Transport & Trucking Aust issue 114

www.truckandbus.net.au Issue 114 May/June 2017

$8.95 incl. GST

INTERNATIONAL COMEBACK

FAMOUS US BRAND FINALLY RETURNS TO THE AUSSIE MARKET HINO 500 FULL RUNDOWN IVECO’S NEW EUROCARGO NEW DAF 510 ROAD TEST - FUSO CANTER UPDATE - RENAULT TRAFIC AND KANGOO

hino.com.au

ALL NEW HINO 500 SERIES WIDE CAB. IT’S A GAME CHANGER.

XAVIER_HINO35219_0317

THAT’S ANOTHER HINO

The Challenge: to redefine what to expect from a hard working truck.

The Solution: the astonishing all new Hino 500 Series Wide Cab. With unrivalled build quality encompassing next level chassis, suspension and axles, a range of engine and transmission options, and a cabin with unsurpassed driver comfort. The all new Hino 500 Series Wide Cab boasts the most comprehensive active safety package of any Japanese

truck in the medium duty truck category – in an Australian-first for this class, Vehicle Stability Control is now fitted as standard across the new wide cab range. Plus at Hino, we’re driven to do more for you with Hino Advantage, our innovative new range of support solutions. So make sure you check out the all new Hino 500 Series Wide Cab today.

It’s a game changer! To find out more visit hino.com.au

CONTENTS CONTACT DETAILS

FEATURES

PO Box 7046 Warringah Mall NSW 2100

16 INTERNATIONAL COMEBACK

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

In the world of trucks it seems that everything old is new again as the famous International brand reveals its re-entry into the Australian market in an alliance with old mate Iveco. Jon Thomson was there for the official announcement.

22 REDAFINING THE IMAGE

A new 510hp version of DAF’s C85 could ignite more interest in the highly capable Euro offering from the PACCAR group as Jon Thomson discovered when he took the truck for a test drive recently.

28 THE VERY HAPPY MEDIUM

Since the somewhat underdone 2008 improvements to its 500 range Hino has lagged behind the market leader’s offerings. That gap has been narrowed with the 2017 Hino 500 Wide Cab introduction, Allan Whiting reckons.

34 GALLOPING CANTER Publisher Jon Thomson admin@truckandbus.net.au

Daimler’s Japanese truck brand Fuso has long been the number three brand from the Land of the Rising Sun but our attendance at the recent launch of an updated Canter indicated that management has the spurs on and the brand is galloping at full speed and might just cause some problems for Hino, as Jon Thomson reports.

Editor in Chief Allan Whiting nofibspublishing@bigpond.com

40 STATE OF THE ART

Art Director Fiona Meadows kududesign.com.au

46 LEARNING AGAIN

Advertising Sales Zara Kilfeather Mob: 0404 883 249 zara@motozedmedia.com.au Editorial Contributors Barry Flanagan, Peter Barnwell, Mark Bean, Glenn Torrens

Flexible finance

The latest Iveco Eurocargo was judged ‘International Truck of the Year 2016’ in Europe and it has now arrived Down Under. The editor took it for a test drive around Melbourne and loved the new truck.

DECA has long been seen as the premier trainer of heavy vehicle drivers in this country however an overly ambitious expansion left DECA an unwieldy organisation that eventually saw it taken over

by Wodonga TAFE. Now it has been re shaped as a national training provider aimed at the corporate market. Jon Thomson visited DECA HQ in Wodonga to get the story.

50 HEAVY LIFTERS

Many transport operators rely on lift trucks being there and ready when they arrive at a drop off or pick up but for one leading refrigerated logistics company has take the lead in a bid to save time and improved efficiency by taking its own lift trucks with it. T&TA revisits Micway Refrigerated Transport to understand how it is saving considerable time with a BYO lift truck philosophy.

56 CARGO CULT FOLLOWING

Vans aren’t meant to be stylish and fun to drive but Renault has changed all that with its latest mini cargo carrier.the Kangoo – you could almost imagine yourself in Paris.

options to take your business further and further.

Fuso. all day.

60 COMPANY CAR

Peter Barnwell takes a look at the updated Isuzu MUX, the diesel specialist’s SUV based on its highly capable D-Max ute.

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.

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fuso.com.au

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DEPARTMENTS 04 BACK TRACKS

Musings from the Editor

06 HIGHWAY 1

News and info from all over

64 MONEY

Fuso has fast, tailored finance solutions to get you on the road quicker and keep your business moving. Plus, with Guaranteed Buy Back through Fuso Agility and a range of insurance options, enjoy peace of mind on and off the road.

Contact your Fuso dealer or visit fuso.com.au

Paul’s latest advice on finances Finance and insurance available to approved business customers of Mercedes-Benz Financial Services Australia Pty Ltd ABN 73 074 134 517 AFSL 247271. Credit assessment, lending criteria and fees apply.

Insurance is underwritten by QBE Insurance (Australia) Limited ABN 78 003 191 035 AFSL 239545. Guaranteed Buy Back is subject to Excess Kilometre charges. Fair Wear and Use return conditions apply.

ALLAN WHITING SHOW TIME

O

rganised by HVIA, formerly the Commercial Vehicle Industry Association of Queensland (CVIAQ), since its inception in 1968, the Brisbane Truck Show is recognised as the premier event for the Australasian transport industry. It wasn’t always, though.

Originally known as the Queensland Truck Show, the 1968 and 1969 shows were held at Haulmark Trailer’s premises, Ipswich Road, Rocklea and featured 21 industry exhibitors. The Show moved to the Rocklea Wool Stores in 1970 and was an annual event until 1979, when the industry decided that the show should run every two years.

Those of us with grey hair can remember the original events and those at the Rocklea woolshed only too well. There was a bar that matched the sophistication of the road transport industry at that time. The bar was ‘separated’ from the exhibition area by hay bales and was singularly un-pretty by late afternoon.

Not that it was much worse than the Sydney Truck Shows of the period that were held at the Yennora Wool Stores.

The unique, sickly smell of stored wool remains with me to this day.

Security was tad slack and more than one inebriated exhibitor passed out in a truck sleeper for the night.

A Big Wet during one show turned the carpark into a swamp and chaos was trumps.

Incidentally, I think the first truck show in Australia was run by the CVIANSW a t the Millers Manly Vale Hotel carpark, but I can’t remember the year.

Melbourne took a while to get into the Truck Show act and never really made it. Someone thought an outdoor show at Sandown Racetrack in the wettest month of the year, statistically, was a good idea.

It wasn’t.

The early shows were more parochial and truck and trailer makers saved many of their new product launches for their State events. Mack, Leader and Haulmark always put on a good show up north.

Memorable Sydney Truck Show launches were Eric Stuelcken’s MANbased IPEC Tiger prime mover and Bob Whitehead’s mine truck that featured ‘Eatwell’ axles (hub reductions he made by combining Rockwell SSHD single reduction centres with hubs housing Eaton two-speed-diff gears). Both axle makers were horrified!

Both Melbourne and Sydney tried

different venues for their shows, but Brisbane consistently came up with more attendance than either of them. Also, as displays became more classy the industry couldn’t afford to support multiple shows.

In 1983 the Brisbane show relocated to the Royal National Association Showgrounds (RNA) where it remained for almost 30 years before its move to the current home at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre (BCEC).

The T&TA Team was at the recent Brisbane Show and reports on many of the new products on display will flow for some time. Also in this issue we outline the return of International to Australia, we have a full rundown on the new Hino 500, we test drive DAF’s 510hp C85 prime mover as well as taking a look at Iveco’s updated Eurocargo and Fuso’s face-lifted Canter. We also take a look at how Crown lift trucks have helped improve efficiency at Micway Transport and in the lighter end of the market we look at Renault’s updated Trafic and Kangoo as well as Toyota’s workhorse LandCruiser 75. All that and a whole lot more in this issue of Transport & Trucking Australia enjoy it and we will see you after the show.

DO THE MATH. BUY A DAF. COMFORT + SAFETY + EFFICIENCY Here’s just some of the ways DAF adds up: Low tare for increased payload.

Quiet, comfort and safety your drivers will love.

The fuel efficiency, power and reliability of the PACCAR MX-13 engine.

Unrivalled dealer support.

A market-leading brand in Europe and the UK.

3 years/750,000km warranty.

*750,000km warranty available on the XF105 and CF85 models only.

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SCANIA BOSS CALLS FOR INCENTIVE SCHEME OUTGOING SCANIA managing director Roger McCarthy says government legislation is holding back improvements to efficiency within the

transport industry.

In an interview for an upcoming feature in Transport & Trucking Australia, McCarthy was critical of the lack of incentives for operators to upgrade to more economical, efficient and less polluting models.

“The rigidity of the legislation stops vehicles been more productive overall,” McCarthy told Truck and Bus News.

“There aren’t any grants or savings to move to the new technology – but that’s on the government side of things.”

McCarthy feels the population of Australia’s trucks is something that should be changed, especially with all manufacturers working towards more efficient trucks. “[Scania has] some really good Euro 5 and Euro 6 engines running on line haul business but it’s fair to say the vehicle population for distribution vehicles has a lot of old trucks,” McCarthy added.

“The average age of a trucks here in Australia is one of the highest in the

world. The Truck Industry Council is well aware through the meetings we have with government in that there are a lot of older trucks on the road.

“They could really be incentivised to come off the road in favour of the latest technology. That’s good for the environment and for the travelling public,” he added.

McCarthy has been head of Scania Australia for the past eight years and will hand over the reigns to Mikael Jansson on 1 July.

ADVENTURES IN BRISNEYLAND Brisbane puts its best foot forward for 2017 Truck Show

IS THE WORLD TRAVELLING FASTER or are we all just getting older? The common exclamation amongst many of the industry luminaries and the truck media at this year’s Brisbane Truck Show was ‘is it really two years since the last show in the Queensland capital?’.

In the 24 months since the last Brisbane Show its southern rival in Melbourne had a less than convincing outing and business has moved on at a record pace in every direction. It is safe to say that Brisbane further cemented its position

at the top of the local Truck Show pole and there was a degree of optimism and confidence around that was probably not there two years ago.

From the giant PACCAR World stand to the myriad trailer and ancillary equipment suppliers and the thousands that packed the halls the Brisbane Show was full of glitz and if it is not too much of a stretch, glamour at what is truly the industry’s premier event, the Transport & Trucking team was on hand to bring you all the major highlights from across the expo.

UD TRUCKS – TELL ME QUON NEW! UD LOOKS LIKE it’s shrugging off its ‘poor relation’ image, with the release of the new Quon truck range. The stylish Show display prime mover was a clean sheet of paper exercise, although retaining the somewhat weird ‘Quon’ model name. We reckon UD would be better off highlighting its familiar model numbers instead of the name.

The new truck is powered by the Volvo Group 11-litre engine, with a very

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useful rating of 460hp and 2200Nm at 1200rpm. The standard transmission is a distribution-task friendly 12-speed automated manual Group gearbox, driving to UD heavy duty drive tandem, suspended on an eight-bellows air rear suspension.

The chassis is a new pressing and the standard braking system is airactuated discs all around.

GCM is an impressive 60 tonnes.

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GLOBE THE BIG NEWS at Hino was the preview of its much anticipated 300 Series 4×4 light truck. This market segment is dominated by Isuzu’s NPS 300 and the crumbs are fought over by Fuso’s Canter 4×4 and the Iveco Daily 4×4.

The display truck was a crew cab prototype and specification details weren’t available. However the shifter looked like it stirred a six-speed manual box. The massive transfer case was straight out of the much heavier GTS 4×4 truck that now has an automatic transmission option, so we wouldn’t be surprised to see an auto option offered in the 300 Series 4×4.

The new truck had long front leaves a wide-track front axle and all-wheel disc brakes. The release date is scheduled for the last quarter 2017.

UD QUON/ HINO 300 4X4/N O EGR AT CUMMINS

HINO - 300 SERIES 4X4 AT LAST SCANIA – S500 MAKES AUSSIE DEBUT BUT DON’T HOLD YOUR BREATH FOR DOWN UNDER LAUNCH SCANIA’S STAR OF THE SHOW was a version of its new S500 that was revealed in Paris last year and won the International Truck of the Year award in Hannover.

However while the Swede had a UK spec version on the stand the reality is that truck could be years away from being launched down under as testing and development work is underway to spec it for our conditions.

“As a result of this impressive vote of confidence in the new all-new Scania, we took the decision to fast-track the delivery of an example of the S 500 to Australia, even though the commercial launch of the New Truck Generation range is still some considerable way off,” said outgoing Scania MD Roger McCarthy.

“The truck on display is representative of a specification that could be offered to the Australian market once the New Truck Generation is launched here.

“The Brisbane Truck Show is the only place this vehicle can be inspected and admired, prior to its return to Europe. It is joined on the Scania display stand by a selection of the current generation of Scania prime movers including the current flagship, the R 730 V8, a G 480 prime mover and a P 310 8×2 rigid,” he said.

The Scania S 500 on display was a right-hand drive UK-specification vehicle, shown in 6×2/2 configuration with a pusher axle (with single wheels) and rear drive axle with dual wheels and will return to Europe immediately after the show.

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KENWORTH/DAF – PACCAR WORLD DOMINATES THE SCENERY OF THE AWARDS THEY CALLED IT PACCAR World and the makers stand at Brisbane was something behold with 11Kenworth and DAF models on the stand.

The big surprise was that the new Kenny T610 didn’t win the heavy duty Truck of The Show, the gong going to the Benz Actros instead. The T610 was considered a favourite and its believed the PACCAR execs were feeling a bit miffed at being passed over.

PACCAR Australia’s Director Sales and Marketing, Brad May, says the Brisbane Truck show offers those in transportation the ideal forum to congregate and experience the best developments and innovation the industry has to offer.

“PACCAR World had on display a range of advances, including from DAF the official launch of the DAF CF85 with 510Hp and the display of the new

FAP LF 280, touted for release later in 2017.”

“For Kenworth, the show was all about the revolutionary T610 and T610SAR. Launched little more than five months ago, the new model is certainly living up to its billing as, ‘Our Best Truck Yet’. We are delighted with the market’s response due to its versatility, space and safety features, and the T610 and two T610SARs on

display are certain to draw in everyone to have a look.”

The other ‘star’ on the PACCAR stand was the latest version in the Kenworth Legend Series the Legend 900, which is a tribute to long time Kenworth employee Allan Stead who passed away recently. We originally broke the story of the new Legend offering back in February and the new truck is sure to sell in quick time.

IVECO/INTERNATIONAL TWO YEARS after International wowed the Show with its display at Brisbane with the prospect that the name plate was on the way back the US maker was back this time hopefully closer to actually selling some new Inters.

Along with its renewed partner, Iveco the pair had plenty to show off at the Show, with the release of Iveco’s new seven-tonne GVM Daily van in three volume sizes, up to 19 cubic metres, the new Euro 6 Eurocargo in three horsepower ratings and International Prostar trucks in rigid and prime mover configurations.

Our feelings are that the van should be a big seller for Iveco, because it offers light truck payload capacity, with much easier access for drivers doing pick up and delivery work. The new Daily van comes with choice of automatic and manual boxes, as well as air or leaf spring rear suspension.

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FREIGHTLINER – BONETTED MODELS TO THE FORE AND A BIT OF NOSTALGIA

FUSO – NEW CANTER TROTTED OUT With no new models on show and only glimpses of new Sumo inspired marketing creative at Brisbane, Fuso admits its focus has been on the value proposition of its current offerings.

Fuso Truck and Bus director Justin Whitford told assembled media the brand has been experiencing unprecedented change over the past year largely because of expansion of the aftersales service team.

Whitford says Fuso’s focus has been

on lowering the cost of ownership.

“Never before as the cost of life of a Fuso been lower,” he said.

“We’ve re-priced around a thousand service items and focussed on our value proposition with the introduction of our standard five-year warranty.

Fuso has the low-roof Canter 515 City Super Low model on display as well as its 715 Canter Tipper, FK Fighter 1224 medium duty truck and its range topping FV54 prime mover.

IN A CELEBRATION of its history and current line-up, Freightliner presented its ‘dual-stack’ Coronado 112 to the public for the first time in Brisbane.

Until now the Coronado 112 has features a single cab mounted exhaust on the back of the cab.

According to the brand’s director Stephen Downes, the new configuration frees up more room behind the cab and increases productivity.

“The Coronado 122 is a great proven model for us and these minor changes make it even better,” he said.

Freightliner has livestock haulers in mind with the 140-tonne capability of the 122 model. It has also revised the interior slightly with new soft touch dashboards and Australian-developed double cup holders which are friendlier to local sized drinks. The new cup holder can also be retro-fitted to existing models.

Freightliner’s other star of the show is its Cummins X15 fitted Argosy.

The American born brand is the only one to offer a choice of Detroit Diesel or Cummins 15-litre power plants.

Also on display is a rare ‘Bubblenose’ A64-800 which was restored in Oregon and brought to Australia for the show, as well as The Coronado 114 and Colombia 112 Agitator model.

FREIGHTLINER ARGOSY AND CUMMINS ADEPT. REDEFINING EFFICIENCY.

FREIGHTLINER ARGOSY NOW PROVIDES THE ADVANTAGE OF ADEPT. Advanced Dynamic Efficient Powertrain Technology, it is a suite of innovative electronic engine features capable of enhancing fuel efficiency in the X15 as well as earlier model ISXe5. ADEPT harnesses the electronic capabilities of the Cummins Engine and Eaton 18-speed UltraShift Plus automated transmission to make powertrain control decisions in real time. The system utilises load, speed and grade sensing software, making minor adjustments to speed, power and transmission gear selection to take advantage of vehicle momentum for better fuel economy.

The ADEPT package includes SmartTorque2 and SmartCoast with additional features such as predictive cruise control being developed for further efficiency gains.

Combining ADEPT with the Freightliner Argosy provides you with the biggest radiator in its class with the best and most ergonomic paddle mounted shift control which further improves fuel efficiency, optimises space and reduces noise, giving you the advantage over the competitors.

Take advantage today and contact your nearest Freightliner dealership.

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VOLVO –

PERFORMANCE ON THE ROAD AND IN THE WORKSHOP

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VOLVO HEADLINED its Brisbane Truck Show stand with a stunning Swedish Blue and Yellow FH dubbed its Performance Edition. Reminiscent of the Polestar performance division of Volvo Cars the big FH had a massive presence on the Swedish stand.

However while the big Swede was the major hardware attraction on the stand the company also announced a brave and confident uptime promise.

This is a new guarantee for Volvo owners (as well as Mack and UD operators) that if they can’t have the truck back on the road in eight hours then the operator will receive $500 a day in compensation from Volvo.

VGA president Peter Voorhoeve says the Uptime Promise is as much about Volvo having confidence in its service back up as it is about providing compensation.

“We are confident and want to guarantee that uptime and we are prepared to put money on it,” he said.

The strategy follows Voorhoeve’s mantra of Service, Service, and Service and underlines the company’s commitment to uptime.

Voorhoeve also revealed an extension and more resources for the task of better training and recruiting of drivers with the Volvo Driver Academy, including an extension to the brand

ISUZU – BUSINESS AS USUAL FOR MARKET LEADER ISUZU IS BUSY at the Brisbane show with a range of new models and services to tempt buyers.

Their Servicepack vehicles have been described as ‘tool sheds on wheels’, and the latest additions to the range – the NLS 45-150 All Wheel Drive Crew Servicepack, the NPR 45/55-155 Servicepack, the NPS 75-155 4×4 Servicepack and the NPS 75-155 4×4 Crew Servicepack – will enable drivers to securely transport more equipment to the job site, wherever that may be.

The NLS 45-150 All Wheel Drive (AWD) Crew Servicepack is poised to be the new ‘go-to’ vehicle for fleet and service managers.

The truck specialist announced its Ready to Work NNR 45-150 AMT Vanpack, Traypack and Tradepack, trucks built to take the compromise out of last-mile freight transport.

Boasting a GVM of 4,500 kg and an Isuzu 4JJ1-TCS engine capable of producing 110 kW @ 2,800 rpm and 375 Nm @ 1,600 – 2,800 rpm, the NNR 45-150 AMT Vanpack delivers an outstanding level of capability and convenience.

IAL Chief Engineer, Product Strategy, Simon Humphries said Isuzu developed the Vanpack in response to feedback from Australian businesses, specifically engineering the truck to suit drivers transporting goods in urban environments.

Isuzu’s Ready to Work range is underpinned by a simple philosophy – to make life easier for Australian tradies by eliminating the lead times traditionally associated with purchasing a heavy vehicle.

With 16 model variants in the Ready to Work range pre-fitted with tipper bodies, Isuzu Australia Limited (IAL) is helping operators in the landscaping, earthmoving and local government fields – to name just a few – quickly and easily get behind the wheel of the right vehicle. A Tri-tipper is also available.

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support for the Pilbara Heavy Haulage Girls in WA and a new relationship with TAFE NSW. Volvo came into the show having recorded its highest market share in Heavy Duty in 25 years with 16.1 per cent of the market in the first quarter of 2017 recording growth every year since 2012.

Mitch Peden VP if Volvo Truck also announced the company’s strategy for Euro VI in Australia unveiling a new FM prime mover aimed at distribution work with full Euro VI spec. Volvo Trucks will deploy the technology in selected segments including FMCG where customers operating in inner city areas demand reliable and environmentally friendly engine solutions.

“We are excited to be sharing our much anticipated strategy for Euro 6 technology in Australia. The Euro 6 engine is based on Volvo’s tried and tested Euro 5 technology and offers superior fuel economy and reliability.

The stringent Euro 6 requirements are not compulsory in Australia today but we have the offering in place and will be ready to deploy when such standards become the norm or whenever our customers want to include this technology in their fleets,” said Mitch Peden.

MACK – BIG, BLACK AND BIG, BLACK AND IMPOSING is an apt description for the Mack SuperLiner that headlined the Bulldog stand at Brisbane. Equipped with a big banger 685 horse MP10 engine the Big SuperLiner featured the 110-inch sleeper and is aimed at the upper end of the cattle haulage industry covering everything from 45 to 300 tonnes. SuperLiner is the fastest growing model in the Mack range these days.

Mack VP Dean Bestwick announced that there has been a continuing move by customers to embrace the Mack integrated driveline with 95 per cent of all Mack MP engines now equipped with MDrive transmissions and a 50 per cent increase in the use of Mack axles while there has been a 44 per cent increase in ‘Gold Dogs’, the special gold mascot used to signify a totally Mack driveline truck.

Not a lot of new news on the Mack stand this year apart from the Uptime Promise it shares with Volvo and UD.

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DID SOMEONE MENTION EGR CUMMINS SET UP ITS STAND adjacent to that of its new power train partner, Eaton. This formidable joint effort should see seamless connection between engine and transmissions in what is becoming an increasingly electronically connected road transport scene.

The Cummins-Eaton synchronicity should allow this all-American power train duo to compete on an equal playing field with its vertically integrated competitors from Europe and Japan.

Cummins also displayed Euro 6 compliant 12-litre and 15-litre engines that employ a modular emissions control package, incorporating SCR

and DPF in one housing that’s designed to fit in the belly of a chassis, freeing the side rails for fuel tank mountings.

Thankfully, there’s no EGR on these engines.

There’s no plan to introduce the Cummins Euro 6 engines into Australia at present, but Cummins is ready to respond to legislation when it occurs, or to satisfy customer demands.

BRISBANE LOCKS IN 2019 SHOW DATES THE HEAVY VEHICLE Industry Australia has confirmed the dates of the 2019 Brisbane Truck show on the back of a successful 2017 exhibition.

The 2019 show will be held at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre from 16-19 May. According to HVIA boss Brett Wright, 2017 show exceeded attendance figures of the previous Brisbane show.

“33,763 people came through the door this year, tipping past attendance figures for 2015. More importantly, anecdotal evidence tells us that the audience included a tremendous calibre of business customer,” Wright said.

“Exhibitors really need to be commended for the presentation of their displays.

They really went all out to create a special visitor experience, so it is gratifying to see so much business being done on the stands.”

Wright says that HVIA are striving for continuous improvement and that the comprehensive post-show examination has already begun.

“We’re very pleased with the outcomes of initiatives we put in place this year, designed to improve all visitors’ experience getting into and around the show during busy periods,” he said.

“It was especially noticeable on Saturday, as visitors flocked to the show, the flow through the venue was uninterrupted.”

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MAXITRANS TRAILER MANUFACTURER MAXITRANS has released updates to its popular refrigerated Maxi-Cube trailer and Peki truck bodies.

MaxiTrans has six brands under its umbrella including Freighter, Maxi-CUBE, Hamelex White, Lusty EMS, Azmeb and Peki.

According to general manager of product and markets Kevin Manfield, the new releases will lower operator costs.

“The new Classic marks the most significant update to the model in over a decade,” he said.

“It offers improved thermal efficiency, lower tare as well as a host of other upgrades that further improve the already low whole of life operating cost that a Maxi-CUBE van offers. When combined, the Classic sets a new benchmark for refrigerated vans,” Manfield added.

The new Maxi-Cube model is available in ratings from zero to -30 degrees Celsius and is 5.5 per cent more efficient as a result of extra insulation, better thermal breaks and a fully moulded door seal.

Its redesigned floor module also increases its internal height while the new skid plate, front wall and loader bars are lighter than the outgoing model.

Along with being lighter, double loader bars can now carry 670kg and have a lower profile height of just 65mm.

“We have also released a new optional reversing sensor at Brisbane Truck Show, which reduces risk of harmful impact into docks or other objects. This new feature will be available across the range of MaxiTRANS products,” Manfield said.

Maxitrans has also introduced new efficiencies for its rigid truck customers with a new range of Peki bodies.

The new Peki range replaces prior offerings and is available in two models – the Urban and Distribution.

“The new Peki range completes the MaxiTRANS range with a final mile solution,” Manfield said.

“Peki truck bodies will give our customers the opportunity to source equipment to move product from the port, to distribution centres, to retail store and then to the end consumer, all from a trusted supplier in MaxiTRANS.”

Both models feature a multi-fit chassis runner to suit all truck makes and models, making the bodies reusable across the life of multiple trucks. They have a low tare weight, starting from just 620kg, and feature a variety of options including various internal body heights, floor and door types.

Peki Urban will be available in lengths from two to six pallets. It features a low tare weight, while bonded construction, composite thermal break technology and a fully-composite floor made from fibreglass and foam maximise thermal capacity.

Peki Distribution will be available in lengths to suit light urban distribution up to 14 pallets.

Heavy duty applications and features are included, such as a durable and rugged construction, along with carefully considered thermal break points to optimise temperature retention.

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Launch

BACK TO THE FUTURE

INTERNATIONAL COMEBACK IN THE WORLD OF TRUCKS IT SEEMS THAT EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN AS THE FAMOUS INTERNATIONAL BRAND REVEALS ITS RE-ENTRY INTO THE AUSTRALIAN MARKET IN AN ALLIANCE WITH OLD MATE IVECO. JON THOMSON WAS THERE FOR THE OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

I

n a corner of Iveco’s heritage listed Dandenong plant, with a strong Autumn breeze flapping a loose piece of roofing and amongst the relics of a production facility that tracks its origins back to when International Harvester owned the facility and built trucks there, the Australian truck media gathered to hear the long anticipated announcement that Iveco would once again be selling the International brand in this country.

The irony certainly wasn’t lost on at

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least some of the gathered media.

Navistar hosted the truck press at the Brisbane Truck Show two years ago to announce it was returning the International brand to this country.

Now after a long and it seems torturous gestation period the famous old nameplate is back with the ProStar range the first models to hit the roads.

Some may look at the ProStar and see more than a passing resemblance to the Caterpillar range of on highway trucks launched here in 2014. That would be

quite an appropriate conclusion as they are virtually the same trucks except for the fact that the International is longer in the chassis and has a current Euro 5 Cummins power plant and not an outdated Euro 4 Caterpillar engine.

While some of the Navistar executives on hand shifted uneasily in their seats when asked about how many of those Cats were still in stock and how they’re presence in the market place might affect the not dissimilar International ProStars, they did stay on message and underlined

that they were here to launch the new truck not to bury the old one.

Internationals were built in the heritage listed Dandenong facility from 1952 to 2001 and Iveco continued to distribute Inters through until the mid 2000s.

Now they’re back and despite Navistar shopping the brand distribution rights around to a number of other distributors and truck companies the, rights settled back at the old ancestral home and it seems an easy fit.

Iveco Australia MD, Michael Jonson

described the return as a “homecoming” to the place that gave birth to thousands of Internationals in the past.

“Welcome home, International, the brand’s DNA still runs deep today with the current Iveco ACCO range sharing its lineage with earlier ACCOs developed under the International brand,” he said.

ProStar will be the first model sold under the reborn International brand and will be offered as a day cab, extended cab with an ADR-compliant bunk, and as the flagship integrated full-size sleeper cab model.

While a choice of five wheelbases will be offered a key selling point will be the short ‘bumper to back of cab’ (BBC) configuration, making the ProStar models suitable for a variety of combinations,” said International’s manager of Engineering in Australia, Adrian Wright.

“The day cab will fit in front of virtually any Australian trailer set and will be well suited for truck and dog work, as a 34-pallet or 36-pallet B-double and also in B-triple and two trailer road train work,” said Wright.

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THE CAT EMPIRE

“IT’S AN INNOVATIVE AND EFFICIENT TRUCK, WHICH ALSO HAS VERY SOLID AND PROVEN FUNDAMENTALS THAT WILL APPEAL TO LOCAL OPERATORS”

“The ProStar offers a tried and proven formula that has been missing here for several years,” said Wright.

“There will be more models and variations to follow once the initial rollout is finalised,” he added.

“It’s an innovative and efficient truck in many ways, but also has very solid and proven fundamentals that will appeal to local operators.

“They have a proven drivetrain package and strong underpinnings to handle Australia’s tough geographic and climatic conditions. The commonality and widespread availability of the drivetrain componentry allows for easy serviceability and maintenance leading to reduced operating costs.

“When combined with the latest engine technology from Cummins and classleading aerodynamics, you get the best of both worlds,” Wright concluded.

Wright would not be drawn on how long it took to develop the ProStar for Australia with the local spec featuring a unique bumper for better clearance and

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length calculations and a number of other ‘Australianised-features’, however visiting Navistar Chief Engineer, Marco Anaya revealed it involved around two years of development work led by Wright.

Navistar’s Vice President – Global Export, Federico Palomo and his director of sales, Dicky Commandeur were also at the launch along with director of marketing and strategy, Octavio Gonzalez.

Mr Palomo said the announcement was preceded by almost two years of preparation and negotiation to ensure that the relaunch of International into the Australian market ran smoothly.

“The return of International to Australia has been eagerly awaited especially given the high standing the brand enjoys here courtesy of earlier models and a very long and successful pedigree,” Mr Palomo said.

“All good things take time,“ Mr Palomo told T&TA. “It has just taken a long time to get all the documents signed and approved and now we have it all in place we are very excited to start selling International in

Australia again,” he added.

Iveco MD Jonson says that the Iveco dealers are extremely enthusiastic about the International return and that while it had planned an initial order of 100 ProStar units, dealer interest has been so strong that it will order more trucks from Navistar.

Part of the Australianisation of the ProStar has included thicker high tensile steel 10 mm chassis rails and huck-bolted cross members along with high strength steel panels in the 2.1metre wide cabin, zinc coated on both sides then fully dipped in e-coat primer.

All ProStars will be powered by the latest E5 Cummins X15 SCR engine, producing 550hp (410 kW) and 1850 lb. ft.

(2,508 Nm) of torque and will be available with either an Eaton 18-speed manual, which features an effort-reducing ‘air over hydraulic’ clutch, or an Eaton ‘UltraShift Plus’ 18-speed automated manual (AMT).

Meritor axles and a Dana SPL driveshaft along with a power divider lock and cross locks on both rear drive axles aids traction and adds to the overall package.

ProStar has ABS brakes with Automatic Traction Control and trucks specified with the UltraShift Plus transmission are also equipped with Hill Start Aid but there is no ESP available at this time.

With Iveco’s strong dealer network of around 29 set to sell International, many of whom having long term ties to the Inter brand as a result of the historic lineage, there is should be no reason why the ProStar won’t succeed. The only real challenge will be price and how committed both organisations are to marketing International in this country.

The Navistar team would not be drawn on exactly how many trucks they hope to sell in Australia over the next year, the lessons and promises from the Cat launch no doubt still weighing heavily on the Navistar people. However in an aside following the official media launch activities it was intimated to T&TA that perhaps around 500 ProStars would be moved Down Under between now and the end of 2018.

It is a reasonable number but only time will tell if Iveco and Navistar will be able to meet that ‘unofficial’ expectation.

“The return of International to Australia has been eagerly awaited, especially given the high standing the brand enjoys here courtesy of earlier models and a very long and successful pedigree,” said Federico Palomo, adding the brand was finally back where it belonged.

“These historical aspects aside, we also know that prospective customers in Australia are also extremely excited by the outstanding features and benefits that the new ProStar models will deliver to their operations.

“There is an obvious gap in the local market for a high quality and versatile, yet affordable North American-style truck that could get the tough jobs done with a minimum of fuss. Navistar is extremely pleased to have worked closely with Iveco Australia to bring the International ProStar to market down under.”

If PM Malcolm Turnbull was describing Navistar’s return to the Australian market, it would probably be referred to as Navistar 2.0!

Of course the imminent return of International is Navistar’s second bite of the cherry in recent times, following its now apparently defunked flirtation with Caterpillar that began with an all singing all dancing announcement at the 2010 Melbourne Truck Show. The announcment promised a lot but delivered very little.

The announcement followed Navistar withdrawing the rights for International from its then partner Iveco in 2010 after 18 years.

The press conference at that trucks show saw a bevy of senior Navisar and Cat execs. fly down under to give birth to an entity called NC2 or ‘NC squared’ as they called it.

NC2, was initially a joint venture between Navistar and Caterpillar but became a wholly owned subsidiary of Navistar in early 2012, and to some extent pre-empted the split between the two organisations which had various co operative arrangements in the US. The company built the first and it seems the only Caterpillar on-highway trucks in the world during the second half of 2010 at Cat’s Tullamarine loader assembly plant facility in Melbourne, where the CT610 and CT630 models were produced from CKD kits on a line that was converted into a truck production line.

They were basically the same trucks, albeit with some differences, tht will be offered up as Internationals later this year.

The NC2 joint venture employed more than 100 workers to bolt the trucks together as they raced to beat the deadline before 1st January 2011, because they were being fitted with engines that would not pass new ADR 80/03 emission

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THE BAD DECISIONS AND ILL THOUGHT OUT PLANS THAT SURROUNDED THAT CAT VENTURE SHOULD NOT BE FORGOTTEN

ACHIEVE SIGNIFICANT FUEL REDUCTIONS. standards applicable from that date. It probably seemed like a good idea at the time but in hindsight it may have been better to have shipped the engines to a market that did not have a looming deadline.

There were teething problems with the new model and production was delayed, but they still managed to turn out around 400 of the Caterpillar powered and badged machines ahead of the deadline and they were duly plated as 2010 production trucks, making them eligible to be sold in Australia after the introduction of the new ADR 80/03 on 1 January 2011. The fact that NC2 was left with a big fleet of trucks with 2010 plates was clear for the industry to see with a large number of them sitting at the back of Cat’s Tulla plant in plain view of anyone driving along the Western Ring Road.

It was slow going for NC2, registering no trucks in 2010 and then 156 units in 2011, which left around 240 trucks still at grass when the announcement came in January 2012 that no more trucks would be produced at Tulla and that any new Cat trucks would be built in Navistar’s plant at Garland in Texas.

A few staff remained at Tullamarine to fit accessories on the now imported trucks and during 2012 there was some encouragement with 309 Cats finding their way onto Australian roads. This meant the company imported more stock as the locally build stockpile slowly diminished.

Efficiency was cited as the reason for shutting down Tulla and moving to Texas closer to suppliers as well as the obvious economies of scale.

One of the issues to arise from the

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Tullamarine production was the time it would take to work out problems with overseas component suppliers causing engineering delays on the line which pushed up stock levels.

At the time NC2 said it would source next generation CAT trucks for Australia from the US but said there was still potential for production to return to Tullamarine. In hindsight that statement seems rather fanciful and hugely optimistic.

The memory of the entire Cat odyssey must cause collective heartburn amongst management and when questions are asked of Navistar executives there is much shuffling of feet and a collective urge to change the topic.

“What about the NC2 joint venture?” you ask the Navistar staffers, to with the response is something along the lines of “Do you like soccer then”? No one wants to say anything, it is like having a family embarrassment, don’t discuss it and everyone will forget and it will go away, they hope.

However the sheer enormity of the bad decisions and ill thought out plans that surrounded that Cat venture should not be forgotten and brushed under the carpet – there are lessons to be learned here for Inter.

Again in hindsight, the Cat venture was always going to be up against it. The biggest challenge was the attempt to sell the on highway heavy trucks through a network of earthmoving equipment outlets which had neither the experience nor it seems a strong desire to sell on highway trucks. There have been 911 odd Cat trucks sold here since 2011, an average of just 152 trucks per year reflecting that lack of will

or enthusiasm in the Cat dealer network.

It’s hard to get a handle on exactly how many Cats are still sitting around the country unsold. There were still a number sitting at the back of the Cat plant in Tulla when TTA drove along the Western Ring Road last month and some reports are that there are still around 40 or so trucks scattered around the dealer network.

Iveco’s dealer network should be more motivated as they are already in the business of on highway trucks, the brand is familiar to many of them who have been around for a while and it is like a home coming of sorts for the marque. However Iveco’s heavy truck range has not been a stellar performer in the marketplace with the Daily van and light truck range being the star of the line up. Inter may just be the fillip that Iveco dealers need, or it may be another distraction. A lot depends on the resources that are thrown at it by Navistar and CNHI. Longer term TTA still firmly believes that with Navistar joining the Volkswagen family under VW Trucks leader Andreas Renschler the Inter brand will find a place in a consolidated VW trucks operation down under. Our theory is that Renschler, will want to unify the strong performing factory owned Scania with the underperforming, currently Penske distributed MAN and his new US brand Inter, into a unified factory distributorship with separate sales channels, just like Volvo does with Mack and UD and Daimler does with Benz, Freighliner and Fuso.

Only time will tell the fate of the famous older International brand but rest assure it will have plenty of challenges ahead.

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.

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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

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Road Test

REDAFINING

THE IMAGE A NEW 510HP VERSION OF DAF’S C85 COULD IGNITE MORE INTEREST IN THE HIGHLY CAPABLE EURO OFFERING FROM THE PACCAR GROUP AS JON THOMSON DISCOVERED WHEN HE TOOK THE TRUCK FOR A TEST DRIVE RECENTLY

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H

ere at T&TA HQ we often ponder what executives in major truck companies must think about this tiny little market nestled down here in the South Pacific, where about 34000 heavy commercials are sold each year divvied up between around 25 brands with a whole raft of peculiar rules and regulations with the highest weights, fastest speeds and longest distances for transport operators just about anywhere on the planet.

So why do they bother for so few sales and such a high cost of entry with sparing economies of scale? While it defies rational logic they do come here all the same. The Americans don’t go to Europe, the Europeans don’t go to America (with few exceptions) and the Japanese only sell small numbers in both.

This whole notion was reignited once more when we were on the plane headed to Melbourne to test drive the new DAF C85 510 Hp. Here is a prime example of niche truck marketing. Don’t be confused this updated DAF is a damn fine truck but it is a very crowded arena where it is playing and for a company like PACCAR with such a focus on its US brands here in Australia one wonders how much attention this Euro model might get.

In 2016 around 320 DAFs were sold in Australia about a sixth of the total sales for PACCAR’s star brand Kenworth.

Even at the recent Kenworth T610 launch the DAF was a lone interloper amongst all those bonneted Americans. There it was

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at the end of the row of T610s there it was a white DAF with ‘510hp’ across the front and sides of the cab.

Under the cab is the now familiar MX13, PACCAR’s Euro developed inline 13-litre six, which in previous incarnations of the C85 boasted a maximum of 462 hp. The magic of modern electronically controlled turbo diesel engines is that power can be wound up with relative ease and reliability and that is what PACCAR has done with the 12.9 litre MX The 510hp is produced between 1500 and 1900rpm and delivers a substantial 2500Nm of torque between 1000 and 1400rpm.

Slipping behind the wheel of the DAF at PACCAR’s dealership just off the Western Ring Rd at Laverton in Melbourne’s West with DAF sales boss Rob Griffin in the left hand seat the C85 glided easily out the gate and on to the freeway hauling a single trailer grossing a shade under 40 tonnes for the run across Melbourne’s North to the Hume.

The DAF boasts a very comfortable and well laid out cabin with very strong ergonomically designed cockpit style dash, that gives a bit of a clue as to where PACCAR gained inspiration for its new T610 cockpit. The cab feels more like the interior of a luxury car than a prime mover. Behind the air suspension seat is an ample sleeper bunk, which appears to be comfortable and spacious and there is a pull out fridge mounted underneath the bunk with plenty of room to access it between the seats.

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JOST Alloy Wheels

IT IS QUIET, EFFICIENT, CAPABLE AND IDEALLY SUITED TO A RANGE OF HAULING TASKS The cabin has plenty of compartments and storage that would enhance the comfort of the C85 whether you’re running line haul or doing the more likely intrastate distribution work.

The cab is room but above all very quiet even when the engine is lugging up a long hill and that combined with the expansive room and high comfort levels makes the a very pleasant place.

While we had a single trailer on-board the DAF would be just as at home running B Double and that 13 litre packs plenty of pulling power that is well matched to the ZF AS Tronic 12 speed. On our undulating run charging up the hills of the Hume over what is left of Pretty Sally the DAF felt strong and while we were only running a single and nit a huge amount of weight it felt like it had plenty in reserve with some With a GCM of 24.6 tonnes and a GVM of 70 tonnes the CF85 has front axle rated at 7.5 tonnes and the Meritor MT23-165 rear axles with a maximum design load of 20.9 tonnes with a lockable inter-axle and cross-axle diffs.

DAF offers a range of transmissions including manual, automated manual and fully automatic. Our test rig was fitted with the optional ZF AS-Tronic 16-speed automated gearbox but you can also opt for an Eaton 18-speed automated box.

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The standard automated transmission is the ZF AS-Tronic 12-speed item, which is the one we experienced in the test truck.

The 12-speed is a smooth shifter that goes about its business without fuss and with an accuracy that means it always seems to be in the correct gear maintaining revs in the optimal 1000rpm to 1500rpm range for economy and torque.

DAF can be thanked for bringing better steering to PACCAR’s Kenworth products particularly the new T610. So it is not surprising that the C85 has terrific steering that is well weighted, direct and very pleasant to use. Whether it is cruising the freeway, running along narrow bumpy, undulating tarmac such as the Upper Goulburn Rd that links Tallarook to the Goulburn Valley Hwy or manoeuvring in tight areas the C85 comes up trumps. It certainly didn’t feel like a 6x4 semi pulling 40 tonnes and it would be easy to use over many hours tackling the sort of intrastate distribution work this truck is aimed at Braking was impressive with Discs on the front axles and drums on the rear of the prime mover. This is enhanced by a very good ABS system, which is incorporated in the truck’s overall Electronic Braking System and the excellent exhaust brake retardation. Hill Start is available with the AS Tronic transmission and the truck is also equipped with ASR anti slip control

as a part of the overall safety package.

The DAF wants for nothing when compared with its competitors particularly when you factor in the optional Adaptive Cruise Control featuring forward collision warning, vehicle stability and lane departure warning.

Our experience with the DAF was all too brief but enough to reveal the character of the truck. It is quiet, efficient, capable and ideally suited to a range of hauling tasks.

We have no doubt that with some added focus and resources more fleets will be adding the C85 to their fleets and we don’t believe they will be disappointed.

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New Model

THE VERY

HAPPY

MEDIUM

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HINO LAUNCHES ITS NEW 500 SERIES MEDIUM DUTY SINCE THE SOMEWHAT UNDERDONE 2008 IMPROVEMENTS TO ITS 500 RANGE HINO HAS LAGGED BEHIND THE MARKET LEADER’S OFFERINGS. THAT GAP HAS BEEN NARROWED WITH THE 2017 HINO 500 WIDE CAB INTRODUCTION, ALLAN WHITING RECKONS.

W

ide Cab’ is something of a misnomer, because the cab metal is the same width as before. However, a new wide-track front axle has dictated wider cab fenders, so the overall width is up by 200mm.

‘Optimised Powertrain’ might have made a better model description than ‘Wide Cab’ for the 2017 Hino 500 models, because revised engine and transmission specifications have transformed the 500s.

FIRST UP, A LITTLE HISTORY. Like all truck importers and makers in the Australian market Hino had to upgrade its engines for compliance with ADR80/02 (Euro 4) that took effect from January 2008. Also like most, Hino adopted commonrail injection, variable geometry turbocharging and cooled exhaust gas recirculation (EGR), plus an oxidising catalyst (OC) in the exhaust system.

In conjunction with these changes Hino came up with a longer-stroke version of the proved J08 engine, called the AO9C.

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In the 2007 Hino 500 models the JO8 7.7-litre six had figures of 190kW (255hp) at 2500rpm, with 794Nm at 1500rpm.

That performance proved more than adequate in the case of two-axle models, but we were critical of the FL 6x2 that struggled in hilly country at its 24-tonnes GVM rating. That’s where the 2008 AO9C engine stepped in.

The upsized Hino engine had the same 112mm bore dimension as the JO8E, but a 20mm longer, 150mm stroke, for a 1.1-litre increase in capacity.

The Hino A09C came in two states of tune: the TK engine powering the Hino FM 2632 variants delivered 235kW (320hp) at 2100rpm and 1275Nm of torque at 1100rpm; and the TJ engine powering the FM 2630 variants had figures of 221kW (300hp) and 1079Nm. For Euro 5 compliance in 2011 Hino retained EGR, but dropped the OC in favour of a diesel particulate filter (DPF).

Experience with this combination showed that there was a better way and for 2017 the JO8E and AO9C engines no longer have EGR and DPF, but rely solely on SCR, fed from a 56-litre AdBlue tank.

The 2017 changes to both these engines increase outputs: the JO8E-WA now has 206kW (280hp) at 2500rpm with

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883Nm at 1500rpm, and the AO9C-UR has 235kW (320hp) at 1800rpm with 1275Nm at 1100rpm in front of automatic transmissions and 257kW (350hp) at 1800rpm with 1422Nm at 1100rpm in front of manual transmissions.

The AO9C also scores a ‘Jake style’ engine brake.

As before, the 7.7-litre JO8E engine couples to either a Hino six-speed synchro box or an Eaton ES1109 nine-speed synchro box.

The standard box behind the AO9C engine used to be Eaton’s RTO 11909 LL constant mesh transmission. This box had eight highway ratios, a low gear, two crawl ratios and two reverse gears, making it versatile, but the dearth of young drivers familiar with constant-mesh boxes has seen a switch to synchromesh.

A newly developed nine-speed, allsynchromesh gearbox is now the standard offering behind the AO9C. This MOO9 OD box is branded Hino and made by Toyota’s transmission corporation, Aisin.

Like the Eaton synchro box used behind the JO8E engine the new Hino box has a repeat-H, four-gate shift pattern.

Allison double-overdrive six-speeds remain the optional autos behind both engines and, being filled with synthetic oil, have a drain period of 480,000km.

RUNNING CHANGES Hino claims that the new Wide Cab trucks are the safest Japanese trucks in the medium truck market, thanks to standard vehicle stability control (VSC), traction control (TC), ABS braking, driver’s side airbag, front underrun protection (FUPS), ECE R29-rated cab strength, reversing camera and fog lamps.

Manual-transmission Wide Cabs come with Easy Start, delayed brake release, allowing for hill starts without roll-back.

We were highly critical of the 2008MY Hino 500 seats and it’s pleasing to report that the Wide Cabs have class leading ISRI 6860 chairs.

Ergonomics were very good in the previous cab and remain so. Even better is a ‘staircase’ entry step layout, rather than the in-line steps previously used.

The frame is all-new. Higher-tensile rails are pre-drilled in 50mm increments, allowing simple wheelbase changes and easy fitment of ancillary equipment and bodywork, without the need to drill the frame. The top flange is finally rivet-free.

Hendrickson HAS230 and HAS400 suspensions are available and are fitted with electronically controlled height adjustment (ECAS), to suit different loading dock heights.

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Electric Pallet Truck Special Offer

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ON THE ROAD The press drive program began at Sydney’s Eastern Creek racetrack, where a go-kart-style skid pan had been hosed, to make it slippery. Drivers were able to feel the lack of stability of an unladen Wide Cab with its VSC disconnected and contrast that with the absolute stability of the same truck with VSC engaged.

With VSC disengaged the test truck would plough-understeer off the track in tight corners or hang out its tail when provoked with too much right foot and too much steering wheel input. With VSC engaged the truck could be driven with a flat accelerator and still kept quite tidy, thanks to power cutting and wheel brake action by the VSC system.

Hino’s product strategy manager, Daniel Petrovski, pointed out to the assembled journos that trucks are over-represented in single vehicle accidents involving roll-overs. He also quoted US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration figures, showing that two-thirds of fatal truck accidents are roll-overs.

Then it was time to get behind the wheel of bodied and loaded Wide Cab models for a combined city, freeway and secondary road drive from Sydney to the Hunter Valley.

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Pre-trip checking wasn’t difficult and getting in and out of the Hino 500 cab was OH&S safe, with two-hand grab positions and non-slip, staircase steps.

The 280hp models had two-step access and the 300+hp models, three steps.

All switches and levers were easy to reach and the new instrument panel was clear. Driver vision was first class, thanks to a large screen and side windows, plus flat and spotter mirrors on both sides.

Ride quality and steering precision was exceptional in the air-suspended test vehicles, but the leaf-sprung rear ends gave a firmer ride.

The ABS braking system worked fine, with a progressive pedal action that made it easy to avoid over-braking. The AO9C engine’s braking power was adequate for three-axle rigid applications.

Cruise control is welcome in any truck and the Hino system behaved ideally.

Selection and cancellation were intuitive.

The previous 1109 LL box was well installed and the shift quality was very good, but Hino has responded to the move away from constant-mesh boxes in medium-size trucks, by fitting its own nine-speed. This box was a delight to shift, with a positive gate

and light lever and clutch actions.

The repeat-H pattern is the same as that in the lighter-duty Eaton synchro box that fits behind the JO8E engine, so fleet commonality won’t be an issue. Also, it’s good driver preparation for the time when this medium-truck generation of drivers moves into heavies that have Roadranger 18-speeds that have the same repeat-H gate.

The AO9C engine had noticeably more grunt than its shorter-stroke sibling and made a much better three-axle truck powerplant. The previous-generation AO9C, was well off the pace, but the 2017 variants have much more useable torque and are flexible enough to be operated in the green economy band that tops out at 1500rpm.

During a press preview of the FM at Hino in Japan in late 2007 we were told the AO9C engine had considerable development ahead of it and that has proved to be the case.

The Wide Cab 320 and 350 models were the first Japanese trucks I’ve driven that felt like European machines, with very little engine noise, slick synchro or full auto transmission, great comfort and ergonomics, state of the art chassis dynamics. Very impressive.

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Update

GALLOPING CANTER DAIMLER’S JAPANESE TRUCK BRAND FUSO HAS LONG BEEN THE NUMBER THREE BRAND FROM THE LAND OF THE RISING SUN BUT OUR ATTENDANCE AT THE RECENT LAUNCH OF AN UPDATED CANTER LIGHT DUTY RANGE INDICATED THAT MANAGEMENT HAS THE SPURS ON AND THE BRAND IS GALLOPING AT FULL SPEED AND MIGHT JUST CAUSE SOME PROBLEMS FOR HINO IN NUMBER TWO, AS JON THOMSON REPORTS.

T

he launch of a facelifted Fuso Canter did not seem to hold much promise in terms of riveting story leads, however in the interest of a complete and balanced view of the truck Industry TTA committed to attend the launch in the Victorian port and industrial centre of Geelong.

What we found however was something that delivered much more than it promised. The updated Canter range on the surface promised not much more than new interior trim and a few cosmetic tweaks, however along with those cosmetic changes were a raft of service and parts initiatives to enhance the customer experience along with a five year warranty introduced on all new Fuso trucks as well as its Rosa bus model.

Its safe to say this was an evolution not

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a revolution with Fuso Australia boss Justin Whitford overseeing these running changes as he fine tunes the marque, which has been punching well in the sales race and has been causing Japanese rival Hino a few heartaches with its performances in some sectors.

Apart from the ‘software’ and back of house improvements Fuso also ushered in a low clearance variant of the Canter with the Super Low 515 City Cab model allowing the flexibility to enter city car parks with 2.1 metre ceilings. The Super Low variant boasts an unladen overall height of just 2.01 metres but still offers a GVM of 4.5tonnes and a GCM of 8.0 tonnes. It is an innovative addition to the Canter line up and fills a niche that should prove popular with those servicing hard to access and confined space urban locations.

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“CANTER ALREADY HAD THE BEST-IN-CLASS PAYLOAD, AS WELL AS EXCELLENT EFFICIENCY AND PERFORMANCE, BUT WE HAVE INTRODUCED SEVERAL TARGETED INITIATIVES AIMED AT FURTHER INCREASED EFFICIENCY FOR OUR CUSTOMERS”

1

2

3 Like the rest of the Canter range the Super Low 515 is powered by the Fuso 3.0litre turbo diesel four cylinder which is offered in various models as either a 110kW (148hp) and 129kW (173hp) version and with either a five speed manual or a smooth shifting six-speed Duonic twin clutch AMT. Despite believing otherwise, Geelong is actually a pretty hilly place and it was an honest test of the Fuso range tackling an array of roads around Geelong in an extensive drive program that gave the machines a thorough workout across a full day, in which we were able to sample every model in an environment where most of them live and have to survive every day.

Inside the cab that ‘evolutionary’ interior treatment proved to be much more than

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just a few new colours and trim styles.

The driver’s seat in particular in all models was a whole lot more comfortable and supportive than previous models and amongst the best Japanese trucks we have sampled. The seats now have vinyl side bolstering for more support, which Fuso says is more durable and less prone to fraying with constant entry and exit from the cab.

The designers have also added more storage space around the cab for paperwork and the nick knack’s required in a mobile workspace, while LED interior lighting has been added along with an improved instrument panel and dash mounted LED touch screen audio system screen which is both easy to use and read.

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1. The Duonic AMT works extremely well in the updated Canter.

2. The new black on grey interior colour palette gives the Canter a more classy and appealing look.

3. Subtle grille changes enhance the Canter and discern it from previous models.

4. The enhanced driver’s seat and more hard wearing fabrics are a great improvement.

5. The large LED audio/entertainment and nav interface is easy to read and use.

The added cabin storage includes a sunvisor pocket and a floor mounted bottle tray as well as a clever storage compartment integrated into the middle seatback. The driver can access the hidden compartment by releasing a catch and folding down the padded front section allowing them to keep paperwork in one easy to access place or to keep valuables out of sight.

Along with the new improved drivers seat, the Fuso designers have gone for a more palatable black and grey trim instead of the blue used in the previous model, and this is more pleasing to the eye and gives a more contemporary look. They have also added silver-painted highlights to the gearshift lever surround on Duonic models and a steering wheel mounted badge.

On the outside there is not much change but for a silver painted top grille louvre that gives the upgraded model a subtle lift and an external cue to discern from previous models.

The Canter’s mechanical spec has been largely left alone as mentioned with the same engine specs although the Duonic AMT now features a hill hold function, along with standard cruise control. The Hill Holder was able to amply demonstrate its benefits on the Geelong hills.

During a day across all models there was plenty of climbs back to the launch base at a semi-rural cricket ground as well as plenty of descents back to the Geelong flatlands and some winding tours of the quite deceptively hilly suburbs of the bayside city. There was also some

country road running down the Bellarine Peninsula to the drive program finish in Queenscliff. As we mentioned it was an honest test and we came away impressed by the updated light duty Canter range.

However as previously mentioned the hardware improvements come with upgraded software if you will.

The ‘software’ includes an improved warranty, which is now a class-leading five-year/200,000km/4000 hours on Canter models, in addition to the five-year guarantee there is a complimentary first service and safety check and a move to reduce the cost of spare parts to further improve the business case of owning its trucks.

Its clear that Fuso boss Whitford is keen to stamp a strong customer service and

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uptime proposition on the brand under his stewardship and sees that as a major point of difference in a market that sees a lot of closely aligned specifications and capabilities across the three Japanese sourced light truck brands “Canter already had the best-in-class payload, as well as excellent efficiency and performance, but we have introduced several targeted initiatives aimed at further increased efficiency for our customers,” said Justin Whitford.

“Along with our class-leading warranty backing, these changes make the Canter range an even more cost-effective tool for any job.”

Whitford is clearly tuning his team for a more concerted attack on the market and it’s clear from the numbers that Hino probably has more to worry about from Fuso than market leader Isuzu does from Hino.

Whitford’s team at Fuso was recently bolstered by the return to the brand of Romesh Rodrigo who has spent the last few years with Isuzu. Rodrigo is a lively and enthusiastic product guy whose product knowledge is very strong and is sure to bring a fresh effervescence to his

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role as Senior Manager, Product Management and Engineering.

Rodrigo, told TTA that the changes introduced for Canter are in direct response to customer feedback and continue the evolution of our most popular model.”

“We are very pleased to introduce a range of product and operational changes that we know will be appreciated by our customers,” said Rodrigo.

Added to the Canter reveal was a confirmation from Justin Whitford at the launch, that Fuso is still considering adding some Indian built trucks to its local line up as it seeks to boost the brand’s place in the market.

Whitford told TTA that the company was still looking closely at the Indian built trucks to fill particular niches that would particularly suit construction, road building and mining operations.

“We are studying all the opportunities carefully and taking things slowly,” said Whitford.

“If you were to ask me to tell you when it would happen my best estimate is it could be about two years, but that is an estimate and it may happen faster, we will

1. Canter caters to a wide range of applications.

2. The dual cab option is a practical an andpopular popularvariant variantininthe therange. range.

3. The alloy tray top is another practical option.

just have to wait and see,” he said.

Whitford said that the quality of the trucks is high because like a lot of global automotive companies Daimler has a production quality system that meets a standard so that no matter which plant in the world produces them the quality is comparable.

TTA originally broke the story about Fuso’s potential to source trucks out of the Daimler plant in India back in 2015, when Richard Eyre first revealed the company was looking at the possibilities that the Bharat Benz factory could potentially offer.

“We are a cautious and considered company so we would never rush into anything so we are carefully studying the possibilities, the available specifications, pricing and other variables and if it all fits then we will proceed,” Whitford added.

With the latest Canter improvements, the extremely capable Fighter medium duty line up and its reliable heavies Fuso has a good line-up, add some additional service and warranty improvements and more niche sector models and Fuso may not stay number three in the market.

\ 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

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

New Model

STATE

OF THE

ART

THE LATEST IVECO EUROCARGO WAS JUDGED ‘INTERNATIONAL TRUCK OF THE YEAR 2016’ IN EUROPE AND IT HAS NOW ARRIVED DOWN UNDER. THE EDITOR TOOK IT FOR A TEST DRIVE AROUND MELBOURNE AND LOVED THE NEW TRUCK.

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he 25 European judges said that the new Iveco Eurocargo had made: “The greatest contribution to road transport efficiency based on criteria that included technical innovation, comfort, safety, driveability, fuel economy, environmental footprint and total cost of ownership”.

That’s a big claim, but checking out the new Eurocargo’s specifications it certainly seems justified.

If we examine ‘technical innovation’ and ‘environmental footprint’ together, the high-tech feature of the Euro 6 Eurocargo is its emissions control system.

The new Iveco already complies with emission legislation that is yet to be introduced in Australia and it does this with far less complexity than any other diesel engine maker has managed to achieve.

The Eurocargo is the only Euro 6 medium truck that has a single emission system: Hi-SCR with a passive Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF). There’s no exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) and no need for the DPF to regenerate using postinjection to clear soot buildup.

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SAFETY All new Iveco Eurocargo variants have front and rear disc brakes with ABS, ESP (Electronic Stability Program), ASR (Anti-slip Regulator), Hill Holder and Advanced Emergency Braking System (AEBS).

AEBS operates using radar integrated into the front of the truck that measures the distance to the vehicle in front and calculates the time remaining to take action before a potential collision. An audible double warning is triggered before the brakes are applied.

In the event of a moving obstacle, the system intervenes automatically reducing speed to 32km/h to avoid impact. If the obstacle is stationary, the system can moderate or possibly prevent the impact by further reducing speed to 10km/h.

Optional Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) uses the AEBS radar and adjusts speed to maintain a driver-variable safe distance from a vehicle in front. The radar beam has a range of up to 120 metres and ACC automatically intervenes in various stages, firstly by reducing torque, then by applying the engine brake and finally, the service brakes.

Lane Departure Warning (LDW) is another Eurocargo option. Using a windscreen-mounted camera, the system can recognise lane markings and sounds an alarm if the vehicle changes lane without indicator signalling.

Rounding out the safety appointments are a Hill Holder function, driver’s SRS airbag and Daytime Running Lamps (DRLs).

“Notable safety advancements in recent years across light commercial vehicles are leading buyers to question why many of these features have not been available in medium trucks,” Mr Quaranta said.

“These changing attitudes and increasingly stringent OH&S requirements, particularly among larger fleets, were two of the catalysts for making the latest generation Eurocargo an extremely safe vehicle.

“The safety equipment in the Eurocargo is comparable to what you would find in high end European passenger cars,” Mr Quaranta said.

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EUROCARGO 2017 LINEUP

The Eurocargo’s exterior styling is a standout and sets it apart from just about every other medium duty truck on the market.

Iveco ANZ Product Manager, Marco Quaranta, told T&TA that the way this has been achieved is through combustion zone design. The engine has sufficiently high combustion temperature to reduce most soot and particulate matter and that hot exhaust also prevents carbon buildup in the DPF. This efficient combustion process also contributes to class-leading fuel economy, he said.

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The downside of such an engine is that it produces more oxides of nitrogen (NOx), but these are converted to harmless nitrogen and water, using Iveco’s patented Hi-SCR system.

The new Iveco Tector engines are said to be optimised to suit typical operating conditions of urban delivery applications and a new turbocharger enables the vehicle to respond quickly.

Interestingly, the original Tector engine

was a joint Cummins-Iveco endeavour and Iveco used to produce the Cummins B-Series for European customers. That marriage ended, but Iveco seems to have finished up with a simpler Euro 6 solution than Cummins has done.

Although there’s no need for Australian truck operators to have Euro 6 vehicles, many environmentally-conscious fleets are opting for Euro 6 engines to improve their ‘green’ performance.

The new models range from 12 tonnes to 18 tonnes GVM in 4x2 configuration, and with Day, Sleeper (with high roof option) and Crew Cab variants.

Powering the range is Iveco’s latest 24-valve, six-cylinder, 6.7-litre Tector 7 engine. There are two ratings: 250hp (185 kW) at 2500rpm and 627 lb/ft (850Nm) at 1250rpm in ML120 models; and 280hp (206 kW) at 2500rpm and 738 lb/ft (1000Nm) at 1250 rpm in ML 160 and ML180 models.

Oil change intervals can be up to 80,000 kilometres, depending on application.

Another new feature is an electronically-controlled, twospeed electromagnetic engine fan that is automatically engaged or disengaged.

Coupled to the engines are a manual ZF nine-speed overdrive transmission with dash-mounted gear shift or an Allison S3000, five-speed, torque-converter automatic.

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1. Lane Departure Warning (LDW) is an option using a windscreen-mounted camera.

2. Eurocargo has a 20-litre centre console with a mini-desk and can accommodate a laptop, and has two USB charging connectors.

3. Seating is superb and more like a luxury car than a medium duty truck.

4. Cabin entry and egress in the new range is easy, and there walk through layout in the cabin.

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Cabin entry and egress in the new range is easy, courtesy of wide steps and 90-degree-opening front doors. The driver sits on a fully adjustable ISRI seat in a redesigned interior.

The linear dashboard features an electronic, anti-glare instrument panel and the 20-litre centre console has a mini-desk, can accommodate a laptop, and has two USB charging connectors.

The cabin has a walk-through layout.

For fleets wanting to run telematics, the new Eurocargo has hardware for easy integration of third party systems, allowing operators the versatility to choose the system best suited to their requirements.

The new Eurocargo models have Meritor front and rear axles and front parabolic spring suspension. The drive axles have air suspension as standard: Hendrickson air-leaf, two-bellows Electronically Controlled Air Suspension (ECAS) for the ML120 and four-bellows Iveco ECAS for ML160 and ML180 models. Front antisway bars are standard on all models.

The E6 Eurocargo will be sold alongside the earlier E5 models, providing operators with an even broader Eurocargo model choice. These earlier

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E5 vehicles (including 4x4) will also undergo enhancements in the coming months when they adopt their E6 sibling’s new exterior cabin appearance and many of the new model’s interior cabin appointments.

ON THE ROAD Our brief drive in two new 280hp Eurocargos was a very pleasant experience. Both trucks had curtain-side bodywork and were half-loaded with 4.6 tonnes of payload each.

The ML 160 was fitted with the ZF manual nine-speed and the ML 180 had the Allison auto.

The drive took in secondary roads, some city driving and a stint on a freeway where we got to play with the adaptive cruise control.

Until recently, European medium trucks always rode much better than their Japanese counterparts, but the ride quality gap has narrowed considerably. Even so, the Eurocargos still had a comfort edge over the competition and handling and steering were top shelf.

Surprisingly, though, the legendary ZF nine-speed may have met its match in the

new Hino 500 box that has even better shift action. The Allison in the ML 180 was almost seamless.

The steering column stalk and button controls in the Eurocargos worked well, but, like most European controls, weren’t intuitive. There’s a need for some driver familiarisation time with new drivers, I reckon.

Performance wasn’t an issue and engine response was excellent. Engine braking was also powerful.

I particularly liked the ACC feature when freeway driving, because it automatically controlled speed changes in the traffic stream. It allowed much more use of relaxing cruise control, without the constant fear of running up some car driver’s backside. It was also easy to regulate a safe travelling gap at different cruising speeds.

SUMMARY The new Eurocargos bring cutting edge engine and driving technology to the medium truck world and deserve much greater market penetration than the marque has so far enjoyed.

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Driver Training

LEARNING AGAIN DECA HAS LONG BEEN SEEN AS THE PREMIER TRAINER OF HEAVY VEHICLE DRIVERS IN THIS COUNTRY DESPITE ITS DISTINCTLY VICTORIAN-CENTRIC HISTORY AND BACKGROUND. AN OVERLY AMBITIOUS EXPANSION LEFT DECA AN UNWIELDY ORGANISATION THAT EVENTUALLY SAW IT TAKEN OVER BY WODONGA TAFE. NOW IT HAS BEEN RE SHAPED AS A NATIONAL TRAINING PROVIDER AIMED TOTALLY AT THE CORPORATE MARKET. JON THOMSON VISITED DECA HQ IN WODONGA TO GET THE STORY.

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ore than three decades ago when this writer was a young journo Driver Education Centre of Australia or DECA as it is better known was the place to go to learn to drive a truck, not just to pass the test but to actually get the knowledge to safely navigate our highways in a heavy vehicle.

Back then DECA was based at its impressive Shepparton facility complete with a skid pan and training track. It was originally founded by local policeman Eric Montgomery who had become fed up with attending traumatic road accidents which damaged lives and

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families. It was Montgomery’s desire to reduce the road toll and educate drivers better that led to the Goulburn Valley Driver Training Centre being formed, which eventually became DECA. For decades DECA has led the way in preparing and assessing tens of thousands of Australian road users for all their driving needs. DECA grew into the nation’s premier provider of driver education and training services, sharing knowledge and expertise to develop a wide range of relevant courses. This saw it expand from Shepparton into Melbourne and then into Sydney with a total of seven sites when Wodonga TAFE took over the

management of DECA almost five years ago.

It was clear in recent times that the DECA operation needed to be rationalised and re focussed and when TTA sat down to discuss the future direction of the organisation with its current director, Brendan Tennison-Wood, the road map for where the venerable driver-training organisation became very clear and apparent.

“It was about two years ago that we made decisions which had to be made about DECA,” explained Brendan.

“The previously lucrative learn-to-drive market had undergone significant changes

with increased competition, a race to offer cheaper prices along with the number of students being trained far exceeding the potential employment opportunities,” he explained.

The fact was according to Tennison Wood, that this was not a place that DECA wanted to be in.

“DECA as a market leader in this area really had to take stock and, look at other market opportunities where once again it could be at the top of the pile,” he said.

It was time for DECA to reshape and re-invent itself and look to the industry to find areas of training that needed to be addressed.

“There is a huge difference between someone who holds a licence and someone who is a professional driver,” said Brendan.

So with that in mind it was time for DECA to address the skills gap in the heavy vehicle driver training market.

“As an industry we have a responsibility to provide opportunities for drivers to achieve the highest possible professional standards. This is what DECA Pro Driver achieves,’ continued Brendan.

So the new face of DECA was cast and the result was the launch of its new range of professional driver courses, which Tennison Wood described as its ‘Flagship’

programs. The ‘Pro Driver’ program is centred on the difference a professional driver brings to an organisation, most notably that they drive in the safest and most efficient way possible.

It has meant that the focus of DECA has been reset and aimed entirely at the corporate market in both training drivers to a high standard but also training the trainers within an organisation to ensure the same rigour and standards “The reality is that professional drivers are an investment in a business, they know how to get the most out of their vehicles in terms of efficiency, reliability and fuel economy,” said Tennison Woods.

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1. DECA’s Pro Driver courses cover all bases. 2. DECA’s aim is to make professionalism the bench mark in road transport. 3. DECA’s focus in the future will be on the corporate market helping companies upskill their personnel in every aspect of road transport. 4. DECA has training facilities at Shepparton and Wodonga.

DECA is a truly Australian institution

“This professionalism means that they help reduce costs, drive more safely, approach corners at a safe speed and are capable of driving under all conditions and really the results speak for themselves,” he added Tennison-Woods cited studies conducted on fuel savings which have found that on average those who had been trained under DECA’s Driver Excellence Program could reduce fuel consumption by as much as 13 per cent.

“That is a significant amount of fuel that could be saved and consequently a hell of a lot of money as well, which will only grow as the price of fuel rises, he added.

As part of the overall Driver Excellence programs along with Pro Driver, there is a Rollover and Stability Program, Superior Heavy Vehicle Licencing program, the Responsible Driver Program, Pro Driver Train the Trainer program, Driver Skills Assessment and Hazardous Area Authority courses.

DECA will also run Corporate Heavy Vehicle Licencing on behalf of corporations or government departments to answer the basic needs of training and

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assessing staff that may need to upgrade their licence levels.

“The latter enables companies to attract and retain key personnel by enrolling them in this traineeship program and by combining a certificate III qualification, hands-on driving experience and DECAs professional driving subjects, will ensure their employees will be receiving the highest level of professional driver training which the industry is demanding,” said Brendan.

“The reality is the impact on their business will be immediate ensuring the drivers will have all the skills and know-how to effectively and efficiently drive the company’s trucks as well as the professionalism to be a better and more skilled employee with in the organisation,” he added.

Tennison Wood underlined the fact that it is all about understanding the varying needs of businesses across the transport industry, and focusing on finding licensing solutions that fit in with a client’s operations.

The very specialised rollover and stability programs held at DECA’s impressive Shepparton facility are one-day

intensive courses that reap tremendous benefits for the participants and the companies that send them “Each year the transport industry is faced with an overwhelming number of heavy vehicle rollovers on Australian roads resulting in catastrophic damage to vehicles, property and goods and even worse personal injury or death,” said Brendan.

“Accidents like this not only have significant cost implications for businesses, but affect the wellbeing of drivers and their families, the environment and the entire community,” he added.

“With Chain of Responsibility heavy vehicle fleet operators now have a responsibility to ensure driver’s skills are of the highest standards at all times, in all conditions and fleets who have engaged derivers in this course are helping to prevent the devastation of heavy vehicle rollovers.

The DECA rollover and stability program employs theory and practical training to equip professional drivers with a greater understanding of heavy vehicle dynamics and the measures they can be used to recognise and minimise rollover risk.

“Not only will driving skill levels improve but drivers develop a heightened respect for their vehicles and become more professional and responsible,” he said.

DECA is also now working with TAFE NSW in combining traineeships in specialist driver training with a Certificate III in driver operations and HR/HC licence training with 30 hours of DECAcoached, behind-the-wheel training plus 30 hours of employer based coached driver training using the equipment the trainees will be required to use on the job. Along with this there are additional professional driving subjects including mechanical appreciation, extensive heavy vehicle reversing, load restraint, coupling and uncoupling and Rollover Prevention and Stability along with Pro Driver.

It is a comprehensive training program that offers the potential to establish a training regime that will allow companies to address the shortfall in driver availability and driver skills that every major fleet is currently grappling with. It is run in three phases over a 14-month period but the key advantage is that it produces safe productive drivers from its early stages.

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“It is a professional program that could bring a more lustrous image to the craft of truck driving,” said Tennison Woods “It revolves around DECA working together with companies to address the driver shortage and skills gap because through our networks we can help provide employers with a pool of applicants from which they can select new potential candidates as trainees,” he added.

“We work closely with employers to select the trainees that would best suit their business and we also liaise with the Australian Apprenticeship Support Network or job active provider to ensure that all training documentation is complete and we would provide advice on available government funding to make this training more affordable for business,” he said.

“We need to make it more attractive because there aren’t enough people who want to be in the industry and there certainly aren’t enough women involved.

The other thing is many women and men are intimidated by the big B Doubles and may have no desire to drive them, which is fine because the greatest demand is for

4 rigid drivers operating in metro areas, that is where the real need is,” he said.

“The aim is to make professionalism the industry benchmark in every way shape and form and to reduce heavy vehicle road deaths and injury, save companies money in transport operations including insurance costs and really to make a difference,” Tennison Wood concluded.

Its clear DECA has taken a strategic direction that could greatly benefit the road transport industry and help address the dire shortage of drivers in this country.

As an organisation DECA has a peerless reputation and as a graduate of the organisation this writer has a soft spot for the place, it helped teach me about driving a truck.

Thirty years on the demands are event greater and we need more organisations like DECA to make sure those demands are satisfied. The sooner we start treating truck driving as a professional endeavour the sooner we will be able start addressing the problems in the industry and we will only do that with the sort of approach DECA is taking.

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Operator

HEAVY LIFTERS 050 www.truckandbus.net.au

MANY TRANSPORT OPERATORS RELY ON LIFT TRUCKS BEING THERE AND READY WHEN THEY ARRIVE AT A DROP OFF OR PICK UP BUT ONE LEADING REFRIGERATED LOGISTICS COMPANY HAS TAKEN THE LEAD IN A BID TO SAVE TIME AND IMPROVE EFFICIENCY BY TAKING ITS OWN LIFT TRUCKS WITH IT. T&TA REVISITS MICWAY REFRIGERATED TRANSPORT TO UNDERSTAND HOW IT IS SAVING CONSIDERABLE TIME WITH A BYO LIFT TRUCK PHILOSOPHY. www.truckandbus.net.au 051

H

ere at T&TA we are constantly exploring and testing the latest trucks, looking at particular operators who are doing things right but rarely do we look at the machinery that might make a difference for an operator, outside of the actual trucks they run.

Micway Transport services has been featured in the pages of T&TA before and is a market-leading refrigerated transport provider servicing a number of the leading \grocery retailers, restaurant chains and manufacturers and runs a 100 strong fleet of refrigerated trucks and trailers.

Micway Refrigerated Transport, is based in Western Sydney and has come a long way since it was started by David and Mary Franklin back in 1999.

Today the company operates throughout New South Wales and Queensland, employing more than 200 people in its 24-hour a day , seven-days-per-week operations.

Back in that final year of the last Millennium when Micway was formed, Sydney was booming and with the Olympics just around the corner it was admittedly a little easier to get a business established, ensuring it stayed the distance and weathered the economic storms of the past few years is another matter.

However smart management, intelligent vehicle choice and as we said a focus on a strong niche are all elements that have enabled Micway to survive and flourish in an extremely tough and competitive market.

Today Micway is one of Australia’s fastest growing and most successful refrigerated transport companies, but 18 years ago it was a fleet with just two trucks and a vision for the future.

Wayne Franklin, son of David and Mary is today the Director of Operations and the man really driving the business as it continues to grow and build on its success fleet.

The company now supplies many of Australia’s best known food retailers including Woolworths, Coles, IGA, Costco, Aldi, KFC, Sizzler, Dominos and Spar to name a few, with a fleet of 75 trucks, 100 pieces of equipment from trailers to loaders and more than 130 employees across its operations in NSW and Queensland.

The company headquarters is based around a 2000 square metre cold store warehouse in Blacktown in Sydney’s west along with a similar operation at Murarrie in Brisbane.

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The key for any logistics company is time, not only time in transiting from one drop off or pick up to another but also in terms of loading and unloading the goods. Time saved here translates directly into better efficiency and a better bottom line. In a strategic move by Micway it has added a large fleet of Crown WP 3000 power pallet trucks to complement its 100-strong refrigerated truck and trailer fleet in a bid to provide the best possible service to its customers.

Each Micway refrigerated truck and the majority of its trailers is equipped with a Crown power pallet truck to help speed-up deliveries beyond the capabilities of hand pallet trucks while ensuring high WH&S standards for its delivery drivers.

Micway reckons the Crown units can save its drivers up to 12 minutes on each delivery, translating to substantial time savings for the entire company fleet which averages 500 deliveries per day. That means a potential time saving of 100 hours a day or an hour per truck.

The relationship between the two companies began shortly after Micway’s incorporation in 1999, with an initial order of one Crown power pallet truck.

Micway has since gone on to shake up the cold transport industry with its high levels of service and has taken on numerous iconic quick service restaurant (QSR) clients – and many more Crown electric pallet trucks.

Micway general manager Geoff Norman said Micway has grown its fleet of Crown equipment because of its suitability for work in the truck fleet, solid reliability and overall value.

“The reliability of Crown equipment is very good: it’s unquestionable,” Norman said.

“We give them a good workout – some of the drivers use them like four-wheel drives.

“Servicing QSRs, the pallet trucks need to take loads from where the truck is parked out in the street to the restaurant, which can mean it has to go onto roads and footpaths, up gutters and turn sharp corners to get to the delivery point.

“The reliability is very good, the functional and operational aspects are first class, and the design and strength of the machine is outstanding.

“Our drivers are accustomed to Crown equipment and find it easy to use in the confines of a truck or on a tailgate, where there is very limited space to turn around.”

“That is why we’ve gone from one to 80.

We still run some of our original machines.”

“OUR DRIVERS ARE ACCUSTOMED TO CROWN EQUIPMENT AND FIND IT EASY TO USE IN THE CONFINES OF A TRUCK OR ON A TAILGATE, WHERE THERE IS VERY LIMITED SPACE TO TURN AROUND”

MICWAY RECKONS THE CROWN UNITS CAN SAVE ITS DRIVERS UP TO 12 MINUTES ON EACH DELIVERY, TRANSLATING TO SUBSTANTIAL TIME SAVINGS FOR THE ENTIRE COMPANY FLEET WHICH AVERAGES 500 DELIVERIES PER DAY.

Micway conducts ongoing assessments of its suppliers and equipment, which includes assessments of other material handling products on the market. This has also been a contributing factor in its continued use of Crown equipment.

“We’ve reviewed the market place on a number of occasions over the years,” Norman said.

“One reason is to ensure that Crown pricing is in line with the market place.

The other is to make sure that the equipment is the best available for the safety of our drivers.

“We’ve continued to choose Crown.”

“I believe that for our type of work, Crown has maintained leadership in this field,” he said.

Mr Norman said the service provided by Crown when required has also been a factor in the longevity of the relationship.“Crown’s service speaks for itself,” he said.

“Over the years there have been some challenges, such as our requirement

to reduce the stopping distances of the Crown equipment for use on our loading platforms. However, we’ve always been able to work together to resolve any issues.

“The fact is that we’ve been with them for 18 years and we’ve worked very well together during that time,” he said.

Micway Transport is a family owned and operated business founded by David and Mary Franklin in 1999.

In 1999 when Franklin kicked the company off one of his clients was Geoff Norman, then an executive with P&O Cold Storage. Norman contracted the fledgling Micway operation to fulfil a contract to supply Dominoes Pizza stores.

That first contract was a springboard to a lot of other work from P&O that opened lots of doors for Micway.

Micway’s early success soon spring boarded into more contacts and within nine months of start up it was delivering to more than 150 stores including KFC,

Sizzler, Dominos and Baskin Robbins expanding into south east Queensland.

Geoff Norman was a bit like Victor Kiam who liked the electric razor company he bought it. Norman didn’t go quite that far but after years of dealing with Micway as a client he liked the organisation so much he joined it in early 2014 coming on board as the general manager, bringing his vast knowledge of refrigerated logistics with him.

Norman’s recruitment to the company was part of a plan to continue the growth of Micway with the aim of increasing regional and national operations and that has been particularly effective.

In the past Micway has operated a mix of trucks sourced from various makers including Iveco with a number of Stralis on the fleet, both as prime movers and as rigids. The company uses a lot of 8x4 configuration rigids to ensure it can access the loading docks of stores that can be tight and tricky at times.

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GET ALL THE LATEST TRUCK AND BUS INDUSTRY NEWS AS IT HAPPENS AT THE TRANSPORT INDUSTRY’S BEST NEWS WEBSITE

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Micway workshop manager, John Morris (left), general manager Geoff Norman (centre) and director of operations Wayne Franklin

“I BELIEVE THAT FOR OUR TYPE OF WORK, CROWN HAS MAINTAINED LEADERSHIP IN THIS FIELD”

In 2011 Micway made a big leap in purchasing the first of a number of MAN prime movers, a move that Wayne Franklin reckons was a pretty good one given the reliability and cost effectiveness the company has achieved.

Geoff Norman says that Micway has recorded better reliability from the five MAN prime movers it has added to its fleet compared with the 70 other trucks it operates.

Micway purchased its first MAN, a TGS 26.480 BLS three years ago and quickly added two TGX 26.540 BLS models over the next two years followed by two more TGS 26.480 BLS in late 2013 and earlier this year.

According to the company’s workshop manager John Morris the MANs are now the most reliable trucks on the fleet.

The success of the MAN prime movers has led Micway to add more MANs with two TGS 35.360 BL 8x4 rigids ordered and set to start work in the next few months with more potentially set to follow.

“You simply can’t have a truck parked up waiting for parts or repairs and the MANs have been really good in that

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regard, if there have been any problems MAN has owned them and made sure they were fixed quickly and efficiently,” he added.

Micway started its MANs on urban and inter-urban work in a 300km radius from Sydney, however the performance led the company to assign the TGX 540s to line haul work between Sydney and Melbourne and those are now running in B Double configuration logging 5000km a week without a fault.

Workshop manager Morris was glowing in his praise of the MANs, citing the fact that they have not only proven more reliable, but boast a 60,000 km service interval, 50 per cent longer than many of the opposition brands.

“That means the trucks spend less time in the workshop and more time out there working, they are very impressive,” said John Morris.

“The MANs are more reliable than the other trucks and our first TGS 26.480 has travelled 90,000km without a spanner being laid on it and even then it was only for a new set of tyres and a regular service,” he added.

Morris also says the drivers really love the MANs and believes the fit and finish and overall cab design enhances their appeal.

“They have a very good fit and finish while the cabin boasts more room and a better layout than the other trucks which means the drivers are more efficient and comfortable,” he added.

The addition of two MAN 8x4 twin steer rigids to the company’s fleet of more than 30 similarly configured trucks is part of its strategy to have the best equipment possible to drive Micway’s ambitious growth plans.

Micway’s success at providing a more efficient, more customer focussed operation has paid enormous benefits and using the right machinery like Crown lift trucks and mostly MAN prime movers and rigids has also contributed to its strong growth and helped its niche strategy which is clearly paying dividends.

With the next phase aiming at regional growth the ice white Micway trucks will become an increasingly familiar sight on East Coast roads.

We also bring you all of the latest news in an easy to consume email bulletin, Truck e-News giving you all the detail on the biggest stories and industry news allowing you to click through to the website.

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LCV

CARGO CULT FOLLOWING VANS AREN’T MEANT TO BE STYLISH AND FUN TO DRIVE BUT RENAULT HAS CHANGED ALL THAT WITH ITS LATEST MINI CARGO CARRIER. THE KANGOO – YOU COULD ALMOST IMAGINE YOURSELF IN PARIS.

R

enault has given its stylish and practical small van model, the Kangoo a minor makeover and a new engine option adding more bounce to the little cargo carrier.

The latest versions of the Kangoo, are now available with a 1.2 litre turbocharged petrol engine alongside the established 1.6 litre turbo diesel.

The new turbo petrol version comes into the line up at a price of $23,490 and offers more power and torque than the 1.6 litre petrol it replaces and most importantly is more economical to run boasting 21% better fuel-efficiency.

The engine is shared with the Clio, Captur and Megane passenger models and comes mated to a six-speed manual or an optional six-speed dual-clutch automatic.

The new 1.2 turbo petrol Kangoo offers eight per cent more power than the 1.6 it replaces, with the maximum urge of 84kW delivered at 4500rpm, 1500 rpm lower than the old engine. Even more

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importantly torque is up a massive 30 per cent now delivering 190 Nm between 2000 and 4000 rpm.

The little 1.2 turbo is a sweet engine and boasts strong economy as well as good performance with that 21 per cent improvement in fuel economy. It boasts an average cycle of 6.2 l/100km in the manuals and 6.5L/100km in the auto models. CO2 emissions fall to 144g/km and 147g/km respectively.

The petrol turbo is only available in the standard-wheelbase Kangoo while the long wheel base Maxi models are exclusively diesel.

A full suite of safety features is now available in the baby Kangoo with side airbags, reversing sensors, cruise control, hill-start assist something called Grip Xtend which is really an extension of the stability control system along with a cargo area mat.

Renault’s R-Link infotainment system with a 7” inch screen is also available as an option along with sat-nav and a reversing camera.

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t r o p s TranTransport NALS OFESSIO ICLE PR AL VEH MMERCI CO & NSPORT AD TRA FOR RO FOR ROAD TRANSPORT & COMMERCIAL VEH ICLE PROFESSIONALS u us.net.a ckandb www.tru Feb /Mar 2016 7 Issue 10

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BUSH SPRINTER

WE HEAD OFF THE BLACK STUFF IN BENZ’S LIGHT DUTY 4X4

Buyers can also order windows in the sliding side doors, a steel security bulkhead behind the driver and passenger and15-inch alloy wheels, an overhead cabin storage shelf, and rear barn doors.

It is a versatile little van and can take a standard pallet between the wheel arches and a 650kg payload in its three cubic meter load area.

While the buy in price for the new Kangoo petrol turbo is about $3000 higher buyers will make the cost back in the economy and efficiency it delivers.

It will provide customers with the double benefit of added performance and reduced running costs.

The Kangoo petrol auto is best-selling variant for Renault in its small van range

and has the biggest market share of any Renault on the market today.

Lyndon Healey, Renault LCU Product Manager, says they expect an increased demand for the new dual-clutch sevenspeed automatic with two more gears than the auto it replaces.

Since the launch of Kangoo six years ago, Renault has sold more than 4000 of the little vans in Australia. In 2016 it sold 1118 units, about 600 behind VW’s Caddy, but well ahead of its other rivals.

Renault is backing the Kangoo with a three-year/200,000km warranty, three years roadside assistance, service intervals set at 12 months/15,000km, and cappedprice servicing available for the first three years.

2017 RENAULT KANGOO PRICING: SWB 1.2 Turbo-Petrol Man — $23,490 (Plus OCRS) SWB 1.2 Turbo-Petrol Edc — $26,490 (Plus OCRS) Maxi 1.5 Turbo-Diesel Man — $26,990 (Plus OCRS)

Renault has also turned the wick up on its stylish mid-sized van offering, the Trafic, with a 29 per cent more powerful engine in the entry-level model.

The new engine puts out 85kW at 3500rpm instead of 66kW and 300Nm at 1,500rpm, up 40Nm from the outgoing single turbo diesel. The 103kW twin turbo diesel engine continues to be available in both short and long wheelbase, offering peak torque of 340Nm at 1500rpm and all models are mated to a six-speed manual.

According to manager for Renault LCV, Lyndon Healey, the new specs make the Trafic an even more solid business choice.

“The Trafic is a great choice for savvy business users who know that purchase price is not the best indicator of the real cost of ownership it is also the extended service intervals, capped price service costs, excellent reliability and strong resale values really make it the stand-out choice.

The new 85kW engine improves driveability and with its very attractive drive away price it’s now an even better option for anyone looking for a mid-size van that’s easy, safe and fun to drive and like every other Trafic, it’s comfortable, Fuel consumption is 6.6 litres per 100km on the combined cycle and just 174g/km of CO2 is emitted by the Euro5 compliant engine.

All other features and specifications remain unchanged from the previous entry model, including the payload of 1,235kg in the 5.2m3 load area. Maximum towing capacity is unchanged at 2,000kg for a braked trailer.

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AFTER A REALLY SHAKY START A DECADE AGO ISUZU UTES AND SUVS HAVE EARNED A REPUTATION FOR RELIABILITY AND TOUGHNESS SECOND TO NONE, AND THAT COUNTS FOR A LOT IN THIS WIDE COUNTRY OF OURS AS COACH & BUS EDITOR PETER BARNWELL REPORTS AFTER TESTING THE RECENTLY UPDATED MU-X SUV.

THEN WHEN YOU TURN OFF ROAD, THE MU-X REALLY COMES INTO ITS OWN WITH A SELECT-ON-THE-FLY 4WD SYSTEM

060 www.truckandbus.net.au

W

hile Toyota rules the roost in `fourbie’ land, Isuzu Ute is quietly nibbling away at the Japanese giant recording double digit sales growth for the past few years while simultaneously establishing a wide dealer network. They also listen to owners recommendations when planning a new model as is the case with both the latest D-Max ute and more recently, the new MU-X large, seven seat SUV (in RWD and 4WD).

In essence, what we have in new MU-X is a mid-model facelift that ushers in Euro5 emissions compliance from the 3.0-litre turbo diesel engine which also gains more torque, six speed manual and automatic transmissions, improved

economy and reduced NVH (Noise Vibration and Harshness).

Though engine specs look pretty much the same as before, the four cylinder iron block donk is heavily revised with a new VGT turbo, new pistons, injectors, EGR cooling system and diesel particulate filter.

Not forgetting it has a dual row chain cam drive for enhanced reliability.

Isuzu Ute (ironically owned by Mitsubishi Trading) tweaked gave front and rear styling including LED headlights and tail lights with detail changes setting the new model apart from its predecessor.

Same inside with higher quality plastics, new fascia materials, more soft touch surfaces and revised styling to the dash and console. Satnav is now standard further down the model range.

www.truckandbus.net.au 061

IT’S AN EXCEPTIONAL ALL-ROUNDER IDEAL FOR AUSSIE APPLICATIONS OFFERING GOOD VALUE, RELIABILITY, SAFETY AND PERFORMANCE

GRAVEL ROADS

AUSTRALIA COMING SOON!

That range includes three spec levels, LS-M, LS-U and LS-T in rear wheel drive and four wheel drive.

All share underpinnings and the same powertrains apart from manual or auto transmissions.

Built on the same platform as D-Max ute, the MU-X differs in the rear suspension area with coil springs instead of leaf springs.

Apart from that, it’s the on a rugged ladder chassis with that bulletproof engine and transmission that can take a flogging in our tough off road driving conditions and then back up as a refined and easy to drive urban transport.

Mux offers seven seats with access to the rear from the middle row or through the tailgate if you are flexible enough. A reasonable luggage space remains with all three rows in place.

MU-X gets a five star ANCAP rating despite having truck DNA. It will tow up to three tonnes and is covered by a 5 year warranty with 5 years roadside assist and 5 years capped price servicing.

Depending on the model, MU-X rolls on 16-inch, or 18-inch wheels.

Criticism from current owners prompted Isuzu Ute to implement extensive revisions inside making the vehicle much

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more amenable and functional with less of a commercial vehicle look and feel.

Additional layers of sound deadening material is fitted at key points around the body to cut noise.

These include the transmission tunnel, centre console and the base of the windscreen.

LS-U and LS-T buyers will appreciate the large 8-inch control screen with multi functions to control numerous features of the new MU-X. The 3.0-litre engine is now good for 130kW/430Nm output while sipping a claimed 7.9-litrtes/100km.

A new differential helps achieve this fuel figure.

So. What’s it like to drive?

In short, pretty impressive.

MU-X has an unburstable feeling from behind the wheel. You could easily take around Australia and confidently expect to get back in one piece with no dramas.

But, it’s no marshmallow in the ride department offering up quite a sporty attitude when you turn up the wick on sealed roads. Bit like a BMW SUV in this regard.

You find yourself punting fairly hard in the high riding MU-X because it feels so controlled.

Minimal body roll comes into play with minimal bump steer.

Then when you turn off road, the MU-X really comes into its own with a select-onthe-fly 4WD system as well as high and low range 4WD. A locking rear diff would be the only change we’d make which would transform MU-X into a serious off roader virtually unstoppable anywhere.

Six speed transmissions make a huge difference too with closely space ratios in the manual and auto delivering plenty of grunt as soon as you plant the right foot.

We like the look of it, like the accessories in particular the factory bull bar, like the size of it because MU-X isn’t too big and the price is competitive too with Isuzu Ute adding roughly a grand on top of each model with the new line-up starting at $42,800 for the LS-M auto RWD. We towed a heavy van with the new MU-X which it easily coped with.

It’s an exceptional all-rounder ideal for Aussie applications offering good value, wide dealer network, reliability, safety and performance in a good looking package.

We’ll have the darker grey please in midspec LS-U. Grab a van, cruise around Australia…. happy days.

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 2016 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.

successful transport website, www.truckandbus.net.au.

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 feature great writers with features and news produced by some of the best journalists in Australia with high quality photography and design.

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

The first edition will be published in March 2016 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@transportandtruckingtoday.com.au - ads@transportandtruckingtoday.com.au

MONEY MATTERS PAUL CLITHROE COPING WITH DEBT AND AVOIDING SCAMS

I

f you’re struggling with runaway debt, be careful who you turn to for help.

There’s no shortage of ‘debt management’ firms promising rapid solutions to overwhelming debt (just Google ‘debt help’ to see what I mean). Their services typically include bankruptcy advice, formal and informal debt agreements and debt consolidation. Others advertise ‘cleaning’, ‘repairing’, or ‘washing away’ default listings on personal credit reports.

For anyone battling high debt this can all sound very appealing. But our money watchdog ASIC has cautioned that debt management firms can pose significant risks to financially distressed consumers.

One of the key issues is that these companies can charge high upfront fees for services that don’t always deliver much value. It may not be clear how much you’ll pay, and ASIC warns “the promise is always more prominent than the price”.

That’s a real worry because people facing spiralling debt can be extremely vulnerable to taking up unsuitable services or become

charges. A national network of financial counselling services is available that offer a free service. The big difference is that they don’t advertise an instant solution because frankly, there is no magic bullet to getting out of debt fast.

If you’re struggling with debt, it’s critical to take early action. Speak to your bank or creditors and explain the situation – many will offer a repayment plan. Talk to the free ombudsman scheme before paying a fee to a debt management firm. And check out the website of Financial Counselling Australia or call the National Debt Hotline on 1800 007 007. You won’t be offered a quick-fix solution, but you will receive unbiased advice on how to get back on track financially.

On another tack but one which is also about protecting your hard earne3d money and not giving it away to scam merchant, truly, I despair. Despite all the publicity about internet scams, I nearly fell over when I read this week that “123456” is still the most popular password. Why not just put your money in a brown paper bag at the

among cyber crooks.

Armed with personal data, crims can access your bank account, take out loans in your name or commit welfare or tax fraud.

Falling prey to the bad guys can cost you dearly. Victims of identity theft are left out of pocket by an average of $3,696 though in some cases losses have exceeded $500,000.

Cyber crooks typically get hold of personal details by hacking our computers or via email, social media or scams. So an important first step is to have the latest security software installed on all your digital devices including computers, tablets and phones. Make a point of downloading software updates for protection against the latest online threats.

When you’re setting passwords for devices or online accounts make them strong.

Use a mix of numbers, letters (lowercase and uppercase) and special characters like # or $. A US survey found a handful of commonly used passwords make up 17% of all passwords. Using woefully simple passwords just makes it easier for crooks

It also helps to make a habit of regularly checking out the Scamwatch website (www.scamwatch.gov.au) victims of a predatory hard sell.

A number of debt management firms have also been found to gild the lily when it comes to describing exactly what they do and how they can help.

Just this month ASIC cracked down on several companies that had made false and misleading claims. One firm was advertising that its debt agreements were ‘Government Approved’. Yes, debt agreements and debt administrators are regulated but that doesn’t mean they’re approved by the government.

Another firm’s website featured glowing customer testimonials, which it was unable to substantiate.

These sorts of issues make it worthwhile approaching debt management firms with caution. Sure, some may be highly reputable but you’ll still pay for their services, and that’s money that could potentially be put to better use paying down debt.

The thing is, digging your way out of debt doesn’t have to come with a raft of fees and

front door with “take me” written on it?

We are increasingly managing our money online, using personal data to complete digital transactions. This data has real market value for cyber crooks, and with Privacy Awareness Week running from 15-19 May, now’s the time to consider how well you’re protecting your personal information from thieves.

Identity theft is one of the most commonly occurring crimes in Australia. Almost one in ten of us experience misuse of our personal information each year, and 5% of people annually lose money as a result of identity crime.

A report by the Attorney General’s office found Australian identities sell for surprisingly little on illegal online marketplaces. A bank login and password is worth around $500. The asking price for credit card details is about $1,000. These low prices reflect the ready availability of this type of highly personal information

to steal your personal details.

Set unique passwords for all your online accounts. Yes, it’s a hassle remembering different passwords, but it’s a lot easier than fixing up the mess after cyber criminals have enjoyed an online shopping spree using your credit card. And when you’re online, reject offers by websites to remember your password. Login afresh each time you visit a site and logout when you’re done.

It also helps to make a habit of regularly checking out the Scamwatch website (www. scamwatch.gov.au). It’s an easy way to know what to be on the lookout for when you’re online. If you think you have become a victim of identity theft contact your financial institution immediately.

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.

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Kumho has over 35 years local experience in Australia, and has developed a range of tyres to meet the demands of today’s heavy vehicle operations.

Unbeatable mileage and value for money is what Kumho has always been about, and now with nationwide dealer support it makes Kumho Tyres a smart choice.

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Renault MASTER

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SWB Manual Single Turbo

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With any business purchase, we know how important peace of mind and total cost of ownership are. That’s why the Renault Commercial range comes with a 3-year/200,000km Warranty†, 3 year 24/7 Roadside Assistance~ and Capped Price Servicing for the first 3 scheduled maintenance services~.

For more information visit renault.com.au Recommended drive away price for Renault Kangoo 1.6L SWB Manual, +Renault Trafic SWB Manual Single Turbo and ^Renault Master SWB 120kW all with non-metallic paint valid for vehicles ordered between 03/04/2017 and 02/07/2017. Excludes government and fleet buyers. Renault reserves the right to vary, extend or withdraw this offer. Not available in conjunction with any other offer. ~First 3 scheduled maintenance services capped at $349 per service on new and demonstrator Kangoo, Trafic and Master models, based on standard scheduled servicing from new and on normal operating conditions. Scheduled maintenance services required every twelve (12) months or 15,000km (whichever occurs first) on Kangoo and every twelve (12) months or up to 30,000km (whichever occurs first) on Trafic and Master. However, Master is subject to adaptive servicing requirements, as determined by the Oil Condition Sensor, and may require servicing prior to the standard twelve (12) months or 30,000km service interval. 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.†Three (3) year/200,000km warranty offer and 3 year/200,000km Roadside Assistance both apply to all new or demonstrator Kangoo, Trafic and Master models. Warranty & Roadside Assistance valid for 3 years or 200,000km (whichever comes first) from new. Demonstrator vehicles receive balance of new vehicle warranty and Roadside Assistance. *