NZ Truck & Driver February 2020

NZ TRUCK & DRIVER

FREE GIANT TRUCK POSTER LIFTOUT

| February 2020

February 2020 $8.50 incl. GST

BIG TEST The Traffords Test | FLEET FOCUS Ayna & Angel | FEATURE How would Keith do it?

FLEET FOCUS Ayna & Angel

FEATURE

How would Keith do it?

The Official Magazine of the

ISSN 1174-7935 Issue 231

#1 TRUCK ON NEW ZEALAND ROADS FOR 20 YEARS. Thanks to everyone who has been part of the journey.

Here’s to the next 20 years and the road ahead.

CONTENTS Issue 231 – February 2020 2 News

46 Fleet Focus

The latest in the world of transport, including….no new Daimler Trucks distributor for New Zealand; new Freightliner Cascadia launched here; Isuzu buys UD Trucks, forges partnership with the Volvo Group

18 Giti Tyres Big Test Eastern Bay of Plenty’s Waioeka Gorge, and Traffords Hill – at the Gisborne end of it – are together regarded as a pretty tough test of a truck’s handling and hillclimbing performance. So….perfect then for trying out Volvo’s new, smooth-shifting, no-lag, I-Shift Dual Clutch in a McFall Fuel FM13 540

Latest news from the Road Transport Forum NZ, including…..CEO Nick Leggett reckons the proposal to move the Ports of Auckland north to Whangarei ignores logistical realities; RTF working with NZTA to ensure the ORS replacement is as fair as possible; Christchurch show a must-see next month

Publisher

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

Advertising

Trevor Woolston 027 492 5600 trevor@trucker.co.nz Hayden Woolston 027 448 8768 hayden@trucker.co.nz

EDITORIAL Editor

Wayne Munro 021 955 099 waynemunro@xtra.co.nz

Editorial office Phone

PO Box 48 074 AUCKLAND 09 826 0494

Associate Editor

Brian Cowan

Never was that old saying “the right person, in the right place….at the right time” more appropriate than the moment when driver trainers Gene Browne and Steve Mitchell were called on to put all their own lessons into action

FEATURES 63 Big-wigs + big bucks = big launch

80/ PPG Transport Imaging 81 Awards Recognising NZ’s best-looking truck fleets….including a giant pullout poster of this month’s finalist

It’s cost Daimler Trucks $100million to adapt the Freightliner Cascadia – North America’s best-selling truck – for Australasia. So its launch in Sydney is an appropriately big-deal affair

93 TRT Recently Registered New truck and trailer registrations for November/December and the full 2019 year

81 How would Keith do it?

37 Transport Forum

MANAGEMENT

REGULARS 77 Castrol Truck Driver Hero

Ayna Amima was just 19 when her Dad convinced her to forget about her planned nursing career….and join him in starting a trucking company in Auckland. No matter that she knew nothing about the industry

CONTRIBUTORS

NZ truck industry visionary Keith Andrews leaves a unique legacy – not only here, but internationally

COLUMNS 91 National Road Carriers Association Around-the-clock container collections and deliveries are needed at Ports of Auckland during the busy season

Gerald Shacklock Dave McLeod Olivia Beauchamp Troy Hayes

ART DEPARTMENT Design & Production Luca Bempensante

Zarko Mihic EQUIPMENT GUIDE AUCKLAND, NORTHLAND, BOP, WAIKATO, CENTRAL NORTH ISLAND Advertising Don Leith

027 233 0090

don@trucker.co.nz AUCKLAND, LOWER NORTH ISLAND, SOUTH ISLAND Advertising Hayden Woolston

027 448 8768

hayden@trucker.co.nz

Dion Rout

027 491 1110

dion@trucker.co.nz

ADMINISTRATION Sue Woolston MANAGER accounts@trucker.co.nz SUBSCRIPTIONS

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NZ Truck & Driver Magazine

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Truck & Driver | 1

NEWS

The plan was for a Kiwi company to become the distributor for Freightliner and Mercedes-Benz trucks in New Zealand. That has now been dropped

No new Daimler distributor for NZ A DRAWN-OUT PROCESS ORIGINALLY INTENDED TO appoint a new Daimler Trucks distributor for New Zealand has now been abandoned.

Daimler Truck and Bus Australia Pacific revealed on December 30 that its plan for representation of Freightliner and Mercedes-Benz trucks here has changed….dramatically.

Thirty months ago the company announced that it would be negotiating with “a number of parties” in NZ to take over the distribution rights here – replacing its own NZ operation.

But now Daimler Truck and Bus Australia Pacific president and CEO Daniel Whitehead says that the company will instead be “working directly with dealerships to ensure local customers are able to receive optimum support.”

The move, which starts on April 1, is said to be “a new chapter in NZ” for the company: “Dedicated NZ market staff will be appointed and will share their time between NZ and Australia, working directly with each dealership.

“The more agile NZ model will ensure customers and dealers have a more direct line to Daimler Truck AG in Portland and Stuttgart, through the Daimler Truck and Bus Australia Pacific operation,” Whitehead says.

They will also be able to better leverage the Australian-based company’s “comprehensive back office operational support systems.”

And he adds: “This is by far the best outcome for Mercedes-Benz and Freightliner customers in NZ. The change we are announcing will allow us to provide the highest level of support for our customers and comprehensive dealership network for the long term in NZ.” Daimler says it “has also moved to improve the dealership network for the Mercedes-Benz and Freightliner brands on both islands as part of the 2 | Truck & Driver

new commitment” – with details to follow closer to April.

Whitehead says that this is “an exciting time for Mercedes-Benz and Freightliner in NZ: We already have the leading cabover product in the market, thanks to Mercedes-Benz Actros, and we will soon introduce the most advanced conventional truck in the country – the Freightliner Cascadia.

“This is the best product line-up we have ever had,” he adds.

Daimler Trucks’ representation in NZ has been up in the air since Whitehead’s announcement in August 2017, that it was looking for a new distributor.

He said at the time: “Our local team on the ground has done a fantastic job, but we think having a distributor with closer ties to the NZ market could deliver additional benefits for the Freightliner and Mercedes-Benz brands.”

The aim, he added, was to conclude the process by the end of 2017.

Since then there have been some major developments within the Daimler Trucks dealer network in NZ – the most recent the announcement late last year that Keith Andrews Trucks had become an authorised Freightliner dealer for the North Island (in addition to its Merc dealer status in Northland and the Waikato, and FUSO representation in Northland, Auckland and the Waikato).

That sees Keith Andrews Trucks now competing for Freightliner sales directly with North Island-wide Freightliner and Merc trucks, vans and utes dealer, Trucks & Trailers.

And just prior to the news of the KAT expansion, Trucks & Trailers announced that it had purchased South Island-wide Daimler dealer Prestige Commercial Vehicles, fulfilling “an important objective” in its ambition to be “a leading heavy and light commercial vehicle supplier across NZ.” T&D

NEWS This pic: The Australasian Cascadia is a RHD version of Freightliner’s hugely-successful current model.

Inset: Daimler Trucks boss Martin Daum

Revolutionary

Cascadia launched TRUMPETED AS “THE BEST OF THE BEST,” FREIGHTLINER’S Cascadia conventional – the biggest-selling truck in North America – is now on sale here.

The right-hand-drive Australasian Cascadia, which was developed in an $AUS100million project, was launched in Sydney in November – with Daimler Truck & Bus Australia Pacific announcing that “the conventional revolution is under way.”

The order book opened for the Cascadia, which is reckoned to be “the most advanced conventional truck” in this part of the world, in an unveiling that was given rock-star status with the presence of Daimler Trucks global boss Martin Daum and the head of Daimler Trucks North America Roger Nielsen, plus a group of senior Freightliner execs.

The reveal of the Down Under Freightliner – the same model as the current North American Cascadia – was witnessed by Aussie and Kiwi dealers, customers and journalists in a two-day launch that included a customers’ Sydney harbour cruise, an Opera House media conference and a spectacular showbiz-style dinner reveal.

The final unveiling saw eight Cascadia tractor units, accompanied by a laser light show, driven through the midst of a hall filled with hundreds of invitation-only diners.

The Cascadias now on sale are 6x4s (twin-steers will follow, but with no projected timeframe), powered by two new-generation Detroit engines that comply with the US GHG 17 exhaust emissions standard (which Freightliner says exceeds the Euro 6 standard), using an enhanced SCR system and upgraded common rail injection.

The new 16-litre DD16 comes with up to 600 horsepower/447 kilowatts and 2050 lb ft/27790 Newton metres of peak torque, while a new 13-litre DD13 has up to 505hp/376kW and 1850 lb ft/2508Nm. The Detroit DT12 automated manual is the standard transmission, with an 18-speed Roadranger manual optional.

Initially the Cascadia is available in 116-inch or 126-inch bumper to back

of cab units, with 36-inch to 60-inch raised roof cab options.

The Cascadia bristles with new technology, its Detroit Assurance 5.0 safety suite (which is offered here as standard spec) including adaptive cruise control, active emergency braking, rear-end collision avoidance, lane departure warning, intelligent headlight high beam control, automatic wipers and headlights…and more.

GPS-assisted cruise and intelligent powertrain management combines with smooth aerodynamic design for what Freightliner says is class-leading fuel efficiency.

The new Freightliner models also come with Detroit Connect, delivering NZ buyers remote vehicle updates, fault code diagnosis and repair recommendations, OEM analysis of fuel economy and safety performance, as well as traditional telematics services such as GPS route tracking and incident alerts.

It makes it, says Daimler, the most advanced conventional truck on the market here.

A dedicated fleet of nine trucks running the Australasian spec have been exhaustively tested in Australia and the US – in addition to “millions of miles of on-highway testing” already conducted for the North American model.

Daum said at the launch that “there is no such thing as a world truck. We listened to our customers in Australia and NZ and developed this great truck specifically for them.”

Freightliner Australia Pacific director Stephen Downes said the company has “worked tirelessly to ensure this is the right truck for NZ and Australian operators and is ready for uniquely tough local conditions.

“We run our trucks hotter, harder and longer so we needed to make sure the Australian and NZ Cascadia would be up to the task.”

New safety features include optional Sideguard Assist, which warns if the truck’s trailer could hit objects such as power poles when turning left or if the truck is about to merge left into an occupied lane. A radar/camera system can even detect a pedestrian and autonomously brake the truck to a halt to avoid an accident. There’s also a head-protecting airbag. T&D Truck & Driver | 3

NEWS

Isuzu and UD Trucks were longtime rivals when they showed these future trucks at the Tokyo Motor Show late last year. Now their future is set to be together....with Isuzu taking over UD

Isuzu teams up with Volvo...and buys UD Trucks ISUZU AND THE VOLVO GROUP ARE FORGING A powerful new strategic truckmaking alliance – with UD Trucks to be sold to Isuzu as part of the deal.

The alliance – built on an existing relationship on medium-duty trucks in Japan – aims to “capture the opportunities in the ongoing transformation of the industry,” says Volvo Group president and CEO Martin Lundstedt.

“We see great potential to extend our co-operation within technology, sales and service as well as other areas going forward, for the benefit of our customers and business partners.”

The Financial Times reckons that the deal is a means for the Volvo Group to sell “its struggling Japanese business” – describing UD Trucks as “its longtime problem child.”

The first step in the creation of the alliance is the establishment of a Volvo/ global technology partnership….

And the sale of UD Trucks for around $US2.3billion – building “a stronger, combined heavy-duty truck business for Isuzu Motors and UD Trucks in Japan and across international markets.”

The Isuzu/UD deal will accelerate growth for Isuzu “by leveraging greater volumes and complementary capabilities.”

Isuzu president Masanori Katayama – referring to the current era of global

automotive alliances – says: “Amid this once-in-a-century industry shift, there are many partnerships – but an alliance between commercial vehicle makers is the most efficient.”

The truckmakers “intend to derive the full value from each other’s different specialties across product and geographical strongholds. Our collaboration will actively contribute to service improvements and strengthened customer satisfaction as well as to prepare ourselves for the forthcoming logistics revolution.”

While the deal involves complete ownership of UD Trucks being transferred to Isuzu ownership, Volvo Group Australia says that each party is also awarded “private importerships in selected markets, including Australia.”

It says that “nothing will change in the setup for the Australian market or for our customers in the Australian market. Hence we at Volvo Group Australia will continue to distribute the UD brand and support our UD Trucks Australia customers and dealer business partners.”

The deal is not expected to be completed until the end of this year.

In a separate development, Isuzu is reported to be joining forces with carmaker Honda to develop hydrogen-powered trucks – the latter seeing more potential for hydrogen fuel cell technology in commercial vehicles rather than passenger cars, according to Japanese media reports. T&D

Forum all for targeting drugged drivers GOVERNMENT MOVES TO GET drugged drivers off New Zealand roads are strongly supported by the Road Transport Forum, says chief executive Nick Leggett.

“More people are killed on the roads by drugged drivers than by drunk drivers, so we’ve been asking the Government for some time to introduce adequate roadside drug testing,” Leggett says.

“Saliva testing for drugs, followed by

impairment and blood testing, had to happen, so we’re pleased to see the Government announce this.

“Those of us in the safety-sensitive industries are very concerned about this Government’s plans to legalise recreational cannabis, so it’s imperative some steps are in place to ensure employers can meet workplace health and safety laws. This is one step in that direction.

“We’re also pleased to see stiffer penalties for

distracted drivers to improve road safety.

“We do not however, support wholesale speed limit cuts around NZ. We think roads should be engineered up to adequate safety limits, rather than the Government just accepting the roads are unsafe and deciding not to fix them.

“Long stretches of road with reduced speed limits will slow down the delivery of goods and consequently, make those goods more expensive.” T&D Truck & Driver | 5

NEWS

From apprentice... to dealer principal A KEITH ANDREWS TRUCKS Whangarei employee who started with the company as an apprentice mechanic 22 years ago, has been appointed to the top role in the operation.

In a remarkable career progression, Jason Chambers has been appointed the new dealer principal of the Northland FUSO, Freightliner and Mercedes-Benz truck operation, and of KAT’s new light commercial dealership.

He’s also retaining high-level control of service operations as KAT’s head of service.

Chambers takes over the role after the death last November of KAT founder and dealer principal Keith Andrews.

And he credits the late Andrews for establishing a culture that encourages staff and provides opportunities for those with the desire

Jason Chambers

and capability to develop their career: “As the business grew, Keith didn’t always look for outside help – he looked to his current staff first.

“He opened up many opportunities for me, for which I will always be extremely grateful. In every new role, I was able to benefit from a solid support network that allowed me to develop my skills.”

Chambers adds: “I’m honoured and excited to be taking this next big step within the business.

The future looks very bright.”

Chambers was promoted to foreman in 2004 and became service manager three years later – fulfilling that role for over 10 years before being promoted to group service manager in 2018, covering KAT’s Whangarei, Auckland and Hamilton service departments.

KAT managing director Kurtis Andrews said that Chambers’ extensive service and operational experience, allied with his loyalty and dedication to the business and its people, have prepared him well. He also recently completed MercedesBenz global management training in Sydney, in preparation for his new role.

Says Kurtis Andrews: “This is a really exciting time for Jason to be heading operations in Whangarei, as we embark on a new chapter with a brand-new LCV dealership and an expanded offering that covers Mercedes-Benz car parts and service.

“Jason understands and is already an integral part of the KAT culture. His passion and expertise for ensuring the highest standards in customer service and operations will, I’m sure, see him succeed in his new role.” T&D

Gough Cat out...Terra Cat in THE FORMER GOUGH CAT, NEW ZEALAND’S Caterpillar importer since the 1930s, has been rebranded Terra Cat by new owners Sime Darby.

The Malaysian industrial/automotive giant, which bought Gough Group last August in a deal said to be worth $211million, revealed the new name for its dealership at a flash event at an Auckland winery in December.

Terra Industrial NZ chief executive Grant Whitelaw outlined a vision “for a revitalised future based on new ownership, customer passion for Cat products and expanded customer solutions.

“We are building on a magnificent legacy of 90 years. The company has a great history in working with customers to help build NZ, and we are taking this forward as we draw on new resource and expand our customer offering,” he said.

The expertise and experience of Sime Darby, owner of some of the world’s leading Cat dealerships, will bring new strength to the company, Whitelaw said.

The company will be introducing some industry firsts to help customers get more value from the equipment than they realise is available.

As a first step, it’s launching a new customer portal to give easy online access to vital information about fuel efficiency, machine locations, hours

on equipment, oil lab results and the like. It will move to a more solutionfocused model of helping customers solve problems as well as providing machinery, he said.

The company says that the Gough Group purchase provided “the rare opportunity to expand in the Asia Pacific region and gain exposure to NZ construction and forestry sectors.” T&D The new Terra Cat name was revealed at a spectacular launch function

6 | Truck & Driver

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NEWS

Isuzu No. 1 for 20th year in a row ISUZU TRUCKS HAS EXTENDED ITS streak as the No. 1 truck make in New Zealand to a milestone 20 years.

And, once again, it has backed up its overall market dominance – with 1261 trucks with a gross vehicle mass over 4.5 tonnes registered in 2019 – by also leading the sales in the light-duty, medium-duty and heavy-duty market segments.

General manager Dave Ballantyne thanks “all of our customers – from single truck owners to the major fleets who have supported Isuzu trucks over the past two decades,” for the standout achievement.

He also acknowledges the make’s truck dealer network and its authorised service partners “for their efforts and hard work in achieving this result.”

The ongoing sales success is, he says, the result of a renewed focus over recent years “on enhancing the end-user experience, increased

This GoodinAg Isuzu CYH460 tipper is one of the 1261 trucks sold by the truckmaker last year

head office engagement with the factory in Japan and ongoing investment by dealer partners.

“I firmly believe that we have one of the most comprehensive and committed dealer networks in the country and they have been crucial in the success of Isuzu trucks in NZ over many years.

“The network believes in and is committed to Isuzu: Their passion and enthusiasm for the product shows through time and time again.”

Ballantyne reckons that Isuzu trucks are increasingly fit for purpose and their quality and

all-round functionality also improves year on year – “and this is reflected in our ongoing sales success.”

The new decade starts with Isuzu head office having crystallised plans for the coming years, Ballantyne says: “Our overall goal is to keep the momentum going as a collaborative approach between Isuzu Japan, our dealer network and Isuzu NZ, with the ultimate objective to grow our customer base and support existing and new customers to the absolute best of our abilities.” T&D

Actros wins Truck of the Year title THE MERCEDES-BENZ ACTROS HAS been crowned Europe’s International Truck of the Year…for the fifth time.

It’s the ninth time in 22 years that Merc has picked up the award, which is based on innovative technological developments and is decided by a jury of specialist trucking industry journalists from 24 countries.

The title is awarded annually to the truck reckoned to make the biggest contribution towards road transport innovations that are beneficial to the economy, emissions, safety, driveability and comfort of vehicles.

ITOTY jury president Gianenrico Griffini says that “with the introduction of the new Actros, Mercedes-Benz has brought a highly modern truck onto our roads which smooths out

the path to achieving automated driving in the future.”

The ITOTY jury says that the majority of the innovations in the new Actros were developed “with the precise aim of delivering palpable advancement to drivers, customers and society as a whole.”

It provides “appropriate answers to topics like safety, efficiency and comfort,” with many new features including its multi-media cockpit, which replaces a conventional instrument cluster and its MirrorCam instead of exterior mirrors.

It also rated its partially automated driving with Active Drive Assist and other advanced safety systems such as the Gen5 Active Brake Assist and the further-improved Sideguard Assist. And the jury praised the increased functionality of the forward-looking Predictive Powertrain Control (PPC) cruise control system, which can now be used on winding arterial routes.

Professor Dr Uwe Baake, head of development at Mercedes-Benz Trucks, says that the award “will really spur us on to continue giving our all and fulfilling the highest developmental standards for our trucks – especially when it comes to the future-oriented topics of electromobility, automated driving and digitalisation within our sector.” T&D

Truck & Driver | 9

9:10 AM

NEWS

First NZ HD inter-city electric truck Left: Driver Craig Christensen bought-in to the etruck project, agreeing to a split shift – so the batteries can be charged midway through a working day Below: Alsco boss Mark Roberts says that the HD etruck is a game-changer – it will save the company money

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NEWS

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NEW ZEALAND’S FIRST HEAVY-DUTY all-electric highway truck has been launched – doing a daily run from Rotorua to Tauranga and Taupo.

The 6x4 Hino 500 hard-body rigid is working for linen, uniform, floorcare, first-aid and hygiene supplies specialist Alsco, toting a modest load of around 5.6 tonnes.

Putting the zero emissions HD truck to work on an inter-city run does come with compromises, Alsco concedes – the etruck’s maximum range is 200 kilometres….84k short of the distance on the shortest of the company’s highway runs.

It necessitates splitting the Rotorua-based run into two: A morning return trip to Tauranga, then several hours’ downtime – with the truck parked-up back in Rotorua while the batteries are recharged – and then a return afternoon run to Taupo.

But, on the other hand, Alsco says that this 100% electric truck does “absolutely” make good economic sense – and produces figures at its Auckland launch that show an extra capital outlay of just under $20,000 for the truck (after a $50,000 grant from the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority)….

But then, thanks to Government waiving Road User Charges for etrucks until a fleet is 2% electric, the etruck is projected to save almost $50,000 a year in running costs, compared to its diesel-engined predecessor.

Alsco group general manager Mark Roberts says that, given the current level of Government support, EV technology for HD vehicles is “viable for business – and implementation is possible right now.

“That is potentially a game-changer. It is an exciting step for Alsco, and for the heavy transport industry.

“We trust the transport industry and wider business will be most interested in the financial viability of our heavy EV freighter. And, coupled with significant emission reductions, it is a powerful story.

“Yes, it is bold. The early adoption of technology can be scary, and I acknowledge it can be considered risky. Alsco has chosen the pathway to take the challenge on now to reduce our emissions – as opposed to waiting for the technology to be perfect.

“We believe we’ve come up with a heavy EV demonstration model that will convince even the most hard-working number crunchers out there. This is a superb initiative for our country and Alsco is keen to share our results with EECA and the wider NZ transport industry.”

The standard Hino 500’s 280 horsepower/208 kilowatt diesel engine has been replaced by an electric power system supplied by Australia’s SEA Electric, delivering 259kW of continuous power and 372kW maximum, with 1852Nm continuous torque and 3500Nm maximum.

The truck, ready to work, cost $225,938 – compared to $206,023 for a diesel-engined equivalent.

But, based on running the same route in an equivalent diesel truck for the past six and a half years, Alsco reckons the etruck will save $13,000 a year in energy consumed (diesel v electricity) and $4791 less in maintenance…. and $34,378 a year in RUCs. Thus the payback on the extra capital cost is recouped within six months.

Alsco says that although its 15 inter-city freight trucks comprise only 4% of the company fleet (of around 350 vehicles), they account for 33% of the company’s fuel consumption. This first etruck will save an estimated 67 tonnes of carbon emissions a year – and the company’s aim is to replace all of its HD diesel trucks with electric vehicles.

EECA chief executive Andrew Caseley says the Alsco project is “pushing the boundaries – proving that electric heavy freight is possible, good for profitability, and good for the planet. It’s a compelling case for industry to get onboard.”

Roberts says he’s not an environmental evangelist – just “a balanced business person” who believes that, “whilst the uptake of heavy EV is in its infancy, it will not be long before it becomes commonplace. And Alsco is delighted to be pioneering and into heavy EV freight. T&D

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NEWS

Right: Scania NZ MD Mattias Lundholm in the state-of-the-art workshop Above: The $5m facility is also a fitout centre for new Scanias

Scania service centre opens A $5MILLION SCANIA NEW ZEALAND-OWNED state-of-the-art service, retail and fitout centre has been opened in Drury, on the southern fringe of Auckland.

After nearly three decades of representation here by CablePrice – with over 4000 Scania heavy vehicles sold here – the Swedish manufacturer decided in 2018 to step in and take over the NZ distribution of its trucks and buses.

“This is a milestone in Scania’s journey in NZ,” said Scania NZ managing director Mattias Lundholm at the opening of the new facility in December, adding: “NZ has always been a special market for Scania.”

In the last 12 months the development of its Kiwi presence has been dramatic: At the start of 2019, he said, “we began with two of us…then 15

and now we are 52.

“We have three offices (Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch) and now we have a retail/service leg in Drury.”

Lundholm reckons that the location was decided by Scania’s customers: Its fleet management software showed that many Scanias’ journeys originate in South Auckland – making Drury well positioned to best satisfy customers’ service and maintenance needs.

The high-tech workshop in the centre has three service bays and is equipped with truck/bus lifts rather than service pits, accommodating multiple vehicles at a time, six days a week.

It’s also a retail operation and parts store, with $5.5million worth of inventory in stock. T&D

Rail/road freight hub Nathan takes proposed for Palmy tight tech fight A PROPOSED NEW ZEALAND-FIRST ROAD/R AIL freight hub near Palmerston North will bring the two transport modes together “in a much more integrated and seamless way,” says KiwiRail Group chief executive Greg Miller.

The plan, unveiled late last year with $40million worth of backing from the Government’s Provincial Growth Fund, combines a container terminal, warehousing for road transport operators, bulk goods and forestry loading operations and KiwiRail’s train operations and maintenance facilities.

Miller says that the inter-modal freight hub will improve efficiencies and economies, allowing consumer imports and bulk exports to be managed at one place – “and there is plenty of room to co-locate freight partners and meet their warehousing needs.”

With Palmerston North already a critical freight distribution point – handling goods from major North Island centres and from the South Island – the hub will be “a crucial freight centre for the lower North Island,” given the expected increase in freight volumes.

The PGF funding is intended as a catalyst to developing the hub, allowing KiwiRail to have it designed, to purchase land for it and have the land designated for rail use. T&D 12 | Truck & Driver

TRUCKSTOPS WELLINGTON technician Nathan Douglas has won the Australasian Hino Technical Challenge in Sydney.

Douglas prevailed in an intenselytight matchup with Australian finalist Martyn Alexander to diagnose and repair a series of faults in 30 minutes.

Inside 10 minutes both contestants had fixed the initial engine start faults and had the motors running….within three seconds of each other! But then the engine check lights came on again – and the race resumed.

Using Hino diagnostic equipment, the pair continued to solve faults – the Kiwi winning by virtue of him having repaired one more headlight fault than his rival. T&D

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NEWS

Courses teach reading, writing….and truck driving

Graduates from last year’s two Wiri classes A FREE PROGRAMME TEACHING LITERACY SKILLS alongside truck driver training – changing lives by giving people the chance to achieve their dreams – is aiming to expand this year.

The Government-funded Solomon Group – a Maori private training establishment (PTE) – had 40 Maori and Pacific Island truck driving students graduate from its free 14-week truck driving night class in November. This year it hopes to have 90 graduates.

The programme gives students an introduction to the trucking industry and teaches truck driving theory, literacy skills, health and safety and employability.

Students graduate with their Class 2 licence and “significant job placement support.”

Last year’s graduates, says Solomon Group’s director community partnerships Ruanna Tagaloasa-Letalu, left “ready to launch their careers in an industry that’s crying out for skilled workers.

“For many of the graduates, the opportunity to upskill, grow their careers, and significantly lift their earnings is a dream come true.

“These are people who have been working 20 or 25 years in an entry-level role and have never imagined they could do anything more than what they were doing. This is life-changing stuff.”

Tagaloasa-Letalu was instrumental in setting up the programme, which was

officially launched at Solomon Group in Wiri, South Auckland, at the start of 2019 – with lessons offered in English and Samoan.

“This course is breaking down barriers for Maori and Pacific Islanders keen to pursue careers as truck drivers. When you have people who have English as their second language, and in many cases didn’t do their schooling in New Zealand, they have really entry-level literacy and they give up on pursuing their dreams.

“After much research we developed this programme to help bridge the gap by giving students the literacy support they need to achieve their goals – specifically to gain their Class 2 learners licence….the first step on the journey to becoming a truck driver. Class 2 learners is very theory based, so it is a huge obstacle for many people.”

It was an immediate hit: “When we trialled it in 2018 we thought we’d just get a few people – but 60 turned up!” So this year Solomon is planning to add Tongan classes to the Auckland lineup and will also extend the course into Tauranga, with night classes in Samoan and Kiribati.

Tagaloasa-Letalu says: “If you develop a programme that is right for where people are at, they will see the value in it. These are people who already work eight to 10 hours each day and then they come in to study at Solomon Group two nights a week. But they stick with it because they’re getting the support they need, at the level they need.” T&D

TRT is new Oceania Kobelco crane distributor NEW ZEALAND-BASED TIDD ROSS TODD (TRT) has been appointed the Oceania distributor for Kobelco cranes.

The Kiwi trailer manufacturing, engineering, heavy transport parts, service and repair and crane sales and service operation will work with its Queensland subsidiary TRT Australia on the distributorship.

The arrangement covers Kobelco crane sales, parts supply and technical support in NZ, Australia, Papua New Guinea, New Caledonia and Fiji.

TRT says that the new partnership “reflects both organisations’ commitment to outstanding customer service and support throughout the region.

“We are excited to combine TRT’s great customer support and expertise with Kobelco cranes, which are valued in the industry for their high performance – having earned a reputation as the most reliable brand of crawler cranes on the market.”

TRT has expertise in the crane industry, earned over decades – and is “well-experienced” with crawler cranes, including Kobelco machines. T&D

TRT and Kobelco execs shake on the deal. From left are: TRT’s Lawrence Baker, Bruce Carden and Robert Carden; and Kobelco’s Takeshi Miyashita, Soichiro Kadomura and So Yamanobe

Truck & Driver | 15

NEWS

Right: Recovering from the shock of repeat surprises, Mark McCarthy says a few words to the birthday crowd....in front of his new, retrolook K200

Partners Finance & Lease CEO Francis Fitzgerald (second from right) with (from left) managers Anna Svensson, Matt Mooney and Andrew Borland at the new Auckland office

Above: The K200’s paint job, signwriting and detailing is a modern take on this old K Series that was one of the first Kenworths Mark drove, back in the 1970s

Surprise, surprise!

ONE OF THE COUNTRY’S LEADING LOGTRUCK operators, Mark McCarthy, was treated to a surprise 60th birthday party by his family – with 200 guests….and a brand-new Kenworth K200, complete with a retro-look paint job.

The 8x4 2.3m flat roof K200 was painted to match an early-’70s K series that was one of the first Kenworths Mark drove, back in the 1970s.

The K200 has an Eaton Roadranger 18-speed manual gearbox and Meritor 46-160 diffs with full cross-locks, on Hendrickson Primaax air suspension.

Cosmetic touches include old-school bullet roof lights and round air horns, a lower grille panel, wheel-arch flares, headlight trims, mirror covers and exhaust shrouds bearing the words “60TH EDITION.” Its rego plate, appropriately, is MJM60.

Inside, extras include factory-fitted leather-trimmed seats, McCarthy Transport branding and an 18-inch, four-spoke woodgrain steering wheel.

McCarthy is renowned for popping up unexpectedly at McCarthy Transport and supplier premises, so the family went to great lengths to keep the new truck a secret.

That included ordering the 600-615-horsepower Cummins X15-

engined K200 with a plain white cab…and having it signwritten with a dummy name – Blue Duck Logging Company…just in case Mark walked in on a supplier working on it.

Haddock Spray Painters in Whakatane did the paintwork, while Patchell Industries fitted the cab guard and twin exhaust stacks and air cleaners….

And Mark’s wife Dianne organised a seven-day holiday, allowing time for the truck to be whisked to Whanganui, where the McCarthy inhouse engineering shop fitted its log bolsters and did paint touchups.

The final finishing work was done back in Rotorua – with striping, scrollwork and MJ McCarthy signwriting, to match the old K. The truck was back at Whanganui Raceway, hidden behind a building, when Mark arrived for what he’d been told was going to be a small family birthday dinner…

And found instead the scores of guests…and two of his favourite Kenworths – Fleet # 1, his first T650, and a later-model T659 – awaiting his arrival.

He was just getting over these surprises when son Matt drove around the corner of the building with the new K200…with Mark’s grandchildren inside. Job done. T&D

New training to attract, retain good staff TWO NEW TRAINING programmes will help upskill truck drivers and others looking for careers in road freight transport, Road Transport Forum chief executive Nick Leggett believes.

The New Zealand Certificate in Commercial Road Transport Skills (Level 3) and the NZ Certificate in Commercial Road Transport (Heavy Vehicle Operator – Level 3), are available this year.

“Trucking is an industry where on-the-job training and assessment is particularly relevant,” Leggett says.

“Getting a heavy transport licence is just the start of it – there are lots of other things drivers and other employees need to know to ensure a long, safe career in road freight transport.

16 | Truck & Driver

“It is increasingly important to offer career pathways, via training and opportunities to upskill, and to encourage good employees to move across different parts of the industry, if that is what will keep them. That’s the way we’ll attract new and diverse talent – and keep that talent.

“We have an ageing workforce, with an average driver age of 54, and what worked 20 years ago is no longer relevant to younger people in the job market.

“Our industry needs to be responsive and offer both training and career pathways if we want to make an impact on driver shortages. These are times where industry estimates a 4000 shortfall in available drivers.

“Industry has worked with MITO on a targeted

review of qualifications, with some RTF funding and input from businesses with specialist knowledge and experience in training.

“We’ve ended up with recognised qualifications for the road transport sector that span natural career progression – from new entrants to managerial and senior qualifications, from level 2 to level 5,” Leggett adds.

“The RTF is working on a cadetship programme to be launched this year to incorporate and build on the existing qualification framework and to provide employers with another tool to attract and retain good staff.”

More information on the new courses is available on the MITO website. T&D

NEWS

At your service HINO NEW ZEALAND AND Truckstops have launched a new online service calculator – to help Hino buyers understand “what the real cost of a truck is.”

Users select a Hino model and its proposed annual mileage and the tool shows when the truck will need A, B, C and auto services for the next three years – along with the exact costs of each service….and the total servicing costs per year.

“We know that we offer really competitive pricing – we’re so sure of it that we’re willing to open this information to everyone,” says Truckstops general manager Kevin Smith.

“People making a decision on a truck need to know that it goes beyond purchase price, and getting a vehicle properly serviced is the key.”

Hino NZ general manager Darren Salt says that “Hino has been a trusted brand in NZ for

The service calculator is available online – giving Hino buyers exact details and costs of three years of servicing more than 50 years, and we’re always working on finding ways we can go a step further to support our customers.

“Our partnership with Truckstops means that you’re backed up by a national network, whose technicians are fully trained for Hino trucks. As they only fit genuine Hino parts, our customers’

trucks have better residual value and stay on the road longer.

“Our calculator makes preparing for the future simple, from both a financial and a timeline perspective.”

The service calculator can be found at www. hinocalculator.truckstops.co.nz T&D

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The new Volvo FM heads along the eastern Bay of Plenty coast towards Opotiki on its Gisborne run

18 | Truck & Driver

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Truck & Driver | 19

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The challenging haul up Traffords Hill, at the end of the Waioeka Gorge, finds that even the I-Shift Dual Clutch isn’t actually perfect. Close, but not quite....

W

HEN CAREER TRUCKDRIVER NIGEL HEKE FIRST heard about a dual clutch version of Volvo’s slick I-Shift automated manual transmission he was

dubious.

Never mind what Volvo said about it being faster, smoother, safer, more fuel efficient…he seriously wondered how the hell it was going to be an improvement on the existing I-Shift – already, he reckons, a “pretty good” gearbox.

But then Mount Maunganui-based McFall Fuel – where Nigel combines driving duties with driver training and assessment – bought New Zealand’s first new FM13 540 with an I-Shift Dual Clutch installed….

And asked him to deliver it to Palmerston North. To say he was impressed doesn’t quite cut it: “It was awesome! I had a driver with me, and I said to him ‘did you notice any of the changes?’ He goes: ‘What changes?’

“I said: ‘Exactly! It’s gone through every gear and you didn’t notice a thing.’ He goes: ‘Holy shit!’ ” He was, he reconfirms (in case it wasn’t already apparent!) “impressed with this thing – the speed at which it changed from 4th to top gear was less than five seconds. Top gear and 90km/h! Admittedly the unit was empty – but it was so quick! It gets up to peak performance straight away. You’re on a win.”

While Nigel concedes that he’s generally all for the new technology increasingly appearing in modern trucks, he is also still an Eaton Roadranger fan: “I love the 18-speed – that drive-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of thing.

“If we went back to the 18-speed it wouldn’t phase me that much…but changing a thousand gears during the day, as opposed to this doing it for you…. It’s a no-brainer.”

The (non-Dual Clutch) I-Shifts in the earlier FMs were good, he says – but “you noticed the gearchanges. They were subtle, but they were there. But then, shit, you hop into this one…!”

Given his driver training role, the delivery drive in the I-Shift Dual Clutch-equipped FM was a valuable lesson he could pass on to other company drivers – that they’d need “to be careful what you’re doing when you’re driving (this) – you have to look at the dash now just to know what gear you’re in, ‘cos it’s so bloody smooth.

“You could be coming up to a bend and still be in top gear. You need to come back down.

“There is a bit of a lull in the range-change, between sixth and seventh, but apart from that every change is so smooth you just don’t notice it’s going on eh….you don’t actually know you’re changing gear. The revs don’t even drop off.”

And he’s not alone in holding the twin clutch I-Shift in high esteem: “The feedback from the guys is that they love it eh. Not just the safety features, but also the Dual Clutch.”

Even so, perfection is hard to come by – so does it sometimes stumble….even a little? Nigel reckons no: “I haven’t come across it yet. But on some of the hills it probably will, especially if it’s in Economy mode. I try to advise the guys to put it into Performance mode on the hills when loaded, so that it only grabs a gear one jump at a time, instead of two or three.

“In Economy it’ll grab big chunks of three! It’s always trying to keep the revs low. In Performance, it’ll grab those revs a little bit more and hold that gear a little bit better.”

How all this works in the I-Shift Dual Clutch, which Volvo says “is the world’s first dual clutch transmission system for heavy trucks,” is that it can pre-select the next gear while Truck & Driver | 21

P

•

•

The 540hp DC13C 12.8-litre engine is a great companion to the I-Shift Dual Clutch.

McFall Fuel’s 47-truck fleet includes 38 FMs

driving in the current one.

Explains Volvo: “So, one clutch is idling while the other is engaged. Thanks to two input shafts and an ingenious arrangement of gearwheels and selecting elements, two gears can then be selected at the same time. The result?

Gear shifting that takes place in a fraction of a second – without interrupting the power delivery.”

In the new McFalls truck and trailer tanker unit, the I-Shift Dual Clutch comes in an 8x4 truck and is installed behind a 12.8-litre DC13C540 engine that produces 397 kilowatts/540 horsepower and 2600 Newton metres/1917 lb ft of peak torque.

When we join Nigel and the new Volvo in Mount Maunganui, the nine-axle HPMV unit is already loaded with 37,000 litres of diesel destined for Gisborne – 12,000 l. in the tank on the truck and 25,000 litres on the five-axle trailer. The unit was built by Tanker Solutions, with Americandesigned Heil tanks (which Tanker Solutions represents in NZ).

The NZ Truck & Driver team will make the trip down the coast to Opotiki, then inland through the Waioeka Gorge to get a taste of how good this trick twin clutch system really is.

Nigel’s been working for McFall Fuels for 18 years but prior to that he worked for a decade at BP-owned Bitumix in Rotorua, home of “the best sealing gang in the country,” he reckons. And before that he was driving tankers for a stock feed company. So he knows a bit about tankers.

And yes, he says, carting fuel carries potential risks…. which have to be managed: “It deserves respect. Fuel and chemicals – not much difference between the two of them eh. Really dangerous. But you give it that respect, you get home every day.”

Access to the day cab FM is a really easy two step, front and rear grabhandle affair. The cab itself is a modern, well-equipped work environment – with a heated and airsuspended driver’s seat (Nigel would like a matcher for it on 22 | Truck & Driver

the passenger side too, seeing as he spends a lot of time there, assessing McFall’s 20 other Tauranga area drivers), a driver-centric dashboard display and lots of controls close at hand.

There’s a mechanical instrument cluster with a colour digital instrument display, an SID touchscreen (with onboard vehicle and internet portal support for Dynafleet), an ample number of switches on the steering wheel – the left side handling the truck’s adaptive cruise control, speed limiter and phone controls, while the right takes care of the radio and digital display screen.

As a reminder that the liquid load onboard carries more potential risk than your usual general freight, livestock, logs or whatever, before we head off Nigel runs through a mini safety briefing – pointing out where the emergency cutoff switches are, tells me that the doors are linked to the brakes (and will slam on should I open them while we’re moving) and what to do in an emergency or should he be incapacitated. I gulp, sign an acknowledgement and we head off.

McFall Fuel’s Hocking Street yard at the Mount – its main depot – is right next to State Highway 2A. As we wait for a break in the traffic to get on our way, Nigel provides a few details of today’s job.

Given that the tare weight of the unit is around 17 tonnes (12t for the 8x4), our 37,000-litre payload equates to around 33 tonnes. So we’re full to the brim….at just a little under 50t.

It’s busy at the moment and one or two truck and trailer loads of fuel are heading to Gisborne daily.

“The real test for this truck and the gearbox,” he points out, “will be climbing Traffords Hill. You go through the (Waioeka) Gorge, which is pretty windy, and then up over the hill. It’s pretty tough.”

Traffords is exactly the area that we’d already figured was going to be THE spot where this would really give us the chance to put the I-Shift Dual Clutch to the test….but it’s

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The nine-axle truck and trailer unit, built by Tanker Solutions, with Heil tanks, is right on 50 tonnes, with 37,000 litres of diesel on board

good to get confirmation from someone who does this run regularly.

Even fully loaded, the I-Shift jumps three gears at a time, from first, before settling a little at the range-change between sixth and seventh….and then taking just one gear at a time from then on.

It upshifts at 1300-1400rpm (right in the optimum rev range) on the flat road. We’re soon in 10th, moving along easily in heavyish traffic at 45km/h. Nigel prefers to keep the DC13 engine’s Volvo VEB+ engine brake at its third level, so he barely needs to touch the brakes as we slow for roundabouts and the like.

The McFall tanker fleet currently runs to 47 Volvos (with six more on order) – 38 of them FMs, with one FH and eight FMXes. Prior to the Volvos, the fleet was primarily Fodens, says Nigel: “We actually ended up with the last Foden that was brought into the country. The 617 was our last one.

“After that, we were looking for the next truck to go into.

Volvo happened to have a roadshow one day and so our GM (Paul Clampitt), Scotty (logistics manager Scott Jeanes) and a couple others of us went for a bit of a run in these Volvos (FMs)….and we were sold on them eh.

“Scotty had a good look at what was out there, to see what was next – and BP are always keen on the safety features on the Volvo. And once we took one for a ride, that

was it.”

He reckons that the company had also looked at DAF CF85s – but they were “a bit heavier than these….” And “what sold the boss on these were the safety features and the crash testing. To Paul, Allan (McFall, managing director) and the board, the safety of the drivers was paramount.”

Nigel reckons that he’s “lucky enough that the boss pushed for Volvos. Being one of those guys who loves comfort, I was sold on them right away.”

Mind you, Nigel for one had been more than happy with the Fodens too: “The Foden was pretty much a European cab with good American running gear on it – suspension and everything. I thought that was a pretty awesome solution right there.

“The Foden was a nice strong truck for the bush: We did – and still do – a lot of bush (work)…and the (Foden) truck and trailer was ideal. The ride heights and everything.

“I thought, ‘shit, if they were going to continue to build them, we were going to have to stay with them.’ They were the right fit for us. But unfortunately they stopped making them.”

And make no mistake, he now much prefers the new Volvo anyway: “It’s better in a lot of ways.”

Better too than the initial FMs bought by the company – simply because they didn’t have as much ground clearance: “They were an awesome truck on the road – not so much off Truck & Driver | 25

Right: Nigel Heke couldn’t believe how good the dual clutch I-Shift was when he first drove it

Left: NZ Truck & Driver’s Hayden Woolston checks out the access into the cab of the FM. Good, solid steps and grabhandles make it easy

the road eh. They were 200mm lower than these ones. We were bellying on the drop axle.”

The latest FMs and the higher-riding FMXes have overcome that issue for the offroad fuel deliveries: “We do a lot in the bush, especially from the Mount here. We’ve got a whole smaller fleet for it…a few eight-wheelers and six-wheelers, predominantly truck-only, that do a lot of bush (work): Over to Kinleith and as far down as National Park.”

As we drive I ask Nigel about the FM’s driver environment – and its visibility: “There is a bit of a blind spot,” he says, “because the mirrors are so wide. There are some places you can’t see, especially when you’ve got bends coming up and they’re right behind the mirror.

“I noticed with the FH and the FMXes that they’ve got a bit of a gap – they’ve got a narrower mirror and they haven’t got all that bulky stuff around it. Those are the mirrors that I think would suit this truck, but according to Scotty we can’t get them in this.

“But you should be moving around to check anyway – gives you some exercise.”

He says that everything important in the cab “is within arm’s reach, including our onboard computer and the switches. The layout in every one of our cabs is the same – so, get out of one truck and into another….you know where everything is.

“There’s been a few trucks over the years that you’d have to sit there for a while to see where everything was – but with one guy looking after the entire fleet build (Scotty), it’s now all standardised. We know what we’re getting.”

Jeanes says that wherever possible he includes the drivers’ opinions in his decisions: “There was a lot of consultation with the drivers on how the trucks and trailers should be set up. Take for instance this five-axle trailer: It’s only a 25,000-litre tank maximum. On other trucks you’ll see 32,000 l. tanks – but it’s a waste of time because you can’t fill them up.

“Whereas you can fill this one up – the entire truck and trailer – and still be within legal weight. And you get no sloshing.

“The other guys, they’ll half-fill the compartments and 26 | Truck & Driver

have a major amount of sloshing. Not only that, it’s the configuration of our trucks. We try and get the SRT (static roll threshold) as low as possible, which means that this trailer here is lower than our four-axle trailers – and that’s low compared to what’s out there. With a lower centre of gravity, the driver feels safer.”

The compartment configuration is interesting: “With petrol you can load the compartments up a little bit more, ‘cos it’s so light, whereas diesel is a heavy liquid. But you try to fill up the big ones (compartments) and just leave the little ones.

“There’s four compartments on both the truck and the trailer. On this one, we’ve got a 3000 l. compartment on the front, a five (5000 l.), a six and a four on the back end.

“On the trailer, the configuration is 4000 and three sevens. We load the three sevens full of diesel first, without putting anything in the front compartment. Most drivers like to have the weight on the bogey but this just sits perfect.

By having four sealed compartments, you can have multiple products too: One diesel, a 91, a 95 and a 98 – whatever the customer needs.”

To avoid any chance of cross-contamination of the fuels carried, at the terminal every compartment is completely cleaned with a suction system. To overcome the static charge that diesel holds, when putting petrol in after a diesel load the first 300-400 litres is loaded really slowly.

“Then all of a sudden, it’ll rush in…..1800 litres a minute.

You can load up a truck and trailer in half an hour.”

Cruising along SH2 at 90km/h, the 13-litre is at 1200rpm (in the middle of the Economy rev range), in 12th gear. And it’s quiet – so much so that we can hear the whistle of the turbo.

Nigel is relaxed at the wheel, thanks partly to the suspension under us – air suspension under the 23t-rated single reduction tandem bogey, airbags also under the cab and two-leaf parabolic springs on the steer axles. That’s despite the highly average tarmac below us.

Nigel is pretty clued up on what the Volvo can do, both mechanically and technically: “I’ve always believed that you need to know your truck. When you want to pull up pretty

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The unit corners and handles rough or undulating surfaces with aplomb

quick, you need to know it can do it for you. And that’s part of our job as trainers.”

The FM comes with high-tech driver aids including adaptive cruise, driver alert sensing, lane departure warning, lane change support and forward collision warning, coupled with emergency braking.

In Nigel’s words, the safety suite means that “if anything tries to stop in front of you, first of all it will flash up on the top of the dashboard, it’ll give you a couple of beeps… then it’ll brake for you. One of the boys got distracted at an intersection and he told me it definitely works.”

In addition to the already well-specced Volvo’s cab, McFall has included its own company tablet: “All our work and all the load is put in there….all our customers,” Nigel explains.

“So that when we go to deliver, it’ll pick up the customer’s details and whatever we pump off the back there….we send that data straight through to the server.

“So everything that gets loaded onto the truck, gets pumped out through the computer. Pretty much the customer gets billed the same day.”

The system includes a load calculator – “so if the guys don’t know what they’re loading or how they’re loading the truck, they just put the totals that they need to take out into the calculator and it tells them how to load it.”

They also have the EROAD GPS tracking and electronic RUC system on board: “So we pretty much know where the truck is.” Each truck also totes a printer: “Yeah, for the customer to have a delivery docket and DG declaration.”

So how about the FM’s fuel economy? “Quite a few have

been sitting around about 2.3 l. and the average was about 1.8 l. It’s more efficient than the Foden because you don’t have to change 18 gears.

“If you get it right and you time your changes down right, it pretty much slows itself down without having to use the brakes. I’m not a fan of using the brakes all the time – I prefer to let the truck do the job.

“Even if you’ve got 50t, you get over the top of a hill, a lot of the guys will power down the hill but you don’t need to. Once you get over the top, just let it roll down – let it do its job.”

What thoughts on the I-Shift Dual Clutch’s likely longevity?

Says Nigel: “That’s the first thing I asked Scotty, because there is a bit of wear and tear with the old clutches – at about 400,000-460,000kms they were changing the clutches out.

“So I said to Scotty, ‘with the Dual Clutch – two shafts and stuff like that – is it gonna last longer?’ He says ‘well I don’t know, it’s not proven.’

“It’ll be interesting to see how much more life we get out of it. There’s a lot more moving parts I’d say, so more stuff to wear out.”

This first-up FM with the dual clutch is only three weeks old and has so far clocked up nearly 8000kms. Says Nigel: “We do a lot of trips to Gizzy – and that’s 500kms there and back – and we do a lot of trips down to New Plymouth as well….” If a fuel terminal runs low, “the Mount is pretty much the go-to place” for delivering top-ups as well.

Doing fuel is “not for everyone….don’t think it’s just like Truck & Driver | 29

driving general goods: It’s a live load and it’s a dangerous thing. But it’s a good challenge too.”

His advice to the other fuel tanker drivers he trains and assesses is to “treat every day like it’s your first day. Come to work with a clear mind and the right attitude. Otherwise, if your day starts off shit, it becomes shit all day.

“Guys laugh ‘cos they can hear me whistling…..but I say ‘yeah it’s a good day – I’m still alive. What’s to moan about?’

“The good thing about McFalls and BP is the training they provide the guys – to be able to handle situations. It’s like, second to none. It’s always been a focus of McFalls that should a situation arise, they know what to do.”

On this bright, sunny morning, as we head down the eastern Bay of Plenty coast, the I-Shift Dual Clutch keeps on shifting swiftly, smoothly….seamlessly.

The steering wheel requires no hard work: “You can pretty much drive with your fingers.”

Just north of Opotiki, NZ Truck & Driver tester Trevor Woolston swaps places with Nigel, for the run through the Waioeka Gorge….and up Traffords Hill.

After taking a little time to familiarise himself with the controls and the interior layout, we’re away. Funnily enough, his immediate view on visibility, particularly the mirrors, differs from Nigel’s: “The mirrors are well positioned. There’s plenty of room between the pillar and the mirrors.”

We cruise into Opotiki at 43km/h, in 10th gear (in Economy mode) with the revs sitting just over 1100rpm.

Woolston is quickly appreciating the “nice driving position” – commenting on “how good the ride feels.” He’s

liking the positive steering as well: “Good feel for the road – not overly light…..very progressive actually. It’s very easy to position the truck on the road.”

For Woolston’s detailed view of the FM’s performance as we negotiate the Gorge and all its corners, turn to the Pirelli Trevor Test (on Page 34).

And so to Traffords – the place where the I-Shift Dual Clutch should truly show itself.

We start up the hill with the 12-speed I-Shift in 9th, at 1400rpm (the DC13C’s peak torque is achieved from 1050 to 1450 revs) and 50km/h, in Performance mode.

Left in automatic mode, the I-Shift downshifts at 1300 to 8th, where we sit at 40k and 1500rpm. There’s no traffic ahead of us – just the hill. Woolston is applying reasonable pressure on the throttle pedal….but it’s a long way from being flat to the floor.

Quickly the I-Shift grabs 7th, with barely a change in the revs and maintaining 33km/h. Soon the revs rise again to 1800 and it upshifts to 8th. It’s a gradual rise here and we’re gaining speed – now prompting another upshift to 9th, as we get to 50k.

As the hill begins to steepen, the revs drop to 1300rpm and it’s back to 8th, 7th and, finally 6th, at 25k and 1500rpm.

As the revs rise slightly, the I-Shift Dual Clutch decides to reach for 7th…..and immediately regrets it (well, it would if it was human anyways). The revs drop and the AMT quickly compensates by dropping two gears to 5th, and in doing so, drops through the range change – thus taking what you could call a “regular I-Shift” gearshift time – slower than the

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30 | Truck & Driver

Above: Volvo says that its I-Shift Dual Clutch transmission was inspired by racing car technology Left: The Volvo’s own fuel tank has a relatively modest capacity, unlike the tank that carries the payload

Truck & Driver | 31

The FM cab has a clear, efficient dash display and puts all major controls within easy reach of the driver. McFall extras, including a tablet carrying info on the loads and a printer, are standardised across the fleet

Dual Clutch’s “usual.” It soon shifts back up to 6th..

This particular hill, at this weight and so on, seems to have found a little flaw in the I-Shift Dual Clutch’s otherwise perfect performance.

“It didn’t like that,” says Woolston: “I didn’t think it was a good idea when it decided to go up a gear, but I just let it do its thing. That’s possibly where you’d have overridden it.”

Again, as the hill continues and the revs drop, the I-Shift downshifts to 5th, at 22-25km/h – then upshifts again to 6th as we round a long right-hander.

As the climb eases and the revs rise slightly, it overreaches for 7th again – repeating what just happened. It all happens relatively quickly and without much loss of momentum, but Traffords is definitely putting the I-Shift Dual Clutch through the wringer – as it straddles that one awkward spot between the high and low ranges.

Makes me wonder if having the I-See option and leaving the I-Shift in adaptive cruise control would help here. The I-See system, an option not chosen on the test truck’s spec sheet, uses GPS and topo maps – plus its own past experience on any particular road – to “read” the terrain ahead and thus make more informed, intelligent changes.

Trevor backs off the throttle a little in an attempt to stop the I-Shift upshifting again and it holds, but when he lets it run above 1800rpm it still repeats the same upshift/ downshift/upshift cycle a couple more times before we reach Traffords’ 963-metre crest, in 7th.

We begin our descent in 6th, the VEB+ on full holding us back nicely at 21km/h, before downshifting one gear and settling there. It actually produces its 375kW/502hp peak retardation at 2300 revs, but Trevor feels as though it’s overretarding for the hill and eases the VEB+ back to its second stage, where it’s all very relaxed and controlled – holding 32 | Truck & Driver

back at 25k at 1600rpm in 5th. He lets the truck “run a little” and the I-Shift quickly switches to 8th – a gear that we stay in to the bottom.

With Traffords behind us and the I-Shift Dual Clutch test effectively over, at Matawai we pull up by the bakery to hand the FM back to Nigel. While he carries on to Gizzy, we’ll turn tail and head back to Auckland.

Since the test, Nigel has driven the I-Shift Dual Clutch FM twice more on the Gisborne run – and twice encountered the same upshift/downshift/upshift routine on Traffords.

The hill clearly delivers an awkward mix of gradient, revs and the range-change that even the I-Shift Dual Clutch finds challenging.

As a result, he says, Scott Jeanes has talked to Volvo about it “and they recommend that we jump into manual and take it back down to sixth from seventh – rather than letting it jump back down to fifth.”

He has, he adds, “said to the guys to keep an eye on it – to see if it keeps doing it. It could be a programming thing that they can tweak just a little bit.”

Another option is to “feather it a bit and just hold it back, don’t push it (the revs) too much (so it doesn’t attempt the upshift to seventh). But in Performance mode, most guys want to put their foot down and go for it.”

So has this big fan of the I-Shift Dual Clutch lost his love for it? Doesn’t seem so, given his sum-up of the Traffords situation: “Other than that, man she’s not too bad. I wouldn’t mind driving it myself.”

As for McFall Fuel’s judgement about the success or otherwise of the dual clutch model? Well, it’s said that actions speak louder than words: The company has already taken delivery of a second FM I-Shift Dual Clutch model…. and has a third now on order. T&D

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Trevor Test

Trevor Woolston

I

’VE DRIVEN VOLVO’S I-SHIFT DUAL CLUTCH BEFORE – ON ITS demonstrator – and was impressed with its quick and effortless shifting and the feeling of continuous power as you pull uphill loaded.

Now it’s time to experience it in a real-life working environment.

McFall Fuel’s logistics manager Scott Jeanes offers us the option of a range of runs with its newest Volvo FM 540 – and the one from its Mt Maunganui base to Gisborne ticks the boxes for a great test route for the Dual Clutch technology.

The FM truck and trailer unit will be loaded to 50 tonnes and there’ll be plenty of gearshifting through the long, winding Waioeka Gorge, then a good hard pull up Traffords Hill.

I jump in at Opotiki to take over from the much-experienced Nigel Heke, finding it an easy climb into the cab, which is much lower than the FH. It has just two very generous steps and great grabhandles both sides.

Once inside it’s the usual Volvo layout which is very familiar and is easy to get comfortable with. The floor-mounted AMT selector is down to the left of the seat and there’s the usual array of controls on the steering wheel for phone, cruise and audio controls etc.

All other major controls are mounted on the steering column stalks – indicators on the left, engine brake on the upper right hand stalk and wipers on the lower right.

On the main dashboard are digital displays for fuel, AdBlue and temperature to the left, the speedo and tachometer, combined with gear selection info in the centre, and fuel range, air pressure and exhaust temperature on the right.

The controls for traction, the aircon, phone and the main digital screen are in middle dash area.

I immediately feel very comfortable, thanks to the very good, ergonomically designed air suspension seat with excellent seat and steering wheel adjustment and plenty of legroom.

Out front is great unobscured vision and very generous mirrors, with the usual upper large main mirror and a lower convex mirror. There’s good space between the pillars and the mirrors to look through, although Nigel does feel there’s a bit of a blind spot around the driver’s side mirror at intersections. I won’t be experiencing that on this run.

Once into the Gorge the gearbox really shows its capabilities, with quick, almost unnoticeable shifts as we slow and accelerate through the

34 | Truck & Driver

Through the tight and winding Waioeka Gorge, the fast and smooth Dual Clutch I-Shift is a dream to drive

corners.

The combination of the I-Shift Dual Clutch and the VEB+ retarder make this run a dream. It’s easy to forget you’re at 50t all-up, as there is no noticeable effort in slowing down for the tighter corners and the roadworks….and then quickly picking up speed again out of them. You certainly notice the smooth gearshifting.

Despite the many corners and frequent roadworks sites, the ride is excellent – right up there with the best of them. There is no bumping and jarring from the road surface felt in the cab and no roll through the many corners. It’s a very comfortable ride.

Steering is excellent and it’s easy to keep the truck on track through this narrow, demanding road and the trailer follows nicely, keeping everything on the right side of the centre line.

This truck has pretty much the full Volvo safety package including collision warning, with emergency braking, adaptive cruise, lane change support and lane departure warning…but we don’t get to experience much of it, except for the lane departure system giving an audible warning when you get close to the side or centre markings, which happens from time to time on this road.

Noise levels in the cab are very low, making it easy to talk. And to say this is an easy drive is an understatement: I remember driving my R Model Mack through here many years ago and it was a mission, with constant gearshifts and getting bounced around in the cab. How things

• SPECIFICATIONS •

VOLVO FM13 540 HA AIR RIDE DAY CAB 8x4 Engine: Volvo D13C540 Euro 5 (SCR) Capacity: 12.8 litres Maximum power: 397kW (540hp) @ 1450-1900rpm Maximum torque: 2600Nm (1917 lb ft) @ 1050-1450rpm Fuel capacity: 330 litres Transmission: 12-speed I-Shift Dual Clutch SPO2812 AMT Ratios: 1st – 11.73 2nd – 9.21 3rd – 7.09 4th – 5.57 5th – 4.35 6th – 3.41 7th – 2.70 8th – 2.12 9th – 1.63 10th – 1.28 have changed. You even get time to take in some of the magnificent scenery!

Now, as we start up Traffords Hill, it’s time for I-Shift Dual Clutch to really get into its work.

We’re in Power mode and in automatic – and that sees the I-Shift downshifting at around 1300rpm and changing up at 1800. It steadily drops down to 5th gear in places, but makes it back up to 6th for most of the climb.

On a couple of occasions the I-Shift tries to shift from 6th to 7th….and has to drop straight back down to 5th, then up to 6th again. While there’s no problem with it handling the changes, I find that by easing off on the throttle and keeping the revs back below 1800rpm I avoid this happening.

When I let the revs rise again, it repeats the 6th, th 7 , 5th, 6th routine a couple more times.

Given that this is a 12-speed box the shift to 7th is a range-change and that accounts for the slightly slower shift – which works against it holding that gear. In fact, it’s the one shift that doesn’t use the dual clutch’s usual pre-selection of

the next gear.

Notwithstanding this, our run to the top is easy and it’s just a matter of steering the truck through the corners and letting the gears do their thing. Even pulling hard up Traffords the engine noise is hardly noticeable with the windows up.

Once we crest the summit I select 6th gear and set the VEB+ on stage three for the descent, which is not long, but is reasonably steep. We come down well under control, with no need for the service brakes and often nudging the retarder back a stage.

The I-Shift Dual Clutch certainly raises the bar with AMT gearshifting and the more continuous power when shifting is certainly noticeable, particularly on the hills where you get a very smooth shift, without the usual lag between disengaging one gear and engaging the next.

It helps make the job of hauling petrol and diesel in the McFall Fuel FM safer, easier and more driver-friendly, with far less distractions. T&D

11th – 1.00 12th – 0.78 Front axles: Volvo, rated at 13,000kg Rear axles: Volvo RTS2370B, combined rating of 23,000kg Auxiliary brakes: Three-stage VEB+ engine compression brake and exhaust brake Front suspension: Two-leaf parabolic springs Rear suspension: Volvo RAL21 air suspension GVW: 23,000kg GCM: 70,000kg

Truck & Driver | 35

THE DRIVING FORCE OF NEW ZEALAND TRUCKING

The Government’s proposal would see container shipping move from the Ports of Auckland 140kms up the road to Northport

Port move ignores logistical realities U

by Nick Leggett Chief Executive Road Transport Forum NZ

NFORTUNATELY, THE DETERMINATION of some to move the functions of the Ports of Auckland 150 kilometres north to Northport, gives me a bit of a sinking feeling.

It’s that sense you get when you know that something hasn’t been thought-through, yet the momentum is such that we go ahead with it anyway.

Moving Ports of Auckland’s existing commercial functions (container freight and car imports) to Northland does not make sense from a logistical point of view, and I am nervous that it is being driven by peripheral issues and parochial politics, rather than hard-nosed economic reasoning.

I, like most people concerned with the movement of freight in this country, understand that there are problems with the Ports of Auckland’s current location. However, there are also significant issues with a future move north that, perhaps because it is only hypothetical so far, are not being properly considered.

I have not seen any decent analysis on what the move would actually mean for the overall national freight task. The investment in road and rail that will be required to transport the more than 400,000 twenty-foot container equivalents back to Auckland is one thing, but the lasting legacy may very well be the extra domestic transhipping and freight costs that will act as a drag on the economy.

The future of ports in the upper part of the North Island has been considered as part of the Upper North Island Supply Chain Strategy, which made its recommendations to Cabinet.

The problem is that Cabinet so obviously skewed the favour towards Northport right from the start, which meant that any chance of the strategy delivering a truly independent piece of advice was unlikely.

It is fair to say that getting the true cost of the move to Northport has been extremely difficult to ascertain, with an initial report claiming that it would only cost $1.7billion….

Truck & Driver | 37

THE DRIVING FORCE OF NEW ZEALAND TRUCKING

Critics say the proposed port move to Whangarei is likely to cost more like $10billion – over five times the proponents’ estimate.

Most of the cost will need to go into a huge upgrade of the winding road and rail links between Auckland and Northland

while a Ports of Auckland-commissioned report suggested a cost nearly four times higher. That analysis, undertaken by the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research and strategic advisory firm Castalia, summed it up as “an extremely expensive way to relocate jobs to Northland from Auckland.”

The strategy’s final report, released just prior to Christmas, suggests a much more realistic $10billion cost – the majority of which comes from the necessary road and rail upgrades. An inland port to Auckland’s northwest is also proposed but that is assumed to come entirely from private investment.

The strategy also suggested that the move would provide a $6billion windfall to Auckland Council, based on the value of the waterfront land left over and its commercial potential.

It goes without saying that Auckland Mayor Phil Goff is less-thanenthusiastic about the forced loss of the port as a dividend-paying strategic asset. It will be interesting to follow negotiations between central government and Auckland Council as compensation must surely be on the table.

As a representative of the transport industry it would be easy to take the selfish view that the Northport project would provide a windfall for our industry, as a lot of freight will need to travel down to Auckland on the road. However, that doesn’t make the “NZ Inc” waka go faster and, at the end of the day, that must be the overarching consideration here.

The ultimate question must be why would you move the dropoff point for goods destined for Auckland and locations south of that a further 150 kilometres north? Frankly, you are going in the wrong direction.

That is not to mention the massive increase in carbon emissions that will result from the move, something that I would have assumed this

Government would be very conscious of.

On a number of occasions, I have publicly urged the Government to take a step back, remove the politics and parochialism from the debate and take a good hard look at all the facts before making a decision.

If the aims are simply to boost Northland’s economy and remove unsightly blue-collar industry from downtown Auckland, do those reasons really stack up against the broader economic and logistical impacts for Auckland and the rest of NZ? NZ’s strength as a trading nation is in our ability to get goods from the farm gate to port, and then to our overseas markets, as cheaply and efficiently as possible. Likewise, consumers and manufacturers here rely on fast and efficient transport links to maintain the affordability of overseas products entering our market. These factors shape our transport network and any Government that seeks to disrupt them should only do so with extreme caution.

Finally, I just want to give a wee plug for a new TV series based on the adventures of NZ truckers. National Road Carriers has teamed up with a TV production company to put together the show that I hope will show off the skills of our fantastic drivers and the tremendous hard work and diligence that it takes to keep the economy ticking.

The makers of the show are looking for drivers, company managers and owners or members of dispatch teams who are involved in transporting supermarket freight, container freight and medical supplies around the country. They are also keen to hear from those involved in transporting equipment and supplies for concerts and events. If you are interested or know of anyone who would be, please contact NRC at enquiries@natroad.co.nz T&D

38 | Truck & Driver

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THE DRIVING FORCE OF NEW ZEALAND TRUCKING

Tom Cloke (left) is presented with a certificate for his outstanding contribution to the NLTSG by Group chair Don Wilson

NLTSG STALWART GOES OUT ON TOP

T

HE NATIONAL LIVESTOCK TRANSPORT & Safety Group (NLTSG) bid farewell to its longtime secretary Tom Cloke, who retired from the position just prior to Christmas….after nearly 15 years of service.

Group chair Don Wilson says that “Tom has been heavily involved in all of the NLTSG’s initiatives – from the development of animal welfare and bobby calf regulations, to the institution of the NZ Livestock Transport Assurance programme, the creation of the Stock Crate Code and the Fit for Transport App. “Each one of these projects has Tom’s signature all over it.”

The NLTSG looks after the interests of approximately 95% of the commercial livestock transport industry, comprising around 280 companies operating 2600 livestock transport vehicles. Tom has been the Group’s secretary since its establishment back in 2005.

Just as Tom prepared to step away from the NLTSG, the Group had one of its biggest wins yet, with the Government backing down over plans to impose liability on livestock transporters for moving untagged animals within the new NAIT (National Animal Identification and Tracing) legislation.

The original Bill proposed rules that would have made it an offence for transporters to carry untagged animals and included high-cost penalties for operators who knowingly or unknowingly did so. However, the

Government finally accepted the argument made by the NLTSG and RTF that transport operators should not be subject to the same strict liability threshold as persons in day-to-day charge of a NAIT animal (PICAs).

Says Wilson: “It was a very satisfying result and one that summed up Tom’s hard work and advocacy for the livestock transport sector.

“To have someone that can relate so well to industry issues and act accordingly is a valuable asset to have. Tom always excelled himself as secretary to the NLTSG and I know that he will continue to provide a good source of advice to me and other NLTSG representatives in the future.

“Livestock transporters, the broader industry and associated stakeholders owe Tom a great deal for the time and effort he has put in to making sure that the sector’s voice has been heard in Wellington.

“So often, transporters are a bit of an afterthought for policy-makers,” says Wilson: “Since the formation of the NLTSG, Tom has made sure that the concerns of transporters are front and centre of any discussions when it comes to the movement or welfare of animals.”

Tom’s retirement from the NLTSG does not mean he is lost to the industry: He remains a key part of the executive team at National Road Carriers. He was also recently re-elected as a Taranaki Regional Councillor.

Julie Geange, from Federated Farmers, has been appointed as the NLTSG’s new secretary. T&D

Truck & Driver | 41

THE DRIVING FORCE OF NEW ZEALAND TRUCKING

New ORS about fairness

R

OAD TRANSPORT FORUM IS WORKING HARD behind the scenes with officials from Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Agency as they develop a replacement for the now defunct Operator Rating System (ORS). “ This is a critical piece of work that will have significant implications for transporters for many years to come, which is why we are pushing to make the new system as fair as possible,” says RTF chief executive Nick Leggett.

“Despite certain sectors drum-beating for a tough and restrictive regulatory regime around heavy vehicles, RTF is strongly advocating for a balanced approach that incentivises compliance and assists transport companies to be their best.

“With the road toll increasing and heavy vehicles in the public crosshairs, improving safety and the perception of our industry is extremely important and in all of our interests,” says Leggett.

“However, it is critical that the new ORS remains evidence-based and takes into account the real reasons for the majority of road accidents.

“For example, only 7% of accidents are as a result of faulty machinery. The rest are due to other causes, predominantly driver behaviour. RTF does not want to see an over-emphasis on compliance

42 | Truck & Driver

around machinery and gear when focusing more on human behaviour and driver distraction could yield much better results when it comes to improving road safety in this country.

“While I understand that there will be some apprehension out there about what a new ORS will mean for operators, the vast majority of companies are already committed to a high standard of safety and compliance, which gives me confidence that most operators will adapt relatively seamlessly to whatever the new system brings.”

In fact, for many operators the new ORS will present an opportunity to reinforce their credentials to customers through sound regulatory compliance. Just like the concern over environmental considerations, high standards of safety will become an ever-more-important selling point for transport businesses, as more customers seek assurance around the ethics of their business partners.

On a regulator level, RTF has been pushing for greater recognition of good practices by transport companies for a while now and sees the new ORS as a potential means to do that.

However, a regulatory regime also needs to have teeth, explains Leggett: “It doesn’t take a genius to know that there are small number of people in our industry who attempt to get away with what they can to cut corners to reduce their costs.

THE DRIVING FORCE OF NEW ZEALAND TRUCKING

A reduction in Police roadside inspection data is one of the stated reasons for the current ORS review

“Where such an operator doesn’t meet the standards and compromises the safety of their own staff and other road users, it is in the industry’s interest for the regulator to deal with them.

“As an ultra-competitive sector, we not only rely on a vigilant regulator to enforce high standards for reasons of safety, but also to make sure that the playing field is even across the board and fair for all players in the industry.

“Road transport in NZ cannot afford a situation where noncompliant companies are allowed to get away with poor and unsafe practices,” says Leggett.

“This leads to a distortion in the road freight market and compliant businesses effectively subsidising non-compliant ones.”

RTF will continue to work to make sure that the objectives of the new ORS are to ensure the road transport industry is as safe as it possibly can be, while allowing trucking businesses to carry out their vital function as the economic arteries of the country.

The result, if NZTA gets it right, will be greater public confidence in the industry, safer roads, fewer accidents and operator ratings that are fair and provide operators with reliable evidence of their good practices. T&D

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Truck & Driver | 43

THE DRIVING FORCE OF NEW ZEALAND TRUCKING

CHRISTCHURCH TRUCK SHOW A MUST–S

By New Zealand Trucking Association communication manager Rebecca Dinmore

T

H E 2020 T M C T R A I L E R S Trucking Industry Show, to be held at the Canterbury Agricultural Park in Christchurch on March 20 and 21, promises to be a huge event for the industry.

Our small team at the NZ Trucking Association has dedicated nearly two years to planning what is the biggest truck show to be seen in NZ and we can’t wait to bring it to you.

As usual, the stars of the weekend are the UDC Show & Shine trucks and their drivers.

Four hundred to 500 gleaming rigs will make for a magnificent sight and a fantastic competition. We are so grateful to our friends at Interislander for providing a 20% discount to help North Island contestants get over the Cook Strait and take part in the event.

The Classic Trucks Showcase will again show off amazing classic trucks that have been lovingly preserved and are still fully functional.

It is really important to be able to show off the incredible history of our industry, especially to younger generations of aspiring truckers.

Like so many events, the TMC Trailers Trucking Industry Show relies heavily on volunteers to make sure everything runs smoothly and we are grateful to everyone who provides a helping hand. The real winners of the weekend, however, are the event’s nominated charities. They have been selected 44 | Truck & Driver

by our drivers and this year include: Ronald McDonald House South Island, Child Cancer Canterbury, Westpac Rescue Helicopter, St John Ambulance, Riding for the Disabled, Men’s Health Foundation, Rotary and a suite of sports and community clubs.

The Friday Trade Day is a chance for businesses to engage with their customers while things are still relatively quiet before the gates are open to the public on the Saturday. Nearly 100 sponsors and trade exhibitors will also be there to show off everything from brand-new trucks to new product launches.

It’s a great way for businesses to reach their customers.

The Careers Transport Showcase is running on Friday and will provide high school students a great opportunity to get to know our industry and consider it as a career path. We are extremely grateful to Scania NZ for putting on buses to get students from all around the South Island to the event.

This year’s show is doubly exciting because it will feature a number of new events, including five national championships, with the winners to be celebrated at the Teletrac Navman Industry Show Dinner and Awards Ceremony on Saturday night.

The 2020 TR Group NZ Truck Driving Championships has had an overhaul and

with three courses running simultaneously it promises to be a fantastic spectacle. Three $5000 prize packs will be awarded to the winners of the class 2 and class 5 categories, with special awards for Young Driver of the Year and VTNZ Woman Driver of the Year.

Mimico is sponsoring the excavator competition, with an amazing prize pack that includes a week-long, all-inclusive trip to Japan including a Kobelco factory tour. The Hyundai Forklift and Liebherr All-Terrain

THE DRIVING FORCE OF NEW ZEALAND TRUCKING

Road Transport Forum was established in 1997 to represent the combined interest of all members as a single organisation at a national level.

Members of Road Transport Forum’s regionally focussed member associations are automatically affiliated to the Forum.

Road Transport Forum NZ PO Box 1778, Wellington 04 472 3877 forum@rtf.nz www.rtfnz.co.nz Nick Leggett, Chief Executive 04 472 3877 021 248 2175 nick@rtf.nz

ST–SEE IN MARCH Crane Championships will provide intense competition for very generous prizes, while Bridgestone, Carters Tyres, Kiwi Truck Tyres, Tyre General and Supertyre have all got together to sponsor and organise the tyre technician competition.

The Safety MAN safety truck will take a prime spot within the new Road Safety Hub. Located next door will be the Valvoline Road Safety Scooter Track. Scooters and pedal karts will be available for the kids to drive around a loop track, learning about road safety as they go.

The mini-golf transport village is a new attraction and the giant sandpit is back, with some buried treasures for treasure hunters. A tyre obstacle course, a new 22-metrelong giant bouncy truck, and the colour-me-in tent will also provide entertainment for the young ones.

We have some great social events including a trucking quiz planned for Thursday night, an exhibitor networking BBQ on Friday and, of course, the Teletrac Navman Industry Show Dinner and Awards Ceremony.

Glen Kendall (Yogi) from Australian Outback Truckers will be circulating and we might even put him in a truck in the competition area and see how he goes against some of NZ’s best.

There are a few other surprises in store so keep your eye on social media.

The TMC Trailers Trucking Industry Show is the ultimate trucking weekend, with lots of opportunities to network, catch up with mates in the industry and generally celebrate the incredible guys and girls that keep this country moving. T&D

National Road Carriers (NRC) PO Box 12-100, Penrose, Auckland 0800 686 777 09 622 2529 (Fax) enquiries@natroad.co.nz www.natroad.co.nz David Aitken, Chief Executive 09 636 2951 021 771 911 david.aitken@natroad.co.nz Paula Rogers, Executive Officer 09 636 2957 021 771 951 paula.rogers@natroad.co.nz Grant Turner, Executive Officer 09 636 2953 021 771 956 grant.turner@natroad.co.nz Jason Heather, Executive Officer 09 636 2950 021 771 946 Jason.heather@natroad.co.nz Tom Cloke, Executive Officer 0800 686 777 021 193 3555 tom.cloke@natroad.co.nz Road Transport Association of NZ (RTANZ) National Office, PO Box 7392, Christchurch 8240 0800 367 782 03 366 9853 (Fax) admin@rtanz.co.nz www.rtanz.co.nz Area Executives Northland/Auckland/Waikato/ Thames-Coromandel/Bay of Plenty/ North Taupo/King Country Scott Asplet 0800 367 782 (Option 2) 027 445 5785 sasplet@rtanz.co.nz

South Taupo/Turangi/Gisborne/ Taranaki/Manawatu/Horowhenua/ Wellington Sandy Walker 0800 367 782 (Option 3) 027 485 6038 swalker@rtanz.co.nz Northern West Coast/Nelson/ Marlborough/North Canterbury John Bond 0800 367 782 (Option 4) 027 444 8136 jbond@rtanz.co.nz Southern West Coast/Christchurch/ Mid-Canterbury/South Canterbury Simon Carson 0800 367 782 (Option 5) 027 556 6099 scarson@rtanz.co.nz Otago/Southland Alan Cooper 0800 367 782 (Option 6) 027 315 5895 acooper@rtanz.co.nz NZ Trucking Association (NZTA) PO Box 16905, Hornby, Christchurch 8441 0800 338 338 03 349 0135 (Fax) info@nztruckingassn.co.nz www.nztruckingassn.co.nz David Boyce, Chief Executive 03 344 6257 021 754 137 dave.boyce@nztruckingassn.co.nz Carol McGeady, Executive Officer 03 349 8070 021 252 7252 carol.mcgeady@nztruckingassn.co.nz Women in Road Transport (WiRT) www.rtfnz.co.nz/ womeninroadtransport wirtnz@gmail.com

Truck & Driver | 45

Ayna & Story John Coker & Wayne Munro Photos Gerald Shacklock

46 | Truck & Driver

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& Angel

Main picture: Two of the 34 trucks in the Angel Transport fleet Inset top: Stylised koru take the shape of a heart in the Angel logo. Ayna says her heart is here – Fijian-born, she’s now a Kiwi Inset bottom: Mohammed and Ayna started the business 14 years ago

Truck & Driver | 47

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Ayna says that honesty and integrity have been key to Angel’s success

A

YNA AMIMA WAS JUST 19 WHEN HER FATHER CONVINCED her to forget about her fledgling nursing career….

And to instead change tack completely – and join him in starting a trucking company.

Initially, she says, “I thought I wouldn’t say yes.” It was, after all, an industry she knew absolutely nothing about.

The closest she’d come to anything vaguely related to road transport was back in the Shamim’s former homeland, in Fiji – where her Dad, Mohammed, had run a taxi company. And the young Ayna sometimes “used to take calls from customers.”

Still, as she reasons now: “I guess he thought I had the personality to communicate with people.”

Regardless of her qualifications seeming to be a world away from helping run a truck company in Auckland, she reckons: “I only took one night to change my mind!”

And so began Angel Transport – an Auckland company that today, 14 years later, runs 34 trucks, with Ayna running the business on a day to day basis, as its general manager.

And in 2019 earning recognition for her role in the business, by winning the New Zealand Road Transport Forum’s first-ever Outstanding Contribution by a Woman in the Road Transport Industry Award.

Back in 2005, when Angel was launched, the family had only been in New Zealand a short time – having left Fiji early in 2001.

Mohammed had been running a fleet of 20 taxis in Suva for over 10 years and had previously been involved in a family bus operation on the other side of the main island, in the Lautoka area. It had 11 buses on the road between 1980 and 1990.

But in the wake of the Fijian coup in 2000 he resolved to move the family to Auckland. Says Ayna: “I think he saw no future in operating a business there, especially after all the windows in our place were broken by rioters. He got disheartened.”

The taxi business was taken over by Mohammed’s brother and still operates today – but on moving here Mohammed bought a van and took on a contract with Fastway Couriers for a year – then decided to sell that business, bought a truck and became an owner/driver, contracted to TransAuck (since renamed Transfreight).

Another year on, he decided he really wanted to have his own business again – and came up with the plan to start a trucking company and sold his O/D business.

Ayna has a theory about the move: “I guess he found it hard not being the boss and taking orders from somebody else, as he’d always been his own boss in Fiji. He just wanted to start something for himself.”

Mohammed reckons: “I wanted to get away from a passenger operation, so I didn’t want to get into taxis in Auckland.

“I knew something about running fleets of vehicles, so I decided to get into the transport industry and a local trucking operation in Auckland.”

The company name wasn’t all about Ayna’s involvement in the business – it was actually a carryover from Mohammed’s Sweet Angel Taxis business back in Suva. Ayna explains: “We used to have a slogan: ‘Call the angels if you’re stuck.’ ” Actually, they now use a similar line on the company website: “Angel Transport are your guardian angels.”

The aim with the new company was to carry general freight in the greater Auckland area – but on the basis of an hourly rate for a truck and driver. The business would rely on carrying overflow general freight from the large logistics companies – when they didn’t have the capacity to do it all themselves.

She explains the logic behind their business model: “With pallet rates and carton deliveries, we needed to have volume – and getting someone to switch from another company to a brand-new company with just three trucks was impossible.

Truck & Driver | 49

Around two-thirds of the Angel fleet is made up of Mitsubishi and FUSO trucks

“So let’s start up with a third-party business where we’re supplying trucks and drivers together, to deliver your freight.”

The company’s first lucky break was securing a deal with one of the country’s biggest freight operators….for all three of Angel’s brand-new Mitsubishi Canter curtainsiders and a Ford Transit van.

It was, she says, “almost too good to be true.” But it’s a business relationship that endures still.

From there, she says, “we started slowly – we didn’t want to be like some companies where they grow too big too fast, then struggle.

“So we kind of had one step at a time. We had a new truck in eight months….then we would have another new truck. We were always buying brand-new trucks…and we were very particular about our image as well.

“There was a lot of cold-call selling from my side: ‘Hi, we’re a third-party company – if you get stuck, these are our rates, give us a call.’ Hoping for the best – that they do get stuck one day and they give us that opportunity to go and provide our services.”

The big challenge early on, she says, was being able to always live up to her promise: “If someone called up and said ‘hey Ayna, I’m stuck’……that’s where my challenge came – to make sure that I stuck by my word….

“To make sure that it was done. So when they’re stuck they know that they can go to Angel to come and rescue them. And that is how we’ve just grown.”

It’s all originated from her initial dedication to getting the message out in the industry….and then from word of mouth recommendations. Two or three more major freight companies became key clients – and still are.

Of course, there have also been setbacks: “I’ve been turned around and told ‘no, you’re too expensive’ and this and that.”

“If there is negative feedback I take it as ‘hey Ayna, you know, 50 | Truck & Driver

pull up your socks. You can do better.’ ” She also had the handicap of having “no knowledge of business – like, no knowledge whatsoever! Not even how to reply to an email, how to enter jobs in your (computer) system and then despatching your trucks… And then charging out for the jobs.” It was all “just step by step. We had to learn.”

It’s no big surprise then when she adds: “When I first started I used to cry a lot! A customer might say something – it might only be a small thing – and I would cry. I was so immature.

“I would say ‘nah, I don’t want to do this Dad.’ I’d be in tears and he’d be like ‘oh no, you’ll be fine – this is how you tackle them.’ I was taking it too personally.

“Now, if something happens, I say to myself: ‘This is our industry.

You will have drivers let you down….you will have customers yelling at you because you couldn’t do something that they wanted you to do.’ ” The business principles that her and her Dad have stuck to, she says, are “integrity and honesty” – and they have been key to Angel’s growth. For example, “when we started, we never tried to take over any of TransAuck’s customers – and we still have a good relationship with them today.”

Likewise, some customers who Angel has worked for – on behalf of its big freight and logistics clients – have ended up asking to deal with Angel direct….“and get a cheaper rate.

“I won’t do it. The relationship and our reputation with our clients is so important. I tell the third parties if they want our trucks, they should request that when they book work with our clients. But if we make one wrong move we will be out.”

Over the years “there have been a few competitors who’ve come in to tackle me” – but because of Angel’s loyalty to its clients and its level of service, “they haven’t so far been able to.”

Now, for instance, she reckons: “I can see some competitors

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coming up – so now our work has to be 120%, not just 100%.”

The business grew steadily (even if unspectacularly) in its first three years – so that, by 2008, it had eight trucks on the road.

Also growing was the family involvement in the business: Ayna’s brothers Shane (now 28) and Shaif (26) had also started working for Angel, as drivers.

When the effects of the Global Financial Crisis triggered a downturn in Auckland freight volumes in ‘08, Angel found itself in serious danger: “We thought we were going to lose the business. It was one of those dreadful moments of all of our lives…

“We had to return three of our brand-new Mitsis back to (lease company) Custom Fleet…we just did not have any work for them.”

The company survived with the support of Mohammed’s wife, Faroz Begum – her savings used to pay bills and staff wages.

Also, the family members in the business worked without wages, “so we didn’t have a lot of labour costs. We just wanted the company to survive.”

What came out of it, Ayna reckons, was “the bond between the family: Me, my husband, my father, my brothers….we were like: ‘Hey, we’ll make this work.’

“We said ‘okay, we have enough food to eat in the house – we will use our savings as well. Let’s just concentrate on (repaying) the finance so the trucks we have got don’t go away….

“And hey, as soon as it was over, we were off again.”

To the degree that, after a couple of lean years, Angel Transport began to grow again. Until 2010, for instance, the company got by with operating from the family home in Papatoetoe. But then the level of truck comings and goings in the suburban street prompted complaints…and an ultimatum.

“The council gave us six months to get out and find some premises,” says Ayna. The result was a shift to its own yard in Tidal Rd in Mangere in 2010 – followed in 2017 by a move to a bigger base in Wiri to accommodate the ever-growing fleet.

Since recovering from the GFC, “we’ve usually added three or four more trucks each year.”

Now the fleet has grown to 32 company-owned trucks, plus two

lease/rental units and 32 employees. They made a decision early on, says Ayna, not to pursue a business model involving mostly leased trucks or owner/drivers: “We decided we wanted to own our fleet and employ drivers.”

Most of Angel’s work is still in general freight – and that’s reflected in the current fleet makeup: Angel has 15 curtainsider trucks (all Mitsubishi/FUSOs – including six Canter or Fighter 4x2s, eight Fighter 6x4s and one Shogun 6x4), plus a Volvo FH12 8x4 curtainsider truck and trailer unit.

There’s a 2011 Western Star 4864FX tractor unit that works with a four-axle flatdeck semi-trailer, plus two FUSO Fighter flatdecks – a four-wheeler and a 6x4.

There are four Hiab-equipped crane trucks – two Fighters (a 4x2 and a 6x4), an Isuzu F Series four-wheeler and a UD six-wheeler.

The balance includes two Iveco Daily vans and two Ford Transits and – catering for the light freight end of the market – there’s a Ford Everest, a Hyundai SUV and a Ford Ranger ute.

Services include same day pallet deliveries – provided the booking is made the day before – and handling dangerous goods.

The dynamics of Angel Transport management see the effervescent, bubbly and positive Ayna (who’s also not afraid to be tough when necessary) running the place on a day to day basis, while the 64-year-old Mohammed keeps a relatively low profile.

“Dad is the boss – even if at times I have to tell him to back off if we’re not getting the desired result. You have to learn not to take things too personally.”

Although Mohammed remains the sole owner and the director, Ayna reckons that “if you come into work you’d think he’s the yard boy!”

That’s because, as well as taking care of all the financial side of the business and the decisionmaking in that regard – including buying the trucks – he’s made fleet maintenance his baby.

That’s all-important, says Ayna, especially at a time when the NZ Transport Agency says it’s adopting a tough new focus on noncompliant trucking companies.

“I don’t have to worry about ‘oh, when is that truck up for its CoF

The Western Star 4864FX tractor unit is a recent addition to the fleet. With its quad semi-trailer it’s one of a handful of trucks dedicated to flatdeck work

Truck & Driver | 53

or service or whatever?’ I only have to worry about ‘why does this truck have no work!’ ” These days the Angel responsibilities are being shared even more – by other family members: Ayna’s older sister Zyna now handles the accounts, cousin Mohammed Ifraaz is the main despatcher (and also drives when needed)…and Ayna’s husband Mohammed Dilshad has recently come on board as the operations manager – bringing with him past experience with courier and freight companies.

It gives her more time to focus on other specific parts of the business: “I have to look for jobs….handle customer inquiries – anything like that.

“It’s just dividing the work up – and leaving me to function properly. You can’t be at all places at one time.

“This business is very family orientated – the majority of my family are in there and hey, they are awesome: The best person in my life, my father. Also my brothers, my mother, my sister…”

She credits Angel Transport’s success to the input and support of family and staff…..along with others: “We’ve learnt as we went along and we’ve had help from other people in the industry who have offered advice when we’ve asked for it.”

Ayna says candidly that there have been moments when the pressures of being in the business together has seen family members at loggerheads – with some “bad arguments,” in which she’s had to lay down the law – as the sibling with the most experience in the company.

Those have been, she says frankly, “major dramas for me: I don’t like doing that because I’m a family person. I like working hand in hand with my family…

“But when the arguments happen I don’t want to do this any more

– I just want to go away and work for someone else for eight hours… and at least sleep at night.”

In recent years Ayna says her Dad has asked her to join him as a director of Angel Transport – but she’s declined: “The reason is, I get paid for what I do – I don’t want to become the boss.

“I want to work for the business – I don’t want to own the business. Giving my 100% level best for the business – 24 hours on call, seven days a week – I don’t mind, because I am getting paid for it.”

She’s justifiably proud that, at 34, she has four kids (aged between five and 12), she and husband Mohammed own their house and are mortgage-free.…and she now owns a Nissan GT-R – bought recently to celebrate her birthday…and her nomination for the RTF industry award.

She explains the importance of the high-powered Godzilla car: “I feel like ever since I’ve been married I’ve been bearing babies….and I’ve always been driving SUVs. So I was like, you know, ‘I feel like having my own car’ – my own personal car, that I can take out with no bloody GPS, nobody can know where I am…”

She says that husband Mohammed used to be the fast-car enthusiast in the family – regularly competing at the Meremere Dragway in his own Nissan GT-R. But now she too has got the bug – turning in an 11.1-second time in her first run down the dragstrip, earning her husband’s praise…

And helping her in her new ambition to go faster (as in a 10-second pass): “I absolutely loved it. It was such an awesome experience.”

The nature of Angel Transport’s business means that it is generally a five-days-a-week operation, but the company will sometimes work weekends on urgent jobs for regular clients – “because of the special

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Top left & bottom left: About half of the Angel units are curtainsiders

Top right: Ayna prefers to work as the GM of Angel, rather than become a co-owner Bottom right: Ford Transit is one of the four vehicles the company started out with

relationship with them.” Normally though, Saturday is a truckwash day and the opportunity to catch up on truck maintenance at Angel’s own workshop.

Over the peak summer season, rental or lease trucks – usually curtainsiders – are used to meet increased demand. They’re dropped during the quieter winter months, when sometimes a third of the fleet can be idle on any given day.

“We always have times when some of our clients go a bit quiet.

But others are busier,” says Ayna.

The dominance of Mitsubishi/FUSO in the Angel fleet is largely down to the “great support” the company gets from Keith Andrews Trucks – “just down the road.”

Key factors, Ayna says, are the reasonable costs of maintenance and the availability of parts – something Angel hasn’t found to the same extent with some other brands it’s had experience with.

Recently the company has been buying some secondhand trucks in order to meet increased demand – because, says Ayna, “the price of new trucks has skyrocketed in recent years, so Dad has gone out selecting trucks that have perhaps only done 200,000kms.”

Included in the purchases is the eight-year-old Western Star 6x4 tractor unit – the only conventional and only North American truck in the fleet.

Unusually, Angel has never sold any of the trucks it’s bought – they’re all still on the fleet and in regular work.

Seeing as the majority of Angel’s work is confined to the greater 56 | Truck & Driver

Auckland metropolitan area – as far south as Pokeno/Mercer, north to Orewa, to Muriwai out west and Maraetai in the east – the trucks don’t rack up big kilometres.

Says Ayna: “We have gone as far away as Palmerston North and Kerikeri and made deliveries direct to the end customer so there’s no double-handling.”

But, like the weekend jobs, these out-of-town jobs are only occasional – taken on only to meet the urgent needs of regular clients. In November and December, for instance, the company had trucks based in the Waikato, helping a key client cope with the Christmas freight rush.

For the fleet’s trucks that are outside their warranties, the Angel Truck Repairs workshop at the company’s Wiri yard carries out all of the repairs and maintenance – using the EROAD electronic RUC and monitoring system to keep track of when maintenance is required.

For a while Angel also took in outside work….but that proved too popular! Ayna explains: “Other Indian transport operators were using us, as they liked the service. But we didn’t have the manpower or the space and couldn’t meet the demand, so we closed it down, rather than drop standards.”

Along with EROAD through the fleet, the Angel trucks are also fitted with Coretex dash cameras for onroad incident tracking and resolution: “We’ve invested in the technology so we don’t come under pressure from regulatory requirements,” says Ayna.

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Ayna with her Outstanding Contribution by a Woman in the Road Transport Industry Award highlighted by the Angel logo in green – a stylised pair of facing koru….which together also look like a heart. The curtainsiders come with the curtains in the same green, with the logo in white.

Some of the vans and light trucks though are painted lime green.

“People say our truck fleet shines,” says Ayna: “I take great pride in that. We ensure all our drivers are well presented and the fleet looks good. I think it says a lot about our business approach and the high standards we maintain.”

The look of the trucks was good enough for Angel to win the Best Fleet and Best Curtainsider awards at the 2017 Kumeu Truck Show.

The Angel driving workforce is quite diverse – with two women drivers, Kiwis of many ethnicities and a number of Fijians and Indians.

Finding good drivers is one of the biggest problems she faces, Ayna says – perhaps even more so than many in the industry: Since Angel is a third-party provider and is paid a premium rate, other operators and logistics companies “expect us to be truly an angel and tackle what their normal drivers wouldn’t be able to tackle.

“So we have to do major work on training if someone is going to sign up with us (as a driver).”

Ayna says that Angel has developed its own internal training system so drivers don’t get thrown into the deep end: “The first day they learn about our operation and processes and then we send them out with another driver so they get to learn it in practical terms.

“We don’t just let anyone in our trucks. They’ve got to make an investment in their job.

“We need to make sure that whoever is behind the wheel is representing the company properly. Because at the end of the day

that’s our brand at stake.

“It hasn’t been an easy 14 years – we have been blessed with all these nice customers, but I have had to work day and night for it. I have been traumatised at times and had sleepless nights….

“Next morning you’re up and running because you’ve got kids to drop at school, get them lunch, breakfast…and you’re answering phones at the same time.

“It’s a huge thing….a struggle. And I won’t let anyone jeopardise the brand that I’ve worked night and day for.”

Angel won’t recruit drivers directly from overseas – simply because Ayna believes new arrivals will require too much training to be comfortable and safe in Auckland traffic and be fully conversant with NZ laws and regulations.

She prefers Kiwi residents who “know the local culture.” The company has had some resident Indian job applicants who couldn’t speak English. Other would-be Angel drivers have “come with all the qualifications….but they can’t drive manuals – only automatics.”

She does have an affinity with Fijian Indian drivers, given their common background. And she’d like to get more women drivers to join the two already on the staff: “I really enjoy working with women. I find they are incredibly organised, very reliable and punctual.”

They make very good professional drivers, she adds, and are regularly at the top of the onboard driver monitoring scores for safe driving: “I’ve also noticed that my female team members tend to be easier on the gear.”

She has already told her two young daughters that they could be driving for Angel Transport….if there’s still a driver shortage in 2030!

Truck & Driver | 59

The women drivers seem content, she says, to stay in smaller vehicles: “I think they’re a little nervous about moving up, especially those who join with little experience. They need time to build confidence in their vehicle and in different situations.”

As a company policy Angel has recently stopped calling drivers, “drivers” – instead referring to them as “team members,” in an effort to engender a more collaborative environment.

“Having great staff takes a weight off my shoulders, as I know that they will complete what I ask and I don’t need to remind them.”

Angel encourages its drivers to upskill and gain higher licence qualifications, even though it means covering the costs….and then paying higher wages. It is, she says, important for job satisfaction: “Employees are encouraged and supported to grow with the business. If they show good skill at whatever level they start at, they are given the opportunity to train and secure a higher-level licence.”

Angel sees the costs of the exercise as a means of combating the industry-wide driver shortage: “I’m encouraging all my team to move up to the next class of license, for the business and their own growth.”

It’s particularly important since Angel has expansion in mind.

Ayna explains: “My father has invested bigtime for the future.”

He has just received resource consent to build a proposed 4000-square-metre company HQ on a property recently purchased on Tidal Rd, Mangere.

The facility, which Angel hopes to have completed by the end of this year, will be able to accommodate freight devanning, improved maintenance facilities, a truck paint booth and truckwash.

Ayna is looking to diversify the business – and, in areas where there is no conflict with any existing clients, Angel will consider tendering for some regular contracts of its own: “It will help smooth out the quiet times we have.”

The company has, she says, recently been offered the opportunity to quote on some big contracts but they were beyond the capacity of the company: “I just don’t want to grow too big, too fast. I don’t want to take it up, and fail…and have that bad name.”

The only regret Ayna has about winning the inaugural Outstanding Contribution by a Woman in the Road Transport Industry Award is that her father wasn’t at the ceremony to see her receive the award.

“He’s been a massive part of what is his company – and gave me the opportunity to get involved at the start.” She says all the family has contributed to its success.

She also believes, by the way, that other women – “if they are given the opportunity…they can do it.”

The award, she adds, “was such a privilege. I was over the moon to win – even though I was quite nervous about the whole event.”

It has been “crazy busy” since the award – and she says she’s ready to keep growing Angel Transport: “The recognition and appreciation of the work I’ve put in has given me a huge boost – almost a rebirth. I’m feeling very motivated.”

Ayna is clearly proud of what she and her family have achieved so far in the NZ road transport industry. Although three generations of her family lived in Fiji, Ayna considers NZ her home now: “This is my country. We don’t know where our family originally came from in India.

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FEATURE

BIG-WIGS + BIG BUCKS = BIG LAUNCH Story: Wayne Munro

T

HE MONEY ALREADY SPENT ON DEVELOPING NORTH America’s best-selling truck for Australia and New Zealand should have been enough to convince most people.

The Down Under-isation/Australasian adaptation of the Freightliner Cascadia has, after all, cost Daimler Trucks a nonetoo-casual $100million.

But….just in case anyone still harbours any doubts about Daimler Trucks’ serious intent and utter commitment to making this project work – with the declared aim of establishing the Cascadia as the No. 1 North American conventional in both countries….

Then the presence here, at the Cascadia’s Australia/NZ launch in Sydney, of THE main man in Daimler Trucks’ global empire, Martin Daum, has got to be the clincher. The former head of Freightliner is, after all, chairman of the board of the biggest truckmaker in the world.

And he’s accompanied by the current Daimler Trucks North America president and CEO Roger Nielsen.

As Daimler Truck & Bus Australia Pacific president and CEO Daniel Whitehead reckons, “on any given day, having one of those two people here with us would be a massive deal for us…!”

And these two come with serious support: A veritable troop

The Cascadia is launched with two 6x4 models, in five cab options and two engines – ranging from 450-600 horsepower

Truck & Driver | 63

Daimler Trucks’ Australian boss Daniel Whitehead ( far left) is joined by a glittering lineup of top Daimler execs for the Sydney launch, including (from left) Richard Howard, Stefan Kurschner, global boss Martin Daum and US No. 1 Roger Nielsen

of top DTNA execs including senior VP of sales and marketing Richard Howard, for one….and senior VP aftermarket Stefan Kurschner for another.

Right there, says Whitehead, we have “some of the most important…the biggest and best minds in the trucking industry.”

Here, in an appropriately memorable location – a meeting room high up in one of the iconic “sails” of the Sydney Opera House – they turn out for a full and frank discussion on the Cascadia (and other Daimler Trucks stuff ) with a small group of Aussie and Kiwi truck industry journos.

Daum jokes that Nielsen’s actually the one who’s here as a show of Daimler’s absolute commitment to the Australasian market…

“Yeah, I mean for Roger it’s this message – and for me it’s just nostalgia: Because personally I took years of my life to get the project up and running…..”

In fact, as Whitehead points out, Martin Daum was “the man who gave it the tick – signed off to have the project done……”

And, he adds, the presence of these Daimler Trucks big-wigs “should be another one of many signals….about how invested – not just money-wise, but from a management and support perspective – DTNA and Daimler are in the (Cascadia) project here in Australia.”

Richard Howard terms it “Day Zero” for the new Cascadia – “the day we bring the best of the best from Daimler Trucks North America, here to Australia (and NZ). An extremely special day.”

Actually, by Daum’s judgment, this is a day that should have happened over a decade ago: “We had one big, let’s say failure here (in DTNA’s Aussie business) – that is, when the initial Cascadia was launched in 2008 in the US, it was only launched as a left-hand-drive truck.

“And I would say that was an engineering mistake – that we were unable to put that truck into a RHD. It was consequently so developed as a LHD truck that it was impossible to do a RHD. “And then I was, from 2009, president and CEO of DTNA, and we always thought ‘what could we do to get the best truck in

North America over to Australia?’ ” It was only when the project to create the latest-generation Cascadia began in 2014 that the opportunity again arose – that developing a RHD version alongside the North American model became economically viable.

Daum explains the economics of the situation: “If we would have taken the Coronado, I would say – this is a wild guess – it would have cost us $80million ($US) to bring it electronically to today’s level….but then we’d have to spend another $20-$30m to bring it then, three years later, to the next level.”

For the size of the RHD Cascadia market, it doesn’t add up – and Daum says, “for exactly that reason, I remember in another context (I don’t tell you which one), where I declined such an $80m project….”

Asked if this Cascadia is then a make-or-break truck for Freightliner in this part of the world, Daum provides a bit of historical context: “The Century Class was a great truck in the ‘90s and the first half of the Zero years – and then the Century Class got replaced by a another truck.

“And unfortunately, in my opinion, it was an oversight of those who developed the Cascadia that it was never developed as a RHD vehicle.

“Which cost us some years …so we had to have the Columbia as a bridging truck. It’s not a bad truck but it did not have the same technology level as the Cascadia. So for many years the Columbia was very fine here in Australia – as the Argosy was.

“But then with stricter regulations, especially on the safety side, it was not just the volume – they had to develop those products to that level. So we needed a product that had access to our global pool of innovations – and it was neither possible with the Columbia nor the Argosy.

“So that is why we dropped the Argosy and that was the reason why we pushed so hard to get a project going where we get a product that has access to the global innovations to Australia.

“So for me this is not a make or break question now. As you’ve Truck & Driver | 65

Left: Here’s a face that Daimler Trucks reckons you’ll be seeing a whole lot more of

Right: Daum reckons that the Cascadia is “the best on-highway truck....that money can buy” seen there’s a new Actros in Australia – what a fine truck that is.

As you will see or have seen already about the new FUSO Super Great – what a great truck that is. And now you have a similar one here for the conventional market.”

Yeah, but why has it taken Freightliner so long to get it right for us?

Nielsen matches direct…with direct: “It comes down to having the guts to make the investment. If I go back to making a RHD version of the Columbia, or the FLC 112, or even the Coronados today…you wouldn’t find us spending money that was more than one single digit million (dollars), okay.

“And you saw that impact – of that low investment, that lowtooling, that cheap tooling – low-volume tooling – that went into those products that resulted in basically a product that….yeah didn’t meet all the expectations of the customers – let’s say that nicely.

“But now to go out and spend $100million to tool this up properly and to keep it configured at eye-level with the American configurations not only allows us to get that truck durable and reliable from Day 1, but now allows us to keep pace with everything else that we change on the Cascadia going forward.

“So Australia and NZ products are no longer this unique special project that has to be justified on itself…in fact I told Daniel he’s going to have a hard time keeping pace with all the changes we make in America to make the truck more durable and competitive.

And that’s the difference.”

Martin Daum says that Daimler Trucks has a couple of key principles in its development of new trucks – namely a mix of global innovation and local customisation.

He says – a little surprisingly, seeing as it was a buzzword term in the industry a couple of years back – that “there is no world truck.”

Firstly, to maintain “our innovation leadership,” the group has a clear technological focus – to be efficient and emission-free, to be safe and automated and to be reliable and connected.

Then comes local customisation – a matter of listening to customers in each area, to “truly understand” their priorities: 66 | Truck & Driver

“And then we build to solve.”

Daum continues: “Innovation these days is extra-expensive. We are testing the limits and borders of physics – and that is, when it comes to fuel efficiency, as well as it comes to reliability….as well as it comes to electronics.

“You need the scale, which a market like Australia does not have….we need basically the global scale. Even the US isn’t enough to sustain the technology we have these days in the Cascadia. By the way, even Europe wouldn’t be enough to sustain the technology we have in an Actros.

“It takes those big markets – 200,000-300,000 markets – to have a 600,000 market, where we have a market share of at least 30%.....if not more. So we talk about 300-400,000 trucks a year that then shoulder the enormous investments we have – that we pour into those products and the technology.

“We spend 1.4 billion Euros – it comes close to $AUS2billion.

If we spend that, you understand you need the volume to really shoulder that enormous every-year investment. And then you get out of that the finest technology what drives reliability, what drives fuel efficiency and what drives….let’s just say econnectivity/ over the air. It’s so many things these days you can do with electronics and you can push it even further.

“But you need to have it in a truck that is plug and play and…. it always has to have the seed genetics. And so, that is, if you invent something in one part of the world you can immediately take it over the world….”

This could be at different paces to suit local regulations. And it will be with adaptations to suit special requirements – to suit its regulations, its drivers etc: “Every country we are in, we want to be as close as possible to the local market and the local customers.

“Why? Because we want to keep that country moving. So we want to be Americans in America, Germans in Germany, Indians in India and Australians in Australia.” And, it goes without saying (because he didn’t), New Zealanders in NZ. That takes strong local management and lots of testing – not just of the base platform, but also for local conditions.

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Which brings us neatly to this Cascadia – now based on a global platform, but in an Australasian version that is 85% identical to the current North American model.

And is thus able to enjoy every single update, every upgrade, every improvement made to the base platform. From here on, as Daum says, “everything in future will be a plug and play.”

As a for instance, Nielsen says, in North America “we’re on this two-year innovation cycle on Cascadia.” So in the 2021 Cascadia will come the next generation of the truck’s safety systems – the current Sideguard Assist system, for the right hand side only, will become available (as an option) for both sides….with active braking…

“Those types of things we continue to grow in our innovation portfolio. But we’ve also committed to our customers that we’ll bring a 5% (fuel) efficiency gain every two years…”

In part that’s driven by the increasing focus of regulatory agencies on cutting fuel consumption and thus CO2 emissions, but it’s also important customers. And “the competition doesn’t stand still. We know we have to do that to keep our leadership position.”

Daniel Whitehead wants to point out that until now, no Freightliner in Australasia has had the benefit of every improvement made to the North American base model: “Now we are simply an 85% version, it rolls through. We’ll get updates over the wire at night with new maps that before would have been an engineering project at a cost of a million dollars…

“And therefore they would have said, ‘maybe we do every third one.’ We get everything at the same time as the US – so the truck will evolve at the same pace as the US truck, so we’ll never get

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this gap that we’ve had traditionally.

“So that’s been the biggest thing – getting it and then moving forward it’s just going to be awesome for us.”

In terms of Daimler’s global innovation, Daum does a sumup: When it comes to emissions, “we want to have the best emissions. We want potentially one day to be CO2 emissions-free – technically possible….economically, at the moment, not feasible.

“But if the world wants it, we can deliver pretty fast CO2-free trucks….. More expensive than diesel – nothing beats diesel when it comes to money efficiency.

“We have safety – but safety and automated are going pretty close, hand in hand, you know. We talk today about driver assistance systems…with electronics making the driver more safe, more efficient, running the trucks better.

“But then it’s a small step one day to potentially do it without a driver – do it in an automated way. Which still seems a little bit sci-fi. Might come in a couple of years in the future – but it’s not impossible….we are banking on it.

“And then it’s local innovation – we spent that $100m to dock that successful North American truck to the Australian market – so we have the best of the two worlds.”

As the head of Daimler Trucks, he needs to have “really a global overview.” But by his judgment, in the Cascadia “we have, I would say, the best on-highway truck these days that money can buy – in the world…”

In Australia and NZ, Cascadia buyers will be among the first able to “pick and choose what’s best for their purpose” – and specify either the Detroit DD16 or DD13 engines.

Now each of them is an example of global innovation: “Is it a

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The grand unveil of the Australasian Cascadias sees eight of them driven into the midst of a slap-up launch dinner in Sydney

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Truck & Driver | 69

Top left: Daimler Trucks North America president and CEO Roger Neilsen says delivering the right Freightliner for Australia and NZ “comes down to having the guts to make the investment” Top right: The company says that the new model has undergone exhaustive testing Right: The press conference for the launch of the “revolutionary” Cascadia is held in an appropriately iconic setting – in one of the sails of the Sydney Opera House

Detroit Diesel engine; is it a Mercedes engine, branded Detroit?

Or, secretly, is the Mercedes engine in the Actros a Detroit engine, branded Mercedes?

“The truth is, it’s a global engine. You know, it’s an engine built from engineers in Detroit and in Germany. We pull together the excellence and the expertise from both countries.”

Okay….but….really, when you’re already selling 80,000 Freightliners in a year in North America (well, in 2018, at least), why bother with the Aussie and NZ heavy truck markets? In 2018 our total markets, for all makes, ran out at 14,344 trucks (above a 39-tonne GCM) and 2515 (above 23t GVM) respectively.

Says Daum: “Because we love the country.” When that’s greeted with a blunt “no, that’s bullshit,” response, he’s more serious: “No, it’s our claim to be the global market leader. And Australia is important enough to be there – I mean it’s a 13,000-unit market, and it’s a growing economy, and it’s a country with huge potential. Why to give that up lightly.

“So yes, what we had to invest here is a high number, but we want to do it right this time. If you invest only half, then you will see zero…or you go all-in. And we decided to go all-in.

“And you can see…..we didn’t decide on all countries for Freightliner. There has to be a market for conventional trucks – and a longterm market. And Australia is one of those markets.

And the country has to be wealthy and has a growth potential to longterm sustain high-technology trucks. And I’d say this is all a given for Australia.

“By the way I love the country really! But you are right, this is not allowed to be part of the decision. But it’s a strong belief in the future of the country. This is for me one of the growing markets of the future.

“One of our principles is we lead with a long view. People ask 70 | Truck & Driver

me how does a truck look like in 2050? And my standard answer on that is I have absolutely no clue. But I am sure that it either carries a Freightliner or a Mercedes badge.

“The question is not what we do in 40 years, it’s what we do right now….but we do it with that in the back of our minds: We want to be there in 40 years’ time.”

Nielsen points out that he has been with Freightliner for 33 of the make’s 77 years – “and I’ve witnessed somewhere around two and a half or three and a half million Freightliners ever built.”

When he started in 1986, Freightliner ranked No. 7 in the North American market – “with great products, but still not able to achieve what we wanted to achieve.”

By 1992 it was No. 1 in the top end of the market and has since then “continued to grow and grow.”

He shows an “undisputed market leader” graph, displaying how Freightliner’s market share sat at 32-33% through the first three years of the Noughties, dropped to 26% in 2008 and ’09. Then, except for one dip in 2014, it climbed climbing steadily to sit at 38.8-40.6% through the past five years.

Says Nielsen: “Since 2007 we’ve built half a million of those Cascadias. Now, we never brought it to the Australian market – in retrospect, we always wished we would have, considering all the other things we had to sell down here. It would have been the perfect, perfect truck.

“In 2016 we introduced the new Cascadia – the Cascadia we’re bringing now to the Australian marketplace. And you see our market share take a big bump up – to nearly 40%. And that’s where we’re banging along today in the Class 8, heavy-duty market in North America.”

What’s behind those figures, says Nielsen, is that “we continue to bring forth what the customer wants and needs.

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The unveiling of the trucks – the final step in two days of launch activities in Sydney, with dealers, key customers and media – is the culmination of a five-year, $US100million project

“If you go back to 2007, 2008, diesel fuel prices in North America hit $US5 a gallon. And fuel efficiency was at the top of their buying criteria.

“When we introduced the Detroit series of engines we were able to exceed the market’s expectation and really move fast in bringing that gap to the closest competitor to the point where there was no choice….

“For a customer to really have the lowest real cost of ownership, they really needed to buy a Freightliner with Detroit power.

“And since then we’ve continued on and fuel efficiency is now like a given: ‘So, fuel efficiency? Okay great: You guys deliver that every day. Now we want you to deliver the best safety systems’ – and that’s what you see us bring now to the market here in Australia.”

Detroit, as he points out, is now much, much more “than just the name of our powertrain….it’s more than just Detroit transmissions and Detroit axles.

“It also represents the innovations we’ve done with electronics and safety systems. So here with our truck we’re bringing to the marketplace Detroit Assurance 5.0….it goes beyond just the adaptive cruise control that’s found in automobiles, but also gives us Sideguard Assist, it gives us full braking on pedestrians and so forth.

“I drive a lot of trucks – a lot of competitors’ trucks. And it scares the crap out of me to drive a competitor’s truck: You’re not quite sure when the cruise control is gonna give up and the engine brake is gonna give up…and you’ve gotta mash the service brake to bring that truck under the right speed.

“With Detroit power, Detroit integration with the DT12, and the whole Detroit Assurance 5.0 suite of safety systems….it brings another level of comfort to the driver – that they certainly won’t 72 | Truck & Driver

be able to get anywhere else, in another truck.”

Nielsen reckons that Freightliner customers in North America “have come to full acceptance of the Detroit powertrain: We’re up now to nearly 70% of our heavy-duty trucks are specced with the DT12, and 95% are specced with a Detroit engine.”

As for the safety suite: “Over 50% now of our customers purchase the whole suite of safety systems…and they see that once they go to it, they really can’t afford to go back.”

With the first version of Detroit Assurance “…we’ve seen rearend crashes of trucks drop by almost 95% in some fleets. And we see it reflected in loss of sales for bumpers and hoods because you just don’t hit anything anymore…because the truck comes to a stop.

“That really is that next competitive advantage that trucking companies are looking for.”

The current Cascadia is now in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Peru and Chile… and it has “been accepted well everywhere – and we expect nothing but that here as we bring, let’s say, the single best truck in the world to the market.”

In 2018, Freightliner sold just over 400 heavy-duty trucks in Aussie and 74 in NZ. Now, with the launch of the Cascadia, Martin Daum reckons his only expectation for the number in the first year of sales is that “it will be substantial – it will be more than in the past…

“In the long run I could easily see here 1500 trucks. Why not 2000, Mr Whitehead? I have no doubt it will happen, because I’ve seen it in the United States…

“Any time we come up with an improvement in the product, you know our market share jumped up a couple of notches – and that will happen in Australia. So 1500 starting…”

Quizzed about the likely relative strength of the Cascadia against locally-assembled conventional rivals Kenworth and Mack,

With 85% commonality between the current North American and the Australasian Cascadias, the biggest difference between them simply comes down to right-hand-drive versus LHD

Phil Butler 021 775 741 • 09 443 4661 11 Marken Place, Glenfield, Auckland, phil@northernforklifts.co.nz

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Truck & Driver | 73

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Top right: Guests at the official launch get their hands on a Down Under Cascadia for the first time

Top left: The Cascadia comes standard with the Detroit Assurance 5.0 suite of safety features as standard

Above: No Mercedes-Benz mirrorcam yet for the Cascadia....but Nielsen hints that they’re working on it Daum says: “Believe me we are in other markets where we have strong opposition – and we know how to succeed. And I love strong competitors because they bring the best out of you.

“But look, we have experience in other countries in the world where there is local production. And you still have to ship an enormous amount of parts and we have the experience that the quality of the truck is higher if you build it out of one plant instead of shipping parts around the globe and then trying to assemble it.”

Talking of competition on a global level, Daum says that “was tough, it is tough and it will stay tough.” That is, between who he sees as Daimler Trucks’ rivals: “We are four global groups – it’s us and it’s Volvo and it’s PACCAR and it’s the Traton group.

“And I respect all four of them. Every one has it challenges, but no – this is the essence of our economic system that we have competition. It keeps us from becoming arrogant or lazy – and we say always stay humble and not complacent. That means you very diligently improve your product….”

An Aussie journalist asks Daum what’s to be done “about Western Star and the Penske problem in this country” – a reference, no doubt, to the once-dominant North American make’s 349 2018 sales in the Australian heavy-duty market.

“It’s not a problem – it’s an asset,” says Daum, adding: “Western Star needs a new model…and it is coming – it’s part of the whole project.”

Okay….so when will that be launched? Says Nielsen: “We’re not ready to announce that yet.”

Daum, with his Daimler Trucks’ overview role, says that “Western Star for me is another brand – it is ours….even if it’s run by a different organisation…

“It’s not an enemy organisation – Roger Penske is a good friend of our brand. Great customer in the United States, great dealer in the US – one of our largest dealers…..

“So a really, really good, longterm partner. For me it’s part of the Australian family as well. Add all four brands together and all four brands have their place in this country…in the conventional side we want to be larger than anybody else in the country; on the cabover side, European-wise we want to be No. 1 with the

Mercedes brand; and on the Japanese side there’s no reason why, in the heavy-duty, FUSO won’t claim that position.”

Asked further if he has any regrets that Aussie Terry Peabody was able to buy the Western Star business (the Australasian distribution, subsequently bought by Penske Commercial), Daum insists: “I never look back with regret. The past is the past… This is the pack you get dealt and you do the best with it.

“And if you see how long the Western Star brand and how strong it’s survived in Australia I would say that Roger has done a good job and Peabody did a good job…”

And besides, he says again: “We need to refresh the product as well…”

I ask about the 8x4 Cascadia, which Daimler Trucks has already said will be part of the Australasian model lineup…..eventually.

Daniel Whitehead says that, like the new Mercedes-Benz lineup, “it comes as a 6x4 first….”

But he’s keen to point out that the Cascadia is “a conventional truck – but it’s not a conventional truck like we have today.

With all the different configurations that it comes in, it gets into operations that traditionally we haven’t viewed that way…

“We’re finding that what we thought was the product portfolio… is actually broader than that, especially with PBS (Australia’s Performance Based Standards high productivity regime).

“There’s a whole lot of things we used to think had to be done to operate in that environment and now…actually not. Tipper and dog, for example, at 48 tonnes you only have to give up 250 kilograms to leave the axle where it is. It’s a no-brainer, when you get everything that comes with it.

“It’s such a step forward that there’s a bit of suck-it-and-seewhat’s-possible with the factory type configurations. And I think we’ll continue to stretch that portfolio quite easily across a whole lot of potential uses.”

But Martin Daum picks up on where things might be at with a new 8x4 from Daimler Trucks – and maybe lets a cat out of a bag: “Before Daniel gets an 8x4 Cascadia, you might see in your country an 8x4 Western Star….which in my opinion is fully okay. When it comes to niches we don’t need to double up for all brands.” T&D Truck & Driver | 75

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Y Offroad driving trainer Gene Browne (left) was driving a 4x4 Isuzu truck, heading for a refresher driving session under the watchful eye of Axiom Training senior instructor Steve Mitchell (above), when they became involved in the bizarre incident on the Waikato Expressway

Right place, right time...right person Story Wayne Munro Photos Gene Browne, Steve Mitchell & Counties Manukau Police

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T’S LIKE THAT OLD SAYING GOES: “THE RIGHT PERSON, IN THE right place….at the right time.”

That was the lifesaving combination that came together on the Waikato Expressway, between Meremere and Mercer, one day last October – as Gene Browne and Steve Mitchell drove north in a TR Group Isuzu 4x4 power pole installation truck....and caught up with a

car being driven erratically.

It was wandering – and speeding up, then slowing down. And a young boy inside was waving at them – and, alarmingly, opening the passenger door.

Then things suddenly took a surreal and potentially deadly turn for the worse – as the young boy tumbled out of the car, right in front of

Truck & Driver | 77

“Boom! He flew out the back of the car and bounced down the road….”

In split-second decisonmaking driver Gene Browne even had time to consider whether – because the Isuzu 4x4 has high ground clearance – the boy might go under it without being hit.....but opted instead to swerve to the right

them….at around 80km/h!

Luckily (and here’s where the happy coincidence of the moment found the right people, at the right place), Gene and Steve are both driver training professionals – specialising in teaching other drivers how to respond to emergency situations!

And they’d both sensed, as Steve puts it, that “something wasn’t right” with the car, its driver and young passenger – and the Isuzu was making its second attempt at pulling out to go around the car when, as Mitchell recounts, the “back door flew open.

“I saw the kid lean down….It looked like he was trying to grab a bag or something that he’d dropped….and as he sort of leaned down…. Boom! He flew out the back of the car and bounced down the road….

“Luckily for him, we’d actually repositioned the truck – because, if not, we would have actually driven right over the top of him.

“So we were right behind him…and if we hadn’t been taking notice of what was going on…it would have been so easy at that speed….” he tails off, before adding: “Even with a good following distance, to take evasive action – it’s pretty much not gonna happen. They’re gonna go under your wheels.”

As Mitchell, a senior heavy vehicle driving instructor with Axiom Training, told the New Zealand Herald: “I’ve seen lots of things in my life, but it’s the first time I’ve seen someone bounce on the road like that kid and survive.

‘My first thought was: ‘He’s a goner at that sort of speed.’ He was very lucky he didn’t hit the ground with his head.”

Gene, who was behind the wheel, reckons his driver training instincts – the ones he teaches other drivers – kicked in: “So, when the kid came out and fell out in front of us, because he kind of flipped for a couple of metres and started to tumble….that’s where our skill-set was quite good.

“I teach emergency braking, vehicle control, (dealing with) a high centre of gravity and all that sort of wonderful stuff.

“So as the kid tumbled out, I didn’t fixate on him. It was kind of weird, because I actually remember flicking across to the mirror to

78 | Truck & Driver

make sure there was no-one on my right hand side, and then pulling the truck over quite hard – to avoid him going under the tyre – while keeping it under control.”

Browne’s company, Driving & Technical Training Services (DTTS), works nationwide – training 4WD and truck drivers offroad driving skills – and he says his reactions were quite clinical, analytical: If there had been a car on the right, “I would have actually swung left (because I obviously don’t want to go crash into a car).

“He went out the left passenger door – he was kind of in line with the truck’s front (left) tyre. So if I didn’t swerve right, I would’ve gone left…..The pole truck’s got quite a high clearance underneath the differential, so I would have hoped that he’d have gone completely under the truck.

“But I mean, certainly (going) under the tyre would have been instant death.”

This, as he reiterates, “is what you train for. I mean, we do emergency braking all the time. We spend a good couple of hours doing emergency braking over and over, and over, and over, with a number of clients.

“But because you do that, it’s just a routine reaction. So I don’t stop and think, “Oh, should I?” It’s just: This is what you do. If you don’t do this – do that.”

As soon as the boy had disappeared behind the truck, the two professional trainers instantly switched to dealing with what else they could control – namely the car, seeing as the driver was clearly in trouble.

They sped up to get past it, pulled in front of it and then Gene slowly brought the Isuzu (and the car) to a halt – Steve jumping out to run back to the car while Gene dialled 111.

At the car Steve “leaned in and I was talking to the woman – trying to explain to her that ‘your kid’s just jumped out the back of the car…..’ She was totally non-responsive.”

In fact, he soon realised, she was actually still “driving it (her car) against the back of the truck – slowly bumping it, as if she was trying to keep driving forward. So I leaned in, put it in Park and took the

To help find the two drivers in the truck, so Kathie Page and grandson Ryan Farrelly could thank them, Counties Manukau Police posted this photo of them with Pokeno Police officer Sergeant Fleming on Facebook, asking the public for help. She has since passed on her thanks by phone

keys out.”

The two drivers were amazed when motorists who’d picked up the boy – 10-year-old Ryan Farrelly – from the roadside, joined them…and they discovered that he’d escaped with nothing worse than some bad grazes and bruises.

Says Steve: “He was a very lucky kid...I mean very, VERY lucky. I mean, the two of them could easily have been killed – because she was pretty much asleep with her eyes open.”

An ambulance crew that happened to be driving by (another lucky coincidence) was soon treating Ryan and his grandmother, Kathie Page, who they were told is diabetic and had apparently suffered a serious “low” in her blood sugar levels.

So Steve and Gene headed off on their job for the day….a refresher offroad driving session in the 4x4 truck for Gene (whose company contracts to Axiom), under the watchful eye of Steve.

They were surprised to learn the next day that they were the subject of “hero truckie” stories on the national tv news and in the papers – with Counties Manukau Police and media making public appeals to identify the two likely lifesavers.

On their Facebook page, Counties Manukau Police posted a photo of Kathie and Ryan visiting Sergeant Fleming at the Pokeno Police station office the day after the scary incident, and explained: “We want to share this heartwarming tale from our Highway Patrol team – but we need your help too.”

Ryan said that when his Nana slipped into a semi-conscious state, he’d tried to wake her. When that failed he climbed over and managed

to put the brakes on…but she still had her foot on the accelerator. He then tried to alert other drivers to the emergency.

Said the Police: “Thinking they were going to crash, Ryan managed to get the car to slow to a walking pace and jumped clear of the vehicle.” (Actually, Steve and Gene are very clear, the exact speed was 80km/h – clearly shown on the truck’s EROAD screen on the dash).

The Police post added: “We’re pleased to report that Kathie is recovering well – Ryan’s heroic effort helped to save his Nana’s life.

“We’d still like the public’s help: We want to get in touch with the truck driver to thank him for his actions.”

Steve insists it wasn’t a case of heroism – “this is just something people do. Something you should do….it’s either in your makeup or not. It’s not a hero thing.”

The career truckie turned heavy vehicle driving instructor is happy though to be singled out as a Castrol Truck Driver Hero, because truckies “do usually get a bad rap – so it’s good if we can have a bit of a positive every now and then.”

Gene told the NZ Herald he’s “not that comfortable” with any hero tag: “I was probably just the person with the right skills – happened to be in the right place.”

He reckons that “effectively it was just what I teach my students anyway. So I’m glad it came into use.”

As Castrol Truck Driver Heroes, Steve and Gene each receive $500 prezzy cards and merchandise from Castrol – and they are now finalists in the annual 2019/2020 Castrol Truck Driver Hero Award, which carries a $3500 travel voucher for the winner. T&D

Truck & Driver | 79

FEATURE

A crowd estimated at 400-plus attended the memorial service at Marsden Cove to farewell Keith Andrews

Story: Wayne Munro Photos: The Andrews family

HOW WOULD KEITH DO IT? H

OW WOULD KEITH DO IT?” THAT YARDSTICK, reckons a senior Fuso Truck & Bus exec, is the remarkable legacy that Keith Andrews – a New Zealand truck industry visionary and leader who died in November – has left behind.

It’s not a measure that will be applied just within the Keith Andrews Trucks FUSO dealership that he founded 28 years ago. Not limited either to that AND the Fuso NZ distributorship he established in 2016….

But also applied internationally – with the industry innovator often cited by top executives in Daimler Trucks’ Japanese arm as a model for how others should go about the business of selling FUSO trucks.

Fuso Truck & Bus Corporation director of global sales operations Ilan Elad flew in from Tokyo to tell the estimated 400-plus crowd at Keith’s memorial service in Whangarei that his way of doing business, with such a passion for the industry and for trucks, was something special for the company: “It was majestic…and it was magnetic.”

So his death at the age of 65, after a year-long battle with pancreatic cancer, was “to the FUSO family, to the Daimler family… a great loss” – of “a very good and close partner and friend.”

Fuso NZ, led by Keith and son Kurtis, won a Special Achievement Recognition Award last year from Daimler Trucks Asia for “going above and beyond in developing and promoting FUSO product.”

Elad said at the service – held in a giant marquee near Keith and wife Vicki’s Marsden Cove home – that the award was recognition of “the ingenuity and the hard work that they put in.

Keith Andrews Truck & Driver | 81

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Fuso Truck & Bus Corporation director of global sales operations Ilan Elad told the service that Keith Andrews’ way of doing business, with such a passion for the industry and for trucks, was “majestic…and it was magnetic” “And for my region and the people I work with….we always use Keith as the person that, if you ever have a question of how to do things, we would always ask: ‘How would Keith do it?’

“The Australians, as you know, are big rivals of NZ and they thing they hated the most was every time they would come and tell me that there was a problem, I said: ‘Look, three hours away (from you) they solved all these issues!

“Same competitors….and they’re selling more than you. If you need help, please call Keith.” There is, he laughed, “nothing better to get the Australians working than to push by saying, ‘go speak to a Kiwi!’

Elad attended the memorial service on behalf of Daimler Trucks Asia, but said he would have happily paid his own way to fly in to pay his respects – “because I think we owe a great duty to a person who’s been there for us – who’s worked hard, who’s done an amazing job.’

“And I think the people who are sitting here, the amount of trucks and buses that you see of ours on the roads, show the dedication.”

Elad said he was moved to hear that earlier in the week, Keith’s coffin had been driven from the private family funeral service to the crematorium in a FUSO truck (and, by the way, it stopped en route at the KAT Whangarei dealership – so the staff could all pay their last respects).

Said Elad: “We talk about companies, we talk about brands, we talk about a lot of things…..but in the end we’re only as successful and only as good as the people and the passion that represent us.

“And I must confess that sometimes, sitting on my side of the corporate world, I don’t think that we are aware of how much love and affection people have for our product and how much people like

Keith – who’s been selling these trucks for many, many years – work hard, day in, day out. And our job is to support them.”

Elad revealed that it was Keith and Kurtis Andrews’ passion for the industry that clinched Daimler Truck & Bus’ decision to end a four-decade distributorship deal with Mitsubishi Motors NZ in favour of signing Keith as the Kiwi agent for FUSO trucks.

A delayed flight on a quick NZ visit to Mitsubishi Motors meant that Elad’s planned courtesy meeting with KAT – the biggest FUSO dealer in the country – “over a few beers” one evening, turned into a brutally early breakfast meeting at KAT in Auckland….Keith picking him up at 4.30am.

After talking about the business with Keith and Kurtis till 6.45am, they suggested he take a look at the workshop. He expected it to be in darkness….and was amazed to find that “the place was buzzing!”

It set him thinking that “something was wrong in the way that we were doing business at the time. We had a very good partner – don’t get me wrong.”

But, he reasoned, in Keith he’d discovered a person “who has so much passion that, at a quarter to seven, all his employees are there….”

And so, “it cannot be that I continue working with a company that does not have the same passion – has a passion for cars rather than for trucks.”

By the time he arrived in Sydney, he told a colleague: “Maybe I’m crazy but I think I’m gonna push for these guys to take over.”

By the time he arrived in Tokyo, he was sure of it: He recommended to his boss that Keith Andrews should be appointed the new NZ distributor.

The memorial service heard how the Auckland-born Keith (whose Truck & Driver | 83

Right: The staff lineup at the humble beginnings of Keith Andrews Trucks saw (from left to right): Keith, Colleen Dennis, Gary Crane, Murray (Mac) McAuley and Peter Hewson Below: The truck cabs were bowed in respect at all Keith Andrews Trucks dealerships after the company founder’s death in November

family had moved north when he was eight) quit high school in Whangarei and took up a mechanical apprenticeship there just before he turned 15 – “encouraged to leave by the teachers,” he reckoned.

He moved on from mechanicking for Haywood Motors to selling boats for them (boating/yachting was another lifelong passion) – and then on to selling trucks: He set up and expanded a light commercials division – quickly learning sales, marketing and management skills.

Roger White, then sales manager of FUSO trucks for Mitsubishi Motors, said that he and Keith hit it off from their first meeting (when he was still selling trucks for Haywoods) – “his mechanical background and mine as a truck engineer finding common ground.

“I saw he was just the sort of young man who could do well in this business... and I might learn something about marketing from him!”

White, who described himself as “a product engineer with limited marketing knowledge,” was immediately impressed with his “passion….his enthusiasm and perception. Here was a man that I knew would be good for FUSO.” In 1991 Keith bought the truck business from Haywoods – initially, as Vicki Andrews recalled, “using his car as his office, before renting proper premises and starting out with five staff.”

He brought to the business the same competitive spirit, tenacity and enthusiasm that had seen him and schoolmate Jack Lloyd successfully build and compete in a series of ocean racing yachts, when they were still in their 20s.

They were good – good enough to earn a place as NZ reps in the Clipper Cup in Hawaii in 1978.

In business Keith was, said Roger White, a man with a plan – signalled by a happy face: “Whenever I saw that smile, I knew there was a plan.”

The Andrews family acknowledged “The Plan” too – saying that 84 | Truck & Driver

they’re “immensely proud of him – and quite astonished that he achieved so much, especially with Vicki trying to put his brakes on frequently!

“He didn’t listen. He continued to follow the plan that he had in his head…which he sometimes kept under wraps, knowing that Vicki had her plans too….and they didn’t quite match.”

Vicki confirmed it: “Keith had a plan – and nothing stopped him from achieving what he set out to do. This is how it was for the rest of his life.”

First off, The Plan was to establish Keith Andrews Trucks as a Mitsubishi FUSO dealership in Whangarei.

In the wake of the 1987 sharemarket crash and the Global Financial Crisis, the NZ economy was taking a long time to recover and “it was not a good time in the truck industry: At FUSO, we had just 8% of the market share.”

But Keith showed “his determination and confidence” – taking White to a property he was about to lease for the planned Mitsubishi FUSO dealership….even before he had “a final go-ahead from Mitsubishi Motors! The plan was there.

“He planned a small, tight dealership – at least that’s what he told me. Two service bays, a small office, a parts store, two truck-stop pumps, a couple of mechanics and a very dedicated administrator.”

The dealer agreement was duly signed and, said White, Keith soon revealed himself as someone who “wasn’t just determined – he was a man who planned carefully.

“He was patient in pursuit of his goals and looked both short and longterm. He was a man with a unique vision for the truck industry, truck marketing and the opportunities that were presented.”

White credited Keith with not only “building the most successful truck franchise in NZ, but also helping reshape the way trucks were marketed in this country.”

As the economy recovered, Keith was a pioneer in supplementing his new truck sales by also importing used trucks from Japan to

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“Before long, the tight, small dealership didn’t seem enough. His first-year sales target – seems silly now – was 12 units. Of course, Keith Andrews, the super-salesman, easily exceeded that account.

“Within a couple of years he’d purchased a hectare of land over the road from his original site.

“And I was gobsmacked when he laid out the plans for his vision of a new dealership. It was unlike anything seen in this country – and it soon became the talking point of the industry.

“Truck dealerships didn’t have floor-to-ceiling windows…and tiled floors. Everyone else had service pits. Not Keith. He had hoists.

“And he displayed new trucks in a showroom – just as if they were new cars. Something quite new.”

When the Asian economy crashed in 1997, leaving the FUSO factory in Thailand with thousands of unsold trucks, White was asked by Fuso if it could help sell some of the stockpile – and he, in turn, talked to Keith.

Said White: “The spec wasn’t ideal for NZ….but the truck would be good for contractors, farmers and others for whom a low-cost tipper could be attractive.

“By this time I’d really grown to appreciate Keith’s nous and vision: We were on the same page – and I was using Keith as a sounding-board for some product projects…he had a great vision for the market, which I needed to utilise.

“He wasn’t convinced about the Thai tippers – until I told him the retail price!: Forty grand…compared to 80 (thousand) for a normal tipper.”

KAT alone sold 70 of them over the next 18 months: “He had the vision and he profited from it.”

White remembered him as “a stubborn and tough negotiator. We didn’t always agree – and when I heard the phone ring and the voice saying ‘Andrews here….’ my heart would thump: What’s The Plan!

“As you can imagine, he and his team occasionally pushed the boundaries. They were one of the first to use full-colour advertising in national magazines nationwide, promoting ready-to-run trucks, complete with bodies and delivered anywhere in the country.

“He did rattle the cage. Sometimes he caused me grief and upset some of my other dealers. But there was never any rancour.

“His advertising, as in everything else he did, set the standard. He also kept himself incredibly well-informed on what was going on in the industry….and further afield.

“He had an awesome memory for trucks’ specs and an eye for detail in all the many facets of the business. An amazing fount of knowledge.”

Until 2010 his business was limited to Northland by its franchise agreement. But when Mitsubishi NZ decided to exit the truck retail business and offered to sell him Roadlife Trucks in Auckland it was, said White, “the expansion opportunity that he’d been itching for…. and was in The Plan.

“Kurtis stepped in to run the sales side and Keith the overall control – and what a great job they did.

“But Keith had his eye on a bigger prize – and played his cards pretty close to the chest. He was aware that Mitsubishi Motors NZ’s franchise for FUSO trucks, now owned by Daimler, might become available.

“And he’d been positioning Keith Andrews Trucks to make a bid for it – to take that opportunity. He’d already had taken on some Mercedes-Benz products and was developing connections with an

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Keith’s son Kurtis (above, with his Dad, a few years ago), told the memorial service (right) that Keith didn’t see work as work – “he absolutely loved it”

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Top left: Mourners at the memorial service were invited to set tributes to Keith alongside his ashes

Top right: The memorial event was held in a marquee at Marsden Cove, near Keith and Vicki Andrews’ home

Right: The week before Keith died, at the age of 65, it was announced that KAT had been appointed a Freightliner dealer for the North Island – in addition to its existing FUSO dealerships in the top half of the North Island and Mercedes-Benz sales representation in Whangarei and Hamilton eye to the future. He was executing his longterm plan.”

Since Keith was appointed NZ FUSO distributor in 2016, the make has rebounded to second place in the overall new truck market (trucks over a 4.5-tonne GVM). And in recent years KAT has expanded into the Bay of Plenty and the Waikato, with a new state-of-the-art dealership in Hamilton.

White summed up: “Keith achieved in one lifetime what would take others two. His energy and vision and his unique personality made him a very special NZer. He was a giant in the heavy industry – one we will sadly miss.”

Kurtis Andrews said that his Dad had taken the news that he had cancer “really hard – because he had a life plan. And cancer wasn’t in that plan.

“It was really hard for our family to watch as he slowly had his dreams taken away from him. He worked so hard all his life, only to have his life cut short.

“My Dad lived to work. He was quite often there from dusk till dawn. He lived and breathed work – however it wasn’t considered work to him. He absolutely loved it.

“He loved to be the first into work in the morning, he loved the thrill of business, he loved the opportunities that would present themselves when he worked hard and set goals.

“Dad had extremely good morals, was very hard-working and always wanted to give things 100%. As he always said, he wanted to be the best.

“Tardiness by his staff wasn’t tolerated – and he always seemed to be at the right place, at the right time to catch you out if you just so happened to roll into work late.

“Making money was important: That’s what business is about.

However, customer satisfaction always ranked above profit.”

Kurtis revealed that Keith’s passion for a clean and tidy workplace saw him adopt the Japanese 5S workplace organisation principles, helping simplify the working environment while reducing waste and improving quality and safety.

“He followed the 5S principles long before anyone else even thought about it in this country.

“In Japanese these five words are seiri, seiton, seiso, seiketsu and shitsuke. Which in English means to sort, set in order, shine, standardise and sustain. In essence it means to be clean and organised and keep doing it over and over again.”

88 | Truck & Driver

More recently the philosophy has been modified to 6S – adding safety. KAT and Fuso NZ have both embraced that change.

Keith’s 5S approach extended into the Andrews family home – running the fridge like the KAT parts department: “Always immaculate, highly organised and generally had the right amount of stock on board. My mother was the parts procurement officer, which was a tough job – reporting through to Keith.

“Stock levels would quite often be unacceptable, for various reasons. He would say things like…. we have excess stock of peanut butter…..who bought aftermarket tomato sauce…’

Anything that wasn’t utilised well was just wasting his shelfspace.

“The quirky part of all of this was that he actually preferred to have nothing in the fridge – which was quite strange given that in business we go by the motto of having the right part for the right truck, at the right time.”

As Keith himself once explained his philosophy: “One lesson I learnt along the way is you’ve got to stick to your model.

The secret is delivering quality service and focusing on the customer’s experience.

“Another lesson is the importance of hiring good people. It has a massive impact on culture and quality. I’ve learnt how critical culture is to a business. It’s the people in a company that make it – I’ve set the standard and helped maintain it, but it’s the people that have made it work.”

One of those people, KAT service manager Jason Chambers, told mourners: “Keith’s motto was to be the best. I loved this about him. Even though we experienced success and we celebrated that – it was never enough. We could always be better – always lifting the standards, setting the benchmark.

“As an employee it’s very rewarding to be part of an environment where we’re stretched and able to grow. Keith pulled people up with him. As the business grew he didn’t necessarily look for outside help – he looked at his current staff first.”

He echoed Ilan Elad’s words: “I will never forget the man behind the name Keith Andrews Trucks and all he stood for. I will continue to ask myself, ‘what would Keith do?’ I’ll be the one going on and on about standards and I hope I can inspire others, like he has inspired me.

“And don’t worry Gov – it’s business as usual.” T&D

Westland Engineering Supplies

K & L Distributors BOP Ltd

Auckland Oil Shop

Danny, Ana and Deane

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 Ana a call and we will be pleased to assist.

Westland Engineering Supplies 03-768 5720

Westland Engineering Supplies 10 Boundary Street Greymouth 03 768 5720

TD27684

Caltex Westport 197 Palmerston St Westport 03 789 7819

National Road Carriers

OP Ltd

Around the clock container transfers needed

By David Aitken, CEO of National Road Carriers Association

A

TD27684

UCKLAND HAS A SEASONAL PROBLEM: FROM OCTOBER TO Christmas, imported goods flood into the country – putting a big strain on ports, storage yards, the transport industry, importers and exporters.

And the way that parts of this complex network work is making the problem worse.

National Road Carriers has talked to leaders from ports and container storage yard businesses for their opinions on what can be done to resolve this situation.

Shipping container collections and returns operations need to continue around the clock in order to keep Auckland moving, say the people we interviewed.

Ports of Auckland GM commercial Craig Sain puts it simply: “Some parts of the network – like ships and the port – work 24/7.

But other parts only work weekdays, creating congestion and delays. This has to change.”

As an example, the port can receive and despatch containers 24/7, but 70% of truck moves are done during the day. If containers aren’t moved during the night, the yard fills up…. and a full yard slows down the port operation. Then, when everyone arrives on Monday looking for their box, naturally there’s congestion.

“We need the night-time shifts to be increased,” says Sain, adding: “But it only works if everyone does it. There’s no point in truckers picking a box up at night if the importer’s yard is closed.

We need everyone in the supply chain to make a change.

“The whole supply chain needs to cater more for 24/7 operations, or it just won’t work. Auckland’s freight task can’t be handled during the day alone.”

MetroBox managing director Grant Tregurtha supports Sain’s position: “We are open 24 hours, five and a half days a week.

There is a lot of capacity at night that could be used – it is the biggest place to soak up the pressure.”

Tregurtha admits that it’s easier said than done and importers and exporters are a vital part of the solution: “There is scope there but it is difficult to implement. The trucking companies rightly say: ‘We can’t drop containers off at night.’ ” Tregurtha says a system-wide approach – involving ports, storage depots, the transport industry, importers and exporters – is needed to address the big issues: “We have had attempts to do this, but it hasn’t progressed – and it needs realism if it’s ever going to. We need to work together to make it sustainable and economically viable for everyone.”

Mark Birtwistle from KiwiRail, which manages MetroPort on behalf of Ports of Tauranga, says the current weekday operating model causes jams early in the week: “We call Mondays our ‘perfect storm,’ as no-one collects over the weekend because all their customers are shut.

“We have 1700 containers excess on a Monday, over any other day.

We have to stack on top of other stacks because we’re trying to

manage storage. Our normal site lift count to access containers is 2:1. On Mondays it’s 4:1 or 5:1.

“We are in at 4am on a Monday to get organised, but we can only get organised for two to three hours’ worth of pickups.”

Birtwistle says MetroPort has created 300 extra spaces over last year by transferring its container wash David Aitken facility to MetroBox to free up space: “We are constantly looking at how we can do things better.”

ContainerCo CEO Stuart Jennings says while the container storage situation is good now, it can change overnight. He asks truck companies to make bookings early and – allowing for Auckland traffic – to do their best to turn up on time, as that flattens volumes during the day.

“If we have 10 slots at 9am but people don’t turn up on time then, by 9.30am, trucks will be waiting and having to queue on the road. When the yard gets 90% full it impacts efficiency as we have to move containers around a lot more.”

Ports of Auckland’s Sain says there are also pressures with staff shortages across the supply chain: “Crane drivers are a rare commodity. It takes 18 months to become proficient with a container crane and our training schedule is full. These guys are in big demand and we lose quite a few to Australia.”

There’s no capacity for existing staff to work longer hours either – it’s important that they stay safe and don’t get fatigued…which could lead to costly mistakes.

On the positive side, Sain says the port continues to invest in new systems and plant to improve operations. For example, its automation project is on schedule to go live soon and that will boost capacity over time.

Everyone needs to act smart and co-operate to minimise the pressure on empty container storage facilities. National Road Carriers is in constant contact with the ports and container yards to assist with the smooth handling of the situation and will endeavour to keep all our members informed of any issues which may compound the problem.

If you have any concerns, queries or ideas about container storage please contact the team at National Road Carriers. T&D

Truck & Driver | 91

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Christchurch Mainfreight contractor Gee Dhillion’s SD Transport has put this new MAN TGS 26.480 day to work on metro container duties in its home region. The 6x4 has a 480hp D2676 engine and a ZF automated manual transmission, with adaptive cruise control and lane guard assistance, and pulls a three-axle Hammar sideloader trailer.

It’s a new record POWER IS NOTHING WITHOUT CONTROL

N

EW ZEALAND’S NEW TRUCK SALES HIT record-breaking heights last year – eclipsing 2017’s previous best annual result by 105 trucks.

The new milestone for the overall market (trucks with a GVM above 4.5 tonnes) was achieved despite a December sales slump.

That month saw just 315 registrations. Remarkably, that was still 35 up on the same month in 2018 – thanks to that having been the worst December result in six years, putting paid to a likely record that year.

So 2019’s 5314 total sales amounted to 150 more trucks than 2018’s total‌and a modest 2% improvement on 2017’s 5209 former record.

Within last year’s milestone market, Isuzu continued its standout streak as the biggest-selling make on the NZ market‌.for the 20th consecutive year!

It was the only one of the top three makes to increase both its market

share and volume – with 1261 sales for the year and a 23.73% share (up from 1197 and 23.18% in 2018).

FUSO lost volume and share for the second straight year after its remarkable comeback year in 2017 (when it sold 955 trucks for an 18.33% share) – but still easily held onto second place, with 794 sales and 14.94% of the market.

Hino and Mercedes-Benz, in third and fourth places for the year respectively, each narrowly bettered their 2018 performances‌.but had small dips in their market shares.

Volvo and Iveco completed the top six in 2019 – improving from seventh and ninth respectively in 2018 as they made gains in both sales and market share.

Kenworth, DAF and UD Trucks each lost volume and share – and dropped one or two places, while Scania held 10th – but with increased Truck & Driver | 93

Recently

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www.trt.co.nz 23,001kg-max GVM

4501kg-max GVM

Brand ISUZU FUSO HINO MERCEDES-BENZ VOLVO IVECO KENWORTH UD DAF SCANIA MAN SINOTRUK FOTON MACK FREIGHTLINER HYUNDAI VOLKSWAGEN INTERNATIONAL FIAT WESTERN STAR RAM CAMC OTHER Total

Vol 1261 794 711 389 297 294 265 260 239 239 108 107 81 60 54 43 40 27 18 14 6 3 4 5314

2019 % 23.7 14.9 13.4 7.3 5.6 5.5 5.0 4.9 4.5 4.5 2.0 2.0 1.5 1.1 1.0 0.8 0.8 0.5 0.3 0.3 0.1 0.1 0.1 100.00

Nov/Dec Vol % 221 29.5 88 11.8 109 14.6 48 6.4 20 2.7 50 6.7 25 3.3 44 5.9 23 3.1 43 5.7 12 1.6 23 3.1 7 0.9 7 0.9 8 1.1 4 0.5 11 1.5 1 0.1 3 0.4 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.1 1 0.1 748 100.00

3501-4500kg GVM

Brand FIAT MERCEDES-BENZ CHEVROLET FORD PEUGEOT RENAULT LDV VOLKSWAGEN IVECO TOYOTA FUSO OTHER Total

Vol 257 94 30 30 27 24 18 15 8 5 2 4 511

2019 % 50.3 18.4 5.9 5.9 5.3 4.7 3.5 2.9 1.6 1.0 0.4 0.8 100.00

Nov/Dec Vol % 49 47.1 28 26.9 3 2.9 6 5.8 3 2.9 3 2.9 2 1.9 8 7.7 0 0.0 2 1.9 0 0.0 3 2.9 104 100.00

4501-7500kg GVM

Brand ISUZU FUSO MERCEDES-BENZ IVECO HINO FOTON VOLKSWAGEN HYUNDAI FIAT RAM Total 94 | Truck & Driver

Vol 350 348 204 162 127 58 40 32 18 6 1345

2019 % 26.0 25.9 15.2 12.0 9.4 4.3 3.0 2.4 1.3 0.4 100.00

Nov/Dec Vol % 70 34.8 38 18.9 21 10.4 26 12.9 25 12.4 4 2.0 11 5.5 3 1.5 3 1.5 0 0.0 201 100.00

This new Kenworth K200 2.3 flat-roof sleeper cab logger has been put to work

by PanPac contractor Osborne Log Transport in Napier.

The 8x4, driven by Carl Spindler, has a 620hp Cummins X15 engine, an 18-speed Eaton Roadranger manual trans, RT46-160 diffs on Kenworth Airglide suspension and Kraft logging gear…..with a matching five-axle multi trailer. Extras include a painted drop visor, Alcoa Durabright alloys, roof lights, custom grille bars, extra stainless panels and lights and dual intakes.

Brand Brand ISUZU VOLVO KENWORTH DAF HINO SCANIA FUSO MERCEDES-BENZ UD MAN SINOTRUK IVECO MACK FREIGHTLINER INTERNATIONAL WESTERN STAR CAMC HYUNDAI Total

Vol Vol 346 293 265 224 221 216 175 156 141 97 95 76 60 54 27 14 2 2 2464

2019 % % 14.0 11.9 10.8 9.1 9.0 8.8 7.1 6.3 5.7 3.9 3.9 3.1 2.4 2.2 1.1 0.6 0.1 0.1 100.00

Nov/Dec Vol % Vol % 54 16.8 20 6.2 25 7.8 22 6.8 28 8.7 41 12.7 17 5.3 25 7.8 26 8.1 9 2.8 22 6.8 17 5.3 7 2.2 8 2.5 1 0.3 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 322 100.00

Trailers 7501-15,000kg GVM

Brand ISUZU HINO FUSO UD IVECO FOTON MERCEDES-BENZ HYUNDAI DAF VOLVO MAN SINOTRUK OTHER Total

Vol 528 237 208 45 39 23 14 9 8 1 4 2 4 1122

2019 % 47.1 21.1 18.5 4.0 3.5 2.0 1.2 0.8 0.7 0.1 0.4 0.2 0.4 100.00

Nov/Dec Vol % 90 52.6 32 18.7 28 16.4 7 4.1 3 1.8 3 1.8 1 0.6 1 0.6 1 0.6 0 0.0 3 1.8 1 0.6 1 0.6 171 100.00

15,001-20,500kg GVM

Brand HINO UD FUSO ISUZU SCANIA MERCEDES-BENZ IVECO SINOTRUK DAF MAN VOLVO CAMC Total

Vol 89 56 48 32 20 15 16 9 6 6 3 1 301

2019 % 29.6 18.6 15.9 10.6 6.6 5.0 5.3 3.0 2.0 2.0 1.0 0.3 100.00

Nov/Dec Vol % 14 35.9 8 20.5 4 10.3 6 15.4 2 5.1 1 2.6 4 10.3 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 39 100.00

20,501-23,000kg GVM

Brand HINO UD FUSO ISUZU SCANIA DAF MAN SINOTRUK IVECO Total

Vol 37 18 15 5 3 1 1 1 1 82

2019 % 45.1 22.0 18.3 6.1 3.7 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 100.00

Nov/Dec Vol % 10 66.7 3 20.0 1 6.7 1 6.7 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 15 100.00

2019 Vol % Brand PATCHELL 171 11.3 135 8.9 MTE FRUEHAUF 127 8.4 106 7.0 ROADMASTER 105 6.9 DOMETT TRANSPORT TRAILERS 105 6.9 TMC 91 6.0 61 4.0 TRANSFLEET TES 60 3.9 39 2.6 JACKSON 38 2.5 FREIGHTER HAMMAR 27 1.8 MILLS-TUI 24 1.6 EVANS 23 1.5 MAXICUBE 21 1.4 21 1.4 KRAFT CWS 20 1.3 20 1.3 MAKARANUI FAIRFAX 20 1.3 NEWZELOHR 15 1.0 TANKER ENG. 15 1.0 TIDD 14 0.9 MTC 14 0.9 10 0.7 LUSK CHIEFTAIN 8 0.5 8 0.5 ADAMS & CURRIE IDEAL 8 0.5 WAIMEA 7 0.5 PTE 7 0.5 KOROMIKO 7 0.5 MORGAN 7 0.5 MD 7 0.5 HTS 6 0.4 COWAN 6 0.4 LOWES 6 0.4 WARREN 5 0.3 SEC 5 0.3 TEO 5 0.3 CONVAIR 5 0.3 5 0.3 GUY NORRIS DOUGLAS 5 0.3 GLASGOW 4 0.3 FELDBINDER 4 0.3 WHITE 4 0.3 OTHERS 119 7.8 Total 1520 100.00

Nov/Dec Vol % 11 11.0 24 24.0 23 23.0 8 8.0 19 19.0 16 16.0 7 7.0 10 10.0 11 11.0 5 5.0 9 9.0 5 5.0 3 3.0 1 1.0 5 5.0 2 2.0 2 2.0 3 3.0 4 4.0 0 0.0 2 2.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 4 4.0 0 0.0 2 2.0 2 2.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 1 1.0 1 1.0 1 1.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 1 1.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 1 1.0 1 1.0 1 1.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 2 2.0 31 29.0 218 100.00

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King House Removals in Invercargill has put this new Mack Titan heavyhaulage tractor unit on the road – the 6x4 rated to 200 tonnes. The 46-inch mid-rise sleeper has a 685hp MP10 engine, an mDrive AMT, MILX heavy-duty spring suspension and Meritor RTH2610 hub-reduction diffs. Extras include a 30-litre underbunk fridge and a roof-mounted amber and purple beacon.

sales and a 1.27% improvement in share, to 4.5%.

That share increase was shaded by Sinotruk, which moved up from 15th in 2018 to 12th, with a 1.29% improvement, to 2.01% – albeit from low sales (just 37 trucks) in 2018.

Last year’s trailer market continued to lag behind 2018’s recordsetting sales to year’s end, with 87 registrations amounting to the worst December figures in six years.

The year thus ended with 1520 new heavy trailers registered – 11.3% down on 2018’s alltime best tally of 1714 sales.

In November and December, Isuzu increased its 2019 overall market lead on the rest with 221 registrations – good enough for a 29.5% share for the two months.

Hino (711/109) did second-best in the closing months of the year, but was still well shy of threatening FUSO (794/88) in the 2019 year standings.

Iveco had a good last two months, with 50 registrations to carry its annual total to 294 and sixth place – behind Mercedes-Benz (389/48) and Volvo (297/20), while Kenworth (265/25) held seventh through the end of the year.

In the only change in the 2019 top 10 order through the last two months of the year, UD (260/44) moved clear of DAF (239/23), leaving it in equal-eighth place with Scania (239/43).

In the crossover 3.5-4.5t GVM market segment, longtime sector No. 1 Fiat dominated in the closing months, with 49 November/December registrations to take its 2019 total to 257 – claiming over half of the market! Mercedes-Benz (94/28) was way back….and in turn held a huge margin on third-placed Chevrolet (30/3) and Ford (30/6).

In the 4.5-7.5t GVM sector, Isuzu (350/70) had a big finish to catch and edge ahead of former leader FUSO (348/38). Mercedes-Benz (204/21) was third for the year, followed by Iveco (162/26) and Hino (127/25).

In the 7.5-15t segment, Isuzu (528/90) extended its runaway hold on the top spot, way ahead of Hino (237/32) and FUSO (208/28). Well behind were UD (45/7), Iveco (39/3) and Foton (23/3).

In the 15-20.5t division, Hino (89/14) was the clear market leader, ahead of UD (56/8), FUSO (48/4) and Isuzu (32/6). Then came Scania (20/2), Iveco (16/4) and Mercedes-Benz (15/1).

In the tiny 20.5-23t category, Hino (37/10) finished the year well ahead of UD (18/3) and FUSO (15/1).

In the premier 23t-maximum GVM class, Isuzu mirrored its No.

1 status in the overall market with the best November/December performance – its 54 registrations taking its 2019 total to 346.

Interestingly, the heavyweight division didn’t match the overall market’s record-setting effort, with last year’s 2464 registrations falling 49 short of the segment’s 2515 sales in 2018.

The order of the 2019 top 10 in the 23t-max GVM segment was unchanged through the last two months, with Volvo (293/20) remaining second, followed by Kenworth (265/25) and DAF (224/22).

However, Scania had a standout closer to the year, with 41 registrations taking its 2019 total to 216 – Hino narrowly holding it out of fifth place with a strong 28 November/December performance that carried it to 221 for the year…ending-up just three behind DAF. FUSO (175/17) was seventh for the year, ahead of Mercedes-Benz (156/25), UD (141/26) and MAN (97/9). Sinotruk (95/22) had a strong finish that saw it just two sales outside the top 10 for the year.

Comparing performances last year to 2018 rankings, sales and market shares, Volvo was the only one of the top five makes in the 23t-max GVM sector to improve both volume and share last year.

It sold 20 more trucks than in 2018 and claimed an additional 1.05% share, with 11.9% – moving up from third in 2018 to second, at Kenworth’s expense.

Market No. 1 Isuzu, third-placed Kenworth and next-ranked DAF and Hino were each down on sales and market share.

Scania was the biggest improver – jumping from a 5.84% share in 2018, with 147 sales, to 8.8% and 216 regos last year. It lifted one place, to sixth, at FUSO’s expense.

Eleventh-placed Sinotruk made the next-greatest gains – increasing its sales from 32 to 95 and its share from 1.27% to 3.9%. It moved up from 13th in 2018.

Mercedes-Benz, up from 9th to 8th at UD’s expense, also did well: It sold 156 trucks (compared to 120 in 2018) and took a 6.3% share (up from 4.77%). MAN, Iveco and International each achieved small improvements in their sales and market shares.

In the trailer market, although it only registered 11 trailers in November and December, Patchell easily notched-up its 10th consecutive year as No. 1 – with 171 sales and an 11.3% market share.

In an overall market that was 11.3% down, its registrations did however drop 18.5% compared to 2018’s 210, and it lost 1% of its market share.

But it was still 36 sales ahead of second-placed MTE (135/24), which Truck & Driver | 95

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Five-year comparison – overall market (4501kg-max GVM) Brand

2019 Volume 1261 794 711 389 297 294 265 260 239 239 108 107 81 60 54 43 40 27 18 14 6 5 2 0 0

ISUZU FUSO HINO MERCEDES-BENZ VOLVO IVECO KENWORTH DAF UD SCANIA MAN SINOTRUK FOTON MACK FREIGHTLINER HYUNDAI VOLKSWAGEN INTERNATIONAL FIAT WESTERN STAR RAM OTHERS JAC RENAULT CATERPILLAR Total

% 23.73 14.94 13.38 7.32 5.59 5.53 4.99 4.89 4.50 4.50 2.03 2.01 1.52 1.13 1.02 0.81 0.75 0.51 0.34 0.26 0.11 0.09 0.04 0.00 0.00

5314

2018 Volume % 1197 23.18 829 16.05 707 13.69 387 7.49 274 5.31 252 4.88 310 6.00 279 5.40 271 5.25 167 3.23 113 2.19 37 0.72 53 1.03 65 1.26 74 1.43 24 0.46 3 0.06 24 0.46 35 0.68 22 0.43 23 0.45 15 0.29 2 0.04 1 0.02 5164

2017 Volume 1262 955 661 331 294 246 229 253 267 168 161 31 13 62 70 32 8 25 37 25 50 27

2016

% 24.23 18.33 12.69 6.35 5.64 4.72 4.40 4.86 5.13 3.23 3.09 0.60 0.25 1.19 1.34 0.61 0.15 0.48 0.71 0.48 0.96 0.52

1 1

0.02 0.02

5209

Increased share from 2018

Volume 1218 414 639 171 203 184 153 198 247 131 137 5 18 55 87 49 14 21 28 24 29 18 4 5 14

2015

% 29.96 10.18 15.72 4.21 4.99 4.53 3.76 4.87 6.07 3.22 3.37 0.12 0.44 1.35 2.14 1.21 0.34 0.52 0.69 0.59 0.71 0.44 0.10 0.12 0.34

4066

% 24.90 15.81 15.32 5.11 5.30 2.63 4.28 4.67 6.07 3.70 3.49

18 73 117 17 5 20 29 33

0.42 1.70 2.72 0.40 0.12 0.46 0.67 0.77

55 63 162 21 77 26 19 42

1.24 1.42 3.66 0.47 1.74 0.59 0.43 0.95

23 3 30 8

0.53 0.07 0.70 0.19

17 5 20 26

0.38 0.11 0.45 0.59

4302

Lost share from 2018

2014 Volume % 856 19.33 677 15.29 733 16.55 233 5.26 252 5.69 122 2.76 177 4.00 189 4.27 262 5.92 154 3.48 240 5.42

Volume 1071 680 659 220 228 113 184 201 261 159 150

4428

No change in share from 2018

Five-year comparison – 23,001kg-max GVM Brand ISUZU VOLVO KENWORTH DAF HINO SCANIA FUSO MERCEDES-BENZ UD MAN SINOTRUK IVECO MACK FREIGHTLINER

Volume 346 293 265 224 221 216 175 156 141 97 95 76 60 54

14 11.9 10.8 9.1 9 8.8 7.1 6.3 5.7 3.9 3.9 3.1 2.4 2.2

2018 Volume % 392 15.59 273 10.85 310 12.33 272 10.82 257 10.22 147 5.84 214 8.51 120 4.77 143 5.69 92 3.66 32 1.27 72 2.86 65 2.58 74 2.94

INTERNATIONAL WESTERN STAR HYUNDAI

27 14 2

1.1 0.6 0.1

24 22 0

0.95 0.87 0.00

25 23 1

1.11 1.02 0.04

20 24 14

1.11 1.33 0.78

20 33 8

0.97 1.60 0.39

26 42 26

1.16 1.87 1.16

CAMC OTHER

2 0

0.1 0

0 6

0.00 0.24

0 3

0.00 0.13

3

0.17 0.00

28 10

1.36 0.48

18 7

0.80 0.31

Total

2464

2019 %

2515

Volume 365 292 229 241 202 152 187 85 94 124 25 78 62 69

2017 % 16.17 12.94 10.15 10.68 8.95 6.73 8.29 3.77 4.16 5.49 1.11 3.46 2.75 3.06

Volume 340 202 153 189 196 115 98 50 99 103 5 50 55 87

% 18.86 11.20 8.49 10.48 10.87 6.38 5.44 2.77 5.49 5.71 0.28 2.77 3.05 4.83

Volume 329 228 183 197 213 141 135 75 115 121

% 15.94 11.05 8.87 9.54 10.32 6.83 6.54 3.63 5.57 5.86

2014 Volume % 234 10.44 250 11.16 177 7.90 175 7.81 301 13.43 139 6.20 215 9.59 88 3.93 131 5.85 152 6.78

39 73 116

1.89 3.54 5.62

37 63 160

1.65 2.81 7.14

2257

moved up from third in 2018 – almost matching its 138 registrations from the previous year and increasing its market share (by 0.8%) to 8.9% Fruehauf (127/23) was nudged back to third, ahead of Roadmaster (106/8) and Domett (105/19) – both of whom slightly improved their market share…while Transport Trailers (105/16) moved up from seventh to fifth-equal with Domett, gaining 16 sales and an extra 1.7% share.

TMC (91/7) dropped one place from 2018, but picked up an extra 96 | Truck & Driver

2016

1803

2015

2064

2241

0.5% share, while Transfleet (61/10), was up two places, into 8th, with a one-trailer improvement on 2018 and an extra 0.5%. TES (60/11) jumped four places, to 9th, with 21 more registrations and a 1.6% share improvement. Jackson (39/5) moved up one to complete the top 10.

MaxiCUBE (21/5) dropped from 8th to 15th-equal, Freighter (38/9) slipped from 9th to 11th and Fairfax (20/4) was down five places, to 17thequal. T&D

Recently

Registered

www.trt.co.nz

Northland logtruck operator Aotearoa Haulage has added this new International ProStar R8HD to its Ruakaka-based fleet. The 8x4 has a 615hp Cummins X15 engine, an Eaton UltraShift MXP AMT and Meritor 46,000 lb diffs. George Tahere drives the newcomer, which has Patchell logging gear and a matching five-axle trailer.

Shannon Nuku’s Nuku Selfloading is now hauling logs around the lower North Island out of a Napier base for PanPac with this new Kenworth T610. It has a 600hp Cummins X15 engine, an 18-speed Eaton Roadranger manual transmission and RT46-160 diffs on Airglide 460 suspension. It has Patchell logging gear and tows a matching five-axle multi-bolster trailer. Extras include offset steer wheels, Alcoa Durabright alloys, a custom-made bow-tie sunvisor, a black grille with custom bars, exhaust stacks and an alloy bumper.

Takanini’s Specialised Transport (STL) has put this new FUSO HD Euro tipper to work, carting bulk loads in the Auckland region. The 6x4 has a 470hp engine, a 12-speed Inomat transmission and a D10 diff. It works with a four-axle Rage Engineering bulk trailer.

Truck & Driver | 97

Recently

Registered

www.trt.co.nz

Longrunning Auckland metro general freight operator Tutill Carriers has added two new Isuzu FSR650 Autos to its fleet. One of the 4x2 curtainsiders is fitted with a Zepro tail lift, while the other has a Rollax rear door.

This flash new Mack Super-Liner chipliner has gone on the road for Dannevirke operator Buckeridge Transport. The 8x4, with a custom 36inch high-rise sleeper cab, has a 685hp Mack MP10 engine, an mDrive AMT and Meritor 46-160 diffs on Primaax air suspension. Curtis drives the tipper, which operates North Island-wide.

Pic Chris King

98 | Truck & Driver

Chemcouriers contractor Paws Trucking now has this new Kenworth T909 36-inch aero sleeper running between Auckland and Wellington. The 6x4 has a 620hp Cummins X15 engine, an 18-speed Roadranger manual gearbox and RT46160 diffs on air suspension. The many extras include chromed alloys and straight exhaust stacks, a drop visor, stainless air cleaners and a Kentweld front bumper.

TRANSMISSIONS Genuine Eaton Roadranger transmissions, factory or TRT rebuilds. Specs also available for all Japanese and European makes and models including Hino, Fuso, Nissan, Isuzu, Foden & DAF.

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ISRI has a full range of driver’s seats to suit every application.

Note: Seat fabric may vary from what is shown. Armrests and head restraints are optional accessories.

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Available from your local truck dealership or: Te Apunga Place, Mt Wellington, Auckland. P.O. Box 62182.

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Specials valid while stocks last.

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TRUCKERS & LOGGERS FISHING TOURNAMENT

2020

19th to 21st March 2020 Paihia, Bay of Islands. Hosted by the Bay of Islands Swordfish Club (Inc)

REGISTER ONLINE NOW:

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TEAM NAME:______________________________________________________________

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YES

NO

ANGLER: 1. _________________________________________________________

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2. _________________________________________________________

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IF MEMBERS OF YOUR CREW ARE NOT MEMBERS OF A CLUB AFFILIATED TO NZ SPORT FISHING INCORPORATED A TOURNAMENT MEMBERSHIP OF $25 PER ANGLER IS REQUIRED. PLEASE TICK BOX IF TOURNAMENT MEMBERSHIP REQUIRED FOR ANGLERS.

TOURNAMENT MEMBERSHIPS REQUIRED No: __________________ @ $25, TOTAL: $ _________________ (Tick Box Alongside Anglers Name) $125 PER ANGLER, No: ___________________________________________ TOTAL: $ _________________ GUEST ENTRY (non anglers) $50 each, No: ___________________________

TOTAL: $ _________________

WE WILL BE FISHING FROM ANOTHER AREA ON THURSDAY MORNING:

YES

NON-REFUNDABLE 25% DEPOSIT with entry to Tournament. Balance payable no later than Wednesday night briefing. Cheques payable to: Truckers & Loggers Fishing Tournament.

DEPOSIT: $ ____________________________

NO

TEAM CONTACT NAME: ______________________________________________________________________

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ADDRESS: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ EMAIL:___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ VISA

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CHEQUE EXPIRY DATE ________/ _________ AMOUNT: $ _______________

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NOMINATION FORMS ARE AVAILABLE ON-LINE Having a winning driver on your team pays huge dividends. There’s free publicity, its a morale boost, a proud flag to fly and just entering somebody’s name shows you care. The winning driver and his or her carrier are often used in subsequent stories.

Visit: nztruckanddriver.co.nz/truckdriverhero

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TD30411

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Ph 09 571 3544 Fax 09 571 3549

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www.alliedpublications.co.nz

Tick boxes

NZ TRUCK & DRIVER 1 year (11 issues) for $80 incl. GST

NZ TRUCKBODY & TRAILER 1 year (4 issues) for $30 incl. GST

NZ LOGGER 1 year (11 issues) for $70 incl. GST

3 TITLES $160 incl. GST

Please tick appropriate magazine title box MY DETAILS NAME:

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Terms and conditions: Subscription rates and a free copy of Equipment Guide are for NZ orders only and only for NZ Truck and Driver and NZ Logger subscriptions. Rates include GST and postage. For overseas prices please enquire.

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03 218 3059 9 Kinloch Street

GORE

03 208 1618 25 Falconer Road

CROMWELL

03 445 4525 14 Ree Crescent

DUNEDIN

03 478 8324 24 Donald Street

CHRISTCHURCH

03 349 6597 96 Branston Street

DON’T WANT TO BUY? GIVE HIRE A TRY.