tullamarine, Emma and Herris landed on a NQR 87/80-190 with 6-speed automated manual transmission (AMT) recommended by the team at Geelong Isuzu.
The NQR features a GVM of 8,700 kg and a GCM of 12,200 kg, with a turbocharged fourcylinder 4HK1-TCC engine that can reliably draw the weight of over 6.5-tonnes of kitchen equipment and supplies.
The ability of the NQR platform to safely float the weight of the custom build was a key issue for Emma and Herris, who were investing a significant amount of money into the production of their new business venture.
The NQR’s steel spring suspension with double acting hydraulic shock absorbers on front and rear, in combination with a total axle capacity of 9,700 kg, put any concerns to rest.
“With the heavy build and the appliances, we knew we needed a strong, quality truck and a reliable brand if wanted to keep it going for at least 10 years,” Herris says.
“So, we started asking around and people from other food trucks would say, ‘If you want quality, you choose Isuzu. We were very happy to go with Isuzu.”
Pizza Party Hire
Another business recently upgrading its choice of vehicles has a distinctly Italian flavour.
After years as an executive chef in Queenstown New Zealand, Mark Beeby and his wife Paula moved to Australia in the early 2000s to fire things up in the world of mobile catering.
Mark soon found a niche with woodfired pizza, and with a new base in Point Cook, Melbourne, founded mobile catering business, Pizza Party Hire.
The popularity of their menu led to Mark needing a larger oven and an upgrade to their transport — which at the time was a passenger van and trailer combination.
Mark stopped in for a chat with Westar Trucks in Derrimut to help sort out the right rig for his niche operation.
“We worked with Isuzu’s engineering software, and that same day I ordered an Isuzu NLR 45-150 for our first fully integrated woodfired pizza truck.”
The modified NLR 45-150 has a total load capacity of 1,400 kg and is designed to expand the kitchen on one side, with the opposite side available for storage. A mobile cool room towed on a trailer behind the truck allows Mark to keep perishables separate from other materials.
Hauling the weight of the kitchen and supplies is straightforward thanks to the NLR’s four-cylinder, three-litre turbo powered engine that produces 110 kW (150 PS) @ 2,800 rpm and 375 Nm of torque @ 1,600 – 2,800 rpm.
“I was very specific about needing the 800 kg oven onboard. I worked with Isuzu and Alltruck Bodies to get a truly bespoke build which came out even better than I anticipated.”
With the first NLR truck performing well and proving a functional choice for their business, Mark and Paula began planning for a second unit with a larger 1,200 kg oven, handling no less than nine pizzas at a time.
An NMR 65/45-150 with a load capacity of 2,355 kg was selected by Westar Trucks and complemented with a matching custom kitchen from Alltruck Bodies to hero this huge woodfire oven.
“We added an air deflector on the roof of the cab and the body,” Mark explained.
“The aerodynamic addition made a big difference to the stability of the setup and an impact on fuel consumption, plus it improved the look of the truck which is important at events.”
Coming up to 12 years behind the pizza paddle, Mark is still enjoying the hustle and bustle of public events and is looking to evolve the business to focus on catering for private and corporate bookings.
“A huge advantage with our current business model is that we're going to where the people want us, instead of us waiting for the people to walk into a shop as retails does.
“I have no doubt that scaling-up with Isuzu Trucks has been the single best decision we have made for the business.”
have brought a whole new level of service to the wood-fired pizza world
Scaling up with Isuzu Trucks is the single best
decision we have made for the business
Bringing the wood, the fire, the oven and the pizza to the public is a job for these Isuzu NLRs
Paula and Mark Beeby
Unit 1/71 Axis Place, Larapinta, Brisbane, QLD, 4110, Australia
A custom-made bar that looks like the rear of a truck trailer, a 95-litre upright fridge and a 24-volt kids’ four wheeler will be auctioned in support of Movember at this year’s Casino Truck Show
As August 3 gets closer, the excitement continues to build for the North Coast Petroleum Casino Truck Show.
Saturday 3 August at the Mafeking Lamp roundabout at 2.45pm, just before the trophy presentation.
Moore Trailers has donated a custom-made bar that looks like the rear of a truck trailer and Engel Australia has donated a 95-litre upright fridge to this year's charity auction in support of men's health cause - Movember
The organising committee has announced Movember as the charity the show will be supporting with this year’s auction, and Queensland-based Moore Trailers has donated a 2.4 metre x 2.4 metre bar as one of the premier items to go under the hammer.
The truck lovers’ bar is made from steel, with mirror stainless ends, and resembles the rear end of a trailer. Valued at $6,500, the bar is described as being ideal for various uses, including entertaining and recreational activities.
To complement the bar, Engel Australia has donated a 95-litre upright fridge, valued at $1699, making this an auction not to be missed.
And, so the littlies don’t miss out, Big Wheels Truck Alignment has donated an $800, 24volt, kids’ four wheeler, which comes with a remote for those still learning to steer.
The charity auction will take place on
Casino Truck Show organisers have sent a shout out and a big thank you to Moore Trailers’ Scott Gollan, Engel Australia’s Jason Dwyer and Big Wheels Truck Alignment’s Paul Whiting for their support of the auction.
As for this year's cause — Movember is a leading men’s health charity, and aims to bring awareness, research and fundraising for mental health and suicide prevention, prostate cancer and testicular cancer.
Since its inception in 2003, it has funded more than 12,500 men’s health projects with more than five million people taking part.
The Show will also support local causes where possible, and in 2023, it donated $10,000 in proceeds to important local charities, including the Westpac Rescue Helicopter, Casino Soup Kitchen and Jumbunna Community Preschool.
With well over 600 trucks attending last year, and more expected in 2024, the show
Images: Casino Truck Show
is a highlight for truck enthusiasts across the nation.
The 2024 North Coast Petroleum Casino Truck Show promises to be even better than last year, with an inspiring showcase of innovation, performance and community.
The ever-popular street parade through Casino's CBD starts at 10am, with the trophy presentation at 3pm.
Entertainment includes Mossy Rocks and the Tony Q Band, who will be rocking out tunes from two separate stages. As well, there will be plenty of kid-friendly activities such as amusements rides and face painting. There will also be exhibitors showcasing industryrelated products and services.
And just when people might think it’s all over, J&J Rodeo will be putting on a spectacular bull ride under the roof of the new arena at the Casino Showground.
Registrations for the 2024 North Coast Petroleum Casino Truck Show will open on Monday 1 July.
Registration is $30 per truck, including competition entry and parking in the event precinct.
Online registrations can be made at casinotruckshow.com.au and entrants will go into the draw to win some amazing prizes, including: a Lubecore 210 On-Highway Automated greasing system, valued at $5050; a $5000 voucher towards a Gozbar bullbar or bumper, supplied by Dawson’s Haulage; and 10 Austone line haul tyres valued at $4880,
courtesy Tyre Network. On-day registrations will also be accepted and can be done at the Richmond Valley Council’s depot in the industrial estate from 6am.
Registrations for those not participating in the Dawson’s Haulage Parade can be completed at the Casino Truck Show merchandise stall at the Mafeking Lamp roundabout.
All entrants are encouraged to drop their specially-numbered, on-day, registration ticket in the lucky draw barrels at both checkin points to go in the running for a $15,070 Wedge Lock bullbar voucher, supplied by AJ’s Total Truck Gear and Kentweld Bullbars.
The industrial estate is also the marshalling area for parade participants, which will get underway 10am sharp, making its way through to the Casino CBD via Johnston and Centre streets.
team from the Casino RSM Fishing Club will be serving up breakfast at this year's event The truck parade is one of the most popular elements of the annual Casino Truck Show
Being held for the first time in 2024 the Camp Quality Convoy Adelaide will feature a 36km route around Adelaide and Port Adelaide, starting and finishing at Victoria Park.
There will also be a free family festival and a Show and Shine at the end of the convoy. The event is supported by Women in Trucking Australia.
For more information go to www.fundraise.campquality.org.au/ event/convoyadelaide/home
AUGUST
Casino Truck Show
August 3, 2024. Casino, NSW
Casino Truck Show is fabulous fun for the whole family, including live entertainment, amusement rides for the children, and food and beverage vendors. Browse through the exhibitors showcasing industry-related products and services on display.
The free show is held in the main streets of Casino’s central business district, kicking off with the Dawsons Haulage Street Parade from 10am, followed by a line-up of blinged-up trucks in the heart of Casino.
Entertainment this year includes the Country Mud Band, AirtimeFMX, and the Wildlife Twins.
ADMISSION: FREE
For more information visit casinotruckshow.com.au
Lowood Truck Show
August 17, 2024. Lowood, Qld
Held at the Lowood Showgrounds in south-east Queensland. Show commences with vehicle parade through Main St, Lowood at 11am. Trucks, bikes, cars on display. Kids’ rides, trade and food stands, bar and live music. Free entry, donations welcome. Raising funds for charity.
For further info email lowoodtruckshow@ yahoo.com.au, phone Robert on 0467 530 349, or see the Facebook page
Australian Festival of Transport
August 22 to 25, 2024. Alice Springs, NT
The National Transport Historical Society and The Old Ghan Historical Society present the ‘Festival of Transport’. Along with the regular reunion activities, including Cummins Race Day and Shell Rimula Induction Ceremony on August 24, other events include Welcome Drinks on August 24 at 6pm, Transport Women Breakfast, and a museum open day on August 25 including mini train rides.
For more information and nomination forms see the website at www.roadtransporthall.com, Facebook page, email info@roadtransporthall. com or phone 08 8952 7161.
Thallon Truck Pull
August 31, 2024. Thallon, QLD.
The main drawcard for this event is the Team Truck Pull competition, where a team of six people pull a prime mover over 25 metres, the winner being the fastest team. The competition
Classic Macks on show at Castlemaine Truck Show in 2022. Image: Prime Creative Media
brings the spirited nature of each group of people, their family and friends. The 2024 Thallon Team Truck Pull is a fun-filled family fun day out with the very entertaining kids zone, unique market stalls, great food and fantastic country hospitality.
For more information call 0427142100 or email thallonpandctreasurer@gmail.com
SEPTEMBER
American Iron Echuca Truck Display
September 7-8, 2024. Echuca, VIC.
The American Iron Echuca Truck Display is held at Rotary Park, with all makes and models welcome. There will be modified tractor/mini tractor pull demonstrations, on-site camping, onsite catering, club merchandise and trade stalls, and live music by Van-yt. Gates open from 9am to 4pm each day.
ADMISSION: $10.00 ADULTS PER DAY OR $15 FOR A WEEKEND PASS AND CHILDREN ARE FREE.
Contact: Jenny on 0412479084
Megatrans
September 18-19, 2024. Melbourne, VIC.
Leaders from across the supply chain will gather in Melbourne to discuss the future of the logistics industry at MEGATRANS, an integrated trade exhibition and conference showcasing the full freight and logistics supply chain, spanning warehousing and logistics, through to multimodal freight and final mile delivery.
For further details and tickets, see the website at megatrans.com.au
Clarendon Classic Machinery, Truck & Hobby Show (Kenworth Klassic)
September 21-22, 2024. Clarendon, NSW.
The Clarendon Classic Machinery, Truck and Hobby Show is a family-friendly two day event that includes a great display of restored tractors, and stationary engines, vintage cars, trucks, bikes, antique tools.
There will also be a wide range of exhibits for all the family to enjoy including models, collectables, art & craft, historical displays, classic vehicles, implement demonstrations, kids amusement rides (free with entry) and a Tractor & Vehicle Trek on Sunday Morning.
Admission: TBA
For more information go to www. sydneyantiquemachineryclub.com/ rally-2024.html or www.facebook.com/ groups/613874182126665
Young
Big Rigs Truck Show
September 22, 2024. Young, NSW.
Set for its third year, the Young Truck & Bike Show is set to go off once again.
Prime movers and rigids, cars and motorbikes are urged to roll in to the grounds, yet no trailers can be accommodated. Prizes will be awarded for the best looking rigs. Further Information and entry forms with T&C at Facebook Young Show Society or Website www.youngshow.com.au, youngshowsociety1 @gmail.com Ph 0435953580
OCTOBER
The
Wauchope
Yesteryear
Truck and Machinery Club
October 4-7, 2024. Wauchope, NSW. Held at the Wauchope Showground, this year’s event has been moved to October with plans for a bigger show. Classic and new trucks, tractors and on show, food and drink available (no Saturday night dinner). For further info email wytmc.inc@hotmail. com or see the Wauchope Yesteryear Truck & Machinery Club Inc Facebook page.
Lights On The Hill Convoy
October 5-6, 2024. Gatton, QLD. Trucks leave both Brisbane (Mica St Carole Park) and Toowoomba (Brown and Hurley Carrington Road) at 9.30am, and the Toowoomba convoy should start arriving at Gatton from approximately 10.30am. With live music, kids rides, market and trade stalls and of course a truck show, there is something for everyone. Admission: TRUCK CONVOY REGISTRATION: $60 ADULT: $25 CHILDREN (6-15): $15 FAMILY (2 ADULTS + 2 CHILDREN): $70
For more information visit, lightsonthehill.com.au/
Boort Truck Show
October 12, 2024. Boort, VIC. Held in conjunction with the Boort A&P Society Show the 2024 Boort Truck Show will offer plenty of entertainment and a great selection of trucks.
There will be prizes on offer across a range of categories.To find our more visit the Boort Truck Show Facebook page, phone Heath on 0428 382 725 or email heathsaunders@outlook.com
Camp Quality Convoy Perth
October 13, 2024. Perth, WA. Save the date for this event from the Camp Quality Convoy Team. For more information phone 1300 662 2670 or email convoy@campquality.org.au
Urana Vintage Rally and Truck Show
October 19 and 20, Urana, NSW
Held at Victoria Park, Urana, and organised by the Urana Vintage Machinery Club Inc, the Urana Vintage Rally & Truck Show includes a Vintage Tractor Trek, and a Twilight Tractor Pull
DEALS Events
Calleja Transport were spotted Crawlin' the Hume in 2023 by the makin' a mile photography team who captured this great shot
on Saturday, and a truck show and shine on the Sunday, along with a fete in aid of the local hospital.
Free camping and showers available on site.
ADMISSION: $10 ADULTS, CHILDREN UNDER 16 FREE.
Contacts: Gary Baffsky 0408 683 111, Justin Livingstone 0423 319 488 or email uvmcinc@ gmail.com
Deniliquin Truck Show & Industry Expo
October 26, 2024. Denilquin, NSW.
Held at the Deniliquin Race Club each year this event promises a wide range of trucks on show, awards, entertainment and the chance to visit the Deniliquin & District Industry Wall of Fame and Memorial Wall to pay tribute to local industry greats, past and present.
Details are still being finalised. Contact John Creenaune on 0439 790 116, email admin@denitruckshow.com.au or visit www. denitruckshow.com.au
NOVEMBER
Brisbane Convoy for Kids
November 2, 2024. Brisbane, QLD.
The annual fundraiser sees hundreds of trucks travel from Larapinta to Redcliffe and the organisers are planning something “a little different” this year.
Entries are now open for the Truck Show at the end of the convoy, when the trucks gather, the live entertainment rolls out and the fireworks lighten up the skyline.
For more information see www.brisbaneconvoyforkids.com.au/bc4ktruck-show/
Horsham Truck Show
November 2-3, 2024. Horsham, VIC.
The lively town of Horsham is set to be overrun with trucks at the Horsham Showgrounds. With live music, stalls, bar and plenty of food, there is something for everyone. Bring your truck to the judging or join the Sunday Convoy for Kids. Truck entry is $50.
ADMISSION: ADULTS $10, STUDENT 12-16 $5 AND CHILDREN UNDER 12 FREE.
Mullumbimby Truck Show
November 9, 2024. Mullumbimby Showground, NSW
Held in conjunction with the annual Mullumbimby Agricultural Show. Truck registrations open from 9am at the Mullumbimby Industrial Estate off Manns Rd. Drivers to register their vehicles before the truck parade through town at 11am, travelling through town to the showgrounds. All the attractions of a country show including sideshow alley, rides, food vans, full bar facilities and live music. Other features include horse and cattle events including trotting.
For further truck show info see the registration form at www. mullumbimbyshow.org.au or phone
Mark on 0427 634 903 or email wardysmachinerycentre@gmail.com
Goulburn Convoy for Kids
November 9, 2024. Goulburn, NSW.
Convoy for Kids Goulburn will be celebrating its 25th birthday!
Come and enjoy a day packed with delicious food, exciting rides, interactive activities, fantastic entertainment, and so much more!
They will be attempting to break the record for the most trucks in a convoy, ending at Goulburn Showground with an extraordinary carnival for the whole family you won't want to miss.
For more information visi www.facebook.com/C4KGoulburn
Dane Ballinger Memorial Truck Show
November 16, 2024. Bathurst, NSW.
Combined with the Bathurst Swap Meet Car and Bike Show the annual truck show at Bathurst Showgrounds will feature more than 200 market stalls, food stalls, entertainment and children’s rides.
For more information see www. bathursttruckshow.com.au or email info@ bathursttruckshow.com.au
Illawarra Convoy
November 17, 2024. Illawarra, NSW.
This year marks the 20th year of the i98FM Illawara Convoy. What started as a convoy of trucks and motorbikes in 2004 with the aim of raising $20,000 for kids and their families living with cancer has evolved into one of the biggest
fundraisers for the Illawarra and South Coast community each year. Last year’s event saw 633 bikes and 779 trucks roll out, raising $2.85 million in the process. To donate, enter or find out more, see www.illawarraconvoy.com.au
Castlemaine Rotary Truck Show
November 23-24, 2024. Castlemaine, VIC.
Held at Campbells Creek Recreation Reserve and organised by the Castlemaine Rotary Club, this year’s truck show is gearing up to be bigger and better than ever. Attendees can expect plenty of well-presented trucks on display, as well as food, a licenced bar, kids’ rides, free health checks and live music. For more information visit, rotarycastlemaine.org.au/page/truck-show
If you have an event you would like listed in our trucking Events Calendar, please email tiarna.condren@primecreative.com.au with all of the relevant details.
Warren Aitken caught all the fun of the Assen Truck Show in 2023
Last year’s Truck of the Show winner turned out
Amazing ALEXANDRA
The Alexandra Truck, Ute & Rod Show went off without a hitch once again, proving trucks really do run the country
Words | Tiarna Condren Images | Prime Creative Media
SStarting the day with a nippy breeze and gloomy front, the winding road through the Yarra Ranges had the Deals on Wheels team questioning what was in store for us.
With fog and drizzles of rain blurring our vision, we emerged on the other side to the sight of trucks and people lining up for kilometres.
Parking spots were rarer than a Lotto win, but the smell of a good ol’ sausage sizzle let us know we were in the right place.
The 27th edition of the Alexandra Truck Ute & Rod Show kicked off at 4:30am, as stallholders and vehicles were expertly guided into place by a hardy bunch of volunteers and professionals.
Shopkeepers and cafés threw open their doors early too, prepped and ready to service the 18,000 attendees making their way through the town with coffee and food galore.
“We don’t allow food trucks, so local
Nearly 18,000 people make the trek to Grant St
Jeremy Inverno proudly showed off his dad’s 1998 Kenworth T401
community groups run the food stalls,” organiser Andrew Embling says.
“Economy wise, for our little town, it’s fantastic what it does. It helps those little shops for the next six to eight weeks for the quiet times over winter.”
And boy did they deliver. The roast beef and gravy roll we got our hands on was a highlight of the day, managing to warm us up as we made the rounds.
The centre of town was a melting pot of transport fanatics, with hundreds of trucks and vehicles coming to show off.
“We registered about 320 trucks, 45 utes and 15 rods,” Embling says.
“There were trucks coming in after registrations. We stopped registrations at around 8.30am in the morning.”
Attendees were shoulder to shoulder moving through Grant St, the trucks down the middle serving as a guiding light.
There was something for everyone on the
truck side, from classic Kenworths and Macks to slick looking Volvos and old Internationals.
“There were some pretty schmick trucks here,” Embling says.
It wasn’t hard to feel overwhelmed, with even the tallest of men seeming small amongst some of the beasts entered.
“People came from everywhere. There were people there from South Australia - Riverina, New South Wales area,” he says.
“A lot of people out of Gippsland.
“I reckon we had more people out of Melbourne than we normally do.”
Young truckie Jordy Gattuso only picked up his 2024 SAR Legend the day before the show
Little Tex Eyre joined in the fun with his mini rig
A parade of
made their way down first
Axe-citing competition!
Macks
Dans Trucking’s pink fleet were a standout down the aisles
The Victorian Truck Drivers Memorial Wall on display in Alexandra
Throwing it back with this ’91 Kenworth
There’s
What’s better than black soot?
Winner of Truck of the Show, Damien Reed’s 2022 Kenworth T909
no better time for a beer than a truck show!
Rod Pilon Transport’s loaded Kenworth piloted by TruckSafe advocate Rod Hannifey was there
Dan Russo and his daughter Sadie, son Oscar and wife Jen were on hand to show people their bright pink trucks
Music and laughter boomed around the town, with the main stage hosting live music from Melbourne musician Brooke Taylor and her band The Poison Spitting Gin Queens, offering folk, blues and country style songs from her growing list of albums.
Multi-award-winning country musician Paul Costa took to the stage as well, with his renditions of old classics and his own catalogue bringing people to their feet.
The tunes were only interrupted for the charity auction, selling off chopping boards, Kenworth memorabilia and more.
“The auction raised around $19.5k,” Embling says.
“This year we are supporting our scouting group going to the Jamboree in Maryborough. We’ve guaranteed them at least $5000, but we hope to be able to give them some more.
“There are a few other smaller charities that we keep giving to as well – some of that will go back into the mental health program we’ve got going too.”
Families and kids were well looked after
throughout the day, with a kids’ corner of showbags and rides keeping even the most unsettled children entertained.
Axe men and women toughed it out for prizes of up to $500 in what’s usually the last competition of the woodchop season.
The crowd continued growing, with hundreds making their way over to Rotary Park to see the best in action.
Anticipation was high as the day drew closer to the end, with the panel of judges on the hunt for stand-out rigs.
As was expected, competition was fierce this time around, with every entry vying to take home one of the coveted trophies.
Damien Reed and his stunning 2022 Kenworth T909 ultimately claimed the top spot, taking home Truck of the Show.
In close second was Andrew James from Jamesy’s Transport with his 2023 Mack Superliner, also pinching the Under 12 months spot.
SRV Road Freight claimed Best Fleet with its display of immaculate Kenworths, while
Calleja Transport had a bunch of old rigs on display
People’s Choice winner, A Plus Towing’s 2023 Scania R620 XT
There was plenty for the kiddos in the kids’ corner
James took out two awards with his factory-fresh 2023
Andrew
Mack Superliner
‘Mr Lucky’ the 1977 Atkinson‘Karma’ the 2021 Kenworth T909
Dylan Slater took home Best Kenworth with his 1995 Kenworth T600.
As the spectacular day drew to a close, people approached the Deals on Wheels stand to share their thoughts on the event, one couple even accidentally stumbling across the show.
“We had no idea this show was even on, but isn’t it just amazing!”
“It’s great to see so many people and trucks out and about in such a small town.”
Perhaps the most entertaining part of the day was gathering on the side of the road to watch the trucks roll out on their way home.
Black soot and horns littered the air as they ushered their way home, making sure to show off one final time.
The Truck of the Show winner got an extra special send off
ALEXANDRA
It was a rough battle for Best Mack, with Cameron Calleja ultimately coming out on top with his beautiful 1976 Mack R Model.
Attendees voted Trai Hildebrand from A Plus Towing and his 2023 Scania R620 XT the People’s Choice winner, while Raymond Bedggood’s unique Peterbilt took home Best of the Rest.
Winners
Category Winner
Best Fleet
Best Log Truck
Best Specialised
Best Volvo
Best Western Star
Best Peterbilt
Best Mack
Best Kenworth
Best of the Rest
Best Tilt Tray
Best Tray Truck
Best Tipper
Best Vintage
Under 12 Months
Runner Up
People’s Choice
Truck of the Show
SRV Road Freight (Aaron Reid)
Plans are already well underway for the 28th year of the Alexandra show, with whispers that it will be even better and bigger next time around.
Embling hopes that next year he may finally be able to sneak away and take in the sights.
“I don’t leave the stage – in the 27 years I’ve been here I’ve never even seen the woodchop!”
Stuart Moloney (Moloney Logging) 2022 Kenworth T909
Modern Towing & Salvage
2022 Kenworth 610
Vince Tropeano (SVT Logistics) 2024 Volvo FH540
Joel Leech (FourMile) 1994 Western Sstar 4964F Heritage
Matt Garcie (Freestones) 1993 Peterbilt 379
Cameron Calleja 1976 Mack R Model
Dylan Slater 1995 Kenworth T600
Raymond Bedggood Peterbilt
Blake Berwick-Griggs 2014 Kenworth T359
Ben Williams 2021 Scania G450
P&E Humphrey Haulage 2023 Kenworth T909
Aaron Smith
1996 Kenworth K100G
Andrew James (Jamesys Transport) 2023 Mack Superliner
Andrew James (Jamesys Transport) 2023 Mack Superliner
Trai Hildebrand (A Plus Towing) 2023 Scania R620 XT
Damien Reed 2022 Kenworth T909
DEALS Events
Rounds MAKING THE
Deals on Wheels scoured Alexandra, eyeing up some of the rigs on show
Words: Tiarna Condren
Images: Prime Creative
Media / Michael Bransgrove
The Deals on Wheels team hightailed it over to Alexandra over the King’s Birthday long weekend, eager to chat to some of the truckies who brought their rigs to display.
From classic Kenworths to curious Peterbilts and more, there were almost too many to take in at once.
We scoured Grant St and caught up with a few truck show enthusiasts who happily travel the country to share their passion projects and working rigs.
Cruisy Kenworth
There was no shortage of Kenworths at the Alexandra Truck, Ute & Rod Show, with each one trying to knock the other out of the park.
“I spent about a month customising the whole thing.”
Working on updating the lights and stainless steel, Michael managed to pull off a lot of the customisation on his own.
“I did little bits and pieces to make it look a bit lower and longer and make it more aesthetically pleasing.
“I repainted all the chassis rail at the back, and did a bit of work with the turntable and the way it was mounted.”
Sending it off to get the cab repainted and scrolled, the Kenworth came back looking immaculate.
Michael’s whole family showed up to support his passion for trucking
With chrome, exhausts and paint jobs making your head flip left to right, Michael Bransgrove’s 2017 Kenworth T900 Legend was especially charming.
“This has always been my dream truck,” Michael says.
“Back when I started my driving career, I was always driving little Scanias and similar trucks.
“I had always seen the old 900s driving around. They were the mother of all trucks, and I knew I had to get my hands on one.”
Purchasing the rig brand new in 2017, Michael says he took it home and got to work right away.
The colours were handpicked by Michael and his children, each person pitching an idea.
“We just knew we wanted it to be different,” he says.
Back in 2017, there weren’t many trucks driving around with cream paint, so he decided on a cream, orange and black colourway that would stand out on the road.
“For me, I like the uniqueness of a truck,” he says.
“It honestly reflects your personality. It’s a way to express yourself.”
Being an owner driver, Michael says it was imperative that he loved the truck he created, as he would be driving in it all day every day.
“I still love getting up for work and I owe a
large part of that to the fact I love my truck.
“I feel very fortunate.”
This year’s Alexandra Truck, Ute & Rod Show wasn’t just an excuse to show off the rig, but the perfect place for a family reunion.
“My family live all over Australia, and my son is even living in America,” he says.
“All my kids and their partners came to the show to support me, which was really special.”
“I think that was the first time that our whole family’s been back together for over two years. I just loved every second.”
Cabover King
While big flashy Kenworths definitely catch your eye down the aisles, there’s something about a classic cabover that just can’t be beaten.
Mitch Blencowe’s 2009 K108 is the perfect example, the nostalgic look bringing back memories of time past.
The truck runs as part of Elite Cranes & Transport’s fleet, hauling portable buildings, cabins and school buildings.
You may even see it cruising along with Elite race cars strapped to the back.
Only owning the truck for the past four years, Mitch says he was lucky that not much needed to be done to it.
“It came in pretty good condition,” he says.
“We ended up rebuilding the motor and polishing everything up, but as far as major work, we haven’t done too much.”
Wanting to keep it simple and classic, Mitch says they opted out of adding extra chrome or lights.
“Everything’s pretty standard on the truck.”
The blue colourway was something Mitch says has “always been a part of the business.”
“We have just always been blue, so it makes sense to keep that tradition going.”
The paint work is complimented with
A lot of love and passion went into designing Michael’s rig
Driver James is keen to get this baby to more truck shows
DEALS Showcase
stunning gold, orange and black scrollwork that is consistent across Elite’s fleet.
Paul uses it to tow our race car trailer all over the country.
The first Peterbilt Freestone’s Transport ever imported into Australia
For such a simple rig, she would still catch some eyes on the road.
While Mitch forked out the cash for the Kenworth, it’s his driver James McBride who looks after the rig.
“James is really passionate about the truck, he’s the one always behind the wheel,” Mitch says.
“We haven’t really had the chance to take it out too many shows before, but after Alexandra, I’m sure it’ll be a continuous thing.”
Purring Peterbilt
For many, winning a trophy at Alexandra would be one of the highest honours their rig could receive.
The bragging rights alone would make the trek worth it.
For Freestone’s Transport, their dream was made a reality, with its 1993 Peterbilt 379 taking home Best Peterbilt.
Freestone’s Danny Keohane says this rig is especially special to the team, as it was the first Peterbilt they ever imported.
“We went through a stage where we imported quite a few into Australia,” Danny says.
“But this was our very first. It holds a special place.”
Bringing it over in 1995, the truck has worked day in, day out ever since.
“The truck is Paul’s, the owner of Freestone’s,” he says.
“It doesn’t work every day anymore, but
“It’s actually about to load up in Airlie Beach in a couple of weeks with some helicopters on the back.”
Needing a bit of a refresh after years of hard yakka, the truck underwent a full restoration two years ago.
The team did most of the work themselves, wrapping the tanks, upgrading the stainless work, chrome, you name it.
“We put all new trim panels in it too and worked on the chassis.”
For final touches, they sent it over to Premium Truck Refinishing for their signature mark.
“Alan does the paint for every truck in our fleet,” Danny says.
“He’s been doing it for over 30 years, we wouldn’t go anywhere else.”
Now in pristine condition, the Alexandra Truck, Ute & Rod Show was its first time at a show since the makeover.
Originally vying for best fleet with the six trucks they brought up, Danny says they were still over the moon to take home Best Peterbilt.
“It felt really good, especially because it was basically its debut show since it’s been done up.
“It was nice to get recognised for all of our hard work.”
The Freestone team won’t be giving up on Best Fleet yet though, planning to come back stronger than ever next year.
“We've got a few more surprises up our sleeve for next year.”
Musterin’
A CROWD
The first ever Mullewa Truck Muster went down a treat, with plenty of ripper rigs on show
The Mullewa Muster and Rodeo in Western Australia didn’t disappoint this year, as a brand new truck muster drew a big crowd.
Kicking off on Saturday, June 1, the event received high praise from visitors on the weekend, especially for the Truck Muster.
An impressive 27 trucks showed, a solid effort for the Muster’s first year.
Organiser of the truck muster Tahni Doble says that with lots of love shown toward these big rigs, there’s been talk of sponsorships and making the event an annual one.
“Everyone loves to see a good shiny truck. We've got Truck Centre WA wanting to come back on board next year as major sponsors. Everyone is saying that if they didn't bring their truck out this year, they’ll definitely bring it out next year,” she says.
Despite rain promising to dampen high spirits, over 3,000 people showed up to the event and not a single drop fell until well after midnight.
“Everything was all well and truly done and dusted before the rain came in. It was perfect timing,” she says.
The competition sparked excitement for attendees with three well-known locals from the Midwest trucking community judging the event.
Wiping the floor clean in the competition, Chris Firbank from AG Express in Geraldton took out four categories with all three of his trucks.
His brand-new Mack took out the Best Mack category and his stand-out Mack Superliner won Truck of the Show and Best Paint Job. His old Valueliner was also a hit, taking home Best Classic Truck.
The People’s Choice award went to a classic truck previously owned by local legend Colin Swift, who passed away a few years ago.
Swift’s children took up the challenge of
There were some flashy fleets on show at the muster
Ben Winch-Buist was chuffed with his award for Best American
Words: Tiane Gavillucci Images: Em Trainor
restoring his 1985 Western Star and their hard work attracted 400 votes to win.
Chris Firbank’s Superliner
– a special commemorative truck – was named Truck of the Show
To mark the 10th anniversary of the Mullewa Muster and Rodeo, local Carol Young was also recognised for her efforts in organising the event for the last decade.
With plenty of rodeo fun to be had, Doble says the mix of entertainment was “insane and highly popular” at the event. There was something for everyone, young and old.
“They had an Old McDonald's Farm and free pony rides, which was great, as well as kids’ activities like inflatables, a bucking bull and bouncy castles,” she says.
“Then of course the concert going late into the night, which everyone absolutely loved.
“Seeing the number of people who came and had a look at the trucks and encouraged us with amazing positive feedback….It was just a really great day.”
Winners
Truck of the Show – Chris Firbank
People’s Choice – Swift Family
Best Mack – Chris Micke
Best Kenworth – Paul Reeve
Best Western Star – Dylan Noble
Best Japanese – Lloyd Radford
Best American – Ben Winch-Buist
Best Rigid – Steve Gilbert
Best Classic 30+ – Jon Firbank
Best Paint Job – Chris Firbank
Chris Micke looking proud as punch
Chris Micke's new rig won Best Mack
600+ TRUCKS
14,000+ ATTENDEES
For over 10 years, Casino Truck Show has set the standard for events in the trucking industry. Casino Truck Show is an annual event of connecting and engaging with industry stakeholders, companies, community, and audience in worthwhile ways that enable collaboration and create history.
In just its third attempt, Coasting the Coast welcomed a bigger convoy than it has seen yet along the scenic Pacific Highway
Words: Alex Catalano
Images: Robert Walker
Expectations for the 2024 running of the Coasting the Coast convoy from Sydney’s north up to Newcastle were well and truly met over the last weekend of May with its biggest attendance yet.
The event, which sees trucks, cars, buses, motorbikes and more follow the route up the old and scenic Pacific Highway, jumped from 117 vehicles last year to more than 160.
Organiser Guy Ellis was awed by the turnout from the community all across New South Wales, with vehicles showing up from as far as Wollongong and Katoomba for the drive.
“It was so much better than I expected,” he says.
“There were some serious standouts, we had three Clippers and a Leyland bus. There were a few Diamond Ts and a couple of old Macks and Kenworths.”
Ellis was hoping for an increase in trucks on last year’s event, and he certainly got it.
“There was an increase in trucks,” he says, “about 20 per cent more than last year. We all heard an old Diamond T driving up through the cuttings, and the guy driving it said ‘I took my noisemaker!’”
While there were significantly more cars doing the journey compared to trucks, Ellis says the pure variety of vehicles on show made for incredible viewing.
“There were almost no two vehicles the same,” he says.
“I’ve never seen such a large array of different vehicles. From American stuff, Australian, English, Japanese, it was a lovely mix. Everyone’s seeing different types of vehicles and transport.”
Engagement with the community was just as strong as it had been in the past, with locals getting down to sit on the side of the road and watch the convoy pass from lookouts.
The drive took members through the local pie shop, with the final stop at the Swansea Workers Club.
“People on the side of the road were taking photos, there were families waving us on,” Ellis says.
“It helps the community businesses. We had 250 people at the Swansea Workers Club for lunch. They were very happy with that as a little club. It’s our third year there, and they love having us and we love going.”
There was a minor change in plans for the
The red rims on this classic Kenworth were a sight to see
starting time, due to the sheer number of cars that showed up.
Ellis had to send the trucks and buses off 20 minutes early to clear the way for the cars to join the convoy, but this ultimately offered more opportunity for the community around Coasting the Coast to get involved.
“We had 143 cars at the car park,” he explains.
“Luckily we had a few club members, one being only 16 years old, to park up the cars and trucks. Everyone putting in makes a huge difference.
“To see classic cars with L-plates on them, that really tickles my fancy. There was a guy in a Mini with an L-plate and a ’93 Corolla, a girl in her grandfather’s car. I just think that’s fabulous.”
Ellis was able to show off his own gear too, driving down in his 1976 ACCO hauling his 1936 Dennis Ace fire engine.
“Of all the vehicles coming up the rise, mine was working the hardest!” he laughs.
“I’ve had it for two years. I bought it off a guy
in Queensland, and it’s only got a 130,000km on it. It was a farm truck, and he put a tilt on it to move his bulldozers. It came up on the market and I thought it was perfect for me.
“It’s not very fast, but it got it done back in the day. It’s still in good condition, being a farm truck. It’s always undercover. I like the coolness of it, it’s got the looks and the big bulbar on it.”
Planning for next year’s event is now already in the works, as Ellis says 2025 will mark a special milestone for the Pacific Highway. He’d like to celebrate it as such.
“We’re looking at maybe bringing it a couple of weeks forward for 2025 to correspond with 80 years of the Hawkesbury River Bridge being open. Currently they’re restoring it. They’ll be finished by next year.”
Coming to life
Coasting the Coast was initially inspired by Crawlin’ the Hume, a similar event which sees a convoy of trucks follow the
‘Big Henry’ was spick-and-span
like most things! The idea started over a beer
(Left) Guy drove his 1976 ACCO hauling one of the oldest rigs on show: a 1936 Dennis fire engine.
(Right) Nothing makes an impression like an oldschool Kenworth cabover.
well-documented journey up the highway from Melbourne up to the New
It’s a drive which emulates the old freight route trucks would take from Sydney up the coast, and an event which combines Ellis’ love for vintage vehicles and the history of the Central Coast.
“The idea for the event started over a beer, like most things!” he laughs.
“My good friend Andrew and I started talking. We’re into cars and trucks, and he was telling me about Haulin’ the Hume from Sydney down to Yass and Crawlin’ the Hume from Melbourne to Albury.
“We thought there was a missing link between Sydney and Newcastle.”
It’s a comparatively shorter drive than other similar events, but it holds plenty of meaning for Ellis and his fellow organisers.
Ellis first moved to the coast in 1989, and worked as a firefighter for 35 years. The gradual changes and developments on the road from Sydney to Newcastle was an area of interest for him.
The famous Berowra Tollgates closed in 1988, and even since then Ellis said he’s witnessed continual change along the Pacific Highway – some for the better, some for the worse.
“It’s interesting to see how much work there was to get a road north, and the different steps along the way,” he reflects.
“The general person just hops in the car and goes to Newcastle, sitting on cruise control going 110. You think these bridges and roads are engineering feats. So much has changed between that link which would have been a two-day drive, and now it can be done in a few hours.
“It’s such a beautiful drive along the old Pacific Highway going down through Hawkesbury River and up the old bridge, up Mount White and through the towns of Gosford and Wyong and Charmhaven. It brings back so many memories.”
A classic White, for something different
Old Kenny lovers had plenty to enjoy
South Wales border.
Truckloads
OF FUN
Words: Kayla Walsh. Images: Truckspotting Ararat
The SA Truck and Ute Show went off without a hitch this year, with trucks of every make and model turning out
The South Australian Truck and Ute Show enjoyed its biggest event ever over the long weekend in June, with about 180 vehicles registered in total.
Organiser Darryl “Gus” Brooks says he was extremely pleased with the turnout, with plenty of new exhibitors coming on board this year.
“We had people coming to Mannum from all over the southeast as well as the west coast and Tasmania,” he says.
“I don’t have the total numbers but we reckon there were at least 5000 people there.
“It was our biggest show since we started 13 years ago, it was unbelievable.”
Brooks says there was a great variety of trucks on display, from Kenworths to Macks to Volvos.
“Wakefield Trucks brought up three new Western Stars and MANs, all decked out,” he says.
“Our sponsors The Truck Factory had some big tow trucks and utes, and they raised some money for cancer which was great.
“There were also some older trucks on display, like a Kenworth that was still in its original condition that was brought out of the shed for the day.”
Brooks and a friend, Neil Warhurst, came up
This Peterbilt, owned by The Truck Factory, got a lot of attention
There was a great variety of trucks on display
This Mack was quite a looker
Gericke Bulk Handling showed off some of their fleet
Truckies were green with envy over this special SAR
Hugh Simpson Transport brought this International along
Winners
Best Truck in Show
Doser Fright Forwarding
Best Runner Up in Show
Mentara Farms
Best Paint Scheme or Graphic
TML Transport
Best Tipper
Paul Jolly Earthmoving
Best Prime Mover
Craig Arthur Transport
Best Truck Over 10 Yrs
Steve Parton
Best Rigid Truck
Steven Saccoccio
Best Vintage Truck over 25 yrs
Jack Vanderlinden
Best Fleet 3 or more
Riveglade Transport
with the idea for the SA Truck and Ute Show after seeing the success of the Alexandra Truck Show in Victoria (which also takes place over the King’s Birthday weekend).
“I used to be the local garbage driver up here and Neil used to service the trucks,” he says.
“Both of us were obviously interested in trucks and having seen what they were doing in Alexandra, I thought it could work in Mannum.
“Neil put it to the council and then in 2011 we had our first truck show, run by Neil, the late Irene Lovell and a whole group of others, flying by the seat of their pants!”
Brooks says the show is a great way for truck and ute enthusiasts to show off their vehicles and celebrate the transport industry, while bringing business to the local area during low season.
“We keep the entry fee very affordable, just $10 for adults and free for under 16s,” he says.
“After everything is paid for, all the money raised at the gate goes back into the town, to keep it going until October, when the holiday season starts.”
Gerick Bulk Handling brought these flashy Macks along
The streets of Townsville were bustling on May 26, with blaring horns and flashy chrome taking over as Convoy for The Cure returned for its ninth year
Words: Tiarna Condren
Images: Robert Hiette
TFD’s eye-catching Kenworth
Nortrans’ impressive rig
With 268 trucks and a record-breaking 108 motorbikes, the ninth annual Convoy for The Cure drew plenty of attention as it rolled down Webb Drive in Townsville before hitting Duckworth St, Dalrymple Rd, Thuringowa Drive and Riverway Drive on the way to Ross Dam Park.
With expectations of possibly hitting $100,000 in fundraising, the team at Convoy for The Cure were shocked to see a whopping $150,000 raised.
Organiser Todd Martin says they couldn't have hoped for a better outcome.
"We never have a budget or a set number we really want to hit," Martin says.
"Our main goal is always just to do as much for the charity as we can.”
The convoy raises money for funding research into DIPG (Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma), an aggressive type of cancer that forms in the brainstem.
Extremely rare, the cancer almost always occurs in young children.
"Thankfully because of the generosity of others, and a few usual suspects, we were able to raise such a massive amount."
Raising almost $30,000 on their own was Northern Stevedoring Services (NSS).
The business donated $20,000 earlier in the year to kick off fundraising and added to the pot as the convoy grew closer.
The amazing fundraising effort saw NSS's 2021 Mercedes-Benz Actros lead the convoy, carrying the event banners with pride.
Alex Landel and his flashy motorbike also pulled through, raising $12-13,000 and earning himself the first ever 'Golden Helmet' award.
"It was great to see so many bikers get
involved, this was a record-breaking year for us," Martin says.
Martin says another man who deserves a shoutout is Rod Poole from Predator Signs, who generously donated his time and supplies to provide all the signage for the event.
"He specifically doesn't stick around until the end so he can avoid getting a trophy from us, but best believe I will be bringing one around to him," he says.
"He does so much for us every year."
It wasn't just the truckies and bikers
showing support, with around 18-20,000 onlookers gathering on the side streets to witness 2.8km of trucks drive past.
"An unbelievable number of kids lined the streets, it was such a sight to see," Martin says.
To get the youngsters involved, organisers even set up a mini convoy for the kids and their push bikes, with witches’ hat races and more.
Families brought out their blankets, chairs and morning tea, making a day of it.
"All of the kids were putting out their arms
It wasn’t just the trucks dressed up, with participants donning crazy costumes for the cause
Raising almost $30,000 on their own was Northern Stevedoring Services (NSS)
DEALS Events
and gesturing for the truckies to pull the horn, and of course they all obliged.
"You could hear the horns from 2-3km away."
The highest fundraisers took the streets first, leading the pack
The only dampener to the day was a few locals who complained online and to the police about the loud noise.
"It was funny, because most of the police were with us on the day, guiding us or joining
in," Martin laughs.
"One of the cops even answered a call on his bike."
The success of this year’s event has motivated Martin even more, with the 2025 dates already set.
"The thing with these kinds of events is that it is a slow build," he says. "You can't do too
AUSTRALIAN MADE
much at the start and then it just goes ballistic as you grow closer.
"This is a love job for me, I love planning and organising it and just cannot wait until next year."
The 10th anniversary of Convoy for The Cure will be held on May 25, 2025.
Martin says the Convoy is always held in
May to coincide with brain cancer awareness month, and it also happens to be when his mate lost his daughter to the disease.
"She passed away in 2009 and that is what started this whole event. It's like all the pieces of the jigsaw fell into place with the timing.
"We just can't wait to keep doing what we are doing and making it better every year."
A record-breaking 108 bikes pulled up to support
Practical measures a must for the trucking industry DEALS Opinion
As the voice of the road transport industry, NatRoad provides frank and fearless advice to the Australian Government for the benefit of our members and the industry.
Recently, we responded to the Climate Change Authority’s (CCA) 2024 issues paper on reducing carbon emissions from heavy vehicles.
While we welcome action in this area, we believe the scope of the issues paper was too limited and missed an opportunity to reduce emissions and costs in trucking.
And due to the paper’s narrow focus, we believe it failed to acknowledge the complexity and diversity of solutions required to address the unique challenges faced by the trucking industry.
This shortfall helps to highlight the need for a diverse range of technological solutions to help meet the nation’s emissions targets, while also supporting one of the nation’s moist important industries.
While electric and hydrogen fuel cell technologies are important, they alone are not sufficient to achieve the desired reductions.
Renewable diesel, which is a drop in solution for existing vehicles and offers a practical alternative that can be implemented more rapidly for vehicles with higher mass and range needs.
Additionally, improving operational efficiencies, such as optimising routes and enhancing driver training, can significantly reduce fuel consumption and emissions.
Our submission emphasises that road
NatRoad says the Climate Change Authority’s issues paper has missed an opportunity to address the decarbonisation challenges faced by the trucking industry.
Image: scharfsinn86/stock.adobe.com
freight transport, predominantly operated by small businesses, requires a cost-effective transition strategy.
Many operators work on tight margins and cannot afford to invest in expensive new technologies without substantial support.
Government policies should provide operators with various options, ensuring they can choose the best, and most practical solutions for their specific needs.
In line with our commitment to practical solutions, NatRoad has developed a new set of resources called ‘Get Fleet Fit’, designed to inform and guide Australian truck operators in how they can save money, while also contributing to the nation’s net zero emission targets.
This initiative includes a comprehensive five-step practical guide aimed at helping operators across the trucking industry increase fuel efficiency, reduce operational costs, and decrease carbon emissions.
The guide provides actionable steps operators can implement immediately, such as adopting more fuel-efficient driving practices, regularly maintaining vehicles to ensure optimal performance, and utilising technology to monitor and manage fuel consumption.
‘Get Fleet Fit’ represents the kind of diverse, practical approach necessary for the industry to effectively reduce emissions and transition towards a more sustainable future.
It underscores the importance of not just focusing on new technologies but also maximising the efficiency and sustainability of existing systems.
By providing clear, practical guidance, NatRoad aims to empower truck operators to make informed decisions that benefit both their businesses and the environment.
To explore these practical decarbonisation resources and learn more about NatRoad’s recommendations, visit our website at www. natraod.com.au. By taking advantage of these resources, truck operators can play a crucial role in helping Australia meet its emissions targets while also improving their bottom line.
Warren Clark, CEO of the National Road Transport Association
The winner of this year’s LRTAQ Young Person in Transport award shares her dreams for the future
Words: Tiane Gavillucci
Images: Lucy RC
Photography
Clarke was presented with her award at the Bull Carter’s Ball, as part of the LRTAQ conference this year
When entering the workforce, Prue Clarke never envisioned she would end up in the transport industry.
Coming from a cattle farming background, Clarke had seen plenty of trucks in her time, but it was only when her husband Alister started his own business back in 2018 that her interest in transport was piqued.
“When Alister started Gracemere Livestock Transport, I put my hand up straight away to help him out,” Clarke says.
“I knew I would be capable of handling the administration side.”
Clarke is the Administration/HR Manager for both Gracemere Livestock Transport and GB&AR Willoughby Livestock
Earlier this year, Clarke was awarded the Livestock and Rural Transporters Association of Queensland (LRTAQ) Young Person in Transport Award.
The award recognises young people (aged 35 and under) in livestock and rural transport who have contributed to the sustainability of their industry, and who display pride and professionalism in their careers.
Out of five finalists, Clarke was the only woman nominated, coming away with the Cummins-Meritor sponsored prize along with
a tour of the PACCAR manufacturing facility in Bayswater.
Prue, 31, says this achievement gave her the encouragement she needed to keep going and get more involved with LRTAQ.
“It was just receiving a lot of recognition for the hard work that I've put in over the years,” she says.
“We went from nothing, to setting up a business, and I had no idea how to handle everything, even the records side of things.”
While Clarke never set out to pick up awards, once she was nominated for the LRTAQ gong, she was determined to win.
Transport doesn’t have to be a stereotypical man’s job, and Clarke’s advice to other women is to get involved as there’s more to it than meets the eye.
“It’s not all about driving trucks – there's a lot to do on the admin side of it and with compliance as well,” she says.
Working in transport for the past six years, Clarke now has a good idea of what to expect as part of her day-to-day job.
She describes working in transport as “ever-changing” and must constantly make an effort to keep on top of everything.
“There’s a lot to keep up with, with roadworks and accidents on the road and the job changing,” she says.
So, what’s next for Prue Clarke?
She says Gracemere Livestock Transport
is trying to build itself into a very employeefriendly environment with more facilities for their drivers.
As a mother of two young children, turning two and four this year, Clarke says it’s hard to travel or do pretty much anything with two little ones keeping her hands full.
In the near future, she hopes to put together a younger group of people in the livestock .
A spokesperson for LRTAQ said Clarke stood out as a young person who understands how the livestock transport industry is likely to develop
Incoming: Kenworth with 2021 Lustec 4x4 rear steer deck widener
Upgraded refurbished Lustec dolly neck, level deck low loader, fitted with new 45,000lbs hydraulic winch on neck, as new bi fold ramps, on 9.75 X 17.50 – 10 Stud axles 100% rubber, hydraulic suspension, diesel power pack for all hydraulics (incl winch) remote control system as well as manual,12m clear level deck, widens from 2.50m to3.60m,recent sand blast &paint etc.Cannot be faulted.
Coupled to 2014 k/w Fatcab, Cummins 600 motor (120tons rating) 18 speed r/ranger KW Suspension in really smick condition. Cannot be faulted. (Motor has been recond).
Complete unit $590,000.00+GST with qld rwc./Ono. Will separate immediate delivery
Mechanic and truck restorer Andy McKenzie shares his top tips for a great truck restoration – and mistakes to avoid
Words: Kayla Walsh
Images: Andy McKenzie
Many of the truckies we interview here at Deals on Wheels have a “one day” project – a truck sitting in the corner of their shed, that they’re hoping to restore in the future.
McKenzie restored this AB180 International, named "King Arthur" after his son
“King Arthur” looking worse for wear, before the rebuild
But rebuilding a rig takes a lot of time, and truckies are busy people. These restorations often end up being put off for years – if they happen at all. That’s where Andy McKenzie comes in.
Andy McKenzie’s story
Andy McKenzie is a farmer and mechanic from Molong, NSW who restores trucks for
those who haven’t got around to it themselves, specialising in vintage Internationals, Dodges and Fords.
“I especially like Internationals,” he tells Deals on Wheels
“Dad had them on the farm when I was growing up, which is probably the main reason.
“I like that classic look.”
He started out restoring his own vehicles, until a truckie called Phil Campbell (featured in the last issu e of Deals on Wheels) asked if he’d fix up a C-Line International for him.
“I actually sold him that truck, and he asked me if I’d restore it,” he says.
“I hadn’t done any trucks up for anybody else at this point, and I wasn’t really interested - but he just kept hassling me until I agreed!”
McKenzie enjoyed the process so much he restored another International for Campbell –a D-Line this time.
He decided to hold on to Campbell’s trucks for a few months and bring them around to shows to demonstrate what he’s capable of.
Now, he has 10 restorations in total under his belt and is open to commissions.
“I’m currently doing up a 1978 Dodge D5N700 for a customer I’ve never met!” he says.
“He just saw my work on Facebook and said I was the man for the job.”
McKenzie says there is more trust involved when the customer is based far away and can’t just drop in to check on the work.
“This customer had the truck sent straight to me when he bought it, he’s never seen it apart from in pictures,” he says.
“There’s a lot of work to do on it, it’s going to be a very expensive rebuild.
“Phil was very hands-on, dropping in twice a week, but this customer has left a lot of decisions up to me.
“It’s a little bit harder this time, but I’m enjoying it.”
Top tips for a great restoration
McKenzie says going through multiple restorations has taught him some valuable lessons – from mistakes to avoid to where it’s worth spending a bit of extra money.
Start with the chrome
Chroming can take a very long time, so it’s best to get that sorted before you look at the rest of the truck.
“Before we do anything, we pull all the stuff that’s got to be chromed off and we send it away, because you might not see that again for eight months,” McKenzie says.
“Otherwise that holds everything up and
you can’t do anything in that time, you’re just waiting.
“You need to be very organised.”
Don’t cheap out on paint
McKenzie says you should never skimp on paint, because it’s the main thing that everyone notices.
“Always use good quality paint and get it done right,” he adds.
“The same goes for the signwriting – I use
McKenzie fixed up this F8000 Ford with a 180 Cummins engine
McKenzie poses with a pre-restoration Dodge
Don’t cut
It might be tempting to leave the cab on and work around it, but according to McKenzie, most restorations will come out better if you take the cab off.
“The first restoration I did, I remember telling a bloke that I wasn’t sure whether I was going to pull the cab off or leave it the way it was,” he says.
“The bloke said ‘When you catch the train to Sydney, you get off at Central – you don’t get off at Strathfield. Take the cab off and do it properly.’
“That always stuck with me, because he was right!”
Find a good supplier
McKenzie regularly deals with Fleet Parts in Toowoomba, and says their knowledge and experience is invaluable.
“Mike from Fleet Parts goes to a huge amount of trouble, organising parts and getting bits made overseas,” he says.
“Say he was looking to do a window rubber or something – he might go through ten window rubber suppliers before he finds one that can make it right.
“We can’t do this job without people like him.”
Brakes are key
McKenzie says it might seem obvious, but get every part of your brakes checked/repaired by someone who really knows what they’re doing.
“Most of the time we send our brakes away to Power Brakes in Adelaide, and we box everything up and send it to them because if we don’t, that part will fall off.
“Your brakes have got to be right.”
The Dodge is looking good thanks to McKenzie
McKenzie stripped the Dodge right back to the chassis
Saunders Signs in Boort and they do a great job.”
corners
Don’t take on too much at once
Doing more than one restoration at once can get a bit messy, McKenzie thinks.
“I’ve always said I wouldn’t do two at once because I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night!
“If you’ve got two trucks in a million pieces, you’d be wondering how you get them back together.”
Manage your budget expectations
According to McKenzie, a lot of people have unrealistic expectations around how much it costs to rebuild a truck.
“Some people think you can do it for $20k –that's not even close,” he says.
“I’ve spent about 300 hours on each restoration I’ve done, and then there’s the painter, the sandblaster, the panel beater...
“You’ve spent at least $50k on labour before you’ve bought a single part.
“The total amount is probably going to be close to six figures, so you should know that going in.”
Put on a show
McKenzie likes a classic look, but says that if you want your rig to stand out at truck shows,
you’ve got to add a little pizzazz.
“If you want everyone to stop and look at your truck, you need colour, you need chrome, you need big stacks,” he says.
“Just make sure you plan what you want before you start your restoration. There’s nothing worse than seeing a truck that’s been put together and it hasn’t been thought out.” v
Every detail has to be right!
McKenzie rebuilt this C1800 International for Phil Campbell
Truckie Damian Toms used his own life stories to inspire the incredible artwork on this rig
Words: Tiarna Condren
Images: Warren Aitken/ Damian Toms
The all black exterior stands out amongst the chromed Kenworths
I’ll be the first to admit that stainless chrome and shiny features are what my eyes often gravitate towards when looking at trucks.
Think your classic kitted-out Kenworth, the sun reflecting ever-so-brightly off some super chrome wheels.
Stunning, right?
However, my mind was recently swayed once I laid my eyes upon Auswide Transport
Solutions’ 2021 Kenworth T909.
Built to celebrate their 150th rig, the eyecatching Kenworth is dark. Black paint, black wheels, black accessories.
Far from what many would consider a classic rig.
Yet the story behind the now famous prime mover has more to do with resilience than anything else.
The unique rig has taken home its fair share of awards
The lucky man behind the wheel is Damian Toms, long-time driver for Auswide and Kenworth fanatic.
“I’ve been with Auswide for just around five years now doing general overnight express,” Toms says.
“I’m loving it. I wouldn’t go anywhere else.”
When he was approached about helping them design a new truck for their 150th, he had some strong ideas on what it should look like.
“I’ve always had big, blingy trucks and this time, I thought it would be nice to try something different.
“I suggested we go all black with some gold.”
Initially planned to be black with gold grill bars, tank straps and pin striping, that idea was promptly changed when the idea of airbrushing came up.
All was well and good until “a little more airbrushing” came up, and “maybe even a little more”.
If you haven’t peeked at the pictures yet, the Kenworth is adorned with some stunning yet controversial artwork.
“I wanted a Grim Reaper, something a bit darker and more sinister,” he says. “And I wanted it to be flipping someone off.”
A cancer survivor, Toms says this was his way of saying, “It’s not your time – piss off.”
The airbrushing turns this working truck into a work of art
The grim reaper is Toms’ way of saying it’s not his time to go yet
While the Grim Reaper takes real estate on the bonnet and back of the cab, Toms had another pitch for what to chuck on the sides.
“I’ve been driving for 24 years now, and I spent most of that doing runs up to Perth.
“The old Nullarbor holds a sentimental place in my heart, so we decided to do a bit of an Australian theme on the sides.”
Through the luscious clear coat is a stunningly painted landscape of the Nullarbor, with the Southern Cross up in the clouds.
In an effort to tie in the nature scape with the greeter of death, they chucked in some skulls and bones for good measure.
“I wanted to be able to sit there and just stare at it and get lost in the paint.”
While Toms lost out on his touches of gold on the exterior, he sure wasn’t missing out on it in the interior.
“The red and gold contrast so well with the black, it makes it pop.
“It was a no-brainer really.”
Despite the time, effort and thought that went into creating the work of art, Toms has found a lot of people aren’t fond of the stylistic choices made.
“We’ve found a lot of people like to throw out negative comments about the truck.
“Why don’t you have chrome on it? It just looks stupid.
“I always just say, if I had chrome on it or listened to you, it would look like every other truck on the road and it wouldn’t be nearly as special.”
The negativity even inspired its name, Karma.
“It’s for all of the haters that have slung shit on us over the years,” he laughs.
With driving a special truck comes the challenge of taking extra special care of it.
Toms says he doesn’t take that job lightly,
ensuring it gets washed every day.
“Every two or three weeks I’ll put it up on the hoist and give it a full detail underneath.
“I’m pedantic and anal when it comes to cleanliness, so I’ll even polish it and do the engine bay every four or five days.
“I place an immense amount of pride in that truck.”
The love and admiration for the rig is crystal clear, and we can’t imagine seeing anyone but Toms driving her around.
The interior is where Toms could add his little touch of gold
Not everyone likes the unique rig, but Toms doesn’t care
PATROL Paw
Haven’t we all wanted to take our pets with us everywhere we go?
The best of friends usually come in a fluffy form, whether that be your beloved puppy, a cat or even a bunny.
For those working in transport, the company of your best friend can often make
the long hauls and time away from home feel more bearable.
We reached out to Deals on Wheels readers who shared snaps of their besties joining them on the road.
Jim Pick’s watch dog
Sleep is better than driving for Josiah Melsom’s dog
Mylea is the happiest passenger on the road
Dion Rhino’s buddy gives the ultimate puppy dog eyes
Who would have thought Robbie Taylor’s bunny would be the perfect co-pilot?
Luke Duggan’s puppy needs their caffeine in the morning
David Johnson’s Pug co-pilot
John Edwards’ furry friend is as well maintained as that interior
When Jackson Miloschew first saw The Postman drive past the pub, he knew he had to get behind the wheel
Words: Tiarna Condren Images: Jackson Milosch
The Postman, a 2021 Kenworth T909
Miloschew, his partner Sophie Kidd and The Postman
Waiting for a parcel in the mail can be one of the most exciting yet nerve-racking times. Is it going to get here in time? Will it fit? Will you like it?
But have you ever thought about who is in charge of ensuring it gets delivered?
Jackson Miloschew is one of the men in that particular position, carting mail from Australia Post Warrnambool up to Avalon and back.
Pulling nightshifts, Miloschew leaves home at 3pm and returns at 4am five days a week – hours he admits are not ideal.
But do you know what makes it worth it?
His truck.
A 2021 Kenworth T909 aptly named ‘The Postman’, Miloschew says he knew he had to drive it the moment he saw it.
“I was sitting up at the pub on a Friday night at about 11 o’clock, and as soon as I saw it, I knew,” he says.
“I was like oh my god, I have to get behind the wheel of this truck.
“And I made it happen.”
Following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, Miloschew entered the transport industry as soon as he turned 18, obtaining his HR license.
“I’ve just always looked up to my dad and granddad, and I’ve always had a passion for trucks.
“That’s what made sense to me.”
Miloschew went on to cart grain and potatoes around the country before deciding the long-haul lifestyle just wasn’t for him.
“It’s just too much time not being at home. I don’t understand how people do it.”
Needing something simpler, he then took to Facebook and began scouring for jobs.
“This job just popped up one day and I had to have it,” he says.
The company he works for is based in Hamilton, Victoria, contracting out to AusPost.
His boss had purchased two identical Kenworths, with one doing the Hamilton run, and Miloschew doing the Warrnambool run in the other.
Starting at Warrnambool at 3pm, he travels to post offices to pick up mail at Terang, Camperdown, Colac, Birregurra and Winchelsea before ending up at the big depot in Avalon.
“I wait a couple of hours there for AusPost to sort through everything, then load back up, travel back to the post offices and end back home in Warrnambool around 4:30am,” he says.
“This has been my first night-shift job and I’ll tell you what, the first few weeks take it out of you. It’s definitely been a huge adjustment.”
Being able to drive the flashy Kenworth is one of the reasons Miloschew says the job is worth it.
Purchased brand new in 2021, the T909 had a fair number of extras put on it.
“My boss had it blinged out with roof lights. There’s like over $500 worth of lights just on the roof.
“It’s decked out with mirror lights, air cleaner lights. The trailers are even all decked out as well.”
His boss even splurged for some super chrome wheels, red lights on the back of the cab and more.
“He’s spent an easy $50,000 decking it all out.”
Considering the effort placed onto making the Kenworth as special as it is, Jackson takes an immense amount of pride in keeping it up to standard.
“Honestly, it gets a wash almost every night,” he laughs. “And a lot of polishing.”
The hard work has obviously paid off, with locals around the Warrambool area dishing out the nickname ‘The Postman’.
“People get pretty excited to see it driving around. I mean, I used to get excited when I spotted it.”
When timing permits, Jackson loves showing off his pride and joy at the truck shows, taking it to the Colac Truck & Ute Show in April.
“It’s the only one I’ve had the time to take it to yet, but I’m hoping to make it to Koroit next year.
“It’s just been awesome driving this truck, a dream come true.”
The Postman made its way to the Colac Truck & Ute Show this year
No expense has been spared in adding bling to this popular rig
Fired up
Inspired by a fire engine his dad used to own, Guy Ellis spent eight years restoring a 1936 Dennis Ace truck
Words: Kayla Walsh
The truck as it is today – what a looker! Image: Guy Ellis
A 13-year-old Ellis polishing his dad's fire truck in 1973. Image: Border Morning Mail
When Guy Ellis was just 13 years old, his dad brought home a Dennis Ace fire engine.
“As a kid who loved cars and trucks and fire engines, that was just the most amazing thing,” he remembers.
“He sold it a few years later, much to my disappointment, so I said that when I got older I was going to buy my own.”
Ellis eventually fulfilled his promise to himself, buying the same model truck in 2000 – but the process wasn’t an easy one.
“I tried to find the same one dad had, but he has passed away now and I don’t know what the fleet number was,” he says.
“The only Dennis Ace fire engine I could get was a 1936 model that was in pieces.
“It took me eight years to restore it.”
Ellis got the truck from a friend of his, who had bought it with the intention of restoring it.
“My friend purchased the truck off a fella who had purchased it off the fire brigade many years ago,” he says.
“That fella had half pulled it apart and never restored it, and my friend was never going to restore it either.
“So I swapped a truck I already had for it.”
Although the engine was running when Ellis got it, the truck required a total rebuild.
“The bodywork was totally decayed and falling off,” he says.
“When I brought it home it was just a cab chassis on a tilt tray, and the rest came home back in the ute.”
Ellis did all the work himself, having picked up some mechanical skills from his dad.
“Dad wouldn’t let me become a mechanic –he said it was too hard of a trade!
“But he taught me everything I know.”
Although Ellis didn’t become a professional mechanic, he did take after his dad in another way.
Inspired by his father’s volunteer firefighting, he joined the permanent fire brigade at the age of 19.
He went on to be a firefighter for 38 years, retiring in 2018.
His fire brigade knowledge and connections helped him to trace the history of his old fire truck.
“The fire brigade kept very good records,” he says.
“Every vehicle has a unique fleet number, which helps.”
Ellis’ truck started out in service Hurstville, Sydney in 1936, before heading over to Wellington in 1947 and then to Scone in 1962, before winding up in Murrurundi.
It went out of service in 1972, which is when it really started to fall apart.
“With these old trucks, the bodywork is just tin and wood,” Ellis explains.
“While they are being used by the fire brigade they are being kept in an engine bay or fire station.
“But when they go out of service, a lot of them are left outside.
“That’s when the rust gets to them, which
The truck in poor condition, before Ellis bought it. Image: Shane MacDonnell
Ellis got to work soon after buying the truck. Image: Guy Ellis
The body work was completed in 2006. Image: Guy Ellis
was the case with my truck.”
Bringing the fire engine home before starting the resto. Image: Guy Ellis
Sending the body off for repair and painting. Image: Guy Ellis
Putting the body back on. Image: Guy Ellis
Luckily for Ellis, one side of the truck wasn’t as badly rusted as the other, so he was able to use the good side as a template.
He also had some old photos of how the fire
The truck in service in Wellington in the '40s
The same truck, in the same place – 77 years later! Image: Guy Ellis
engine used to look, which he copied as much as possible.
“I found a colour photo of the truck when it was in service in Wellington in the 1940s, in the fire station bay,” he says.
“Then last year I actually took the truck out there for their spring festival, and I was able to reproduce the photo in the same spot, which was awesome!”
Ellis says he honed a lot of skills during the restoration process.
“You learn how to spray paint, you learn how to make tin metalwork.
“If you’ve ever mucked around with timber, you can use your basic carpentry skills, which isn’t too hard.
“You just have to take your time with it.”
Ellis is very happy with how the truck turned out. However, he says it would have been a lot easier and cheaper to buy a rig that had already been restored – or at least, hadn’t been pulled apart by somebody else.
“My advice to someone else would be never to buy a truck that somebody else has pulled apart, because it’s like a jigsaw puzzle that you haven’t got the box for!
“If someone has a truck that’s pulled apart and they tell you it’s 95 per cent complete –that usually means it’s 80 per cent complete and the other 20 per cent, you can’t get the parts.”
Ellis says restoring a fire engine is also more difficult than restoring a regular truck.
“When a fire engine comes out of service, they take the sirens and the lights and everything off them.
“Then people take the badges and stuff as souvenirs.
“They are the really hard things to track down.
“I’m still looking for a set of front hubcaps, that I haven’t been able to find anywhere!”
He says Facebook is a great source of information, whether you’re looking for parts or want to learn more about the history of a vehicle.
He recently set up his own Facebook page, Historic Fire Engines, which already has nearly 5,000 members from Australia and around the world.
“Someone might buy a truck and they don’t know anything about the history of it,” he says.
“They post in the Facebook group and within a few hours they will know what truck it is, the fleet number, and where it was in service!”
Ellis’ Dennis Ace truck isn’t the only special vehicle he has at home – he currently has five other fire engines, a 1943 Chevrolet Blitz army truck, and a “heap of cars”, from to Volkswagen Combis to Armstrong Siddeleys.
When asked exactly how many cars he has, he says it depends what time of the day it is.
“I actually don’t know the exact number, but I’ve got about 20 registrations in total at the moment.
“When I tell people how many vehicles I have they say ‘Jeez, you must have a big shed!’ followed by ‘Jeez, you must have an understanding wife!’
“And yes, I have an understanding wife – but she does have a lot of shoes.”
which was awesome I was able to reproduce the photo in the same spot
All done! The truck’s first outing in Gosford. Image: Guy Ellis
THE BIG
Picture
Former truckie Mathew Condren is currently unable to get behind the wheel – so he’s taken to drawing trucks instead
Words: Kayla Walsh
Images: Mathew Condren
Condren
When Mathew Condren was a child, he was out shopping with his mother when he made a break for it.
“About half an hour later, mum found me – I had left the shop we were in and gone to a toy shop,” he says.
“I was standing in front of the toy trucks.”
Condren’s love of trucks came partly from
his truckie uncles – who gave him his first go behind the wheel when he was 14.
“That was on private property, of course!” he adds.
“I just loved it. I knew that was what I wanted to do.”
When Condren left school, the Sydney native immediately set about making his dream a reality.
“I got a job delivering wine to restaurants and shops, for a company called Orlando Wines,” he says.
“I was there for about nine months and then I moved down to my uncle's in Ulladulla and worked in a truck yard down there.”
He stayed there for about 12 months, before moving back home to study for a Cert II in engineering.
After that, he got into refrigerated transport, working for companies like Frigmobile Australia and Scott’s Refrigerated.
He was loving life, until he got sick.
“I got an illness that meant I couldn’t drive anymore,” he says.
“I’ve had to stay home since.”
Condren has loved trucks since he was a child
hopes to get back behind the wheel soon
Frustrated by not being on the road anymore, Condren decided to put some of his other skills to use – in a way that still allowed him to be connected to trucks.
“I started drawing,” he says.
“I have done a few house plans, boats, cars – but because I love trucks so much, I mainly draw trucks.
“I have an engineering background and I’m pretty good with mathematics, so when it comes to scaling, I'll break it all down to the scales I need to draw and go from there.”
Condren has drawn trucks for a variety of different companies, including Kenworth.
“As far as I know, they framed my picture and put it in their head office,” he says.
“The last one I drew was a Kenworth T659 for a bloke called Adam Dylan who drove for Winston’s.
“At the moment, I’m working on a bicentenary Mack Superliner.”
He takes commissions for drawings via his Facebook page, MAS Trucks.
“Someone might ring up and say they just want one truck drawn, or a heavy haulage company might call me and say they want me to draw three of their trucks at the front with another three at the back.
“The second bloke is going to be charged more because that takes more time.”
A man of many talents, Condren also came up with an invention to help secure loads on log trucks.
“Back in 1988, a log fell off a truck down on the south coast and hit a car.
“The car went into the bush and people ended up in hospital.
“My uncle said I should design something for a log truck, to stop logs sliding off the back.”
Over the next three weeks, Condren designed a gate that folds up and folds down.
“Two weeks after that, they started building these things,” he says.
“You still see them on log trucks today, but I never made any money out of it!”
In the future, he’d love to have a hand in designing electric trucks.
Condren takes commissions via his Facebook page
Condren is a big fan of Kenworth trucks
DEALS People
“I’m interested in the design and aerodynamics of the new electric trucks,” he says.
Mathew's engineering study has come in handy when it comes to getting the scale right on his growing collection of truck drawings
“I’d love to have a hand in something like that.”
He’s also considering printing t-shirts featuring his designs.
“A lot of people have asked me about using my designs to put on their shirts. I have a mate that owns a printing shop, and he says he will
help me out if anything does eventuate.”
However Condren’s main goal is getting back behind the wheel, if his health allows.
“I seem to be going better than I was, but winter is coming on and that’s when I tend to feel worse,” he says.
“I have an appointment in the hospital next month, to see if I can get back driving again.
“I’d love to get back in a truck – but if I can’t, I’m happy sitting at home and drawing them.”
When you’re travelling around, what could be more comfortable than a Kenworth?
Words: Tiarna Condren
Images: Neil Maclean
The miniature cab-over sits on a SBR 722 Isuzu chassis with a 6-cylinder Isuzu motor
For many truckies, their rig is their home away from home.
Cosy sleepers, microwave, fridge…They’ve got just enough packed in to make the trips away more comfortable.
But what if you could actually make your truck a home?
Neil Maclean asked himself this question, very quickly proving that he indeed could.
A creative man, Maclean had previously dipped his toes in the world of interesting trucks back in 2000 after seeing a photograph of a mini truck in an old magazine.
Wanting a daily driver that stood out, inspiration saw him attach a S2 Kenworth cab to a C30 Chev chassis.
“I wanted to create a mini-Kenworth, something a bit different from everything else you see,” Maclean says.
A hybrid between a ute and truck, Maclean kept the cab’s original size, simply cutting down the bonnet and sleeper.
The unique rig is most often seen parked outside his business, Wagga Windscreen Doctor, garnering a fair bit of attention.
Sating his need for creative expression for a while, it took a whole decade before the itch was back, and he needed something else to create.
Enter the miniature cab-over.
Sitting on a SBR 722 Isuzu chassis with a 6-cylinder Isuzu motor, Maclean’s “little cabover” was the perfect addition to his unique fleet.
“I cut a 1980 Kenworth small cab in half, removed 30cm from the middle, and rejoined the two halves,” he says.
“And then I’ve stretched it out to make it a big, long cab, like an American cab.”
Satisfised with his rig, it took another decade before inspiration struck again.
“I wanted something else mini, and that’s when I thought a mini motorhome would be perfect,” he says.
While strategically mapping out his plan of attack for the build, he happened across one organically.
“I was fully ready to build one myself, but when I saw this, I thought it was perfect.”
But the owner wasn’t ready to hand it over so easily.
“I chased it for 12 months,” he laughs. “I made him an offer over a year ago and he just wouldn’t take it.”
Not one to take no for an answer, Maclean persisted in his pursuit, waiting four months before approaching again.
“This time he had come around, and he was ready to sell it to me.”
The original creator was an engineer in Western Australia who had built the motorhome from the ground up, using a cabover Kenworth K100 as the cab.
When he passed away, it made its way through a few owners before finally landing in Maclean’s capable hands.
“He’d done a bloody good job, but there was still a fair amount I wanted to change,” Maclean says.
Spending the better part of 12 months meticulously remodelling and rethinking, the rig is almost done.
“We put a new floor in, completely remodelled the kitchen, changed a whole heap around.
“We added solar panels to it, stone guards and more.”
The final piece of the puzzle will be re-
upholstering the interior, which Maclean will have to outsource.
“We just wanted to make it look as much like an original type of that Kenworth that we could.”
Despite the finishing touches still not being done, he’s enjoyed travelling around in the motorhome.
“I’ve been to Sydney three times in it, Adelaide and back, and Melbourne and back.
“It’s a great time.”
The motorhome uses a cabover Kenworth K100 as the cab
The newest addition to Maclean’s ‘tiny’ trucks
Crackin’
CHEVY
Reviving a truck from the 1920s takes perseverance and a whole lot of love
Words: Tiarna Condren
Images: Daniel Johnson
If you’ve ever cleaned out your grandparents’ house, you’ll know how much clutter someone can accumulate.
From old manuals to birthday cards, broken watches and more, it makes no sense to keep things around just for the sake of it.
But on the odd occasion, keeping something around could wind up being incredibly rewarding.
Daniel Johnson has been keeping a 1928 Chevrolet 1.5 tonne truck tucked up in a shed for the better part of six decades.
With a familial bond and rich history, this was one item he never wanted to part with.
“My father actually purchased it back in 1963 to use on the farm as a service vehicle,” Johnson says.
“We bought it at a clearing sale for five quid and had to drive 50 miles home with square tyres. They had been deflated for so long they were completely flat at the bottom.
“Safe to say it was a very uncomfortable drive home,” he laughs.
The Chevy was used mainly during the harvest, and the family had to place 200 gallons of water on it to make it go.
“I think it was good that we sparely used it. Not overusing it meant it preserved a lot better and lasted a lot longer than it should have.”
As the years went on and they found themselves not reaching for it as often, Johnson made the decision to retire the old rig, tucking it in to bed in a friend’s shed.
“I kept it there for a quite a while,” he says. “Years and years.”
When the bicentenary rolled around, Daniel saw it as an opportunity to bring the truck into the sunshine and fix it up.
“It thought it was the perfect time. It took me a little while to get it up and going again, finishing after the bicentenary but the thought was there,” he laughs.
Luckily for Daniel, the years in storage hadn’t done as much damage as he thought, with the rig still in pretty good shape.
Daniel and his restored rig
The Chevy back in the day, after they fixed up the tyres of course
Daniel wanted to get it looking just as it did in its prime
“The woodwork was buggered on it, but all the panels were there and there were some missing doors.”
Working with wood his whole life, Daniel started off with what he knew best.
Rebuilding the tray, cab and doors himself, Daniel says this was the easy part.
“Wood is what I do. I was able to build all of that myself.”
However, when it came to sandblasting, he needed a little helping hand, borrowing his friend’s sandblaster in Federal, NSW.
“I sandblasted the Chevy up at his place and built him a rather big shed in exchange.”
When the body was all done and dusted, he then took to painting the truck – his very first time doing so.
“I’ve worked on trucks since I was nine years old. I had a bit of knowledge that my father and other people had passed along to me so that definitely helped.”
“It turned out better than I expected,” he says.
The whole restoration took only four months, with Daniel saying he “didn’t do anything else” during that time.
“I was definitely lucky that I had all that time up my sleeve. Not a lot of people can bunker down and do it all in one go.
“But since I’m 74 and retired, it gave me something to do.”
He says the biggest difference between restoring a truck from the 1920s and a modern truck is perseverance.
“I learned a lot from the whole experience. Different skills and ways of doing things.”
Daniel used the Chevy as a work truck for a number of years before putting it on club registration and parading it at local shows.
He plans on getting a camper built for it so he can go driving around the countryside like a “silly old fat camper”.
“It does about 50kms flat out so I’ve got a long drive ahead of me.”
The restoration only took him four months to finish - but it was all he did for four months
Daniel and his friend cast an eye over their handiwork on the 1928 Chevy truck
Scrubs
At only 24 years old, Elly Stringer has found the job she wants to do for the rest of her life
Words: Tiarna Condren
Images: Elly Stringer
Stringer and her ‘pride and joy’ Kenworth K104
When the time comes to cross the stage at our high school graduation, we’re all expected to have a clear-cut idea of what comes next.
Head off to university? Do a TAFE course? Maybe an apprenticeship?
For Elly Stringer, the road initially seemed clear. Get her qualifications and head off to a hospital to be a nurse.
With her mother working as a nurse, Stringer always admired the work they did and thought it could be the best fit for her.
“It was just always the plan. So I headed off, got my qualifications and started working right away.”
Yet it wasn’t long after she started working in the field that another side of her started rumbling underneath the surface.
Her father was a farmer and she had spent
much of her life working out on the property with him.
While they didn’t have big Kenworths or Macks, she says she always enjoyed trapsing around in the little rigids they had.
“I’ve always loved trucks. Even the small rigids we had. There was something about them that excited me,” she says.
The curiosity grew even stronger when the bigger rigs starting to come in and pick up their sheep.
“Dad always got really excited when they would come and that boosted my excitement more.
“We would always go outside and get pictures of them loading up.”
The thought of driving trucks had always been in the back of her mind, even while she
was studying, but it wasn’t until one of her friends started driving that she really got invested.
“I started doing a bit of two-up with them, just keeping them company on the road,” she says.
“Then I got obsessed.”
After six months working as a nurse, she thought she could “scratch the trucking itch” by taking a little time off and working through harvest.
“I got my medium rigid license and started carting some grain.
“I genuinely thought I’d only do it for a little while, then go straight back to nursing.
“But it seems I never left,” she laughs.
Elly now has her MC license and is driving for SimHaul Transport out of Cobram.
“I mainly cart grain into dairy farms,” she says.
“I do a lot of work around Cobram, then head up to Corryong and over to Swan Hill. I occasionally head to Melbourne and Geelong but it’s usually more local.”
She’s most often seen driving her Kenworth K104, decked out in the SimHaul classic orange and white.
“I’m really proud of my truck, I love it.”
She says she has hit the jackpot working with SimHaul, working mainly Monday to Friday, but it’s the people that have made the experience amazing.
Being a woman in the industry, she has heard stories of how they haven’t been taken seriously by other drivers and industry workers.
“I am so lucky that I have a great support network at SimHaul,” she says.
“I’ve learnt so much and the people I work with have always been really willing to lend a hand or walk me through how something works.
“There’s definitely been some challenges, and they’ll still call me out if I’m being an idiot, but I’ve just had such a great experience.”
The only downside she can even think of is the number of times she has gotten bogged.
At only 24 years old, Stringer can’t believe she has already figured out what she wants to do for the rest of her life.
“I think I truly have the best job in Australia, if not in the world.
“I absolutely love my job. I would never, ever go back nursing.”
She urges other women who have ever thought about driving to give it a go, saying it is a fantastic career.
“There is so much opportunity for growth,” she says.
“There’s nothing more exciting than meeting other women in the industry and I really urge more women to just jump in and get behind the wheel.”
She mainly carts grain around the Cobram area
Time to unload!
DEALS Showcase
MOBILE
Mancave
If you’ve ever fancied the idea of taking your mancave on the road, this just might be the truck of your dreams
Words: Alex Catalano
The soon-to-be-red Freightliner prime mover parked up at Alexandr. Image: Alex Catalano
The Alexandra Truck, Ute and Rod Show attracts new and interested truck fans and onlookers year on year. This year, it was to the tune of 18,000 spectators.
But the backbone of the show are the people who attend year in, year out. One of those people is Chris Walker, who runs Custom Classics Mancaves, a small business selling motoring and truck memorabilia out of the back of his truck alongside partner Vicki which he runs while he’s not driving locally around Melbourne on freight deliveries.
The 2008 Freightliner which tows the bright red (unmissable, mind you) trailer was parked with plenty of room for collectors to get as good of a look as possible for the next addition to their mancave.
But the trailer, fully carpeted and decked out with flashing neon signs from wall to wall, was only a recent addition to the business out of necessity.
“I’ve been doing Custom Classics for 17 years,” Walker explains.
“We had a small trailer, a 20-footer. I did my back in and I couldn’t do it anymore that way.
But I still wanted to do it, so I ended up getting the trailer.”
Walker started out as a motoring nut himself, which inspired the drive to jump into and expand the business side of his interest.
“It started off as a hobby. I’ve always been into memorabilia. I always know what people want because I’m right into it myself,” he says.
“Most of the stuff I have on sale in there is made in Australia. Hardly anything is imported. I try to have stuff that other people don’t.
“I could go to a show and there could be four other people selling signs, but they’re all imported.
“We used to have a small setup. I always wanted to have a trailer and do it up, and now it’s the only mobile mancave in Australia.
“I had a mate of mine who’s done all the artwork. Now I’ve got light up signs and tin signs in the trailer.”
Getting out and about
Getting the truck on the road gives Walker the opportunity to do more than just get the
business out here. He also gets to engage in one of his other favourite hobbies – attending motoring shows.
Alexandra is one of the highlights of the calendar, having attended every year for the last decade.
But go to any truck or motoring event across Victoria, and you’ll more than likely be able to spot the mobile mancave somewhere in the crowd.
“The main thing I love to do is a lot of hot rod shows,” Walker says.
“We’ve got the Hot Road Nationals coming up next year. We do Queenscliff and all those shows. I just did the Colac Truck Show a couple of months ago.
“I’m planning to do Castlemaine next year as well. It’s a good show. The people who organise it do a really good job.
“For Alexandra, I know Gordon Simpson personally, one of the organisers.
“But it’s not just doing the shows, we get a whole weekend out of it. In Queenscliff for the Hot Rod Show for example, we get down there Saturday and set up.
Signs for your mancave, whether you’re a fan of bulldogs, bikes or the King. Image: Alex Catalano
Custom embroidery certainly catches the eye. Image: Alex Catalano
Chris shows off his love of classic rods on the trailer’s walls. Image: Custom Classics Mancaves
DEALS Showcase
Inside is pure trucking paradise. Image: Custom Classics Mancaves
“They block the main street off for the cruise night, so it’s a bit of a party night. Then Sunday we do the show. We do that for a lot of shows. We’ve got Euroa coming up very shortly.”
Customising the mancave
Part of the appeal of the trailer itself is how it looks – especially on the inside.
The outside catches the eye first and foremost, with an unmissable hot road mural on the left-hand side and embroidery on the back and front.
But when Walker came across it, almost by fate, he knew it needed more work to look as appealing as possible.
“It’s an ex-mobile library. It’s all been painted up and we had it wrapped,” he says.
“We’ve decked it out on the whole of the inside. A friend of mine had it. I said I wouldn’t mind buying it. He said pay however you want, I’ll give it to you in three months time. That was just before COVID.”
With his career on the road winding down as he starts to look at retirement at the end of this year, Walker wants to make the mancave his focus.
This includes more work to the trailer, opening it up, and giving the prime mover a paint job once it retires from working truck duties.
“There’s still a lot more I want to do to it. I want to cut the whole front and left-hand side out and open it up so you can see the stuff from the outside,” he explains.
“At night-time we’ll have a projection screen we can pull down so we can show a movie on it. Then we can sit around and have a drink and still have the trailer open.
“I’m just going to stay with the memorabilia once I retire. I’m hoping to start doing some interstate shows next year and expanding beyond Victoria.”
The wall of clocks. Image: Custom Classics Mancaves
started as a way to kill time for Bernie Tobin has turned into a museum of his very own
Words: Tiarna Condren Images: Bernie Tobin
Throwing it back with this 1925 T model Ford
The 1956 Mack LTL is secretly Bernie’s favourite
One of the most exciting parts of a truck show is wandering down the aisles and seeing trucks from all walks of life.
There will no doubt be a brand new kittedout Kenworth, an old rusted Acco, perhaps even a vintage Mack to feast your eyes upon.
Bernie Tobin, however, doesn’t need to leave his property to peek at these gems — for he has plenty parked right at his front door.
As the founder of Queensland-based transport company Followmont back in 1984, Tobin has spent most of his life around trucks.
“I worked there for years full-time before my
sons took over from me in 2016 and I semiretired,” he says.
Needing to scratch that trucking itch while he had some more time up his sleeve, he turned to a long-time interest of his.
“I was brought up around old machinery and old vehicles,” he says.
“The old engineering and craftsmanship back in the day was just brilliant. You don’t see stuff made like that anymore.”
“A lot of it was well before its time.”
It didn’t take long before this new-found influx of time was taken up by restorations.
“Honestly, I just don’t like to see that stuff deteriorate. I’d rather spend the time and money in fixing them up.”
And boy, did he start fixing.
Before long, Tobin’s shed and yard was overflowing with finished and ongoing restos.
Attempting to list them off the top of his head, Tobin told Deals on Wheels he currently has a 1985 W model 900 Kenworth, 1981 Mack Super-Liner and 1976 R700 Mack.
Then there’s the 1956 customised LTL Mack, 1968 Autocar with big rock body, 1964 Autocar, 1972 Diamond Reo, 1926 republic truck with solid tyres, 1923 Albion, 1923
Studebaker and a T-Model Ford to finish it off.
When word started to get around of Bernie’s expertise and passion, he was surprised people began contacting him about old projects they thought he should complete.
“People started messaging me on Facebook saying, ‘oh we know you’ve got an interest in these; you should fix this one up,’” he says.
“So I never really had to spend the time tracking any down, honestly I spent a lot of time turning these projects down because there were so many.”
A 1964 Autocar that he fixed up
Yet another Autocar, this one a 1968 model
This 1974 Mack R700 is as sturdy as she looks
1964 was a good year for trucks, this Mack B87 proving the point
The 1964 Autocar before Bernie got his hands on it
Imagining driving around in this 1923 Studebaker
This 1926 Republic would make the perfect background prop in an historical drama
You can’t go wrong with a 1984 Mack Superliner
The Mean Machine back in 2022 looking worse for year
While Bernie says he doesn’t usually do favourites, the 1956 customised LTL Mack is secretly his number one.
“It’s just a lovely old truck with so much character,” he says.
“They were never sold in Australia,” he says. “They were designed for America, to run up the East Coast with all the snow and ice.”
“It’s got a big, long bonnet and forward control, it’s just such an interesting truck.”
One of Tobin’s most recent ventures was the highly anticipated restoration of The Mean Machine.
The B Model Mack race truck was previously owned by Billy Gordon for well
over 50 years, spending 40 of them wasting away in a paddock.
“It was a bit of an icon at the time, but it was in need of some desperate help.”
As with many of his other projects, Tobin had been approached time and time again by people urging him to step up to the challenge.
“When I finally went to go ask about it, I promised them I would restore it back to the way it was, no ifs or buts. That was why they sold it to me,” he says.
“I said I would restore it to its former glory.”
After two years Tobin upheld his promise, restoring it to look even better than it had in its prime.
“When I got it, it was in such a bad state of disrepair. The whole thing was just a rust bucket.”
“I had to strip every nut and bolt, the chassis, rail, everything.”
The iconic Mean Machine was recently on display at the Heritage Truck Association Truck Show in Rocklea, Queensland, in its first major outing since being restored.
“People were definitely excited to see it up and running again,” he says.
Since catching the resto bug, Tobin enjoys spending some of his time at truck shows, even hosting one of his very own at his property.
“I hosted one here for the Heritage Truck Show back in October last year.
“There was quite a round up. People brought down their trucks and we all just chatted over morning tea and lunch.
“It’s nice to be involved in something like that.”
The rig now draws a crowd wherever it goes
Switching it up to blue, check out this 1974 Diamond Reo He didn’t forget about the Kenworths, this 1985 W125 model turning heads
Mack trident, ch, chr, new breed cab shells new Freightliner argosy, century class Cat ct-630, ct-610 Westernstar 4800 International 7600 new shell & doors
$48,000 + GST exchange on Special until EOFY or Stocks Last. Block Work, Pistons & Sleeves, Cylinder Head, Turbo, Camshafts, Injectors, Water Pump, Oil Pump all done. 12 Months Parts Warranty and 6 Months Labour.
Cummins ISX 475 Engine Second Hand Engine.
$22,000 + GST exchange on Special Until EOFY. Good Oil Pressure, Ran Good. 60 Days Return to Base Warranty.
Cummins Signature Gen 2 Second Hand Engine
$25,000 + GST exchange. Good Oil Pressure, Ran Good. 60 Days Return to Base Warranty.
Cummins ISX Signature EGR Engine. $52,000 + GST Exchange on special until EOFY or Stocks
Specialists in CAT and Cummins Engines also carrying parts for all American Truck Brands and Road Ranger Gearboxes. Rebuilt and Second Hand Options Available. Warranty with all second hand and rebuilt engines.
CAT C-15 Rebuild (6NZ or 9NZ Prefix) $48,000 + GST exchange on Special Until EOFY or While Stocks Last. (Block Work, Pistons/Sleeves, Cyl Head, Injectors, Turbo, Camshaft, Rocker Gear, Water Pump, Oil Pump). 12 Months Parts Warranty, 6 Months
Return to Base Labour. 550 HP Spec.
CAT C13 Engine (KCB Prefix) $25,000 + GST exchange. Second hand engine with 600,000km on it. Runs good with good oil pressure. 60 Days Return to Base Warranty. 470 HP Spec.
CAT C15 Acert Engine (NXS Prefix) $26,000 + GST exchange. Second hand engine. Has had a bearing roll (mains and big ends). 60 Days Return to Base Warranty. 550 HP Spec.
Road Ranger Gearboxes Reconditioned and Second Hand.
All genuine Eaton Parts in reconditioned boxes. Various models available including 16718B, 16918B, 18918B, 20918B, 22918B. Call for pricing and availability of your preference.
PRENTICE7,000KGSWL forklifttruckramps (8)topickfrom.Ideal for shippingcontainers. Forsaleorhire.R3274. TA96974. $12,000+GST=$13,200ForSaleorHire
Sprightly unit
Appropriate repair of cracks and checking of corrosion will help ensure longevity of equipment.
Image: Stephen Coburn/ Shutterstock
In the first of our series on forklift maintenance and safety, we look at cracking and corrosion in older equipment.
Speaking at the Workplace Health and Safety Show in May, Crown Equipment general manager – product development Mike Croxford said metal fatigue can be caused by either the machine’s age or wear and tear caused by its operating environment.
“The first sign of metal fatigue is usually you get cracks that start to grow in welds and welds in structural areas, and they would tend to be on your mast mounts, your drivetrain mounts in your chassis, and can be in other areas that are loaded depending on the types of fork trucks,” he said.
“Typically, if you have a cracked weld, it may be feasible to repair it, and usually that repair would involve grinding the weld out and providing a preparation so you can do a full penetration weld to get the original strength back in the structural joint.”
Repairing a crack in this way is usually feasible if the crack remains solely within a weld, he said.
“Where you have a crack that’s penetrated through the parent metal that the weld is supporting, that’s when you need to have a structural assessment,” he said.
It may be possible to stop a crack in the parent metal by using a method like the “end drill” method, where a hole is drilled through the parent metal at the end (or tip) of the crack.
“However a crack can be fatal [for the equipment] if it’s penetrated into the system so far that you cannot make a repair where you can guarantee the safety of the equipment.”
These include protective structures like overhead guards, which can never have the integrity of the original when repaired – as the standard to which they are tested is a destructive one that cannot be replicated.
“What we usually recommend with customers when they are looking at
the condition of older equipment is to clean down the truck, remove the paint and do an initial inspection of the weld through something like a dye penetrant test to identify any infantile cracks or any surface cracks,” he said.
“If you find cracks, it’s worthwhile to follow that up with a more rigorous approach, whether it be through a mag particle test, through an X ray or something similar, where you can see the depth of penetration of cracks.”
Croxford said when these issues are found the best first step is to consult the manufacturer, or if they no longer exist, a structural engineer.
Assessing levels of corrosion on the vehicle, as well as what types of treatments might be available, is also key to safe operation, he added.
“It may be that you need to talk to a corrosion expert about how you can mitigate further corrosion, and if you can do any treatments to repair where there’s significant corrosion,” he said.
Moving parts such as lift chains and mast tilting systems were also prone to corrosion – needing lubricant to get into pins and threaded connections.
“If they’re not maintained correctly, they will rust and get frozen joints. Some manufacturers will provide rubber boots that will protect the tilt cylinders, and I would encourage you, if they’re available, to fit those.”
Where equipment sits unused for long stretches, careful storage is key to ensuring they remain in good condition, Croxford added.
“Some things to consider are if you need to put it up on chocks so that you don’t get flat spots and damage to your wheels, if you need to flush and replace all the fluids in the truck, if you need to grease all the chains and the slides to prevent incidental corrosion while it’s stored. Consideration should also be given to the battery,” he said.
Plant & Equipment
The amber-coloured lights are also designed to resist interference from cockatoos.Image: Vailo
Forever amber
Wildlife friendly lighting makes debut
Australian lighting manufacturer Vailo has launched an amber variant of its flagship Zenith Gen-V stadium light, for use in areas with sensitive ecosystems.
Vailo engineering and production manager Phil McKenzie says the PC Amber variant will help to minimise the impact of LED lighting on wildlife behaviour and circadian rhythms.
The lights will also meet the illumination needs of humans while, with a different light source at 1,000 watts, it will be less attractive to insects than lights with a blue-rich spectrum.
“PC Amber LEDs contribute to biodiversity conservation and sustainable ecosystem management in wildlife-sensitive areas by eliminating blue light while maintaining a broad spectrum of emitted light for effective outdoor area illumination for human use,” McKenzie said.
The luminaire retains other features of the Zenith Gen-V, including internally-wired components resistant to cockatoo interference, a tempered glass lens with UV protection and an IK09 impact rating, specialised optics, a lightweight design and a powder-coated finish.
VAILO CEO and Founder Aaron Hickmann said the company was excited to launch the new product, which he said had been developed for the Australian lifestyle.
“The Zenith Gen-V PC Amber is a high-performance floodlight suitable for sports fields, roads and tunnels, mining areas, airports and more. We look forward to seeing it installed across the country,” he said.
