AUSTRALIA’S LEADING TRUCK TECHNOLOGY MAGAZINE
www.powertorque.com.au ISSUE 54 AUGUST/ SEPTEMBER 2013 RRP: $7.95 (NZ $8.95)
FEATURE
GAME IF
you thought the introduction of CAT Trucks into the Australian market was pretty much a one-horse wonder, then it’s time to think again.
Against a backdrop of the seemingly intriguing involvement by CAT Inc., that saw the truck business revert completely to being owned and operated by Navistar, the CAT Trucks brand is moving forwards with a renewed purpose. As a brief synopsis, we saw the CAT Trucks and CAT Inc. joint venture crumble to dust, prior to the financial concerns back in North America that saw the replacement of almost the entire senior executive group at Navistar and the closure of the Garland Texas manufacturing plant.
CAT Trucks gets into stride, and International strengthens its brand as new stock arrives from North America. Words by Chris Mullett 24 PowerTorque ISSUE 54
GAME ON Production of CAT-branded trucks for the Australian market shifted from local assembly at Tullamarine, Victoria, to Garland, Texas, where it built 150 CAT Trucks for the Australian market. Production has now shifted to Springfield, Ohio, where the first of the new products went down the line on 22nd March of this year. With the supply chain suddenly extended back to North America, the CAT dealer group in Australia was left without much by way of stock to sell, and a lengthy wait before new products started to roll off the ships. Meanwhile, Navistar in the US was itself having to overcome some pretty drastic decisions made by the departing executives, which saw engine development focused only on an EGR solution to emissions requirements. The appointment of ex-General Motors executive, Troy Clarke, to president and CEO, resulted in rapid changes to
Fast forward to the present, and it’s worth evaluating how CAT Trucks is now performing. From a product range that was initially based on one engine option, the CAT C15-litre Big Bore, Australia now has the beginnings of a more complete offering with a standard spec CT630, and also an integrated Luxury Sleeper version called the LS with a higher standard of trim and inclusions. The 13-litre CT13 engine comes in as an option for the first time in the CT610, providing a more interesting alternative to those running at lighter weights or in local distribution. It’s also already returning good fuel economy figures. Now there’s a fourth option, and for this specific application it’s the result of a deal done directly between Navistar, NC2 Global Australia and NationWide Off Road Truck Sales of Heathwood, Brisbane. NationWide Off Road Truck Sales was established in 2005. The company has become a dealership under NC2, a wholly owned subsidiary of Navistar, as the supplier of the all-wheel-drive International WorkStar 7000 series trucks to the Australian market. This agreement opens up the doors for Navistar to reinforce the International Trucks brand and to supply 4x4 and 6x6 WorkStar trucks to customers in the drilling, civil/construction, energy & communication, rail, and rural fire industries.
policy, the re-introduction of Cummins with SCR technology within the US model mine-up, and a rapid rework of the MaxxForce engine range to switch to SCR solutions. None of this made the job of the relatively recent arrival to Australia of CAT-branded trucks easier, as the fledgling company fought to sell its original launch stock and to establish proper lines of supply upon which it could cement its future.
For more than five years, NationWide has imported righthand-drive International trucks into Australia, fitting them with highly specialised equipment and then leased them to large jobsite and mining customers under a fully maintained lease. These trucks have been in a variety of applications as service trucks, bucket and digger trucks and water and fuel trucks. In the expanded relationship, NationWide will not only lease these trucks, but will also be able to sell all-wheel-drive (AWD) trucks to its customers. PowerTorque ISSUE 54
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TESTED
Wind
LIKE THE
O
ften in these pages we write about the virtues of economy – the effect a vehicle can have on your business through things such as purchase price, fuel economy, service intervals and so on. It stands to reason then, that when we take two different prime movers on a run to perform a comparison, we should come back with a conclusive answer based on the merits and efficiency of each vehicle, and promote the one that might serve you better in a fiscal sense. Sorry folks, not today.
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The Mercedes Actros needs no introduction. It is a multiple winner of the European Truck of the Year, world record holder for fuel efficiency, and an everyday sight on roads around the world.
d
RIDE LIKE THE WIND Available in a broad range of specifications, there is a model to suit almost any job you can throw at it, from local truck and dog work to long haul road train duties, or the very heavy-duty models for the really big jobs.
On the open road, the engine noise was barely audible, but the growl of the V8 when it was working on the hills was a very satisfying noise. I’m not a serious petrolhead, but I still love the sound of a big V8, and this one is really big!
As a designated model line-up, there would be few to rival it for versatility. I had the chance to compare two of the line-haul variants over two days on a run from Melbourne to Mittagong and back, towing a single trailer, at a gross weight of 42.4 t. Both of these units were powered by the same 15.9-litre V8 engine, but with different power ratings, driven through the 16-speed Mercedes PowerShift AMT.
With all that torque on hand, it took a while to find a hill that required a gear change, but, to keep things fair, I left the transmission in auto and let the truck do the work. The result was a smooth climb with very short breaks in the torque, meaning less speed lost during changes.
For the trip north I was piloting the MB Actros 2655, which, as the name suggests, was rated at 550 hp (405 kW) and produced 2600 Nm of torque. This was a fleet spec prime mover, suitable for either single trailer or B-double combinations, with a basic but comfortable interior. Our trip north took us from Mulgrave, east of Melbourne, through the early morning traffic along the Monash Freeway, Citylink and the Tullamarine freeway, before we joined the Hume Highway at Epping. Given the early start, the traffic really didn’t slow our travel, and so we had an ideal beginning to the day. The Actros handled the urban traffic very well, with excellent vision and manoeuvrability making lane changes and merging an easy task. The big V8 kept pace with the lighter vehicles while the PowerShift AMT took the hard work out of the city running, allowing me to concentrate on the road around me.
The retarder took control of the downhill running, quietly and with very little driver effort involved. Interestingly, I caught up with my own DAF XF105, driven by Chris Cartwright,
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Dave Whyte checks out the latest from Mercedes-Benz and adds a few aerodynamic options
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PROFILE
DAISY’S GROW IN MELBOURNE A HIGH PROFILE APPEARANCE IS BACKED BY HIGH LEVELS OF CUSTOMER SERVICE FOR DAISY’S GARDEN SUPPLIES
NEIL
and Margaret Mulcahy never imagined that back in August 1979, when they started their landscape supplies company, it would grow to be a major force in the Greater Melbourne area. But grow it did, to the point where today the business operates a 65-vehicle fleet out of three major centres, collects and distributes material from its own quarries and is renowned for operating one of the highest profile tipper fleets on the Victorian roads. PowerTorque caught up with Neil and his son Evan at the company’s Carrum Downs location to join in the celebrations of taking delivery of the latest flagship in the fleet, an immaculate Kenworth SAR T409 model and matching four-axle dog trailer. These days, the fleet responsibility is that of Evan Mulcahy, with Evan’s enthusiasm for trucking, in general,
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leading him to ensure that each of the Daisy’s truck fleet makes a strong statement to its customers. One thing that both Evan and his father, Neil, continue to agree upon is that there are just two trucks in this world, Kenworth and the others! “Appearance is our best marketing tool,” said Evan. “Our staff have been with us for very long periods of time and are our
DAISY’S GROW IN MELBOURNE representatives out on the road. One of our drivers has been with us for 16 years. “Safety is a very real focus of ours. I am a full supporter of ABS, which I think is brilliant, and we run ABS on all our fleet. We also specify the extra-width Hendrickson drum brakes for added efficiency. “We have looked at five-axle dog trailers, but, by adopting the PBS requirements, it has made all the difference to our type of operation. A four-axle dog trailer offers the right payload and the ease of handling and manoeuvrability. I am not an advocate for too much weight on larger trailers compared to the truck weight. “The T409 has a better turning circle when compared to the T404, which adds to its appeal,” said Evan. The latest SAR has benefited from an involvement with the Klos Brothers of Lara, well renowned for their expertise in customising trucks to present a point of difference on the highway. As Evan walked around the truck, he was quick to point out the little features that make the new SAR special. “We dropped the lower step on the tanks and added g additional market lights to continue the style line and lighting line across the lower edge of the tanks,” said Evan. “We wrapped the tanks in stainless steel, changed the top of the aircleaners, and added a dropped stainless sun visor and custom front bar and grille, as just the start of making the truck a standout individual on the road. “The rear sections of the mudguards on the steer axle are also designed and fabricated by Klos Brothers. We also have extensive LED lighting across the rear of the trailer. “We add chromed rims on our trailers, in place of Durabright rims, as they are easier to keep in top condition. We found the Durabright rims tended to become pitted and difficult to clean and maintain by comparison,” added Evan. “The trailer and truck bodies are provided by Hercules in Melbourne, and, as a company, we have a very long relationship of over 30 years with them for our body supply. “Hercules now does all the PBS certification on our behalf, and that saves us a lot of time and effort before the truck is commissioned. As we have several PBS approved units on the road in our fleet, there is very little extra cost involved in now gaining the necessary compliance,” said Evan.
Customising by the Klos Brothers with extensive LED lighting, stainless wrap on tanks, capping to air intakes and visor, all set off the difference.
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TESTED
Freightliner is one of only three heavy-duty truck manufacturers to offer both conventional (bonneted) and cabover products to the Australian market. There are a few reasons for this, but it basically comes down to the difference between European and American truck length limits, and the big corporations opting to not have competing products in the same dealership. The dramatic difference between the Mercedes cabover product and the Freightliner Argosy equivalent means that Daimler Trucks can offer both to suit the personal preferences of the buyer without the risk of alienating one or other when it comes to the purchase decision. Strangely, though, there is competition from within Freightliner, but this is confined to whether the buyer wants a conventional or a cabover, without affecting which brand is up for selection. It’s an interesting concept to have two trucks that are basically identical, for the purpose of our comparison, except for the fact that one has a bonnet out front, and the other doesn’t.
sold in standard trim with a diff ratio of 4.30:1, the reason behind this is to satisfy customers that want the flexibility to run with either single trailers or in B-double configuration. Where the operator is only going to haul single trailers, there’s every reason to change axle ratios to either 4.11:1, or, where cube is the concern rather than weight, go to the further option of a 3.9:1 ratio. Correct specification is reflected in fuel economy, and, for the operator running with the 4.30:1 rear axle to achieve a road speed of 100 km/h, the result will see the engine rpm stable at 1650 rpm. Reduce gross weights and run with a single trailer and the optimum would probably be to choose the 4.11:1 ratio for an engine speed of 1,560 rpm. For those running a single trailer with a high cube load, rather than maximum weight, the 100 km/h road speed would come in at 1,450 rpm.
The market in which these trucks are spec’d to compete has plenty of options for the prospective buyer, although most are
HIGH
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HIGH ROLLERS We recently took the opportunity to take these trucks, the Argosy and the Coronado 114, for a drive. For the purposes of this run, the Argosy was the 110-inch mid-roofed version 6x4 with a 4,400 mm wheelbase and a GVM of 80,000 kg. The Coronado was running a wheelbase of 5,150. Both of the vehicles were powered with the Detroit Diesel DD15 engine, rated at 560 hp with 1,850 lb-ft of torque and driven through an 18-speed Eaton UltraShift Plus AMT and B-double spec 4.30 final drive ratio. Both were towing single trailers with the weight fairly evenly matched at around 38 tonnes.
We managed to leave Mulgrave, in Melbourne’s east, by 5:30 a.m., early enough to miss the peak-hour traffic, and so had a good run through the city and out of the suburbs. The Eaton UltraShift Plus AMT did a great job in the traffic, though I did notice that the engine would rev out to around 2000 rpm in the first few gears after moving off from a standstill. This wasn’t a problem in the way of accelerating, but would surely add to the fuel bill if you were to work around town all day. I did try different throttle positions, but this seemed to make little, if any, difference.
Our test took us along our normal route up the Hume from Melbourne to Mittagong, and back the following day. With editor Chris Mullett behind the wheel of the Coronado for the trip north, I took control of the Argosy.
On the highway, the DD15 and UltraShift Plus worked together very well. There was a tendency to make a gear change early, at about 1350 rpm, when working up hill. Having driven another truck with this engine and a manual gearbox, I knew it could lug down further, and so I found myself selecting manual mode to make the engine work harder. This resulted in cresting the hills in a higher gear, at lower revs, but at the same speed as it would in auto mode. The idea here
H
Dave Whyte compares Freightliner’s latest Coronado and Argosy as the brand lines up for the introduction of B-triples
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FEATURE
NEW
IVECO CONTINUES ITS PATH QUIETLY AIMING FOR GROWTH
GROUND In
the first six months of this year, IVECO settled on a sales performance of 5.6 percent of the overall Australian heavy commercial vehicle market, just 26 vehicle sales up on the same period for 2012.
In the heavy duty segment the company gained sales over the same period of 2012 by 0.2 percent to score 3.9 percent segment share with sales totaling of 175 units. Its share in the medium sector dropped 0.2 percent but grew by 7 units to 322 registrations for a market share of 7.4 percent. It should also be noted that in the lighter segment from 3500 – 8,000 kgs GVM IVECO also competes with its daily range of vans and cab chassis. Here it showed sales of 313 chassis cab units and 68 vans for an overall segment share of 5.7 percent. Into this somewhat hard to predict Australian market IVECO is currently introducing new models in the Stralis and Powerstar ranges to the existing Eurocargo and Daily models. The question of course is how long it will maintain its independence from its Italian parentage, building specific models of the Stralis together with Powerstar and of course the venerable ACCO, now in its 41st year. As evidenced by the Berlusconi Government, there’s a volatility to Italian business that occasionally defies logic. But that notwithstanding,
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it seems that Italian business, like a vintage Rolls Royce, does indeed continue to proceed, whatever the climate. Whether the industry commentators understand how it achieves this position though is also not always clear. One of IVECO’s great strengths is its relationship with Fiat Powertrain. Established in 2012 and a part of Fiat Automotive, parent company to
NEW GROUND IVECO, the powertrain division produces 2.9 million engines and 2.4 million transmissions and axles annually through 10 plants and with 20,000 employees, spread across nine different countries. Fiat Powertrain has managed to do something none of the other engine manufacturers around the world have yet achieved. FPT has developed heavy-duty on-road truck engines for the next generation of Euro VI emissions that use the exclusive FPT Industrial SCR-only system. It is a breakthrough, patented technology that allows FPT engines to meet Euro VI standards without Exhaust Gas Re-circulation. Thanks to proprietary control strategies, FPT has developed an advanced SCR aftertreatment system that guarantees a very high NOx conversion efficiency (over 95% versus 80-85% of best competitors). And, so far, the other engine manufactures can’t get near that level. The FPT Industrial “SCR Only” technology is exclusively unique in that it not only already allows FPT’s off-road engines to comply with the interim Tier 4 regulations, but, thanks to its further technological evolution and without using an exhaust gas recirculation system (EGR), it is also suited to satisfy the new and more stringent 2014 Tier 4/Stage IV limits.
The realisation of such a highly efficient “SCR Only” system is mainly achieved thanks to the optimisation of the DEF (Diesel Exhaust Fluid/AdBlue) injection device management and to the improvement of the aftertreatment system thermal management in order to reach operating temperatures even more quickly. For specific applications or customers’ particular requests, a special DPF anti-particulate filter will be available. In the interim Tier 4, and afterwards in the Tier 4/Stage IV applications, the use of FPT Industrial “SCR Only” technology improves engine performance without requiring any change of cooling system dimensions and, consequently, of the engine compartment lay-out, which will therefore keep the same compactness required by the present interim Tier 4/Stage IIIB engines. The main benefits for customers, compared with Tier 3/ Stage IIIA versions, can be summarised in higher performance with a power increase of up to 21 percent, and reduced fuel consumption of up to 7 percent (estimated on average construction mission profile). At a time when other engine makers are concentrating on uniqueness of their product through vertical integration within distinct corporate divisions, FPT expects to achieve growth with a high and rising rate of non-captive sales that will near 50 percent by 2014. It also has extensive development continuing into the growth in use of alternative fuels, including natural gas and up to 20 percent biodiesel. Into this strength of powertrain development, the world of IVECO for Australia in 2013 now contains new products plus revisions to existing product lines to take the company forwards into next year. PowerTorque ISSUE 54
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SIBLING RIVALRY
TESTED
Kenworth now offers a PACCAR MX13-litre along with Cummins power for the Australian market. Dave Whyte takes a first drive around Melbourne
THE
Australian road transport industry is in an almost unique position, where we have a choice of trucks from around the world available to new truck buyers. We even have some unique combinations, mixing and matching components from different manufacturers, or even continents, to keep the customer happy.
options. This situation has encouraged manufacturers to go in search of their own power, and has brought about some interesting, if not surprising, results.
Over the last few years, however, with CAT withdrawing from the open market and the Daimler takeover of Detroit Diesel, some manufacturers have been limited as to engine
The latest manufacturer to announce its “group engine�, the engine to be fitted to all brands under the corporate banner, is PACCAR. With only one brand in the PACCAR
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SIBLING RIVALRY
stable that produces its own engine, it was fairly obvious as to where they would look for inspiration. The DAF brand has enjoyed a strong following throughout Europe for many years, and has built a good reputation around the performance and economy of its engines. As far as engine development goes, this would seem to be a good place to start. The introduction of the updated DAF XF and CF models last year gave Australian operators their first look at the latest PACCAR MX13 engine. Based on the DAF engine platform, the MX13 is a 12.9-litre powerplant with outputs ranging from 360 hp (265 kW) and 1775 Nm of torque to 510 hp (375 kW) and 2500 Nm. Using selective catalytic reduction (SCR and AdBlue/DEF), the MX13 complies with the current Euro 5 emissions standard without the extra heat associated with exhaust gas recirculation (EGR). This is an important factor in this engine’s suitability for the Aussie market, where cooling can be a deal breaker. In recent times, if you were in the market for a new Kenworth, you could have any engine you like, as long as it was red. With no other option available, Cummins became the staple engine at the Kenworth factory. One would imagine this would make Kenworth a little less competitive in an already tough market – but no, at the time of writing they are still pumping out around twelve trucks a day. This is a real testament to the strength of the Kenworth brand. The introduction of the MX13 into the T4 model range will give buyers another option, and, PACCAR would hope, another reason to buy the KW brand. After months of engineering development, Kenworth sent a few MX powered T403 and T409 models out into the field to be trialled by operators in their regular fleets. While the feedback from these operators has been good, when the offer came to drive a T403 with the MX13 matched to the latest incarnation of the Eaton UltraShift AMT, it was too good to refuse. Having experienced the MX in 510 hp trim, and driven through the 16sp ZF AMT, I was interested to see how it would perform at 460 hp with the Roadranger AMT. The Kenworth T403 is aimed at the single trailer and 19-metre B-double intrastate and interstate market. In a market with plenty of options for the prospective buyer, the T4 models have enjoyed good sales over the years. From the original T400 through to the current T403 and T409, with the
The MX 13 -litre engine slots in neatly under the bonnet of the T403 as discussed by Dave Whyte and Jon Penrose of Kenworth.
familiar cab layout and various sleeper options, these units have proven popular among both operators and drivers. The only difference with these new models is the European power. Some people, however, still believe Euro horses aren’t real horses. As mentioned, our test unit was a T403 with the MX13 under the bonnet rated at 460 hp (340 kW) delivering 2300 Nm of torque, and driven through the Eaton 18sp UltraShift Plus transmission. Pulling a single trailer, and grossing just over 36 t, we took a run east from Bayswater, in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs, to Yea, then across to the Hume Freeway at Tallarook. We then headed back towards Melbourne, through some suburban traffic and back to Bayswater. This route took us about 240 km through the Victorian countryside, with a good combination of freeways, rural, and urban roads, and some good hills to test an engine along the way. It’s worth mentioning that on the day of our drive the weather was very cold, causing ice to form on the bumper, grab rails and even the exhaust shrouds during our drive. Not the ideal environment to test engine cooling capability! On leaving the Kenworth factory, we were straight into the traffic. The MX and UltraShift Plus made light work of the traffic lights and roundabouts, with crisp and accurate gear changes keeping the engine in its comfort zone. There was no sign of the confusion suffered by the early Eaton AutoShift, causing it to jump gears or neutralise while negotiating roundabouts. There has obviously been some hard work done by Eaton to improve the communication and reaction time between engine and gearbox. On the country roads, the wide torque band of the MX (1000-1400 rpm) was evident, with the hills providing a good demonstration of its pulling power. The MX was quite happy to pull down to 1050 rpm without any shuddering or struggling, before either grabbing another gear or pulling away if conditions allowed. When accelerating, the engine very rarely went over 1600 rpm, keeping noise levels low inside the cab while using the power band to fill its full potential. PowerTorque ISSUE 54
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FEATURE
TYRE
TRENDS Making the right tyre choice can impact significantly on your operating costs
BRIDGESTO E is offering Australian operators a major incentive to take tyre monitoring programmes more seriously, and at the Brisbane Truck Show this year the company introduced its new ECOPIA low rolling-resistance drive and trailer tyres. Available in 11R22.5 sizing, Bridgestone claims the Ecopia M749 drive and R109 trailer tyres can offer a 21 percent reduction in rolling resistance than Bridgestone’s Premium M722 and R295 products. Extensive in-fleet testing across Australia by Bridgestone shows fuel savings of up to six percent, and these figures have been backed by real-time testing with operators such as Thompson’s Transport. With a head office situated in Castlemaine, Victoria, and with depots in Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Perth, Thompson’s Transport Pty Ltd was established 43 years ago by Keith Thompson. From what started as a single truck operation the fleet has grown to encompass 22 prime movers. As part of the trial, a baseline test was conducted using a Thompson’s Transport Western Star, running a 550 hp Detroit Diesel Series 60 and pulling a B-double combination. The truck’s fuel consumption on its regular Melbourne to Brisbane general freight run was measured and recorded. The truck was then fitted with Bridgestone Ecopia M749 drive and R109 trailer tyres and the run was repeated – with the same driver and same load weight.
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Scott Thompson, managing director of Thompson’s Transport.
“The Bridgestone Ecopia drive and trailer tyres delivered a fuel saving of 6.3 percent, which is huge. I actually couldn’t believe the result so we repeated the test and the fuel saving came back almost exactly the same,” said company director, Scott Thompson.
TYRE TRENDS The Thompson fleet was one of several of Australia’s leading transport companies approached by Bridgestone to trial the Ecopia, and the company claims similar results were replicated in other applications. Andrew Moffatt, managing director for Bridgestone Australia, said the new Bridgestone Ecopia represented “a huge advantage” for fleet operators. “For example, a fleet that spends $23 million on fuel and $2.3 million on tyres per year, could save up to $1 million a year based on the total fuel and tyre cost of using Bridgestone Ecopia drive and trailer tyres,” said Andrew. “Typically, fleets in Australia spend more on fuel than anything else, at almost a third of their total outgoings. When the effect of tyre rolling resistance is calculated, it can be argued that rolling resistance accounts for around 10 percent of a fleet’s total spend,” he added. Bridgestone validated these figures by conducting testing with several of the company’s major fleet customers. The initial launch of the Ecopia offers Australian operators the traditional tyre sizing of 11R22.5 with the M749 drive tyre and R109
trailer tyre. Other tyre sizes will be added to the range over the coming 12 months. The added benefit here is that there are ongoing advantages available for operators that recap tyre casings, by Bandag already having a replacement low rollingresistance recap tread pattern that offers similar properties and benefits. As the tyre wears, the benefits of low rolling resistance continue for the operator. It’s important to reinforce that a reduction in rolling resistance is not a reduction in grip and handling. Drive and trailer tyres account for 91 percent of a vehicle’s total rolling resistance in B-double configuration (66 percent trailer, 25 percent drive), whereas previous low rolling-resistance tyre development has focused on the steer tyre, which is itself responsible for nine percent of rolling resistance. Ecopia tyres have conventional tread compounds, so can be used wherever line-haul Bridgestone tyres (such as M722, R295, R187) are used successfully. The difference lies in Bridgestone’s Ecopia casing technology. In a conventional tyre’s compound, carbon molecules inside the tyre clump together, causing friction and generating heat, which leads to energy loss. The Ecopia compound used in the sidewalls of the M749 and R109 features state-of-the-art reinforcement technology, which keeps the carbon molecules dispersed, minimising energy loss and friction.
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Whether in drab green army colours or painted pink, the Unimog provides an almost unstoppable solution to those that want to go just about anywhere. Allan Whiting reports. known Down Under as an Australian Army transport vehicle, the ubiquitous Unimog has been selling quietly to civilian operators who need the absolute best in off-road performance. You could be forgiven for not knowing that civilian Unimogs were available in Australia, with most marketing effort being done from a Western Australian base, with its own website. Now, this capable machine may be pushed on a more nationwide basis, with Mercedes-Benz intending to make more noise about its go-anywhere capabilities. The company put on a press drive day at Victoria’s Anglesea Proving Ground to demonstrate the capabilities of the current model, and PowerTorque was there with boots on. Last time we looked down the stubby bonnet of a Mercedes-Benz Unimog was at Uluru, back in 1980, when Bill King hosted some journos to test his new Unimog-based tour buses. Since the 1980s, the Unimog powertrain has been updated, but the successful off-road formula has been preserved. The Unimog has been around in various forms since the original 1948 25 hp model. It’s an off-road legend, being the most capable civilian 4x4 vehicle in its class. Characteristics of the Unimog are a flexible ladder frame, live front and rear axles,
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single tyres, long-travel coil springs, torque-tube enclosed propeller shafts and ‘portal hub’ axles. Portal hubs are drop-boxes with reduction gears at the wheel ends that increase ground clearance under the axles. The fact that some reduction is carried out at the hubs means that the crown wheel and pinion gears can be smaller, allowing a less intrusive axle ‘bowl’. Both axles have air-actuated differential locks. At a time when many vehicle makers are adopting independent suspension – including most military light truck makers – the Unimog sticks with live axles, because of their superior wheel travel and tyre contact on highly uneven surfaces. (The military sees an advantage in independent suspension, because a land mine can blow off one wheel end and the vehicle may still be low-speed driveable.) The original Unimog had manual main and low range transmissions, worked by levers, but the latest U4000 and U5000 models on sale in Australia use Mercedes-Benz Telligent® shifting. The transmission stick has been replaced by a centreconsole ‘paddle’ lever that’s electronically linked to the main eight-speed forward and six-reverse gearbox. Moving the shift lever forward or backward signals the driver’s need to shift up or down, and the electronic control unit analyses engine torque and rpm, and displays the correct
SOLDIER ON gear for the load and road conditions. When the driver depresses the clutch the correct gear is selected.
4.8-litre, 160 kW/810 Nm OM924LA in the U4000, or the OM924LA only in the U5000.
Low-range gearing doubles the number of ratios and is now selected by a dashboard switch. Maximum speeds on road are between 6.5 km/h and 86 km/h, and, in low range, 1.0 km/h to 14.7 km/h. The U5000 model has an additional range, providing 24 forward ratios and giving off-road speeds between 3.2 km/h and 36 km/h. The Unimog can cope with gradients up to 100-percent, or an angle of 45 degrees.
Each of these engines feature selective catalytic reduction (SCR) emissions control for Euro 5 compliance and have 18-litre AdBlue tanks. Standard diesel capacity is 145 litres, with a 180-litre option and a 160-litre tank on crew-cab models. In addition to tyre pressure control, the Unimog options list includes a dual-line trailer braking system, hydraulic kits for tipping bodies and implements, DIN76 060 front mounting plate, winches and several PTOs.
Unimogs can run on a wide range of tyres, from multipurpose tyres and high-traction deep-treaded tyres to extreme sand tyres. The rear wheels run in the track of the front wheels, resulting in lower rolling resistance and better traction. With tyrecontrol® (Mercedes-Benz’ optional central tyre inflation system) tyre pressure can be adjusted to suit the terrain while driving. The 10-tonnes-GVM U4000 has a tyre size range from 335/80R20 to 425/75R20, and the 14-tonnes-GVM U5000 can be shod from 365/80R20 up to 455/70R24 sizes. U4000 and U5000 Unimogs have the same running gear and look identical, other than for the latter model’s larger tyres. Both are available with 3250 mm or 3850 mm wheelbases, with two- or three-seat short cabs or seven-seat crew cabs. Both models are powered by Mercedes-Benz’ four-cylinder, turbo-intercooled diesel engines: either a 4.25-litre, 130 kW/675 Nm OM904LA or
We had only a brief run in a U5000 Unimog, so we’re looking forward to a longer test when this demo vehicle does the rounds of the country later this year. The truck was loaded to around 10 tonnes GVM and made light work of the demanding off-road course at Victoria’s Anglesea Proving Ground. The latest model was noticeably quieter than its predecessors, and automated shifting took all the guesswork out of picking the right gear for different conditions.
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TRAILER TORQUE
CHEATING the wind Savings exist from adding aerodynamic improvements, and, as operators chase every cent, reduction in costs per kilometre there’s much to consider. Words by Chris Mullett
Visitors
to the Brisbane Truck Show were in for more than a few surprises as the trailer industry showed it can produce just as interesting levels of technology as those of the engine manufacturers and truck makers. By anyone’s reckoning, our industry has been slow to adopt some of the aerodynamic add-ons that have become commonplace in Europe and North America. Apart from a nose cone on the front end of the trailer, there’s almost been a portrayed intention on the part of some operators not to look any further than the engine and driveline when it comes to available options to cut operating costs. All of us can appreciate that a thickset, overweight runner is not going to beat a lean athlete out of the starting blocks and off down the hundred metres straight. You can change the fuel – or in this example food – cut back on the tare weight and improve the power output of our chubby runner over time, but to achieve permanent, long-term gains we have to change the mindset of the competitor, just as much as his or her overall appearance. The quest for the opportunity to do things differently brings us to Freighter, which used the Brisbane Truck Show to illustrate an Australian-first aerodynamic concept trailer, aptly named the Freighter ‘AeroLiner®’. The trailer features a number of aerodynamic components. Based on the company’s patented ‘EziLiner’ trailer with efficient buckleless curtains, it also features side skirts, a sloping roof, automated tyre inflation and the first rear-mounted trailer tail approved for trial on Australian roads. Regular readers of PowerTorque will be familiar with the Trailer Tail design of aerodynamic aid, which was developed by ATDynamics in the USA. In major fleet application for long haul interstate operation, the company has been gathering strong endorsements from well-known operators, many of whom are prepared to go on public record to confirm the reduction in operating costs gained from an improvement in fuel economy. Stuart McMurtrie, MaxiTRANS Group marketing manager, told PowerTorque the company had worked closely with state regulators to gain approval to operate an on-road evaluation trial on a trailer tail device in Australia.
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“Freighter has gained transport authority approval to coordinate a trial with the ATDynamics product in NSW, Victoria and Queensland, with up to 15 combinations set to hit the road in the coming months to begin gathering data. We’re excited to be leading the charge in introducing this important development in transport sustainability,” said Stuart. “The trial will last for one year. US trials have shown fuel savings of between 5.0 and 7.0 percent when using the ‘Trailer Tail’. There is probably no reason why we shouldn’t see a similar result here in Australia, but there are some unknowns, such as how it will work with B-doubles – hence the field testing,” added Stuart. It’s important to continue with the thought process that improvements are not confined to one device and that major gains come from being able to work in different solutions that create a total overall benefit. Freighter and Maxi-CUBE have been fitting aerodynamic side skirts for some time, and the latest versions were fitted to the AeroLiner on display. The latest designs have lift-up panels for easy access to the spare tyre and also comply with underrun protection requirements. “Their lightness in weight, and strength, is a result of the use of honeycomb reinforced MaxiLITE panels made in Melbourne by MaxiTRANS. Being flat and modular, they are easily repaired or replaced if damaged,” said Stuart. Not all the action was taking place on the rear and sides of the AeroLiner trailer. The front quarter of the roof of the trailer has a moderate gradient, lowering the leading edge of the roof by
240 mm, which McMurtrie says is intended to line up with the adjoining prime mover’s “air scoop” in order to reduce drag from airflow buffeting the front of the trailer. A Trailer Tail, side panels and a profiled leading edge trailer all count towards massive potential savings in fuel economy.
“The sloping roof has a great deal of potential as an aerodynamic measure,” he claimed. “UK tests have shown potential fuel savings of around 7.0 percent on this feature, resulting in probable payback of less than a year when used predominantly on line-haul applications, ” said Stuart. The AeroLiner also featured an automated Meritor tyre inflation system. As confirmed by the Australian Government Energy Efficiency Exchange web site, maintaining correct tyre pressures has the potential to provide fuel savings of 1.0-4.0 percent, while increasing tyre life by up to 10 percent. PowerTorque will be working closely with Freighter in the months ahead to monitor on-road testing of these combinations of enhancements to determine the level of overall gain for any long-distance operator.
aeroliner
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