Transport and Trucking Today issue 100 by Transport Publishing Australia

ISUZU TELEMATICS. INTR THE

F•S•A/ISZ9443

INTELLIGENT

NO LONGER IS YOUR TRUCK ALONE ON THE ROAD. FOR A START, WE’RE THERE ALONGSIDE YOU, SHARING YOUR LOAD. AND NOW, WITH ISUZU TELEMATICS, BOTH YOU AND YOUR TRUCK ARE INTERCONNECTED WITH YOUR FULL SUPPORT TEAM, FROM THE DISPATCHER TO THE FLEET MANAGER. Isuzu telematics turns your truck into an intelligent truck. This telematic link electronically shares countless data on virtually everything the truck and the driver do. From its brakes to your breaks, helping you become an all-round better driver. Isuzu telematics is an Isuzu accessory available at additional cost, and comes in two levels; Isuzu Connect, or the works, Isuzu Connect Plus, and can be readily retro-fitted. Now what else does this connection offer?

Imagine if your service or workshop manager was able to maintain your trucks based on live fuel consumption and engine-use data. You would never overuse your trucks between services and run the added risk of damaging components. Imagine if your dispatcher had a live audit trail with automatic notifications of arrivals and departures. Every minute of your drivers’ day could be optimised for maximum efficiency. And imagine if the fleet manager could monitor every truck and understand ‘wear and tear’ based on driver styles and other factors. You would have an immediate advantage over your competitors. With Isuzu telematics, all this is now a reality. And our Isuzu Connect Plus system adds even more features, including a stream of firmware upgrades and enhancements to keep you ahead of the game. In this day and age, there is no room for guesswork.

ODUCING

TRUCK.

Stay connected with Isuzu telematics. Visit isuzu.com.au

CONTENTS CONTACT DETAILS PO Box 35 Lindfield, NSW, 2070 www.truckandbus.net.au admin@transportand truckingtoday.com.au Enquiries 02 9938 6408 Follow us on Twitter #truckandbusnews Follow us on Facebook at Truck and Bus Australia Editor in Chief Allan Whiting nofibspublishing@bigpond.com Editor Fabian Cotter Fabian@truckandbus.com.au Features & Technical Editor David Meredith dvm@bigpond.com.au Art Director Luke Melbourne www.groeningdesigns.com.au

FOR ROAD TRANSPORT & COMMERCIAL VEHICLE PROFESSIONALS

& TRUCKING TODAY

FEATURES

THE MIGHTY QUINN

THE ICE MAN COMETH

I CAN SEE CLEARLY NOW

A Tassie Frieghtliner operator explains how well his Argosy handles the rigours of the Apple Isle

Sydney transport company Micway has carved a niche for itself in refrigerated freight, which has made it hot property when it comes to cold goods delivery

Editor in chief Allan Whiting checks the future emissions situation Down Under and examines the effects after ADR 80/03

LUCKY 13

T&TTâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Technical Editor David Meredith studies the 13 litre engines available on our market and uncovers some interesting data

BIO-FUELS OR BIO FOOLS?

Are Bio-fuels the great panacea for automotive-environmental ills.? T&TT Editor Fabian Cotter investigates.

WHATS ALL THE HYPE ABOUT? Barry Flanagan reports on a new use for a truck that is revolutionising display advertising.

MAMBO ITALIANO

Fabian Cotter takes a look at the latest light commercial offerings from Italian giant Fiat

Advertising Sales David Hosking Tel: 03 9857 3933 Mob: 0409 403 012 otadh@tpg.com.au Editorial Contributors Barry Flanagan, Mark Bean Transport & Trucking Today is published under licence by Grayhaze Pty. Ltd. and is distributed to road transport professionals, fleets, business professionals and the industry throughout Australia. All material contained herein including text, photography, design elements and format are copyright and cannot be reproduced by any means without the written permission of the publisher. Truck Power Media Group is a member of the Copyright Agency Limited (1800 066 844). Editorial contributions are welcome for consideration. Contact the Editor or Publisher for guidelines, fees and level of interest. All unsolicited manuscripts must be accompanied by a stamp, addressed envelope for their return. We will not be held responsible for material supplied electronically. Proudly printed in Australia

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14 DEPARTMENTS

BACK TRACKS Musings from the Editor

HIGHWAY 1

News and info from all over

MONEY

Paul Clitheroe offers sage advice

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WHAT YOU DO WITH IT IS YOUR BUSINESS.

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BACK TRACKS ALLAN WHITING Seeing isn’t necessarily believing: When it comes to safety on the road it goes without saying that vision is all important

ercedes-Benz runs a training course for European semitrailer rig drivers that is said to be the most comprehensive training course available in Europe. I did it a few years ago and it’s very demanding. The course shows participants that about 85 percent of driving environment information is perceived through the eyes and that their field of view is a generous 180 degrees. But the region of focussed vision is a narrow 10 degrees at most. Outside that focussed region we’re more likely to notice movement than colour. That’s why drivers on the course are encouraged to move their eyes constantly. The entire field of forward vision can be broken up into these 10-degree ‘concentration circles’ - usually about eight of them in a typical driving situation at low speeds. As road speed increases the brain can’t process the incoming information as quickly as it can at low speeds, so the effective size of the circles decreases while the number of circles increases about nine times. Even within the focussed region the eyes can miss vital information. For example,

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an amber traffic light can be ‘invisible’ if it blends into background colour, or the brake lights on a car can be disregarded by eyes that have turned their focussed region to look at a driver in the back of a parked van. Eye direction needs to be lower when city driving than when in the country, because hazards are more numerous around town and closer, thanks to lower road speed and higher traffic density. Try this experiment: walk along a crowded street against the flow and avoid walking into people. Tricky isn’t it? We’ll bet that many times, when you make eye contact with an oncoming pedestrian, you both finish up wrong-footing each other, or even coming to a stop, face to face! Now, try walking through the crowd without looking directly at anyone: glance at shop windows to one side, as you walk along. Interestingly, people will see that you’re not looking exactly where you’re going and they’ll avoid you. Just as when you focus on the eyes of an oncoming pedestrian, if you concentrate your eyes on something when driving, then that is where you’ll most likely steer. If you stare at an obstacle, your vehicle will seem

to be ‘drawn’ to it. You should note the obstacle you want to avoid, then concentrate on a safe course around it. Your peripheral vision will track the obstacle, but you’ll avoid contact. You can also use peripheral vision to monitor your instruments, simply by noting the needle positions when everything is OK. Your peripheral vision will pick up any unusual readings. It’s easy to spot drivers who have no experience in this important matter, because their cornering process is a series of separate events. They usually work out too late that it’s a corner or a roundabout, so their approach speed is too high and they’re in the wrong gear. They brake hard, change gear while momentum is being lost, steer too wide, then over-steer and then either wind off some lock, or roll over. Our judgment of speeds and distances is generally slightly wrong, according to Mercedes-Benz research. We tend to underestimate our speed and overestimate the distance we are from an object. That can be a deadly combination, particularly when fatigue and speed-acclimatisation are dialled in.

THE LONG HAUL FABIAN COTTER

It’s been a long haul, but we finally got there our 100th birthday issue! Plenty’s happened. Plenty’s to come. So stick around…

elcome to the 100th issue of your favourite trucking magazine, Transport and Trucking Today. Some said we’d never make it and it’s been a long and tough road at times, but just like heavy vehicle drivers putting in the long hours driving over thousands of klicks to get goods to their destinations … and then back again … and again … and again. Well, you get the picture. For those of you who have been regular readers - many of whom we know have been with us since day dot - may I take this opportunity on behalf of all the TTT team past and present to thank you for your continued feedback and support. Without you guys and gals letting us know what you like to read about, chat about and just generally sink your teeth into (particularly as things affect you daily in your truckin’ world) we’d be missing out on vital information and thoughts that many others

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like you love to share - drivers and transport industry personnel alike. To those of you who have heard about us and perhaps only recently started reading us, we’re glad to have you on board and hope you’ll enjoy our local Aussie and international truck news, views and product reviews, as well as insightful tech features and in-depth opinion and analysis of the evolving array of issues and governmental policy changes that affect the trucking industry as a whole. And to those of you who have just randomly picked up a copy in the shops while buying some milk and bread? Heck! G’day! Nice meeting ya’ll, we hope you enjoy the ride – just don’t forget the beer, fruit, and fresh veg. And not necessarily in that order… As we celebrate our 100th issue, we look back at some of the highlights of our history and reflect on where we’ve come from, but all the while looking ahead to

some of the latest technology that’s going to influence and change – if it doesn’t do so already that is – the way we all do things. From increasing fuel efficiency of the latest diesel engines to various advances in cleaner fuels and electric or hybrid drivetrains; from health and safety of drivers, passengers and pedestrians to simple tips and tricks to do things better and easier – you’ll regularly find all that in your current and future copies of Transport and Trucking Today. Speaking of which, this issue we look at the status of biofuel use in Australia and what hurdles need to be overcome for it to get wider acceptance and use; editor in chief Allan Whiting looks at where emission regulations are heading; there’s David Meredith’s 13 litre engine comparo; plus I check out the future of BioDiesel in Australia. Yes siree! There’s all that and loads more, so I hope you stick ’round for the long haul.

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FREIGHTLINER GOES RACING Truck brands set to fight it our on the racetrack

IT SEEMS ALMOST like the fight for supremacy in the Australian truck market has a new battlefield - on the racetrack - with yet another announcement from a leading truck brand that they will be taking up a prominent role in V8 Supercars. Freightliner recently unveiled a ground breaking naming rights sponsorship of the number #14 Fabian Coulthard Brad Jones Racing Commodore for three years from the start of the 2015 V8 Supercar season. The German owned US brand will be the first truck brand to be a naming rights sponsor in Australia’s top racing category

Fabian Coulthard will be the man behind the wheel of the number 14 BJR Freightliner Holden in 2015

It may also be the first shot in what see as the battle of the truck brands in V8 Supercar racing following US automotive supremo and Australian distributor of Western Star and MAN trucks, Roger Penske’s recently completed acquisition of famed race team Dick Johnson Racing. However there is some question as to whether Penske will feature his brands on the DJR Ford in 2015 or another sponsor who will pay for the operation. Historically Penske brands have only ever had a minor role on his highly succesful IndyCar, Nascar and Sports car brands. As one racing insider told T&TT, “ Racing

is a business for Roger and he ensures someone else pays, it is a profit centre,” At the launch at Daimler Truck’s Melbourne HQ in November the Freightliner Racing/BJR Commodore entry was finally revealed ending weeks of speculation about which Daimler brand would feature on the the number 14 race car. “There are strong parallels between the V8 Supercar audience and Freightliner Trucks,” said Daniel Whitehead, the Managing Director of Daimler Truck & Bus in Australia. “To be aligned with a team as professional as Brad Jones Racing,

which has also surpassed a 25 year milestone in motor racing, couldn’t come at a better time for our brand.” The BJR team are sometimes overlooked in the V8 mix with the team operating out of Albury/Wodonga, the only V8 team not to be based in either Melbourne or the Gold Coast. While they may fly under the radar BJR posts some impressive results, regularly finishing on the podium at Bathurst. The Freightliner Trucks BJR Commodore will make its public debut at the V8 test day on 7th-8th February in Sydney and its competition debut at the 2015 Clipsal 500 in Adelaide, 26 February.

Freightliner becomes the first truck brand to take a naming rights position on a V8 Supercar

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TRUCK SALES SOFTEN OFF IN NOVEMBER Scania stars as the market eases THE TRUCK MARKET softened a little in November with sales down compared with both October and the year-to-date (YTD) tally is also down. The Truck Industry Council’s T-Mark truck sales data revealed the overall picture but it is probably a little early for the alarm bells to start sounding just yet. There were 2,605 sales of over 3.5 tonne trucks and vans in November down 279 units on October’s 2,884

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sales in the sector. However year to date the overall totals are much closer with this year’s tally to the end of November sitting at 27,800, compared with 27,979 at the same time last year. Interestingly while sales for November were down on October’s totals they were actually 65 units in front of November 2013’s figure of around 2,540.

Scania performed well during November with he Swedish making climbing from 12th to 10th in the overall classification scoring 102 sales for the month up from just 46 in October. Its YTD tally of 653 units is up 90 trucks on Scania’s tally for the same period last year when it had shifted 573. Isuzu of course is continues as the clear market leader with its YTD sales sitting at 6,571 units and 23.6 % of

the market, 342 up on its total to the end of November 2013. Hino slots into second with 359 units for the month and a YTD tally of 3609 units for 13 per cent market share, while Fuso is in third completing the Japanese trifecta with 10.3 per cent share and 2876 sales YTD. Kenworth was fourth as well as being heavy duty king. The big K has notched 2008 sales and 7.2 per cent share YTD, 717 units ahead of Volvo in fifth place.

AUSTRALIAN DESIGN RULES WILL UPDATE EACH TIME THE RELEVANT UN REGULATION IS UPDATED AFTER YEARS OF being slightly out of step with vehicle regulations imposed by Euorpean, Japanese and US authorities the Australian government is apparently moving to greater uniformity for our Australian Design Rules (ADRs). Introduced In the early 1970s the scheme governing vehicle safety and design in Australia has always been just a little different to those imposed by nations where most of our vehicles are sourced, close but sometimes frustratingly different. So according to Federal Assistant Infrastructure Minister Jamie Briggs the boys in Canberra are keen to bring the ADRs into line with international

standards, claiming this will open the way for us to adopt the latest technological advances as they become available. This strikes us as kind of a moot call. Rarely has the lack of harmony held up technology, more accurately it simply cost manufacturers and distributors more to make the vehicles comply with slightly different rules down under. The Feds say the changes to the ADRs are “to harmonise them with the relevant United Nations (UN) regulations”. “The reforms announced are a step towards ensuring that every time a UN vehicle regulation is updated

the relevant ADR can be updated automatically, ensuring the latest technology is available in the Australian market as quickly as possible,” minister Jamie Briggs said. The first two UN regs to be adopted as part of the change cover front fog lamps and rear vision devices. Briggs says the regulation on fog lamps allows for testing methods that better represent real world conditions for front fog lamps, while the second regulation permits the introduction of new types of rear vision devices and provides for more robust testing methods. “Applying these two regulations alone

is expected to deliver nearly $1 million in industry compliance savings every year, as manufacturers will have the option of supplying fully UN approved products as part of their vehicle certification,” Briggs added. “This will ensure manufacturers no longer need to produce older products specifically for Australia, meaning consumers will have access to safer vehicles sooner at the lowest possible cost.” Briggs says the Federal Government is currently working with industry and state and territory agencies to determine further UN regulations that can be applied.

T&TT HITS 100 NOT OUT WE’RE NOT TOO much into chest pounding here at T&TT, but to hit a milestone like our 100th edition we had to make at least a little noise. It was way back in 1996 when legendary truck journalist Steve Brooks decided to start his own truck magazine after years at industry leading journal Truck and Bus. Steve had left T&B a few years earlier and taken a sabbatical to drive his own rig, but the lure of writing about the industry was too much of a draw and Brooksy made the decision to become a publisher. Once established Transport Today, as it was then set a new standard under Brooksy’s stewardship but a role in the corporate world was too good to knock back and he decided to put the mag on the market with

famed hot rod and motoring journo Geoff Paradise deciding to take a career turn to start writing about truly ‘big’ blocks. Geoff has steered the good ship Transport and Trucking Today through 89 issues and 16 years, breaking plenty of big truck scoops and attracting a loyal readership Recently Paro was offered a role in the corporate world as well, ironically with Daimler Trucks the same organization that lured Brooksy away back in 1998. As a result Geoff has handed over the reigns to Allan Whiting the issue before last becoming just the third Ed of the book so far. So here is to Brooksy and Paro and the 98 issues they edited and here is to the next 100 issues.

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FREIGHTLINER HAS NEW MAN AT THE WHEEL IN AUSTRALIA Downes brings Kenworth knowledge to Freightliner

DAIMLER TRUCK AND Bus has had another coup in snaring the talented former Paccar Australia manager Stephen Downes who will join the German owned group as the general manager for the Freightliner brand in Australia and New Zealand from this January. Downes, 33 forged a strong reputation at Paccar and is sure to give Freightliner some added oomph and guidance with the position having been vacant since Kristy Walker’s hurried

departure back to the USA for family reasons, only months after taking up the role. It is another example of Daimler Truck and Bus MD Daniel Whitehead taking a strong management position across the Daimler Truck brands since he arrived to take control in early 2014. In announcing the appointment, Daniel Whitehead said Stephen Downes brings wide-ranging knowledge and experience to the company. “Stephen has excellent knowledge of

the Australian and New Zealand truck market. Importantly, he is home-grown and therefore able to immediately relate to our customers when discussing product requirements and applications,” he said. “Stephen has both an engineering degree and a commerce degree, and when you combine those with the management and sales experience he has gained over the last decade he is the ideal person to further increase Freightliner’s market share,” he added.

“We are elated that a man of Stephen’s experience, knowledge and expertise has come on board at Freightliner and is a great reflection on our brand and its standing in the market,” Whitehead said. Stephen Downes most recent role was as general sales manager at Kenworth. He started in the industry with PACCAR 10 years ago and was GM of DAF until April 2014 where sales and market share went to record levels, before being moved to Kenworth.

New Freightliner Australia boss Stephen Downes

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YOU’RE COVERED FOR 800,000 KM OF ENGINE-PUNISHING HIGHWAYS. THE ARGOSY. $5,591 PER MONTH PLUS ON ROADS* FULLY MAINTAINED OPERATING LEASE.

Life on the road can be hard. That’s why the Freightliner Argosy’s built to take the pressure off. Starting with a low-cost monthly rental for a new 101 mid roof sleeper 6x4 manual prime mover. Complete with 24/7 breakdown and support, plus a Fully Maintained Operating Lease and repairs for 4 years / 800,000 kilometres#. Knowing it’s got your back makes things easier. Discover more at freightliner.com.au/Argosy-Promotion or call your closest dealer on 1300 66 22 30.

This offer is available from participating Freightliner Truck dealers to corporate buyers only (excluding fleet, government or rental buyers) on new orders placed between 1 September and 31 December 2014. This offer is not available in conjunction with any other offer. *Offer available on new standard specification Freightliner Argosy 101 mid roof sleeper 6x4 with DD15, Eaton 18 speed manual, Prime Mover. Excludes trailers. Offer restricted to approved business customers of Daimler Truck Financial, a registered business name of Mercedes-Benz Financial Services Australia Pty Ltd ABN 73 074 134 517 on 48 month Fully Maintained Operating Lease with monthly payments of $5590.76 and total finance payable $268,356.48. $390 documentation fee, registration, stamp duty and CTP Insurance are payable in addition upfront. Standard credit assessment and lending criteria apply. #Complete Service Plan maintenance and repair cover is subject to standard terms, conditions and exclusions. Full terms and conditions of Operating Lease and Service Plan are available at your authorised

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AND A NEW CHIEF AT NAVISTAR Quinlan set to put Cat amongst the pigeons

NAVISTAR AUSPAC AMERICAN announced its new managing director with Tim Quinlan being named as the replacement for Kevin Dennis who left the company recently to return to the Detroit Diesel Australia. For Quinlan, it is also a return to company fold having been with Navistar for 15 years between 1995 and 2010 most recently as Regional Vice President for Navistar South Africa. His experience with the company

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has seen him travel the globe in various roles across almost four decades with postings that have included Baghdad, Brussels, Paris, South Africa and also here in Australia Navistar Global Vice-President of Operations Dave Allen announced the appointment and said that Quinlan’s veteran status within the Navistar organisation and his distinguished career within the company perfectly positions him for the new role in heading up Navistar in this region.

“During his many years in South Africa, Tim led distribution operations for most of the Eastern Hemisphere and between 2000 and 2010, he and his team were responsible for the distribution of International Trucks in Australia,” said Allen. “Tim’s broad experience within the Australian and New Zealand truck markets, combined with his deep understanding of our company culture, will assist the local team greatly as Navistar continues to grow in this

region,” Allen added. Quinlan who’s appointment is immediate says he is looking forward to the new role given his past experience here. “I am fortunate to have had considerable experience in this part of the world and am extremely happy to accept this important role as Navistar continues to lay the foundations for a strong future in the Australian, New Zealand and Pacific markets,” said Quinlan.

TRUCKSAFE AND TRUCKCARE JOIN FORCES FOR A SAFER INDUSTRY Streamlined safety program from accreditation merger THE TRUCK INDUSTRY’S accreditation scheme, TruckSafe, and the Australian livestock transport industry’s quality assurance program, truckCare, have announced they are joining forces to provide a single streamlined safety program for the road transport industry. From January, truckCare will become a voluntary module of TruckSafe, with operators able to use both programs under a single administration and auditing system. said the arrangement would usher in a new era for truckCare and its members. According to truckCare chairman Kevin Fechner the Australian Livestock and Rural Transporters Association (ALRTA)

developed truckCare to provide a quality management system for transport livestock businesses. “By incorporating truckCare as a voluntary module of TruckSafe, we will be reducing overlap and providing better value for trucking operators who put safety first in their business. “ALRTA will retain strong involvement with the truckCare program, nominating two representatives to the TruckSafe Board to provide continuing livestock transport input. “We understand that some of our members who are not accredited in TruckSafe may have some issues with moving to the program, however, we feel

that this will provide the best long-term outcome for truckCare and our members.” TruckSafe Chairman Stephen Marley says truckCare makes an excellent fit as a new TruckSafe module. “This consolidation is all about the industry coming together to improve our safety. TruckSafe and truckCare are both leading safety management schemes developed by industry, for industry. “Members of TruckSafe and truckCare will now only have to have one audit, pay one set of fees and deal with one set of paperwork. It’s a great outcome.” One bloke who should know how livestock transport works sector, Ross Fraser, director of Fraser’s Livestock

Transport, reckons the merger will make compliance much simpler for operators who were already part of both schemes. “TruckSafe is a very good system, and it’s been a significant part of our business, we’ve been in TruckSafe for a long time. It’s a fantastic management tool, and provides credibility for accredited operators,” said Mr Fraser. “It’s the same with truckCare – it was set up by the livestock transport industry, and it’s a good plan for anyone doing this kind of work. Members of truckCare will be asked to continue through TruckSafe in the coming months. TrucksSafe members will not be affected by the changes.

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Operator

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THE MIGHTY QUINN “COME ALL WITHOUT, COME ALL WITHIN YOU’LL NOT SEE NOTHING LIKE THE MIGHTY QUINN” AND SO SANG ‘60S ROCKER MANFRED MANN. www.truckandbus.net.au 015

ainland transport operators may be dismissive of their cousins on the Apple Isle where distances are tiny by comparison with the kilometres clocked up on the big island. However while the distances may be shorter Tassie trucks still have some tough conditions to face up to. Stern climbs and challenging conditions from ice and snow in winter to heat waves in summer make for tough going for Tasmanian based trucks. For one Tasmanian transport operator, Darren Quinn of Quinn Transport and Spreaders, the performance of his Freightliner Argosy in these conditions means he is unequivocal in his endorsement of his Freightliner Argosy. The family-owned company has been in business for just under four decades when Noel and Carol Quinn started in the fertilizer spreading business with a second-hand army truck. The business soon grew to include road transport. These days it’s a vastly different story when it comes to trucks and a Freightliner Argosy

leads the way in delivering wood chips from the Huon Valley to Bell Bay, in the state’s north. “It does the hard yards and is reliable, safe, comfortable and productive,” says Darren Quinn. Driver Mark McGuiness is equally enthusiastic about ‘his’ Argosy saying visibility, driver comfort and the way it handles on dirt roads make his time behind the wheel all the more pleasant. Mark McGuiness particularly likes the Argosy’s unique swing out steps that provide additional safety in wet and greasy conditions when entering or exiting the truck’s cab, something that is not that uncommon in Tasmania. McGuiness says the over-ride feature of the swing-out steps is handy in tight situations to avoid “banging into things”. But above all, it is the safety aspect this provides that still continues to impress him and other truck operators. With a high percentage of driver injuries attributed to exiting or entering their cab-overs

“IT DOES THE HARD YARDS AND IS RELIABLE, SAFE, COMFORTABLE, AND PRODUCTIVE,”

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3. 4. 1. The Quinn Argosy is just as comfortable on Tassieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dirt roads as it is on the tarmac 2. The Hamelex White four-axle dog trailer makes an imposing and very professional sight on Tassie road. 3. The bins are capable of hauling around 100 cubic metres and are the maximum height of 4.2 metres. 4. Loads often consist of wood chips, sawdust and at the extreme end, decorative rock for landscaping.

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the Argosy swing-out steps markedly reduce the risk of slipping or falling. He is high in his praise of the comfort of the sleeper and even compares it to being “just like home”. Powering the Argosy is a Cummins ISX rated at 550 horsepower – more than enough for loads which often consist of wood chips, sawdust and at the extreme end, decorative rock for landscaping. If you are expecting an AutoShift in the Quinn Argosy then – depending on your perspective – you’ll either be pleasantly surprised or disappointed. This Argosy runs an Eaton 18-speed Roadranger and driver Mark McGuiness likes it that way. For a young bloke he comes across as being very traditional and likes nothing better than stirring his way through a traditional manual gearbox. There’s no doubting this Argosy looks the business on the highway. It’s bright red livery, polished stainless and aluminium and the matching Hamelex White four-axle dog trailer

makes an imposing and very professional sight on Tassie road. The bins, capable of hauling around 100 cubic meters capacity, are the maximum height of 4.2 metres. Mark McGuiness says the Argosy cab, by virtue of its design, stays much cleaner than other trucks he has driven and at the end of the day makes it a lot easier to clean the combination to be ready for work the following day. McGuiness is also impressed with the tight turning circle, saying it is much better than a conventional and the vision offered under all conditions, makes his job that much easier. In fact, says McGuiness, he is far less fatigued at the end of a day than he would normally be. Darren Quinn is also high in his praise of the Freightliner suggesting that it carries a third more load than anything else in the Quinn fleet and the Argosy is in a “class of its own”. High praise, indeed from a man that knows his trucks.

“THERE’S NOD OUBTING THE ARGOSY LOOKS THE BUSINESS ON THE HIGHWAY” The Quinn Argosy has proved to be practical and efficient no matter what the load

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Argosy driver Mark McGui nness says he is far less fatigued at the end of a day at the wh eel of the Freightliner

Owner Darren Quinn is unequivocal in his endorsement of his Freightliner Argosy

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Operator

THE ICE MAN COMETH!

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SYDNEY TRANSPORT COMPANY MICWAY HAS CARVED A NICHE FOR ITSELF IN REFRIGERATED FREIGHT, WHICH HAS MADE IT HOT PROPERTY WHEN IT COMES TO COLD GOODS DELIVERY.

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“MICWAY IS ONE OF AUSTRALIA’S FASTEST GROWING AND MOST SUCCESSFUL REFRIGERATED TRANSPORT COMPANIES”

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he transport industry is littered with the remnants of failed trucking operations but the success stories share a strong common thread that many believe has helped them avoid the all too often truck company demise and that is picking a strong niche and specialising. One case in point is Micway Cold Logistics, a Western Sydney based operation that has come a long way since it was started by John and Mary Franklin back in 1999. In that final year of the last Millennium when 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 15 years ago it was a fleet with just two trucks and a vision for the future. Wayne Franklin, son of John 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. 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. “Reliability is an absolute must for Micway, we pride ourselves on a 98 per cent on time delivery record standard and we have built the business over the past 17 years on that total reliability,” said Wayne Franklin. “When you are transporting refrigerated food and ice, servicing major food retailers and supermarket chains, you have to deliver on time or you lose the contract, so reliability

The MAN BDoubles make an impressive sight in Micway’s trademark crisp white and blue colour scheme

www.truckandbus.net.au 023

is paramount,” he added. Therein lies one of Micway’s keys to success, the fact that the company values reliability above all with a professional attitude and the best management practices the transport industry can get. In 1999 when John Franklin was kicking 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 Dominos 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 so much

The MAN BDoubles have earned their place as flagships of the Micway fleet doing the long distance interstate runs between Sydney and Brisbane

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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 is part of a plan to continue the growth of Micway with the aim of increasing regional and national operations over the next two years. 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. 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. Franklin say 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. Wayne Franklin says the persistence of the MAN sales rep Glenn Fonti was the catalyst for adding the German prime movers to the fleet but the decision has been vindicated

“RELIABILITY IS AN ABSOLUTE MUST FOR MICWAY”

Director of Operations, Wayne Franklin is driving Micway, continuing the work started by his father and company founder John

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by the reliability and performance they have delivered. “He was very persistent but very professional and we decided to give them a go, a decision that has proved to be pretty inspired,” said Wayne. “You simply can’t have a truck parked up waiting for parts or repairs and the MANs have been really good in that 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

Marsh. “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. It appears the success of the MANs has at least for now frozen out the opposition at Micway and with the new rigids joining the fleet and the company still recording good growth its niche strategy is 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.

“THE MANS ARE MORE RELIABLE THAN THE OTHER TRUCKS”

CMY

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1. Maintenance is the highest priority at Micway, part of its ethos of reliability 2. The Micway trucks are impeccably turned out with everything clean and securely stowed

3. Miway workshop manager, John Morris (left), general manager Geoff Norman (centre) and director of operations Wayne Franklin 4. A Micway MAN ready to unload at the company’s cold storage facility in Blacktown

Operator

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I CAN SEE CLEARLY NOW!

CLEAN AIR IS THE AIM OF VEHICLE EMISSION LEGISLATION AND AFTER A RAFT OF STRINGENT RULES IN RECENT YEARS THE QUESTION IS WHAT COMES NEXT TO HELP REDUCE AIR POLLUTION. T&TT EDITOR IN CHIEF ALLAN WHITING CHECKS THE FUTURE EMISSIONS SITUATION DOWN UNDER AND EXAMINES THE EFFECTS ON ROAD TRANSPORT AFTER ADR 80/03 www.truckandbus.net.au 029

The emissions targets under successive Euro regulations

lthough there is currently no legal requirement in this country for Euro 6 emissions-level compliance, some road transport companies and government instrumentalities are specifying Euro 6-complaint vehicles for sensitive applications. At present, in legislative terms, Australian heavy trucks need only Euro 5 compliance and the Commonwealth Government has made no introduction date for Euro 6. When T&TT spoke to Australian truck makers and importers the consensus was that ADR 80/04 (Euro 6 equivalent) will not be implemented before 2020 or even 2022. In Europe and the USA it seems that the traditional emissions programs that have seen massive reductions in diesel engine exhaust pollution since the 1980s have run their course. From the late-1980s to 2005, legislative focus was on reduction of exhaust emissions:

principally oxides of nitrogen (NOx), hydrocarbons (HC), carbon monoxide (CO) and particulate matter (PM). New technologies, dominated by electronic control of fuel injection, high pressure and timed injection, intercooling, exhaust gas recirculation, advanced turbocharging and improvements in the design and materials of the engine, saw exhaust emissions reduced step by step. Since about 2005, exhaust after-treatment in the form of Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) has been used to control NOx to low levels and, from the introduction of Euro 6 legislation in 2013, Diesel Particulate Filters (DPF) were introduced. Following the introduction of Euro 6 and US EPA 2013 emissions levels, global legislators seem to have accepted the position that little more in the way of CO, HC, NOx and PM emissions reduction can be achieved from the compression-ignition engine, even with exhaust after-treatment.

67% CARBON MONOXIDE 88% HYDROCARBONS 95% NITROGEN OXIDES 97% PARTICULATE MATTER Emission reduction between Euro 1 and Euro 6 engines – source ZF

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Date

NOx

1992 (< 85 kW)

4.5

1.1

8.0

0.612 0.36

1992 (> 85 kW)

4.5

1.1

8.0

October 1996

4.0

1.1

7.0

0.25 0.15

October 1998

4.0

1.1

7.0

October 2000

2.1

0.66

5.0

0.10 0.13a

October 2005

1.5

0.46

3.5

0.02

October 2008

1.5

0.46

2.0

0.02

January 2013

1.5

0.13

0.4

0.01

1. Cummins has already tested ISX15 engines certified to US EPA 2013 with EGR and SCR in Australian fleets. 2. Cummins 8.9-litre ISLe engine, which dominates Australian waste collection and concrete agitator markets is also available certified to Euro 6. 3. Scania has already delivered five Scania P 450 Euro 6 prime movers to TNT for use in and around Melbourne.

“ADR 80/04/EURO 6 WILL NOT BE IMPLEMENTED HERE BEFORE 2020 OR EVEN 2022”

Carbon dioxide the next villain

Given that the diesel engine is about as clean as designers can make it, the new legislative focus is on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions reduction. This has already begun in the northern hemisphere. It’s highly likely that Australia’s future emissions laws will line up with European, Japanese and North American legislation, as has progressively happened with successive ADRs up to the current ADR 80/3, so it’s important to analyse what’s happening in these overseas jurisdictions. For many years CO2 escaped definition as a greenhouse gas (GHG), but in one of the most important decisions in environmental law history, the US Supreme Court ruled in April 2007 that CO2 is a pollutant and that the Environmental Protection Agency

(EPA) had the responsibility to regulate CO2 emissions from new vehicles. Until then, regulated emissions from motor vehicles excluded CO2 because its production was deemed to be an inevitable and unavoidable by-product of burning fossil fuels, and it wasn’t a pollutant as such. The EPA, supported by 10 states, four motor industry trade associations and two coalitions of utility companies, argued that under the Clean Air Act (CAA) it did not have the power to regulate CO2 emissions. Furthermore, a causal link between GHGs and climate warming was not unequivocally established, according to the EPA’s position. But the Court decided that greenhouse gases fit well within the CAA’s definition of ‘air pollutant’ and the EPA has statutory authority to regulate GHG emissions from

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new motor vehicles. According to the ruling, the EPA’s action not to regulate GHG emissions was: “arbitrary, capricious, or otherwise not in accordance with law”. Unless the EPA could show that CO2 was not involved in the global warming seen around the world, the EPA should regulate it, the court decreed. While the ruling didn’t force the George Dubya’s administration to take immediate action, it did pave the way for wider GHG emission legislation in the United States. On President Obama’s watch, emissions standards (US Federal Register, Volume 76, No. 179, September 15th, 2011) were introduced for additional GHGs, namely carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4). President Obama also re-introduced corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) targets for auto manufacturers that Ronnie Raygun had disbanded. Under the CAFE scheme vehicle makers and importers have to meet annually shrinking fuel economy targets for the full range of vehicles they sell: make lots of thirsty vehicles and they have to balance

Fuel Cons umpt ion Stan dard s for Semi -tra iler Comb inat ions

Sleeper cab

Day cab Class 7

Class 8

ile 2014–2016 Model Year Gallons of Fuel per 1,000 Ton-M Low Roof

10.5

8.0

6.7

Mid Roof

11.7

8.7

7.4

High Roof

12.2

9.0

7.3

Low Roof

10.2

7.8

6.5

Mid Roof

11.3

8.4

7.2

High Roof

11.8

8.7

7.1

Ton-Mile 2017 Model Year and Later Gallons of Fuel per 1,000

The new Euro 6 spec only MAN D38 15-litre will be launched in Australia soon

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that with many more economy vehicles. Legislating CO2 reductions can be done the way Europe has done it, with passenger car targets for CO2 emissions measured in grams per kilowatt/hour, or the way the USA has done it, with mpg targets. Both methods work in the same way, because CO2 is produced as a result of burning any hydrocarbon fuel, so it doesn’t matter whether the law restricts fuel consumption or CO2 exhaust pipe emissions. The US auto industry’s mandatory overall fleet CAFE mpg is mandated to drop from 2010’s 25.3mpg to 34.1mpg by 2016 and 54.5mpg by 2025. Those figures are for cars, but light, medium and heavy truck regulations are now in force in the USA. Japan, Canada and China also now have fuel consumption regulations. Europe has lagged behind, but during 2012 and 2013, the European Commission (EC) gathered expert opinion from relevant stakeholders and is expected to publish proposals in early 2015 for control of CO2 emissions or fuel consumption of heavy vehicles.

US fuel consumption targets for heavy vehicles The USA’s fuel consumption targets for heavy vehicles are world’s first legislation. They recognise that the simple formula used for passenger cars can’t work in the case of heavy freight-carrying vehicles. The National Highway Traffic Safety Authority (NHTSA) and the EPA designed the standards, based on the kind of work the vehicles undertake. Medium trucks and vans must meet a standard specified similarly to that for passenger vehicles: gallons of fuel per mile and grams of CO2 per mile. Long haul trucks must meet a standard based on the amount of weight being hauled: measuring the fuel consumed per ton of freight hauled a defined distance. The current method for semi-trailer targets sets the amount of fuel that can be used (in US gallons) per 1000 ‘ton-miles’. (An example of 1000 ton-miles is a 40-ton combination travelling 25 miles). Semi-trailer combinations that are responsible for almost two-thirds of fuel consumption from medium and heavy trucks

1. Diesel particulate filters were introduced as part of Euro 6 legislation in 2013 3. The neatly fitted AdBlue tank feeds the Scania’s SCR system

2. Scania’s 450hp/2350Nm 13-litre and one of its emission weapons a diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC) 4. The badge says it all; 450 clean and crisp horses

“THE EC IS SPONSORING SEVERAL PROJECTS TO DEVELOP TECHNOLOGIES FOR CO2” in the USA, will have to achieve about a 20 percent reduction in fuel consumption by model year 2018.

Fuel-conscious trucks Despite some improvements in fuel efficiency, CO2 emissions from heavy vehicles in Europe rose by 36-percent between 1990 and 2010, mainly due to increasing road freight traffic. Projections indicate that, without intervention, heavy truck emissions would be around current levels in 2050. This is clearly incompatible with the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions from transport in Europe by around 60-percent below 1990 levels by 2050, particularly when studies suggest that state-of-the art technologies can achieve cost-effective reductions of at least 30-percent in CO2 emissions from new heavy vehicles. Research into CO2 reduction has been stimulated by governmental agencies in the USA and Europe. The US Department of Energy has sponsored the ‘SuperTruck’

project that has generated comprehensive data on new technologies, including waste heat recovery. This ongoing $284 million program aims to accelerate the development of advanced efficiency technologies. With 2010 as a technology base the program aims for a 50-percent increase in overall truck-trailer freight efficiency and a 20-percent increase in engine brake thermal efficiency (BTE) efficiency by 2015. As at 2014 three of the four industry SuperTruck teams had achieved 50-percent freight efficiency increase in the test semitrailer fleet - equivalent to increasing fuel economy from 6-7 miles per gallon to approximately 9.5-10.5 miles per gallon. In Europe, the EC is sponsoring several projects to develop technologies for CO2 reduction including the Nowaste project, which focuses on waste heat recovery and the Core project. The Core project aims for 6-9-percent CO2 reduction through engine, powertrain and

fuel system optimisation: hybridising the powertrain is expected to provide 3-5-percent fuel economy improvement and 2-4-percent should come from engine friction reduction and energy efficient exhaust gas aftertreatment.

Euro 6 readiness Down Under Some Australian road transport operators and government instrumentalities are already running Euro 6 vehicles, although there’s no legal need for the upgrade and little likelihood of fuel economy benefits. In some cases the exercise is being done to gauge the operational effects of the forthcoming legislation and in other cases it’s to demonstrate ‘best practice’ emissions control. At T&TT we’ve heard of several local government refuse collection vehicle tenders stipulating Euro 6 engines. Scania has delivered five Scania P 450 Euro 6 prime movers to TNT for use in and around Melbourne, pulling single and B-double trailers.

www.truckandbus.net.au 033

The P-series prime movers are powered by Scania’s 450hp/2350Nm 13-litre sixcylinder in-line engine that uses exhaust gas recirculation (EGR), diesel particulate filter (DPF), diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC) and selective catalytic reduction (SCR) technology. There is a version of this engine that doesn’t need EGR for Euro 6 compliance, but it’s intended for linehaul work, where higher exhaust gas temperatures are experienced. Also, the engine using SCR-only technology requires more AdBlue, up to an average of six percent of diesel fuel, or around twice that of Scania’s Euro 6 engines employing both EGR and SCR. Rod Barnes, TNT Director Southern Region, said investing in Euro 6 vehicles is an illustration of how TNT is working towards long-term environmental sustainability: “The aim of this initiative is to continue our work towards integrating more environmentally friendly vehicles onto our roads to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and

help revolutionise the way vehicles function.” Another Euro 6 initiative will come soon from Penske Commercial Vehicles, when the new MAN D38 15-litre is launched in Australia. This new powerplant will come in Euro 6 spec only. Cummins has already tested ISX15 engines certified to US EPA 2013 with EGR and SCR in Australian fleets. The company told T&TT that it has been working closely with Cummins’ OEM partners and these engines are available now if customers want them. The 8.9-litre ISLe engine that dominates in Australia’s waste collection and concrete agitator markets is also available certified to Euro 6. This 380hp/1700Nm engine was released at the giant IAA Show in Hannover, in 2012. The Euro 6 ISLe employs cooled EGR, variable geometry turbocharging (VGT), DPF and SCR. At the ISLe Euro 6 launch, Cummins’ Neil Pattison, director of automotive engine business for Europe, Middle East and Africa said: “At Euro 6 level, we are able to at least

maintain the excellent fuel economy levels and low Adblue consumption rates from Euro 5 on the ISL, meaning operators can opt for Euro 6 with minimal operating-cost impact.” Heavy truck market leader Kenworth is keeping a watching brief on the Australian Euro 6 situation. A KW spokesman told T&TT that the mandated introduction of Euro 6 is still some time away, as is any expected widespread customer uptake of this technology here: “PACCAR Australia aims to introduce new technologies when their time is right and their reliability and customer-value relevance has been examined and proved, through our field trials and experience in Australia. “Our approach to Euro 6 is along similar lines and, obviously, we currently have next-level emissions solutions in Europe and the US that are also contributing to our knowledge bank here.” At T&TT we’ll be keeping a close eye on the developing Euro 6 and CO2 emissions situation in Australia. Watch this space!

“AT EURO 6 LEVEL, WE ARE ABLE TO AT LEAST MAINTAIN THE EXCELLENT FUEL ECONOMY LEVELS” Euro 6 may still be a little over the horizon in Australia but fleets like TNT are already embracing the more stringent emission standard

034 www.truckandbus.net.au

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Engines

LUCKY

WITH FUEL COSTS CONTINUING TO RISE AND A MORE PRAGMATIC APPROACH FROM MANY OPERATORS THERE IS A STRONG FOCUS ON ‘MID-LEVEL’ 13 LITRE ENGINES. T&TT’S TECHNICAL EDITOR DAVID MEREDITH HAS MADE AN EXTENSIVE STUDY OF THE 13 LITRE ENGINES AVAILABLE ON OUR MARKET AND UNCOVERED SOME INTERESTING DATA

A few years ago Allison Transmissions ran a comparison test at one of its proving ground areas in the US. They matched two truck and trailer combinations, which were identical except that one was an auto and the other a manual. They put a college student in the auto and an experienced driver in the manual. From a standing start and up a steep incline, the auto won hands down. Then they dropped the bombshell – the auto had around 80 less horsepower than the manual. The event pointed to a persistent habit of truck buyers. One of their marketing dudes summed it up perfectly. “It’s the horsepower at the tyres that counts, not at the flywheel, and most truck owners are buying too much horsepower.” This is not unique to North America. Here

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in Oz, we lean to the same conclusions when speccing a truck for a task. Certainly there are applications where outright pulling power is critical to doing the job safely and effectively. But there are many tasks where the overall performance is far more important than the hill climb. This comparison outlines the engines currently available in the 13-litre class, one step below the big-block 15+ litre engines that are the most popular in linehaul and multiple trailer applications. The engines span a very wide range of duties on Australian roads, as well as construction sites and heavy-duty PTO requirements. Some owners I have spoken to prefer an engine brand before anything else, so perhaps lining them all up on the same criteria will be of use.

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CAT’s CT13

THE DETAIL Apart from the basic features, plus the essentials of power and torque, there are a couple of other pieces of data that may indicate the efficiency of an engine in service, and its suitability to an application. The output of an engine in relation to its weight and capacity is a very general rule of thumb that can indicate the level of current technology. Certainly, it’s easy to build big and heavy to preserve longevity, but the saving of 100kgs in engine weight multiplies

The DAF developed MX

significantly across the life of a truck. Look at the CAT vs the DD13 for example. Both are lineball on horsepower and torque, but the CAT is lighter and has slightly less capacity, so the power and torque output in relation to size and weight indicates a higher level of efficiency. The detail of radiator surface area and coolant capacity is really a US thing, as often these specs are changeable depending on application. The Europeans and Japanese tend to build an engine package which they claim is self-adjustable for any application

Mack equipped with the MP8 in line six 13 litre

and climate. Cummins aren’t in this comparison because they don’t have a direct player. You can buy a 15-litre ISX with the power drilled down to 450hp, or if you don’t like the 1.365-tonne dry weight you could get the 11-litre ISM E5 tweaked to 440hp and hammer the daylights out of it. The Cummins gap was of particular irritation to Kenworth, and when the big K finally stomped its feet and demanded a 13-litre, the PACCAR MX out of DAF was made available.

“THE SAVING OF 100KGS IN ENGINE WEIGHT MULTIPLIES SIGNIFICANTLY ACROSS THE LIFE OF A TRUCK.” 13-LITRE ENGINES - SPEC TABLE CAT

DAF/ PACCAR Detroit

Fuso

Hino

Iveco

Mack

MAN

Mercedes-Benz

Scania

ENGINE/GEARBOX

CT13

DD13

OM-457-5

E13C VG

Cursor 13

MP8

D2676

OM 501 LA

DC 13 480

Type

In-line 6-cylinder

MANUFACTURER

CAT

Paccar

Detroit

Fuso

Hino

Iveco

Mack

MAN

Mercedes-Benz

Scania

EMISSIONS

EGR

SCR

TURBO(S)

Dual sequential

Single, Intercooled

Single VG

Single, Single, Intercooled Intercooled

Single, Intercooled

Single Holset VG

CAPACITY CC

12400

12900

12800

11967

12913

12900

12800

12419

11950

12700

POWER HP

475 @ 1700

510 @ 1500

470 @ 1800

455 @ 1900

489 @ 1800

560 @ 1900

535

540

476 @ 1800

480 @ 1900

TORQUE Nm

2305 @ 1000

2500 @ 1000

2237 @ 1100

2200 @ 1100

2197 @ 1100

2495 @ 1000

2603

2500 @ 1050

2300 @ 1080

2400 @ 1000

Weight (kgs)

1089

1195

1152

860

1250

1006

1160

1005

940

1200

HP/LITRE

38.31

39.53

36.72

38.02

37.87

43.41

41.8

43.48

39.83

37.8

Nm/Litre

185.89

193.8

174.77

183.84

170.13

193.41

203.36

201.79

192.47

196.85

HP/TONNE

436

427

408

529

391

557

461

537

506

400

Nm/tonne

2117

2092

1942

2558

1758

2480

2244

2494

2467

2083

RADIATOR AREA SQ IN.

1429

1457

Up to 1700

1161

1500

1287

1435

Not Available

1271

1426

43-47

MAX. COOLANT CAPACITY LTRS 45 Output and Efficiency leaders

038 www.truckandbus.net.au

Fuso

CAT

Detroit’s DD13

CAT’s 13-litre offering is an engine from the parent Navistar stable and signalled the move to further integrate Navistar component into the CAT brand. It’s a CGI-block that saves considerable weight over conventional castiron construction. It sports dual sequential turbos that can spin up faster than single heavier units. One of just two engines available in CAT trucks, the engine is still not available to other truck builders.

DAF/PACCAR This Dutch gem arrived in Australia in the XF-105 DAF released a few years ago. It’s built on the heavier side of most of the competition but has an unmatched reputation for efficiency in its home markets. It was on the road only a year before Kenworth completed engineering to plant it under its hoods, where it has opened up new opportunities for the heavy-duty market leader. Mack’s MP8

Volvo

GE13

D13C

In-line 6-cylinder

Volvo

SCR

Single, Intercooled

13074

12800

462 @ 1800

540 @ 1450

2255 @ 1200

2600 @ 1050

Not Available

DETROIT In some ways the DD13 is engineered the way the DD15 needs to be for the next generation of emissions regulations. But the turbo compounding on its bigger brother isn’t efficient on this block apparently. It has the second lowest hp/litre and 3rd lowest Nm/ litre. Emissions treatment is now wrapped up in a single exhaust box which keeps the engine block clean and running temperature down.

35.34

42.19

172.48

203.13

FUSO

This is the latest engine in the FV model and was developed in Germany under the Daimler Trucks R&D umbrella. It’s the lightest of all the entrants by far, and so easily tops the Nm/tonne figures. It’s also one of

Not Available

Hino

Iveco’s Cursor 13

the smallest capacity engines, barely cracking 12-litres, so it plays catch-up with 455hp and 2200Nm of torque and would be stretched to even to fill in on interstate jobs, particularly with multiple trailers. But the efficiency means it’s seen as good value for metro work.

HINO The Hino 700 series is a hit in construction and mine-site support, so the 13-litre E13C VG engine must be appreciated. But it’s heavy, has one of the lowest torque outputs, and struggles on hills. Having said that, I drove a Eaton Ultra Shift version some time ago and switched to manual mode to get the revs down. The big Hino coped well with that and was a lot quieter. Warranty expense on this engine is apparently ultra low, meaning less downtime.

IVECO The Cursor engine was at its maximum output several years ago when I visited the factory in Turin. It still leads the pack in outright horsepower (560) and hp/tonne at 557. It’s light and fuss free, although the radiator surface area is small for the power generated. On a B-double run in a Stralis the Cursor engine was outstanding, turning hills into minor interruptions instead of major delays.

MACK The MP8 engine beats the field in torque output with a solid 2603Nm. Although it’s the same block as the Volvo, mapping squeezes out a slight advantage there. Interstate runs are a breeze in the Mack, and unless you’re doing maximum GCM loads all the time, there would be little point in going up a level to the MP10 big boomer. Very popular in construction it is only available with a Mack truck wrapped around it.

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UD’s GE13

MAN

MAN MAN’s D2676 engine is one of those European engines that performs well above its weight range. Owners and operators tend to stay with the brand when they have a year or so of operations under their belts. This engine generates more horsepower per litre than the rest and loves to lug down low in the rev range. Fuel efficiency is a key brand feature and the D2676 doesn’t disappoint the fleets that use them.

MERCEDES-BENZ The Benz OL501A

It’s the only V6 in the field and will be superseded by an in-line 6-cylinder at the next changeover. But it’s the second lightest of all the engines and reflects the compact V-shape. The modular construction allows an extra two cylinders to be bolted on for the V8 version. It’s captive to the brand and should be selling a lot more than it currently is.

SCANIA

Scania

The DC 13 480 engine is a crossover model that is available in all three Scania cab variants – the P, G and the top of the range R. As a result, Scania owners are using this engine in the widest possible range of applications. Despite ‘only’ 480hp, it’s in the

Volvo’s D13 C

upper half of torque outputs. It’s the second heaviest in the field and with a front axle well back from the bumper owners operating at maximum GCM need to be careful with front axle weights.

UD The current GE13 engine in UD’s biggest truck will be replaced with a Volvo technology engine that will take it into the next level of emission regulation. However it’s the current engine that has to be compared with current competition. Although its 462hp is on the borderline of efficient B-double use, my experience is that this engine punches well and truly above its weight. It’s very popular with the container crowd, especially matched to an Eaton Ultrashift box.

VOLVO The D13C is a current technology engine that has the second highest hp and torque per litre of the group. It’s available in both the mid-range FM models, and the biggest Volvo, the FH. At its best it produces 540hp and consistently impresses operators with fuel efficiency. Unfortunately Volvo wasn’t able to provide the information for tare weight and cooling system details.

AND WHERE IS ISUZU I HEAR YOU ASK? The most glaring facts in this comparison are that the biggest truck player in the Australian market, as well as the biggest independent engine builder, are both missing. Isuzu is unique in a number of ways. Firstly, it is the undisputed king of truck sales in Australia, and has been for over a quarter of a century – it also happens to be in the process of stretching its lead even further. Secondly, it’s

independent, owned by Japanese entities including its various trading companies, unlike the other Japanese brands who each have global parents. So all its technology is home grown and developed. Which may be one of the reasons it doesn’t have a contender in the 13-litre engine arena. Developing a new engine architecture soaks up a major chunk of Yen and frankly, there doesn’t appear to be a real

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need. The company engine range is extraordinarily wide, covering every conceivable light and medium duty application. But its biggest current technology engine stops at the 9.8-litre gem in the FX. After that, Isuzu only has one big-block donk, and it was pretty much old technology (compared to Europe) back in 2007 when the biggest change in Isuzu in 20 years took place. The venerable 16-litre in

the Giga is not fuel-efficient and uses EGR and a cranked up DPD to meet the current emission regs. In comparison to its 9.8 litre cousin, which generates 35.06hp/litre, it develops a lazy 32.65hp/litre, less than any of the 13-litres in this comparison. But Isuzu makes lots of hay with a reliability record that is unmatched, and seems to get along just fine without an entrant in this sector.

Cummins is a pure engine company and currently doesn’t have an engine in this category. Which is why Kenworth had to bolt the DAF engine in the frame for those customers that wanted around 500hp but didn’t want the extra weight of the ISX. We’ve asked the company about when they’re going to plug this hole in the line-up, but the only thing we can really say is it’s Cummin.

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Mat WilliaMson Fleet Manager - MilkFloW

“Our R 730s are pulling 67-tonnes, at higher average speeds, using less fuel, and covering 300,000km a year.”

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Fuel For Thought

BIO-FUELS, OR BIO-FOOLS? 044 www.truckandbus.net.au

THE QUEST TO RUN ALL VEHICLES CHEAPER AND MORE EFFICIENTLY HAS SEEN MAJOR AUTOMOTIVE PLAYERS ON THE WORLD STAGE MORE URGENTLY EXAMINE A RAFT OF ALTERNATIVE FUELS AND POWER SOURCES. WITH GLOBAL CRUDE OIL STOCKS HAVING A USE-BY DATE – PERCEIVED OR OTHERWISE – BIO-FUELS HAVE BEEN TARGETED BY MANY AS THE GREAT PANACEA FOR OUR AUTOMOTIVE-ENVIRONMENTAL ILLS. SO, IN AUSTRALIA, WHAT’S THE HOLD-UP? TRANSPORT AND TRUCKING TODAY EDITOR FABIAN COTTER INVESTIGATES. www.truckandbus.net.au 045

t all sounds pretty simple. Well, on paper anyway, where the theory of using cleaner fuels in a sustainable and more profitable way makes a lot of sense for getting ourselves or goods from A to B on the road. By now it seems every bloke, his wife and the neighbour’s dog are pretty clued up on the current state of planet Earth in terms of how polluted the air we breathe and the water we drink is. And the food we eat? Heck, if it’s not organic then it’s time to panic, or so the ‘doomsdayers’ would say. The reality is the world has been addicted to crude oil and petroleum for vehicles for the past 100 years and the exhaust pollutants have until relatively recently escaped basically unchecked into the atmosphere. To ween ourselves off the ‘dirty’ and arguably ’expensive’ petroleum oil-based fuel means bio-fuels – essentially Earth-friendly organic by-products - have been researched and explored more urgently for the past 15 years or so, and the benefits have looked exceedingly good. It should be a no-brainer to make the swap to using more of them, right? Ah, if only life were that simple. Which type of biofuel provides the best benefits and advantages, along with the

cost of the infrastructure to produce it and distribute it, have weighed heavily on the minds of scientists, experts, lawmakers and the financiers needed to bankroll it all. Yet even with insurmountable pressure from sundry conservation and environmental lobby groups, few governments and transport organisations seem willing to pick or endorse a particular bio-fuel for mass use in a hurry. And with the bottomlines and capital-investment capabilities of millions of commercial vehicle companies ever in the spotlight of accountability, it’s no wonder. In a positive move, the European Union has given its blessing to the use of bio-fuel Compressed Natural Gas (CNG – basically methane, sometimes derived from landfill or human waste, called bio-gas) for commercial vehicles – at least in the shorter term or until other technologies work themselves out more conclusively. How does that affect us here in Australia? Put simply, given our vast natural resources and landmass available to ‘grow’ or harvest the raw materials for various types of biofuels, many believe that we should be at the forefront of the field and potentially opening up whole new export markets in this exciting new arena. As outlined at the recent Sydney conference

HOMEGROWN VS THE WORLD In the 2013/14 financial year more than 260 million litres of biodiesel was imported into Australia, with most of this fuel being used in the mining sector. This imported biodiesel is largely originating from countries such as Argentina and Indonesia, and pricing has been below the cost of production, making it impossible for local producers to compete. Argentinian biodiesel is derived from soybeans and Indonesia largely uses palm oil. Both have sustainability and food replacement issues associated with them. The Australian industry uses waste products including tallow, waste vegetable oil and used cooking oil all sustainable and not competing with the food chain at any level. This means Australian producers don’t compete with the food chain or for water supply and provide a positive contribution across three key areas of the national agenda including primary industry production, food and fuel security and renewable fuel production.

“AUSTRALIA, TO THIS DAY ACCORDING TO EXPERTS, IS THE WORLD’S 3.

1. 2.

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1. When they’re not making beer, we guess they are making bio-fuel - maybe. 2. This stuff comes from algae. 3. A typical bio-fuel refinery. 4. It takes more than a lick of paint to make a vehicle ‘green’, but Scania’s just one of the many major global players that’s been doing long-distance trials with various bio-fuels.

FROM DAY DOT…

The cornerstone of commercial vehicle drivetrains the world over is the diesel engine. Rudolph Diesel’s 1892 patented highcompression model was adopted globally making him the father of the technology. Interestingly Diesel was a big fan of bio-fuels and originally envisaged his engine running on peanut oil.

In a similar vein Henry Ford’s Model T could be run on ethanol long before US corn was used for sugary syrup production. Fast forward and once petroleumbased fuels became de rigueur for cost-effective production the most common type of diesel fuel was a specific fractional distillate of petroleum fuel oil.

This essentially put biofuels on the backburner – at least until fuel shortages during WW1 saw ethanol gain wider use. Today alternative diesels not derived from petroleum - such as biodiesel, biomass to liquid (BTL) or gas to liquid (GTL) diesel - are increasingly being developed and adopted worldwide.

LEADING PER CAPITA CONTRIBUTOR TO GREENHOUSE GASES.” of the Biofuels Association of Australia (BAA) – the industry’s peak body - in 2001 the then Howard Coalition Government laid down a world-leading vision for growing the renewable sector, putting in place a target for Australian biofuel consumption and setting a Mandatory Renewable Energy Target (now RET) for clean power generation. Both the RET and the Biofuels target were designed to diversify Australia’s energy production mix to include greater investment in clean energy sources. It all made sense and was even more salient because Australia is the world’s leading contributor to greenhouse gases on a per capita basis, with emissions from electricity production currently on the rise for the first time in six years following consistent reductions. The necessity for adopting policies mandating the development and implementation of renewable energy schemes was discussed at the recent UN Climate Summit in New York.

The bad news? The BAA says recent Federal Government policy changes and re-direction of funds has effectively put the boot into the fledgling Australian industry, meaning even if bio-fuel use gets the goahead globally in future, we’ll be having to buy from elsewhere to run our machines and vehicles, thereby reducing our capacity to be fuel self-reliant. With the future of the biofuels industry under threat as a result of the Australian Government’s about-face on the excise tax on biofuels and the dumping of unsustainably sourced Australian Government subsidised foreign biofuels, the recent BAA conference last October was set against the backdrop of ever-increasing costs for energy and fuel in Australia. “While countries across the globe have embraced biofuels, Australia is reducing support for our own fledgling biofuels industry, backing away from an energy option which not only guarantees significant

economic, environmental and public health benefits, but which limits our dependence on foreign imported fuels and creates employment in rural areas,” said Gavin Hughes, CEO of the BAA. The organisation believes that recommendations such as those contained in the RET review and the changes to biofuels excise support will have a devastating effect on existing investments in Australia’s renewable energy sector, including the loss of thousands of jobs in the solar, wind and biofuels industries. Today around 90 per cent of Australia’s liquid fuel requirement is imported - a dramatic leap from around 60 per cent in 2000 - and this continues to increase despite advances in the potential to use domestically produced renewable options such as biofuels. This near-total dependence on imported fuel poses a threat to national security as Australia could independently sustain its energy needs for three weeks without

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1. CEO of the BAA, Gavin Henry, speaking at the Biofuels Association Conference in Sydney in October. 2. Running on and distributing bio-fuel - a win-win. 3. BP bio-fuel boffins working hard on the latest formulas. 4. Looks a dirty fuel here, but will run ‘clean’.

Chairman of the BAA, Gar ry Mulvay, speaking at the conference .

imported fuels. While many of Australia’s leading trading partners such as China and India have enacted mandates to grow investment in biofuel, Australia is falling behind global trends as there are no government mandates to support the biofuels industry. This is due to a number of challenges that discourage investment in biofuels and prevent Australian producers from being economically viable against imported biofuel. In 2011, the Government legislated for a 10year moratorium on excise for the industry to be reviewed again in 2021. On the basis of this legislation, the biofuels industry invested more than $100 Million in a country that has always been viewed as having low sovereign risk. However the BAA warns that the May 2014 budget change which brings forward the application of excise will cause the industry

to contract and possibly close, placing thousands of current and potential jobs in jeopardy. Foreign biofuel producers, primarily based in Argentina and Indonesia, have gained by trading in Australia, where they reap the dual benefit of government incentives in their country of origin, as well as the Australian Government’s Clean Fuels Grant Scheme (CFGS). Having been banned by the European Union (EU) because Argentinian and Indonesian biodiesel producers were dumping their products there, these producers turned to Australia, flooding the already threatened domestic biofuel market with product priced far below the domestic cost of production. In the 2013/14 financial year alone, Australia imported more than 260 million litres of biodiesel, attracting more than $100 million in CFGS payments to benefit

BENEFITS OF BIOFUELS The advantages of biofuels are extensive and well-known, experts say, giving positive benefits for the economy, the environment and public health. These include: Reduced greenhouse gas emissions; lessened reliance on fossil fuels; Economic development opportunities; Energy

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independence and enhanced energy security; Improved air quality and associated public health benefits [According to the OECD, deaths associated with ambient air pollution in Australia have risen from 882 to 1483 over the period of 2005-2010.]; Job creation, especially in rural areas.

those foreign companies. Interestingly, if the CFGS payments made to importers was stopped today, the net effect would result in a significant saving to the Government over the forward estimates of between $50 and $100 million dollars. In the global marketplace, Australia is drastically lagging the field in biofuel production. EU countries account for more than 80 per cent of global biodiesel consumption and over 60 countries have mandated the use of ethanol blends at 10 per cent and higher. Over the next five years it is expected that more than 100 billion litres of new biofuels capacity will come on line. If Australia is to participate in this emerging ‘New Energy’ economy, then it needs to reexamine its policies and provide clear signals that support new industry development and provide confidence to investors, the BAA argues vehemently.

“…POLICY CHANGES AND RE-DIRECTION OF FUNDS HAS EFFECTIVELY PUT THE BOOT INTO THE FLEDGLING AUSTRALIAN [BIOFUELS] INDUSTRY.” THE STATE OF PLAY Biodiesel is now a significant component of the global mainstream fuel market. In almost every developed country there is a biodiesel industry with global production estimated at 23 billion litres in 2013. That is greater than Australia’s total annual mineral diesel consumption of approximately 20 billion litres. In Australia biodiesel is sold as B5 (a blend with diesel of 95 per cent mineral diesel and 5 per cent biodiesel) and as B20, (a blend of 80 per cent mineral diesel and 20 per cent biodiesel). The B5 blend is fully compliant

with the Australian mineral diesel standard providing a theoretical biodiesel market of up to 1 billion litres at a straight B5 level - i.e. 5 per cent of Australia’s 20 billion litre mineral diesel market. At a B20 level, the market is nominally 4 billion litres per annum. In the current market B5 is distributed via the retail networks of some of the oil majors and various independents. B20 is generally sold through commercial and industrial supply channels for use in the mining, transport and manufacturing sectors. The biodiesel market in Australia has been

slow to develop relative to the rest of the world. Whilst part of the reason for this can be attributed to the normal time lag of new products entering the market, the overriding delay is due to the natural barriers to entry in Australia, which result from the closely held nature of Australia’s mainstream fuel industry, says the BAA. Australia’s fuel supply network is controlled by four or five major oil companies that own or control all of the fuel terminals in Australia. The blending ratios of biodiesel (B5 and B20) mean that in order for biodiesel to be incorporated into the mainstream fuel mix, facilities that enable the blending of biodiesel and diesel needed to be established in the mainstream fuels terminals. This requires the major oil companies in Australia firstly to engage in meaningful supply contracts and secondly to show a willingness and commercial incentive sufficient to install

facilities requiring a capital spend of between $3million and $6million per facility. Those facilities are now starting to be installed at various terminals around the country. At this point, the majority of biodiesel flowing through these terminals is imported from the USA, Argentina and Asia – all benefitting from the double-up of subsidies mentioned earlier. The BAA appreciates the Government’s desire to reduce spending and correct any imbalance in the national budget, so in addition to the application of excise on imported product it seeks: Bringing forward the introduction of full excise application to imports to January 1, 2015, and apply countervailing duties to dumped imports of biodiesel; Reclassifying Biodiesel as a mid-energy fuel with a reduced excise liability that grows to 12.5 cents per litre.

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Operator

WHAT IS ALL THE HYPE ABOUT ? TRUCKS HAVE A VARIETY OF USES FROM CARTING SAND TO HAULING LOGS AND MANY THINGS IN BETWEEN BUT FOR A COUPLE OF ENTREPRENEURS FROM MELBOURNE THEIR TRUCK IS MORE A BLANK CANVAS THAN A CARGO CARRIER. BARRY FLANAGAN REPORTS ON A NEW USE FOR A TRUCK THAT IS REVOLUTIONISING DISPLAY ADVERTISING.

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ometimes the most obvious things are often right there in front of you and when it comes to display advertising it seemed like it had all been done before, that was until two clever Melbourne entrepreneurs came up with an idea that has revolutionised mobile display marketing. In the past there have been mobile display advertising with old fashioned billboard banner trucks and there have been trucks with video screens which have to be parked and set up at a single location. However no one had, until now that is, been able to exploit the latest LED screen technology to come up with a truck that could display video and images either while driving or parked. That is where the men behind Hyped Media and Fuso trucks come in. James Henry was in the display marketing business and Steve Baker was a café owner when the pair were talking one day about the difficulties of display advertising. “Steve mentioned that it would be expensive for him to have advertising printed up on posters and displayed for a day or so to advertise a weekend special or event and then have to spend more money to have new posters printed and displayed the next week,” said James Henry. “I had to agree but it started us thinking about some form of dynamic advertising that could also be mobile,” he added. The pair decided to investigate the latest LED screen technology and over the two years they developed Australia’s most mobile video screen advertising truck basing it on an automatic Fuso Canter. The Hyped Media Fuso Canter is really a video cube with a pair of 4m x 2m screens along the sides of the truck and a 2m x 2m screen across the back. The two sides of the truck open out on hinges, like a pair of wings, to marry up with the tailgate, creating a massive 10m x 2m seamless screen that can be operated while the truck parked up or when the wings are in it can be used on the move. The big screen is also more economical and dynamic than traditional big static screen trucks. “We thought we had a great idea from the start. We thought there must be a reason why someone else hasn’t done this before us. With all the challenges we faced, we can see why no one has done this, but we’re glad we persisted,” said Steve Baker. The pair researched and sourced LED screens, spoke to truck sales people and body builder suppliers before coming up with a

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final design and choosing the Fuso Canter as the preferred option for the first Hyped Media cube screen machine. “We went down a lot of blind alleys and made a few mistakes but the best choice we made was Fuso, it made things very easy and Fuso has come along with us for the ride, even hiring our truck for use on its stand at the Melbourne Truck Show back in May,” said James. The Hyped Media screen truck first hit the road in January 2014 and has been seen all over Melbourne as well as travelling north to Sydney and Brisbane for various assignments covering more than 14,000km in the first half year of operation. It has been seen driving along Collins St and other major thoroughfares, parked at the MCG where it was used as the screen for an interactive iPad based game for the Traffic Accident Commission, its been used a big screen at other sporting events including the Asia Pacific Ironman Series for Toyota where participants ran past a motivational message that was tailored specifically for each athlete.

“We can really do just about anything your imagination will allow,” said Steve Baker. “We can take satellite feeds and put them straight up onto the screen, we can run video or put text or still images up on the screen directly from the computer and change it on the run,” he added. The system is run from lap top computer linking into the extensive wiring and electronics fitted to the Hyped truck, which also has an 8.5kVa generator fitted to drive the LED screens and provide the stable 240 volt power. The task of coming up with the structure for the Hyped cube was given to Paul Myers and his team at Elite truck Bodies in Melbourne who built the steel structure to support the LED screens, the hydraulic arms that allow the screens to be folded out when parked and of course the power supply. “Paul and the guys at Elite did a great job and partnered with us, we had no experience of building a truck and they helped tremendously as did Fuso, they have really been our partners on this.

The Hyped pair have been impressed with the Fuso in terms of driveability and flexibility as well as its good service intervals and the advice and assistance that has been given to Steve and James. “We spoke with a number of truck sellers but Fuso made it clear that they wanted to be a part of this and that they would use the system for marketing,” said James Henry. “Our choice has certainly been vindicated not just in terms of Fuso honouring that commitment but also in providing us with a truck that has been reliable, easy to drive and has long service intervals that allow us to keep it on the road earning its keep,” he added. The Hyped Media team have just purchased their second screen truck and are looking to order another to start the build which will be on the road quicker thanks to the lessons they learned with the first two machines. The pair have some ambitious growth plans and given the increasing demand for the Hyped mobile video truck those plans are well placed.

“WE WENT DOWN A LOT OF BLIND ALLEYS AND MADE A FEW MISTAKES BUT THE BEST CHOICE WE MADE WAS FUSO”

1. 4.

3. 1. The Hyped Media Fuso mobile screen truck is now a familiar sight on the streets of Mebourne 2. The large LED screens wrap around the truck and can be operated independently or as three separate video or still displays

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3. The beauty of the Hyped Media Fuso is it delivers a dynamic display that can be changed instantly while the truck mounted unit can be quickly relocated to new sites 4. Steve Baker (left) and James Henry, the men behind Hyped Media with the huge LED screen folded out to its full extent delivering a full 10m x 2m display

LCV

MAMBO ITALIANO ‘

WHY DRIVE AROUND TOWN ALL DAY DELIVERING STUFF WITHOUT A BIT OF COMFORT AND STYLE? FIAT’S DUCATO AND DOBLO ADD A SPLASH OF ITALIAN PANACHE. FABIAN COTTER REPORTS.

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1. 3.

eck, why not have a bit of comfort and class while going about your on-road business? And fair play to Fiat Professional for having a crack at posing and answering that little thought-provoker with its latest Ducato and new Doblò vans. Touted as mobile offices, they bolster the Fiat professional range until now spearheaded by its Scudo – making the Italian marque a ‘one-stop shop’ for Australian drivers’ delivery van needs. At the Australian media launch in Melbourne recently, there was no melodramatic Russel Crowe-type voice-over announcing “Gladiators! Are you ready?” given that a gladiator helmet design inspired the latest Ducato front-end design, which must be said looks quite commanding and authoritative. Add in a three-piece front bumper for faster collision-repair and you’ll theoretically be back on the road quicker, keeping your business ‘in business’. The latest Ducato features car-like design and – given customer demand – comes here as the “the most powerful front-wheeldrive van in the segment: Ducato’s 3.0-litre turbodiesel generates 130kW@3500rpm and 400Nm@1400rpm”. Claimed fuel figures of 7.7L/100km make the heavy-duty MultiJet diesel suitably efficient. Further cost savings come from impressive 48,000km service intervals. Gross weight configurations vary from 3510kg to 4005kg and it comes in three wheelbases, four lengths, two heights and payload ranges from 1560kg to 2110kg. A six-speed manual, or six-speed ComfortMatic transmission? Take your pick (the latter, though, is standard on ‘Long’ and

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‘Extra Long’ wheelbases). It felt good on the road with confidently firm suspension which is thankfully not ‘wallowy’. The dash-mounted gearshift took a bit of getting used to, but was soon second nature. The interior has stylish Italian flair, though how the glossy centre console plastics hold up over time will be interesting. Overall, a good bit of kit with prices starting from $38,000 (MRRP). At the other end of the scale, the smaller Doblò is crazy-cool. It’s a cheeky little number with dual sliding doors and ample space at the back for most courier jobs. Sitting on an all-new platform, it’s said to feature class-leading capacity and new suspension for a smooth ride. The car-like Doblò has four engine options: 1.6-litre diesels (66kW@4000rpm and 200Nm@1500rpm or 77kW@4000rpm and 290Nm@1500rpm), a 2-litre diesel (99kW@3500rpm and 320Nm@1500rpm), and a 1.4-litre petrol (70kW@4000rpm and 127Nm@4500rpm). Fuel use can be as low as 4.9L/100km depending on the set-up chosen and it comes in two wheelbases: 4390mm (SWB) and 4740mm (Maxi). It’s endearingly funky and should give the market something ‘a little different’. The interior is well laid out and the steering wheel thumb-rest placement and contours make its feel great to use. You’ll love using it over long hours. As with the Ducato, Bluetooth is standard, which anchors the idea that these Fiats should be the owners’ ‘mobile offices’ and not just delivery vehicles. Doblò prices start from just $22,000 (MSRP). Lattes, tiramisu and a decent ‘spagbol’, unfortunately … well, that’s going to cost ya extra.

1. Wide opening fold back rear doors ensure easy loading and unloading with Ducato 2. Italian Chic comes to the light commercial market with Fiat’s Doblo creating a mobile office atmosphere. 3. Doblo is the newcomer to the Fiat LCV range offering a car-like panel van in a funky package

“…‘MOBILE OFFICES’ AND NOT JUST DELIVERY VEHICLES.” www.truckandbus.net.au 055

MONEY MATTERS PAUL CLITHEROE ENJOYING A HAPPY FINANCIAL CHRISTMAS

reckon Christmas offers a wonderful opportunity to get together with mates and family, but it can see us dipping into our wallets more than usual. The Commonwealth Bank is forecasting the average Australian will spend an extra $1,079 between the start of December 2014 and early January 2015. Most of this money will go towards gifts and vacations. That’s a lot of additional cash, and according to ING DIRECT research, about one in four households will lighten the financial load by re-gifting unwanted presents. That may mean it’s only a matter of time before the home brew kit you buy for great-aunt Ethel finds its way into your own Christmas stocking next year (not a bad result, actually). However, the same study shows that plenty of people ñ almost one in three of us, will still be rushing to the shops for last minute

when it comes to making a claim. And don’t expect a cheque in the mail instantly. Work colleagues who have accepted these offers say it can take months to see the colour of a retailer’s money. Without wanting to sound like the Grinch, it makes sense to avoid letting festive season bonhomie dictate your Christmas shopping patterns. Instead, try taking a leaf out of Santa’s book, make a list of items you need to buy and check it twice. Give yourself plenty of time for shopping. A last minute rush almost always means spending more than you planned, or buying something dud. Or, consider pitching in as a group for big ticket items for friends and family. Research by comparison site Mozo has found credit card providers are expected to rake in an extra $13 million in interest as a result of this year’s silly season spending.

Christmas lies in the way credit card interest rates have been steadily rising this year. Mozo reckons the average card rate of 17.58% has reached a new record of seven times higher than the official cash rate (currently 2.5%). This time last year the average card rate was 17.13%. When that rise of 0.45% is applied to our collective card debt of $34.5 billion, it’s not hard to see how card issuers could pocket another $13 million this December alone. There are ways to avoid paying interest on your festive purchases. Aim to leave your credit card at home when you’re out Christmas shopping. A debit card that lets you use your own money is a far surer way to keep spending under control. There is also still some time to use lay-by, which lets you pay off purchases over a period without additional interest costs. Even if you keep your credit card under tight rein, it’s still worth taking a minute to check the interest rate youíre paying on it ñ

“CARD ISSUERS COULD POCKET ANOTHER $13 MILLION THIS DECEMBER” gift purchases on Christmas Eve. It’s at a time like this that we can be tempted into impulse buys, or worse, dodgy deals. In particular, consumer group Choice is warning about cash back offers, which fair trading bodies across the country have found to be a problem area. Cash back deals involve retailers offering to return part of the purchase price of an item rather than offering an upfront discount. The deals can sound very rewarding. The downside is that there are usually plenty of strings attached. Choice says shoppers may not always be able to get their cash back thanks to strict time limits on making a claim combined with tricky terms and conditions. In fact, it’s estimated that around 70% of people don’t even try to claim the cash back on these deals. Among those that do, some find the “cash returned” is in fact a gift card not quite the same thing as cash at all. If you’re tempted by a cash back offer, be sure to read the terms and conditions so that you are confident you can tick all the boxes

However, with a bit of planning it’s possible to avoid contributing much, if anything at all, to your credit card company’s festive season bonanza. Responsible budgeting and spending is essential to avoid a financial hangover that runs into January. The good news is that plenty of us are taking a planned approach to Christmas, with a report from the Melbourne Institute showing around one third of households are setting savings aside for Christmas gifts. Now is also a good time to draw up a Christmas spending budget. By allocating a dollar amount to all the expenses of the festive season, from the turkey to the trimmings, it’s easier to work out how much cash you need to tuck away to comfortably meet the cost. This sort of planning may sound a bit Scrooge-like but the festive season is likely to be a lot merrier when it doesn’t involve unwanted credit card debt that has to be repaid in the New Year. Part of extra $13 million in interest credit card providers are expected to haul in this

you can find this on your latest card statement. If your card is issued by one of the major banks chances are you’re paying more than necessary, the average rate among the big four banks is 1.18% higher than the broader market average. It’s certainly possible to pay far less. Some of our smaller financial institutions like Community First Credit Union and Victoria Teachers Mutual Bank have credit cards with rates below 10%. Switching to one of these low rate cards could almost halve the rate you’re paying on purchases, and with only weeks remaining before Christmas Day the savings couldn’t come at a better time. Importantly, remember to allow sufficient cash to cover regular expenses like your home loan, rent or other household bills over the Christmas period. 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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I Am

Paul Wieck

Agricultural Engineer.

I Am Bi-turbo power. Paul’s an Amarok owner, and an Agricultural Engineer. That’s the fancy term, anyway. In Paul’s case, it’s a manure-spreading business he runs with his son Travis in Toowoomba, Queensland. “It can be a dirty job,” he assures, “but I love it.” Paul and Travis have two Amaroks for their work, both of which serve as support vehicles. With oversized tractors and heavy machinery to fertilise the fields, trustworthy escort vehicles are a necessity when they’re on the move. “Like all of our machinery,” Paul says, “we chose the Amarok for reliability. It’s got a two-litre Bi-turbo diesel engine, which gives power through the whole rev range. As soon as we want to get going, they go.” Although Paul has had his Amarok for less than twelve months, he has already clocked up over 35,000km, without a single hiccup. “Compared to similarly priced vehicles, it’s got a better finish, better fuel efficiency and more power all-round,” says his son Travis. In terms of value, they couldn’t be happier with them. The Amarok is an essential part of Paul’s business. To see why, watch his video at www.IAmarok.com.au

I think, therefore I Amarok. The customer depicted is a genuine Amarok owner, expressing their own opinion about the vehicle and its performance. Owners were not paid for their opinions and their views are independent of Volkswagen Group Australia. The vehicle(s) specification depicted may differ from standard specifications. Volkswagen Group Australia only endorses the fitment of genuine Volkswagen accessories and cannot assume responsibility for the suitability, reliability & safety of non-genuine accessories and parts. 3Capped Price Servicing is available at participating Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles dealers and applies to the first 6 standard scheduled services of your vehicle. Exclusions and conditions apply. For details on pricing, items not included in the capped price and for full terms and conditions please see www.volkswagen-commercial.com.au. Volkswagen Group Australia reserves the right to at any time modify or discontinue the Capped Price Servicing program.