NZ Truck & Driver March 2022

NZ TRUCK & DRIVER

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| March 2022

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FLEET FOCUS FEATURE Young Guns Frozen…without I.C.E.

Issue 254

Gas and Go

The Official Magazine of

ISSN 2703-6278

NEW SHOGUN

510HP | 2500Nm The most powerful Japanese truck, ever!

New FUSO SHOGUN 510HP gives you the power and torque to dominate New Zealand roads, plus advanced safety features to get your team home safely – day after day, night after night.

Euro 6 | 510hp | 2,500Nm / 1,850 lb-ft | 12.8 Litre

Now taking orders. Call today!

fuso.co.nz

|

0800 FUSO NZ

SCAN FOR MORE DETAILS!

DELIVERING SUSTAINABILITY TOGETHER

We’ve teamed up for ‘clean green’ deliveries in the Auckland inner city with our new FUSO eCanter electric trucks!

The Auckland Inner City Zero Emissions Area (ZEA) Trial sees leading fleets adopting FUSO eCanter electric trucks for clean, quiet freight deliveries with advanced safety.

Together we’ve combined with the support of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA), Auckland Transport and EROAD to undertake the trial with an aim to measure and learn as we build a more sustainable future together.

We are excited to be leading the charge in the first trial of its kind in New Zealand.

The all-electric eCanter is ideal for inner city delivery. It is emission-free, virtually silent, and equipped with advanced safety systems, therefore delivering considerable benefits for those of us who live and work in this great city!

Together, we’re working hard to reduce our carbon footprint and evolving for a more sustainable future today. Why not join us?

Join us at fuso.co.nz/eCanter

IF YOU WANT TO GO PLACES. WE’RE HIRING TECHNICIANS. https://careers.scania.co.nz/

scania.co.nz

MADE FOR NEW ZEALAND

CONTENTS Issue 254 – March 2022 4

24

41

48

News

The latest from the world of transport, including…. more plans to lower speed limits; major events postponed due to Covid-19; the launch of a special edition Mack; another new role for the all-electric FUSO eCanter and a look at a clever new machine that speeds up highway pothole repairs.

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71

Giti Tyres Big Test

Versatility is the main theme as NZ T&D tries out the latest Iveco EuroCargo 320. Owner David “Wilky” Wilkinson has come up with a unique design for the ‘Mini Road Train’ he uses for the distribution of new LPG bottles and a range of other work.

81

Transporting New Zealand

The March update from Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand raises the question: To what extent will lower speed limits slow down the nation’s economy?

89

Teletrac Navman Fleet Focus

It’s a three-year-old fleet of seven trucks that’s growing fast with a young owner and a young team of operators. This month we visit Taupiri-based Kainui Contracting Ltd and reveal the continuing motivation of a recent Young Driver of the Year award winner.

Frozen… without I.C.E.

Food and catering specialists Bidfood reveal some of the early experiences and learnings from the allelectric FUSO eCanter which it’s operating as part of Auckland’s Zero Emissions Area trial.

The Big Slow Down

The majority of submissions didn’t support a blanket 80km/h speed limit for more than half of SH5 NapierTaupo. We look at the arguments against the change which went ahead regardless from February 18.

Dune Raiders

The KAMAZ-master team again dominated the demanding Dakar Rally in 2022. Dmitry Sotnikov gave led the Russian squad a 19th Dakar Rally victory in January’s rally raid through the dunes and mountains of Saudi Arabia.

REGULARS: 80/ Double Coin Tyres NZ Transport 81 Imaging Awards

Recognising NZ’s best-looking trucks… including a giant pullout poster of this month’s finalist.

97

Truck Shop

99

CrediFlex Recently Registered

New truck and trailer registrations for January and the monthly gallery of new trucks on the road.

COLUMNS 95 It’s Political…

NZ’s major political parties are offered the opportunity to tell us their views on issues affecting the road transport industry. The ACT Party continues to show an active interest in the industry.

Volvo Gets a Grip

The Swedes have been busy with a host of safety and efficiency innovations as they rapidly develop a new range of battery electric heavy-duty trucks.

97

FEATURES: 60 Southpac Trucks Legends

News, products and services for the road transport industry

National Road Carriers Association

Many New Zealand businesses have been operating on “full lean” in recent years. So, what spare capacity remains when Covid-19 threatens to sideline key personnel?

More than 30 years in the trailer industry have provided a few ups and downs for Trevor Jackson. But they are nothing compared to the 380m roller coaster he’s built in his back yard.

MANAGEMENT

ADMINISTRATION MANAGER

Publisher

Trevor Woolston 027 492 5600 trevor@trucker.co.nz

Sue Woolston

Advertising

Trevor Woolston 027 492 5600 trevor@trucker.co.nz

Sue Woolston

accounts@trucker.co.nz

NZ subscription price

$95 incl. GST for one year (11 issues) Overseas rates on application

Hayden Woolston 027 448 8768 hayden@trucker.co.nz EDITORIAL Editor

Colin Smith 021 510319 colin@trucker.co.nz

Editorial office Phone Associate Editor

PO Box 48 074 AUCKLAND 09 826 0494 Brian Cowan

CONTRIBUTORS Gerald Shacklock Dave McLeod Euan Cameron

Olivia Beauchamp Mark O’Hara

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

accounts@trucker.co.nz

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www.nztruckanddriver.co.nz Truck & Driver | 3

NEWS The 74km of SH30 from Tikitere to Whakatane may no longer include any 100km/h sections if proposed speed limit changes are introduced.

SH 30 to go 80?

THE REDUCED SPEED LIMIT NOW IN PLACE FOR MUCH of SH5 between Taupo and Napier appears to be a forerunner to further NZTA “Safer Limits” proposals around the country.

In late-January Waka Kotahi NZTA proposed reduced speed limits for another major North Island highway.

NZTA says that following engagement with the local community during mid-2021, it proposes to reduce the speed limits on State Highway 30 between Tikitere and Whakatane.

The section of highway being reviewed runs from the junction of SH33 and SH30 (near Rotorua Airport) to the built-up area entering Whakatane.

The proposal affects almost 75km of the highway which travels past Lake Rotoiti, Lake Rotoehu, Lake Rotoma and through the townships of Te Teko and Awakeri.

Under the proposal there are five sections of SH30 currently posted with a 100km/h limit that will reduce to 80km/h. Three sections will reduce from 100km/h to 60km/h and three more, where 80km/h limits currently apply, will also be reduced to 60km/h.

The new 60km/h sections include where the highway runs alongside Lake Rotoiti and Lake Rotoma.

NZTA describes SH30 as a high-risk road and is proposing the selection of lowered speed limits in an effort to save lives and prevent serious injuries

4 | Truck & Driver

on the highway.

“We are proposing lower speed limits to make the road safer for everyone who uses it,” says NZTA Director of Regional Relationships David Speirs.

“Our analysis shows that the current range of speed limits on SH30 are not safe and appropriate for the road. Safe speeds save lives. When speeds are safe for the road, simple mistakes are less likely to end in tragedy,” says Mr Speirs.

“SH30 caters to a wide range of competing travel needs including tourists, cyclists and school children. In addition, crashes on this route can cause extensive delays and long detours if there are road closures.

“The deaths and serious injuries along this stretch of road have caused immeasurable grief and suffering for families and communities. It is more important that everyone gets to their destination safely, rather than trying to get there quickly,” says Speirs.

Waka Kotahi sought feedback from stakeholders and the public about the proposal, but groups only had from January 25 till February 18 to make formal submissions on the proposed changes.

Mr Speirs says this feedback is being considered by Waka Kotahi before it makes decisions on these proposed speed limit changes.

In the 10 years from 2010 to 2019, NZTA says 10 people lost their lives and 73 were seriously injured in crashes on this section of SH30. Most of these crashes have been head-on, run off road and speed related. T&D

NEWS

Mack in black for 50 years WHEN THE SHIFT TO COVID-19 RED TRAFFIC LIGHT settings postponed the popular Bombay Truck Show in early February, several local distributors lost an opportunity to make a splash with new models and special editions.

Motor Truck Distributors had big plans for the Bombay show having prepared a unique Super-Liner to celebrate an important milestone.

The all-black Super-Liner boasting a host of custom features has been built to celebrate 50 Years since MTD began building Mack trucks in New Zealand.

Macks for the local market were built in Palmerston North from 1972-2000 from CKD kits. And, although the modern trucks are now built in the Volvo Group Wacol plant in Brisbane, the heritage of customising Mack trucks for Kiwi operators continues at the MTD premises in Palmerston North.

“Fifty years is a fantastic milestone for any company to reach, and here at Mack and MTD we couldn’t be more proud. We would like to recognise all those people who have played their part, big or small, in helping Mack reach that milestone in NZ,” says Stu Wynd, National Sales Manager for Mack Trucks.

It’s unquestionably that customisation factor which the special edition has been put together to showcase.

The base for the special edition is the Evolution model Super-Liner featuring the latest generation Mack/Volvo Group technology.

“To celebrate a New Zealand anniversary the only colour for the special

edition Super-Liner is black. What else could it be?” says Stu. The striking all-black 6x4 tractor unit boasts the top-the-range MP10 16-litre engine rated at 685-horsepower and 3180Nm of torque, driving through the 12-speed mDrive automated transmission.

Other features include Meritor 46-160 axles on Primaxx air suspension, ABS and ESP plus full integration of the Bendix Wingman Fusion Safety Package including Lane Departure Warning, Adaptive Cruise Control and Side Object Detection functions. The truck also has Park Brake door alarm and Hill Start Assist.

Fitted to the truck is a King Bars ‘Texan’ bumper with a ‘50 Year’ engraved logo and Hella HD1395 Driving Lights. For the demo unit there is a personalised plate, but the `50 Year’ option being offered to customers will incorporate a special Number Plate surround with 50 Years and company name plus exhaust shrouds with ‘Mack 50’ cut outs.

The fern in the logo, symbolic to NZ, is designed to reflect the pattern and shape of the side vents on the bonnet – linking this iconic Kiwi symbol to the Mack product.

“The extras on our truck like the rear window, mudflaps, the fern on the bonnet, and the red, white and blue behind the side grill name are just for the demo Super-Liner,” says Stu. Interior highlights include the newly introduced factory leather seat option, a New Zealand designed interior lining with logo and black domed insert, door card with 50 Year Logo, a 50 Year door badge and personalised kick panel. T&D Truck & Driver | 5

Customer benefits of the new ROR SL9 LIGHT TARE WEIGHT • SIMPLE TO REPAIR HIGH STABILITY (compare the SRT with other brands) • POSITIVE CAMBERED AXLES SIGNIFICANTLY TRAILER TRACKS LIKE ITS ON RAILS REDUCE INSIDE TYRE WEAR PROVEN STRENGTH (copy of CS9 ) • SUPPORTED BY NZ OWNED LOW PARTS COSTS FAMILY COMPANY (30 YEARS )

5 AXLE TANKER TRAILER, Manufactured by Patchell Industries For Dynes Transport, ROR SL9 air suspension, axles with 19.5” disc brakes, fitted with dual 19.5” Alex A shine alloy wheels.

All supplied by T.A.T.E.S (NZ) LTD

Also fitted with PSI tyre inflation system on all axles.

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NEWS Plans to celebrate 100 Years of Kenworth are expected to dwarf the turnout at New Zealand’s 50 Years event in 2014.

Southpac postpones Kenworth celebrations SOUTHPAC TRUCKS HAS MADE THE CALL TO postpone its huge 100 Years of Kenworth celebration for 12 months.

The event was originally set for February 2023, but Southpac Trucks CEO Maarten Durent is now planning for a 2024 celebration. And he says a change in government is needed before they will hit the go button.

“There is too much uncertainty from this government. This is an event with international connections in terms of the entertainment we plan to deliver and also with its factory involvement and some of the guests we plan to invite,” Durent says.

The venue for 100 Years of Kenworth will remain at the Mystery Creek Events Centre near Hamilton and the date moves to Waitangi weekend 2024.

Durent says it will be the biggest event for Kenworth in New Zealand, eclipsing the 2007 Mt Smart event and the 50 Years of Kenworth in New Zealand celebrations held at Mt Maunganui’s Baypark venue in 2014.

The 100 Years of Kenworth show will be more than double size of the Baypark event which attracted 300 Kenworth’s and over 5000 visitors, ending with a spectacular VIP show and dinner.”

“We are planning to have 1000 guests at the gala evening show and we have booked the entire Mystery Creek site so there will be room for 1000 trucks,” Durent says.

He says the international music acts and the guests he had been in contact with while planning the event had expressed concerns over New Zealand’s changing border restrictions.

“The 100 Years of Kenworth celebration is an event of enormous proportions that we cannot risk having screwed up by dithering from Wellington. It makes it too difficult so we have decided to push it out for 12 months.

“By 2024 there will have been a change of government and we’ll be able to plan with some certainty,” Durent said. T&D

Double Coin supports Transport Imaging awards THERE’S A NEW SPONSOR AND A wider focus for the Transport Imaging Awards poster that is a monthly feature of New Zealand Truck & Driver magazine.

Double Coin Tyres has secured the sponsorship rights to the Transport Imaging Awards poster that seeks to showcase the New Zealand road transport operations which go the extra mile in the visual presentation and branding of their trucks.

Previously the award was open to fleets of at least five trucks but with the new sponsorship

the criteria has been opened to allow owner operators and one-off trucks to feature on the monthly poster. The only stipulation is it must be a genuine working truck.

The 2022 winner will receive two Double Coin steer tyres and a specially commissioned painting of their truck or fleet by artist Paul Astwood.

The entry form for the Double Coin Transport Imaging Awards is published with the poster in each issue of NZ Truck & Driver magazine. If you know of trucks or fleets that deserve to be featured, please let us know. T&D

NCE ELLE EXC NG ANDING I R S B I T RECOGN POR ANS I N H E AV Y T R

Truck & Driver | 7

NEWS

Home town honour for “Sarge” Colin Sargison, pictured at THE Expo at Mystery Creek in 2017, when he was presented with a special Kenworth by his family.

BAY OF PLENTY FORESTRY INDUSTRY IDENTITY COLIN Sargison was among the big winners honoured at the recent Rotorua Business Awards.

After being postponed on three occasions due to changing COVID-19 restrictions, the Rotorua Business Chamber delivered its 2021 Tomkins Wake Business Awards in a virtual format on Friday February 4.

A virtual audience comprising 53 finalists, 22 sponsors, 29 judges, staff, and employees of the parties joined the public for the livestream awards ceremony.

Sargison, who has been part of the logging industry since 1974 and founded Rotorua Forest Haulage in 1979, was named the 2021 Red Stag Businessperson of the Year.

The selection process for the award involves the previous Red Stag Rotorua Businessperson of the Year winners (the Alumnae) working in association with sponsor Red Stag, Her Worship the Mayor and the Chief Executive of the Rotorua Chamber to identify potential worthy recipients of this annual award.

As well as business success the selection criteria takes into account long

Hall of Fame set 8 | Truck & Driver

term contributions to both the business and wider community in Rotorua.

Colin’s son Tony says the Sargison family is very proud of their father’s achievement.

“He was pretty chuffed and it’s a great achievement on dad’s part,” Tony said.

“I also think it’s good to see the transport industry get some recognition.

It’s doesn’t always get recognised when awards are announced.”

The Chamber describes Sargison as a central figure in the log transport industry over the last 50 years.

Chamber chief executive Bryce Heard shares a background in the forestry industry and says he has known Sargison from the time he started as an owner-operator with his first logging truck in 1974.

“His growth story is phenomenal and is pretty unique in my experience,” says Heard.

“Today his sons run the business and it continues to grow and prosper.

“Sarge is very unassuming, and his success has not changed his cheerful and colourful demeanour. He remains the likeable, friendly and popular everyday guy that he always has been,” says Heard. T&D

DATES HAVE BEEN ANNOUNCED FOR THE 2022 MOBIL 1 Delvac New Zealand Road Transport Hall of Fame events in Invercargill.

While the 2021 event was staged as a virtual presentation in November, the plan is to return to the traditional gala awards dinner format on Friday September 30.

The Hall of Fame is hosted at Invercargill’s Bill Richardson Transport World events centre. The now traditional Sponsors and Past Inductees dinner is again scheduled the previous evening (Sept 29).

The Hall of Fame awards had to be livestreamed in 2021 after Covid-19 lockdown restrictions thwarted two attempts the stage the event.

With six new inductees in 2021, the Hall of Fame membership has now grown to 57 since the founding group of eight members was announced at the inaugural 2012 awards.

Hall of Fame inductees have made an unparalleled contribution to bettering the road transport industry of New Zealand.

Nomination forms for the 2022 award are available at www. roadtransporthalloffame.co.nz T&D

NEWS

The first Carr & Haslam truck pictured at the head of the company’s horse-drawn fleet in 1922.

EV delivery at a Canter ONE HUNDRED YEARS AFTER THE introduction of its first internal combustion engine truck, Carr & Haslam is introducing the first electric truck to its fleet.

The battery electric FUSO eCanter in Carr & Haslam’s distinctive yellow colours is making new vehicle deliveries around Auckland.

“My grandfather proudly stood in Grey Lynn back in 1922, when we lined up our first petrol engine truck ahead of the technology of the day - horses and carts,” says Carr & Haslam director Chris Carr.

“The introduction of an electric truck to our fleet today is just as big of a deal as the step to an internal combustion engine (ICE) truck was then.

“With the new technology benefits always come new challenges. I can’t begin to imagine the change for a horse and cart driver moving into a truck, but the benefits are blatantly obvious.

“One hundred years ago, there was an immediate productivity gain from adopting an ICE truck. While there may be some cost savings related to fuel and maintenance, there is no productivity gain in shifting from ICE to EV. “The vehicle function (the amount it can carry from A to B) doesn’t change, but the flexibility of the vehicle is reduced considerably through range and charging limitations. The main benefit of moving to EV is reduced emissions,” says Carr.

“For the foreseeable future, battery powered heavy vehicles are going to be a compromise between the demands of cost, weight and range.

“As an early adopter of an EV truck the biggest challenge was cost. We couldn’t have taken this step without the support and

assistance of EECA and its ‘Low Emission Vehicles Contestable Fund’ for which we are very grateful.

“Having worked through the overhead cost, we can now tackle the technical challenges of integrating the vehicle into our fleet. We’ve already learnt a lot and expect to learn a lot more.

“Where current highly efficient diesel powerplants have benefitted from decades of development and refinement, EV is still in its infancy. We cannot apply an EV to our business in the same way we would another diesel truck and we now need to learn and adapt our operations around the truck.

“The good news is that we know the development of EV trucks will advance at a very

high rate and will soon reach much higher levels of efficiency and with lower levels of cost.

The eCanter will deliver EV cars to Carr & Haslam clients in the Auckland Central area.”

“It will be ‘the first EV to deliver EVs’ within New Zealand, and probably in the Southern Hemisphere. While not the first in the world, it will be one of the first,” Carr says.

The FUSO eCanter is the same technical specification as the trucks already on trial in Auckland’s inner city Zero Emissions Area (ZEA) trial. It has a 135kW/390Nm electric motor and an 81kWh battery to provide an operating range of between 90-130km.

The body has been designed to suit low clearance vehicles and the eCanter is rated with a 3230kg payload. T&D

The FUSO eCanter will be used to deliver new EV cars to Central Auckland dealerships.

Truck & Driver | 9

TRUSTED TRUSTED

THE URBAN FACE OF ROAD TRANSPORT BYPETER PETER BY

510 horsepower and 2300 Nm, X-Way is ideal single trailer applications, a perfect fleet truck. extremely impressed with “At“At 510 horsepower and 2300 Nm, thethe X-Way is ideal forfor single trailer applications, it’sit’s a perfect fleet truck.

I’mI’m extremely impressed with truck’s driveline.

The integration between engine and 12-speed automated manual transmission works beautifully – the power thethe truck’s driveline.

The integration between thethe engine and thethe 12-speed automated manual transmission works beautifully – the power comes early range and is linear delivery. two drivers also absolutely love X-Way, they comment how quiet it and is and comes onon early in in thethe revrev range and is linear in in delivery.

MyMy two drivers also absolutely love thethe X-Way, they comment onon how quiet it is how intuitive layout cabin how intuitive thethe layout of of thethe cabin is.”is.”

Peter Hornell, Proprietor – P&S Hornell Transport Peter Hornell, Proprietor – P&S Hornell Transport

WITH NEW EUROCARGO, ROAD TRANSPORT HAS A BRAND NEW LOOK. The new cab is modern and practical, fully expressing the vehicle’s energetic character.

IVECO’s new heavy duty, Euro6 X-Way is hitting spot with many New Zealand transport operators.

Peterin IVECO’s new heavy duty, Euro6 X-Way is hitting thethe sweet with many New Zealand transport operators.

Peter NEW EUROCARGO MIRRORS THE STYLING ofsweet thespot IVECO Daily.

The new air de!ectors have been re-shaped with over years inexterior the industry, says “perfect fleet truck”. a new Euro6 range lineHornell, withwith the design the cab andsays highlight Iveco fleet brand name inFeaturing the centre.

With its engine UVengine “lter screen, the Hornell, over 23of23 years in the industry, it’s it’s thethe “perfect truck”.

Featuring a new Euro6 range thatthat offers protection, without the negative aerodynamic impact offuel anfuel exterior sunshade. is big power and torque (up to 570hp 2500Nm), X-Way consumes and creates fewer emissions, iswindscreen big on on power andexcellent torque (up to 570hp andand 2500Nm), thethe X-Way consumes lessless and creates fewer emissions, The new bumper amatched step giving access to the windscreen for cleaning whilst also Manual housing the AEBS radar.

The the power plant is perfectly matched to the all-new smart 12-speed HiTronix Automated Manual Transmission which the power plant is provides perfectly to the all-new smart 12-speed HiTronix Automated Transmission which re-designed headlamp cluster, with LED Daytime Running Lights (as standard), is also available with Xenon headlights. delivers class-leading efficiency, durability a quieter cabin.

X-Way is available as both a prime mover rigid delivers class-leading efficiency, durability andand a quieter cabin.

X-Way is available as both a prime mover andand rigid in ain a The doors now feature the Eurocargo logo as well as initials to identify the model. variety of 6x4 and 8x4 configurations and with availability of PTO and retarder.

Safety and technology is also impressive variety of 6x4 and 8x4 configurations and with availability of PTO and retarder.

Safety and technology is also impressive DESIGN MEETS FUNCTIONALITY. All of the details have been developed following an in-depth study into aeroand includes a as, wide ofthe active passive equipment including active emergency braking.

Having criteria and includes a wide selection of active andand passive equipment Having metmet his his criteria dynamics – such forselection example, new air de!ectors which including guide theactive !ow ofemergency air therebybraking. guaranteeing the door handle for efficiency, handling, quality comfort, little wonder then, Peter found perfect truck. for efficiency, handling, rideride quality andand comfort, it’s it’s little wonder then, thatthat Peter hashas found his his perfect truck. stays clean.

NEW EUROCARGO IS THE PERFECT CITY TRUCK: perfect for door-to-door more information visit your local IVECO dealer phone 0800 FOR IVECO (0800 48326).

ForFor more information visit your local IVECO dealer or or phone 0800 FOR IVECO (0800 367367 48326). deliveries, for missions across town and for any other jobs in the city centre. Thanks to its ideal cab width (2.1 m), its large steering angle (52 degrees) and the best turning circle in its category (just under 11 metres for the 2790 mm wheelbase version), it is ideal for city work.

www.iveco.co.nz www.iveco.co.nz

NEWS

Cummins fuels next generation A NEW RANGE OF ENGINES OPERATING ON A VARIETY of low carbon fuels is under development at Cummins.

The new Cummins powertrain platforms will be the industry’s first unified, fuel-agnostic engines. Engine blocks and core components sharing common architectures will be optimised for diesel, natural gas and hydrogen applications.

“Getting to zero is not a light-switch event. Carbon emissions that we put into the atmosphere today will have a lasting impact. This means anything we can do to start reducing the carbon footprint today is a win for the planet. We need to take action now,” says Srikanth Padmanabhan, President, Cummins Engine Business.

“Having a variety of lower carbon options is particularly important considering the variation in duty cycles and operating environments across the many markets we serve. There is no single solution or ‘magic bullet’ that will work for all application types or all end users.”

The Cummins fuel-agnostic engine platforms will be derived from a common base engine with a high degree of parts commonality.

Below the head gasket, each engine will largely have similar components while above the head gasket will have specific components suited to different fuel types.

This new design approach will be applied across the B, L and X-Series engine portfolios, which will be available for diesel, natural gas and hydrogen.

“This is a new way of designing and developing lower emission internal combustion powertrains that meet the unique needs of the transportation industry while leveraging the benefits of a common product architecture and footprint where possible,” says Jonathon White, Vice President of

Cummins launched a natural gas version of its X15 engine in 2021. New generation diesel, gas and hydrogen engines are under development.

Engineering, Engine Business.

Parts commonality will allow OEMs to integrate a variety of fuel types across the same truck chassis and there will be minimal costs to train technicians and re-tool service locations, resulting in a lower total cost of ownership.

These fuel-agnostic platforms are based on the learnings from millions of diesel and natural gas engines currently in-use.

“No matter what type of work a fleet does, we’ll have an engine powered by lower carbon fuels with diesel-like performance to get the job done,” says White.

These new products are an important element of Cummins’ strategy to reduce the greenhouse gas (GHG) and air quality impacts of its products and reach net-zero emissions by 2050. T&D

Manufacturing industry changes TWO SIGNIFICANT OWNERSHIP changes are looming in the New Zealand truck body and trailer industry.

Action Manufacturing Ltd, owned by Tourism Holdings Ltd (THL), has advised it has entered into a conditional agreement to purchase the business and assets of MaxiTRANS in New Zealand from Australia Trailer Solutions Group New Zealand Limited.

It is expected the conditions of the agreement will be satisfied and the acquisition complete at the end of February.

MaxiTRANS operates in the heavy transport manufacturing industry under the brands of Maxi-CUBE and Freighter. It employs approximately 50 people.

“We are excited to continue to support Action Manufacturing to grow its non-RV manufacturing activity,’’ says THL chief executive Grant Webster.

Hamilton-based Action Manufacturing provides a specialist design and build service for camper vans, ambulances, delivery vehicles, mobile medical clinics and other vehicles.

Evans Engineering has been purchased by the Modern Transport Group of companies.

Action Manufacturing purchased truck body and trailer manufacturer Fairfax Industries in 2018.

And in another move the Hamilton-based Modern Transport Group has completed the purchase of the business and property of Evans Engineering Co Limited, adding further capacity to the group’s manufacturing arm.

Tokoroa-based Evans Engineering was established in 1945 as a trailer manufacturer serving the logging industry. Evans will continue to operate as normal.

The exclusive agency for ExTe Fabriks logging equipment has been transferred to another group company, Mikes Transport Warehouse Ltd. T&D Truck & Driver | 11

NEWS

Autonomous mining milestone A REGULAR STREAM OF NEWS STORIES AND PRESS releases report the progress of tech companies and truck manufacturers in advancing driverless truck operation.

It’s worth remembering that away from the highway, autonomous trucks are already playing a significant safety and efficiency role in the mining industry.

Caterpillar has long been recognised as the industry leader with the world’s largest autonomous fleet of haul trucks and has recently reached the milestone of 500 autonomous trucks in operation worldwide.

Cat is now looking to leverage that experience to scale its autonomous product range with new offerings for the quarry/aggregates and construction industries.

Caterpillar has been investing in autonomous development for decades. From 1994 to 1995, Caterpillar ran the first two prototype Cat 777C autonomous mining trucks at a Texas limestone quarry, where they successfully hauled more than 5,000 production loads over a 2.6-mile course.

“Having 500 driverless trucks in operation across the globe is tangible evidence of our ability to innovate and a clear indication of Caterpillar’s commitment to the future of mining,” says Denise Johnson, Caterpillar Resource Industries Group President Caterpillar autonomous haul trucks now operate 24/7 on three continents. At year-end 2021, customers using Cat Command technology had safely hauled more than 4 billion tonnes and travelled over 145 million kilometres autonomously — significantly more than any competitor.

In the mining sector driverless trucks are proving safer and have up to 30% improved performance over manned trucks. Cat says customers across multiple industries are interested in autonomy. T&D

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12 | Truck & Driver

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NEWS

Final testing for new DAF DAF TRUCKS IS WORKING WITH some key European customers in the final phase of development for its next generation of distribution trucks.

The new truck series – expected to eventually replace the current CF models – will share the design DNA of the New Generation XF, XG and XG+ to offer high levels of quality, safety, efficiency and driver comfort.

The launch of the New Generation XF, XG and XG+ has been a tremendous success for DAF all across Europe. After the first test drives, the series were widely praised by the trade press and crowned ‘International Truck of the Year 2022’ shortly after.

The New Generation DAF distribution trucks share the same platform as the award-winning, new long haul and heavy duty trucks. They are the first commercial vehicles developed with the new European Masses and Dimensions regulations in mind.

“With the game-changing XF, XG and XG+, DAF started the future of long and heavy haulage”, says Ron Borsboom, executive director Product Development.

Beneath the camouflage is the new DAF expected to replace the existing CF range.

“Now, we are on our way to start the future of regional and national distribution as well.

Direct vision, seating position, ergonomics, fit and finish, it will all be of a new league, next to superior vehicle efficiency and ride and handling.”

DAF says it will unveil the New Generation

distribution trucks in the second half of the year.

The new series will become available in addition to the wide range of the popular and versatile DAF CF trucks and overseas reports suggest the new model will carry XD designation to fit beneath the larger models. T&D

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NEWS

Daimler leading the charge Electric heavy-duty trucks such as the Freightliner eCascadia will need to be supported by major charging infrastructure developments. Daimler Truck North America is partnering with NextEra Energy Resources and BlackRock Renewable Power on a billion dollar project in the U.S.

INFR ASTRUCTURE

Group to establish European high-performance charging network is also paving the

Daimler Truck North America (DTNA), NextEra Energy Resources and

commercial vehicles in the US, especially for long-haul freight operations, remains

THE

NEXT

MAJOR

JOINT

VENTURE

project to support electric and hydrogen fuel cell trucks is an almost NZ$1 billion investment planned for the United States.

BlackRock Renewable Power have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to design, develop, install and operate a nationwide U.S. charging network for medium- and heavy-duty battery electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.

Start of operations is planned for this year with the first sites set to begin

construction in 2023. Initial funding is expected to be US$650 million (NZ$988

way for a carbon neutral transport industry.

The lack of a publicly available, nationwide electric charging infrastructure for

one of the biggest barriers for widespread deployment of electric trucks.

The JV will see the three parties address this challenge with a network of charging

sites planned on critical freight routes along the east and west coasts and in Texas by 2026.

Initial focus will be on charging stations for battery electric medium- and heavy-

million) divided equally among the three parties.

duty vehicles followed by hydrogen fuelling stations for fuel cell trucks. The sites

is another building block in our global partnership strategy to accelerate the

mobility.

“The planned joint venture with NextEra Energy Resources and BlackRock

infrastructure required for carbon-neutral commercial transportation,” says Martin

will also be available for light-duty vehicles to serve the greater goal of electrifying Each of the founding member of the proposed JV brings specific experience and

Daum, CEO of Daimler Truck.

knowledge to the project.

successfully tackle the urgent need for zero emission vehicles. Daimler Truck North

eCascadia and eM2 are now close to series production), but also has experience in

a nationwide infrastructure for battery-electric and hydrogen-powered commercial

America.

“Whether in the U.S. or in Europe, these kind of collaborations are essential to

America, together with its two new allies, is taking the wheel and paving the way for vehicles in the U.S.”

This planned joint venture is the latest move by Daimler Trucks to strategically

align with top tier players in the field of transformation technologies.

In the area of electric charging or hydrogen refuelling infrastructure along

DTNA offers not only the expertise of developing electric trucks (the Freightliner

providing consultant services to its customers, the large fleet operators in North

In cooperation with the utility company Portland General Electric (PGE),

DTNA has opened the first-of-its-kind public charging site for commercial vehicles in the U.S. in Portland, Oregon.

NextEra Energy Resources is a significant investor in electric infrastructure and

important transport routes, Daimler Trucks collaborates with Shell, BP and

brings experience with renewable energy and grid integration.

EVBox Group as well as PowerElectronics in battery-electric charging contribute to

investment platforms in the world, with over US$9.5 billion in total commitments

TotalEnergies. The partnerships with Siemens Smart Infrastructure, ENGIE and enabling the economic use of carbon-neutral trucks.

And the recently announced joint venture with the Traton Group and Volvo

BlackRock Renewable Power operates one of the largest renewable power equity

and investments in over 350 wind and solar projects across 15 countries and five continents.

T&D

Truck & Driver | 15

NEWS

Bombay Truck Show update IT’S BECOME A LONG AND disappointing roster of major events that have been brought to a halt by January’s shift into the Covid-19 Red Traffic Light setting.

Among them was the second Bombay Truck Show which had been scheduled for February 12 at the Bombay Rugby Club.

The biennial truck show sponsored by Allied Petroleum and TransFleet Trailers remains postponed rather than cancelled, with organisers looking at late-2022 or February 2023 as potential dates.

Planning had been well advanced for the show to go ahead under the Orange Traffic Light guidelines. All exhibitor spaces were sold

before the end of 2021 and more than 300 trucks remain registered for the UDC Show and Shine competition.

“We are extremely disappointed to have been only 20 days out from the show, with so much of the work done, only to have the rug pulled out from under us,” says show director Marieka Morcombe.

Marieka says that even after the postponement was announced she was still receiving inquiries about exhibitor stands and Show and Shine entries, for whenever the show does take place.

“The good thing is we only need some clarity around setting a new date because most of the work is done and the show still has a lot of

momentum,” says Marieka.

“The overwhelming response, from about 95% of the exhibitors, is that they want us to retain their entry fees to reserve their place in the show. Very few have asked for their money back and many have asked to make a donation to the charities who would have benefitted from the show.

Franklin Hospice, Leukaemia Blood Cancer NZ and the Bombay Rugby Club were the charity partners of the event.

“If there is any silver lining the next show is ready to go. We’ll announce the new date as soon as possible,” says Marieka.

The inaugural Bombay Truck Show in February 2020 had raised $68,000 for charity. T&D

Isuzu and Cummins working on EVs CUMMINS AND ISUZU ARE EXTENDING THEIR technology collaboration to develop a prototype medium-duty, battery electric truck.

Intended for demonstration in North America later this year, the truck represents the first zero-emissions solution facilitated by the Isuzu Cummins Powertrain Partnership (ICPP) that was established in May 2019.

To date the ICPP agreement has seen the two companies evaluate and carry out opportunities to jointly develop and bring new diesel and dieselbased powertrains to global markets.

Under this global mid-range diesel agreement, Cummins has provided mid-range B6.7 diesel platforms for use in Isuzu medium-size trucks for the North America and Japan markets.

In expanding the agreement to work on battery electric trucks, the Cummins PowerDrive6000 powertrain solution will be integrated into Isuzu’s F-Series model. The plan is to trial the prototype truck with North American fleets later this year.

Following a successful demonstration and pilot phase, the goal is to commercialize medium-duty, battery-electric Isuzu trucks with Cumminspowered systems across North America.

16 | Truck & Driver

“We are excited to be working with Isuzu to accelerate decarbonization within the partnership,” said Amy Davis, vice president and president of New Power at Cummins.

“It’s through our joint commitment in innovation that we provide our customers with safe, reliable zero-emissions solutions.”

The project is part of the Isuzu Environmental Vision 2050 plan to advance global environmental actions and reduce greenhouse emissions.

“As part of the path to carbon neutrality, it is significant for us to start this joint BEV prototype project in North America,” said Koichi Seto, director of the board, and senior executive officer at Isuzu. T&D

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NEWS Battery electric Scania P Series models are at the forefront of an ambitious EV truck recharging project in Sweden.

Recharging Vision AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE RECHARGING FACILITY route charging of long-haul electric trucks. being built in Sweden provides clues to what renewable-energy truck stops may “The charging stations and solar park are an idea I have had for a couple of look like in the future. years,” says Falkenklev Logistik’s CEO Victor Falkenklev.

Swedish freight company Falkenklev Logistik is working alongside Scania “With the need to become more sustainable and the way diesel prices are to develop an innovative EV charging hub and solar park in southern Sweden. increasing, it was quite obvious to me that we had to do something, and we are Initially Scania is delivering five battery electric trucks and 1.6MW charging committed to electrifying our fleet. The electricity is being generated by solar equipment to Falkenklev Logistik, part of the haulier’s plan for a 22-vehicle power, which makes it 100% renewable. It’s a really proud moment for us.” electric charging station at a new company depot in Malmö and a long term The project is being financed in part by the climate fund of Swedish goal to electrify its entire fleet. environmental protection agency Naturvårdsverket, which will cover half the The site, which could potentially be expanded to charge up to 40 vehicles cost of the SEK 18 million project. Falkenklev is paying for the remaining costs. simultaneously, will become Sweden’s largest truck charging station when it “Supplying our e-mobility solution for this ambitious project is further opens later this year. The imaginative project involves several companies in the evidence of the rapid development of electrification in the heavy transport transport and renewable energy ecosystems. industry,” says Fredrik Allard, Head of E-mobility, Scania.

Falkenklev Logistik’s scheme is key to its goal of making its whole vehicle “This initiative is a perfect example of how new ecosystems and user models fleet electric. The five Scania battery electric 4x2 trucks, with vehicle bodies built are being created to come up with the electric solutions that we urgently need to

by SKAB, will be used for distribution roles in the Skåne region of southern decarbonise the transport system, to make it sustainable for the long-term.” T&D Sweden.

The charging technology in Malmö will be supplied The new EV charging facility in Malmo, Sweden is expected to be operational later this year.

by Finnish manufacturer Kempower and delivered

by Scania. It can supply energy based on the number of vehicles charging simultaneously, with an initial maximum output per vehicle of 250kW and the potential to upgrade to 320kW per vehicle in the future.

The design is future-proofed to allow charging of coming generations of battery-electric vehicles with bigger batteries and longer range.

Falkenklev has also commissioned the solar energy company Soltech Energy Solutions to build a 1.5-hectare solar park along with a 2MW battery energy storage system to create a state-of-the-art energy hub.

And as part of the initiative Falkenklev has agreed to make the charging stations publicly available for charging of other vehicles, in addition to the company’s own trucks. The site will also be able to support en18 | Truck & Driver

NEWS

Littles go large at Timaru ALEX LITTLE RACED HIS FREIGHTLINER INTO AN early lead of the NZ Super Truck Championship during the opening round at Timaru on January 29-30.

The South Canterbury Car Club and Levels Raceway made the decision to continue with their Trust Aoraki “Thunder Down Under” meeting under the Covid-19 Red Traffic light setting. No spectators were permitted but the full meeting was broadcast via a free livestream.

Alex Little set the pace in qualifying and was joined by his father Malcolm on the front row of the grid for the opening race. And while only six teams fronted for the opening round, the weekend produced three different winners in the three races that counted towards the Super Truck title.

Saturday’s saw Alex Little finish ahead of his father and Dave West (Freightliner). Defending champion Troy Wheeler, who had been off the pace on Saturday in his Freightliner, won the Sunday morning race ahead

of Alex Little and Shane Gray in his new Kenworth.

West, the runner-up in the 2021 title, continued build a strong points tally when he won the third race ahead of the Littles, this time with Malcolm leading home Alex.

Alex Little leads the series with 57 points ahead of Malcolm Little with 50 while West is in third place on 46 points ahead of Wheeler, who still gained 42 points from a mixed weekend.

The finale of the Timaru meeting was the Jim Thickett Memorial race with Alex Little making up for large handicap start to pass Gary Price (International) with a lap to go while Malcolm Little moving into second on the final lap.

The second round of the NZ Super Truck Championship is scheduled for Invercargill’s Teretonga Park on the March 19-20 weekend with the final two rounds at Mike Pero Motorsport Park (Ruapuna) on March 2627 and Manfeild Circuit Chris Amon on April 2-3. T&D

Above: Alex Little and Malcolm Little run side-byside in their Freightliners at the Timaru opening round of the New Zealand Super Truck Championship.

Right: Shane Gray returned to the Super Truck grid debuting his new Kenworth T409 built by Force Industries in Taranaki.

Photos Euan Cameron

Truck & Driver | 19

SERIES

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NEWS

Going the extra mile THE EFFORT TO GO THE EXTR A mile can sometimes be the ride of a lifetime.

That was a case recently when Viv’s Kitchen at Sanson sought a little help from Booth’s Transport in Manawatu to provide something special for a regular customer.

“Harlen has been coming to see us every second Monday for about eight years,” says Viv Withers who owns and operates the wellknown SH1 café with her husband Kevan.

“Harlen is non-verbal, and he can get a little bit excited and a bit loud. I think that’s been a problem for a few cafes but definitely not for us.

“We have got to know Harlen, and we love having him here,” says Viv. “Over the years we have learned about Harlen’s love for trucks and our café is a very well-known stop for truck drivers.

“At Christmas, Toni Banks from Booth’s Transport came up with some very cool presents for Harlen including a model Scania truck, a calendar and a beanie.

“We then started to put a plan together to see if we could get him a ride in a truck. The team at Booth’s Transport then went about making it happen.”

On his mid-January visit to Viv’s Kitchen,

it wasn’t a model Scania waiting for Harlen.

Booth’s had the real thing waiting outside and after a few anxious moments Harlen climbed aboard.

“We thought they’d probably do a quick lap around in the big car park here, but they took off for about 15 minutes or more. It was amazing,” Viv says.

“Harlen just loved it. The smile never left his face.

“Crete Rurehe, (Booth’s Cultural Ambassador for the day) couldn’t have been better. He made Harlen feel very relaxed.”

Booth’s Transport general manager Bernard Walsh says the company was happy to help out.

“The credit really goes to Viv and her team at Viv’s Kitchen,” says Bernard.

“It was Viv who reached out to us to ask if we might have a cap and t-shirt for Harlen.

We were happy to help and with a little more planning we decided it would be easy for Crete, who is part of our Driver Training team, to call past with our latest Scania.

“The smile on Harlen’s face was amazing to see.”

Bernard says the team at Booth’s are very keen to keep in touch with Harlen in the future.

“He is a pretty special guy,” says Bernard. T&D

A very happy Harlen after his ride with driver trainer Crete Rurehe aboard a new Booth’s Transport Scania.

TD31427

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NEWS Innovation at JCB has created the PotholePro machine that can make road repairs three times faster than traditional methods. The first machine could arrive in New Zealand as soon as late-2022.

Pothole revolution “FIX THE ROADS” MIGHT BE THE MOST COMMONLY used three-word phrase in the road transport industry.

The new JCB PotholePro machine now going into service in the UK looks like providing a fast-track solution to urgent road repairs.

The British digger maker says the new machine allows a single operator to repair potholes three times faster and at half the cost of traditional methods. If that’s true, they can’t get here soon enough.

“It’s a game changer,” says James Lundy, South Island sales manager for PFG Construction which distributes JCB equipment in New Zealand.

“I’ve already had our salesman ask, ‘when are we going to get one of these’ and we’ve already had enquiries from several companies about it.

“At this stage the timing indicates we’ll get the first unit towards the end of this year or into early 2023,” Lundy says.

The JCB PotholePro was launched in 2021 and is at work in UK field trials with several shires and councils.

The Stoke-on-Trent City Council has been a development partner with JCB on the new machine and says it has completed almost three years of repairs in just over four months with the revolutionary machine.

It’s a staggering 10,000m² of road repairs in just 130 days (an area equivalent to eight Olympic swimming pools) which using traditional methods would have taken 1,040 days or almost three years.

The council became the first in the UK to invest in the PotholePro last year, having trialled the technology in the months before. Other authorities across the UK are now investing in the machine.

“We are delighted with the success of the JCB PotholePro and the speed at which it is maintaining the city’s road network. To have competed almost three years of work in just over four months is astounding and speaks volumes for this solution over traditional methods,” says councillor Daniel Jellyman.

“It’s proving so effective across the city that councillors and residents are actively asking for the PotholePro when a highway network issue arises.

Put simply, the JCB PotholePro delivers a consistent and permanent repair in a fraction of the time.”

The development of the PotholePro has been personally led by JCB Chairman Lord Bamford.

“Potholes really are a blight on our nation and the solution we have 22 | Truck & Driver

developed with the JCB PotholePro offers a quick and permanent fix,” Lord Bamford says.

“Changing the long-established ways local authorities repair roads takes time, but I’m pleased that councils across the UK are now starting to see the real benefits of the JCB PotholePro, which is exceeding expectations with its speed and productivity.”

Tests show the PotholePro can complete a pothole repair in less than eight minutes – equivalent to up to 250 square metres per day and 700 potholes per month. With a 40km/h travel speed it’s able to rapidly relocate between sites without additional transport costs.

The PotholePro allows the contractor or local authority to cut the defect, crop the edges and clean the hole with one machine – mechanising jobs traditionally done by pothole gangs and delivering up to a 50% cut in daily costs.

The machine features a 600mm wide planer and integrated dust suppression system, enabling the operator to plane a full carriageway from the kerb, without repositioning. The machine also comes with a sweeper/ bucket and hydraulic cropping tool, allowing a uniform hole to be prepared by the operator from the comfort the cab. T&D

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Truck & Driver | 25

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With 320 horsepower and a new ZF 12-speed automated transmission, the Iveco EuroCargo now provides an even more versatile middleweight platform.

TD32193

TS ORIGIN IS ITALY, BUT THIS NEW IVECO EUROCARGO IS also the trucking equivalent of a Swiss Army Knife – poised for multi-tasking at short notice.

In early 2021 Challenge Rockgas distributor David “Wilky” Wilkinson from Cambridge took delivery of the first 320-horsepower Iveco EuroCargo ML 160-320 to reach New Zealand.

It wasn’t the first to go on the road. It took nearly 10 months to build the truck and a new semi-trailer to the one-off design Wilky had measured up for his latest LPG bottle delivery truck. November completion makes it the second 320 unit on Kiwi roads.

Wilky’s truck showcases the new flagship powertrain for the EuroCargo; a 320hp version of the 6.7-litre Tector 7 six-cylinder engine matched to a 12-speed ZF automated transmission.

It’s a combination built to handle a wide variety of work. And that’s business as usual for Wilky, who happily admits to “being wired a bit differently” and owns trucks that reflect his willingness to have-a-go at anything.

But even though each of Wilky’s other seven trucks has been configured to multi-task, the latest addition takes things to the next level.

And for Iveco New Zealand the new EuroCargo 320 is also set to be a multi-tasking model. The brand sees strong sales potential for the new engine, and in particular the new transmission, along with more configurations on the way this year.

“We are progressively introducing Euro 6 across our range and the EuroCargo 320 meets the latest Euro 6 Step E emissions standard,” says Keith Tuffery from Iveco Trucks NZ. “Previously the highest output was 280hp and 950Nm and the new Euro 6 320 gives customers some good gains in performance.

“The 320 produces 1100Nm of torque but the biggest thing is the GCMs of the earlier automated transmission models were limited and the new 12-speed automated transmission overcomes that.

“As we know the market is moving towards automatic and automated transmissions and the consensus seems to be the 12-speed

will probably become the standard model for our market,” says Keith.

“Having a higher GCM opens up a lot of new applications and the 320 12-speed will tick a lot of boxes for operators who are doing highcube, long distance work.

“The 320 and 12-speed is also going to be the basis of the new EuroCargo 6x2 model we’ll be introducing later this year and I can see a wide range of applications for that truck.”

The transmission may be new to the EuroCargo family but it’s a wellestablished part of the Iveco line-up.

“It’s a ZF transmission which is a lighter torque capacity version of the 12-speed which Iveco has been using in heavy trucks for quite a few years now. It’s a well proven transmission,” says Keith.

Keith makes another contribution to this story having followed the build of Wilky’s 320. He’s dubbed it the “Mini Road Train” and it’s perhaps the perfect description for the long and low unit.

On the December morning when New Zealand Truck & Driver caught up with Wilky, the 4x2 EuroCargo day cab has its new 12.6-metre twoaxle semi-trailer running behind. All up, with 3.8-metres of deck length on the truck, Wilky is loaded with 276 new (empty) 45kg LPG domestic bottles he’ll be delivering to other gas retailers.

There will be other times when the Iveco looks a lot different - with a four-axle trailer in tow, a load of pallet freight or carting a container. Or delivering racking for a neighbouring Cambridge shelving manufacturer.

Challenge Rockgas Cambridge has the franchise to sell Rockgas LPG through the Eastern Waikato – essentially Cambridge, Morrinsville, Matamata, Te Aroha, Tirau and Putaruru.

Wilky’s wider travels – what he calls his line-haul work – see him delivering newly imported gas bottles to other distributors ready for filling.

“I do gas bottle cartage North Island-wide,” says Wilky.

“For back loads I can do pallet work, 1000-litre AdBlue pods, old gas bottles that are ready for scrapping and other stuff.”

The nature of Wilky’s work means weight isn’t really among his high priorities (the 45kg domestic bottles are 35kg when empty).

Truck & Driver | 27

Left and Right: The design that David “Wilky” Wilkinson drew up for his new Rockgas LPG bottle delivery truck includes modified farm gates for easy access and versatility while the EuroCargo also features a Palfinger tail lift mounted on the left hand side.

The truck and trailer weigh up at 13-tonne and will generally run at about 24 tonnes fully loaded. Rather than weight, Wilky focused on two priorities: lots of deck space and a “transformer” level of quick-change versatility.

To understand how Wilky came up with his new combination it pays to know a little of his history and what inspires him to do things a little differently.

The Wilkinson family came to Cambridge in 1888 and five generations have been involved with the transport and automotive industries in the Waikato town.

“My great-grandfather rode a motorcycle through the main street of Cambridge in 1897,” says Wilky.

“In 1931 my grandfather got the Auckland-Wellington speed record in a Model A. In 10 hours, 40 minutes or something. We were the Ford dealers in Cambridge from 1916 till 1981.”

What was the Wilkinson Ford dealership in Duke St is now Challenge Rockgas Cambridge/Wilkinson Fuel Supplies Ltd selling an increasing annual volume of LPG. With the operation expanding, Wilky is building

28 | Truck & Driver

a new depot in the Hautapu industrial area with enough room to run his current trucks and more if needed.

“My Uncle Jim was one of the original pioneering transport engineers with TSV. I can remember as a kid, aged about seven, being taken for a ride by my dad and being shown how one of Uncle Jim’s power trailers worked.

“I think it had a Bedford engine in it, behind a TK Bedford truck carting beer to Wellington. It was a twin power unit with a complete engine in the trailer that drove a diff with two sets of controls. A proper twin engine unit.

“There was no horsepower back in those days. Waikato Breweries were carting beer to Wellington, but they were struggling. A TK Bedford would have had a 466 Leyland or something in it and that was big horsepower back then.

“Jim would have built six or eight of them in different configurations.

He built one for Waotu Quarries, except the engine was in the dolly rather than in the chassis of the trailer.

“And he built one using a rail car engine that carted houses over to

Truck & Driver | 29

Clockwise from top left: Easy two-step access to the cab and a large central storage locker are convenient features of the EuroCargo. “Wilky” likes the sun blinds in the doors and the handy map light on a flexible stalk. The 6.7-litre Tector 7 engine develops 320hp and 1100Nm of torque.

Manapouri when they were building the power project. The basis of his power trailers is what the guy is using in the Northern Territory today.

“He also bought in many 4x2 Mercedes and put Hendrickson back ends in them, converting them to 6x4s.”

It’s that sort of family inspiration, combined with Wilky’s own varied experiences of driving, owning and selling trucks, as well as trailer components, that all play a part in the make-up of his current fleet of eight gas trucks.

“I started in 2002 with a second-hand three-tonne Hino and I built the body on that,” says Wilky.

“There are eight trucks in the yard at night now. I currently run one Iveco Daily and four EuroCargos, one of which is a crane truck, plus a little FUSO City tipper and two FA FUSO Enduros. They’re the Indian ones. I bought them because of the spec; they come with full air brakes, 200 litre diesel tanks, AdBlue and wider section tyres.

“The Fuso City has an alloy dropside tipper body from Piako Transport Engineers. The Japanese bodies aren’t wide enough for four large LPG cylinders, so I built my own deck.

“Iveco have brought in three trucks on indent order for me. I’ve got another Daily coming this year, also on indent order.

“I love the Iveco’s. I bought my first Iveco because at that time it was $500 cheaper than the corresponding Hino and it came with disc brakes and air suspension. Having been a Mercedes salesman, that’s the European features I appreciate for myself and my staff.

“Back then I think people looked at Iveco as a bit of an oddball. It’s a well-accepted brand now.

“My second Iveco is a diesel tanker. Another one has got a PK6500 Palfinger crane behind the cab and both are either a tractor unit or I put a flat deck on them, so they become very versatile multi-purpose trucks.

“The little tipper, you take the tailgate out and you can put a tail lift in there. In the winter it’s a gas bottle truck and in the summer, it’s supposed to be a gardening truck.

“My Daily has got a tail lift on the side and the tail board has two positions so you can either put a full load of bottles on or a threequarter load of bottles plus some crates of forklift bottles on the back of it.

“The Fuso’s have all got opening sides, not fixed sides like every other gas truck in the country has got.

“I just pick up ideas I see and then make them work for me. I’ve got a real boys Meccano set. All my trucks have opening sides so we can do pallet stuff with them.”

The new trailer is the second in Wilky’s fleet.

“Back in about 2007 I obtained a four-axle curtain sider that had been rolled and written off.

“I cut the curtains and head ends off and then Colin Richardson at Piako Transport Engineers straightened it out, so I’ve got a flat deck. I also replaced the ball race with a king pin so I’ve either got a two-axle

30 | Truck & Driver

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The two-axle semi-trailer is 12.6 metres long. It can be easily converted to flat deck configuration and a 40ft container can be carried. semi or a four-axle drawbar trailer.

“I go down the line with new gas bottles and bring back empty AdBlue pods or old LPG bottles ready for scrapping, all sorts of things.

There’s work out there and you don’t have to look too hard for it. I’m happy doing what I do.

“I also do a little bit of work for Southwards Shelving in Cambridge.

They sell shelving and racking and last year I spent three days carting racking to Fonterra cool stores in Te Awamutu for them. Plus, I delivered two loads to Gisborne and one to Otaki.

Wilky says the LPG business has given him his love of trucks, but he points out he’s not really a truckie but someone who has seen most

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“I’ve never driven full-time but I’ve done a lot of things. A lot of relief driving and a lot of over-dimension piloting. I’ve done logs, bulk and line-haul including driving a bulk LPG tanker.

“From 1988 to 1991 I was in Auckland selling Mercedes trucks for Cable Price and I’ve also had five years working at Transpecs selling all the trailing componentry.

“A couple of mates have told me I’m the kind of guy that not only owns and operates trucks but has also sold them – not just the cab/ chassis but all the componentry behind. So, I understand the whole industry.

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“Greg Sheehan employed me when I was at Mercedes – a really nice guy.

“I saw him a while back and I showed him one of my trucks here on the forecourt in Cambridge. He was impressed when I told him it was all demountable with three different deck combinations plus three trailer towing combinations - fuel tank, flat top and sides for doing gas bottles plus a fifth wheel, a 40mm ring feeder and a tow ball.

“I build my gear differently because I’ve seen all sides of the industry. None of my gas trucks are what I’d call conventional,” says Wilky.

The decision to buy the EuroCargo 320 prompts another Wilky yarn.

The new 320 joins a 220hp model and a pair of 280s – one with the six-speed manual and the other with a nine-speed.

“I bought the 280 six-speed for gas bottle deliveries, but it ended up doing what I call my “line haul” work (new bottle transport),” says Wilky.

“I was probably doing a load a week. We were lifting 150 bottles up on top of a row of bottles laying down. That’s how I got 197 on there.”

Wilky had the 280 six-speed loaded and was about to head to Wanganui when a

gearbox bearing failed and left him stranded on the roadside in Cambridge.

He unhooked the semi-trailer, went to grab his 280 nine-speed and after converting the semi-trailer to its four-axle configuration towed the trailer home.

“I removed the dolly, the diesel tank and pump module. After refitting the turntable so it was a tractor unit, I was headed south,” says Wilky.

“It went really well. And it got me thinking about the new 320 that was coming out and I thought I’d better have a look at it.

“Then I sat down with a hunk of paper and thought `what do I need?’

“I got some gas bottles out, lined them up beside a fence and measured a couple of rows. Then I sketched up the design for this two-axle semi-trailer.

“Each bottle is only 35kg empty, so it’s mostly deck space you need. The total payload is only about 10-tonne, but I need the deck space,” says Wilky.

The 3.8-metre deck on the truck was built by Mike Old at CSP (Cambridge Steel Products) who has built the other convertible/ swapper decks for Wilky, starting with the tanker in 2006.

A Palfinger tail lift is fitted within the

David “Wilky” Wilkinson knew exactly what ideas he wanted to build into his new Iveco EuroCargo 320. wheelbase on the left side to assist with loading and unloading the gas bottles.

The EuroCargo’s wheelbase has been shortened by 900mm but it’s actually identical to another Iveco factory wheelbase. The fifth wheel sits 700mm behind the centre line which is the minimum for the Stinger Steer regulations.

“The fifth wheel is on twist locks, and now fits on three of my trucks. It’s the only one I’ve got,” says Wilky.

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Driving in urban streets reveals the responsiveness of the automated ZF transmission while 320hp and 1100Nm of torque provides plenty of performance on Waikato rural roads.

34 | Truck & Driver

Top Right: The turntable can be removed and the EuroCargo can also be used to pull a drawbar trailer. Special “Wilky” design features on the two-axle semi-trailer built by Piako Transport Engineering include removeable farm gates and a Palfinger tail lift for unloading gas bottles.

“I can take it off and put it on another one of my trucks and tow a draw bar trailer with this one.

“For me it’s all about versatility. I call it “Vatican Versatility” because they’re made in Italy,” he laughs.

The new two-axle semi-trailer was built at Piako Transport Engineering in Morrinsville.

“I’ve dealt with Colin Richardson at PTE since I was at Transpecs,” says Wilky.

“Colin sold the business just as the build was starting and Cullen Engineering from Te Aroha now own PTE. They were great to work with.

“Joel Knight at PTE built it and he was great to deal with. He thought my way and I enjoyed working with him.”

The project included a few amusing moments.

“When I fronted up at PTE with 12 farm gates, they didn’t have a clue what I was doing. But they soon saw what I was thinking.”

The 12.6-metre semi-trailer has given Wilky the space he requires.

“I got 282 cylinders on my initial load and there’s 276 on this one.

I used to cart 200 (on the previous Iveco), so I’ve got about a 40 per cent increase.”

The slightly modified farm gates – with a 100mm strip welded into them for reinforcement - and the removeable posts they attach to, are a big part of the versatility.

Five farm gates run along each side of the semi-trailer. There’s a removeable post between each gate. There are two pairs each side which are left and right hinged so removing the centre post allows them to open at double width for loading pallets.

About 400mm of storage behind the trailer headboard allows the

gates and posts to be easily stowed, converting the full unit to a flat deck configuration to carry containers.

When the gates and posts are removed the twist locks allow either a 40ft container (or two 20 footers) to be carried.

“All of the Rockgas cylinders come into New Zealand in 40ft containers. So, I could get a chance to do that work,” says Wilky.

A sliding Palfinger tail lift is installed under the rear of the trailer.

“I saw the tail lift idea on the back of a fridge truck,” says Wilky.

“I thought, `I can make that work.’

“The trailer is a bit heavier than what I wanted but the tail lift underneath weighs about 700kg and there aren’t many trucks with two tail lifts.

“I think the trailer looks nice with a taper down chassis look. And it’s all set-up to work with a 6x4 tractor unit as well.

“There’s a large size dunnage box on the left side to carry my corner boards and stuff and a Hino toolbox on the truck that’s been modified as my fire extinguisher box plus two large right-side toolboxes.

“The trailer has got SAF air suspension and the SAF Tyre Pilot pressure monitoring and adjustment plus an airlift rear axle for when it’s not loaded. I mean, why drag an axle when you don’t have too?

“I sold the first SAF axle in New Zealand and I’ve stayed loyal to Transpecs after working for them for five years. Over the years I’ve bought a crane and about 10 tail lifts from them, the SAF axles, the Tyre Pilot system, ring feeders and Alcoa wheels.

“When I was at Transpecs I dealt with different operators to when I was selling at Mercedes. So, I’ve sold the front and the back of the whole combination, and I’ve seen most sides of the industry.

Truck & Driver | 35

“Wilky” at work with Rockgas LPG bottles. The new truck and trailer can carry about 280 empty 45kg domestic LPG bottles, a 40% increase on his previous combination.

“I believe a salesman is just a correlator of other people’s ideas.”

It’s still early days in his EuroCargo 320 experience when NZ T&D catches up with Wilky. But after some initial runs to Auckland, Tauranga and Hawke’s Bay he couldn’t be happier.

The extra horsepower and healthy 1100Nm of torque at 1250rpm are coping easily with the increased load and he’s enjoying the switch to a two-pedal driving experience.

“It’s still brand new but it’s performing really well, and the 12-speed auto is beautiful for an old bugger like me,” he says.

The 6.7-litre Tector 7 runs the Iveco Hi-SCR emissions system to achieve Euro 6 compliance and develops 320hp at 2500rpm with 1100Nm of torque at 1250rpm.

“It’s all I need for the jobs I do,” says Wilky.

Wilky reaches back into his memory banks to find a comparison to highlight the modern efficiency of the EuroCargo.

“I can remember those old V10 Mercedes in the `seventies. They were 16-litre non-turbo with 320hp and 1050Nm of torque. This is only 6.7-litres with 320hp and 1100Nm. That’s how the times are changing.

“On paper it’s only 40hp more than my old one and I’m carrying 40% more load. But I reckon it goes as good as the old girl.”

Wilky reckons the ZF 12-speed is the main reason for that.

“It always seems to be in the right gear, and it doesn’t labour.

“The low-speed downshift is very smooth which means it’s nice and refined to drive in the city. Sometimes as you slow down it seems to shift from sixth into fourth, but you hardly notice it.”

Drive, reverse and neutral are selected from buttons on the dash just to the left of the steering wheel. The cruise control, exhaust brake and manual gear change are operated from the right-hand steering column stalk and the left-hand stalk controls the indicators, wipers and horn.

Heading south from Cambridge, the EuroCargo picks up speed smoothly on the old highway and reaches the Waikato Expressway settled at a relaxed 1620rpm in 12th gear at 90km/h.

At one point during our photo shoot, it pulls away from almost standstill on a steep climb, selecting fourth as the best option to climb at 18km/h using 2000rpm until the gradient eases a few hundred metres further on.

In some busy traffic on the climb into Cambridge from the south, the EuroCargo drops to 27km/h in sixth gear using 2100rpm and once again hauls up with plenty of enthusiasm.

Many other aspects of the new EuroCargo get a thumbs up from Wilky.

“The brakes are excellent, and I really like how the transmission shifts down while working smoothly in conjunction with the exhaust 36 | Truck & Driver

brake,” he says.

Wilky also rates the comfort on a longer run.

“It’s got a long wheelbase and that’s the reason it rides comfortably.

I’ve already been to Hawke’s Bay in it, and it was relaxing to drive.”

Some of the convenience features include remote central locking, a reach and rake adjustable steering wheel and a driver’s left armrest. A driver’s airbag is standard.

“It’s only a two-seater so it’s got a big box storage in the middle. The map light (on a flexible stalk) is a really great feature and it’s got sun blinds in the side windows which is nice early in the morning.

“There are little cubbies everywhere with plenty of space for documents and my coffee mug and there’s a net next to my left hand to hold my phone and logbook. There’s a USB charge point and even a coat rack.

“The driving position is really comfortable, and I take my old foam chip pillow with me and sleep in it when I have to go down the line.”

There’s also a handy compressed air connection in the cab and Wilky can attach an air gun and blow any dust out of the interior.

One Iveco design aspect that Wilky says is important is the two-step access to the cab.

“It’s quite a low cab with two nice, wide steps to get in.

“I believe you don’t want to have to lift your knee up above the height of your hip when you’re getting in. In a gas truck you might be getting in and out at least 40 or 50 times a day and you’ve got to be able to get in and out nice and easily,” he says.

For the loads and varied work Wilky takes on the Iveco is a combination of modern technology and carefully thought-out design.

“Really my only restriction is the single drive axle,” he says.

In terms of fitting accessories onto the truck, Wilky has added a Narva LED light bar which he says, “is brilliant with 2am starts.”

He’s also got some 19.5 x 8.25-inch Alcoa wheels on order.

“You’ve got to have alloys,” he says.

The back story to Wilky’s one-off “Mini Road Train” turns out to be as varied as the truck itself.

“I’m 65 and I reckon this unit will see me out,” he says.

“That trailer will be saleable because it’s got a sliding tail lift underneath - perfect for de-vanning containers.

“I reckon it’s kind of funny that because of a $100 gearbox bearing I ended up with a whole new unit,” says Wilky.

“But am I happy? I love it, it’s really nice to drive and it’ll do everything I want it to do.

“This is going to be a bloody good retirement truck for me.” T&D

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HIS CERTAINLY ISN’T THE TYPICAL NEW truck we road test in New Zealand Truck & Driver magazine.

It doesn’t have huge horsepower numbers and certainly isn’t a heavyweight. But the new Iveco EuroCargo ML 160-320 with its Euro 6 320hp six-cylinder engine and 12-speed ZF automated transmission deserves some love from us.

And not just because medium duty trucks are an important segment of the market.

The super-versatile way that Dave “Wilky” Wilkinson has set up his new truck means we just couldn’t leave it alone.

I think Iveco salesman Keith Tuffery has nailed it by dubbing Wilky’s new truck the “Mini Road Train”. It’s low but it’s the length that catches the eye when you first see it heading down the highway.

The farm gates along the sides of the truck and semi-trailer are just one of the things that grab your attention, make you look twice and think what the….

But when you get the chance to walk around and take in the detail of the design it

38 | Truck & Driver

all starts to make sense for the varied work Wilky has designed and specified this truck and new semi-trailer for.

We catch up with Wilky in Cambridge and spend plenty of time walking around this unit figuring out how everything works.

We probably spend more time looking and talking about all the features than we do on some of the bigger truck tests we do.

I decide to take the EuroCargo on its first leg out to a farm/events centre near the top end of Lake Karapiro.

The climb up into the cab is really well designed with an easy two-step entry. It’s like you just slip into it and once settled in the cab and behind the wheel it’s a very simple layout with the usual Iveco tachometer and digital dash display in front of you.

The steering wheel has the same function controls as the larger Iveco models with radio controls on the left and digital dash display controls on the right. The stalks are the same too with indicators and high beam light controls on the left while the cruise control, engine brake and manual gear change are on

Hayden Woolston

the right.

To the left of the driver seat is the usual air conditioning, storage and other function button. Both the audio head unit and the CB radio are positioned up above the driver’s head.

The rest of the cab is full of storage boxes and document pockets, more than adequate for a medium duty truck.

As I pull out of Wilky’s Challenge Rockgas operation in Cambridge it’s a tight turn and needs the whole road to get out. The mirrors are ideally placed and give good clean vision to the rear of the trailer.

As we cruise out of Cambridge, we get to 90km/h without too much effort and 320hp with 1100Nm seems like an efficient combination for a truck running at about 24

• SPECIFICATIONS • tonnes.

The really pleasant surprise is how the automated ZF `box and engine work together which is both refined and responsive for a medium sized truck. I barely notice the gear changes.

As we cruise along the side of the lake the ride quality offers plenty of comfort and the noise level in the cab makes it easy to have a conversation with Wilky in the passenger seat.

My one and only complaint with the EuroCargo is the same one I have with bigger Iveco models.

They are short of footwell space for the driver’s right foot and having the brake and accelerator pedal squashed close together to the right of the steering column makes for a tight pedal arrangement.

Pulling off State Highway 1 at the end of the lake we head across the bridge and tackle a steep hill with a couple tight hairpin corners.

It’s here where the ZF gearbox and the willing 6.7-litre engine really come into their own and the EuroCargo doesn’t miss a step as it picks the correct gears for each of the changing gradients.

When we arrive at the farm my drive is complete, and I’ve been impressed with this new 320 horsepower engine and especially the refinement of the 12-speed automated box. I can see why Iveco New Zealand expects this new powertrain combination to be a popular choice.

It’s certainly well suited to our highways and the rural back roads and as Wilky mentions in the main part of this test he’s found it to be excellent in the stop-start going of the city.

I’d recommend this new EuroCargo to friends who have medium duty trucks. I have been driving a medium duty truck on a few weekends lately and this latest Italian solution would be a nice replacement for the older ride I have been spending my weekends in. T&D

Iveco EuroCargo ML 160-320 4x2 Engine: Tector 7 in-line sixcylinder, Euro 6 (Step E) Capacity: 6.7 litres Maximum power: 235kW (320hp) at 1800rpm Maximum torque: 1100Nm (811 ft lbs) at 1250rpm Engine revs: 1620rpm at 90km/h in top gear Fuel capacity: Diesel 280 litres.

AdBlue 30 litres Transmission: ZF 12AS1210 TO 12-speed automated manual Ratios: 1st – 10.37 2nd – 8.43 3rd – 6.49 4th – 5.27 5th – 4.18 6th – 3.39 7th – 2.48 8th – 2.01 9th – 1.55 10th – 1.26 11th – 1.00 12th – 0.81 Reverse Low – 10.56 Reverse High – 8.54 Front axle: Iveco 5860. Rated at 6100kg.

Rear axles: Meritor MS11-154 with differential lock. 3.4:1 final drive ratio. Rated at 11,000kg Brakes: Ventilated disc with ABS, ESP and ASR traction control Auxiliary brakes: Exhaust brake, 160kW at 2800rpm Front suspension: Parabolic springs, dual action shock absorbers and stabiliser bar.

Rear suspension: Electronic control air bag suspension, dual action shock absorbers and stabiliser bar.

GVW: 16,000kg GCM: 28,000kg

Truck & Driver | 39

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Driving the economy

SLOWING DOWN THE WAKA The speed limit along most of State Highway 5 has been permanently lowered from 100km/h to 80km/h.

“

by Nick Leggett Chief Executive Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand

HOW DO WE MAKE THE WAKA GO faster?” was a phrase that used to be heard a lot when the relationship between Government and the economy was front-of-mind, with Government ministers and senior officials.

Basically, it emphasised how Government through regulatory or policy means could help the business sector be more productive and therefore, help grow the economy to benefit more people.

Unfortunately, ‘how do we make the waka go faster?’, has gone the way of the moa and is now totally extinct. In fact, the mere utterance of it from a senior public servant would probably elicit a stern ‘please explain’ from their political masters in the beehive.

Private sector success and economic growth have not just fallen out of fashion in Wellington, they have become concepts so undesirable that they are actively used as a stick to beat the Government’s heartless opponents with.

Road transport, probably more than any other sector, is exposed to even the smallest economic corrections and it is therefore critical that the Government understands the commercial consequences of its decisions.

Ever y time businesses get whacked with higher compliance or labour costs it is like the Government

pressing on the economy’s brake pedal. Often, they get away with it because kiwi businesses are resilient and resourceful and find ways to do make do with less, however, there is a limit.

The lowering of speed limits across large swathes of our roading network is a classic case where Government has sought a simple solution to a complex issue and has not considered the everyday impact it will have on businesses, communities and the economy.

We are told that lowering speed limits will fix our appalling road toll despite the fact that New Zealand’s high accident rate actually has a lot to do with the poor state of our roads and road surfaces, and the poor decisions people make while driving on them.

Anyone who has been on the road over the holiday period will be aware speed is an issue, but not the legal speed limit, rather it is the impatient few going well over the average traffic speed and forcing an unsafe passing manoeuvre on the wrong side of the road. Slowing all other traffic down is not going to stop this.

Lowering regional speed limits is, however, an easy sell for Wellington bureaucrats who have little regard for people who don’t live in our major cities or any understanding of the time-sensitive nature of moving goods around the country.

Truck & Driver | 41

Driving the economy

The “Stay Alive on 5” campaign that brought an increased Police presence to the Napier-Taupo highway during 2021 has been heralded as a resounding success in lowering the crash rate on the road.

It is impossible to overstate the importance of roads to the New Zealand economy. Ninety-three percent of all the food and goods we consume and export are moved on our roads and much of that, whether it be logs, milk or other primary produce starts its journey on regional roads.

This is, of course, an uncomfortable fact for policymakers in Wellington, who with little interest in ‘making the waka go faster’ would love nothing more than to find a way to force more freight on to slow and uneconomic rail.

Just before Christmas, Waka Kotahi announced that the speed limit along most of State Highway 5, Napier – Taupo, would be permanently lowered from 100km/h to 80km/h. Needless to say the local community as well as businesses who rely on the route did not agree with the decision and do not believe they have been heard during the consultation process.

Twenty percent of the 4000 vehicles that use State Highway 5 each day are trucks carrying critical freight and it doesn’t take much maths to work out that the time added to those journeys will have a significant impact on freight timetables and businesses right across the Central North Island.

Ia Ara Aotearoa – Transporting New Zealand PO Box 1778, Wellington 04 472 3877 info@transporting.nz

It is extremely disappointing that the lessons from the incredibly-successful community-led Stay Alive on 5 campaign – launched at the end of 2020 – have not been learned by Waka Kotahi. Extra policing to prevent dangerous driving combined with repairs to key sections of the road coincided with 15 months where there were not any deaths.

The reality is the only roads in New Zealand that will stay at 100km/h are those with a median barrier.

If we were serious about safety, we would be spending the $4 billion a year the Government receives in levies from motorists and committing to an extensive upgrade of high-risk regional roads and highways, improving road surfaces and maintenance, and addressing driver behaviour.

Instead, we spend large chunks of this money on walking, cycling and rail projects of dubious merit and merely slow down the one productive transport sector we have.

This policy will ultimately make the waka go slower and will significantly impact our economic productivity, the end cost to the consumer and the price of doing business with the rest of the world. T&D

www.transporting.nz

42 | Truck & Driver

Nick Leggett, Chief Executive 04 472 3877 021 248 2175 nick@transporting.nz

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David Rogers started Kainui Contracting with this Mercedes-Benz Arocs in January 2019 and has rapidly built the company fleet up to seven units.

T’S NOT UNCOMMON TO HEAR THE ROAD TRANSPORT industry signalling it has a shortage of young talent. And there are various schemes to attract and support new blood.

Here is a young company, with an enthusiastic 28-yearold at the helm and plenty of youth on the crew that has links to one of those industry initiatives.

Taupiri’s David Rogers and the fast-growing Kainui Contracting Ltd he founded in January 2019 is example of young guns who are literally delivering by the truckload.

David has featured on the pages of New Zealand Truck & Driver before, as a finalist in the 2016 RTANZ Young Truck Driver of the Year competition before stepping up to win the contest in 2017 and 2018.

David had just topped the national under-25 driving competition for the second time at Dunedin in late-2018 when Kainui Contracting Ltd was formed. Since then he’s grown the KCL operation from one to seven trucks and also manages up to 20 sub-contractors on a daily basis.

Currently the KCL rollcall is nine, with seven operators plus a part-time admin to assist David.

And David’s time behind the wheel is becoming rare – he estimates two days a month at best – as he concentrates on managing the business, building relationships and from time-totime he says laughing, “herding cats.”

He says his daily role is more akin to being a transport broker as KCL serves the cartage needs of both large and small clients.

And it’s a job he not only brings his own youthful enthusiasm to, but has also built a young team to help him deliver with five

of KCLs operators being under 30.

“I don’t get to drive much anymore,” says David. “Running that volume of trucks, seven of our own, and anywhere between five and 20 sub-contractors on any day, I need to be on the ground managing it.

“I’m on the phone, behind the computer or out visiting sites ensuring nothing gets missed. I guess when you start missing stuff, that’s when you go broke really.

“In business you need to be pitching for the jobs or else you’re not going to be involved in that next project.

“Supplying the civil infrastructure sector is a key part of my business so I have be pretty active to make sure we are involved in the next stage. Because once a project is complete, it’s done; they won’t need us on that project again.”

KCL runs a fleet of 6x4 tippers with five wearing the threepointed star of Mercedes-Benz accompanied by single DAF and Volvo units.

With one exception KCL has bought new trucks through Keith Andrews Trucks in Hamilton or leased them from TR Group. The favoured choice of trailer for the primarily civil and bulk work are Transport & General (T&G) tipper bins.

KCLs home is in the shadow of Taupiri mountain, a strategic location for a transport company that primarily serves the wider Waikato region.

“I grew up in Taupiri and have lived here all my life,” says David as he begins the back story to the name of the company.

“Kainui Rd is where my parents’ farm has always been. I didn’t really want to go with a ‘generic last name transport company’ so I used Kainui and we’ve been able to incorporate some quite cool Truck & Driver | 47

branding aspects.

“The KCL logo does stand out and it’s been interesting to watch it develop.

“It used to be just like a stencil of Taupiri mountain. Then we invested is some branding and that’s where the diamonds come from.

“The top of the diamond is Taupiri Mountain and the bottom is the reflection of the mountain in the [Waikato] river. The logo didn’t come from nothing, quite a bit of thought went into it.

“It’s clean and streamlined on the trucks and you can chuck it onto anything and it looks good.”

For the most part the KCL logo has found a home on brand new gear. The operation is built around modern equipment, an enthusiastic attitude and close relationships with key clients.

“My business is built on relationships. We are not the cheapest cartage contactor. I pride myself on relationships, providing a service and having quality equipment and operators,” says David.

“And actually being able to pull resource when it’s needed. And you’re not going to be able to pull resource if you’re pitching too cheap.”

While David grew up on a dairy farm he says a farming career wasn’t for him.

“I’m interested in the farm but I was always more interested in heavy machinery,” he says.

“When I left school I worked at the Perry Aggregates quarry at Horotiu. From there I went to a company called K & L Distributors and started driving their little onsite fuel tanker.

48 | Truck & Driver

“I suppose that’s how the love affair with fuel started. They bought an ex-Waitomo Mitsubishi Shogun and I really did my apprenticeship in that big bit of timber and then got the opportunity to go to Tranzliquid. I worked for K & L for just over two years.”

Five years spent at Tranzliquid Logistics turned out to immensely valuable.

“I was at Tranzliquid in a pretty active role with driving, driver training and assisting in a little bit of fleet management,” says David.

“I was heavily involved in driver training in the last year-anda-half to two years I was there. But driver training wasn’t really for me; I was good at it but couldn’t stand riding passenger in a truck for too long.

“Sometimes there was an age problem and I believe I was too young. I was only 24 at the time and even though I was good at it, there could be some massive age gaps and I was a young guy telling someone in their ‘sixties how they should be doing their job.

“It made that job pretty challenging but I also trained some really cool people there too. I loved working at Tranzliquid and I’d still be there now if I hadn’t got into this.

“Greg [Pert] and Jackie [Carroll] who own it [Tranzliquid] are awesome and humble people. And Mick Pullar, who runs the fleet management there, would be one of my key mentors. If you want to know how to run a truck, he’s the man.

“I learnt everything about how a transport business should run

Left: A DAF CF is one of two trucks Kainui Contracting has leased from TR Group.

Above: David discusses cartage plans for the new Brymer Heights subdivision with Online Contractors director Dan Hopper.

at Tranzliquid. As a young player in the industry you need to find mentors and I struck gold by working with Greg, Jackie and Mick at Tranzliquid.

“I mean, you’ve still got to do it yourself but with mentors like them you are not being set up to fail.”

The Young Driver competition also provided valuable lessons and helped David to work under pressure.

“I had three goes at it. I didn’t win the first time at the Mount [Maunganui] but the second (Hamilton) and third (Dunedin) time I did.

“It was a good challenge. It teaches you a lot because you have to be quite involved in the law and practice side of it; the theory side of it. It’s important if you want to run a transport business.”

The opportunity to make a move on his own came just over three years ago.

“I was hungry for that next step and I sort of got promised the world by an operator. The pressure was on, `get that truck on the road’ and when I did it was ‘actually, we didn’t get that contract in the end.’

“So we had to go and find it for ourselves. It was scary at the time but it was probably the best thing that ever happened.

“I bought my first Merc, an Arocs 2646 with a T&G Hardox bin on it. We’ve still got it on the frontline of the fleet today.

“It was heinous on day one but we got the ball rolling, got our name out there a bit and started to get some extra work so I bought number two, a dedicated six-wheeler. It’s a little 350

Arocs [2635].

“Then in lockdown 2020 I ordered my first brand new trailer, a four-axle bulkie off T&G and then at the same I ordered the Actros what I thought was going to be KCL003. But before it turned up I bought a 510 Arocs.”

The third Arocs became KCL003 and the Actros 2658 6x4 pulling a five-axle T&G trailer - which David refers to as the company flagship - is KCL004.

“I like 6x4s pulling a large trailer. A T&G with a slippery deck and extra ribs in the side can be doing civil work one day and palm kernel, coal or fertiliser the next.

“Four axles still have their place but the next two will be 5-axles,” he says.

“Up to KCL004 it was all new equipment other than the first Transfleet trailer I bought to get the ball rolling.

“The same month 004 went on the road I bought the Volvo FM from Ivan Stark. It’s a 2019 and had done 170,000km when I bought it, so it was brand new really.

“It was a good truck that turned up at the right time. We needed a truck fast and we rent a trailer for it.”

The two leased TR Group trucks are a 2021 DAF CF 530 and a 2017 Mercedes-Benz Arocs 2651 that David happens to have some history with.

By sheer coincidence it’s the very same truck used in the 2017 New Zealand Young Driver of the Year contest at Hamilton David’s first win.

“It’s nowhere near as shiny as it was back at the competition Truck & Driver | 49

The second truck in the KCL fleet is a Mercedes-Benz Arocs 2635 which is used as a dedicated six-wheeler.

but it’s done about 350,000km. I’ve had it a year and a half. It was meant to be hired for a week and it’s never left.”

David says the preference for Mercedes-Benz is directly related to the work KCL does.

“It’s horses for courses right? Mercedes provide an extremely good truck for what we are doing.

“In the civil game they are a really good truck. You can put them in any role whether it needs to do 700km a day or 300km a day metro and work on a tight site.

“You can put it on bulk work or just keep it local. In terms of driver comfort, safety, good fuel figures and the serviceability, for me in my business, it’s one of the best trucks you can buy.

KCL001 has been in work for three years in February and has done 300,000km.

“It’s 100k a year of some tough work and it’s still a tidy truck.

003 has clocked up about 160,000km in its first year. That’s impressive for a tip truck.

“004 has already clocked about 40,000km in its first 3-4 months of work.”

David’s objective for the trucks is that they look clean and are easy to maintain.

“The look is clean and simple. We Dura-Bright and paint everything so there’s no polishing and everything that’s fitted to the truck has a purpose. Our trucks are smart but they’re not overdressed and everything can be easily replaced.

“It can be easy in this industry to get into a pissing competition with flash trucks when it’s really about creating solutions for your customers.”

50 | Truck & Driver

David says his operators have become converts to the Mercedes-Benz brand.

“They are forgiving trucks. They’re all automatics. Gone are the days if you couldn’t drive a Road Ranger you weren’t a truck driver. I want the drivers concentrating on the job, not stressing about finding a gear.

“But having said that, the Kenworth T610 I’ve got coming in 2023 will have a Road Ranger.”

The value of standardising a fleet is a lesson from his Tranzliquid time.

“It just makes sense. If you’re not standardising your fleet you can’t just chuck another operator in another truck for the day.

That’s a key part of a having a profitable business.

“And you get the loyalty from your service providers and all the rest of it.”

When it comes to loyalty David singles out Transport & General for praise.

“I wouldn’t have a business without T&G in terms of keeping us on the road.

“They get you out of the shit but they don’t let you know they’ve done you a favour. They just get you back rolling again.

“Their support is excellent and I always get the feeling they want you to succeed.

“They don’t judge me as a smaller operator or a new player on the block. They are a key part of my business and I see myself doing one to three builds with them a year.

“TR Group are a key part of my business as well. I’d be screwed without them.

Above: Driving fuel trucks at K and L Distributors, a Mitsi Shogun tanker (left) and before that an Isuzu on-site delivery truck gave David Rogers his first taste of the transport industry.

“The relationship with Keith Andrews Trucks wasn’t always good but they’ve got a good crew in Hamilton. The Hamilton branch have really developed and they are doing a good job for me.

“Without T&G, TR Group, Keith Andrews Hamilton and guys like North Waikato Tyre Centre in Huntly, who are awesome to us, and K&L Distributors who do our fuel, we wouldn’t be rolling.”

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Another key supplier, and an example of how KCL plays to its strengths and calls in help where it’s needed, is Hamilton-based NZ Heavy Diesel Services (NZHDS). ”They come every second Sunday morning and do a full greasing and safety inspection on all the trucks. It’s preventative maintenance because the trucks get a hiding.

“We deal with local companies who provide a great service and contract a lot out to the people who know what they are doing. It leaves the operator to operate the truck and my time is wasted underneath trucks.”

On the day we catch up with David he has six of his own trucks working plus his usual array sub-contractors.

Our first stop is Gleeson’s Quarry at Huntly where the leased DAF along with KCL003 and KCL004 are making 10 or 11 trips a day moving rock to the first stage of the new Sleepyhead development at Ohinewai.

The second stop is Greenhill Park subdivision development on the northeast edge of Hamilton where KCL is working alongside Online Contractors.

“At the moment we are taking advantage of the good weather to remove spoil and stockpiling rock at the site for the next phase of the development,” says David.

“Today we’ve got seven trucks working at this subdivision, two KCL and five sub-contractors.

“Online Contractors has been our biggest opportunity,” says David.

“We manage a big part of their cartage. They just ring me and say ‘we need five trucks here and 10 truck and trailers over here’. That’s where the sub-contractors are important.

“Online Contractors and Greenhill Park subdivision have built my business. We’ve pretty much had an involvement there since day one of KCL. “They [Online] specialise in civil construction and I specialise in transport. They do what they do and we do what we do. We take all the stress of them having to find those trucks. We’re almost like a brokerage.

“That’s what has allowed the company to have such good growth because we are actually looking after whole projects.

“Apart from Online Contractors we do a lot of coal with

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Right: By sheer coincidence the TR Group Mercedes-Benz Arocs 2651 used in the 2017 New Zealand Truck Driving Championship is now leased as part of the KCL fleet. Here is David in action during the competition and with his trophies after winning the Young Driver competition for the second time.

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Gleeson & Cox from Auckland to Huntly and we also work with Rock and Rubble quite a bit. We also work with a few smaller companies and farmers.

“Basically we cover the greater Waikato and Bay of Plenty.

Obviously working with farmers we’re over at the Mount doing palm kernel and fertiliser. Mainly direct to farm.

“Sometimes we cart fertiliser to Whangarei or down to Dannevirke but not as much as we used to.”

After a couple of site visits and photo shoots it becomes obvious that David has put plenty of planning into the day for NZT&D. He’s considered photo locations and arranged access ahead of time. Each time we arrive at a site there’s a KCL truck almost front of the queue, ready to be loaded.

In the process David’s also getting to meet some of his key contacts, getting some face-to-face time with his operators and keeping an eye on multiple sites.

We check out a subdivision development at Temple View and another Online project at Brymer Heights where KCL trucks and sub-contractors are working before heading back to David’s office via the depot at the family farm.

Shortly after arriving David’s office administrator Nat Freeman - another 20-something who works up to 30 hours a week for KCL - turns up. There’s a sense of a well-timed plan coming together with David’s logistics skills to the fore.

“We are about making things happen so if you go in without a positive attitude you’re not really going to make anything happen. People aren’t interested in dealing with negative people, that’s for sure,” says David.

“I love working with people. We deal with a lot of cool people in this business and I like to do things for them.”

With its beginnings in early 2019, the majority of KCLs operation and growth has come during the Covid-19 pandemic.

David says the timing hasn’t been negative.

“During level 4 in 2020 we had our record month to that time in business. We were in autumn and there was a lot of autumn fertiliser to shift around and stock feed. We had a good month.

The relationships and the time of year certainly helped.

“In lockdown 2021 we had been so busy it was a chance for everyone to catch up and breathe. We did a bit of lime, fertiliser and stock feed but it gave our guys a chance to catch their breath because we’d be doing max hours every week for the whole year.

“We were an essential service so we could get trucks in for COFs and some preventative maintenance and then we hit the ground rolling the day we came back.

“So Covid has affected us but not in a massive way. Everyone still needs stuff shifted and the standard story in transport is “if the trucks stop then the world stops. It’s as simple as that really.”

David says Taupiri is proving an excellent base for KCL with its proximity to the north side of Hamilton and the improving highway network as the Waikato Expressway evolves.

“While we do a raft of different things, one thing we haven’t really been that heavily involved in is the [Waikato] Expressway because that’s a project that’s coming to the end.

“But the Taupiri location is fantastic. It’s central to all the quarries and a stone’s throw from Auckland and the Mount.

Truck & Driver | 55

Above: KCL’s Volvo FM makes a suburban soil delivery.

Right: David now spends very little time driving and more of his day in the office where he’s supported by Nat Freeman, who has a part-time admin role with Kainui Contracting.

56 | Truck & Driver

“We don’t see any dead time. We don’t see trucks running dead which is great for me in terms of running a profitable transport company.

David says KCLs pace of growth has surprised him.

“It’s quite impressive when you go to sites and think ‘we’re looking after all of this”.

“It has definitely surprised me. My 10-year goal was to have five trucks on the road so we’ve smashed that out of the park.”

“It’s definitely had its challenges and I didn’t see it being where it is today. The main goal at the moment is to have it so I manage my business rather than my business managing me. And keep providing the quality of service to our clients.

“We’ve been pretty lucky. We haven’t struggled for staff or anything like that. That comes down to good gear and fair rates.

“What has been cool is that people seem to want to see young guys succeed. They see an up-and-comer having a go and they love it.

Truck & Driver | 57

One of five Mercedes-Benz units at work in the Kainui Contracting fleet, KCL003 is a 2020 Arocs 2651.

“We having a good crack at it by putting good equipment on the road. A common question is “how can you afford to put those new trucks on the road?

“The answer is, `I can’t afford not to’.

“We are a solutions based cartage company at the end of the day, so you can’t tell your customers ‘no’.

“We focus on getting the work, doing the work and not letting our clients down. If we pitch for work then ‘no’ is not in the vocabulary. We make it happen. ”For our clients the answer is always yes and then we figure it out.”

David says there are stressful times.

“If we are doing coal runs the phone starts ringing at 3am and it doesn’t stop till nine at night. There’s been the odd day when I felt like jamming my head in the ranch slider.

“It’s important not to get distracted and don’t sweat the little stuff or you will lose focus on what you should be focussing on.

“If something doesn’t go quite right, find a solution and move forward. Don’t dwell on issues, you will just stay on the same issue forever.”

So what does he do to relax away from his world of transport?

“I go water skiing, but not right now,” and David relates a story of a tumble and a burst ear drum.

“I love water skiing and I go to the mountain for some skiing in winter. I’ve got a good friend circle and they understand I’m busy, so if they want to grab my boat they can set it all up and I’ll meet them down there.“ With a general shortage of younger people in the industry and some established one-man operators getting out of the game, 58 | Truck & Driver

David believes his young crew, with five drivers aged between 23 and 30, is a benefit to KCL. “It’s a young crew mixed with a bit of experience. They are all Class 5 license holders and we put the greener drivers through the TR Group Master Driver system,” says David.

“The culture is a bit like a rugby team and I’m a bit like the coach. I recognise everyone makes mistakes but I don’t like a culture of blame.

“I believe we have a good team environment and a positive culture. Every second month we get together for some pizzas and a beer.

“I work to put the right drivers in the right roles. Some guys love civil work. I find bulk work boring but other guys love it. I need guys to play to their strengths.

“In my case, I know how to run trucks and get them to work, not how to service them or change tyres. It’s about having the right people in the right roles.

“And it’s just as important to keep sub-contractors happy as they are a very important part of this business.”

The foreseeable future for KCL is in part mapped out with arrival of KCL006 - a new Actros 2653 originally due in April this year but now delayed till later in the year – and the Kenworth T610 for bulk work ordered for 2023.

David says KCL may add also a Telehandler to assist reloading and handling materials on soft ground.

“And one of the next steps is to invest in some land and set up a depot that’s not on my parents’ farm,” he says.

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LEGENDS

Trevor Jackson T

O SAY TREVOR JACKSON HAS HAD a rollercoaster ride in life wouldn’t be strictly true. Like any company, his Pahiatua-based trailer maker, Jackson Enterprises, has had its share of ups and downs, but overall it has built an enviable reputation for innovation and quality and has enjoyed steady growth.

In a literal sense, though, Trevor’s life is a rollercoaster – courtesy of a full-size, 380m track he has designed and built on his rural property. The project took three and a half years to complete and had its maiden run just a few months ago, on New Year’s Eve 2021. Trevor was the guinea pig for the inaugural ride and recalls the sensation: “I strapped myself into the four-seater car and off we went. I nearly shit myself!”

Apart from the occasional shutdown for modification and tinkering, the track has run regularly ever since.

Inspiration for the project, he says, came from his three daughters, and he is looking forward to his grandchildren enjoying it for many years to come.

Construction was not a problem, he adds: “We have a talented team here who are dealing with steel welding all the time. Nor was getting approval from the local council too much of a hassle. In fact, the biggest challenge was that the shed housing the drive mechanism was a couple of square metres over regulations and it took a while to get a special permit for that. There was also a height restriction of 10 metres, but we needed something over 13 metres to gain

60 | Truck & Driver

the momentum to do the full distance... so we just dug a trench and put the structure into that!”

The 31-year history of Jackson Enterprises is peppered with dozens of examples of thinking outside the square. Among the ones that stand out in Trevor’s mind are the roll-up curtains for the export Gib-board trailers operated by Auckland’s CV Compton Ltd for Winstones. The trailers were built to a special over-width permit, at 2650mm, to ensure the 2400mm-wide sheets of Gib could be carted to port without damage to their edges. The permit specified that the trailer units could only be used on that project.

The curtains were fitted to drums, ensuring an optimal saving in width. The design was also dictated by regulations at the production facility that the truck drivers

had to remain in their cabs.

Another interesting and challenging project he recalls was the transporter developed for Solid Energy at the Stockton mine on the South Island’s West Coast. The unit featured five rows of two axles, with four wheels per axle. The trailer itself weighed 57t, and it was capable of carrying 200t excavators.

The tractor unit was based on a CAT 777 offroad dump truck, its 12-cylinder C32 engine producing just over 1000hp.

Another Jackson Enterprises specialty has been the company’s remotely operated effluent valves, developed in the late 1990s and fitted to stock crates. The valves are

a standard fitment on all Jackson stock trailers and have gained a solid reputation in Australia, where they are used by four of that country’s stock trailer makers.

Jackson Enterprises’ base has always been in Pahiatua, though, as Trevor explains, in its early days the company wasn’t a trailer manufacturer but a servicing and repair operation for the local transport industry.

“We did a bit of everything, and the trailer building grew from clients asking if we could provide them with some gear. This was about six years into the operation.”

The company’s birth was a pretty good indicator of the unconventional way of doing things that would become its hallmark, Trevor explains: “The first buildings we had were bought from the Ministry of Works at Turangi. They had been built to service the tunnelling operations for the Tongariro power scheme during the 1960s and ‘70s and housed repair depots and parts stores and the like. I bought them at auction for $19,000. A team of us then went up to Turangi and over the next couple of weeks we disassembled them, stacked them on trucks and trailers and drove them back to Pahiatua.

“The structures were steel frames with corrugated iron cladding. By the time we had broken them down and stacked them they didn’t bulk up all that much, going no higher

than the sides on a conventional truck, but they were heavy. We had two units – both three-axle trucks and four-axle trailers – and they came back home at around 45 tonnes each! That was in the days of 38t maximum.

We had no idea they were so heavy.

“An interesting thing about the structures was that, though there was provision for bolts, all the purlins and cleats in the roof were held to the main frame by wire.

“The deal involved three long buildings in a row. I kept the third of one of them and sold the balance off to pay for the land that we are still on.”

Within a couple of years beginning to build trailers, Trevor introduced a couple of innovations that have become Jackson Enterprises’ effective trademark – monocoque construction that integrates chassis and body, and the use of aluminium.

He explains that the move was prompted by a desire to reduce tare weight, that benefit accruing mainly from the monocoque design rather than the material: “If a design calls for a particular thickness of steel, then you need double that thickness of aluminium.

Of course, with trailers getting bigger all the time, the weight saving from monocoque is improving as well.”

The company produces all its designs in both aluminium and steel. Traditionally the balance has been around half and half, but

in the past couple of years it has started to shift in favour of aluminium. As Trevor points out, it’s impossible to tell from a glance at a trailer on the road which material is used.

He is most proud of the finish of the company’s products: “That has been our primary goal from the very start. Design innovation and reliability are critical, of course, but given that all makers are producing quality products the key difference now lies in the finish and presentation.

“We have had instances of experienced drivers who are new to a fleet saying they want our gear when a new truck is being specced. We have picked up new customers that way.”

Jackson’s provides trailers for the country’s three stock crate makers, Delta, Total and Nationwide. In conjunction with the trio, it has developed a standardised trailer design that accommodates their varying designs, for significant cost savings.

A similar outcome has been achieved after negotiation with the makers of car transporter bodies.

Apart from the rollercoaster, Trevor’s other major hobby project has been a 1959 Chev Corvette, imported from the USA and painstakingly restored over 12 years. The car runs the 283 cu in small-block V8 that was standard with the model and is fitted with a four-speed manual transmission. T&D

Truck & Driver | 61

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Frozen...without

By Dave McLeod

OPERATING A FLEET OF ABOUT 500 TRUCKS TO SERVICE NEW Zealand’s food, hospitality and leisure markets means wholesale food provider Bidfood is no stranger to keeping chilled and frozen produce on the move.

And when the opportunity arose to trial “zero emissions” delivery in Auckland’s CBD with the full-electric FUSO eCanter, the sustainability-focussed business jumped at the chance.

Bidfood is one of the participants in the Auckland Inner City Zero Emissions Area (ZEA) trial, a year-long project that aims to reduce air pollution in the CBD by moving towards emission-free freight services.

The project is an early part of an Auckland Council long-term objective of creating a zero-emissions area by 2030 and is also supported by the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA).

Tony Hutcheson, Bidfood Limited’s national fleet manager says signing up for the trial was an easy decision.

“Our executive team is very focused on sustainability,” says Hutcheson.

“Two of the top things I have to report on are safety and sustainability. I am regularly being asked about our kilos of CO2 and driver fatigue.”

Hutcheson continues: “This ZEA project is partly funded by EECA and [for EECA] some of the payback is about gathering information.

All sorts of data is being collected, charging times and rates and the amount of charge needed. Plus, how often the truck is used….”

Regardless of how many interested parties there are, Hutcheson says from Bidfood’s perspective, this is a key pilot project in which any failings are just as important as the successes.

Particularly as working with refrigeration brings its own set of

challenges for the operation of an electric vehicle.

“For certain delivery services [couriers for example], when electrification finally becomes a big thing, they can just jump into vans and go,” Hutcheson says.

“But for us the complications of adding refrigeration and the weight that entails are a lot to think about. It’s not something that we want to do at the last minute.

“We don’t want to be caught off guard, so this is the beginning of our look at what is achievable and what we will have to change to be able to utilise this technology moving forward. We really want to stay ahead of the curve.”

The truck Bidfood is using for this project is the all-electric, zeroemission FUSO eCanter. Its powertrain is a permanent synchronous electric motor with 135kW/390Nm output and an 81kWh lithium-ion battery pack which, on paper is good for between 100-150km range.

The eCanter can be charged via a DC fast charger which will give it an 80% capacity charge in 45 minutes (80 mins to 100% charge) and can also use an AC overnight charger utilising off peak power.

It also boasts two-stage regenerative braking and sits on low rolling resistance tyres to maximise range.

“The body we’ve added is eutectic, something that we’ve been doing for a wee while on a good many of our Streets ice-cream trucks,” Hutcheson explains.

“It’s very efficient and the clever bit is that all the compressor and refrigeration gear sit on an external trolley; it’s not actually on the truck at all.”

The truck body has been put together by Automated Truck and Body Solutions in Tauranga using an eutectic body frame system from Mondial Framec in Italy.

Hutcheson explains the system: “If you can imagine the freezer Truck & Driver | 63

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Green machine: For Bidfood the EV trial is not just about range and performance as there are additional challenges around moving chilled and frozen produce with a battery electric truck.

pads you stick in your chilly bin to keep your drinks cold, they’re just giant ones of those.

“We’re pumping refrigerant into the freezer plates, and they get extremely cold (down to -30degC) and off it goes. It gets cold and stays cold for up to two days.”

A small 12-volt fan, which is thermostat controlled, pulls cold air through from the frozen section to the 4deg chilled area when required but it’s essentially self-reliant.

“When the eCanter gets plugged in to recharge they connect the refrigerant via a hydraulic coupling. But all the workings of the refrigeration systems sit on a trolley externally which saves about 100kg from being carried on the truck,” says Hutcheson.

Apart from the refrigeration and a special green livery to signal its zero-emissions status, everything else about the Bidfood eCanter is “off the shelf” from FUSO. It’s still early days in Bidfood’s experience with the eCanter.

“This pilot project is as much about finding out what doesn’t work as well as what does. But in fairness to the project, it is way too early to offer many solid insights as to its progress,” Hutcheson says.

However, in terms of financials, he has made some rough guesses based on a bunch of assumptions.

“Because you can’t buy these trucks (you have to lease them) I had to work it out over six years (the term of the lease) and look at the type of truck it would be replacing on a similar run. It looked like it was going to come out at around a 10% greater cost.

“But, for us, that’s 10% on R & D. It’s about learning what it can and can’t do, what its limitations are now. In six year’s time, there will be new technology, probably in 12 months even.”

One of the initial ‘limitations’ was the eCanter’s range, especially as the CBD is a fair trek away from the Bidfood depot in Mangere.

Bidfood Auckland South’s assistant general manager Jason Love explains a little more.

“The eCanter’s range is anything between 95-120km and the round trip is about 65-75km,” says Jason.

“But what we discovered was that although driving on the motorway is fantastic, it’s quick and the most direct route, it also drains battery life down quickly. But once it’s in town and moving around, the battery has a much better life.”

Hutcheson agrees: “The truck didn’t seem to like motorway speeds that much. So, we are now going into town using slightly less motorway. But the beauty of our business is that we can utilise that new route by making deliveries.”

Love says they “just figured it out for ourselves,” and by altering the route they are now getting just under 100km on a trip.

Another part of learning process was to do the occasional fast charge at the Z station in Beach Road. That meant getting the necessary EV charging key fobs and other bits and pieces.

Hutcheson equates it to driving a new vehicle with an internal combustion engine.

“If the fuel light comes on, you start panicking because you don’t know how far you have to go. But once you get a handle on it, things are fine,” he says.

“Any new vehicle comes with a learning curve for a driver and this one offers all the things you need to learn about how to operate a new vehicle plus the added requirement to learn how to drive a new technology.”

He says drivers quickly learn the driving techniques which achieve the greatest benefits from the regenerative braking system.

“I think the team are starting to hit their stride now so perhaps in another six months we will have a good handle on how things are going.”

Aside from zero emissions, Hutcheson says one of the immediate benefits of the eCanter was the noise, or lack thereof.

“With a 100% electric truck we have not only removed the truck engine but also the refrigeration engine - making the vehicle effectively silent. Although it does emit a slight hum at low speed to alert pedestrians of its presence.”

Added to this are the idle times. “For other trucks, you have to look at idling times and refrigeration but for this truck you don’t Truck & Driver | 65

have to worry about it, which is great for around the town.”

According to Love, the daily demands on this eCanter are not excessive with loads typically between 1.0 and 1.5 tonnes.

“We have a combination of dry, chilled and frozen foods but it’s pretty hard to get a lot of weight on it,” Love says.

And the way their business works (particularly for this CBD run) is an early morning start and early finish.

“So, we just plug it in [on an 11kW wall box] overnight and we get a minimum of nine hours charge which is plenty.”

And there’s the option of fast charging on a longer run if required.

Hutcheson believes that there’s some work underway to make more fast chargers available around the city and is very aware that a driver must have a 30-minute break every five-and-a-half hours, which can be used to recharge the eCanter.

“So, the combination of a decent fast charger network and breaks makes it a much more viable option in terms of range usability.

“If you look at the broader picture (not just this truck in this run) then range is probably the biggest hurdle but it’s up to us to learn how to maximise EV trucks on each run.”

“We expect to learn more from any challenges we encounter during these projects than from any smooth running of the electric trucks,” he says.

“Specifically, it’s about how the electrification of the delivery fleet will impact our operation as a whole, not just how many kilometres we can drive in the vehicle. Obviously, there will be a big focus on charging, both at our depots and while out on a delivery run.

“For a company our size, we are quite flexible, we can spin on a dime and do things. But if somebody said ‘in six months there will be no more combustion engines, you’ve got to find electric’ you’ve got to be prepared for that.

“A courier driver may be able to do that, but we can’t. Because these trucks need to be plugged in to charge, the movements at night also come into play. And do we load them the same way as our 66 | Truck & Driver

other trucks, or do we leave it plugged in and load it differently?

“We’re still in the early stages of working out how it all works. It’s only in the past couple of weeks that it’s hit its straps and starting to be used in the manner that we’d foreseen, and it seems to be doing pretty well so far.”

According to Love, Bidfood’s drivers are well on board with the eCanter now, albeit with a shaky start.

“It’s been fairly well received to be honest. To start with they were all pretty suspicious, saying things like ‘there’s no noise, how far will it go? Is this a toy? What the hell is this all about?’ There was a bit of fear of the unknown.

“We started off with just one driver but now we’ve swapped around with about eight drivers and the feedback is that it’s nice and easy to drive, it’s lovely and quiet.”

Love adds that a lot of the drivers have said ‘you have to watch your speed as it’s quick off the mark’ and reckons that it’s best suited to work around the CBD. “It’s very small and nimble and although it’s a class 2 it’s on a class 1 chassis.

“I think as the technology of the actual unit itself develops and we get more range I feel that we would get more EV trucks here to be fair.

“They’re amazing. No-one complains about them, and we haven’t had a single bit of trouble with them.”

One of Bidfood’s drivers who has been enjoying her time in the eCanter is Jasmine Atiga.

“Driving the EV truck each day makes work very enjoyable,” says Jasmine.

“I love being able to get out and see the city, especially when I know I’m taking care of the environment at the same time”.

With the Auckland pilot well under way, Bidfood will soon have another eCanter at work as part of a test in Christchurch.

“It’s for another project by a city council but this is about charging

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stations on private land such as shopping malls and the airport, so a slightly different spin on a similar project,” Hutcheson says.

“It will be interesting to see how the range differs as Christchurch is predominantly flat and there is significantly more seasonal change in terms of climate. It’ll be a good comparison.”

Hutcheson is optimistic about both pilot programmes.

“The cost is a really big consideration. I don’t think it’s too early in terms of the technology but it’s probably too early to comment on the operation as we haven’t been doing it long enough.

“But even with this first iteration of the eCanter, I’m impressed with it. If we learn quickly and utilise the truck correctly, I believe it could come out at cost parity with I.C.E right now.

“I think everyone agrees electrification is coming in some form. This is our chance to stay ahead of the learning curve so that we are better placed to make informed decisions as the new technologies become more widely available and viable.”

Hutcheson believes that it goes far beyond how many kilometres they can get out of a truck. It’s about how it impacts their business as a whole and how it’s going to impact their drivers.

“It’s both exciting and scary at the same time. My personal opinion is that it’s going to do well.” T&D

The eCanter body has been put together by Automated Truck and Body Solutions in Tauranga using an eutectic body frame system from Mondial Framec in Italy.

Five on trial BIDFOOD’S GREEN FUSO ECANTER IS ONE-FIFTH OF A SPECIAL fleet leading the way to a cleaner approach to urban deliveries in Auckland.

Five eCanters are participating in the Auckland Inner City Zero Emissions Area (ZEA) Trial which began in late-2021. Mainfreight, Toll Global Express, Owens Transport and Vector OnGas are the other New Zealand first adopters.

The one-year trial sees the integration of the fully-electric trucks into New Zealand’s commercial fleet to deliver goods in

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“Transport makes up more than 40 per cent of Auckland’s emissions profile. The shift towards emissions-free vehicles is a critical step towards meeting our climate change goals,” says Auckland Mayor Phil Goff.

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The Taupo side of SH5 remains at 100km/h but the 76km section from Rangataiki to Esk Valley now has a blanket 80km/h speed limit.

The Big Slow Down

By Colin Smith

IN THE FACE OF VOCAL OPPOSITION, THE 80KM/H SPEED LIMIT for the Rangataiki to Eskdale section of State Highway 5 came into force on February 18, slowing the traffic flow and freight movements on a major North Island route.

The lower speed limit for the 76km stretch of highway wasn’t supported by the majority of formal submissions received during last year’s engagement and consultation process.

And that Waka Kotahi NZTA process has been heavily criticised by many who are directly affected by the change. And even the SH5 Napier-to-Taupo Speed Review Summary published by Waka Kotahi NZTA in November 2021 reveals there was limited support for an across-the-board reduction in the speed limit.

It did confirm support for reduced speeds at certain sections of SH5 and many submissions highlighted the need for improved maintenance, signage and police enforcement on the highway which links Taupo and Hawke’s Bay. Among the groups to signal they did not support the change were the Road Transport Forum (prior to becoming Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting NZ), the Road Transport Association, the Automobile Association and Gisborne District Council (in a joint submission) and both the Hastings District Council and Napier City Council.

The MP for Napier Stuart Nash and MP for Tukituki Anna Lorck made a joint submission expressing support in general for the proposal but also seeking improvements for the highway. They also stated they were disappointed the proposal was being fast-tracked without critical public engagement.

Several submissions questioned the accuracy of NZTA accident statistics for SH5.

For many transport operators the new speed limit which came into force on February 18 is reducing the efficiency of modern trucks,

creating scheduling issues and bringing concerns that frustrated motorists will make poor decisions while attempting to overtake trucks.

Bryan Smith, director of Self Loader Logging which operates logging trucks daily on SH5 says the changes will affect the productivity of his trucks and could mean more hours on the road for his drivers.

But his main concern is the blanket 80km/h speed limit doesn’t address the main issues on SH5.

“The road is my workplace and the workplace for my staff. We are out there every day, and every day we see people who lack good skills and decision-making ability who are doing meat head things on the road,” Smith says.

“All of my trucks have cameras in them, so we see it every day. I fully support Greg Murphy and his views about driver education.

“The NZTA approach is an ambulance at the bottom of the cliff.

I’d like to see all of the $1.5million I pay every year in Road User Charges going toward maintaining and improving the roads,” says Smith.

“You can’t say speed isn’t a factor but it’s only a factor if you crash. I’m concerned that NZTA seem to think speed is the only factor.”

Smith says the recent “Stay Alive on 5” campaign with an increased Police presence and enforcement proved effective in improving safety on the Napier-Taupo highway “Last year, when the police were allowed to do their job and they had a regular presence on the road, nobody was killed. What does that tell you?

As for the consultation process, Smith calls it “an absolute joke.”

“They [NZTA] had 100% made up their minds before the so-called Truck & Driver | 71

The ‘Stay Alive on 5’ campaign with an increased police presence has been rated a success by regular users of the Napier-Taupo route.

consultation process.

“It’s the same with the State Highway 30 proposal. They have already made up their mind.

“Yes, there are sections of that road [SH30] that should have a lower speed limit but 80km/h and 60km/h for the whole road is not the answer.”

Stephenson Transport in Hawke’s Bay has livestock trucks working on SH5 nearly every day.

Chairman Bruce Stephenson says the slower speeds provide further logistics problems around driver’s maximum hours and the stricter controls on safe and humane transport of livestock.

“It’s quite a major for us and puts a lot of pressure on the time constraints and regulations we have to work within,” Stephenson says.

“One of the problems with 80km/h is trucks won’t be able to build up some momentum before the longer hills. There will be a lot of frustrated motorists behind them and that will lead to more dangerous overtaking.

“We see it every day anyway, but it’s only going to get worse.”

Stephenson also wasn’t happy with the consultation process.

“It wasn’t good at all. They had their own ideas and didn’t want to listen to us,” he says.

He believes the Waka Kotahi NZTA decision makers lack real world knowledge of the highways, especially in regard to how trucks operate.

“I’ve offered them the opportunity to join us for a day in a truck and show them the reality of the situation from a truck drivers’ point of view, but they’re not interested.”

Stephenson also believes that the “Stay Alive on 5” campaign had a positive effect on the safety of the Napier-Taupo highway during 2021.

Another transport firm that has trucks running on SH5 almost every day is Emmerson Transport.

Kerry Hughes, the company’s Group Fleet Performance Manager 72 | Truck & Driver

based in Hastings, has already been assessing what the lower speed limit will mean to driving hours, scheduling and fuel efficiency.

“We’ve already done one run at 80km/h to compare with our usual times and it’s about 18 minutes slower. So that will be between 30 and 40 minutes on each return trip,” says Hughes.

“Modern trucks built for the New Zealand market have been specified with their engines, weights and gearing to be the most efficient at 90km/h.

“Running at 80km/h means they won’t be operating as efficiently in terms of torque and gear ratios and that impacts fuel consumption and temperatures.

“It gives us some more challenges. For instance, I think brakes will have to be relined more often.”

As for his opinion of the new speed limit, Hughes says; “It’s ludicrous. I think it might actually cause more accidents because some people will still drive like idiots.

“I came back over SH5 in my ute the other day and on the run down from Eland it’s actually difficult to hold that speed.”

Road safety advocate and motor racing star Greg Murphy has been vocal in his opposition to the change and has worked alongside several of groups, including the Hastings District Council, who are opposed to the speed change.

He believes if NZTA ranks speed as the major problem on SH5, “then they are making a big mistake.”

“The biggest problem is neglect of the road. While NZTA have committed to a spend on the road in the future, it’s only beginning to make up for decades of neglect when they haven’t been doing their job,” says Murphy.

“I believe the public have been absolutely tucked on this issue.

The statistics they [NZTA] have used have been skewed and they are questioned in a number of the submissions.”

Murphy says last year’s consultation process was little more than lip service.

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“They were going to make a blanket speed limit reduction to 80km/h regardless. And there is no suggestion that even after the road works and infrastructure spend is done that the speed will change back.”

Murphy says NZTAs own summary of the submissions confirm the majority of feedback was strongly against the lower speed limit, including from community groups that live on the highway.

“There are sections of the road where a lower speed limit is appropriate, but a blanket change to 80km/h all the way from Rangataiki to Eskdale makes no sense,” he says.

“One of the biggest ironies is that some of the submissions supported a reduction in the speed limit from the Bayview turnoff through to Eskdale.

“It’s got two schools, wineries and cafes and has become quite a built-up semi-rural/residential area, but it’s staying at 100km/h. I think any truckie driving SH5 would identify that area as one where a lower speed limit is appropriate.

“I think NZTA needed to be seen to be doing something and they have manipulated the information to make it look like speed is the problem. But a lot of the crashes have nothing to do with speed.”

Like Bruce Stephenson, Murphy says he also offered NZTA leaders an opportunity for first-hand experience on the road.

“Last year I emailed an invitation to the NZTA spokesperson at the time, offering to spend a day with her on the road,” says Murphy.

“I didn’t receive a reply.”

Murphy supports the comments of the transport operators who say the “Stay Alive on 5” initiative is having significant benefits.

“Better visibility and positive reinforcement by the police were a huge success,” says Murphy.

Te Haroto resident Kiri Goodspeed, who has led the local opposition to the speed limit change says she feels underwhelmed by a Waka Kotahi NZTA engagement and consultation process she describes as arrogant and obstructive.

“You can’t tell me they [NZTA] have any level of engagement,” she says.

“The Treaty [of Waitangi] requires that Iwi and Hapu be consulted.

I thought that as they have a number of Iwi and Hapu entities in the affected area that weren’t even consulted, we might have trumped NZTA on lack of engagement,” says Kiri.

She believes the 80km/h speed limit will negatively affect the local economy. She supports lowered speed limits in key areas of the road, targeted road maintenance and is another to praise Police for the success of the “Stay Alive on 5” campaign.

“I’m not a technical person, but I am a business analyst.

I’m trying to understand the case for spending $117 million on advertising campaigns and signs to reduce speeds, and then when improvements are finally made, there is no commitment the speed will return to 100km/h,” she says.

In January she started a petition that was moving towards 8000 signatures with a week to run before its February 18 closing date. It asks Parliament to urge Waka Kotahi NZTA to rescind its decision to permanently lower the speed limit.

“I have a commitment from the three local MPs that they will support it when it’s presented to parliament,” Kiri says.

Kiri was allowed to be involved in a recent Regional Transport Committee meeting and has helped put signs up along the road opposing the change. There had been talk of crowd funding a court injunction to stop the change, but she opted against a legal challenge.

“For me now, I will let the machine takeover. It’s our understanding that once the new speed limit was gazetted, it can only be changed by the Minister Wood.”

Kiri says logging truck operators carting logs from forest sites

Louise Upston, National MP for Taupo (above) and racing driver/ driver training advocate Greg Murphy have both expressed opposition to the speed limit change and want to see investment in SH5.

Truck & Driver | 75

along SH5 to Napier Port are potentially facing a 25% cut in income.

If the reduced speed adds five minutes to each leg of the journey it would add 40 minutes to the total time of four daily return trips. That would not be legally possible on many days, reducing logging trucks to only three daily return trips.

Road safety campaigner Geoff Upson, who started the “Keep it 100” campaign after speed limit reductions near his home at Kaukapakapa about three years ago, says lack of road maintenance is a critical issue for New Zealand.

“A lot of the money collected from Road User Charges and petrol taxes is being diverted to things like rail, cycle lanes, coastal shipping and other vanity projects that are unproductive,” Geoff says.

“And it actually costs a huge amount of money just to change a speed limit with the consultation, reports, advertising campaigns and new signs. Those are huge costs, and the money could be spent on fixing the roads.

“In Auckland alone it’s $700 million over 10 years that’s been reallocated from road maintenance to slower speed limits and speed bumps and other things that have created congestion.”

Louise Upston, the National MP for Taupo, is another who wants the blanket speed reduction decision on SH5 to be reversed.

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The following is an extract from the Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency SH5 Napier to Taupo Speed Review consultation and engagement summary. It was published in November 2021.

The key feedback themes across the speed review were: • The majority of feedback did not support the proposed 80km/h speed limit between Rangitaiki and Esk Valley.

• People are supportive of speed being reduced through some residential areas and past intersections.

There was some support for high-risk sections to be lowered, areas mentioned repeatedly included Te Haroto, Te Pohue, Waipunga, Esk Valley and alongside the Tarawera Café and Tavern.

• Many comments called for other approaches, such as road safety improvements, enforcement, driver training, passing lanes and pull-over bays.

• Submitters do not perceive speed as the main cause of crashes, rather people see driver frustration at slow vehicles and dangerous overtaking as the main causes of deaths.

• Many comments stated driver education and training should be front of mind instead of a speed reduction.

• Signage, policing and enforcement measures were seen as important to get drivers to adhere to any future speed limit changes.

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More than half of the submissions did not support the proposed speed change, with a third of the submissions supporting some speed changes if in combination with other road safety improvements.

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Mayor calls for SH5 upgrade THE HASTINGS DISTRICT COUNCIL IS ANOTHER VOICE CALLING FOR safety upgrades to SH5 rather than a blanket 80km/h speed limit.

The council is actively supporting road users and the communities living along SH5 who are calling for the highway to be upgraded.

“This speed reduction will severely impact our economy, as it is the main route between Hawke’s Bay and most of the North Island,” says Hastings Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst.

“Of concern is that lower speeds on a road which, in the main, is safely travelled at 100km/h will increase frustration, leading to riskier driver behaviour. This has occurred on other highways in the wake of speed reductions.

“Safety is our number one priority. However, we don’t believe a blanket speed reduction, with little to no investment on improving and maintaining what is supposed to be a State Highway, is the answer.

“Speed reductions at known crash hot spots should be introduced.

But, that must be backed up by a comprehensive upgrade plan, with timelines and funding, that will address decades of underfunding and bring the road up to a standard that is safe for the traffic volumes of today,” says Mayor Hazlehurst. T&D

She says the Government should instead focus on improving the quality of the road.

Ms Upston says answers to Written Questions she submitted to the Minister of Transport on the SH5 are further proof that the Government should be prioritising a comprehensive upgrade of the State Highway 5 (SH5) between Napier and Taupō, instead of simply lowering speed limits.

“In December 2021, I asked the Minister how many complaints he had received about the state highway over the past two years.

“Out of 59 complaints, five were about maintenance issues, nine for potholes and two for drainage.

“Even more concerning is previous responses by the Minister that revealed 2992 repairs to potholes during the past five years!

“Yet, despite the poor maintenance statistics, Waka Kotahi NZTA went ahead and decided to lower the speed limit for 76 kilometres on the SH5 instead of investing in urgent road maintenance, surface upgrades and safety features.

“The Government has demonstrated an absolute disregard for both the importance of this piece of road and the users of it,” Ms Upston says.

“This road is the only highway link between the central North Island and Hawke’s Bay region, making it particularly important for freight, including access to the Port of Napier and tourism.

“While lower speed limits can be helpful for more dangerous sections of roads, imposing it on most part of the road will only pile on additional costs in lost time and revenue for those responsible road users who already drive to the conditions and current limits.”

Ms Upston says National has committed to investing $300 million to improve the SH5 route, including the fast-tracking of safety projects. This includes an urgent upgrade to the surface, instead of repeated repairs to dangerous potholes.

“Significant safety issues also need to be addressed through a retrofitted median and roadside barrier, re-engineered and straightened dangerous corners, new passing lanes, widened shoulders, and safer turning opportunities.”

Ms Upston says she’s pleased the local community has joined her efforts to directly challenge the Government on their flawed decision.

“I’m working with Tony Alexander, advocate and a regular user of that piece of road as a truck driver, and Kiri Goodspeed who

has initiated a parliamentary petition on the issue, to highlight the Government’s inaction on upgrading this piece of road.

“I am planning two stakeholder meetings at both ends of the road in Taupō and Napier in coming weeks and will also be inviting NZTA, mayors and other regional community leaders to attend.

“While the evidence is clear that better, modern roads are safer, Labour has no plan and no funding to address the deficiencies.

“This road needs significant investment to save lives, bolster regional growth and improve journeys, particularly for truck drivers and tourists travelling in Hawke’s Bay. “This is sensible, shovel-ready work that can get underway quickly, creating jobs and improving safety,” Ms Upston says.

“It’s about time the Government gets on with it and action National’s proposals to improve the poor condition of this road rather than just slowing everyone down.”

A recent achievement on SH5 has been the unprecedented results from the Police “Stay Alive on 5” campaign during 2021.

In its first 12 months of operation there were zero fatalities on the Hawke’s Bay side of the Napier–Taupō road.

Hawke’s Bay Police Highway Patrol officer Constable Steven Knox set up the ‘Stay Alive on 5’ campaign, launched in November 2020, after a notorious year of road crashes in 2019-2020 resulting in nine deaths on the Hawke’s Bay side.

Constable Knox says that while the zero fatalities statistic was obviously fantastic, the wider effect of an overall reduction in road crashes is just as important.

“For the period November 2020 to October 2021, there’s been a 72% decrease in crashes along State Highway 5 as a result of focused and targeted effort,” says Constable Knox.

The campaign has seen a significant increase in Police patrols on the road, with both marked and unmarked vehicles working in tandem, and the use of speed camera vans.

“Police presence on the road is a powerful deterrent to speeding and dangerous driving, such as risky overtaking manoeuvres.

Speeding and bad decision-making on the road can have devastating consequences.”

The increased presence has resulted in a significant increase in traffic stops on the previous year. Police hope this will decrease as more road users get the message that Police have a new focus on road safety in this area, and change their behaviour accordingly. T&D

From left: Hastings Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst, Hastings deputy mayor Tania Kerr, Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand chief executive Nick Leggett, and truck driver Tony Alexander take a look at State Highway 5.

Truck & Driver | 79

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FEATURE

Dune Raiders When it comes to campaigning trucks in the world’s toughest rally raid event, nobody can get close to the KAMAZ-master team from Russia. It was a 1-2-3-4 sweep for the Russians in the 2022 Dakar Rally.

RUSSIA’S KAMAZ-MASTER SQUAD SHOWS NO SIGN OF LOSING its stranglehold on the Truck category of the gruelling Dakar Rally.

The 44th edition of the world’s toughest marathon rally raid event was contested in January and the Russian marque achieved its 19th victory in the Truck category since 1996, setting a clear target for win number 20 in 2023.

The 2022 Dakar Rally was raced through the dunes, canyons, mountains and gravel roads of Saudi Arabia for the third time.

The 56-strong Truck category was competing alongside cars, motorcycles, quads and new generation UTV machines in the January 1-14 rally marathon.

Carrying the familiar Red Bull livery, the four-strong factory

KAMAZ-master squad dominated the 8000km event to sweep the top four places. It was 2021 winner Dmitry Sotnikov who raced to back-to-back victories, this time driving the new K5 generation of KAMAZ competition truck.

The latest in a line of KAMAZ rally raid racers, the latest 435091 model is a development of the previously dominant 43509 racer.

To cover its chances the KAMAZ-master team fielded two of the new trucks supported by two of the previous generation trucks.

However, the new model was already well-tested with a debut outing in the 2021 Silk Way Rally. It has a proven evolution of the 13-litre six-cylinder power plant that develops 1050bhp in race tune and with further development of the suspension system.

Truck & Driver | 81

Above: A massive service operation supports the KAMAZ-master team and keeps the trucks performing in the severe desert conditions.

Below: Hino Team Sugawara debuted a hybrid powered 600 Series and reached the finish in 22nd place after some late-rally transmission problems.

82 | Truck & Driver

Eduard Nikolaev briefly led the rally in the other K5 entry after the short preliminary stage on January 1. But a win in the first full stage moved Sotnikov into the lead he never lost. By winning the short final stage alongside the Red Sea, Sotnikov sealed a winning margin of 9m 58s over Nikolaev when the celebrations began in Jeddah.

The winning crew members teamed with Sotnikov were navigator Ruslan Akhmadeev and mechanic Ilgiz Akhmetzyanov.

In spite of leading for almost the entire event, Sotnikov said the race was challenging and there was no chance to relax until he reached the finish line of the final 164km stage.

“It was very different from the previous two in Saudi Arabia. The Dakar 2022 began without a warming-up with the hardest special stages in the sand,” Sotnikov said.

“The whole team dominated but the rivalry for the victory went every day, and until the last kilometre it was impossible to relax.

“Even 500 metres before the finish line, we were worried, because it was important to get to the end. We have a new truck, the whole team has worked hard on creation of this truck for the past year. We are grateful to everyone who supported us, this victory is our common result.

Russia is the champion!”

It turned out to be a tight battle for the podium after 4200km of competitive timed sections with Anton Shibalov taking third place only 1m 13secs

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behind Nikolaev. In the later days of the rally Andrey Karginov climbed up the order as he recovered from an earlier loss of time to finish fourth.

Iveco entries occupied the rest of the top-10 places behind the KAMAZ quartet. The top six was completed

by Dutch drivers for Team De Rooy with Iveco Power Stars. Janus van Kasteren finished fifth ahead of Martin van den Brink.

The 2022 Dakar was headlined several by new technology projects in several categories.

The Hino team debuted its hybrid equipped 600 Series racer (which competes in the under-10 litre class) with Japanese driver Teruhito Sugawara climbing as high as 15th place before late-rally transmission and electrical delays dropped him to 22nd. T&D

Left: Dmitry Sotnikov has became the pace-setter in the KAMAZ-master squad and raced to back-to-back Dakar Rally wins in January.

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44TH DAKAR RALLY

JANUARY 1-14, 2022 – TRUCKS TOP-10 OVERALL: 1

Dmitry Sotnikov (Russia) KAMAZ, 41 hours, 37 mins, 34 secs

2

Eduard Nikolaev (Russia) KAMAZ, 41h 47m 32s

3

Anton Shibalov (Russia) KAMAZ, 41h 48m 45s

4

Andrey Karginov (Russia) KAMAZ, 43h 27m 29s

5

Janus van Kasteren (Netherlands) Iveco, 44h 46m 04s

6

Martin van den Brink (Netherlands) Iveco, 45h 19m 06s

7

Martin Macik (Czech Republic) Iveco, 46h 21m 45s

8

Victor Versteijnen (Netherlands) Iveco, 46h 22m 08s

9

Richard de Groot (Netherlands) Iveco, 48h 07m 01s

10

Mitchel van den Brink (Netherlands) Iveco, 49h 48m 08s

Hydrogen debuts at Dakar THE FRENCH HYDROGEN FUEL CELL pioneer Gaussin says its H2 Racing Truck delivered a promising performance in the experimental category of the Dakar Rally.

The H2 Racing Truck is the most powerful 100% hydrogen and electric racing truck ever built and the first hydrogen vehicle to participate in the annual rally raid through the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Entered in the experimental category promoting new clean energies, and designed for the extreme environments of the rally raid marathon, the H2 Racing Truck was driven by Philippe Jacquot while Christophe Gaussin, CEO of Gaussin, was the racing team manager.

The intention was to demonstrate the performance and reliability of the hydrogen-electric powertrain developed by Gaussin for its future production models.

“We are very proud of our first run in the Dakar, which is a great success for Gaussin. The H2 Racing Truck passed the planned test route without a hitch. We even exceeded some of our expectations, with a demonstrated range of 400km, whereas our conservative estimate was

for a range of around 250km,” says Christophe Gaussin.

“Our hydrogen truck impressed on the spot, with its speed of 140km/h, coupled with the silence of its engine, which is a huge asset for drivers, and finally a phenomenal torque, which made the difference in the dunes.”

The teams says reduction of the truck’s weight and centre of gravity are among the useful lessons learned during its first Dakar attempt.

“This first entry also allows Gaussin to improve its truck in the future. Our ability

to achieve a strong finish to the race is a testament to the conviction of our team that we must fight against climate change now and accelerate the transition to clean energy options,” says Christophe Gaussin.

The H2 Racing Truck previews a new range of hydrogen fuel cell and electric road trucks, designed by Pininfarina, which will be marketed this year. The new zero emissions trucks are designed around the hydrogen and electric powertrain within the lightweight modular “skateboard” architecture launched last April by Gaussin. T&D

Truck & Driver | 85

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FEATURE

Fast-paced EV development from Volvo Trucks is delivering a host of advances and innovations.

Volvo gets a grip Fast-paced EV development from Volvo Trucks is delivering a host of advances and innovations.

NEW ELECTRIC DRIVE SYSTEMS WON’T ONLY change how a vehicle is powered, how quickly it accelerates, how much load it can shif t or how far it can travel.

Sophisticated control of electric powertrains also opens up new possibilities for how vehicles are able to brake, turn and gain traction, in particular on slippery surfaces.

Volvo Trucks is providing some insight to these possibilities by launching a new, patented safety feature for its expanding electric truck line-up.

Called Active Grip Control, Volvo Trucks says the new technology significantly improves stability, acceleration and braking in slippery conditions.

Volvo says that because of the fast response of the electric motors, the force generated between the wheels and the road can be controlled in an instant to proactively prevent

wheel spin.

The feature clearly improves acceleration in slippery conditions. Testing performed with the Volvo FH Electric on a low friction surface with a loaded trailer shows a 45% improvement at full acceleration.

“The improvement when going up a slippery, gravel road is really impressive. I believe this will increase productivity, not least for our construction customers,” says Anna Wrige Berling, Traffic & Product safety director at Volvo Trucks.

If the truck starts to skid, multiple sensors allow the vehicle’s control system to react to the road surface conditions and utilise the vehicle’s electric motors, along with other actuators, in an intelligent way to help the driver stay on the road.

The new feature is also designed to reduce Truck & Driver | 87

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Testing performed with the Volvo FH Electric on a low friction surface shows a 45% improvement in traction at full acceleration.

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Anna Wrige Berling, Traffic & Product safety director at Volvo Trucks, says electric drive technologies will offer big safety and performance improvements in slippery gravel conditions.

the risk for jack-knifing and oversteering when driving unloaded.

“With Active Grip Control we are giving our drivers further improved ability to traverse difficult roads and terrain – even during the most challenging of conditions. This is a unique function that Volvo Group has protected by patents,” Anna Wrige Berling explains.

Improvements can also be seen when braking, as the function can be used for controlled regenerative braking without going into ABS. This increases efficiency, since more time is spent in regeneration, allowing for a smoother braking experience.

The Active Grip Control feature will be available on the heavy-duty Volvo FH, Volvo FM and Volvo FMX Electric trucks, that are used for regional haul and construction operations. A version of the feature will also be available on trucks with a diesel or LNG driveline.

Volvo Trucks already has a range of six all-electric trucks designed to cover a wide variety of different transport assignments.

Its FH, FM and FMX Electric models are heavy-duty trucks with a gross combination weight of 44 tonnes.

Sales are ongoing in Europe and production will start in the second half of 2022.

Serial production in Europe of the Volvo FL and Volvo FE Electric, for city distribution and refuse handling, started in 2019 and sales of the Volvo VNR Electric for North America began in December 2020.

The pace of development in the electric truck sector is reflected in the launch of an enhanced VNR Electric Truck & Driver | 89

1972 - 2022

50 GOLDEN YEARS OF KIWI TRUCKING. A second generation version of the Volvo VNR Electric has increased battery capacity and now boasts an estimated range of 440 kilometres.

Volvo Trucks’ global target is for electric models to account for half of all the trucks it sells by 2030. which offers a significant increase in battery capacity and range.

New battery options achieving an 85% increase in range along with faster charging capability are features of the second generation VNR Electric announced recently. In the gen-two specification, the VNR Electric now boasts an estimated range of 440 kilometres.

The first generation VNR Electric had an operating range of up to 240km. Increased energy storage (now up to 565kWh) along with an improved battery design and a new six battery package option are delivering the improved performance.

The new Volvo VNR Electric also reduces the required charging time. The increased 250kW charging allows an 80% charge in Register your interest to bringcapability your Mack 90 minutes for the six-battery package, and 60 to our huge anniversary truck show. minutes for the four-battery version.

“It is a testament to Volvo Trucks’ leadership in a 22 October 2022, Manfeild Park, Feilding. continuously evolving industry that we are bringing

1972 - 2022

the enhanced version of our VNR Electric to the market only a year after sales of the VNR Electric first started,” said Peter Voorhoeve, President, Volvo Trucks North America.

Production of the enhanced Volvo VNR Electric will start in Q2 2022 in the company’s New River Valley plant in Virginia, which is the exclusive producer of all Volvo trucks in North America.

Globally, Volvo Trucks has set the target that electric models will account for half of all Volvo trucks sold by 2030.

“We are determined to lead the transformation of the transport industry,” says Roger Alm, President Volvo Trucks.

“In only eight years’ time, our goal is that half of our global truck sales are electric.

The interest among customers is high, and it’s quickly becoming a competitive advantage for transporters to be able to offer electric, sustainable transports. That is very 50years.macktrucks.co.nz encouraging,” T&D

50 GOLDEN YEARS OF KIWI TRUCKING.

Truck & Driver | 91

After gaining good experience with a Volvo FE Electric (above), Unicon is now taking the next big step towards emission-free distribution with plans to order 11 FM Electric (below) trucks for concrete work.

Volvo’s concrete plan VOLVO TRUCKS IS TEAMING UP WITH A DANISH CONCRETE FIRM to overcome one of the more difficult applications for electric trucks.

Concrete mixers present a considerable challenge for electrification because of the heavy loads and mixing demands.

Unicon, the largest producer and supplier of ready-mixed concrete in Denmark, has announced plans to order 11 Volvo FM Electric trucks that will be converted to truck mixers and operate in Denmark.

It’s the largest private single order to date for electric trucks that will run on Danish roads. The trucks will start being delivered at the end of 2022.

In addition, Unicon and Volvo Trucks have agreed on a long-term collaboration that aims to develop and implement complete truck and body electric solutions for the sustainable distribution of ready-mixed concrete.

“With this major order and ambitious collaboration agreement, we are putting tangible actions behind our CO2 emission targets for our distribution,” says Christian Elleby, Supply Chain and Procurement director at Unicon.

“This clearly underlines our role as a frontrunner for the construction industry in both Denmark and worldwide. We are very much looking forward to this collaboration with Volvo Trucks, which gives us unique opportunities to jointly develop the right complete truck and body electric solutions for our distribution.”

Peter Ericson, managing director of Volvo Trucks in Denmark, says that because heavy vehicles for the concrete industry are among the most difficult to electrify, the company expects to learn a lot from this collaboration.

“With these agreements, we are taking important steps in expanding fossil-free distribution solutions to the concrete industry, where electrification of heavy vehicles has been a very difficult challenge due to the heavy loads and continuous mixing demands,” says Ericson.

“We are pleased to have Unicon on board as a strategic partner 92 | Truck & Driver

and we expect a lot of learning and development as a result of the collaboration for the benefit of an entire industry.”

Unicon believes that electric truck mixers offer the most obvious technology for achieving ambitious sustainability goals. This applies both in relation to supporting emission-free distribution of readymixed concrete and for creating a better and even safer working environment on construction sites.

“With the new electric truck mixers, we are ready to support the requirements for emission-free construction sites in Denmark, which we see from the City of Copenhagen, as well as an increasing number of contractors and builders,” Elleby says.

Unicon is Denmark’s oldest and largest producer and supplier of ready-mixed concrete with 35 factories producing about 1 million cubic meters of concrete annually.

It operates a fleet of 195 trucks and has defined a target to reduce CO2 emissions from its fleet by 30 percent in 2025 compared to 2019 and has a clear strategy to make its fleet of truck mixers emission-free in 2035. T&D

TRUCK SHOP

New home for TransDiesel

S

PURRED BY THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE WAIKATO Expressway, Hautapu is becoming an increasingly vital transport industry and manufacturing hub.

Recently finding a new home just to the east of Cambridge is TransDiesel, a leading supplier of construction equipment, diesel engines and transmissions to the heavy-machinery industry.

TransDiesel has opened a new national distribution centre at 219 Peake Road, Hautapu. Located adjacent to the Waikato Expressway, the new facility takes advantage of the location to enhance the service offered to customers throughout the country.

“The new hub represents a significant investment in all-new infrastructure at a greenfields site and demonstrates our ongoing commitment to our customers,” says Mike McKessar, TransDiesel CEO. “It offers multiple benefits to our clients and will enable many associated positive flow-ons, ranging from improved customer service, enhanced satisfaction thanks to shorter wait-times as well as employment for local residents.

“All of the new construction has been done with environmental considerations in mind, with the new facility showcasing a number of sustainability-oriented features.”

The new facility will provide a consistent supply chain solution by relocating product to a more cost-competitive in-house solution, in turn enabling better controls and stock management.

The recently upgraded Waikato Expressway runs past the national distribution centre’s front door and, with 80% of the freight originating from the Auckland port, will enable TransDiesel to offer national coverage in a timely manner.

Furthermore, the additional space and the central location will give the facility the added advantage of being able to use the new infrastructure investment being made around the Tauranga port upgrades.

Among the first inventory items to arrive was 500,000 litres of Shell products and in coming months, 2,600-plus pallet spaces in the warehouse will be utilised as the new facility comes online.

“There will be three warehouse staff to start the process and there will be additional employees required to keep pace with future growth,” McKessar says.

“From a TransDiesel perspective, the number of employees in the region has

now risen to six technicians. I am sure this number will climb as demand for products increases alongside sales and market growth.”

The distribution centre sits on a four-hectare sire and boasts 170m of road frontage, making it easily recognisable from the Waikato Expressway.

Further expansion is possible with an extra hectare of land available onsite for development as and when required.

TransDiesel has placed sustainability initiatives to the fore at the new location.

Rain water is harvested from the roof and collected in five 30,000-litre tanks.

These tanks, operating in conjunction with a bore water supply, will enable the facility to be self-sustaining for water and will be the primary method of water use onsite.

A clever waste water system under the ground will manage the stormwater in an environmentally effective way, and after the filtration process the water can be used through the facility operations.

An innovative Kingspan warm roofing system also assists the building to manage seasonal variations, helping keep employees warm in winter by retaining heat within the building and cool in summer by reducing the solar gain.

LED interior lighting is another feature used to reduce running costs which are estimated at 70% less than a traditional high-bay light system. T&D The new distribution centre at Hautapu will house 500,000 litres of Shell products.

Truck & Driver | 93

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It’s political...

WHAT THE POLITICIANS THINK ABOUT TRUCKING THE NEW ZEALAND TRUCKING INDUSTRY FACES many challenges – many of them influenced by Government policy.

Apart from the many problems currently created by the COVID-19 pandemic, there’s the ongoing driver shortage, the worsening state of the nation’s roading network and looming emissions reduction legislation…

So, who among our political parties offers any

salvation for the industry in these situations?

To have some insight into what politicians are thinking about issues impacting the road transport industry, NZ Truck & Driver has offered each of the major political parties the opportunity to voice their views on trucking matters each month.

This month, only the ACT Party has responded to the opportunity. T&D

Government dressing up a lack of planning as a safety initiative

By Simon Court, ACT Party spokesperson on transport

N

ORTHLAND IS ONE OF THE FASTEST GROWING REGIONS IN New Zealand, with the population increasing by 18.1 per cent over five years to 179,076, according to 2018 Census figures. In 2018 Waka Kotahi NZTA planned new infrastructure for Northland worth $156 million over three years.

The Government has a new plan, the Road to Zero, and wants to reduce speed limits across Northland from 100km/h to 80kmh/h. From just past Wellsford up to Kaitaia and beyond, all traffic would be limited to a maximum speed of 80km/h.

There is only $103 million to upgrade Northland roads over three years from 2021, but a whopping $130 million for safety improvements like wire rope barriers, removing passing lanes and applying buckets of paint.

Waka Kotahi saw the Whangarei to Port Marsden four-laning project as vital to deliver improved safety and efficiency. Of the 19,000 vehicle journeys per day, 13% are freight on that part of the network.

Announced by the Labour led government in February 2020, the project was cancelled in June 2021. When the Minister of Transport visited Northland a few weeks prior he left mayors, councillors and stakeholders assured the project would proceed. Yet weeks later he claimed the cost to deliver NZ Upgrade roading projects had more than doubled, and they had run out of money.

I asked the Minister, when did he decide to cancel the project? He replied that the Government has not cancelled the project, it has been rescoped to provide a new rail link to Northport and targeted major safety upgrades to State Highway 1.

The Minister also confirmed that there is no plan to protect the route for future four-laning, because it would cost too much. The Government are planning to fail our road transport industry and communities around the country who depend on efficient road services.

Compare this to the ultra-fast broadband project.

The government of the day asked the telcos to work out the best way to get more data to more customers. Then they put them together with Crown Infrastructure Partners to raise $1 billion to build a new fibre network.

Imagine if the government had instead forced the telcos to lower the speed limit on your modem to manage demand? New Zealand would have been left behind the rest of the world.

There is a real risk that regions like Northland will be left behind if it

Simon Court takes too long to get their people and goods to ports and markets.

That is why politicians should not be deciding what project goes ahead, and whether it is road or rail.

That should be up to the experts who manage our roads and infrastructure. ACT would entrust long term planning and decision making to a new Nation Building Agency.

The Nation Building Agency would prioritise transport projects by combining the knowledge and smarts of the independent Infrastructure Commission with Crown Infrastructure Partners ability to raise money and would deliver more infrastructure and faster.

That is how we will stay connected and grow together as a nation, not by dressing up a lack of planning and funding as a safety initiative. T&D Truck & Driver | 95

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National Road Carriers

RUNNING TOO LEAN?

By James Smith, COO, of National Road Carriers Association

James Smith

A

S ANTICIPATED, 2022 HAS GOT OFF TO A BUMPY start with a new variant of COVID arriving just as Auckland and Northland were reaching the end of their lock-down phases.

The Government response so far to the latest threat has appeared shambolic. Despite this being the third year of COVID the Government was not prepared.

What has also become apparent is just how lean the supply chain is.

When we were working on the Critical Worker list with the Ministry of Transport and Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment, the overwhelming percentage of members had every one of their team critical to their operation.

Obviously, truck driving is a role that must be performed by someone positioned between the steering wheel and the back of the seat, but it was the number of non-driving tasks where the role had to be performed on site by an individual team member that highlighted just how lean most businesses were.

As freight rates and margins have plummeted, the ability of any transport business to carry surplus staff has disappeared.

Leaning out any spare capacity has created a crisis where, if even a small percentage of staff are required to remain off work, the entire business grinds to a halt.

Optimisation was a key driver throughout the recovery

from the share market crash and again from the Global Financial Crisis with most companies squeezing as much productivity as they could out of staff and equipment as customers squeezed the rates tighter.

Considerable cost savings could be made by optimising vehicle delivery runs and this, along with increased productivity from adopting high productivity motor vehicles (HPMV), is what kept many businesses afloat as we recovered from the various slumps post de-regulation.

The challenge we face as we look to navigate the latest COVID development is we no longer have any spare capacity to draw on to fill any gaps that appear.

Customers will face the consequences of squeezing our industry and will need to be prepared to pay more to rebuild resilience back into the supply chain.

Building back capacity is also a critical part of bringing new people into our industry. New staff take time to bed into a role and mistakes are made. As an industry we must rebuild our ability to run our businesses with a bit more wiggle room.

As borders reopen we will be working with agencies to help members attract and obtain skilled workers that are desperately needed throughout our industry.

The NRC team are always available to assist anyone that chooses transport as their profession. If there is anything that you need assistance with, please call us on 0800 686 777. T&D Truck & Driver | 97

There is nothing more important than ensuring the safety of all road users.

That’s why the new Cascadia integrates industry-leading Daimler technology to be one of the safest vehicles on the road. A safer truck keeps you and your business on the move, ready and capable for what lies ahead.

CASCADIA 116

DAY CAB

TO FIND OUT MORE PLEASE CONTACT YOUR LOCAL DEALER Authorised North Island Dealers

Authorised South Island Dealers

KEITH ANDREWS TRUCKS LTD Ph: 0800 487 825 www.keithandrews.co.nz

CABLEPRICE LTD Ph: 0800 555 456 www.cableprice.co.nz FREIGHTLINER.CO.NZ

Freightliner is a registered trademark of Daimler Trucks North America LLC. Published by Daimler Truck and Bus Australia Pacific Pty Ltd NZBN 9429048394826.

FRE10432_NZ Press Placement FP_SAFETY MESSAGE_Jan 2022_210x297mm_FA.indd 1

11/2/22 4:41 pm

The first Mack SuperLiner logger in the North Canterbury fleet of Steve Murphy Ltd is aptly named Top Dog. With 685hp, the 8x4 SuperLiner runs the 12-speed mDrive transmission and has Meritor 46-160 rear axles on Primaax air suspension. Patchell Industries truck gear and five-axle trailer complete the new combination which boasts new metallic paint and signwriting by Caulfield Signs. Plus a few special touches by Chris Murphy.

An up and down start NEW TRUCK REGISTRATIONS IN JANUARY TRACKED largely as expected, recording a stronger start to the year than in 2021, but still some way behind record numbers.

According to NZTA provisional data there were 340 trucks (with a GVM of 4.5 tonnes-plus) registered in the first month of the new year, a solid 15.2% increase on the 295 sales in January 2021. However 2019 still provides the strongest January on record for truck sales with 416 registrations.

While truck sales increased it was mixed start overall for the transport industry. Official NZ Transport Agency registration data shows that trailer registrations were down year-on-year for the start of 2022 with 86 sales being 14.8% behind the January 2021 total of 101.

FUSO carried the momentum of its strong finish to 2021 to lead the truck market with 64 registrations in January. Hino also started the new year strongly, picking up from third in the 2022 market to claim second place in January with 56 registrations, ahead of Isuzu on 47.

There was no change at the top of the trailer market with Patchell continuing where it left off in 2021, still out in front of all rival brands.

Behind the leading Japanese brand trio of FUSO, Hino and Isuzu in the 4.5t to maximum GVM truck market, the January figures showed 27 registrations for Scania to claim fourth position ahead of Kenworth (26), Mercedes-Benz (21), Iveco (18), UD (17), Foton (12) and DAF (12) to round out the top 10.

In the 3.5-4.5t crossover segment, Fiat (30) was the convincing leader

ahead of Volkswagen (10) Mercedes-Benz (4), Renault (2) and Chevrolet (1).

In the 4.5-7.5t market segment Fuso (24) came in top ahead of Isuzu (22), Iveco (10), Mercedes-Benz (8) and Foton (8).

The 7.5-15t segment was closely contested – Isuzu registering 16 trucks in January, ahead of Hino (14), and Fuso (12). The leading trio were well clear of Foton (4), Hyundai (3), Iveco (2), UD (1) and Mercedes-Benz (1).

The small 15-20.5t category was led by Hino (10), ahead of UD (5), Fuso (3), Scania (3), MAN (2), Iveco (2) and Isuzu (1).

The 20.5-23t segment was very quiet with Hino and Sinotruk each achieving one registration.

All of Kenworth’s 26 new registrations for January were in the premium 23t to maximum GVM category – making it the leader in a very tightly contested top end of the market.

Close behind sharing second place with 25 registrations each were FUSO and Hino while Scania (24) was also close. The top-10 was completed by DAF and Mercedes-Benz, tied with 12 registrations, followed by UD (11), Isuzu (8), MAN (8) and Volvo (6) rounding out the top 10.

Patchell’s quest for a 13th consecutive year of market leadership got off to a good start, recording 10 sales in January.

Next were Roadmaster (7), Fruehauf (6), Freighter (6), M.T.E (5) and Domett, TMC, Transfleet and Transport Trailer all with four sales each.

A tenth place tie involved Evans, Fairfax and Kraft all with 3 apiece. T&D Truck & Driver | 99

4:41 pm

23,001kg-max GVM

4501kg-max GVM 2022 Brand FUSO HINO ISUZU SCANIA KENWORTH MERCEDES-BENZ IVECO UD FOTON DAF MAN VOLVO HYUNDAI RAM INTERNATIONAL FIAT FREIGHTLINER SINOTRUK VOLKSWAGEN MACK Total

Vol 64 56 47 27 26 21 18 17 12 12 10 6 5 4 3 3 3 3 2 1 340

% 18.8 16.5 13.8 7.9 7.6 6.2 5.3 5.0 3.5 3.5 2.9 1.8 1.5 1.2 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.6 0.3 100

January Vol % 64 18.8 56 16.5 47 13.8 27 7.9 26 7.6 21 6.2 18 5.3 17 5.0 12 3.5 12 3.5 10 2.9 6 1.8 5 1.5 4 1.2 3 0.9 3 0.9 3 0.9 3 0.9 2 0.6 1 0.3 340 100

3501-4500kg GVM 2022 Brand FIAT VOLKSWAGEN MERCEDES-BENZ RENAULT CHEVROLET Total

Vol 30 10 4 2 1 47

% 63.8 21.3 8.5 4.3 2.1 100

January Vol % 30 63.8 10 21.3 4 8.5 2 4.3 1 2.1 47 100

4501-7500kg GVM 2022 Brand FUSO ISUZU IVECO MERCEDES-BENZ FOTON HINO RAM FIAT HYUNDAI VOLKSWAGEN Total 100 | Truck & Driver

Vol 24 22 10 8 8 6 4 3 2 2 89

% 27.0 24.7 11.2 9.0 9.0 6.7 4.5 3.4 2.2 2.2 100.0

January Vol % 24 27.0 22 24.7 10 11.2 8 9.0 8 9.0 6 6.7 4 4.5 3 3.4 2 2.2 2 2.2 89 100

2022

Beale Trucking of Pahiatua has recently added a new Western Star logger to its fleet working North island-wide. Th 4884 FXC 8x4 Day Cab is powered by a 14.8-litre 560hp Detroit DD15 driving through a Road Ranger transmission. It’s gone to work with Patchell Industries logging gear and four-axle trailer.

7501-15,000kg GVM 2022 Brand ISUZU HINO FUSO FOTON IVECO UD HYUNDAI MERCEDES-BENZ Total

Vol 16 14 12 4 2 1 3 1 53

% 30.2 26.4 22.6 7.5 3.8 1.9 5.7 1.9 100

January Vol % 16 30.2 14 26.4 12 22.6 4 7.5 2 3.8 1 1.9 3 5.7 1 1.9 53 100

15,001-20,500kg GVM 2022 Brand HINO UD FUSO SCANIA MAN IVECO ISUZU Total

Vol 10 5 3 3 2 2 1 26

% 38.5 19.2 11.5 11.5 7.7 7.7 3.8 100

January Vol % 10 38.5 5 19.2 3 11.5 3 11.5 2 7.7 2 7.7 1 3.8 26 100

20,501-23,000kg GVM 2022 Brand HINO SINOTRUK Total

Vol 1 1 2

% 50.0 50.0 100

January Vol % 1 50.0 1 50.0 2 100

Brand KENWORTH FUSO HINO SCANIA DAF MERCEDES-BENZ UD ISUZU MAN VOLVO IVECO INTERNATIONAL FREIGHTLINER SINOTRUK MACK Total

Vol 26 25 25 24 12 12 11 8 8 6 4 3 3 2 1 170

% 15.3 14.7 14.7 14.1 7.1 7.1 6.5 4.7 4.7 3.5 2.4 1.8 1.8 1.2 0.6 100

January Vol % 26 15.3 25 14.7 25 14.7 24 14.1 12 7.1 12 7.1 11 6.5 8 4.7 8 4.7 6 3.5 4 2.4 3 1.8 3 1.8 2 1.2 1 0.6 170 100

Trailers 2022 Vol Brand PATCHELL 10 ROADMASTER 7 FRUEHAUF 6 FREIGHTER 6 M.T.E. 5 DOMETT 4 TMC 4 TRANSFLEET 4 TRANSPORT TRAILERS 4 EVANS 3 FAIRFAX 3 KRAFT 3 MTC EQUIPMENT 2 MILLS-TUI 2 TIDD 2 HAMMAR 2 LUSK 2 MAXICUBE 2 JACKSON 1 TES 1 CWS 1 SEC 1 OTHER 11 Total 86

% 11.6 8.1 7.0 7.0 5.8 4.7 4.7 4.7 4.7 3.5 3.5 3.5 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.3 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 12.8 100

January Vol % 10 11.6 7 8.1 6 7.0 6 7.0 5 5.8 4 4.7 4 4.7 4 4.7 4 4.7 3 3.5 3 3.5 3 3.5 2 2.3 2 2.3 2 2.3 2 2.3 2 2.3 2 2.3 1 1.2 1 1.2 1 1.2 1 1.2 11 12.8 86 100

Westland Engineering Supplies

K & L Distributors BOP Ltd

Auckland Oil Shop

Westland Engineering Supplies is a locally owned and operated company and is proud to be the Caltex Distributor for the West Coast from Karamea to Haast.

We pride ourselves on being able to offer and supply the best product backed by the best service and technical back up in the industry. We can offer overnight delivery to virtually anywhere on the West Coast.

Just give Danny, Deane or Kate a call and we will be pleased to assist.

AND HAWKES BAY

Westland Engineering Supplies 03-768 5720

Westland Engineering Supplies 10 Boundary Street Greymouth 03 768 5720 Caltex Westport 197 Palmerston St Westport 03 789 7819

Delo® 400 SLK with ISOSYN® Advanced Technology

For your nearest Oil Shop Freephone 0800 372 374

TD31095

Delo® 400 SLK with innovative ISOSYN® Advanced Technology is here. Delivering industry leading durability, reliability and efficiency. It works in synergy with the changing conditions in your engine to maximise protection, optimise performance and extend oil life.

Kiwitrans of Kopu have added a new MAN TGX 35.640 Elite to its now 11-strong fleet with John Wylie behind the wheel hauling timber products around the Auckland, Waikato and BOP regions. The 8x4 Sleeper develops 640hp and has 3000Nm of torque driving through the MAN Tipmatic 12-speed transmission. The high specification includes active cruise control, leather interior, premium sound system and a fridge. A five-axle Roadmaster trailer completes the new combination.

Tyre Collection Services has a new Scania P360 on its South Island-wide runs. The Scania collects end of life tyres for processing at the TCS plant in Rolleston and also does some general freight work. The 6x2 sleeper cab has the 360hp 9-litre engine and automated transmission. A Helmack body is fitted with freight gates and driver Dion Hamilton says he loves driving the new Scania which is achieving 3.95km/litre on its early runs.

102 | Truck & Driver

‘LIL RD’ is a new UD Trucks CD25360AS for Macdonald Contracting running in NZ Couriers livery for short haul parcel freight runs in the lower North Island from the Palmerston North depot.

The 6x2 unit has the 360hp engine and 12-speed automated transmission. It features Alcoa Dura-bright alloys and has a Fruehauf 16-pallet curtain sider body.

Aotearoa Haulage has added a new International 9870 R8 8x4 bulk tipper to its fleet. Driven by Brett Friar the new unit will work nationwide from the Mt Maunganui depot. A 615hp Cummins X15 is matched to an Eaton MXP Ultra-Shift transmission and Meritor rear axles. The roster of extras includes a custom visor, Dura-Brights, Eagle cab trim, disc brakes and Ali-Arc bumper. The International tows a T&G five-axle tipper trailer.

Brian and Sue Hodgson from Timaru have a new Kenworth K200 2.3 flat roof they have christened The Dog Days are Over. Running in Ixom livery it has a 550.578hp Cummins X15, Eaton Road Ranger and Meritor axles with Air Glide suspension. It’s loaded with extras including grille bars, step infills, stainless visor and stainless mesh covers for the headlamps and LED spots, round bullet lights and air horns plus painted alloy rims. Southpac Trucks, HDPS Engineering, Baird’s Collision Centre and Transworx all played a part in getting it on the road with sign writing by Timaru Signs.

Truck & Driver | 103

The latest build from Matamata’s Warren Auger Bins is a Euro 6 DAF CF 530 equipped with a 20ft, eight compartment barrel for TRT Group/Fresh Pork New Zealand. The 8x4 unit tows a 29ft five-axle trailer with 10 compartments which is equipped with SAF ZI9 axles, Wabco braking and Deutz diesel power pack running the trailer hydraulics. The new unit will deliver feed to South Island pig farms based from Christchurch.

InterTruck Distributors has built a new International 9870 R8 Sky Roof for Ferguson Trucking of Milton to work South Island-wide. The 8x4 liftout side tipper is driven by Cameron Johnston on general freight work. It has a 615hp Cummins X15, 18-speed Road Ranger and Meritor 46160 rear axle. Extras include a stainless drop visor, twin air intakes, fridge, stainless sill protection and Ox Blood red interior. The five-axle trailer is

by Modern Transport Trailers.

104 | Truck & Driver

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NEW ZEALAND’S LEADING INDUSTRY PUBLICATIONS

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TD32286

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E. ropeworxnz@xtra.co.nz

NZ DISTRIBUTOR

Azwood Energy has a new Dunedin-based Iveco Trakker for hauling forestry slash. The 8x4 sleeper has the 500hp Cursor engine, ZF EcoShift transmission and Iveco 45329 hub reduction rear axles. Waimea Engineering built the high cube tipper bin and 9-metre four-axle tipper trailer.

The first of the new Series 5 Volvos to go to work on NZ roads is this new FH-16 750 operated by loyal Volvo customer All Branz. Working North Island-wide from its Palmerston North base, the 750hp tractor with I-Shift transmission is moving containers during the day and switching to curtain sider work at night. The FH runs the latest generation Volvo safety package and the custom painted cab features an extendable bed with a 33-litre fridge underneath.

Sinclair Logging from Geraldine has a new Iveco Trakker 8x4 for Mid Canterbury logging work. The 500hp Cursor engine is matched to ZF EcoShift transmission and Iveco 45329 hub reduction rear axles. The truck is fitted with new Waimea Engineering log gear and tows a refurbished Evans Engineering four-axle trailer.

Truck & Driver | 107

FREE COOLER BAG! Purchase a Rockinger 50mm Coupling from TRT before 31 March 2022 and get this drivers cooler bag. Only available while stocks last.

PROUDLY NZ OWNED & OPERATED

C

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ROCKINGER COUPLINGS 40mm and 50mm Rockinger Couplings are in stock now. We have a full range of components available. Talk to your branch today.

OEM PARTS

E C

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TRT represents and stocks a range of genuine truck parts from leading manufacturers.

Note: Some brands are exclusive by region.

E Front Centrifuse Brake Drum

Engine Belt Kit

HWI90600B

500086147

295

300

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Rocker Cover Gasket

Exhaust Manifold Gasket

A4570160221

SC2086029

17.65

T

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11.90

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EG31777

$

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CALL US TODAY to talk with our parts team!

Prices shown exclude GST and freight and are valid from 1st February to 31st March 2022. *Terms and conditions apply.

Ham: 07 849 4839

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Chch: 03 741 2261

www.trt.co.nz

S

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TRANSPORT, DIESEL & MARINE

THE RIGHT PARTS…THE RIGHT PRICES…RIGHT HERE! DRIVELINE PARTS

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EG31777

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Specials valid while stocks last.

8 Prescott Street, Penrose, Auckland

Fax: 09 525 6161 l Email: ray@tdm.co.nz | john@tdm.co.nz

NEW ZEALANDS ONLY LICENSED DISTRIBUTOR LOOKING FOR THE SAFEST AND BEST SEAT FOR YOUR TRUCK? MAKE SURE THAT IT’S AN ISRI FROM GEEMAC TRADING. Geemac Trading (NZ) Limitedhas been the only official Isringhausen (ISRI) distributor in New Zealand since 1995. ISRI are renowned as the best drivers seat in the world and are OEM in the majority of vehicles out of Europe, America and Asia. Including but not limited to - Kenworth, DAF/Foden, Isuzu, Mercedes, Mack, MAN, Hino, Freightliner and a large portion of off highway machinery brands.

We carry the full range of ISRI seats for all vehicles, including OEM replacements, as well as any ISRI spare parts needed to get your vehicle back on the road safely.

GET IN TOUCH TODAY! BUYER CHECKLIST HAS THIS ISRI SEAT COME FROM GEEMAC TRADING?

6860/880 NTS

6860/875 NTS PRO

IF CONVERTING, IS THERE AN ISRI BRACKET CERTIFIED FOR YOUR SPECIFIC VEHICLE? IF SEAT IS A DIRECT OEM REPLACEMENT, WHAT IS THE SEATS’ PART NUMBER? DOES IT MATCH THE ORIGINAL OEM SPEC SHEET. AFTER THE DRIVER, THE SEAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PIECE OF EQUIPMENT IN THE VEHICLE... BUY QUALITY AND LONG LASTING, RATHER THAN CHEAP ALTERNATIVES.

OFFICIAL ISRINGHAUSEN DISTRIBUTOR

Office: + 64 9 630 1856 Mobile: +64 21 577 542 Sales: callum@geemac.co.nz www.geemac.co.nz I www.isringhausen.co.nz

CLASSIFIED TRUCK & DRIVER

Offering: ❏ Heavy Commercial Vehicle Collision Repairs ❏ Sandblasting ❏ Fiberglass Repairs ❏ Plastic Welding ❏ Automotive Refinishing ❏ Industrial Painting & Protective Coatings ❏ Rust Repairs for COF ❏ Windscreen Replacement

?

Please contact our Sales Manager Anna on 027 369 9254, anna@brokersnz.co.nz EG32317

www.brokersunited.co.nz

Forestaire official distributor for New Zealand of Autoclima’s DC powered Fresco 3000 range of truck cab parking Air-Conditioners.

FRESCO BACK

FRESCO RT

The Back unit is usually the truck drivers preferred option without compromising the use of their roof hatch.

Guaranteed cool comfortable climate in the sleeping cab.

The evaporator is positioned on the back wall, in the sleeping area, and the condenser is located outside, on the back of the truck cabin. Available in 12V and 24V.

Where the fitting of the back unit is not an option the compact RT unit allows for quick and easy fitment into the roof hatch of the truck. Pre- charged with ecologic refrigerant R134a, this universal model allows for fitting on high inclination rate roofs CONDIZIONATORI DA PARCHEGGIO (like the Iveco Stralis). Universal and dedicated installation kits FRESCO are available for the most common models of trucks.

Fresco distribuito in tutta la cabina RT in 12V and 24V. Available Condizionatore monoblocco di semplice e rapido montaggio, che utilizza

Guaranteed cool in the sleeping cab.

FRESCO

BACK

Fresco garantito nella zona letto della cabina

Uniform fresh air distribution.

la botola del veicolo. Impianto precaricato di refrigerante R134a ecologico, universale; una soluzione brevettata lo garantisce anche su tetti con grande inclinazione (come IVECO Stralis). Kit di fissaggio universali e specifici realizzati per i maggiori modelli di V.I. circolanti sul mercato.

L'evaporatore è posizionato all'interno in prossimità della cuccetta e il condensatore si trova all'esterno sulla parete retro del mezzo.

Equal cool in the whole cabin Compact A/C for an easy and quick fitting in the roof hatch of truck. Pre-charged with ecologic refrigerant R134a, universal model; a patented solution makes it adjustable also on roof with high inclination rate (like IVECO Stralis). Universal and specific installation kits for the most common models of trucks are available.

The best cool in the sleeping cab The evaporator is positioned inside, close to the sleeping area and the condenser is located outside, on the back of the truck cabin. in.

DISPONIBILE A 12V e 24V AVAILABLE 12V and 24V

FRESCO

DISPONIBILE A 12V e 24V AVAILABLE 12V and 24V

Fresco garantito nella zona letto della cabina

L'evaporatore è posizionato all'interno in prossimità della cuccetta P:TOP 07 345 7713 | E: sales@forestaire.co.nz e il condensatore si trova all'esterno sul tetto del veicolo.

0800 RED DOT (0800 733 368) Soluzione preferita per autocarri con cassone fisso. sso.

The best cool in the sleeping cab The evaporator is positioned inside, close to the sleeping area and the condenser is located outside, on the roof of the vehicle.

Preferred solution for lorries with fixed trailer.

FRESCO

SPLIT

www.forestaire.co.nz DISPONIBILE A 12V e 24V AVAILABLE 12V and 24V

FRESCO

ALASKA

La multiversatilità del freddo Si tratta della combinazione di un evaporatore estremamente compatto da montarsi nella posizione scelta dal fruitore e il condensatore del modello BACK. The cool most versatile model This is the combination of a compact and versatile

Il TOP del fresco in cabina La grande versatilità delle soluzioni proposte rende questo modello ideale per le grandi cabine dei V.I. extra europei (ma non solo).

L'evaporatore può essere installato sotto la cuccetta, nel sottotetto della cabina AUTHORIZED o sulla parete interna e il condensatore all'esterno.

DISTRIBUTOR Il gruppo compressore è protettoNZ da una struttura in inox.

BREVETTATO PATENTED

BREVETTATO PATENTED The TOP of cool in truck cabin

The great versatility of proposed solutions makes this model the most ideal for the larger truck cabins of extra-Europe (but not only).

The evaporator can be installed under the bunk, underceiling or against a wall and the condenser outside.

The compressor group is protected by an inox frame.

®

TD32190

56 42 nz nz

Branches located in Waitara, Rotorua & two sites in Tauranga

Truck & Driver | 111

DISPONIBILE A 12V e 24V AVAILABLE 12V and 24V

CLASSIFIED TRUCK & DRIVER

NEED SPRINGS?

WE HAVE SPRINGS

Parabolic springs & leaves, multi leaf springs & leaves, coil springs, shackle pins, bushes and U/bolts

0+ ye6ar s in business

Rotorua:

35-37 Sunset Rd, Ph: (07) 348 0169

Auckland:

39 Tironui Rd, Takanini, Ph: (09) 298 4162

WHEN YOU NEED A REPLACEMENT HOIST it pays to ring Hoist Hydraulics

EG28872

116 Colombo St, Frankton, Ph: (07) 847 9343

sales@autosprings.co.nz www.autosprings.co.nz

0800 856 700 (09) 8186 287

EG30643

Hamilton:

sales@hoisthydraulics.net

HAWKES BAY FARMERS TRANSPORT LTD

This is the story of one of a young man (Roy Sherwood) who started one of those companies and with his progressive ideas moved to being one of the leading operators of his time.

LIMITED EDITION

For just $55-00 plus $10 postage For your copy contact: Postage: Gavin Abbot, 34 Elliott Street, Opotiki 3122 Or email: clamyhen@xtra.co.nz 112 | Truck & Driver

TD32268

The first 50 years of the story is written by Mr C.J.Wilkie in 1980.

He was also a pioneer carrier who later became a director of Hawkes Bay Farmers Transport.

FROM

$115

+ GST EACH

BULK DEALS AVAILABLE VALID FROM 01/03/2022 – 30/04/2022 OR WHILE STOCKS LAST

EASY-FIT & TOUGH DESIGN FOR SUPERIOR PROTECTION & OPTIMUM PERFORMANCE. Part No.

SEAL

INNER BEARING

OUTER BEARING

CAP GASKET & LOCK TAB

APPLICATION

MERKIT001

MER0136

MERSET413

MERSET406

E-03009 R002298

Steer Axle Dana-Eaton-Meritor FG941

MERKIT002

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Steer Axle Meritor FL941 - MFS73

MERKIT003

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2208E1123 1229F4634S

Drive Axle Dana-Meritor

MERKIT004

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MERKIT005

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MERSET415

E-1559 (Split pin) E-05500 (O ring)

Trailer Axle Fruehauf-Pro Par

Contact Transport Repairs for more details and to order your kits: www.transportrepairs.co.nz

TRUCK AND TRAILER PARTS FOR ALL MAKES AND MODELS

Bobby Khan P: 09 264 1666 M: (64) 027 2661233

Shacman New Zealand Limited Distributor for SHACMAN Truck 264 Roscommon Road, Wiri, Auckland 2104

TD32290

www.shacmantruck.co.nz