ISSUE 69 FEB/MAR 2016 RRP: $8.95 (NZ $9.95)
ISSUE 69 FEBRUARY / MARCH 2016
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AUSTRALIA'S LEADING TRUCK AND TRAILER MAGAZINE
PROFILE
THE
Warren Caves takes a technical look at a full-blown Kenworth rebuild
ACCIDENTAL RESTORATION at this truck today and you could be forgiven for thinking it’s nothing more than a “Show Pony”, which has never worked a hard day in its life. Well, nothing could be further from the truth.
LOOK
This gleaming Kenworth T900 spent its early years carting coal for Trazblend. An unforgiving task in a dirty environment, moving the black rocks, which, when burnt, supply us with the electricity to run our flatscreen TV’s, and, more importantly, keep the beer in the fridge cold.
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In those 18 years or so this truck clocked up somewhere in the vicinity of 1.8 million kilometres, which for a predominantly short-haul truck in those conditions certainly left some scars.
THE ACCIDENTAL RESTORATION
For a lot of trucks with that kind of history the future is not so bright, with one possible scenario being to bolt a turntable to its back and live out its final days carting shipping containers off the docks. Fortunately that sad undistinguished fate was not to be for this old girl. Although nobody knew it then, her future was to change; she was to become brighter, with glossy paint and shiny aluminium and chrome – for this old girl was destined for restoration. Enter into the equation Ben Clarke of Southern Highlands Concrete. As the name suggests, Southern Highlands Concrete carries out all manner of concrete construction work in the beautiful Southern Highlands and surrounding areas, about an hour south of Sydney.
Ben informed me they were in need of a vehicle to help out with the business. The Kenworth was purchased and while in need of freshening up, it would suit the purpose. This is where things started to take a somewhat different direction. I asked Ben, “What was the inspiration for the restoration?” He replied, “It was not planned at all, it kind of just happened out of necessity.” When the truck went in for assessment, it started a 17-month collaborative effort by a long list of dedicated professionals to make it serviceable, and create what you see today. A closer inspection revealed it was, as described by many involved, a bit of a basket case. A tired engine, rust in the floor and firewall and a long list of repairs that would make a drive across the Nullarbor seem short. Some may have chosen the easy (and cheaper) way out, but, to his credit, Ben Clarke was in it for the long haul. The truck was stripped down to its chassis rails and the build was started from scratch.
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PROFILE
New inner chassis rails, and new cabin floor and firewall were all put into place. The driveline was all stripped down, checked and/or reconditioned, as well as all brake valves and air lines. Complete new interior, seats and a red dot roof-mounted air conditioning unit were also fitted to keep the office cool. John Vella of Vella Truck & Trailer Repairs played a major role in the mechanical aspect of this build, including rebuilding the tired old Cummins N14 with the dial then set at 525 horsepower. When John was asked, “What was replaced during this project?” His answer was short and to the point. “Everything! It would be easier for me to tell you what wasn’t replaced”, he laughed, “and it was a huge job”. Upon meeting John it was clear to me he takes a lot of pride in his work and this project was as special to him as it was to the owner. Notable customised touches to this project are the whopping seveninch exhaust extensions, custom front bumper, laser cut aluminium Kenworth flapper, the switch from square to round headlights and universal joint grease splashguards to prevent that ugly grease throw after service.
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Once all the sandblasting, engineering and various bracket fabrication work was completed, Jaimie and the team at Kent Collision & Kustom were enlisted to do the preparation and final paintwork, which was meticulous to say the least. The green and black combination works really well. Even the working-class underbody bits did not escape the spray gun with the green finish applied to all manner of bracketry and components at a quality and finish not seen on new trucks.
PROFILE
It was clear that close enough was not good enough for this job. Jaimie says while they do a lot of recovery, collision and crash repair work, he can’t resist a good restoration job. When the right customer with the right commitment and fortitude comes along, as with this job, the results speak for themselves. Once the main paintwork was completed, the handpainted scroll and line work was designed and applied by Dennis at Signs, Lines & Scrolls. That’s right, no computer generated vinyl here, only hand painted, keeping alive what surely must be a dying art. Jaimie tells me that Dennis has been doing his dad’s trucks since as far back as the seventies – an artistic skill and talent that really adds a touch of old-school class to the finish of this truck. Ben also added a small memorial tribute on the bonnet sides to his late uncle, Ernie, who tragically lost his life in a truck accident in 2012. The name on the passenger’s door – “Rankin” – is Ben’s eight-year-old son, who has the trucking glint in his eye, but will have to wait a few years before that name can be transferred to the other side door. Keeping things all in the family for the moment, the operation of this truck is to be placed in the hands of Ben’s brother, Matt Clarke. It will be utilised in the company’s operations, bringing materials to job sites, followed closely by a small float trailer finished in matching colour scheme to help with machinery movements to site.
Ben is to be commended for his commitment to this project with so many hurdles and expenses along the way. I’m sure many would have put it in the “too hard basket” and walked away. However, he persevered and developed a vision throughout the project that carried him through until the end. As with any project of such scale, a long list of dedicated contributors has made this truck what it is today. I’m almost sure I will hear them crying the moment the first load of gravel gets dropped into the fresh green bin. As this truck project draws to an end, there is only the final RMS inspections and compliance checks to adhere to before the T900 starts the next phase of its life. I may have heard a little whisper of, “It would be nice to do a cabover next,” but we will have to wait and see. For now, this truck is truly worthy of the title: “The Accidental Restoration”.
The immaculate restoration is a tribute to the ability and professionalism of all those involved in the project.
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THE ACCIDENTAL RESTORATION
PROJECT CONTRIBUTORS: Vella Truck & Trailer Repairs Kent Collision & Kustom Dave Mawer Engineering Peter Snell Powder Coating Shine Master Polishing Troy Fabrication Ace Auto Air & Electrical Master Sandblaster Signs Lines and Scrolls Englaw Enter Signman Peter Mustone Ben Clarke of Southern Highlands Concrete paid tribute to his late uncle, Ernie, who tragically lost his life in a truck accident in 2012. The name on the passenger’s door – “Rankin” – is Ben’s eight-yearold son, who has the trucking glint in his eye.
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THE LATEST INNOVATIONS IN
TRAILER TECHNOLOGY
PROFILE
IF
you are ever travelling south on the Princes Highway from Sydney you’ll find Mount Ousley covering the foothills of Mount Keira, about four kilometres northwest of Wollongong township. As the road crosses the Illawarra escarpment the terrain changes to provide a challenging climb northwards to a height of around 800 metres from sea level. Obviously, for those travelling south, the descent is equally challenging, especially when driving a tipper and quad dog trailer grossing 57.5 tonnes under PBS approval. Greg Watt of Watt-Trans faces the climb and descent of Mount Ousley very often on a daily basis, and, with many years spent behind the wheel, both as a company driver and as an owner/operator, he reckons he now has the right truck and trailer for the job. Through his driving career Greg has operated a Western Star Constellation with a C15 under the bonnet, a Kenworth SAR, and, in the early, days a Ford Louisville, but nothing handles his daily workload quite the same as his current truck and trailer combination, a Mack Super-Liner. Powered by the Mack MP10 engine with a power output of 685 hp, the 16-litre puts out an impressive 3150 Nm (2300 ft-lb) of torque through from 1000-1500 rpm. Combined with the 12-speed mDrive automated manual transmission and with a rear diff ratio of 3.42:1, the truck/trailer combination literally does power up the hill, making the ascent to the summit look typically very easy.
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POWER-A-PLENTY What goes up, must come down, and the Mack with its Sloanebuilt quad-dog trailer is equally impressive as it makes the descent towards Wollongong, with the Mack PowerLeash engine brake combining with the exhaust brake to hold the rig in check with just very occasional service brake application. Throughout the descent there’s none of the traditional Jake-brake roar as local council requirements include minimising noise levels. The Mack PowerLeash combined engine brake and exhaust brake generates a total retardation ability of up to 570 hp (425 kW). The Super-Liner is obviously the latest in a line of trucks Greg has either driven or operated and it is standing up well to the relatively harsh operating conditions of working in the coal haulage industry. With 16-litres, the MP10 engine takes on the daily challenge of Mount Ousley without any complaints, covering the route with ease. “Grossing 57.5 tonnes and with 685 hp it’s more than a match for a good 550 hp truck at 50-tonnes. I drive it most of the time with the gear selector in auto and get better fuel consumption, averaging 1.9 km/l at full 57.5 tonnes in the city. In country areas that consumption improves to 2.3 km/litre. “This fuel economy would be comparable with my previous Kenworth SAR T408 I operated fitted with a 550 ISX EGR engine.
There’s not a lot of difference in fuel but a lot more power, and I am carrying an additional 7 tonnes. The SAR was not set up for PBS,” said Greg. “We’ve come a long way in terms of automated transmissions with the mDrive compared to my previous CAT powered Western Star Constellation with an 18-speed manual gearbox hauling a three-axled Sloanebuilt dog trailer. “I bought the MACK back in April 2013 and moved to full PBS accreditation with Sloanebuilt Trailers and the quad dog trailer. From a financial perspective there is an immediate $50-$60,000 advantage per year, and I have the flexibility to work on asphalt, aggregates and coal. “We run with a 31.5 tonnes payload when not on Mass Management and that can be increased to 38.5 when on Mass to achieve a further 7 tonnes payload. The PBS application together with all the combination spec was organised by Sloanebuilt to give me maximum length of 20 m. That’s the beauty of running a four-axled dog rather than a five- axled dog trailer. “We chose a 5,550 mm wheelbase as a better option than a 5700 mm wheelbase which was an alternative at the time to maximise drawbar length. If it was 150 mm longer in the wheelbase it would have to be deducted from the drawbar which can influence the ease of jackknifing the truck and trailer.
POWER-A-PLENTY Big horsepower on the coal makes for a contented Mack owner PowerTorque ISSUE 69
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PROFILE “One of our own ideas in conjunction with Sloanebuilt was to fit a spill tray on the rear of the trailer for when we work on asphalt. That just bolts on and we put it on when we arrive on site and take it off when we leave. Because of the extreme axle measurement you need 700 mm overhang on the trailer from the apex of the tyre when you back up to the paver machine. You already have 700 mm overhang on the truck and we have a manual over-ride control that maintains the rear dump height.
coupling which has its own jackknife alert. The bins are lined with rock sheets to make them as versatile as possible,” said Greg.
“As far as maintenance is concerned, with the Mack we run our oil drain intervals at 40,000 km with standard mineral oil, twice the distance when compared to an SAR at 20,000 km. The MACK’s certainly quieter and much more relaxing to drive.
The Mack Super-Liner was supplied by Mack Trucks of Huntingwood through sales manager Michael Inzitari.
“Changing gear with a manual is what you did when you first came into trucking, but, as far as going back to driving a manual transmission, I don’t think that I would be interested these days. It took a little while to get used to the mDrive, but once you got your head around it I found it works well. “With EBS and ABS it’s a small job to adjust the drum brakes throughout the truck and trailer combination. I prefer drum brakes for this particular application, especially when working on coal as the wheels are regularly passing through a wheel wash and you don’t have to worry about calliper seizing or contamination. “The choice of Hendrickson INTRAAX suspension for the trailer comes down to the reliability and support of having a one-million-kilometre warranty. These are also fitted with the magnet bearing monitors. “For added safety we run with a rear-vision camera on the truck and trailer, plus a reverse warning buzzer as these are safety features required when working on RMS and rail work. We can monitor all our loading through on-board weighing with a display readout inside the cab that covers all truck and trailer axles with the exception of the steer axle. “With other features we have burst protection valves on the EDBRO hydraulic rams, we use JOST ball-race turntables, and a rotating pin Ringfeder
Greg Watt is a convert to the power and torque of the Mack MP10 matched to a 12-speed mDrive AMT.
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“Most importantly, I want to thank my wife Jenny for all the support she gives me in the business and for looking after all the bookwork. Knowing she is looking after all the paperwork makes it much easier for me to be out on the road,” added Greg.
TRAILERTORQUE
EXPANDING
HORIZONS A Portland in Victoria adds a great history to its go ahead attitude of innovation
s the oldest European settlement in the state of Victoria, Portland has some great history built into its development, dating back to 1800 when British navigator James Grant sailed in the Lady Nelson along the Victorian coast, naming both the town and the bay. Portland Bay remains the only sheltered deepwater anchorage between Melbourne and Adelaide, offering protection against the ravages of Bass Strait. Although the whaling industry is often more associated with Albany and West Australia, Portland was the centre of major whaling activity, adding agriculture and cattle farming to the attraction of the district from around the 1830s.
Through the 19th century it became an important fishing area and the establishment of rail links to Ballarat and Melbourne helped the growth of the wool industry. Portland hosts Australia’s third largest aluminium smelter, which was commissioned in 1987 and managed by Alcoa. Other local industries included Vestas, which manufactured wind turbines before closing in 2007. Geothermal power obtained from a bore 1400 m deep was used to heat local buildings, a motel and the local swimming pool before it too was closed in April 2006. Transport operator, Porthaul, was established in 1990 and operates throughout the heart of Western Victoria with its large fleet of prime movers, B-doubles, plant and heavy haulage equipment, also servicing South Australia and New South Wales. The fleet comprises 19-metre and 25-metre B-doubles, rigid trucks with three-axle and four-axle dog trailers, semi-tippers, steel bodied trucks and trailers, and rock trucks. Porthaul is also involved extensively in the transportation and delivery of fertilisers and grain, with on-farm pick-ups and bulk deliveries to grain terminals and bunker transfers. Porthaul Forestry division currently transports two million tonnes of bulk forest products annually, specialising in the movement of hardwood chip, softwood chip, pine and hardwood residues, bark and fines residue. Porthaul Refrigeration division extends these services to the cartage of live produce and refrigerated products to supply daily services into Melbourne and express services to Tullamarine airport.
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EXPANDING HORIZONS
The adoption of Performance Based Standards throughout the company’s different divisions has enabled Porthaul to continue its planned expansion. Working closely with MaxiTRANS, Porthaul has recently taken delivery of four innovative PBS A-double combinations supplied by Freighter and Hamelex White that maximise payload while their modular design means they can be used for a variety of purposes. “The ongoing cooperative efforts between MaxiTRANS and Porthaul has produced some innovative Performance Based Standardsapproved combinations in the last few years,” said Porthaul general manager, James Williamson. Son of company founder, Brian Williamson, James continued by adding that one of the most exciting projects he has been working on with MaxiTRANS is a modular PBS A-double concept – a project that has now come to fruition. The combinations consist of Hamelex White aluminium tubs, similar to those found on a grain tipper, mounted on lightweight skels from Freighter, with Freighter dollies, creating a modular combination produced entirely by MaxiTRANS. “The fact that all parts of the trailer came from MaxiTRANS made the process a lot cleaner than going to two or three different suppliers to provide the separate dolly, skel and bin components,” said James.
“It meant I only needed one company who could coordinate the whole job for me. They put a team of engineers at my disposal to work together on the project, from a dedicated PBS expert to skel and tipper engineers,” says James. “Using its SOLIDWORKS 3D CAD design software, MaxiTRANS was able to simulate the trailers in action, ensuring they would work as intended before commencing manufacture,” he added. The innovative combination is designed to allow the trailers to “tip through” their contents when loaded onto the tipping ramp in Portland. The sliding dolly allows the front trailer to be backed up directly onto the rear trailer. The doors of the front and rear trailer then swing open together when the tipping ramp is raised to allow product to tip through from the front trailer, all the way out the rear door of the rear trailer. The modular design also allows the trailers to be used in different combinations based on the type of application in which they will be used, providing increased diversity without purchasing extra equipment.
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TRAILERTORQUE “We work a lot with woodchips, transporting around two and a half million tonnes a year. But there are only two tipping ramps we work with in Victoria, and if they break down we need to be able to put our equipment to different uses,” says James. “These A-doubles can transport pretty much anything we want, from hauling woodchips, grain or fertiliser in the tubs, to removing the tubs to transport logs. We’ve diversified but haven’t had to add more equipment. In fact, we’ve taken about 20 percent of our combinations off the road, because this configuration gets it done.” Adding to that saving, James says he has achieved a total of 81 tonne GCM – an additional 7 tonnes of gain over his previous quad/quad Super B-doubles and 14 tonnes more than a standard B-double. “With the help of MaxiTRANS and its PBS expertise, we have now maximised the total payload available to us on Victorian roads,” he says. At James’ request, MaxiTRANS has packed the trailers full of the latest technology, including full auto greasing, electronic braking system (EBS), central tyre inflation (CTI) and weight gauges. “We purposely sourced the best products to go into these trailers, which have now got pretty much everything you can imagine in them,” says James. “Most of the technology also helps improve our driver safety, like the weight gauges, which send readings directly to the driver via a display in the cab, so they don’t have to get out into the forest when we’re working in the plantations.” The inventive design of Porthaul’s modular A-double combination earned the company a nomination for an Investment in Technology award as part of the VTA Australian Freight Industry Awards.
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The Porthaul trailers include a high safety spec’ with full auto greasing, electronic braking system (EBS), central tyre inflation (CTI) and weight gauges.