Transport & Trucking Australia issue 116 web magazine

www.truckandbus.net.au $8.95 incl. GST Issue 116 September/October 2017

ROCK AND ROLL

MACK FLEET DELIVERING FOR INFRASTRUCTURE BOOM ATLANTA TRUCK SHOW CANTER RAIL TRUCK KENWORTH DELIVERS SUNRAYSIA

- MERCEDES ACTROS PLANTS THE SEED

NEW ISUZU N SERIES WITH TORQUE

THE TRUCK FO

NEW ISUZU N SERIES

models* that can be driven on a car licence

This latest TC-AMT has been designed for Australian

THE INTELLIGENT TRUCK

now feature a new Torque Convertor

driving conditions, incorporating revised gear ratios

Automated Manual Transmission (TC-AMT),

and a kick-down control switch on the accelerator

Just because you need a truck doesn’t

making them a whole lot more responsive

which means when you put your foot down, the truck

mean that you want to feel like you’re

and sharper off the mark. In fact, you could

automatically selects a lower gear for more controlled

driving one. So most of Isuzu’s new N Series

forget you’re driving a truck at all.

exits from roundabouts, corners and intersections.

*Most NLR, NNR models up to 4,500kgs GVM. #Available most models. F•S•A/ISZ11098

CONVERTER AMT.

R EVERYBODY.

The other advantage of the AMT is that while

comes standard with Isuzu’s Digital Audio Visual

To find out more about the new N Series, head to

it’s still a two pedal operation you can choose to

Equipment (DAVE) unit, ready for sat-nav and telematics

isuzu.com.au or visit your nearest Isuzu Truck Dealer.

shift gears manually or drive it like an automatic,

at extra cost. And to keep you safe, there’s four-wheel

offering both good fuel economy and reduced

disc brakes#, side intrusion bars, driver and passenger

maintenance costs.

airbags and Isuzu Electronic Stability Control (IESC)#.

The smarts don’t end there, though. The N Series

So now your choice of new truck is too easy!

CONTENTS CONTACT DETAILS

FEATURES

PO Box 7046 Warringah Mall NSW 2100

14 GRAPE ESCAPE

www.truckandbus.net.au admin@truckandbus.net.au Enquiries 02 9938 6408 Follow us on Twitter #truckandbusnews Follow us on Facebook at Truck and Bus Australia

Publisher Jon Thomson admin@truckandbus.net.au Editor in Chief Allan Whiting nofibspublishing@bigpond.com Art Director Fiona Meadows kududesign.com.au Advertising Sales Zara Kilfeather Mob: 0404 883 249 zara@motozedmedia.com.au Editorial Contributors Barry Flanagan, Mark Bean, Glenn Torrens, Peter Barnwell

The Cordoma family has been in the fresh produce transportation caper for nearly four decades and now under the stewardship of Vince Cordoma a fleet of Cummins powered Kennies are handling the task.

TTA took a look at the fleet and how they’re handling the task.

20 ROCK STARS

A company that is riding the swell generated by the ‘Sydney Building Boom’ is Bedrock Quarry Products and Bulk Transport, carting essential quarry material to building and constructing sites around the city and state. TTA recently visited the company to get the lowdown on its all Mack fleet.

26 A GROWING CONCERN

There are few loads more delicate than vegetable seedlings and Withcott Seedlings, delivers 350 million of them every year across the eastern states with great care to maintain high plant quality for its customers.

We dropped into the company’s HQ in Withcott near Toowoomba to get the lowdown on this growing concern.

32 TELL ME, TELL ME

Today, you’re not in the trucking business if you don’t have a telematics package and that applies to those running trucks as well as to those supplying them and even for oil companies who are getting in on the action.

Editor Allan Whiting has taken some time to look at the telematics landscape and summarises the latest situation advising that change can be expected on almost a weekly basis as the technology races ahead.

38 GEORGIA ON MY MIND

While we are moving to one truck show every two years in the massive US truck market the emergence of a new major truck show in Atlanta this year saw a lot of truck makers commit to displaying at an expo TTA takes a look at the first North American Commercial Vehicle Show in Atlanta and what was revealed there.

44 SECRET TRUCK BUSINESS

The task of supplying back up and support for the Australian Defence Force as it trains and prepares in some of the harshest conditions is not an easy one and for one Townsville based company charged with high tech electronic tasks for the ADF it means it needs trucks that will literally go anywhere. TTA looks at Cubic Defence and its go anywhere FTS Isuzu, although we can’t tell you exactly what they do for the Forces, if we did we might have to kill you!

50 BACK ON TRACK

A special Road Rail Conversion on a Fuso Canter FG 4x4 is nothing out of the ordinary with many operating on railways around the country but one particular Canter conversion running on an historic railway in a remote corner of Tasmania was too good a story to ignore.

56 LCV: ISUZU D-MAX – WELL SMART

Isuzu Ute’s D Max has been gaining sales momentum in recent times and becoming more and more popular. it is a solid performer that has its own charms and is seriously good off road. We took one for a spin recently and came away impressed with the improved package.

Transport & Trucking Australia is published under licence by Transport Publishing Australia. and is distributed to road transport professionals, fleets, business professionals and the industry throughout Australia.

All material contained herein including text, photography, design elements and format are copyright and cannot be reproduced by any means without the written permission of the publisher. Grayhaze Pty.Ltd. is a member of the Copyright Agency Limited (1800 066 844).

Editorial contributions are welcome for consideration. Contact the Editor or Publisher for guidelines, fees and level of interest.

All unsolicited manuscripts must be accompanied by a stamp, addressed envelope for their return. We will not be held responsible for material supplied electronically.

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Single copy price $8.95 incl. GST

60 COMPANY CAR: FORD FOCUS RS

We slip behind the wheel of Ford’s snappy little Focus sports sedan, the Focus RS for the time of his life in what is a superb hot hatch.

26

50

DEPARTMENTS 04 BACK TRACKS

Musings from the Editor

06 HIGHWAY 1

News and info from all over

64 MONEY

Paul’s latest advice on finances

hino.com.au

DRIVEN TO DO MORE FOR YOU.

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INTRODUCING HINO

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ALLAN WHITING LOCAL MANUFACTURING

T

his issue of T&TA Magazine hits the newsstands at the same time as the plug is finally pulled on the Australian passenger car manufacturing industry. The Government drip-feed has been cut off at last.

Before cocky Hockey showed the Big Three that the Abbott Government didn’t care whether they stayed or went, Australia’s car industry received $1.5 billion over the four years of the RuddGillard-Rudd shambles.

That may seem like a lot of money, but that level of subsidisation was typical of what previous governments had put into the car business. The car industry employed directly and indirectly an estimated one million Aussies and governments like jobs, jobs and more jobs.

However that $400 million annually was chicken feed, compared with some Australian Government subsidies.

One of those subsidies is the Fuel Tax Credit Scheme that’s worth more than $5 billion per year. Companies that use diesel for transport on non-public roads do not pay fuel excise tax. Originally the subsidy was for the benefit of primary producers but the biggest beneficiary is now the mining industry.

Subsidies are the name of the game in the global vehicle manufacturing business.

Every country puts government money into its vehicle businesses, either in direct subsidies, or as tax concessions and import duties on imported competitors.

We grey-haired motoring journos watched the Australian car manufacturing business lurch towards destruction for many years.

We’ve met many of the CEOs that ran these businesses and most of them weren’t very bright.

An example was their inability to react to the rise of 4WD utes and SUVs. It was obvious to many scribes that the public wanted these capable working and recreational vehicles and Australia was the obvious place to build them, for local consumption and export.

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The advantage of these vehicle types for a relatively small-volume producer like Australia is the fact that they have longer model cycles than passenger cars that typically are upgraded every year. R&D and tooling costs are much lower than for passenger cars.

An entrepreneurial Tasmanian showed Holden what could be done with the Kingswood as a 4WD; Ford fumbled around with the F100 diesel ute, then finally got it right – too late – with the Territory; Mitsubishi wasted its time producing a Magna sedan 4WD; and Toyota could have made the HiLux here, instead of in Thailand.

That’s all water under bridge now and, fortunately, there’s still Australian truck manufacturing. International Harvester – now Iveco – had been producing trucks in Australia since 1952.

Interestingly, Kenworth, Volvo/ Mack and Iveco partially manufacture and assemble trucks in Melbourne and Brisbane, without a cent of government subsidy. Their annual sales exceed more than half the number of new heavy trucks registered in Australia, showing what many local buyers prefer.

Obviously, these global makers don’t get involved in local manufacture for its own sake: they produce trucks that are optimised for Australian operators with much shorter lead times than for those truck marketers who rely on imported products.

They’re also produced at prices that are competitive with imported vehicles,

showing that local manufacture needn’t mean higher costs.

The automotive business is entering the era of electrification, so there may well be room for local manufacture of radically different zero-emission cars and light commercials in the future.

In this issue we visit the new IAA Truck Show recently staged in Atlanta and all that presented to the US truck industry, we look closely at a Mack fleet which is embracing PBS to build efficiency and reduce costs in the quarry supply business. Similarly we visit a Mercedes fleet using the new Actros to deliver seedlings all over the country and there is also my latest analysis of the current state of play in the important Telematics arena.

There are also a couple of fascinating fleet stories one on a Sunraysia based Kenworth operation carting grapes and other produce around the country and also an Isuzu fleet of a company servicing a major Australian Defence Force contract.

Finally a visually stunning story in the wilds of Tasmania where a Fuso Canter has been equipped to keep the famous West Coast Wilderness Railway open and safe.

All that and a whole lot more in this issue of Transport & Trucking, so enjoy the read and see you next time with all the lowdown on the Tokyo Motor Show and Fuso’s new eCanter as well as Hino’s new 300 4x4 and UD’s new Quon so stay tuned.

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ALL THE LATEST NEWS AN

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SCANIA-SPIONAGE. SPY SHOTS SURFACE OF

NEW SWEDE ON AUSSIE ROADS

VERSIONS OF SCANIA’S new generation heavy duty trucks have been spotted being tested on Australian roads.

Truck and Bus News has received photos of the New Truck Generation Scania prime movers identified in Australia fitted with Victoria number plates.

Several vehicles have apparently been seen hauling B-double and single trailers between Adelaide and Melbourne as well as Sydney and Melbourne.

The trucks are believed to include an R 620 V8, G 500 and G 450 models.

The Scanias were undisguised, which by our thinking is a smarter strategy tan adding messy camouflage that only attracts more attention to the vehicle.

The truck is fitted with what appears to be a locally-supplied chromed bull bar.

If you’ve seen any of the new gen Scanias on the highway we would appreciate your reports and any photos.

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Scania’s new gen prime movers snapped on Aussie roads last week and featured in Truck e News has been photographed again and the images sent to us by some keen eyed truck watchers apparently.

The photo we were sent features a G 500, which according to info from Europe is the new six-cylinder of the new Scania range and the most powerful of that configuration boasting 500hp with 2550 Nm. It was apparently accompanied by a new gen G 480 which according to our sources, the trucks were running at 60-tonnes GVM, which is pushing the envelope for a 500hp truck .

Again fitted with local bull bars the vehicle appears to be fitted with radar cruise control and advanced emergency braking, lane departure warning and a highly experienced driver behind the wheel. Send them to admin@truckandbus.com.au

HINO GOES BIG IN THE USA

HINO HAS ANNOUNCED a massive investment plan to strengthen its U.S. operations with the introduction of a new truck line and new manufacturing facilities.

At a press conference this week, Hino announced its plan to build a new truck assembly plant in Mineral Wells, West Virginia, close to its current plant.

The new plant, planned to be operational in early 2019, will also house cab assembly, an operation currently handled in Japan.

“The new plant, which is four times the size of our current plant, will allow us to combine several assembly operations under one roof which will provide significant efficiency gains”

said Hino Motors Manufacturing U.S.A. President, Takashi Ono. The total investment to the new plant will be approximately $US100 million, creating about 250 new jobs in early 2020 over a two-shift operation.

In addition to producing Hino’s current line up of conventional trucks, the new truck assembly plant in West Virginia will produce a new line of heavier Class 7 and 8 trucks which Hino plans to introduce in 2019.

The truck will be powered by Hino’s latest A09, 9-litre engine. Launched in the Hino 500 here in Australia earlier this year, the Hino A09 engine will have a horsepower range from 300-360 HP.

Hino is planning a public reveal of the new truck at next years’ NTEA Work Truck Show in the USA. “These are truly exciting times for Hino in the U.S. Our growth and customer acceptance in the Class 4-7 market are enabling us to introduce wider variety of products” stated Yoshinori Noguchi, CEO of Hino North America.

As part of Hino’s growth plan, Hino broke ground last month on a new state of the art corporate office in Novi, Michigan. Hino is consolidating all operations in its new corporate headquarters, including sales, marketing, service, engineering, purchasing and manufacturing.

Hino’s Insight Diagnostic Center, which monitors vehicle performance and uptime for all Hino trucks equipped with Insight, will also operate out of the Novi headquarters.

During the ground breaking ceremony, Noguchi said, “Today’s ground breaking not only signifies Hino’s growth in the U.S., but also a new beginning for our operations in the U.S. within our new U.S. headquarters. In that spirit, we are excited to break ground on our new office and collectively work together as one Hino U.S. team.” Investment in the new state of the art corporate office, which consolidates all the operations, totals $20 million.

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ISUZU TRADE PACK BACK ON THE TOOLS ISUZU ANNOUNCED that every person purchasing an Isuzu ‘Ready to Work’ Tradepack, Servicepack or Traypack truck during October and November this year will also receive $1,000 worth of heavy duty Milwaukee power tools at no extra cost.

IAL national sales manager, Les Spaltman, said Australian truck buyers had embraced Isuzu’s Ready to Work range because it lived up to its title, and the upcoming tool giveaway would be an additional incentive for light truck buyers looking for a fit-forpurpose workhorse.

“The Ready to Work pre-bodied trucks are a smart solution for business owners serious about getting an efficient, economic and reliable light truck. Which is why the idea of running this tool program with Milwaukee made perfect sense,” Mr Spaltman said.

“Throwing in some serious power tools with these Traypacks, Tradepacks and Servicepacks is a great way to help Australian tradies who are serious about their work,” Mr Spaltman said.

“Every Isuzu truck is built to deliver application-specific functionality and outstanding dependability, and Milwaukee’s similar approach when manufacturing their tools means tradies who take up this promotion will be well equipped with a new set of tools.”

The Milwaukee Tool pack that will accompany every Isuzu Traypack, Tradepack and Servicepack Ready to Work vehicle sold throughout October

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and November will feature: an M18 FUEL 13mm Hammer Drill/driver, an M18 Fuel 1/4” Hex Impact Driver, an M18 FUEL 125mm (5”) Angle Grinder, Two M18 5.0Ah REDLITHIUM-ION batteries, an M18 & M12 Rapid Charger, a Contractor bag and an M18 Jobsite radio The $1,000 tool program marks the third time this year IAL and Milwaukee have joined forces to offer an incredible package to Australian tradespeople and business owners.

After pairing up for tool giveaways at this year’s Brisbane Truck Show, the two companies presented South Australian concreter Ryan Dolan with a once-in-a-lifetime prize of an Isuzu NLR 45-150 Ready to Work Servicepack, loaded up with Milwaukee tools in July.

IAL Director, Sales and Marketing, Andrew Harbison, said promotions like these were an exciting way for Isuzu to thank its loyal customers.

“Isuzu wouldn’t have achieved 28 consecutive years market leadership without the continued support of the Australian truck buyer. Beyond offering an industry leading product range, promotions like this Milwaukee Tool giveaway are an opportunity for IAL to thank the market for the trust they continue to put in the Isuzu brand,” Mr Harbison said.

“We hope as many people as possible head down to their local Isuzu dealerships to take advantage of this $1,000 tool program throughout October and November.”

“THROWING IN SOME SERIOUS POWER TOOLS WITH THESE TRAYPACKS, TRADEPACKS AND SERVICEPACKS IS A GREAT WAY TO HELP AUSTRALIAN TRADIES WHO ARE SERIOUS ABOUT THEIR WORK”

ACHIEVE SIGNIFICANT FUEL REDUCTIONS.

GREG GOODCHILD

GREG’S MEAT TRANSPORT

“Scania driver training is excellent. A guy who’d been

working here for 26 years did the course and straight off his fuel economy was 10% better.”

So contact your local branch or authorised dealer to find out how a Scania Total Transport Solution can work for your business.

VICTORIA Scania Campbellfield Tel: (03) 9217 3300 Scania Dandenong Tel: (03) 9217 3600 Scania Laverton Tel: (03) 9369 8666 SOUTH AUSTRALIA Scania Wingfield Tel: (08) 8406 0200

NEW SOUTH WALES Scania Prestons Tel: (02) 9825 7900 Scania Newcastle Tel: (02) 9825 7940 K&J Trucks, Coffs Harbour Tel: (02) 6652 7218 NJ’s of Wagga Tel: (02) 6971 7214

QUEENSLAND Scania Richlands Tel: (07) 3712 8500 Scania Pinkenba Tel: (07) 3712 7900 Spann’s Trucks, Toowoomba Tel: (07) 4634 4400 RSC Diesels, Cairns Tel: (07) 4054 5440

WESTERN AUSTRALIA Scania Kewdale Tel: (08) 9360 8500 Scania Bunbury Tel: (08) 9724 6200

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BENZ MAKES BIG GAINS IN SEPTEMBER TRUCK SALES NUMBERS

MERCEDES BENZ trucks were the big movers in the latest monthly sales figures released by TIC with the German maker’s new Actros range starting to gain some traction and capturing 6.8 per cent of the market in September.

Benz staffers will probably be breathing a sigh of relief knowing the sales boost has been a long time coming and with a healthy order book for the fully imported Actos models and some long lead times on delivery the sales boom for the three pointed star should continue for some time to come.

Isuzu continued its dominance at

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the top of the overall sales charts recording 786 sales in September and 23.8 per cent of the market, a little down on its year to date market share of 24.8 per cent but still a healthy lead for the king of the market 10.3 percentage points ahead of second place Hino with 434 sales.

It was a healthy month for Hino with deliveries of its new 500 series continuing to boost its bottom line while rival Fuso lost a handful of sales re3maining third overall in the market.

Amongst the more heavy duty oriented makers Kenworth was line ball with its August result selling

exactly the same 229 units as it did in the previous month, Benz jumped from 113 sales in August to record 225 deliveries in September, Volvo delivered 183 trucks up from 170 the previous month, Iveco was down 27 units and Mack also dropped slightly down from 101 in August to 93 in September.

Scania and UD also had small drops as did MAN which was down six units to 103 deliveries in September on the back of continued fulfilment of the German maker’s significant Australian Defence Forces contract.

Freightliner flatlined again selling exactly the same 43 units as it did

in August while the other Daimler owned but Penske managed brand Western Star had a bumper month off its disappointing August recording 34 sales more than double the 15 it did the previous month.

In the van market Benz continued its dominance recording 236 sales more than double second place Renault’s 103, with Ford on 75, Fiat on 36, VW on 23 and Iveco a disappointing 14 down from its 41 sales in August Overall the market remains strong recording with total sales for September at 3304 units compared with 3263 in August and the market running at 26294 for the year to date.

DAIMLER TRUCKS

NOW ITS OWN BOSS DOWN UNDER QUIETLY ALMOST SURREPTITIOUSLY Daimler Truck and Bus has been moved into a new stand alone corporate entity in Australia moving it out of the structure of Mercedes Benz Australia and its car and van divisions.

There was no official announcement made nor apparently will there be for some reason, but the move was confirmed by Daimler Truck and Bus execs in Melbourne over the weekend.

Until now Daimler Trucks was part of Mercedes-Benz Australia Pacific but the move sees Daimler Truck and Bus Australia now operating as its own corporate entity in the truck and bus business.

“This is a great development for Daimler Truck and Bus. We are now

a fully dedicated truck and bus company. This change will allow Daimler Truck and Bus to intensify our focus on our customers who have different needs to van and car customers. It also gives us increased flexibility and will enhance our ability to better respond to customer needs as we pursue our sustainable growth strategies,” said Daimler Truck and Bus Australia CEO Daniel Whitehead.

“Daimler Truck and Bus is in the unparalleled position of offering our customers a complete commercial transport solution with our three unique brands; Mercedes-Benz, Freightliner, and Fuso.”

“Our dealers are a one-stop shop for trucks and buses, covering all the major market sectors with the best

products from Europe, the United States, and Japan. Following this process, we are now in an even better position to leverage this strength through our extensive dealer network.”

The structural changes seem largely administrative although Daimler execs are emphasising that it will deliver the operation more flexibility as well as streamlining reporting processes and other lines of communication and does not signal any sort of ugly or messy divorce.

The truck operation still remains a subsidiary of the Daimler global corporation.

Realistically the Truck and Bus operation, Mercedes-Benz cars and Mercedes-Benz vans have all been operating as separate divisions in

Australia since 2014 but the latest phase means that the three divisions will function as separate legal entities from October 1 as part of a global Daimler strategy.

Daniel Whitehead as head of Daimler truck will see his title will change from managing director to CEO of Daimler Truck and Bus Australia.

Similar structural changes have already taken place in the UK and Spain and more are expected to come in other markets soon.

Daimler Trucks Aust. has already hired more staff and will be adding more in time given that many previously shared functions are now separate.

Nothing will change for any of the 42 Daimler Trucks Australia dealerships across all three brands.

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ALL THE LATEST NEWS AND

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NAVISTAR AND VW SAY BIG BANGER 15LTR IS ON THE WAY NAVISTAR’S BIG ANNOUNCEMENT at the Atlanta Truck Show was that with its equity partner Volkswagen it is in planning to develop a big-bore 15-liter engine for use in International Trucks.

“We believe a proprietary powertrain is important for Navistar, our dealers and our customers,” said Troy Clarke, Navistar chairman, in Atlanta.

“Yet, we also understand the challenges of developing a proprietary powertrain on our own. Navistar and Volkswagen have agreed to collaborate on fully integrated, next-generation diesel big-

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bore powertrains for North America.”

The powertrains will launch in International heavy-duty products as early as 2021 and will clearly be used in Scania and MAN product as well with all there brands now under the VW umbrella.

Navistar and Volkswagen executives used the show to announce plans to introduce an electric truck by the end of 2019.

Both Clarke and Volkswagen Truck and Bus CEO Andreas Renschler admitted they are surprised at

the rapid pace of collaboration and partnership at the one-year anniversary mark of the tie up.

“I would have thought we would still be wrestling with a handful of issues around technical specs on engines or could we put together purchasing processes,” said Clarke when asked where he would have thought the alliance would be after one year.

“But that stuff was through in weeks.

We feel good about the alliance’s progression.”

Navistar also launched its International

HV Series in Atlanta. The HV Series is the first severe service truck available with the International A26 12.4L big bore engine and designed to deliver power, refined driverfeatures, and improved reliability for a range of vocational applications.

Navistar also announced a number of industry-leading advancements to its OnCommand Connection platform, including Live Action Plans, which boasts predictive technology potentially signalling when a part may fail before it actually does.

INTER STARTING TO MOVE STATESIDE

A STRONGER TRUCK MARKET IN 2018 WILL BE WELCOMED

BY NAVISTAR, WHICH IS REFRESHING ITS ENTIRE PRODUCT LINE A REFRESHED International Trucks product line is being rolled out as demand for new trucks strengthens, which should make 2018 a good year for Navistar.

“I’m very bullish on 2018,” Jeff Sass, senior vice-president of sales and marketing with Navistar told journalists, who were visiting for an International Trucks ride-and-drive.

He noted freight rates are up, the economy is strong, and load volumes are increasing, all of which should carry into 2018. “I think it’s going to be a big year for trucking and for truck manufacturers,” Sass said.

The International LoneStar has been updated with a new interior.

However, he remains concerned about how the impending electronic logging device (ELD) mandate will affect the used truck market. Sass said fleets could initially see an

8-12% productivity loss as they deploy ELDs, and he wonders how the fleets that typically run used trucks will adapt.

“Right now, we’ve got half the freight in America being hauled by a second or third owner,” Sass said. “Most of those second and third owners have not implemented ELDs. Will they be able to maintain their standing?”

A stronger truck market in 2018 will be welcomed by Navistar, which is refreshing its entire product line.

Sass said the company is already seeing its market share improve this year, about 3% in the medium-duty segment and 0.5% in Class 8. Sass says it’s largely because of Navistar’s focus on uptime, and its driver-centric approach to truck design.

“For major fleets, their number one cost of total operation was driver retention,” Sass said. “Fleets have

told me they have more loads than drivers and they’ll buy every truck I can sell them with a driver in it.”

To this end, International Trucks product updates have been driver-focused. Sass pointed to the switches, the placement of the air horn lanyard, the instrument clusters, mirror placement, etc., as items that were enhanced with driver input.

Denny Mooney, senior vice-president of product development, said International will continue to roll out new products over the next two years.

It has already replaced its ProStar with the LT, the ProStar 113 with the RH for regional haul, the PayStar with the HX, and most recently, the WorkStar with the new HV. It also updated its classic-styled LoneStar, and brought to market a 12.4-liter A26 engine.

“We really tried to make these

products, products drivers want to drive,” said Mooney. “When you go talk to our big fleet customers, they tell us ‘If our drivers don’t want to drive your trucks, we’re not going to buy your trucks’.”

The company conducted driver clinics and even brought clay models of its interiors to fleets, to collect driver feedback when refreshing its product line.

It is also pushing safety technologies more aggressively. The company has doubled its air disc brake penetration rate in the last two years, and made them standard on the LT series this year. It also made collision mitigation standard on the LT and has seen the take rate climb more than 50per cent . And automated transmissions are now being spec’d in more than 70 per cent of International trucks.

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Operator

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GETTING PRODUCE TO MARKET FRESH AND UNDAMAGED IS AN IMPORTANT TASK FOR TRANSPORT OPERATORS AND PARTICULARLY FOR EASILY DAMAGED TABLE GRAPES. THE CORDOMA FAMILY HAS BEEN IN THE FRESH PRODUCE TRANSPORTATION CAPER FOR NEARLY FOUR DECADES AND NOW UNDER THE STEWARDSHIP OF VINCE CORDOMA A FLEET OF CUMMINS POWERED KENNIES ARE HANDLING THE TASK. TTA TOOK A LOOK AT THE CORDOMA FLEET AND HOW THEY’RE HANDLING THE TASK.

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Vince Cordoma (left) with Cummins Regional Branch Manager Tyson Coffey (centre) and Cummins Mildura Operations Manager Cambell Carmichael.

D

rive across the sunbaked plains into the region around the Victorian river town of Mildura and it is hard to believe that anything apart from scrubby saltbush could grow there. But as you draw closer to the mighty Murray the influence of irrigation comes to bear and the green leaves of the thousands of grape vines and other horticulture fill the vista.

Sunraysia as the wider region has been dubbed now produces more grapes than just about any area in the country. On both sides of the Murray, in Victoria and NSW the vines hug the plains on either side of the slow moving river system.

Grape production is a vital component in the horticultural make up of the Sunraysia and getting the table grapes to the consumers demanding them around the country is just one of the requirements that challenge the industry.

The result has been many transport operations growing up to service the needs of the industry with some significant fleets now based in and around Mildura and the surrounding centres.

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One transport operator that is making a big impact in the Sunraysia is a joint venture between two brothers in law that also is carrying on a long family tradition in the areas farming and trucking industries.

The Cordoma name is one that is long established in the Sunraysia region in both farming and trucking. Today Vince Cordoma and his brother in law Dean Leslie operate a joint venture known as LRT and VCT. Leslie Refrigerated Transport and Vince Cordoma Transport.

LRT/VCT has its origins in the 1970s when the Cordoma family of six brothers started a trucking business, Cordoma Bros. Transport in Robinvale.

The six Cordoma Brothers Louie, Joe, Mario, Ross, John and Frank started Cordoma Brothers Transport.

In the beginning their two trucks only carted produce they grew themselves getting the table grapes, tomatoes and citrus to the Melbourne and Sydney markets.

In 1984 Louie and Mario purchased land at Irymple, Victoria and this became the site for their second depot. The business increased and became popular with the locals and thrived in both locations.

From those initial two trucks the fleet grew to service the family farm’s transport needs and eventually the needs of other growers around the area.

The company grew but the brothers got out of the business in 2004. The family name however was to survive in the transport business when Vince, son of one of the six original brothers, Louie, set up LRT/VCT with brother in law Dean Leslie.

Vince Cordoma is the managing director of the combined operation, which now runs a fleet of 34 prime movers and 64 trailers from its operations in Robinvale and Irymple near Mildura.

At any one time the operation has 29 B Doubles on the road each grossing around 68.5 tonnes transporting produce from the Sunraysia region to major super market chains like Coles and Woolworths as well as to the wharves for export markets.

LRT/VCT currently employs 83 people and as a Sunraysia company prides itself on the fact that all of its office administration, local pick up and line haul drivers are locals.

Vince Cordoma and wife Fiona.

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“YOU NEED GOOD PEOPLE AROUND YOU TO SUCCEED AND YOU NEED GOOD SUPPLIERS AND EQUIPMENT”

Conscious of the enormous risk of spoilt produce LRT/VCT utilises back to base computer monitoring system connected to the company’s administration allowing the exact temperatures and patterns of the fridge motors to be monitored and to alert to any discrepancies as they occur.

The company also utilises a cold storage service with warehousing for local businesses offering space of to 1060 pallets.

The business is spearheaded by a fleet of Cummins powered Kenworths carrying the branding of LRT/VCT. ‘LRT/VCT was created with the intention of having five trucks,” said Vince Cordoma. ‘However our business has grown in line with the growth in the area, we’re servicing one of the biggest fruit bowls in Australia,” he added.

All but four of the trucks on the LRT/ VCT fleet have Cummins power with 17 of them featuring the Cummins ISXe5 with the preference being for the 600 hp versions with 2050 lb. ft. of torque.

Vince is clearly a big fan of Cummins

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and in particular the support available in the local area.

“The best thing about Cummins is the quick response to any issues, particularly by its local branch manager, Tyson Coffey and his team,” said Vince.

“Service support and product reliability is the key when you’re transporting perishable freight,” he added.

Vince points our that the fleet was initially split equally in terms of power plants between Cummins and Cat but the decision was made to standardise with one engine supplier.

“We made the decision to standardise on Cummins because of the technology it offers and the advantages that delivers.

That has been proven particularly with the ISXe5,” he says.

“The ISXe5 is a superb engine and we are converting the entire fleet to this generation of 15 litre Cummins,” he adds.

New Kenworths coming into the LRT/ VCT fleet will use the Cummins X15, which uses the same hardware and emission technology as the ISXe5.

Trucks on the LRT/VCT fleet typically cover around 300,000 km a year. The maintenance plan sees each truck receive an in chassis engine rebuild at around 1.2 million kilometres or four years. Then the truck will work another three years on the fleet before being traded in on a new prime mover.

Vince runs the company along with his wife Fiona and is quite firm about what the keys are to a successful transport business.

“You need good people around you to succeed and you need good suppliers and equipment,” says Vince.

“The really big thing is loyalty, loyalty received is deserving of loyalty in return, we like to support local suppliers which is why we buy our Kenworths from Mildura Truck Centre, they have given us support and loyalty and so we return that loyalty.

“Similarly that is why we are loyal to Kenworth and to Cummins, they have shown us loyalty and support so we return that by continuing to buy those trucks and engines,” Vince adds.

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Operator

SYDNEY’S MASSIVE INFRASTRUCTURE AND BUILDING BOOM IS SOMETHING THAT MOST PEOPLE IN THE EMERALD CITY HAVE MIXED FEELINGS ABOUT, ON THE ONE HAND IT IS FUELLING THE ECONOMY AND KEEPING THINGS TICKING OVER NICELY, ON THE OTHER HAND THE DISRUPTION AND TRAFFIC CHAOS THE BOOM HAS BROUGHT CAN BE PRETTY FRUSTRATING AND ANNOYING. ONE COMPANY THAT IS RIDING THE SWELL GENERATED BY THE ‘SYDNEY BUILDING BOOM’ IS BEDROCK QUARRY PRODUCTS AND BULK TRANSPORT, TAKING ESSENTIAL QUARRY MATERIAL TO BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTING SITES AROUND THE CITY AND STATE. TTA VISITED THE COMPANY RECENTLY TO GET THE LOWDOWN ON THIS ALL MACK FLEET.

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edrock has become an ever-expanding fleet of trucks that sells and transports essential quarry products to major civil contractors and concrete plants travelling widely across NSW and through the Sydney Metro, North Coast, South Coast and Central West regions.

Mick Colley started Bedrock in June 2010, with a single truck, which has quickly expanded into a large fleet of Mack prime movers and a variety of tipper and tipper trailer configurations.

Colley brought more than a quarter century of experience in transport and the quarry products industry and had various management roles with other companies before deciding to start his own fledgling operation as the economy was struggling out of the GFC. “I’d worked for other people and accumulated a lot of experience and knowledge and the company I was running was sold so I took the opportunity to leave and try something else,” said Mick.

“It was meant to be simple and easy with a single tipper dog but things took off with the infrastructure boom and it grew from there,” he adds.

Mick admits he actually got into the business by mistake and that his foray into the tipper industry was only ever meant to be temporary, starting out as a driver and working his way up to management roles.

“I worked for a couple of companies and liked the industry and then started with a bigger company working up from driver to become the general manager, then that company was sold,” Mick adds with a smile.

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When he started Bedrock the intention was only ever to have two or three trucks, for Mick to do a bit of driving and make a decent living out of a business he liked.

That plan was soon superseded and today just seven years later he runs a fleet of 13 trucks.

Mick’s first truck was a 12-monthold used Mack Granite configured as a tipper dog and he then added two more trucks over the next 18 months, in an environment at the end of the GFC when banks were a little bit reticent to lend money on capital equipment like trucks.

“It was a bit difficult but we convinced them that we could do it, eventually we found a finance broker and that

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revolutionised the way we purchased our equipment and we have never looked back,” said Mick.

With many years experience in the business Mick saw the trend lines in 2014 and could see a building surge coming.

“A lot of people and companies couldn’t see it, but it was obvious to me with the various land releases, a new government talking up new infrastructure projects and other pointers all gave me the confidence to gear up and we bought more trucks to ensure we were in a place to supply customers,” he said.

By 2014 Bedrock had seven trucks on fleet and had seven to ten subbies on its books and while some other quarry

supply businesses were struggling with the surge in demand Mick’s vision meant the company had the capacity to satisfy the needs of civil contractors and concrete companies, who all of a sudden had lots of projects happening and were demanding quarry product.

“We picked up a lot of customers at that time because we had that capacity to supply anything while other suppliers were struggling with their capacity and we just grew from there,” said Mick.

Now with 13 trucks Mick has embraced PBS as a way of improving efficiency and his bottom line and while he admits that there are added costs and administrative demands he says the productivity and

“MACK STILL WANTS TO KNOW YOU WHEN YOU LEAVE THE DEALERSHIP, THEY BEND OVER BACKWARDS FOR YOU AND THEY DON’T FORGET ABOUT YOU SO THE CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP IS VERY, VERY GOOD”

Bedrock’s Founder, Mick Colley.

efficiency gains more than cover the costs.

“The cost of PBS is insignificant compared with the gains it can deliver,” said Mick.

“For a truck and dog unit every tonne of capacity is worth about $12,000 per year in revenue.”

“As a for instance we have just added our first A double unit which gives us a 52 tonne payload, by comparison one of our conventional tipper dog set ups will give us a 40 tonne payload so an extra 12 tonnes delivers close to $150,000 over the year, which really is significant and it changes the whole equation,” he said.

“Once we started looking at it there were so many advantages, if you get an order for 200 tonnes of quarry product then an A Double will complete the task in four trips instead of five, but there are a whole lot more efficiencies that go along with it as well,” Mick reckons that the hardest part is getting the PBS and Mass Management all set up and your systems in place for the compliance, however once it is set up and running the benefits just flow.

“The NHVR and the RMS are very good and work with you to get routes approved and locked in and so long as you do the right thing it is all good. Now that we have proved ourselves they ask us if we have any other ideas for improved efficiency. ”We run our trucks over the pits every 12 months and 99 per cent of the time we go straight over without a problem and any fails we have had have been minor points that are easily fixed.”

Mick believes that the cowboys in the industry, mostly the ‘mud carters’ should be subject to more scrutiny and given a harder time in terms of compliance and regulation.

“I honestly think that they should be made to put their trucks over the pits every three months at their expense,” he said.

“I was following one such truck on Windsor Rd the other day and he had ripped three of the mudflaps off the truck and the tyres were absolutely bald, I am talking racing slick bald and then they drive at excessive speed, it is a recipe for disaster and it is just not fair on those who obey the rules,” Mick reckons.

Colley insists on the constant maintenance and servicing of each truck which allows Bedrock to run reliably, safely and smoothly whilst looking their best on the road and he says he takes pride in ensuring each truck is continually serviced, registered and cleaned.

Bedrock’s A Double is hauled by

a Mack Superliner and Mick has another A Double rig ordered and on its way.

The fleet currently includes one threeaxle dog, two five-axle dogs one Triden, one B double and one A double as well as six quads. In terms of the prime movers and trucks there is one rigid Mack Metroliner eight wheeler tipper, seven Mack Tridents and five Mack Superliners The company has 13 drivers on its books and there are four staff in the office along with up to 20 subbies at any one time.

“I had no idea that it would get this big, in fact we purchased six new trucks in 2017, replacing some older trucks as well as a little growth and we are looking to possibly add another five new trucks in 2018,” Mick adds.

The company’s specialties include supplying housing sub-divisions with road bases such as crushed sandstone or recycled road base as well as the necessary supplies for concrete plants.

Colley says he has a strong allegiance to Mack thanks to the reliability and good service that he has received over many years.

“Mack still wants to know you when you leave the dealership, they bend over backwards for you and they don’t forget about you so the customer relationship is very, very good,” he says.

“The comoany I used to manage had a lot of Macks so I had a relationship with them, I looked at Kenworth but I was more comfortable with Mack and we get on well with them.

The future make up of the fleet depends a bit on some of the PBS approvals he is currently seeking, however Mick sees the fleet expanding in about the same proportions as it is now with the variety of configurations giving the best mix of efficiency and flexibility.

“It costs $600,000 or more to put an A Double on the road, so it is not cheap but the efficiencies are tremendous if used in the right work, you wouldn’t probably have a fleet totally made up of just A Doubles because it would not be flexible enough,” he adds.

“The A double grosses 74.5 and while there are plenty of efficiency gains there are a lot of restrictions and limits under the scheme including speed and time restrictions. For instance we can’t come south on the Pacific across the Hexham Bridge at Newcastle, and the same on one carriageway of the Hume at Gundagai, so it requires planning and you need to have that flexibility along with the efficiency,” he said.

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Fuel efficiency is another aspect that has endeared Mick to Mack and its MP10 powerplant.

“We’re currently getting a pretty consistent 2.1 km to the litre out of our A Doubles with 74.5 tonne, it doesn’t seem to change whether you are running 44 tonne or 74.5 tonne it is very consistent,” he said.

Mick also says that the MP10 engine shines on hills, particular on hauls like Mt Ousley coming out of Wollongong where the deep reserves of torque allow it to pull strongly up what is one of the toughest climbs around for a fully laden truck.

Bedrock doesn’t currently use telematics, which Mick says is largely because he has a good team of drivers, some very clear procedures in place and a strict service regime.

‘We have got the facilities to use telematics but our drivers are pretty good and with the procedures and our maintenance schedule we keep a pretty close eye on everything, in fact our trucks are probably over serviced,” he adds.

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“For instance we change the filters on air dryers at 20,000km whereas Mack specifies 80,000km there are a few things like that we push along a little earlier just to ensure reliability and efficiency,” Mick explains.

Bedrock has a contract mechanic who services some of the trucks at weekends while some are on contract maintenance with Mack. The company maintains a yard at Deanes Park while some of the trucks are remotely based at a concrete plant in Smeaton Grange and some of the drivers take the trucks home at night.

“A couple of the drivers take their trucks home including the two based in Newcastle and we will be basing a couple of trucks up in Port Macquarie soon, we try to look after our drivers,” he adds.

“We don’t turn over a lot of drivers and we are very selective and we try to hang onto them, I am not going to tell you my secrets because you will go and tell everyone else,” Mick laughs.”

“But we never advertise, it is mainly through word of mouth and targeting good drivers,” he adds.

Mick is currently exploring the possibility of establishing a bigger yard to base the trucks, but Sydney’s booming land prices are a hurdle at the moment, however it is certainly on the agenda for the future.

“I rarely see the trucks day to day, once you buy them and put them to work they are out there on the road doing their job so there is little need for me to see them all the time, with the procedures in place, good drivers and strong maintenance schedule, there is no need to see them,” Mick adds “I look at the numbers every day and so long as the numbers are good then we know things are working, it is a matter of management and running it properly,” Mick said.

It is clear that Bedrock has built its business on solid ground and with the continuing boom in building and infrastructure in Sydney and across NSW the growth this company has enjoyed in the seven years since it was established is sure to continue.

I WAS PREPARED TO COP SOME SH*T TO JOIN THE WINNING TEAM. I’m not in business just for the fun of it – I’m here to succeed.

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So like I say – if you want to get in the game, get a Mack.

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Operator

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THERE ARE FEW LOADS MORE DELICATE THAN VEGETABLE SEEDLINGS AND FOR WITHCOTT SEEDLINGS, WHICH DELIVERS A MASSIVE 350 MILLION OF THEM PER YEAR TO FARMERS ACROSS THE EASTERN STATES, IT HAS TO TRANSPORT THEM WITH GREAT CARE TO MAINTAIN AND ENSURE HIGH PLANT QUALITY FOR THEIR CUSTOMERS. WE DROPPED INTO THE COMPANY’S HQ IN WITHCOTT NEAR TOOWOOMBA TO GET THE LOWDOWN ON THIS GROWING CONCERN.

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s Withcott Seedlings CEO, Mike Hindle, says: “The time it takes to get the seedlings to the customer is paramount, because if you don’t look after them, they die. It is that simple.”

To ensure that is accomplished Withcott Seedlings uses a mixture of double and single trailers, some of which are refrigerated to keep the seedlings at a constant temperature, hauled by a fleet of latest generation Mercedes-Benz Actros trucks.

“We refrigerate them and get them there in the best possible condition we can and we don’t park them up in depots and we don’t park them up in the sun. The reliability of the trucks is paramount, because you can’t have a truck that breaks down or you can’t rely on, because the plants will die before you get them fixed,” Mike Hindle added.

The journey from tray to table is a fascinating one.

Withcott Seedlings sources seed from around the world through major seed companies, as well as importing peat from Lithuania and vermiculite from Africa, which provides the best growing medium for the seedlings.

The seedlings are then loaded into racks and delivered to far and wide across Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia.

Withcott Seedlings produces pretty much any seedling that can be transplanted into a paddock, including tomatoes, broccoli, capsicum, watermelon and lettuce, and has a huge footprint across the country.

Instead of direct sowing, many farmers prefer to plant seedlings because it shortens the growing period, saves on water and provides better paddock utilisation than growing from seed in the paddock.

Withcott Seedlings, which has 22 hectares (54 acres) of undercover growing area at its headquarters, also grows and delivers a significant percentage of tomato crops grown for glasshouses mainly across southern Australia.

During spring it will be delivering around 60 B-Doubles of plants to southern Australia and each MercedesBenz B double can deliver 450,000 seedlings; enough to cover 23 hectares (56 acres).

Five years ago, Withcott Seedlings

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“HOW THE PLANTS ARE DELIVERED AND HOW THE DRIVERS INTERACT WITH OUR CUSTOMERS IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT OF A COMPANY’S FABRIC” used to run a fleet of its own trucks, but they were tired and would have needed significant investment to replace or refurbish them. Back then, the decision was made to outsource delivery work to a third party operator.

As the business grew, Mike and fellow Withcott Seedlings Director, Graham Erhart, observed that using third party providers to deliver the seedlings was not consistent enough.

“It had become uneconomical to use the number of third party trucks required and with more trucks, it was getting harder to maintain plant quality, care factor and all those types of things,” Mike says.

“How the plants are delivered and how the drivers interact with our customers is such an important component of a company’s fabric, so it matters a lot,” he adds.

As Graham points out: “We are not a trucking company. The trucks are a way to market for us.”

Delivering the seedlings with its own well-presented equipment also helps project an image of quality, Mike says.

“The brand was a real positive because it is associated with the quality engineering of Mercedes-Benz.”

He says that Withcott Seedlings customers understand logistics and the benefit of running good gear and some have told the team on numerous occasions that “we liked it that you had good reliable gear.”

Mike and Graham thought long and hard about purchasing a new fleet and tested a variety of trucks over a 12 month period before deciding on the Mercedes-Benz.

They took delivery of the first three trucks in December 2016, which were followed

by a further three by July this year.

They selected the 2653 model, the new high horsepower 13-litre that generates 530hp and 2600Nm, linked up to a 12-speed fully automated transmission.

While they were wooed by the quality of the truck, the safety and efficiency, they were also won over by Daimler’s Agility finance package and the sharply-priced maintenance program.

With Agility, the operator is given a locked-in buy back price at the end of the lease term, which gives them the certainty they need. The service plan also sets out maintenance costs, with a preferential rate for labour, which means there are no nasty surprises if something does happen to go wrong during the set term.

Mike says the agreed value at the end of the Agility finance term is a “game changer” and says the maintenance pricing

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“THIS TECHNOLOGY SAVES LIVES”

was “excellent compared to the opposition”.

The Withcott Seedlings team couldn’t be happier with its fleet of Mercedes-Benz trucks and has been taken aback by fuel consumption savings.

“We are picking up half to three quarters of a km per litre, which is phenomenal,” says Mike.

“Our load is not heavy, about 12 tonne, which is nothing really, but they still need fuel and other trucks we have used have certainly used more fuel towing the same load.”

Mike adds that he is also impressed by the reduced amount of downtime.

“I’m not a mechanic’s bootlace but I can’t believe how long these things go

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before you need to service them,” he says.

Driver acceptance has been excellent.

“One of our drivers had issues with bad back (driving other trucks) and reckons that since he got the Mercedes, zero trouble, he says he has never felt better,” says Mike, who credits the ride quality and seat in the Mercedes.

The comfort and ease of driving, thanks partly to the standard fully automated transmission, are highlighted as positives among the driving group, along with the refinement.

However, it was that refinement that meant one fan of American trucks decided to leave.

“He was ex-Kenworth and he said it

was eerie. These things have no rattles, no engine noise and he couldn’t adapt to it,” Mike says. “It goes to show just how quiet they are.”

The Withcott Seedlings team was also taken by the high level of safety available in the new Mercedes-Benz range.

Graham says: “At the end of the day as directors of the company, anything we can do in our duty of care to give our drivers a safer truck, the radar cruise control, automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning is of utmost importance.”

He adds: “This technology saves lives.

It is also good for us because no one wants to own an upside-down truck”.

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Telematics

TODAY, YOU’RE NOT IN THE TRUCKING BUSINESS IF YOU DON’T HAVE A TELEMATICS PACKAGE AND THAT APPLIES TO THOSE RUNNING TRUCKS AS WELL AS TO THOSE SUPPLYING THEM AND EVEN FOR OIL COMPANIES WHO ARE GETTING IN ON THE ACTION. EDITOR ALLAN WHITING HAS TAKEN SOME TIME TO LOOK AT THE TELEMATICS LANDSCAPE AND SUMMARISES THE LATEST SITUATION ADVISING THAT CHANGE CAN BE EXPECTED ON ALMOST A WEEKLY BASIS AS THE TECHNOLOGY RACES AHEAD.

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TELL ME

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T

elematics is defined broadly as the use of computers in concert with telecommunications systems.

In the automotive scene telematics systems combine wireless data communication with GPS tracking.

Vehicle telematics as we know this technology today became possible in the 1990s, with the then-new combination of electronically controlled vehicle powertrains, GPS, GSM and the Internet.

Although these four technologies were developed independently, they became the perfect fit for sending and receiving data to and from vehicles.

GSM (Global System for Mobile) communication is a digital mobile telephony system that uses a variation of time division multiple access (TDMA)

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and is the most widely used of the three digital wireless telephony technologies: TDMA, GSM, and CDMA. It’s easy to forget that the 30-satellite GPS on which we in Australia rely is owned and controlled by the US Department of Defense - something of concern, given the loose cannon currently oscillating out of control in the White House. Similarly, Russia’s Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS) is a military system.

Both these nations have threatened satellite location system shutdown in the event of hostilities and the Russians almost switched off US GPS receivers on Russian soil after friction over the annexation of Crimea in 2014.

The only civilian GPS is the newly launched European Galileo system that

consists of 18 satellites, as of December 2016 – building to 24 orbiters by 2020 – with an expected accuracy of one metre.

Professional users, such as surveyors, can pay for greater precision in all GPS ‘fixes’ and that centimetre-accuracy will certainly be necessary for the implementation of automated, self-driving vehicles.

The major global initiative is the proposed Co-operative Intelligent Transport System that has been trialled since 2013. C-ITS combines telematics with a Dedicated Short Range Communications (DSRC) network to allow vehicle to vehicle alerts (V2V); vehicle to infrastructure alerts (V2I) and vehicle to anything alerts (V2X).

However the 5G phone network offers better use of bandwidth than DSRC.

TRUCK TELEMATICS There are two different telematics sources today: truck-maker systems and aftermarket systems. Those fitted by many truck makers are brand-specific and those from the after-market can be fitted to virtually any electronically-controlled-powertrain truck and to any bodywork or trailer.

Compatibility and interchangeability weren’t in truck makers’ design briefs and it shows: not only can’t one system ‘talk ‘ to another, but the standards adopted by Europe, the USA and Japan are different.

It’s not the first time we’ve seen brandspecific systems adopted by truck makers and it’s easy to see why one maker who is supplying a mixed-brand fleet wouldn’t want operational data from his truck available to another brand, but the fleet operator loses in this situation. A three- or four-brand truck fleet means several different telematics protocols,

so comparing apples with apples isn’t necessarily straightforward.

The flexibility of after-market systems is their principal attraction, allowing for one system across a multi-brand truck fleet, with fitment into company cars and light commercials also possible. A plus is that the sellers of these systems need to be good at supporting their products, because that’s their profit centre, not the margin on a new truck.

Some OEM telematics users told T&TA that they had the uneasy feeling that telematics’ principal use by vehicle makers is for warranty claim rejection!

However, truck makers counter that view and point out that their OEM systems have much more data and can communicate with technical experts, who can warn of impending vehicle trouble, based on feedback from the telematics system.

FLEXIBLE OEM TELEMATICS A stand-out OEM system is the multitruck-brand system adopted by Isuzu Trucks Australia in 2014. Unlike most OEM telematics systems the Isuzu package was developed and sourced in Australia.

As with after-market telematics offerings, the heart of the Isuzu Telematics system is a satellite GPS that provides 24/7 vehicletracking, journey playback and arrival notification. This data can be accessed from any internet-enabled device.

Isuzu Connect needs no CAN Bus connection and can be fitted to all makes and models of trucks, allowing for a common system across a multi-brand fleet. It provides vehicle tracking and fleet

management data.

Isuzu Connect Plus is CAN Bus reliant and, for optimised updates, needs to be connected to a 2013 model year or newer Isuzu truck. This system adds engine management data and integrates with Isuzu’s digital audio visual equipment (DAVE) display unit. The system can also be integrated with a Mobileye onboard camera.

The data available from the basic Connect system includes: live vehicle tracking, daily activity summary, journey playback, locate nearest vehicle, time at locations, working hours, out of hours driving, driving violations, driver score report, route

adherence, no-go areas, tamper alert, battery disconnect alert, panic button, hardware diagnostic support and service scheduling.

Connect Plus adds: odometer, trip odometer, brake actuation count, clutch use, green band time, engine over-speed, fuel consumption, idle time, vehicle over-speed, engine hours, engine load percentage, accelerator position, cruise control time, coolant temperature, gear position and duration, reversing time and integration with Mobileye.

Connect Plus integrates with DAVE to provide one or two-way communication, driver ID entry and unauthorised use notification.

dispatchers, drivers and passengers.

Caltex Telematics says its solution provides monitoring of not only driver performance and efficiency, but also vehicle safety. When combined with real-time engine diagnostics, driver mechanical behaviour and predictive maintenance, every facet of running an efficient and cost effective truck fleet is covered.

The on-board system connects the driver with the vehicle and the environment: providing real time alerts from the vehicle, driving performance reports, and two-way

communication with the company HQ or service centres.

Refrigerated transport fleets are able to monitor cargo temperature from a driver’s cab display and real-time office display.

Caltex Telematics also acts as a paperless report centre for vehicle checks and other required reports.

“This is the beginning of a revolution for in-vehicle technology,” said Jacques Lepron, Caltex Telematics Manager.

“For the first time in Australia, drivers are at the centre of telematics technology, freeing up their time for other duties”

CALTEX TELEMATICS A somewhat unexpected player in the telematics business is Caltex. Caltex Telematics says its system is suitable for fleets of five to more than 500 trucks, Caltex Telematics is a powerful, predictive and proved system that’s fully integrated into a vehicle’s engine management and diagnostic system, providing detailed, easy-to-understand driver and vehicle reporting.

The company also has a public transport system, combined with TomTom Bridge, that delivers an endto-end solution between authorities,

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Thomas Schmid, Tom Tom’s Global CEO

AFTER-MARKET TELEMATICS LEADER Best known for its in-car navigation systems, Tom Tom is also one of the leaders in vehicle telematics. The company’s telematics packages vary from in-car systems that focus mainly on navigation issues to high-authority systems for trucks that incorporate most of the driving behavioural and mechanical feedback data that OEM truck telematics systems deliver.

Tom Tom’s strength is its unrivalled mapping expertise and many OEM and after-market telematics and navigation systems – including those from Apple and Google – get their mapping and navigation kit from Tom Tom. T&TA spent some time with Thomas Schmidt, Tom Tom’s global CEO, during a recent visit Down Under.

“Traffic congestion in Australia costs the economy at least $3.4 billion annually,” said Thomas Schmidt, showing us a chart that totalled hours lost, charged at the minimum wage per hour.

“For truck operators there are the additional cost factors of lost slots at warehouses.

“The Tom Tom telematics package is designed to provide trip information to the driver and the office, wit the bonus of realtime traffic avoidance directions for truck drivers – we say it’s like ‘virtual sonar’.”

The base unit in the Tom Tom system is its Link 530 vehicle tracking, tracing

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and reporting device. It provides valuable information about fleet performance, to help reduce costs and boost productivity.

All transmitted information can be viewed on Tom Tom’s Webfleet on-line fleet management system that presents data in standard reports and dashboards.

The system monitors driving behaviour, maps the position of vehicles and analyses driving speed and time spent at each location. Full logbook functionality is included, with paperless, automated registration of private and business mileage.

All information can be displayed in one simple graph.

Tom Tom’s OptiDrive 360 adds the ability to coach drivers into using a safer and more efficient driving style. The system has Learn, Coach, Evaluate and Compare modes, using eight driving parameters.

Telematics has become an essential tool for many fleets and an increasing number

of smaller operators. The cost of vehicle monitors varies among vehicle makers and after-market suppliers, but is usually in the $50-$70 per month per vehicle range: a relatively small price to pay for the amount of information that can be accessed.

However, the cost can be justified only if the system produces savings and improvements and driver behaviour. Also, there’s little point in paying for telematics and not making the effort to analyse the information the system displays.

If a telematics system is used correctly truck operators can benefit enormously and drivers can be motivated with greater subtlety than by the traditional ‘carpeting’ procedure.

As the road transport industry moves inexorably towards truck platooning and automation telematics will play an increasingly important role.

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GEORGIA ON MY MIND 038 www.truckandbus.net.au

HERE IN AUSTRALIA WHERE WE ARE MOVING TO A ONE TRUCK SHOW EVERY TWO YEARS MODEL IT IS HARD TO IMAGINE A NEW TRUCK SHOW GETTING OFF THE GROUND BUT IN THE MASSIVE US TRUCK MARKET THE EMERGENCE OF A NEW MAJOR TRUCK SHOW IN ATLANTA THIS YEAR SAW A LOT OF TRUCK MAKERS COMMIT TO DISPLAYING THEIR WARES AT AN EXPO RUN BY THE SAME PEOPLE THAT PRESENT THE HANNOVER SHOW EVERY TWO YEARS. TTA TAKES A LOOK AT THE FIRST NORTH AMERICAN COMMERCIAL VEHICLE SHOW AND WHAT WAS REVEALED THERE. www.truckandbus.net.au 039

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he NACV was a new concept commercial vehicle industry trade shows in the USA and was very much focused on truck and trailer manufacturers and in its inaugural year hosted a sell out 439 exhibitors covering 35000 square metres in the Georgia World Congress Centre.

The show attracted around 9,000 visitors across the four-day event with 234 accredited international journalists.

Daimler was the first truck maker to commit to the NACV and went in boots and all using the show to unveil Freightliner’s new Cascadia model featuring a mid-roof cab configuration for regional overnight haulers and segments such as bulk haul and flat beds. Daimler also introduced an electricpowered version of its Fuso Canter truck, named the eCanter, and a petrol option for its FE-Series model, only in America would a perfectly good diesel be replaced by a petrol engine.

DTNA had a bevy of heavy iron on its stands from Freightliner, Western Star and Detroit Diesel divisions with the new Freightliner Cascadia marking the 75th anniversary of the Freightliner marque.

Roger Nielsen, Daimler Trucks North American president and CEO was high in praise for the new Atlanta show.

“First of all, we love the sequence as

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we’re mostly global companies now in this marketplace. We love the alternating continents. Daimler is at IAA one year and then here the other year as a global company. It gives us a chance to really take advantage of our global presence,” said Roger Nielsen.

“We’ve refocused the show toward big fleet customers as well as suppliers and this Show gives us a chance to bring our dealers together with the big fleets as well as suppliers and the OEMs and the payback for us has already well surpassed our expectations,” Nielsen added.

“The NACV Show is positioned is right at the beginning of the buying season for the large fleets, so it was a perfect chance for fleets to come and see what we’re showcasing, see what’s coming down the pike and as they settle in their financial plans for the following year it gives us the chance to meet them here,” he added.

Probably one of the biggest launches of the NACV was Mack’s new Anthem models. Mack showcased six Mack Anthems on its stand, including the Day Cab, 48-inch Flat Top sleeper and 70-inch Stand Up sleeper models. It also displayed updated Granite and Pinnacle models, which feature a new suite of ergonomic interiors and fittings.

All eight Mack models on display come standard with its GuardDog Connect, a

telematics package and its ClearTech One “single-box” exhaust after treatment unit that combines the DPF and SCR system into one package.

Mack also announced that Bendix Wingman Fusion, the camera- and radarbased driver assistance solution now comes standard on all of its new Anthem models.

Australia will likely see the Anthem model sometime in the next two years but no one at Volvo Australia would be drawn on the likely launch date of the Anthem Down Under. Mack did host a contingent of Aussie customers in Atlanta, clearly laying the groundwork for the new model.

Navistar’s big announcement was that it is in planning with its equity partner Volkswagen to develop a big-bore 15-litre engine for use in International Trucks.

“We believe a proprietary powertrain is important for Navistar, our dealers and our customers,” said Troy Clarke, Navistar chairman, in Atlanta.

“Yet, we also understand the challenges of developing a proprietary powertrain on our own. Navistar and Volkswagen have agreed to collaborate on fully integrated, next-generation diesel bigbore powertrains for North America.”

The powertrains will launch in International heavy-duty products as early as 2021.

Navistar and Volkswagen executives

used the show to announce plans to introduce an electric truck by the end of 2019.

Both Clarke and Volkswagen Truck and Bus CEO Andreas Renschler admitted they are surprised at the rapid pace of collaboration and partnership at the one-year anniversary mark.

“I would have thought we would still be wrestling with a handful of issues around technical specs on engines or could we put together purchasing processes,” said Clarke when asked where he would have thought the alliance would be after one year. “But that stuff was through in weeks. We feel good about the alliance’s progression.”

Navistar also launched its International HV Series in Atlanta. The HV Series is the first severe service truck available with the International A26 12.4L big bore engine and designed to deliver power, refined driver-features, and improved reliability for a range of vocational applications.

Navistar also announced a number of industry-leading advancements to its OnCommand Connection platform, including Live Action Plans, which boasts predictive technology potentially signalling when a part may fail before it actually does.

Volvo showcased its new VNR series regional haul and Volvo VNL series long-

haul tractors on the show floor, which of course has little interest Down Under given Volvo’s policy of keeping its brand as a cab over only range while Mack has the conventional market to itself.

Additionally, Volvo launched a new interior for its VHD model, bringing onhighway driver comfort and productivity to the vocational market. Volvo trucks on display featured an integrated powertrain with Volvo engines, including the new Volvo D13 Turbo Compound (D13 TC) engine, and a Volvo I-Shift automated manual transmission for improved fuel efficiency. For maximizing uptime, Volvo showcased its Remote Diagnostics, which monitors critical fault codes and enables proactive diagnostics and repair planning.

Volvo also presented the new Remote Programming service, which further enhances customer’s uptime.

Away from the major OEMs there were a plethora of ancillary suppliers displaying new technologies and products.

Bosch showcased its demonstration truck to highlight future technologies, including those paving the way for automated driving. The company launched a 15-inch freely programmable cluster, designed to be integrated with advanced driver assistance technologies.

Meritor launched its new high efficiency tandem drive axle designed for fuel

economy and fuel efficiency.

On the transmission side of things two major announcements were made by the two bog hitters in gearbox design and manufacturing. Both Allison and the new Eaton Cummins joint venture announced new gearboxes.

The Eaton Cummins automated transmission technologies joint venture, formed between the two companies just five months ago introduced its first product here at the show: a 12-speed AMT dubbed the Endurant.

General manager of the joint venture, Scott Davis said that the Endurant is a purpose-built, clean sheet design, linehaul AMT that incorporates more than 400 hours of direct customer input.

“That customer input was deliberate; we wanted to get it into the process before we even began designing the product,” he explained.

“We wanted to translate the needs of the fleet manager, truck driver, and technician into its architecture; we literally did not have a design ready when we sought this customer input.”

Davis said the development of the Endurant was already well underway before the joint venture with Cummins but that by adding in Cummins engine knowledge, the integration within a complete powertrain went much smoother.

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VOLVO BOSS SIGNALS TECHNOLOGY AT BREAK NECK SPEED

Paccar will be the first maker to introduce the Endurant to its models with the new AMT to be launched in the Kenworth T680 and Peterbilt Model 579 once it is in full production later this month.

Allison used the show to announce plans for its new nine speed fully automatic transmission due in 2020.

The new nine-speed transmission has a deep first gear ratio, includes an integral engine stop-start system and is scheduled to be released to coincide with the USA Environmental Protection Agency’s Phase 2 GHG and Fuel Efficiency Standards.

“This nine-speed product launch represents the first in a number of new products which will demonstrate Allison’s ongoing commitment to addressing the global challenge of improved fuel efficiency and reduced greenhouse gases,” said Allison’s senior vice-president of product engineering, Randy Kirk.

Kirk added the new nine-speed will reach up to seven per cent greater fuel efficiency than the current base six-speed model.

“The new nine-speed will set a new benchmark for fuel savings,” he said.

“Customers can also expect up to 10 per cent greater fuel economy or more when compared to a competing transmission.”

The new transmission marks the first of its kind for the medium-duty market, specifically distribution trucks, rental and lease trucks, and buses, Kirk said.

Kirk said that drivers can also look forward to better comfort due to smaller steps, a smoother start, and improved

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acceleration with the new transmission and that the new gearbox will succeed the company’s six-speed transmission when it is released.

Allison claims the new nine-speed leverages the track record of its current 2000 Series six speed, which they say, has accumulated more than 100 billion miles in-service globally and to keep things simple for OEMs it has been designed to utilise the same interfaces as the six-speed predecessor.

The NACV Show offered attendees and exhibitors many opportunities to learn more about the industry’s outlook and trends. The show kicked-off with an Opening Ceremony hosted by the American Trucking Associations.

On the opening day in Atlanta seven semi trailers with their drivers, fleet executives, sponsors and the North American Council for Freight Efficiency (NACFE) held a press conference to announce the results of Run On Less, a 17-day fuel economy test drive. Run On Less delivered an average of 4.29 km/ litre (10.1 miles per US gallon, saving close to 11000 litres of fuel which in American prices equates to a saving of around and $AUD9, 190 against the US national average of 2.7 km/litre.

The NACV Show was organised jointly by IAA subsidiary Hannover Fairs USA and the joint venture announced that following the success of the initial show the next NACV Show will take place in 2019 at the Georgia World Congress Centre in Atlanta from 28-31 October, 2019.

Göran Nyberg, president of Volvo Trucks North America said at the show that he believes that the future of heavy transport is coming faster than we all expect, and that connectivity, powertrain electrification, and automation of vehicles will change the very nature of the freight hauling business.

The growth of connectivity, electromobility, and automation will all have a “dramatic influence” on transportation, added Keith Brandis, VTNA’s director of product planning, during a presentation at the Atlanta show.

“We are just now at the beginning of this very exciting area,” Brandis explained. “Being connected is the key enabler.”

On a separate topic, Brandis said that while “diesel is still a very energy efficient fuel,” there is no question that electric powertrain systems will continue to rapidly develop.

Electric trucks will generally be aimed for city deliveries, although there will be more experiments in regional haul, he pointed out. That will be especially attractive in areas of the world where fuel is up to three times more expensive than in the U.S., Brandis added..

While he cautioned a lack of electric infrastructure is one of the challenges that need to be resolved, Nyberg declared “electrification is coming.”

Automation is also advancing, as VTNA and other manufacturers develop systems aimed at assisting the truck driver to be safer and more productive.

With platooning and autonomous driving, there are “challenges we as engineers admit we have not figured out,” Brandis emphasized.

\ Paul Jukes Victorian State Manager, Hertz Truck Rental

Efficiency for hire Australian Truck and 4WD Rentals, the Hertz Truck Rental franchisee for South Australia, NSW and Victoria, has decided to replace all of the manual trucks in its fleet with Allison fully automatic equipped trucks.

Paul Jukes, Victorian State Manager, Hertz Truck Rentals, reckons that since adding Allison equipped UD Trucks to the Hertz fleet they have delivered lower maintenance and repair costs as well as saving money when it comes to operating costs.

“Our Allison automatic trucks are easier on clutches and brakes and that means we save money, not to mention the reduced down time,” says Paul Jukes.

Hertz customers can now enjoy improved productivity through full powershifts, with faster acceleration and increase fuel efficiency in city, and suburban applications thanks to Allison.

Fully integrated, sophisticated electronic controls enable precise, smooth shifts and provide expanded prognostics and diagnostic capabilities which reduce driver fatigue, enhance safety and make the truck more reliable and efficient to operate.

Make the smart choice…. Allison automatics

www.truckandbus.net.au 043 © 2015 Allison Transmission Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Operator

THE TASK OF SUPPLYING BACK UP AND SUPPORT FOR THE AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE FORCE AS IT TRAINS AND PREPARES IN SOME OF THE HARSHEST CONDITIONS IS NOT AN EASY ONE AND FOR ONE TOWNSVILLE BASED COMPANY CHARGED WITH HIGH TECH ELECTRONIC TASKS FOR THE ADF IT MEANS IT NEEDS TRUCKS THAT WILL LITERALLY GO ANYWHERE. TTA LOOKS AT CUBIC DEFENCE AND ITS GO ANYWHERE FTS ISUZU, ALTHOUGH WE CAN’T TELL YOU EXACTLY WHAT THEY DO FOR THE FORCES, IF WE DID WE MIGHT HAVE TO KILL YOU!

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“A GOOD, VERSATILE VEHICLE THAT COULD TAKE US TO THE TOP OF A MOUNTAIN, OR DRIVE ALONG OUTBACK HIGHWAYS FOR DAYS ON END WAS AN ABSOLUTE NECESSITY”

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hat Townsville based company, Cubic Defence, is a subsidiary of Cubic Corporation, a multinational operation with an intriguing history makes it unique among businesses in Far North Queensland. Cubic started as a small electronics company in 1951 in San Diego, California and these days is a global provider of transportation, defence and engineering solutions.

Cubic actually helped pioneer modern satellite technology as well as a range of other disparate technologies including

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electronic scoreboards and the technology behind the carded e-tickets used for public transport in some of the world’s busiest cities.

Its Australian subsidiary, Cubic Defence, is responsible for handling some of the ADF’s biggest contracts. In short, it’s a company that knows a thing or two about quality engineering and innovation.

Operations Support Manager, Adrian Overell, tells us that the work they do in Australia actually is a lot more about rugged all-terrain trekking than lab

coats and motherboards.

“We’re actually based all around Australia with our head office in Townsville and we provide simulation and instrumentation support to defence and aerospace projects,” Adrian said.

“We deliver niche instrumentation services for defence training operations, which means we need good vehicles for long highway drives and very difficult cross-country locations.

“When we support the ADF, we go where they train, so we drive these trucks

literally all over Australia.

“A good, versatile vehicle that could take us to the top of a mountain, or drive along outback highways for days on end was an absolute necessity.”

Hence Cubic’s decision to purchase two go anywhere Isuzu FTS 800 4x4 models.

The Australian desert demands brute strength from the vehicles that traverse it, and the FTS’ Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM) of 13,900 kg, 176 kW of power at 2,400 rpm and 706 Nm of torque at 1,450 rpm provide the right just the right mix of

power and dependability.

Meanwhile, the six-speed Allison LCT2500 automatic transmission with fifth generation electronic controls and adaptive shift always ensures a smoothas-possible drive whatever the road condition.

“Our Isuzu’s operate on dirt-tracks but also in serious off-road conditions,” Adrian said. “We transport Ground Relay Stations (GSR’s) to collect data from extremely remote and inaccessible locations.

“We need to get these GSR’s to the top

of small mountains near military training centres to get the best coverage possible.

“These places don’t have roads, often just a very bad track. We needed vehicles that could drive across this terrain safely, carrying a 3,000 kg load and a large crane, before unloading itself and returning.”

To tackle the unique challenges the Australian outback throws at it, the FTS is a full-time 4WD with centre differential lock a cold riveted ladder frame with parallel side rails and high tensile weldable steel sidemembers. It’s put

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together with the best quality parts and materials to ensure it can grapple any condition it’s been thrown into.

“I drove trucks in the military for 30 years, so I’m used to driving extremely high-spec, military-grade trucks,” Adrian said. “With Cubic, I now look at Isuzu’s commercial trucks for similar kinds of work.”

“They’re not military grade, so they don’t have quite the same capacity, but the Isuzu’s always meet what we need them to do.

And in terms of comfort and driveability – they’re so much better.

“The air-ride seats, suspension, steering geometry and the air-conditioning make it such an enjoyable vehicle to drive.

Ordinarily, swapping the rigour of a military vehicle for a commercial truck - yet sticking to the same arduous routes – would be a chore for any driver. But for Adrian, the FTS’ have made it a pleasure.

“I’m very happy to shift from military trucks to the luxury of an Isuzu, but I still think my favourite feature of the FTS’ is their robustness – they always meet our requirements, on any road, in any driving condition.

“They offer enough power, they’re comfortable, easy vehicles to operate and they’ve got great vision. I’m never struggling to see the road and their responsiveness is so important when you’re carrying $100,000 worth of equipment out the back.”

Whether it’s the Digital Audio Visual Equipment (DAVE) unit with its 6.2 inch touchscreen and voice recognition, the ISRI 6860 air-suspension driver and passenger seats with pneumatic lumbar support or the ADR 42 compliant sleeper with mattress, the FTS is brimming with well crafted, practical features that make even the harshest road journeys enjoyable.

“Safety was a very high priority for us because the conditions we operate the vehicles in, apart from being very difficult, are very remote too,” Adrian said.

“We have to ensure our vehicles can handle these conditions and, if there’s a breakdown or driver error, people have a high chance of remaining safe.

“One of the main reasons we choose Isuzu is to keep us safe and comfortable in remote locations. The trucks do about 10,000 km a month and sometimes we travel 5,000 km just to get to a training area, so safety was a big concern.”

With safety also one of Isuzu’s top priorities, the FTS 800 comes with an ECE-R29 compliant cab, Anti-lock Braking (ABS), driver and outboard front passenger airbags, heavy duty non-slip entry steps, reverse alarm and extended wiring harness fitted as standard.

“Our Isuzu’s have a cab-over with the best quality additions,” Adrian says. “They’re fully kitted out with walk-up ramps on the rear, 60 litre water tanks, extra fuel tanks, large high-capacity cranes, bullbars and drive lights.

“For the type of work we needed them to do, Isuzu were very competitive in meeting our driving and off-road requirements.

The price and aftersales service were also far better than the competitors.

“The Isuzu’s cope magnificently in the most difficult conditions and that’s why we keep buying them. We’ve never had an issue – they’re good vehicles and we’ll buy Isuzu’s again.

Despite the hard yakka these trucks are built to withstand, Adrian said Cubic’s drivers still see their Isuzu’s as an oasis of comfort in the rough Australian outback.

“It’s great having new Isuzu’s with all the latest technology – Sat-Nav, air-con, air-suspension seats, all the other little creature comforts - they make the trucks great to drive and work from.”

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“ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS WE CHOOSE ISUZU IS TO KEEP US SAFE AND COMFORTABLE IN REMOTE LOCATIONS” 3

1. Ready to head out into the field to service Cubic’s ADF contracts.

2. The Cubic Isuzu FTS 800 in one of the company’s workshops 3. Two of Cubic’s employees in front of their Isuzu FTS 800 4x4.

“THE ISUZU’S COPE MAGNIFICENTLY IN THE MOST DIFFICULT CONDITIONS AND THAT’S WHY WE KEEP BUYING THEM”

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Operator

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A SPECIAL ROAD RAIL CONVERSION ON A FUSO CANTER FG 4X4 IS NOTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY WITH MANY OPERATING ON RAILWAYS AROUND THE COUNTRY BUT ONE PARTICULAR CANTER CONVERSION RUNNING ON AN HISTORIC RAILWAY IN A REMOTE CORNER OF TASMANIA WAS TOO GOOD A STORY TO IGNORE.

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“WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE RAILWAY WHICH IS VERY SUSCEPTIBLE TO LANDSLIPS AND FALLEN TREES IS CLEAR AND RIGHT TO TAKE THE PAYING PUBLIC”

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n the wilds of Tasmania’s West Coast the dense, wet and almost impenetrable mountain forests, the deep gorges and steep hills have long conspired to make access difficult to the harsh environment that is in the eye of the winds of the Roaring Forties.

Its against this back drop that a Fuso Canter FG 4x4 has found itself employed as a Road Rail Vehicle, patrolling and maintaining a tourist railway in some of the steepest and harshest country any railway in Australia traverses.

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The West Coast Wilderness Railway took delivery of the first of two Canter FG 4x4 Road Rail Vehicles(RRV) in May 2017 and is expecting to take delivery of the second sometime in early 2018. The Canter’s have been purchased to replace a pair of old and extremely well used Mazda T3500 RRVs. Rail Operations manager for the WCWR, Andy Horton told TTA that the old Mazdas had more than a million kilometres on the clock and were getting very tired before the first of the Canter

replacements arrived at the railway’s base in Queenstown.

“The old trucks were hand me downs and were in fact gifted by other rail operators years ago and they were tired then,” said Andy.

“Getting out of the old truck into the new Canter is like getting out of an old jalopy and climbing into a new Rolls Royce,” he adds.

Each morning at 5.30 the crew of five climbs aboard the Canter RRV in Queenstown and heads out on the 34.5

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“GETTING OUT OF THE OLD TRUCK INTO THE NEW CANTER IS LIKE GETTING OUT OF AN OLD JALOPY AND CLIMBING INTO A NEW ROLLS ROYCE”

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kilometre track before climbing the 1 in 16 grade to Rinadeena then down the 1 in 20 grade on other side to Dubbil Barril through Camp Spur before skirting Macquarie Harbour and on to Strachan.

The task is to inspect the railway to ensure it is clear and safe for the tourist trains that will follow later in the day.

“We have to make sure that the railway which is very susceptible to landslips and fallen trees is clear and right to take the paying public,” says Andy.

The Canter RRV was converted using

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an Aries Road Rail system which positions hydraulically operated rail wheels that lower down from the truck chassis to engage with the narrow gauge (3’6”) track.

At the rear there are two more steel rail wheels with the truck’s rear tyres engaging with the track to deliver drive.

Unlike the Abt Rack rail system on the restored steam train, the Canter RRV has enough traction through its rubber tyres and rail wheels to climb the steep steel track and traverse the downward grades as well.

1. WCWR track supervisor, Darren Bryce with the Railway’s new Canter RRV. 2. The WCWR Canter Road Rail truck setting out for its daily inspection journey over the mountains from Queesntown to Strachan.

3. The historic steam engine that pulls the tourist train over the steep climbs between Strachan and Queenstown each day.

4. The Airies road rail system with the front rail wheels in the up position for normal road use.

5. With the rail system down and the Canter on track drive is delivered through the truck’s rubber road tyres.

The Canter’s three–litre turbo diesel and five speed manual copes well with the task and according to Andy the only reason a 4x4 version was specified was to ensure the truck could travel the steep and treacherous access roads into parts of the railway. The 110kw/370 Nm light truck has a two-speed transfer case for the 4x4 system and according to Andy it has no trouble coping with any conditions.

WCWR consulted with and ordered the Canter through local dealer CJD Equipment in Tasmania.

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“There is about 18 km of the railway where there is no external access but one of the access roads can be quite treacherous so having the 4x4 is an added security measure.

Andy says that purchasing the new truck was more than two years in the process but believes the Canter was the perfect choice.

“There was a new standard for the road rail equipment in development when we started to look at replacing the old trucks so we held off for a while to ensure we got a truck that met the new standards because we knew we would have it for a long time to come,” Andy says.

“Our criteria was we needed a truck that had similar dimensions to the old trucks, was a dual cab and would do the job, the Canter was the perfect fit, I think it is 35mm longer than the old unit but apart from that it was spot on,” he added.

As well as patrolling and inspecting the track for blockages or damage first thing each day the Canter transports the crew to various parts of the railway to complete maintenance and repair work. With the rail system in place the Canter has a payload of around two tonnes, more than enough to cope with a few spare sleepers , tools and the five crew.

While transporting the work crews, is the primary role the truck can also be used as a safety vehicle to extract passengers from train if the unlikely

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event of the train becoming stuck or not being able to complete a journey.

The story of the railway is an epic saga of absolute determination and the quest to extract wealth from the ground that makes exploits of today seem soft by comparison.

Back in the 1890s a bunch of extremely tough and resourceful fellas set out to build the railway to the Mount Lyall copper mine from the port at Strachan. There was no road across the mountainous terrain and the railway was to be the only way to get the riches of the copper mine to the outside world.

In just 19 months the hardy crew built the railway using the Abt rack rail system enabling the trains to tackle the steep climbs and descents without slippage.

The rack rail system has a teethed steel rack laid down the middle of the narrow gauge rail with a toothed pinion under the train engaging with the rack as the train climbs up grades of up to 1 in 16, which is the steepest grade on any conventional railway in Australia.

The country was so inhospitable that there was no road into Queenstown from Strachan until 1932, so for the best part of 35 years the rack railway was the only way into and out of Queenstown to Strachan.

In 1963 the Mount Lyall railway was closed with the upgraded Murchison Highway allowing trucks to extract the

mine’s ore meaning the railway was no longer needed. For some obscure reason the mine owners pulled all the rail out and this significant historic railway was no more. Fast-forward to the late 1990s and a push came to rebuild and recommission the famous old railway as a tourist line. With a major grant from the Tasmanian government, a private operator, saw the railway as a great tourist attraction to the West Coast.

In a move that brings the achievements of the original builders into sharper focus the task of re laying the tracks and shoring up the bridges and cuttings took two and a half years, even with modern machinery and technology available 100 years on from the original construction. That’s almost 11 months longer than the original build time, underlining an incredible feat by those pioneers in the 1890s.

The rebuilt railway was opened in 2002 and ran for many years under the control of Federal Hotels until about four years ago when the private company withdrew and the Tasmanian Government took over the running of the iconic line.

Today the West Coast Wilderness Railway is one of the great tourist trips in the Apple Isle and while the steam engine chugs its way over the mountains every day the railway’s Canter truck ensure the railway runs smoothly and safely for the tourists.

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D-MAX

WELL SMART ISUZU UTE’S D MAX HAS BEEN GAINING SALES MOMENTUM IN RECENT TIMES AND BECOMING MORE AND MORE POPULAR AMONGST THE COMPETITIVE ONE UTE MARKET AND WHILE THE MORE POLISHED HILUX AND RANGER CLEARLY OUTSELL THE D-MAX IT IS A SOLID PERFORMER THAT HAS ITS OWN CHARMS AND IS SERIOUSLY GOOD OFF ROAD. WE TOOK ONE FOR A SPIN RECENTLY AND CAME AWAY IMPRESSED WITH THE IMPROVED PACKAGE.

T

he D-Max enjoyed a round of changes and improvements in early 2017 that has put the Isuzu o0n a more even par with some of its ute opponents and in fact it was the most substantial updates it has received since the current body shape came along in 2012.

It has a new six speed automatic, a new front end/nose treatment and a new engine.

D-Max boasts four trim levels in the current crew cab line up with the entry SX, moving up to the LS-M, then the LS-U and the premium LS-T. We had a week in the LS-T which only comes as an auto only and starts from $54,200 with leather trim as standard, a new entertainment system with eight-inch touchscreen display, sat nav and reversing camera, keyless passive entry and and starter system, chrome grille, front fog-lights, LED running lights, roof rails, 18-inch alloy wheels, hill descent control and climate control aircon.

Inside the cab and there is a plethora of storage areas including two glove compartments, both with ample room, along with a number of cup holders including four for the front seat occupants plus two positioned in the fold down middle arm rest for the rear seat passengers. In terms of storage there are little pockets and nooks all around the cabin including the ample door pockets, seat pockets and some really handy and secure space under the flip-up rear seats.

The tilt adjustable leather trimmed steering front seats are comfortable and well padded providing good support but could have a little bit more adjustment, particularly in relation to the leather trimmed steering wheel. For this writer’s particular build and it felt like the seat was always a little bit too high for our liking, just needs a bit more adjustment in our opinion.

There are audio, phone and trip computer as well as cruise control switches on the steering wheel making it relatively easy to control every part of the audio and info system without a major distraction, which is good

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because the audio system is one of those annoying new age ones that doesn’t have an audio control knob on it. One of these days’ car entertainment system designers will figure out that a simple volume control knob is the safest and easiest way for drivers to control the audio.

Under the bonnet is the updated new Isuzu four cylinder three-litre common rail Euro 5 turbo diesel engine producing the same 130kw at 3600rpm as the old gen engine it replaced, however the new engine features an additional 50Nm of torque now with 430Nm delivered between 2000-2200rpm.

Isuzu claims that the new power plant we get has been specifically tailored for the Australian market and features new design pistons, fuel injectors, fuel pump and a larger Exhaust Gas Recycling (EGR) cooler.

The claim is that the engine produces more power at lower engine rpm along with increased torque while being more fuel-efficient with less toxic exhaust gas. The engine definitely feels punchier and has better response and when mated to the new six-speed Aisin automatic is much better to drive in all sorts of conditions but is well short of the eight speed box in the VW Amarok which is the ute standard these days.

The exterior features a a new chrome grille which we found a little chintzy, but then again we’re not into chrome as much as mated body colours and black trim styling, however again that is a subjective view, one mans fish is another’s poison.

It is almost damning with faint praise but Isuzu reckons that with its new sleeker body and sleeker bonnet and a few other changes the D-Max now can boast one of the lowest coefficient of drag (Cd) in its class – but they are pick-ups so the Cd ratios won’t be in the jet aeroplane class.

With many large fleets now demanding high safety standards in its utes for obvious OH&S reasons, the good news is the D-Max has a maximum five star ANCAP rating. However we are ANCAP sceptics in some ways, we believe in climate change and the

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THE D-MAX BOASTS RUGGED GOOD LOOKS, STEERS AND DRIVES PARTICULARLY WELL AND IS A BIG STEP UP WITH ITS NEW ENGINE AND TRANS. importance of vaccination but when it comes to ANCAP and its points system anything that sets itself up as God and hands out points for things like seat belt and handbrake warning chimes has some serious flaws. There we said it! (now for the rude letters from ANCAP!) The D-Max’s safety suite includes six airbags (dual front, side and full-length curtain), ABS with EBC, ESC, traction control and emergency brake assist.

It also boasts ‘Hill Start Assist’ and ‘Hill Decent Control’ as well as boasting three latest spec top-tether ISOFIX child seat-restraint points in the rear seat.

On the road the D-Max is not as refined as some of its ute opponents, even its close relation the Holden Colorado , which uses a smoother and in our eyes more driveable 2.8 litre VM turbo diesel.

We find the Isuzu engine not quite as smooth or as usable as some of the others

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but it is a matter of small degrees.

The D-Max has well-weighted steering and it uses double wishbones and coil springs up front with a leaf springs rear.

Its ride and handling are good and more than capable but not sensational, again the industry standard is the VW Amarok, in our opinion but the Isuzu is more utilitarian.

Without any load in the back it can feel a bit firm but it is not unbearable and has been reasonably well sorted to suit both rough and smooth, it has its limitations, but lets face it, this is a work horse ute that happens to have had the luxury stick waived over it, you just have to remember that when driving it, this is not a car!

Braking is handled by 300mm discs at the front and big 295mm drums at the rear. They work particularly well even on forestry roads when this writer drove

it with some spirited peddling. It felt safe and never looked like suffering fade even after many hard and consistent stops.

It boasts a 924kg payload and a maximum braked towing capacity of 3500kg or 750kg unbraked, TTA can tell you that it tows superbly after using the D-Max to haul a car trailer and rally car to a workshop in Western Sydney.

Even when hitched up you could barely notice the added load.

In conclusion the D-Max boasts rugged good looks, steers and drives particularly well and is a big step up with its new engine and trans and above all is a good solid all round ute. Isuzu continues to grow sales but it will continue to sit behind Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux while its pricing levels and overall package remains in the current realm, it’s a good ute but not quite the best in class.

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HOCUS FOCUS T

here is a piece of sublime, demanding and at times uncompromising tarmac road in the NSW mid west that will remain nameless for the purpose of this story on the grounds that anonymity will hopefully protect it from the gaze of our friends at the NSW Highway Patrol.

It was up on the aforementioned piece of sublime, demanding and uncompromising tarmac that the latest Ford Focus RS gave this writer a smile and an inner warmth that few cars have ever been able to match.

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This is far and away the best hot hatch available on the market at the moment, particularly for its value price tag of $50,990.

This car’s poise, balance, sure footedness and punch you in the back acceleration not to mention brakes that threaten to tear tarmac from the road. It is a very easy car to love and not just because of that sublime 60 km of road that enthralled us while testing this feisty little Ford.

For those in the know the RS stands out from the crowd with its black grille wide black alloys low profile Michelins

and the subtle Ford RS badging. RS has been Ford of Europe’s nomenclature for high performance machines from the days of the Escort RS1600, through various Capris to various Focus and Fiestas that today carry the name.

The guards of the RS are also slightly flared, there is a bigger from splitter and a rear undertray to help settle the car at high speed. It has an aggressive stance and attracts attention where ever it goes.

The deeply bucketed front Recaros are superb both in terms of comfort as well as support and security, Recaros are anything

OUR PUBLISHER JON THOMSON HAD THE CHANCE TO SLIP BEHIND THE WHEEL OF FORD’S SNAPPY LITTLE SPORTS SEDAN, THE FOCUS RS RECENTLY AND HAD THE TIME OF HIS LIFE IN WHAT IS A SUPERB HOT HATCH, HERE’S HIS REPORT.

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FIRE UP THE FOCUS, SELECT FIRST, GIVE IT A BLIP ON THE THROTTLE AND WE HAVE LIFT OFF. but cheap. Then there are the subtle RS badges well designed performance instruments and Ford’s Microsoft driven touch screen audio and infotainment system. It is an interior that I can easily live with particularly at the price.

Apart from anything else this is still a five door hatch, can still accommodate four adults easily along with luggage or the weekly shopping.

Under the bonnet lies the 2.3 litre EcoBoost twin cam four cylinder turbo producing an impressive 257kW and 440 Nm of torque. It is the deep heart of this car and is what delivers most of the smiles. Its flexibility, driveability and deep wells of performance that will take the RS from a standstill to 100km/h in just 4.7 seconds. That is not much off supercar status and is seriously impressive.

Power is delivered to all four wheel of the RS with the bias being to the rear wheels, unusual for an all wheel drive hot hatch these days, however that is what provides so much of the liveliness and excitement for this chassis.

Forget paddle shifts and semi auto or AMT boxes, the RS comes with a six speed manual, like it or leave it. Fiord claims

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that the manual saves weight over the front wheels and adds to the balance and poise of the RS, and it is balanced and poised, so there might be something in that.

Fire up the Focus, select first, give it a blip on the throttle and we have lift off.

This is particularly so if you select Sport Mode on the electronic mode selection.

The engine will let out a little gasping pop on upshifts as you come off the throttle to grab another gear. It is a solid reminder that this is not eco hatch but is a serious performance car.

But it is not just straight-line performance that makes this car so impressive. Get it on a piece of twisty road such as the aforementioned ‘sublime tarmac’ and the RS just wants to gallop and shows its true credentials as the best hot hatch around.

As we said before most hot hatches want to understeer, not the RS, with all that rear bias ( up to 70 per cent), however the Focus is so neutral and well mannered with just a touch of oversteer on the ragged edge, but nothing that can’t be controlled easily with a touch of oppy and some throttle control.

The old art of balancing a car on the throttle comes flooding back at the wheel

of this little superstar.

The 19-inch alloys with the superb Michelin Sport Cup 2 tyres generate enormous grip levels that when you are on the extremities of grip you start to think about the consequences if you do reach the limit. That didn’t happen during our time with the car, thankfully.

Drive the RS out of a bend with a good dab of right foot and there is just that slight amount of oversteer that is just so much fun and is such a challenge for anyone who really loves to drive a car.

It is very endearing and makes you want to keep finding more and more bits of twisty road to continue the feeling.

The ride is a little bit hard and gets harder in Sports mode but if you want a soft ride buy a Focus ST or a Toyota Corolla or something mundane. We found it easy to live with and because the damping is so good it never felt to harsh in normal mode.

You have probably realized by now we are big fans of the Focus RS and in our humble opinion it is easily the best value performance car on the market and the best hot hatch around at the moment bar none.

Do yourself a favour and try one.

COMING SOON!

AN ALL NEW MAGAZINE AIMED SQUARELY AT BUILDING AND MAINTAINING GRAVEL ROADS IN THIS COUNTRY

WELCOME TO GRAVEL ROADS AUSTRALIA AN ALL-NEW niche publication will be hitting your desk in early 2018 when Gravel Roads Australia arrives on the scene.

Gravel roads make up almost 66 per cent of the nation’s road network with close to 600,000 kms of unsealed thoroughfares across this wide brown land. Many have low traffic volumes while others are vital arteries providing access to some of our most valuable resource assets.

Building and maintaining our unsealed road network is a major industry in itself with Local Govt, Civil Contractors, Mining Companies, Forestry, Farmers and a

myriad of others all involved in ensuring these vital routes are available to industry and travellers alike.

Now, for the first time, this sector will have its own journal featuring interesting stories about road construction practices, new equipment, case studies, planned projects and new techniques - in fact anything that involves the building and maintaining of gravel roads.

Gravel Roads Australia will be a high quality 64-page publication, produced four times a year by Grayhaze Publishing, publisher of Transport & Trucking Australia and Coach and Bus magazine

as well as the highly successful transport website, www.truckandbus.net.au Gravel Roads Australia will feature great writers with features and news produced by some of the best journalists in Australia with high quality photography and design.

The first edition will be published in March 2018 and then in June, September and December each year. The magazine will be direct mailed to more than 3000 Local Govt Works Officers, Civil Contractors, Transport Operators, Machinery Dealers and Manufacturers as well as Mining Companies.

For advertising please contact: Grayhaze Publishing 02 9938 6408 admin@truckandbus.net.au – ads@truckandbus.net.au

MONEY MATTERS PAUL CLITHROE KEEP IT SIMPLE AND MAKE SURE YOU INVEST IN TRAVEL INSURANCE

I

f you look at some of the world’s most successful companies it’s pretty clear they typically provide products or services that are straightforward, functional and conceptually easy to grasp.

And that’s exactly what you should look for in an investment. Experience has taught me that in life and investing, the simple things are often the best.

Take Coca-Cola, a simple soft drink found worldwide. Or Apple’s products, very sophisticated bits of gear but fantastically user-friendly. Closer to home we have companies like CSL, Woolworths and BHP that are well-established businesses with products that are easy to understand.

At the other end of the spectrum, I regularly receive marketing material inviting me or my clients to hand over our hard-earned cash for some scheme or other that is so complex or obscure no reasonable person could be expected to understand it. And that’s when my alarm bells start ringing.

Trying to explain what you’ve sunk your

Simply because something is complex doesn’t mean it is good. If you come across an investment that seems impressive purely because it’s complicated, try this litmus test: Have a go at explaining how it works to someone else. If they don’t know what you’re talking about, then chances are you don’t either and I suggest you pass it up. After all, with around 2,000 listed Australian companies, just as many managed funds, and untold numbers of investment properties on offer, there’s no shortage of assets – many of which are straightforward - to invest in.

It makes a sensible rule of thumb, “if you don’t understand it, don’t buy it”.

If you struggle to understand how an investment works, it’s a fair bet you have almost no chance of knowing what could go wrong and how you could lose money.

Keep it simple and it’s harder to go wrong.

Meantime it’s that time of the year when our thoughts turn to summer holidays, but amid the excitement of choosing

their overseas medical expenses. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth.

If you run into trouble while travelling, even in an emergency, you could find you’re on your own when it comes to footing the bill. DFAT’s SmartTraveller website makes it very clear that if you don’t have travel insurance in place, the Australian government won’t pay for your medical treatment overseas or medical evacuation to Australia.

So a sensible rule of thumb is that if you can’t afford travel insurance, you can’t afford to travel.

Fortunately, travel insurance is very reasonably priced. As you’d expect basic policies are cheaper than comprehensive products but there can be a world of difference in the protection they offer.

A basic product may only cover you for medical bills and some public liability. A comprehensive policy will typically have a range of add-ons like car rental excess cover (so if you have a bingle in a hire car it shouldn’t cost you a cent), as well as

It makes a sensible rule of thumb, “if you don’t understand it, don’t buy it” money into may make for impressive dinner party conversation, but it’s never a good sign if you have to make a serious effort just to figure out the basics of how you make money from it.

It’s not hard to get a grasp of how companies like, say, Qantas or Caltex make money. But I wonder how many ordinary investors, many of whom had their fingers burned, really understood the underlying businesses behind most of the dotcom companies that failed in 2000 or the clear-as-mud operations of money shufflers like Allco Financial Group, which was wiped out in the global financial crisis.

Sure, these events were some time ago. However, I still see very complex “investments” being heavily marketed to ordinary investors. I’m thinking of Bitcoin, foreign currency trading, contracts for difference and other types of derivative trading just to name a few.

a destination, don’t forget to arrange travel cover. In the last three years, one in three Australians have headed off internationally without the protection of travel insurance.

If you run into trouble overseas it can be far more than just inconvenient. Lost baggage, stolen smartphones and delayed flights can leave you with unexpected bills. But if you become unwell or injured, the cost can be high enough to bring on altitude sickness.

Medical treatment in the US for instance can cost several hundred dollars per day.

Being repatriated back to Australia for treatment from popular destinations like Indonesia can leave you, or your family, with a bill of around $94,000.

The scary thing is that a recent report by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) found as many as one in two Aussie travelers believe the Australian government will pick up the tab for

cover for delayed flights, loss of luggage and theft of cash.

It always makes sense to shop around for travel cover, and the internet makes this easy. Your health fund or super fund may also be a source of low cost travel insurance.

However, do read the fine print. Terms and conditions, along with premiums and what you’re covered for, vary widely.

The main thing is to organise travel cover as soon as you’ve paid for flights or accommodation. Don’t wait until you’re about to head off as a lot can happen in the interim that could see you cancelling the trip. Along with being stranded at home this summer, that could also mean being left out of pocket.

Paul Clitheroe is a founding director of financial planning firm ipac, Chairman of the Australian Government Financial Literacy Board and chief commentator for Money Magazine. Visit www.paulsmoney.com.au for more information.

ALL IT TAKES At Kumho, we deliver a smoother, safer ride for you and your cargo – on tyres designed to perform in all Australian conditions. Whether it’s a light load or heavy highway haulage, our commitment to quality will deliver you great value and a safer tomorrow.

And like a circle, it never ends. We’ll continue to look for new ways to make your experience better. It’s just what we do.

KUMHO TYRE. BETTER, ALL-WAYS.

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New

Renault TRAFIC 85 More power to perform

The New Renault Trafic 85 has more power and more torque making it a powerful set of wheels for your business. Right now the New Renault Trafic 85 comes with a 3 year / 200,000km warranty with roadside assist and 3 capped-price services at $349 each. For a mid-sized van that’s easy, safe and fun to drive, the New Renault Trafic 85 is a better option for your business.

For more information visit renault.com.au †Three (3) year/200,000km warranty offer and 3 year Roadside Assistance both apply. Warranty and Roadside Assistance valid for 3 years or 200,000km (whichever comes first) for new and demonstrator TRAFIC models. Roadside Assistance terms and conditions apply. Call our Customer Service Team on 1800 009 008 or view the Terms and Conditions statement at www.renault.com.au/drivingpeaceofmind for details. First 3 scheduled maintenance services capped at $349 per service on new and demonstrator TRAFIC models based on standard scheduled servicing from new and on normal operating conditions. Scheduled maintenance services required every twelve (12) months or 30,000km (whichever occurs first). If vehicle is not presented within three (3) months of when the scheduled service is required, right to that capped-price service under the program is forfeited. ‘Overseas model shown.