NZ TRUCK & DRIVER
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| April 2020
April 2020 $8.50 incl. GST
BIG TEST Birthday Bulldog | FLEET FOCUS Never mind the big, juicy jobs | FEATURE A stack of new Volvos
FLEET FOCUS
Never mind the big, juicy jobs
FEATURE
A stack of new Volvos
Birthday
The Official Magazine of the
ISSN 1174-7935
Issue 233
#1 TRUCK ON NEW ZEALAND ROADS FOR 20 YEARS. Thanks to everyone who has been part of the journey. Here’s to the next 20 years and the road ahead.
CONTENTS Issue 233 – April 2020 2 Aeolus News The latest in the world of transport, including….former Scania distributor CablePrice becomes a Daimler Trucks dealer; no change to Isuzu business in NZ, despite the end of owner, Holden
16 Giti Tyres Big Test Christchurch earthmoving and demolition contractor Gerard Daldry happily concedes that he didn’t NEED one of Mack’s new special edition Super-Liners – trucks celebrating a century of Bulldogs in Australia. But he did, quite definitely, WANT one
31 Transport Forum Latest news from the Road Transport Forum NZ, including…..cannabis referendum at General Election will be important for the industry; railway level-crossing accident rate improves
40 Teletrac Navman Fleet Focus
mother and son transport operators Bev and Matt Young to cherish their dozens of smaller customers. Having so many of ‘em avoids that old “all your eggs in one basket” scenario
REGULARS 64/ PPG Transport Imaging 65 Awards Recognising NZ’s best-looking truck fleets….including a giant pullout poster of this month’s finalist
FEATURES 57 A stack of new Volvos
77 TRT Recently Registered
Volvo has just launched a whole heap of new trucks. Literally….and figuratively
New truck and trailer registrations for February
65 Castrol Truck Driver Hero
COLUMNS
Fonterra driver Jason Biddulph earned praise – and an invitation to join the local volunteer fire brigade – when he took time out to put out a roadside grass fire
73 National Road Carriers Association Trucking companies need to consider how to manage the coronavirus emergency
69 Should I stay or should I go? Report on Kiwi pay rates suggests an extra two dollars an hour can make all the difference….
75 Road Transport Association NZ Coronavirus: Don’t panic! And make a plan
Bitter experience has taught Pukekohe
MANAGEMENT Publisher
Trevor Woolston 027 492 5600 trevor@trucker.co.nz
Advertising
Trevor Woolston 027 492 5600 trevor@trucker.co.nz Hayden Woolston 027 448 8768 hayden@trucker.co.nz
EDITORIAL Editor
Wayne Munro 021 955 099 waynemunro@xtra.co.nz
Editorial office Phone
PO Box 48 074 AUCKLAND 09 826 0494
Associate Editor
Brian Cowan
CONTRIBUTORS
Gerald Shacklock Dave McLeod Rod Simmonds Olivia Beauchamp
ART DEPARTMENT Design & Production Luca Bempensante Zarko Mihic EQUIPMENT GUIDE AUCKLAND, NORTHLAND, BOP, WAIKATO, CENTRAL NORTH ISLAND Advertising Trudy Woolston 027 233 0090 trudy@trucker.co.nz AUCKLAND, LOWER NORTH ISLAND, SOUTH ISLAND Advertising Hayden Woolston 027 448 8768 hayden@trucker.co.nz Dion Rout 027 491 1110 dion@trucker.co.nz
ADMINISTRATION Sue Woolston MANAGER accounts@trucker.co.nz SUBSCRIPTIONS NZ subscription price ADDRESS Phone Freephone Postal Address Street Address Web
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NZ Truck & Driver Magazine
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Net circulation – ended 31/03/2019
11,360
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Truck & Driver | 1
NEWS CablePrice now the South Island Daimler Trucks dealer
Above: Prestige Commercial Vehicles had been selling Freightliner, Mercedes-Benz and FUSO trucks for the past 11 years
Right: CablePrice chairman David Harvey says that “the strength of our network and reputation has given us these fantastic opportunities”
IN YET ANOTHER TWIST TO Daimler Trucks’ representation in New Zealand, former Scania distributor CablePrice has become the South Island dealer for Mercedes-Benz, Freightliner and FUSO trucks. Two announcements in February signalled the April 1 end of Prestige Commercial Vehicles’ 11-year representation of the three makes on the Mainland. The bombshell came just five months after Auckland-based Freightliner and Merc dealer Trucks & Trailers announced it had bought Prestige – giving it a nationwide presence. Daimler Trucks Australia and CablePrice announced the Merc and Freightliner dealership – Daimler president and CEO Daniel Whitehead describing it as “a massive win for our customers…” CablePrice had been the Scania distributor for 27 years until the Swedish manufacturer set up its own NZ operation 15 months ago – relegating it to the role of a service agent for Scania trucks and buses. In a separate announcement on the same day, Fuso NZ confirmed that – also as of April 1 – CablePrice is also the FUSO sales and service dealer for the South Island. It pointed out that PCV’s owner since last October – Trucks & Trailers – is “a Freightliner and Mercedes-Benz competitor with Fuso NZ sister company Keith Andrews Trucks.” CablePrice chairman David Harvey said that the company is “delighted to be partnering with Daimler Trucks.” And the addition of FUSO “is perfect timing, as it broadens our commercial vehicle product range, enabling us to offer our customers the best of European, Japanese and American trucking design and technology across the three Daimler brands.” 2 | Truck & Driver
Harvey said this is a time of “exciting growth for the company’s commercial vehicle and heavy machinery business. “The strength of our network and reputation has given us these fantastic opportunities.” The 69-year-old CablePrice is owned by Hitachi Construction Machinery and is the NZ distributor for its machines – while also representing Bell equipment, McCloskey, Montabert and MB crushers and HSC cranes. (It has also been the NZ distributor of John Deere construction, compaction and forestry machinery, but announced last month that this arrangement is coming to an end in NZ. The John Deere distribution will transition to a new representative over the next five months). It has an established dealer network, with sites in Christchurch, Invercargill and Greymouth. Harvey said that CablePrice’s South Island staff “are excited with the potential of this new partnership. We’re all looking forward to providing our new Mercedes-Benz and Freightliner customers with the same proven sales and support for which CablePrice is renowned. “The strength of CablePrice comes from delivering the highest level of after-sales service and assistance to our customers who buy and use the world’s leading brands and products.” Daimler Trucks’ Whitehead said: “We’re excited to have such a well-established and reputable network partner represent our Mercedes-Benz and Freightliner brands in the South Island.” Customers can “expect the best sales, service and support from an operation that has more than 65 years of experience servicing the heavy transport industry in the South Island,” he added.
As Whitehead says, the changes occur “at a great time for Daimler Trucks: The MercedesBenz Actros will soon be even further improved, continuing its cabover leadership, while the Freightliner Cascadia is set to become the clear class leader when it arrives in the next few months. “It’s wonderful to be able to support these groundbreaking products with such a highquality dealership network.” Fuso NZ CEO Kurtis Andrews says that the appointment of CablePrice as its South Island dealer “follows a wide-ranging board review of the performance of the FUSO network nationwide. “For some time, we have been concerned that the composition of our network has not been meeting the expectations of FUSO customers. We have explored a number of avenues to improve this and have now made the tough decision to refresh our South Island representation. “PCV has been the FUSO representative in the South Island since 2009. Over the past few years, FUSO’s market share in this region has seen a significant decline. “The Fuso NZ board feels that a fresh approach is required to reverse this trend and that CablePrice has the structure, network and ability to deliver on that expectation. “This is not a decision that has been taken lightly and I would like to thank the PCV team for the effort put into representing FUSO for the past 11 years.” T&D
NEWS
As if to emphasise that Isuzu Trucks NZ is “an ongoing concern,” it has announced the new NMR range of light-duty models
Holden going...Isuzu staying ISUZU TRUCKS NEW ZEALAND – THE HOLDEN-OWNED distributor of NZ’s longtime No. 1 truck make – remains “an ongoing concern,” despite Holden’s demise. Isuzu NZ has followed up General Motors’ February announcement that it’s all over for the Holden make, by stressing that it’s “business as usual” for its Kiwi truck business. “It is our intention to continue our current Isuzu distribution agreement, as we believe the current Isuzu sales and aftersales operations in NZ will augment our remaining Holden aftersales network operations,” says Isuzu Trucks NZ. In announcing the retirement of the Holden make, GM said that “Holden will establish a national aftersales network to support existing customers for at least the next 10 years.” And in a demonstration of its “business as usual” statement, Isuzu NZ has released details of eight new N-Series light-duty truck models. The NMR range builds on the N-Series models, which accounted for 7% of Isuzu sales in NZ last year – the Japanese make’s 20th consecutive year as the country’s best-selling truck. The new models offer some “unique competitive advantages, by providing the right balance in specification of technology and price,” says Isuzu Trucks general manager Dave Ballantyne. Benefits include an increase in GVM over the current NLR model – now up to 5995kg. That, says Ballantyne, “is perfect for operators in lighter applications, as the truck can still be driven on a Class 1 driver’s licence.” The NMR’s narrow cab means it’s easier to manoeuvre in applications where access is restricted, “such as around-town delivery and tipper work.” And there’s a new addition to the range – a three-way tipper-bodied, ready-for-work model, which customers have been requesting, he says. Car-like features in the new models include electronic vehicle stability control, cruise-control, programmable speed limiter and discbrakes all around.
The models offer the choice of a five-speed manual or six-speed AMT transmission, with torque converter – the AMTs coming with a kickdown switch to trigger a downshift. The torque converter multiplies torque output for faster acceleration from low engine revs. “It’s an exciting new development for Isuzu Trucks in NZ to be able to introduce a model with this high level of specification into the market. “We’re confident these new models will further enhance our reputation as the leading supplier of new trucks in the local market…” T&D
Isuzu claimed almost 24% of all sales in last year’s overall NZ truck market (above a 4.5-tonne GVM) Truck & Driver | 3