POWERTORQUE MAGAZINE Issue #89 JUNE/JULY 2019

A U S T R A L I A’ S L E A D E R I N T R U C K A N D T R A I L E R T E C H N O L O G Y

Incorporating

ISSUE 89 JUNE/JULY 2019 RRP: $8.95

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ISSUE 89 JUNE / JULY 2019

BRISBANE TRUCK SHOW REVIEW HAULIN’ THE HUME + PENRITH WORKING TRUCK SHOW + KENWORTH T360 AND T410 HINO 500 SLIMLINE + PANUS TRAILERS

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#4 Vanpack

#5 Servicepack X

8 At the Wheel

Warren Caves Looks at the Road Ahead

10 Legal Torque

Transport law expert Gillian Bristow provides sound advice for operators

12 Tassie Treat

The Woodhouse family of Ulverstone

20 Inspired Efficiency

Kennedy Express controls profit and performance

26 The Legend Legacy

For Sydney’s BT Tipper Hire it’s all about perfection

32 Buckets and Blades

The Cleary Bros equipment museum

40 Expanding the Brand

Kenworth adds the T360 and T410

46 The Electric Horseman

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86 Cleaner and Greener

North American engine suppliers join the Green Team

90 Czech Mate

Tatra has a firm following where the tough gets going

94 Penrith’s Show and Shine

The Working Truck Show struts its best

93 TRAILER TORQUE

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100 Brisbane Truck Show Review The news in trailing equipment

110 Brisbane Truck Show Review

The bright spots for equipment and accessory suppliers

116 Global Positioning

Panus Oceania grows its presence Down Under

70

What comes after Diesel?

50 Haulin’ the Hume and remembering Razorback Classic Nostalgia at its best

58 Brisbane Truck Show Review The latest in power and efficiency

70 Hino’s Slimline 500 Series The new mid-range Hino ticks all the distribution boxes

76 A Sure Bet

Follow PowerTorque on

Multi-million-dollar loads are all in a DAF’s work

82 Wood Worker

ATS Building Products finds Isuzu Trucks make the ideal business partner

For all editorial information and subscriptions please contact: Managing Editor - Chris Mullett Road Test Editors - Brenton O’Connor

Ed Higginson

Warren Caves

Neil Dowling Contributing Writers - Stuart Martin Neil Dowling Photography - Geoff Parrington

Torque it Up

Charlie Suriano Designer - Steven Foster Account Manager - Maree Mullett Editorial Division, PO Box 271AB, Airlie Beach, Qld 4802 Telephone: +61 (0) 7 4946 4658 Email: edit@powertorque.com.au Website: www.powertorque.com.au

For advertising rates and information please contact: Motoring Matters Magazine Group National business development manager: Email: edit@motoringmatters.com.au Telephone: +61 (0) 7 4946 4658 Website: www.motoringmatters.com.au Newsagency disitrbution by: Integrated Publications Solutions, A division of Fairfax Newspapers.

Disclaimer: Although every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information the publisher will not accept responsibility for errors or omissions or for any consequence arising from the reliance on information published. The opinions expressed in PowerTorque are not necessarily the opinions of, or endorsed by the publisher.

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‘19

Chris Mullett

FORWARD

H

TORQUE

alf way through the year already, it’s time to take stock of where each individual member of the transport industry is heading as the manufacturers celebrate their technologies and achievements at the 2019 Brisbane Truck Show.

Our review of the exhibits of the Brisbane Truck Show condenses the event into what our writers thought worthy of closer scrutiny, without becoming an endless catalogue of displays and marketing spin. We hope you find the reviews of interest.

The pace of engineering development runs at high speed these days, with almost every month marked by yet another significant advance in fuel economy, durability, and reduced downtime − or, as the industry calls it these days, maximum uptime.

Of equal interest, of course, are the regular PowerTorque editorial features where we showcase the latest technical advances of the truck and trailer industries and profile interesting and well-managed transport fleets operating in all States and Territories.

The Brisbane show has established itself as the central focus of Australia’s transport industry. While event management companies, plus now the Truck Industry Council, have announced their intention to host their own independent expos, there’s really no point in Australia contemplating any more than one expo every two years.

PowerTorque welcomes the involvement of companies such as the Woodhouse family of Tasmania, Kennedy Express, ATS Building Products and BT Tipper Hire of Sydney, Cleary Bros of the Illawarra, and J.G. Goldner Horse Transport of Hinchinbrook, all of whom combine to exemplify the human side of trucking for our readers.

The Europeans have the IAA Show at Hannover, Germany every second year, while the Americans slot in their show on the alternate years at NACV in Atlanta, Georgia.

Each of these events satisfies the craving to display new technologies, suggesting the need for more frequent events is not only pointless, for organisers (and participants) it can be a step on the path to financial suicide.

New technology and engineering ability is well displayed in this issue by the launch of the new Kenworth T360 and T410, plus the latest slimline model added to the Hino 500 Series. Our thanks to road test editor Brenton O’Connor who has spent considerable time with the manufacturers and engineers evaluating the new products on the test track and on the open road.

The collection of electronic data covering the members of the industry has already changed the way companies do business. Just as telematics has changed how we evaluate fleet performance and efficiency, data mining should tell each manufacturer the who, where, when and why of their customers’ needs, and how to find them when there’s a need to respond.

From brand-new vehicles to working trucks, and our coverage of the Penrith Show is testimony to the drivers and truck owners that spent hours cleaning off the dirt and grime of everyday life on the road to become prestigious show ponies for a weekend.

The major difference between the Brisbane Truck Show and those overseas is that business is conducted off-site in the evenings between manufacturers, suppliers and customers, following on from the snazzy displays that showcase ideas and keep the onlookers informed of all new developments.

Climate change and the need to reduce carbon emissions is already impacting on the purchasing decisions of fleet customers, with the introduction of Euro6-classified vehicles growing exponentially, irrespective of the lack of leadership displayed in recent years by the Federal Government. While not every Australian wants to be photographed hugging a tree, we all want to ensure the tree, or the paddock, or the river, or the reef will be there for future generations to enjoy.

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The historic and classic truck era is also well represented by our coverage of Hauling The Hume, where the oldies once again head down what was once known as Sesame Street. It’s also a time to remember Razorback, the site of the major blockade in 1979 that brought truck traffic across Sydney to a halt thanks to Ted “Green Dog” Stevens, who instigated the protest. (Ted Stevens passed away on February 11, 2018).

We finish this issue with TrailerTorque, where we check out the latest innovations in trailers and bodywork, and profile Thai manufacturer Panus Oceania, which aims to become a major participant in supplying trailing equipment and rigid bodywork to the Australian market.

As always, we hope you enjoy this issue of PowerTorque, and thanks for joining us.

Stay safe and enjoy the drive.

Kind regards, Chris Mullett, Managing editor/Publisher

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AT THE

WHEEL

WA R R EN CAV E S LOOK S AT T H E ROA D A H E A D

T

he 2019 Brisbane Truck Show has once again showcased the latest technology, safety and innovation on offer from transport equipment manufacturers large and small.

Truck manufacturers invest heavily in research and development to bring to the fore the latest safety, efficiency and emission controls to benefit your bottom line, and the planet as a whole.

While kudos must be given in terms of the advancement of fuel efficiency and emission reduction targets, is this purely the responsibility of truck manufacturers?

It’s no secret to engineers that the most efficient vehicle operation is achieved at a constant road speed once the resistance to get the load moving has been overcome.

The greatest fuel burn and highest emissions occur during take-off from standstill.

On a recent early-morning trip along a major arterial road in Sydney, which comprised three lanes, a 70 km/h speed limit and traffic lights, I encountered a regular imposition on my truck’s efficiency.

It was 2am and I was travelling in the centre lane at a weight of 57 tonnes gross; behind me was a 25-metre B-Double which also seemed to be loaded; and to my right was another single-trailer fridge Pantech truck.

All three trucks were travelling down a slight downhill gradient towards a set of lights which was green. Then, from a side road, a small hatchback approached the intersection. As it tripped the sensors, the lights turned amber on the main road. Around 165 tonnes or so (give or take) of trucks and freight was brought to a standstill, all for the benefit of a 1.5-tonne car and its single occupant.

The three trucks took off and growled back towards their former speed at a fuel burn rate sure to have fuel company executives grinning with delight, only to have exactly the same thing happen again some 500 metres further up the road.

Surely there is a better way of managing traffic flow during off-peak hours for the priority road?

In this instance, a delay of as little as 10 to 15 seconds for the car on the side road means those trucks and their freight would not have to stop at all. All the manufacturing 8

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and engineering wizardry in the world can’t change the fact that heavy masses require huge amounts of energy to get moving, resulting in greater fuel usage and emission production compared to maintaining an alreadymoving load.

In the ACT, I have noticed that a couple of the new sets of traffic lights near the Pialligo Avenue and Majura Parkway intersection seem to have pre-sensors. A couple of times I have approached these lights with the thinking that in off-peak hours, I must get to the line to trip the signal and announce my presence, but noticed that as soon as I stopped, the lights turned green. Subsequently I slowed sooner to find that before I reached the line, the lights turned green in preparation for my arrival and I could coast around the corner at what would be my normal speed for that turn anyway. The difference is massive − reduced brake wear, fatigue, emissions and fuel usage, and lower maintenance costs in the long run.

This type of night-time traffic management should be adopted wherever possible and perhaps some investigation could be done to see if changes to existing traffic signal operation during off-peak hours could effect positive change to the movement of freight throughout Australia’s cities at off-peak times.

When you look at it simply, pulling up hundreds of tonnes of truck and freight for the sake of a single car, often at short notice, just seems ridiculous. There is a reason that trains do not stop at level crossings to let cars proceed. It would be counter-productive.

Many freight companies operate their equipment at night to facilitate improved productivity and lessen the burden on the road system throughout the day, when it is at its busiest. These companies already wear the burden of paying shift loading to their drivers; surely rewarding them with improved productivity from better traffic management should be encouraged.

Alternatively, we could ask car drivers to delay rolling over the sensors when approaching a set of lights from a side road until approaching heavy vehicles on the main road have passed the intersection. But I suspect that may be asking too much.

Safe Trucking, Warren Caves

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LEGAL

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T R A N S P O R T L AW E X P E R T G I L L I A N B R I S T O W P R O V I D E S S O U N D A D V I C E F O R O P E R AT O R S The Transport Industry and Whistleblowing Laws As most transport businesses are probably aware, last year the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator launched the Heavy Vehicle Confidential Reporting Line. That telephone service is designed to allow participants in the industry and the supply chain to report operational safety issues relating to heavy transport. Information can be provided confidentially and those making calls can ask that their contact details are not released outside the NHVR. Whistleblowing and its role in preventing and ending corporate misbehaviour has been a focus of Federal and State governments for some years. Earlier this year, the Federal Parliament passed changes to laws to provide additional protection to whistleblowers. These changes commence on July 1, 2019.

The legislative changes recognise that corporate misbehaviour can be concealed by a complex web of transactions and falsified or misleading corporate records, and that often wrongdoing only comes to light because of individuals who are prepared make disclosure, sometimes at great personal and financial risk.

Briefly, the new laws: • expand protection for whistleblowers to current and former officers, employees, suppliers and relatives of these individuals • allow disclosures to be made anonymously • grant protection to a whistleblower who discloses suspected ‘misconduct’ or an ‘improper state of affairs • remove the existing requirement that any disclosure be made in good faith • in certain circumstances, allow protected disclosures to be made to the media, or to politicians • increase the level of protection offered to whistleblowers, and the penalties that apply for causing detriment to a whistleblower. This extends to allowing whistleblowers to seek compensation, and allows courts to order injunctions, apologies and reinstatement of an employee.

The new laws provide for significant criminal and civil penalties for disclosing a whistleblower’s identity or

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causing detriment to a whistleblower. Detriment is very widely defined and includes dismissal, alteration of duties, harassment, intimidation and damage to a person’s reputation.

It is very important that transport operators are aware of these laws, particularly in relation to maintaining the anonymity of any whistleblower.

In addition, public companies and large proprietary companies must have a written whistleblower policy in place by January 1, 2020. This policy must include information about: • the protections available to whistleblowers, including protections under the legislation • to whom disclosures that qualify for protection may be made, and how they may be made • how the company will support whistleblowers and protect them from detriment • how the company will investigate disclosures that qualify for protection • how the company will ensure fair treatment of employees of the company who are mentioned in disclosures that qualify for protection, or to whom such disclosures relate • how the policy will be made available to officers and employees of the company.

In addition to the protections provided for under the new whistleblower regime, a whistleblower is also entitled to protection under the Heavy Vehicle National Law. The HVNL provides that an employer may not dismiss an employee or otherwise prejudice their employment as a result of the employee helping a public authority in relation to a contravention of the HVNL or because of a complaint made to an employer, employee, union, public authority or law enforcement agency.

A breach of these provisions of the HVNL can result in the imposition of a penalty, an award of damages to the whistleblower and an order for reinstatement or reemployment of the employee.

To discuss any aspect of whistleblower protection, contact Gillian Bristow at gillian@bristowlegal.com.au

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FEATURE

TASSIE TREAT

For the Woodhouse family of Ulverstone, a Legend 900 is the perfect tool for logging – Words and images by Ed Higginson

I

f trucking runs in your blood, you can’t help but get excited about seeing Kenworth’s Legend 900 at work.

Although present-day development is focused on major advances in autonomous and electric trucks, catching up with a Legend 900 shows passion is still an essential ingredient for trucking business stalwarts.

The Legend 900 was launched at the last Brisbane Truck Show in 2017 and took the headlines. As a “limited edition” model, Kenworth took the unusual approach of confining orders to a single day. If you were serious you needed to get in quickly, with just over 260 buyers doing just that – the Woodhouse family amongst them.

On a recent trip to Tasmania, I caught up with the Woodhouse family in Ulverstone to see one of the three Legends that made their way across Bass Strait.

The business was founded by Ross Woodhouse at the start of the 1950s and is a true family operation with Ross and Jan’s two sons, Paul and Luke, taking care of operations, whilst daughter Sarani looks after the office along with daughter-in-law Sarah.

In stunning Embassy Grey livery and coupled to a red Elphinstone logging trailer, the Legend looked and sounded like the perfect trucking solution.

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WOODHOUSE TRANSPORT Sarani explains: “Dad started the business when he was 19, starting with a panel van to run bread around Ulverstone in 1950. He then got into concrete, running Accos with agitators on them, before moving into logging with his brother George and an old Fiat 697 MP. “When we left school, our parents really emphasised that we all had to have our own trades before coming to work in the trucking business, just in case anything happened. Paul became a boilermaker, whilst Luke went to Webster Truck and Machinery where he did his mechanical apprenticeship on Mack Trucks, while I studied administration.”

The logging industry in Tasmania has had its challenges in recent years, so it’s great to see a small family business band together and ride it out until things pick up again.

Sarani says: “It wasn’t always plain sailing. It started to slowly get worse about 10 years ago when the industry fell all of a sudden through the defeat of the Gunn’s Tamar Valley Pulp Mill project. We had to put our 13 guys off and sell most of the trucks. At this point we just had three trucks for Dad, Paul and Luke to do general freight, which was a bit different from the logs, but now we are into our fourth year with the new logging company, Forico, and we are back to where we were.”

Although the business is still based in Ulverstone, just up the road from the family home where it all started, Woodhouse Transport now works across Northern Tasmania, mainly moving logs in the North-West. “We have our own harvesting crew which keeps us busy, plus we cart for some of the other harvesting crews and also cover some tow-only work for the likes of Toll,” Sarani says.

After riding out the tough years, adding a truck to the fleet as special as the Legend 900 is a great way to celebrate.

As Luke explains: “The Legend is a nice retro-looking truck and great to drive. I missed out on the Legend 950 because we didn’t know it was coming until it was too late, so I’m really happy that we got one of the 900s.”

There are many things that make the Legend 900 special.

As with the original T900, it’s designed as a tough working truck that is more than capable of running through the forests all week, then, after a quick wash, head to the truck show on the weekend.

Featuring the Cummins X15 engine, which is painted black with a red rocker cover to stand out, it’s rated to 525 hp (391 kW) with 1850 foot-pounds (2508 Nm) of torque driving through an Eaton 18-speed manual transmission with 46,000 lb. differentials, which fits well within the Woodhouse fleet.

(L-R) Ross, Luke and Paul Woodhouse (back row) with Jan and Sarani Woodhouse (front row).

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FEATURE

“We all had to have our own trades before coming to work in the trucking business”

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To give the Legend a few extra touches of retro class, Kenworth included traditional doors and handles with airlift windows, a traditional flat dash, chrome gauges with white faces and traditional bug toggle switches with backlit graphics, along with a four-spoke leather steering wheel and leather seats.

On the outside, the 900 gets a split-screen windscreen, bullet-style cab marker lights and side-mounted exhausts, including a wraparound cover just like the old T900s. With exposed chrome elbows and seven-inch pipes, they make the Legend stand out even more.

With Luke being a trained Mack mechanic, it’s understandable that the fleet was mainly Mack when the boys joined the business, with Ross explaining: “We had a lot of them over the years, CH and Superliner models, which were all good. Luke said he’d come home if he could get his own truck, so we bought him a Mack Superliner in 2003 along with a new set of trailers and both are still going strong.”

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STORES

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DAYS

FEATURE Luke adds: “Then Dad wanted to try Western Star because we had an old 4900 Heritage model with a Caterpillar, so when he wanted to replace it in 2007, we purchased another one.

“Initially I was a bit reluctant to trade in my Mack, but soon realised the Western Star was a good, comfortable ride. It was running a Signature Cummins with 620 hp (462 kW), although when my brother Paul was looking at upgrading his truck, they were only offering the EGR motor.

“As we’d had experience with one previously, we didn’t want to buy another EGR, so he went with a Kenworth running the E5 engine using AdBlue in 2013. We haven’t looked back because the engines have been great, reliable and give us great fuel economy.

“We now have eight Kenworths, which includes the Legend 900, two T909s, a K200, a 409SAR, then three T409 8x4 twin steers.

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“We only buy trucks fitted with Cummins, then spec 46,000 lb. rear Meritor axles fitted with full driver controlled lockable diffs, plus the 22 series manual gearbox because we try and spec them tough.

“This game must be one of the hardest on the gear.

The forestry roads are harsh, which is why we like the Kenworths.”

With both sons highly skilled on the tools, it’s no surprise that the business has a fully kitted-out workshop for maintaining all the equipment.

WOODHOUSE TRANSPORT “We do all our own maintenance,” Ross says. “We have a full-time mechanic onboard, and as Luke is a qualified mechanic he gets stuck in when needed, plus Paul is a boilermaker so great at welding.

“Chris Saltmarsh at CJD Equipment is fantastic, too. He’ll call in if we are looking for another truck and will always help out if we need something.”

Luke adds: “In the workshop we always run with Castrol, and use Hankook tyres with super singles on the steers, then 295s on the twin steers. We are also looking at fitting GPS so we can monitor the fleet better, and fleet management tablets for the drivers.

“In terms of logging trailers, we only use Elphinstone and Kennedy trailers. Elphinstone makes the Easy Loaders that wind-up, making it good to use with standard trucks so I can then drop the log trailer and connect to anything else. Kennedy has the fold-up trailers that sit up on the rear of the prime mover for easier access, but there is a lot of framework already fixed to the prime mover which gets in the way if you want to tow normal trailers.”

Although Ross and Jan are still involved in the company, with the three kids and their daughter-in-law looking after the operations, they can now enjoy semi-retirement to go travelling. With Ross already planning for his 70th birthday, he isn’t ruling out marking the occasion with another special truck.

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FEATURE

INSPIRED EFFICIENCY Kennedy Express applies a strong work ethic to control profit and performance – Words by Warren Caves, Images by Torque it Up

A

s the operator of an overnight express parcel operation on Australia’s eastern seaboard since 1989, Kennedy Express, managing director Michael Kennedy bought his first truck, a MAN, after driving with IPEC doing linehaul work.

At that time IPEC was operating MAN trucks and “we drove the wheels off them, and they just kept turning up, night after night, for more,” Michael recalls. For him, the decision of which brand to buy when he went out on his own was obvious.

From that first single truck purchase, Kennedy Express has substantially grown its fleet over the years to encompass many different vehicle makes. An association with Mack ensued for some years, along with a couple of LF 55 DAF rigids which would play an integral role in the ongoing success of the business and influence future equipment purchases.

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For a time, Kennedy Express ran UD and Hino rigid trucks on express work between Sydney and Brisbane.

Yet Michael was concerned with the condition of the Pacific Highway, and decided when fleet expansion or replacement time came around that he would revert back to MAN, for the increased driver safety offered by European trucks.

Today’s increased demand for overnight freight is consumer-driven, he believes. Companies want to offer next-day deliveries and there is an obvious tendency for businesses to resist holding inventory or parts stock, relying instead on streamlined express freight operations and just-in-time deliveries.

These customer demands have seen Kennedy Express substantially increase its fleet size, now encompassing 34 trucks on the road. A further eight spare trucks are located at strategic positions on Australia’s east coast to back up primary fleet trucks in the case of a breakdown.

KENNEDY EXPRESS

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FEATURE Michael explains: “As soon as we get notification of a breakdown, in the case of a semi-trailer or B-double, we dispatch a prime mover from the closest location and also request a technician to attend. If the technician arrives and gets the truck mobile again, we stand-down the prime mover and direct it back to base. If the truck can’t be fixed, we swap trucks and carry on with the load. It’s this timecritical approach we give to our time-critical freight that has held us in good favour with our prime multi-national contractor for many years. So much so, that if on the rare occasion we are late with freight, we don’t receive any pressure from them.”

The biggest fleet expansion came about in 2000-01, with the company purchasing four new Mack Quantum models, plus two XF95 DAFs, along with seven trailers.

With the discontinuation of the Mack Quantum, and mixed results from two Mack Trident models, the relationship with that brand waned, resulting in the current fleet still strongly featuring both MAN and DAF models.

Recently commissioned into the Kennedy fleet are two MAN 580 and two DAF XF105 prime movers, together with three 2663 Mercedes-Benz prime movers that form

part of the company’s R&D programme. These trucks have been introduced along with 10 new trailers in single and B-double configuration from manufacturers Lucar and Vawdrey.

The decision to purchase both the DAF XF105 and MAN TGA580 trucks is quite clear. Historically, both these brands impart reliability and bring whole-of-life cost benefits to the company, so it’s interesting to see Mercedes-Benz also getting a run in the fleet.

Michael believes MAN is one of the most undervalued and unappreciated trucks in Australia, a view formed over many years of operation, with similar sentiments for DAF. Kennedy Express has DAF trucks with in excess of one million kilometres of service with minimal downtime experienced. In two million combined kilometres covered by the XF DAFs, Michael says he can count the breakdowns on one hand. They didn’t even require a brake re-line. Even though these vehicles operate as overnight parcel trucks at low gross weights and without a lot of traffic, the performance is still impressive.

Daniel Ainsworth and Daniel Kennedy (L-R) 22

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The new Volvo FH XXL Redefining the space race down under

Navigating the vast space of the Australian continent requires drivers with the right stuff, operating out of this world equipment designed to efficiently deliver their payload in safety and comfort.

The all new FH Globetrotter XXL Cab redefines interior space and comfort. Featuring one of the biggest beds in the business, the XXL takes driver comfort and fatigue management to all new levels. Beyond a bed the size of a King Single, we have added huge amounts of extra storage space to compliment our famous FH ergonomics and creature comforts.

Proudly Made in Australia and locally customized for our tough conditions, the XXL is light years ahead in the race for driver space.

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FEATURE As for the Mercedes-Benz trucks, it’s important to keep an open mind to new products by evaluating alternative brands for comparison purposes in order to keep the fleet at optimal productivity.

As part of this research process, the MAN 580 and the Mercedes-Benz 2663 prime movers are the subjects of an evaluation, running head-to-head on opposing routes at opposite ends of their respective interstate legs. This will eventually give a real-world comparison with multiple drivers at regular weights, to see which brand offers the best proposition in terms of trip times, power, economy and maintenance cost-effectiveness. At this point, Michael says the fuel economy figures are as expected, and he believes that the next 12 months will reveal a true indication as to which truck offers the best option.

With fleet expansion comes increased workload for maintenance, operations and administration. To help with this, Kennedy Express has inducted a second generation of family members to assist with growth and ultimately take full control, as 64-year-old Michael winds back a little.

Laura Hobson, Michael’s daughter, has taken on the role of Business Manager, completing her degree in transport and logistics. Michael’s son, Daniel, who has been around trucks since he was a boy, fits into the Operations Manager role for drivers, with Daniel Ainsworth covering the role of Operations Manager for maintenance.

The company has its own maintenance facility at Chipping Norton, but a lot of preventative maintenance is carried out at customer depots to streamline processes and ensure the best possible reliability.

Any warranty work is returned to the appropriate dealerships for actioning. To further fine-tune this process, Kennedy’s has cars located at the dealerships and its own maintenance facility, allowing drivers to drop off trucks for repair and take the car home before returning the next day to collect the truck. Michael says this not only simplifies the task; it addresses any fatigue issues that could be imposed on the drivers.

“Each task is time-monitored, and this contributes to satisfying their prime contractor’s needs”

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KENNEDY EXPRESS Laura Hobson adds: “We have over the years identified critical parts that may pose a breakdown risk or common component failure. To address these concerns, we have amassed a parts inventory of high turnover items, which we keep in stock.

“In the case of a warranty job needing to be carried out, the dealer may have to order in the parts required. On numerous occasions we have had those parts that we can supply to speed up the repair on-hand and available, subsequently being replenished by the dealer. We are very proactive in our approach to preventative maintenance.”

Michael also recalls a recurring problem with alternator brackets breaking on a particular model. “We put spare alternator brackets in all of the affected trucks. Drivers were able to change them if they broke; or at least when a technician arrived, they had the part needed to get the truck moving again.”

Oil drain intervals are currently at 70,000 km for the MAN, 50,000 km for the DAF and while the Mercedes-Benz trucks are at service levels determined by fuel burn and other parameters, Daniel Ainsworth says that he will implement oil changes at 70,000 km if the trucks system has not prompted one.

Michael explains: “We carry out maintenance inspections fortnightly on all our equipment. This is double the minimum NHVR regulation for maintenance management and is in addition to our drivers’ daily vehicle checks.”

Laura adds: “This is in part why we have tried, but not embraced, dealer R&M contract arrangements. With the reliability of our vehicles and the additional proactive preventative maintenance we carry out which is not covered by the maintenance contracts, we find it more cost-effective to not adopt these maintenance contracts.”

Upon talking with both Michael and Laura during Power Torque’s interview, it’s noticeable that critical time management underpins the company’s success. Each task is time-monitored, and this contributes to satisfying their prime contractor’s needs.

It will be interesting in 12 months’ time to see which truck comes out on top of the Kennedy Express comparison test, in the fast-paced world of overnight express freight.

Laura Hobson, Michael Kennedy and Daniel Kennedy

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FEATURE

THE LEGEND LEGACY For Sydney’s BT Tipper Hire it’s all about perfection – Words and images by Ed Higginson

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t’s great to have something rather special in your fleet, and if you can have a Legend 950, what could top that?

Except perhaps another Legend in the form of a 900.

Based in Western Sydney, BT Tipper Hire has grown over the past 16 years from a single truck-and-dog, to a fleet of 23 Kenworths and the largest tip site operation across Sydney.

When looking at the company fleet, it’s hard to spot a standard fleet-spec truck among them, with many being a special build in the shadow of the two Legends that stand at the top of the pack.

Company founder Ben Sultana explains: “My first truck was an International Transtar because that’s what my dad ran, but when I needed a second truck in 2009 I bought a used Kenworth T404. Then, when I needed a third, I bought a brand-new Kenworth T609 in 2013.”

Running through the roll call, Ben can list all of them from memory “The two Legends, then five T609, three T950, three T408, three K200, then a T608, T610, T908, T909, T658, a T350 tilt tray and an old Kenworth S2 we use as our watercart. We also have a 1976 W925 Smokey and the Bandit replica, which is worth taking a look at, too.”

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BT TIPPER HIRE

Asked why he’s stuck with the single brand, Ben doesn’t hesitate: “Kenworth are the pinnacle of trucks, I wouldn’t buy anything else. The new trucks all come through Micheal Mortensen from Gilbert & Roach who is always happy to sort us out.

“The only exception to this is a Peterbilt that we’ve just bought brand new and is currently getting built up in our workshop. It’s like the Kenworth, as it comes from the Paccar family, but it will be one of a kind on the road, which we like.

“We’ve been buying a brand-new truck every year, plus adding a few second-hand trucks that we restore ourselves. We also have a good group of subbies that we use as needed.”

On the day of PowerTorque’s photo shoot, Sydney threw down some of the heaviest rain in months, so we felt for the drivers, as this fleet is renowned for being kept in showroom condition. But these are working trucks that earn their living on building sites, so they may not have looked as shiny as company drivers Dean and Jason would have wanted, but they still looked stunning.

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FEATURE Dean drives the Legend 900 after recently jumping out of the 950, one of only a few drivers lucky enough to have driven both.

“I’ve only ever driven Kenworths, so love the look of the Legends. The 900 is the better one for me, though, because visibility is easier than with the 950.”

Jason, who drives the Legend 950, prefers the higher cab – as does his boss, Ben. “It just looks better with the bigger cab,” Jason says. “They are very similar, so it comes down to personal preference. But the 950 is my choice simply because of the higher roof.”

The limited-edition Legend 950 was released in 2015 and modelled on the T950, replicating its high-set back cab that was phased out in 2007. With sales time limited to just 48 hours, only 75 were built and many would-be owners missed out.

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When the Legend 900 was announced at the Brisbane Truck Show in 2017, dealers got the pre-warning they needed to ensure anyone who was interested placed their orders on a single day. A total of 260 owners signed up, and Ben made sure he was one of them.

“They are the second Legends to come off the production line, so both have the Number 2 build plates. If we were to grab another Legend, it would have to wear the Number 2 plate as well.”

When you park the two Legends side by side, there are only a couple of minor differences between them. With the 950 getting a higher cab, it also has a slightly sloping hood and higher air intakes than the 900.

The 950 runs with the Cummins ISXe5 engine painted in heritage beige, whereas the 900 gets the newer X15 Cummins in black and red, with both running through an Eaton Fuller manual gearbox. Common to both Legend models are the ‘limited edition’ special touches that appear across both trucks, inside and out, to make them stand out from the crowd.

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FEATURE

“The Kenworths definitely help attract and retain drivers.

We’ve never had an issue and most of our drivers have stayed with us.”

The location for PowerTorque’s photo shoot was the new 140-hectare Akuna Vista estate in Western Sydney, where BT Tippers is finalising a 1.2 million-tonne fill project. With the photography safely completed, we relocated around the corner to the company office at the family’s Limestone Café. Aptly named, considering Ben’s tipper work, but also a reference to Ben and wife Teneal’s Maltese heritage.

“Our business has grown from the tippers into civil construction and also into running landfill tip sites, where we are now probably the largest operator across Sydney,” Ben says.

When it comes to maintaining the fleet, he has set up a workshop behind his family home, so no job is too big. “We do everything in-house including the full rebuilds. We have a good relationship with Gilbert & Roach of Huntingwood, our local Kenworth agent, so we get all our parts through the dealership, and warranty is never a problem.

“We’ve just completed a full rebuild of a Kenworth K200 that we heard had been in a rollover. We bought it and restored it back to new, then added a tipper body and now it’s back on the road. We like the cabover K200s with the shorter wheelbase, which we can use to access smaller sites.

“The guys have also just started to restore a 2010 model T908 that came out of Kalgoorlie. It was originally a tridrive with Rivet Mining, so we have removed an axle to make it into a 6x4.

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BT TIPPER HIRE

“The rebuild isn’t just on the outside, either. On opening the cab, you can see everything had been removed back to just the metal shell. After a full paint job and engine rebuild, we will add a tipper bin and then operate it as a truck-and-dog.”

When it comes to the tipper bins, Ben always uses Delarue Truck Repairs, a local manufacturer within walking distance of the yard. “We’ve had a couple of others, but Delarue makes the best bins and we always try to fit them.”

To cope with the modern era of trucking and Chain of Responsibility compliance, Ben has added monitoring technology to the entire fleet. “All our fleet is now equipped with Navman trackers and electronic work diaries, so we can monitor CoR easily. Each of the trucks are linked to my iPhone for 24/7 monitoring, which is essential these days.”

In an industry and city that always struggles to find experienced drivers, Ben has been lucky to find a great group of long-term drivers, as he explains: “The Kenworths definitely help attract and retain drivers. We’ve never had an issue and most of our drivers have stayed with us.”

Before heading off, Ben was keen to show me one last truck hidden in the corner of his yard. As a family favourite, Ben has a W925 Kenworth show truck made to look identical to the Smokey & The Bandit truck that many of us remember well. With just a 335 hp (250 kW) Cummins under the bonnet it might not be as powerful as his other trucks or have the mod cons drivers now expect like aircon, but it certainly looks and sounds fantastic.

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FEATURE

BUCKETS AND BLADES

Warren Caves visits the Cleary Bros equipment museum. Images by Torque it Up

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familiar sight on the roads of the Illawarra region, about an hour south of Sydney, is the distinctive “highway yellow” trucks of Cleary Bros. Highway yellow was the colour adopted by Caterpillar in the 1950s to replace the original grey for any equipment working near roads in a bid to improve visibility (and here was I thinking Hi-Vis was a recent development!).

Initially established in 1916 by John (Jack) Cleary and his two brothers as a timber-getting business, Cleary Bros (Bombo) Pty Ltd in its current south coast form eventuated when the original three brothers split the business up in 1947, with Jack focusing on business in the Illawarra at the original company site in Bombo.

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Jack Cleary had four children − John, Jill, Brian and Denis.

After Jack’s passing in 1958, the running of the company fell to his children; in particular, John, who was eight years older than his younger twin brothers.

The Bombo site is still operated by the company as a concrete plant and maintenance workshops, with further workshops and administration located at Port Kembla, along with quarry operations at the company’s Albion Park site. The latter extracts around 900,000 tonnes of material per year, much of which is transported to Sydney by road.

Cleary Bros now employs in the vicinity of 400 staff and operates a large mixed fleet of trucks, trailers and equipment associated with the quarry, concrete and earthmoving industry. Mack trucks have been, and still are, a dominant brand within the fleet.

CLEARY BROS

Denis Cleary & Brett Cleary ( Brian's Son)

Cleary Bros is very much a family-run company, with Denis Cleary still overseeing operations as chairman, and several third-generation family members working within operations.

On my visit to the company’s Port Kembla site, the home of the Cleary Bros Museum, I was met by Denis, Brett Cleary (Brian’s son) and Louise Sullivan, Director and Company Secretary/Executive General Manager.

Collectively, they provided me with an insight into the company and the inspiration behind the museum, one of the most comprehensive displays of plant and earthmoving equipment in Australia.

morning, and we worked on that old ‘dozer all weekend before sending it back.”

The museum display is home to around 25 pieces of varied trucks and equipment, representative of the kind that carved out Cleary Bros’ success. Caterpillar equipment encompassing traxcavators (an early precursor to the modern excavator), and bulldozers of varying size dominate the display, accompanied by pieces from International Harvester and two immaculately restored NR Mack Trucks of 1942-43 vintage.

Caterpillar equipment played a crucial role in the early days of the Cleary Bros story, and these beasts of burden hold fond memories, particularly for Denis as he sits at a table within the museum. Casting his mind back to the early days as a young lad of 14, he vividly remembers the day the D7 Caterpillar bulldozer resting behind him was delivered.

“It was brought down on a rail car and it ran out of fuel while we were unloading it. They were too miserable to put much fuel in it. Enough to get it on, but not enough to get it off,” he recalls. (Truck and equipment dealers take heed: such small details remain in customers’ minds for a lifetime.)

“That was 1954. I remember we traded one of our old ‘dozers in on it and we were supposed to send the trade-in back to Sydney on the Friday afternoon. My older brother John went down to the stationmaster and paid him two pounds to keep the rail car from leaving until Monday

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FEATURE

As I’m guided around the display, Brett Cleary explains the operation of some of the vintage equipment and points out the hazards experienced while trying to start some of these old workhorses. This involved a bar lodged into a hole in the flywheel to spin them over, and a prayer that it wouldn’t kick back and knock your head off with the cranking bar. Later models became a little safer with small petrolpowered pilot engines taking on the risky starting task.

Brett explains that the exhibits housed in the display are not all original Cleary Bros equipment. A lot of the trucks and machinery were saved from a rusty purgatory in bush

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graveyards and lovingly restored, almost out of obligation to honour their lengthy devoted service.

As Denis says: “We bought and restored models that we used in our business. Models that served us well and we liked operating.”

One machine that is a Cleary Bros original is the previously mentioned D7, which was tracked down via its serial number and located in the Atherton Tablelands in QLD. The owner still had the original toolkit that was supplied with the machine.

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FEATURE

“This D7 was purchased back 30 years ago and became one of the first pieces of equipment restored,” Denis explains. “It all just started from there and didn’t seem to stop; the shed is not really big enough anymore.”

Denis points out that most of the visitors to the museum express how gratifying it is to see someone taking such an active role as custodian of these historical pieces of equipment. I believe that for Denis, it’s hearing comments such as this that make it all worthwhile.

As pointed out by a placard in the museum: “All the machines on display have been restored to fully operational standard by Cleary Bros workshops.”

To this day, Cleary Bros employs highly skilled teams of panel beaters, spray painters, fabricators and mechanics in their workshops. When they are not manufacturing truck bodies and equipment for the company’s trucks or carrying out repairs and maintenance, they are entrusted with the task, when it arises, of completing the restoration projects housed in the museum.

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The level of workmanship and skill apparent in the museum display is testament to skills and passion invested into these restorations by the Cleary Bros workshops. It also might go some way to explain the colour scheme of the fleet, all of which still wear the same Caterpillar “highway yellow”. After all, why buy two colours when one does the job so well? The exception comes in the form of some Army Jeeps and a few motorbikes that call the museum home, plus a 1939 Oldsmobile which belonged to Jack Cleary.

The historical equipment restoration bug has also bitten Brett Cleary, although, like his father (Brian), his interest lies with trucks.

Especially for my visit, Brett organised for two of his own trucks, both having been restored by the Cleary Bros workshops, to grace the entry of the museum.

CLEARY BROS

Sitting either side of a CH Mack in Cleary Bros livery was a Centennial Mack, of which only 25 were made to herald in the new millennium. All of these Macks, with the exception of two white ones, were given the names of national highways.

Brett located the “Cunningham Highway” truck through a Facebook post and contacted the owner in Perth, to find that he had three of the models. The truck was subsequently bought and transported back to NSW for restoration.

On the other side sits a Caterpillar-powered Kenworth SAR, also purchased from Perth with a seized engine, but now fully restored to its former glory.

Louise Sullivan adds: “As a family and as a business in general we are still really passionate about what we do, and this is reflected in the museum. We have a lot of longterm employees and don’t have a high turnover of staff. I believe this is because while we are a large company, we are still very much a family business.”

Cleary Bros is a regular participant in the hugely successful Illawarra charity convoy held each year when a long yellow caterpillar of Cleary Bros trucks line the roads of the Illawarra while contributing to raising funds for a great cause.

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FEATURE

EXPANDING THE BRAND Kenworth adds the T360 and T410 to its truck portfolio – Brenton O’Connor reports

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hange is on the menu at Kenworth Australia.

Following on from the major overhaul of the K200, then the all-new wide cabin T610, the next stage in Kenworth’s product line-up overhaul is the all-new T360 and T410 models.

These all include Kenworth’s new 2.1-metre wide cabin that was first launched on the T610 back in December 2016. In addition to the new cabins, there have been considerable changes with simpler specifications and the introduction of new technology allowing Kenworth to provide trucks with the safety features demanded by many large fleets.

Brad May, Director of Sales and Marketing at PACCAR Australia, explains: “Development on the new T360 and T410 began 18 months ago, and started when the T610 with its 2.1-metre wide cab was launched. Further developments of the new platform allowed us to refine and enhance many key elements in line with our own research and development, as well as incorporating input and feedback from our broad customer base.”

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The 2.1-metre wide cabin featuring on both the T360 and T410 provides improved driver ergonomics and comfort. A three-year redesign of the dashboard and instrumentation has resulted in switches and controls being positioned intuitively and visible at a glance.

For the driver, everything is now much easier and there’s no more fumbling for a rocker switch. The activation of cruise control and audio switching can be controlled directly from the steering wheel; but to the detriment of the latest-version ‘smart wheel’, it’s no longer possible to control the engine brake operation, which I feel is a real letdown. The automatic climate control system is excellent and is not something offered by its North American competitors. This allows the driver to ‘set and forget’ the desired temperature level rather than having to adjust the system through the day to find a comfortable temperature.

Apart from the new wide cabin, the biggest change for the T360 over its predecessor, the T359, is the engine, with the only power option being the Cummins ISL 9-litre engine, with ratings up to 400 hp (298 kW).

The T360 has been designed primarily as a vocational truck, rather than directly following the path of the T359 which was both a vocational rigid truck and a single-trailer prime mover when fitted with the Cummins ISM 11-litre.

KENWORTH

The key advantages over its predecessor include a reduced tare weight and a shorter bumper-to-back-ofcab (BBC) measurement by four inches. These changes allow for increased body lengths, improved cabin access through better steps which are equally spaced and cascading, grab handles, wider door openings and, importantly for rigid work, a two-metre improvement in turning circle.

The launch evaluation drive programme included two T360 8x4s, the first being a typical agitator spec with an Allison automatic transmission, with an agitator unit fitted and ready to go to work.

The T360 looks more substantial than the T359, and the cabin access certainly made entry into the truck easier.

Forward visibility is improved through the greater bonnet slope, and side vision improved by larger door windows.

Importantly for this role, where tare weight is critical and sleeper cabins are never optioned, is the greater cabin space for the driver’s personal belongings of a lunchbox and the like. The dash in its fleet trim spec is basic but functional, and still includes the automatic climate control.

Driving the truck was enjoyable as the ISL is a sweet engine to drive − lively, yet smooth coupled with the Allison automatic. From a suspension perspective this model was fitted with Kenworth’s eight-bag rear suspension which provided a smooth ride.

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FEATURE

The second T360 evaluated was also an 8x4 rigid, this time fitted with an alloy tipper body, in asphalt spec with three grain doors. In this application the transmission preference reverted to a traditional Eaton 18-speed constant mesh transmission. This was the first time I got to experience the air-assisted clutch in a Kenworth, and this proved very light to actuate compared to the heavy mechanical clutches typically found.

The T410 is Kenworth’s weapon for the 12 to 13-litre engine market − primarily single trailer applications, truck and dog, PBS and lightweight B-double work.

Like the T360, the T410 is only offered with one engine and this time it’s the Paccar MX-13 engine with power ratings of 460 and 510 hp (343 and 380 kW). Previously the T409 was available with a Cummins X15; however, buyers still needing that horsepower will need to go to the T610 with its Cummins X15 unit taking power output up to 600 hp (447 kW).

A major change for the T410 over the MX-powered T409 is the electrical architecture. Previously the T409 ran a 24-volt electrical system on the engine, but for the T410 the system has been modified to allow for a simplified uniform 12-volt power supply across both the engine and the rest of the truck’s electrical architecture. The cooling packaging has been also updated. allowing for more efficient vehicle cooling.

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Engine performance for the MX13 was impressive with a test gross weight near the legal limit of 46 tonnes, enabling the engine to show its ability to lug back in the rpm range and dig into its relatively flat torque curve. Performance of the combined engine and exhaust brake was on par with the best for engines in this displacement class.

Transmission options also provide a wider choice. In addition to Eaton 18-speed manual and UltraShift PLUS is a 12-speed Paccar AMT twin countershaft gearbox. It offers many benefits typically found on European AMT transmissions including intelligent shifting, starting gears, skip shifting and load-based shifting. It’s also 90kg lighter in tare weight – critical for applications such as tipperand-dog.

During our evaluation, the new PACCAR AMT transmission operated well with smart shift decisions. The stalkmounted shift lever control was particularly well received for both engaging a gear and for manual upshifting and downshifting, plus its use for engine brake application.

Around the Anglesea test track it performed well, and, unlike early versions of the Eaton AMT, there was no evidence of it being prone to rev out to high rpm in the lower gears before the driver had to manually intervene to get the truck moving through the gears.

The major downside of the transmission is the GCM rating – at a mere 50 tonnes, it means T410s specified with this transmission will be limited to single trailer and PBS threeaxle dog combinations.

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FEATURE

This weight restriction applies as a result of North American weight limits of around 38-40 tonnes dictating global design for mass markets. Undoubtedly, this might affect the truck’s resale value and ability for the truck to be moved onto a different application if the job changes. A safer bet would be to specify the truck with either an Eaton 18-speed manual or UltraShfit PLUS, for reasons of maintaining higher resale values and to enable the truck to be allocated to higher gross weight work should the need arise.

Also debuted on the T410 was the Fusion vehicle safety system, which brings in a suite of safety features not typically seen on an American-bonneted truck. These include collision mitigation, adaptive cruise, lane departure warning and ESP. 44

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When a drive programme takes place on a closed test track it becomes more academic to discuss the systems, as it is obviously not possible to test their actuation and effectiveness in a real-world situation. With these additions it will certainly make the vehicle attractive to fleet purchasers that look for this type of driver safety tech. That said, it’s worth noting that there is no availability of a driver’s airbag.

Compared to the T409, the T410 has a four-inch shorter BBC, allowing for better packaging when coupled with full-length trailers such as B-double fridge vans. Similar to the T360, door openings are wider thanks to the new cabin and there is a low cab floor height for easy entry

KENWORTH

and exit. Steps are also evenly spaced and there are wellpositioned grab handles to make entry and exit safe.

Cabin interiors are either a fleet spec, which is black and features flat door trims, or the premium trip, which brings in wood grain dash panels and the more traditional pleated button trim in a range of colour choices.

As expected in an Australian-built Kenworth, the build quality is top-rate, with no rattles or squeaks witnessed during testing. For those looking for increased interior space over the standard dimensions available in the day cabin, Kenworth has released three sleeper cabins − a 600 mm aero, 760 mm mid-roof and an 860 mm aero

sleeper cabin. Thanks to the new cabin design, the aero sleepers offer a fully integrated sleeper box design with walk-around ability.

Overall, the two new Kenworths update the product lineage in this country to offer vehicles that are more comfortable, more efficient and safer for transport operators. Furthermore, the new model structure simplifies the range, meaning one truck−one engine, rather than each model available with a range of engines. This allows Kenworth to target each truck at a separate sector of the industry, rather than trying to build a truck that suits every different application from rigid through to prime mover.

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FEATURE

THE ELECTRIC HORSEMAN

What comes after Diesel? - Words by Ed Higginson

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You may think diesel is the only option for Australia, and that may be true for some time to come. But if Europe, Asia and the US begin to only produce trucks that run on something other than diesel, we will have to adapt quickly and adopt new technologies.

At the IAA Truck Show in Europe last year, every truck manufacturer had an alternative fuel option, whether it was HVO biodiesel, ethanol, CNG, LNG, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, fuel cell, or full electric. It was also obvious these were no longer prototype trucks, but ready to enter service.

We’ve already seen a comparable shift via the introduction of current European diesel emission reductions. A growing percentage of Euro 6-compliant trucks are already on our roads, even though Australia’s legislation is years away from demanding it, with a possible introduction date potentially stretched out to 2025.

t PowerTorque, our aim is to provide insight into technologies that will affect truck operators in the future. That helps you plan the present and, as an increasing list of trucks hit the road using some form of alternative fuel, understand the future of truck operation which is evolving faster than ever before.

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ELECTRIC TRUCKS With Australia being such a small-volume market, and with many corporate customers pushing for more environmentally efficient ways of moving goods, we can expect to see the latest European and American emission technology arriving here years before our governments demand it.

So, what comes after Euro 6?

On December 17, 2018, the European Union finally announced the next level of emission targets for heavy vehicles. Backed by all 28 member states, the EU confirmed that all new trucks built by 2025 must produce 15 percent less CO2 emissions than they do today, and 30 percent less by 2030. These are bold targets, and it’s clear they cannot be met by diesel.

The task of measuring this will be just as challenging as meeting the targets. From the start of 2019, every manufacturer must use a software tool called VECTO that uses several key values such as engine size, fuel, truck type, average weights and routes, then works out a CO2 value.

What are the benefits?

Trucks and buses account for 6 percent of Europe’s total CO2 emissions, so the targets aim to reduce CO2 by around 54 million tonnes from 2020 to 2030, whilst also reducing oil usage by up to 170 million tonnes from 2020 to 2040 − worth around €95 billion ($AUD150.4 billion) at today’s prices.

With 98 percent of trucks in Europe still relying on diesel, we expect the uptake of zero- and low-emission vehicles to pick up momentum quickly for both city and long-haul routes in the next few years.

poor reliability, a paucity of fuelling infrastructure, limited factory support and no Government incentives, it was an uphill struggle from the start.

In its largest single order to date, Scania will deliver 100 LNG-fuelled R410 prime movers to KP Logistik, based in Stavenhagen, Germany. Based between KP Logistik’s centres in Stavenhagen and Wustermark, near Berlin, they will be used for deliveries of dry, refrigerated and frozen foods, primarily to retail stores Netto’s and Norma’s in eastern Germany, including Berlin.

David Brokholm, Managing Director of KP Logistik GmbH, says: “Carbon emissions from natural gas trucks are lower than from diesel and are further reduced by up to 90 percent if we use biogas.”

In addition to the environmental aspects, KP Logistik benefits from the road toll exemption and subsidies on gas-powered vehicles that have been offered in Germany since the beginning of the year. These help offset the higher cost of gas vehicles.

The new Scania trucks will be operated in the fleet for four to five years, and during that time each will travel around 800,000 km. With 340- and 400-litre capacity gas tanks, the trucks will have a range of up to 1100 km.

Scania Australia was certainly topical at the Brisbane Truck Show with its display of a CNG-fuelled P340 6x2 truck, underlining how Scania is driving the shift to a sustainable transport solution, ready for businesses keen to make the move to a lower carbon footprint.

Which alternative fuel should you choose?

Choosing which fuel type in which to invest may be an expensive gamble before our Government announces the strategy it will support. National infrastructure investment will be critical to make any alternative fuel realistic, whether it’s gas, electric or something else, plus some options will require tax incentives and vehicle weight exceptions to get started.

Many view gas and hybrid as short-term solutions on the road to full electric vehicles. With most manufacturers committing billions of dollars into the development of electric trucks, it’s a good bet these will become the norm over the next couple of decades. Many manufacturers have started to announce large in-field tests, and even sales of electric truck models. In the rigid categories used for city runs, there are several brands with electric trucks delivering goods now.

It’s also critical to see in which direction truck manufacturers are going. Iveco is pushing natural gas in Europe and this strategy appears to be working. With a 1500 km range for the Iveco 4x2 prime-mover when pulling a tri-axle trailer, it’s a viable truck for long-haul operations now that gas fuelling stations are being built on key routes.

Other brands are jumping onboard, too, with Volvo and Scania both offering factory-built gas trucks.

Mercedes-Benz recently announced it has delivered its first 10 all-electric eActros trucks to logistics provider Hermes in Europe. The eActros has a range of 200 km using a 240 kWh battery, so will be ideal for city multi-drop work. With another 20 customers about to receive their orders of the 25-tonne rigid truck, it will provide valuable data over the next two years before the truck goes on general sale.

Currently, the Natural Gas Vehicle body (NGV Global) estimates that there are more than 26 million vehicles running on natural gas worldwide, and 31,000 fueling stations. The same statistics predict Europe may have around 2000 trucks running on LNG; but China has more than 300,000, so there is still a long way to go.

Volvo has also delivered an FL electric refuse truck to Renova in Hamburg, Germany, and an FL electric distribution truck has been handed over to DB Schenker in Sweden. More Volvo electric trucks are scheduled to be delivered to European customers in the second half of 2019, with a global production goal of 25,000 batterypowered models by 2025.

Considering Australia’s natural gas reserves, it’s a shame we haven’t embraced gas trucks. A handful of companies have trialed gas conversions over the years but due to

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FEATURE But Volvo isn’t only focused on Europe, with Volvo Trucks in America announcing it will introduce an all-electric Volvo VNR regional-haul demonstrator in California this year, with sales to begin in 2020.

In Australia, Melbourne’s SEA Electric has spent the past eight years developing electric trucks based on rolling cab chassis from various manufacturers. PowerTorque recently reported on the 12-pallet refrigerated truck that was delivered to Woolworths in 2018 for operations around Melbourne, competing against its diesel stablemates.

SEA Electric has also partnered with Isuzu Australia to launch EV versions of the N-series and F-series rigid trucks in 2018, adding major manufacturer support infrastructure. The Isuzu NRR features the SEA-Drive 120b power system with an operating range of up to 350 km.

A Ford Transit van programme will enter trials mid-year, featuring the SEA-Drive 70 power system which provides continuous power of 75 kW, maximum power of 134 kW and 700 Nm of maximum torque for an operating range of up to 300 km.

Batteries for all three vehicles can be fully charged overnight in four to six hours using a 22 kW onboard charger, which allows them to be plugged in and charged from any three-phase power source. The manufacturer claims a payback period of less than four years (without incentives), with a battery life cycle of up to 10 years.

High-end fit and finish. Once the body is fitted, there will be little to distinguish the Isuzu from its diesel-powered counterpart 48

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Heading into the prime mover categories, DAF has been leading the way with its CF electric truck, as also reported previously in PowerTorque. The first battery-powered electric trucks (DAF CF Electric) as well as plug-in-hybrid trucks (DAF CF Hybrid) are already in service with Dutch supermarket giants Albert Heijn and Jumbo, as well as logistics company Tinie Manders Transport.

The CF Electric has a fully-electric range of some 100 km whilst the CF Hybrid featuring E-Power Technology from VDL offers fully electric driving in urban areas with a range of 50 km, then it can use the latest diesel technology for highway running.

Cummins is investing in various power solutions, including hybrid and fully electric systems, opening the company’s first Silicon Valley hub for electrified power system development. Its latest PowerDrive system has completed a test programme exceeding 10 million kilometres in a fleet setting in the United States and China, and work is under way to introduce it to the European market in the near future.

PowerDrive replaces the conventional transmission and switches in real time between two hybrid and two pure electric modes, optimising the powertrain for the best fuel economy in any driving situation. The vehicle on display at the IAA last year (see PowerTorque issue 87) was configured with exportable grid-quality electric power to recharge vehicles, and a recovery crane operating on either electric or engine-driven power take-off.

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FEATURE

HAULIN’ THE HUME

Warren Caves takes the nostalgic path down Sesame Street – Images by Torque it Up

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s 285 historic vehicles assembled at Camden, south-west of Sydney, for the biennial “Haulin’ the Hume” run on Saturday March 30, a wet and misty start to the day did little to dampen the spirits of eager participants.

The inaugural run took place in 2011, covering the 240km run from Camden to Yass following (as much as possible) the original Hume Highway route. The event commemorates the time and effort taken by drivers to complete the Sydney-to-Melbourne trip. Back in the early days of the highway, the time taken to travel between the two major cities was measured in days, rather than hours as it is now.

The torque-sapping hills of the Old Hume Highway and the numerous villages and towns through which the trucks rumbled every night would have been formative in the early driving days of the somewhat older band of drivers involved in the modern-day re-enactment run.

Recalling times when calls over the CB radio of “southbound, hole in the wall” or “green light northbound” sounded, the memories were still vivid in the minds of many of the participants as the procession of trucks, trailers, buses and cars meandered through Picton to the delight of many spectators after traversing the famous “Razorback Range”.

Some of those villages, such as Picton, Yanderra, Yerrinbool, Berrima, Gunning and many others long since bypassed, now provide a sleepy existence for their residents. Many may never have been woken in the night by the cackle of Jake Brakes or the dulcet tones of a highrevving, two-stroke “Jimmy” piercing the night silence.

This was once the norm, especially with those running express freight on what was undoubtedly one of the busiest freight routes in the country.

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FEATURE

“This provided spectators and drivers alike the opportunity to take a closer look at the diverse range of trucks taking part in the event�

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Every two years on Haulin’ The Hume day, Saturday sleep-ins in these hamlets are interrupted by hundreds of historic trucks and buses exceeding acceptable modernday decibel levels and emitting enough exhaust soot to discourage the hanging of washing on lines.

Put on by the Western Sydney Historic Vehicle Club, the event was conceived by Bruce Gunter whilst on a run to Alice Springs with his father, Geoff, in a Commer Knocker they had restored. During that trip, Geoff suggested a Hume run might be a good thing to do.

Bruce says the fact that his Dad fell ill on that Alice Springs run formed a need to get the idea off the ground.

The rest, as they say, is history, with the event gaining in popularity on each subsequent occasion, building from the original 143 entries in 2011.

After seeing the wide enthusiasm for the event and an ever-growing number of entrants, Bruce saw the opportunity to cast the transport industry in a good light and also raise money for a charity close to his heart, Aspect. Aspect is Australia’s largest service provider for people on the Autism spectrum, as is the case for Bruce’s son.

Monies are raised from vehicle entry fees, cash donations and from sponsors, such as Kenworth, Mack, Pace Farms and Park Lea Sand and Soil.

After the rain had cleared, the historic convoy assembled at the Goulburn Recreation Centre grounds for a very chilly intermission and lunch, organised by Bryan Webb.

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FEATURE This provided spectators and drivers alike the opportunity to take a closer look at the diverse range of trucks taking part in the event.

The lunch stop also afforded an opportunity to speak with Bruce Gunter, the event founder.

These days actively involved as a consultant for companies conforming to compliance legislation for the transport industry, Bruce says the Haulin’ The Hume event not only casts the industry in a positive light but also that the preparation of the trucks − together with the restoration work involved in getting them ready for this and similar events and rallies − goes a long way towards combating mental health issues such as depression.

The camaraderie and common goal of this event fosters a unique bond of shared interest whilst paying homage to the men, women and trucks that make up Australia’s transport heritage.

After lunch, the procession of Internationals, Kenworths, Macks, Bedfords, Peterbilts, Dodges, Mercedes, Fodens, Commers and a whole bunch of makes I’m sure I have forgotten, made their way back to the Hume Highway. The route then following the Cullerin Ranges through Gunning and Breadalbane to terminate at Yass for a dinner and fundraising auction.

There’s no doubt it’s nice to sit in a modern truck with its air-conditioning, cruise control, air-suspended seating, heater and the knowledge the service brakes will actually provide reassuring speed retardation, preventing a bead of sweat forming on your brow at the sight of a “steep descent” sign. But it is equally gratifying to see Australia’s transport heritage cared for in the capable and loving hands of proud owners, still “Makin’ a Mile “even if they are not getting paid for it.

Not in their wildest dreams could these drivers of yesteryear have imagined the kind of creature comforts afforded to the current-day truckie, and they must be applauded for operating what could, at best, be described as rudimentary equipment.

However, keeping things in perspective, the trucks of 2060 and beyond will most likely bear little resemblance to the 2018 model I drive today.

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REMEMBERING RAZORBACK For many elder statesmen of the transport industry, April 2, 1979, remains a pivotal date in Australia’s transport history.

Nationwide work stoppages and road blockades were implemented as a result of crippling road taxes that threatened the livelihoods of many operators and, if left unpaid, possibly resulted in a trip to jail.

The transport industry was in a state of turmoil, with a tonne/ per mile tax imposition forcing many owneroperators into a corner with nothing left to lose.

As a result, stoppages and blockades were held across the country, with thousands of trucks and drivers bringing the nation to its knees by restricting all but the most critical supplies from getting through. While not the biggest, the Razorback blockade turned out to be the most contentious and received the majority of national media coverage.

The nine-day Razorback blockade, led

by Ted “Greendog” Stevens, Spencer Watling, Colin Bird, Barry Grimson, Jack Hibburt and eventually joined by hundreds of others, was an act of desperation and sheer frustration resulting in the blocking of the Hume Highway atop Razorback Mountain. It was here that the protesters demanded the abolition of the road tax in a display of defiance that eventually ended when transport ministers finally agreed to scrap the crippling tax.

This year marked the 40th anniversary of that underdog protest, a show of unity within the transport industry not seen since.

On Friday, March 29, a commemoration was organised at the original blockade site in what is now the designated heavy vehicle rest area that bears the name of the late Ted “Greendog” Stevens.

The “Truck Rest”, as it is named, also has the cabin of a Kenworth truck buried beneath its surface (a tribute organised by Ted’s son, Brett Stevens).

It was at this site that a large number of trucks paid homage to the blockade and recognised its significance in shaping this industry, a show of defiance and display of combined force to achieve a common goal.

Spencer Watling (Original blockade protester) and Kelly Zervis (daughter of Ted “Greendog” Stevens).

Kelly was at the blockade aged 4 with her brother Justin who was 10 at the time.

Not a lot has changed in this industry, with the main point of difference being that large companies were also subjected to the road tax. All interested parties watched intently as the little guys battled out the cause, which would ultimately also benefit them.

At one point during the commemoration it looked as though another blockade could be imminent, with many trucks unable to secure a parking position off the road, subsequently preventing some traffic from easily passing the peaceful gathering.

Many of the original protesters attended the gathering along with descendants of Ted Stevens, including his children Brett and Lyle, the latter travelling up from Victoria, plus John and Kelly (Zervis, nee Stevens), who travelled from Coffs Harbour to attend. John and Kelly were both at the blockade in 1979, aged 10 and four respectively.

The non-attendance of any official transport industry association was clearly noted; however, with the biennial Haulin’ the Hume event clearly bolstering numbers at the commemoration, the event was well attended on a busy weekend of historical truck events.

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FEATURE

BRISBANE TRUCK SHOW A review of the trucks making the news by Ed Higginson and Chris Mullett

A

fter a two-year wait, Australia’s trucking industry came together in Brisbane for the Southern Hemisphere’s largest truck show at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre.

With some major advances in trucks showcased less than six months ago in Europe at the IAA Hanover, and in March for the Mid-America Truck Show, visitors were eager to see what would be coming down under. No-one left disappointed.

Whether your interest lay in seeing the latest trucks and trailers, understanding the newest technologies and accessories, or simply networking, this year’s show had it all, with more than 250 stands.

As expected of the leading heavy truck brand, PACCAR Australia had one of the largest stands, showcasing the latest offerings from Kenworth and DAF. Visitors to this year’s PACCAR World stand found a selection of 12 world-class Kenworth and DAF trucks, along with an extensive range of support solutions.

PACCAR Australia’s Director of Sales and Marketing, Brad May, said: “Truck buyers are looking for a total ownership solution from their commercial vehicle supplier.

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“The PACCAR World stand at this year’s Brisbane Truck Show again reflects this holistic approach and patrons will see truck and engine displays, as well as having access to PACCAR Financial and PacLease experts, parts and service personnel, and the much-loved PACCAR merchandise range.”

BRISBANE TRUCK SHOW From the American side of the family, KENWORTH launched its new T410 and T360 models in a range of configurations. Taking the impressive 2.1-metre cab launched in the T610 in December 2016, Kenworth has applied its features to the smaller models to bring them right up to date.

The new models feature a range of important improvements in visibility and a reduction in the bumper-to-back-of-cab length (BBC), new exterior and interior styling, improved safety features and a range of mechanical improvements.

Available with the Cummins ISLe5 engine rated from 280 to 400 hp (209 to 298 kW) and either an Allison transmission, an Eaton Manual or Eaton UltraShift PLUS transmission, the T360 is well suited to a range of applications.

Next up in the Kenworth range was the all-new T410 with a set-back front axle and optimal BBC dimensions. It can be rated up to 70 tonnes GCM and is available in three sleeper options − the 600 mm Aero, 760 mm Mid Roof and 860 mm Aero.

Powered by the PACCAR MX-13, the T410 is available in either 460 or 510 hp (343 or 380 kW) outputs and gets the new PACCAR transmission for operations up to 50 tonnes GCM. For applications up to 70 tonnes GCM, an Eaton manual or UltraShift PLUS automated transmission is available.

Alongside the new T360 and T410 were Kenworth’s bigger models, the T610 and T610SAR, both of which have been very successful since their release in late 2016. They now come with the new 600 mm sleeper and 1400 mm sleeper respectively.

Rounding out the Kenworth display was the K200 with an impressive 2.8-metre sleeper cab including a king single mattress and the Euro 6 Cummins X15 engine, plus the iconic T909 with a 1270 mm sleeper.

From PACCAR’s European arm, DAF’s locally assembled FTT CF85.510 took pride of place, wrapped in distinctive Australian flag branding, alongside the FTT XF105.510.

Unfortunately, neither model came with the updated Euro 6 cab or the electric power alternative that is now available in Europe, but we are assured these will be coming soon.

DAF also showed its smaller models, the Euro 6 FA LF260 12 t and FA LF290 18 t 4x2 cab/chassis models, introduced to the Australian market late in 2018.

VOLVO officially launched its long-awaited XXL Globetrotter FH Cab, offering a 130 mm-longer and 250 mm-wider mattress (at 1065mm) than a standard FH cab.

The new XXL is 40 percent larger than the XL, and 13 percent longer than the previous FH XXL cab.

The previous FH XXL Globetrotter cab had great success in Australia before the launch of the new shape FH in 2012.

At the time, Volvo couldn’t justify developing a special cab just for the Australian market; but times change, and the XXL has hit the market.

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FEATURE

To achieve the extra dimensions, Volvo re-engineered the XL Globetrotter cab by moving the rear wall back 250 mm to create a better space for living away from home; adding a new, larger inner-sprung mattress and more lockers for personal equipment and clothing storage. It’s imported completely assembled from Volvo’s cab plant in Umea, in Western Sweden.

Tony O’Connell, Vice President of Volvo Trucks Australia, said: “Australia is one of a very few selected markets that will see the all-new XXL cab, and it has been designed with Australia’s vast distances in mind.”

Volvo’s stand wasn’t just about the size of its cab. Being a leader in vehicle safety solutions, Volvo Trucks has introduced “Distance Alert”, which makes it easier for truck drivers to keep a safer distance from the vehicle ahead and avoid critical situations. The Collision Warning with Emergency Brake system is available in the Volvo FH, FH16, FM, FMX, FE and FL models.

Also newly released is the Volvo FE low entry cab version.

Originating from a programme to improve the safety of refuse vehicles working in inner city applications, the FE low entry cab brings the driver into the sightline of other road users and pedestrians, adding low-step access into the design that is further improved by a kneeling function built into the airbag suspension that drops the entry height by a further 90 mm.

Truck shows provide the ideal opportunity to showcase special promotions, and 2019 was no exception. In pride of place on the Volvo display was a tribute to the FH model celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.

As one might expect, the FH 25 Year Special Edition featured all the latest developments from the Swedish manufacturer. These included the I-Shift Dual Clutch – the first and only dual-clutch transmission in a commercial heavy-vehicle; iSee – smart technology that predicts the topography ahead in order to save fuel and reduce emissions; plus Autonomous Emergency Brake, Lane Change Support and Driver Alert and Volvo Dynamic Steering with Lane Keeping Assist.

Not to be outshone by the Volvo brand, MACK impressed with its new Mack Anthem, which was launched in America last year and will hit Australia in mid-2020.

With its modern North American styling both inside and out, and now with a fully integrated sleeper, we expect the Anthem will win many fans when it goes on sale. The first models available will be based on a 6x4 and 8x4 chassis and, according to Dean Bestwick, vice president of Mack Trucks Australia, the appeal of the new styling with its advanced safety features − such as Bendix Wingman, plus its superior ergonomics − will include a full stand-up sleeper cab.

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Celebrating 100 years in Australia, MACK was proud to show the Australian-made logo and showcased its local engineering by developing a prototype short-nosed Superliner. By lifting the cab, MACK can move the engine rearward to shorten the chassis and BBC measurement, thereby suiting a wider range of linehaul operations, particularly for 34-pallet applications. The driveline utilises the MP10 engine, 13 or 14-speed heavy-duty mDrive transmission, and Mack rear-end.

BRISBANE TRUCK SHOW Alongside its American and European stablemates, UD had its heavy-duty truck, the Quon, which expands from the existing 11-litre to include an 8-litre alternative. The CD 6x2 and CW 8x4 offers the 8-litre with its 360 hp (263 kW) output at 2200 rpm and 1428 Nm of torque available from 1200 to 1600 rpm. The new engine boasts a tare weight improvement of 300 kg, when compared with that of the 11-litre. It comes with ABS, EBS, lane departure warning systems and disc brakes.

Next up the UD ranks comes the all new Croner for the medium-duty market, with a 4x2 and 6x2 due for release in January 2020. The Croner replaces the previous Condor and comes to market after a test-and-development programme that covered 1.5 million kilometres.

As Mark Strambi, vice president of UD Trucks Australia, told PowerTorque: “With UD, the task is to go the extra mile and deliver ‘smart’ solutions. Our journey moves us from the medium market to the lower entry end of the heavy-duty market. It’s the best product line-up we have ever had – but it will continue to move further.”

With a GVM of 17.5 tonnes and a EURO 5 SCR engine rated at 280 hp (209 kW), the new Croner will give UD a strong model to target the medium-duty Japanese truck sector. The order book will open in Q4 for the PK 18 280 and the PD 25 280, with delivery commencing in early February. Early adopters will also benefit from a twoyear free servicing offer, which is a change of marketing

strategy for a brand that possesses such a strong identity; especially with operations in local councils and municipal fleets that date back 40 years to the UD CWA 45 models that helped to forge the brand’s reputation.

In an exclusive interview with PowerTorque, Volvo Group Australia President and CEO Martin Merrick confirmed that the group’s Volvo, Mack and UD brands will, for the time being, remain at Euro 5 levels, with no current plans to introduce Euro 6 emissions standards prior to legislative requirements.

“The mantra of service success is to understand the customer and deliver the level of service they expect and demand,” he said. “VGA global sales in Q1 increased by 20 percent, with an associated increase to profit margins leading to the group being able to offer more competitive finance options.

“We made 14 percent more truck deliveries in a global market, and in Australia we increased market share for both Volvo and Mack. Last year we set a new production record for our Wacol plant in Queensland, and recorded the second-best year ever for Mack Trucks Australia.

“The factory is operating at over maximum capacity and we will be making a $25 million additional investment over the next three years, following on from the $50 million invested in the past five years.”

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FEATURE SCANIA brought a modern-looking stand to Brisbane to show the full range of its New Truck Generation. Its flagship R-series cab fitted with the new 650 hp (485 kW) V8 Euro 6 engine took pride of place.

Alongside were two G-series cabs both fitted with the 500 hp (373 kW) six-cylinder Euro 6 engine; one in G 500 road freight guise ideal for high cubic capacity B-double work, and a G 500 XT ideal for construction, complete with a tipper body.

In line with Scania’s global commitment to alternative fuel solutions, a P 340 Euro 6, 6x2 gas-fuelled rigid truck was launched for the first time in Australia. Fitted with twin large-capacity compressed natural gas tanks, it’s an ideal truck for operating around the cities.

Currently, Scania’s Euro 6 sales account for 90 percent of its deliveries in Australia; so, unsurprisingly, its entire range on display was Euro 6 compliant.

Dean Dal Santo, Director of Sales for Scania Trucks in Australia , commented: “The Brisbane Truck Show gives Scania the first opportunity to display to the market a comprehensive array of NTG trucks, from the innovative P 340 CNG-fuelled 6x2 rigid, to the P 280 lightweight sixcylinder 7.0-litre, and the Euro 6, 650 hp V8-powered R 650.

“We have seen a marked increase in interest and orders since we debuted the NTG range in Australia just one year ago. This show gives the industry and general public the opportunity to see exactly how the latest technology in truck transport can benefit their lives and businesses.

Our sales volume is up almost 55 percent YTD, and we took 9.1 percent of the heavy-duty market in April, with 7.7 percent YTD market share, a rise of three percent.”

Mikael Jansson, Managing Director of Scania Australia, told PowerTorque that 2018 produced a record market overall, but pointed out that Australian roads remain home to some of the oldest and dirtiest trucks globally.

“It’s time for Australian operators to make a statement that they no longer feel it is OK to drive Euro Zero-to-Euro 3 trucks around our densely-populated centres. We can no longer turn a blind eye to their continual emission of dirty fumes and excessive CO2 where our children walk and play,” he said.

To support the move to cleaner energy and a reduction in exhaust emissions, Scania displayed a P 340 6x2 rigid truck fueled by CNG, plus a P 280 rigid using the new Scania 7.0-litre diesel engine.

“A gas truck that reduces CO2 emissions by up to 90 percent is ideal for urban distribution,” Mikael Jansson said. “The new 7.0-litre, six-cylinder diesel engine is 360 kg lighter over the front axle. Fitted to our low-entry P-series cab, the 7.0-litre gives us access to a sector of the market we have not tackled before.

“The NTG V8s have been delivering operators significant fuel savings − in excess of 20 percent in some cases when coupled with driver training, and this is additional to 62

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BRISBANE TRUCK SHOW the already competitive performance of the V8s used in the PGR range.”

IVECO Australia focused on its latest Euro 6 engines supported by its light, medium and heavy-duty range, demonstrating the company’s commitment to offering the highest level of emissions standards.

Iveco showed off the all-new, next generation Euro 6 ACCO as a 6x4 model with Bucher compactor body, and an 8x4 featuring a Hiab hooklift body. Using the Iveco cab, it has lost its distinctive ACCO look, but now gets new levels of comfort and safety to bring it right up to date.

Also, on show and representing IVECO’s medium-duty range was a Euro 6 Eurocargo equipped with an INNOV8 attenuator body. For the LCV market it was joined by the impressive Daily 70C van with seven-tonne GVM, 19.6-cubic-metre volume and Euro 6 engine.

And for those interested in bonneted North Americanstyle trucks, an INTERNATIONAL ProStar prime mover was also on the stand. Fitted with a 40-inch integrated sleeper, it’s ideal for 34-pallet B-Double applications with a Cummins X15 engine rated at 550 hp (410 kW).

As a first for International, the ProStar is now available with Bendix Next Generation active safety systems which many fleets now expect, including the Wingman Fusion system.

A spokesperson for IVECO Australia said this year’s stand held true to the brand’s global positioning to be ‘Your Partner for Sustainable Transport’.

TATRA made its debut at the Brisbane Show in 2017, when it displayed an 8×8 tipper that looked ready to go where no other truck had been before.

Tatra returned this year with a smaller Phoenix 6×6 tipper featuring a PACCAR 13-litre MX engine and 16-speed ZF AS-Tronic AMT transmission, topped off by a comfortable DAF-supplied CF cab.

Tatra’s distribution in Australasia is handled exclusively

by Off Road Trucks Australia. This Perth-based company, with sales and service outlets in Mackay (QLD), Rutherford (NSW) and Pooraka (SA), boasts the unmatched claim that it is able to provide 100 percent parts availability from stock, a factor that underpins the success and acceptance of its products. The company’s marketing manager, Amber Gaden, announced it would soon be launching a hire fleet of Tatra trucks, primarily based out of WA, offering the Phoenix 8x8s with Fassi cranes and platforms, 4x4 with platforms, 8x8 service truck and Phoenix 6x6 prime movers.

PowerTorque was one of the first media to drive the new MERCEDES-BENZ Actros around Hanover last year.

The new Actros has many impressive new connected innovations including MirrorCam, Predictive Powertrain Control, Active Brake Assist 5, and the all-new interactive Multimedia Cockpit. For a full review of the new Actros, check under Truck Reviews at www.powertorque.com.au PowerTorque ISSUE 89

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FEATURE FREIGHTLINER revealed its range of Cascadia trucks as part of its $100 million dollar investment in US-based conventional truck design.

The introduction date for Cascadia is expected to be well into 2020, which will also bring the availability of the 16-litre DD16 diesel engine rated at 600 hp (447 kW). This engine has been waiting in the wings for introduction into the Australian market for what seems like a decade, held in reserve due to it having been developed with AdBlue and to Euro 6 emissions standards, amid the reticence of some American brands to move into Euro 6 before legislation demands its introduction.

Cascadia replaces the Coronado, which has established a strong reputation with its followers. But such is the unrelenting march of technological development, that the new suite of safety features and driver awareness and telematics systems slips easily into the Cascadia architecture, superseding the Coronado. Although still very much available on the Australian market, there was no sign of the Argosy on the Freightliner display, suggesting that life for Freightliner fans in the future will be confined to looking at the road ahead over a conventional bonnet.

The timing of the Brisbane show fortuitously coincided with a visit by Kary Schaefer, who is the General Manager of Freightliner’s Product Strategy and also one of the company’s foremost experts on autonomous trucks, vehicle connectivity and electric vehicle development.

While other truck makers are still experimenting with platooning, Ms Schaefer confirmed that Daimler has ceased its development work, accepting that although the theoretical advantages of close vehicle connectivity reduces wind resistance and aids fuel economy of following vehicles, the reality shows that the weakest link determines the progress of the group. As each vehicle will undoubtedly carry a different payload, with varying engine and driveline configurations, gradients will impact on each vehicle in different ways, slowing down the faster vehicles to compensate for those running at lower speed.

It’s difficult to comprehend that technical experts around the globe took so long, and invested so much financially, to discover what any professional driver could have told them − that faster vehicles usually leave slower ones in their wake. The official explanation is that the cost of equipment on platooning vehicles overrides the cost savings. Incidentally, the same conclusion for platooning in Australia was confirmed to PowerTorque by Sasko Cuklev, Director of Autonomous Solutions for Volvo Trucks globally, during a separate interview.

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What will eventuate, though, as a result of all the telematics and connectivity programmes, is that safety systems will increase in their availability, with stronger interventions to prevent vehicle impacts. As Ms Schaefer pointed out, since the introduction of active brake assist systems in the US back in 2006, the cost of repairing the average rear-end shunt by a following vehicle has reduced from $7000 per incident to just $350 − an example of technology working with the operator to promote safety, reduce injuries and lower TCO.

RAMTRUCKS.COM.AU ^With 3.92 Axle Ratio.

FEATURE As technology improves, what will eventuate is the use of automated trucks controlled from a central point to perform a designated task on a closed road network.

Be it earthmoving equipment or tippers shifting gravel, where a task is repetitious and outside influences can be controlled, vehicles will increasingly be able to be operated remotely, with total safety and higher efficiency.

From the PENSKE family, WESTERN STAR showcased its 5800FE with its set-back front axle and aerodynamic design, next to the more traditional 6900FXC which can be rated to a GCM of 250 tonnes as a tri-drive.

In the same way as Freightliner is awaiting its Cascadia, Western Star is also awaiting its next-generation product range, for which the brand will leverage off the Cascadia platform developed by Daimler Trucks North America. Current information out of the US suggests the introduction of the new Western Star will follow Cascadia by a further six months; but in the world of truck marketing, falling sales or reduced interest in a product can lead to fast-tracking of new models, something Western Star dealers in Australia would welcome warmly.

Penske Commercial Vehicles took advantage of the Brisbane Truck Show to officially hand over the Western Star 6900FXC on display to the Neil Mansell Group.

Powered by a Cummins 600 hp (447 kW) X15 engine with 2050 lb-ft of torque (2780 Nm) at 1200 rpm, the unit boasts a 54-inch Stratosphere sleeper and a GCM of 155 tonnes.

On the same stand, MAN had a TGS 540 hp (403 kW) in a lightweight tipper spec, next to the impressive TGX D38 640 hp (477 kW) PerformanceLine. With the highest cab available and updated dash, MAN is now offering a great truck for linehaul work.

Sales of the MAN brand are now the mainstay for Penske Commercial Vehicles, running off the back of a substantial fleet order from the Australian Defence Force.

The introduction of the D38, together with the larger cab and Euro 6 compliance, is another factor in its favour for operators looking at the German brand.

With a broad product spread across the market, the volume leader is ISUZU. This year the company received accolades for accomplishing 30 years of consecutive market leadership. Always able to respond quickly to customer demand and with an enviable customer service support network, the company display this year featured its ready-to-work range asking the question, “would you like fries with that?”.

The Isuzu Trucks Ready-to-Work range hit the Australian market back in 2005, aiming to make life easier for customers looking for reliable purpose-built trucks that were pre-assembled and ready to get to work.

Fast-forward 14 years, and Isuzu Trucks continues to build on its industry-leading Ready-to-Work range with two new models set for launch in mid-2019.

“We’re extremely proud of the range and the effect it’s had on Australian business, and we’ll continue to develop the 66

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concept well into the future.” said Andrew Harbison, Isuzu Australia Limited Director and Chief Operating Officer.

The end of 2018 marked a significant milestone for Isuzu Trucks, with record-breaking sales volume results of more than 10,000 trucks for the year.

For the truck buyer there is a well-developed Isuzu platform for just about every Australian application imaginable. Every weight category is catered for, from car drivers’ licence light-duty N-Series through to the 26-tonne GVM Giga EXY prime mover.

Isuzu also caters for those travelling away from the bitumen, including the NPS 75/45-155 4x4, Australia’s first ever two-pedal 4x4 light duty truck with an automated manual transmission option. It’s popular with the emergency services or bodied as a factory-backed dual control truck, a pre-bodied field service unit or built to agitator specification.

Isuzu is also partnered with leading original equipment manufacturer brands such as Meritor, Eaton, ISRI and Allison Transmission.

HINO Australia’s all-new 500 Series Standard Cab medium-duty truck range has class-leading features including a Pre-Collision System, Vehicle Stability Control, and cleaner emissions.

Hino Australia’s Manager of Product Strategy, Daniel Petrovski, explained: “Hino is the only Japanese manufacturer to offer Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) as standard equipment on every on-road model in its range, from the 300 Series light duty car license through to the heavy duty 500 Series 6×4 350 horsepower FM models.”

Hino is a brand to be watched closely in the coming months, with a model range that offers excellent cab comfort and ergonomics, a driveline that − especially in the 500 Series − is certainly impressive, and a range of options that add considerable appeal.

“Our customers can choose from 54 different vehicle specifications across the 500 Series Standard Cab range of FC, FD and FE models,” Mr Petrovski said.

A display version of the new heavy-duty Hino A05 turbocharged, five-litre, four-cylinder diesel engine that powers the 500 Series Standard Cab models proved to be quite a customer drawcard.

BRISBANE TRUCK SHOW “Not only does it deliver superior torque, increased power and improved fuel efficiency, but it also has the cleanest exhaust emissions ever for a Hino truck in Australia.

“This is the equivalent to Euro 6 and is set to comply with the ADR80/04 emissions standards, which are not expected to be mandated here in Australia for a number of years.”

Technology and innovation were also key themes of the stand, with an interactive display of Hino’s new smart multimedia system, which will be rolled out across the entire range of Hino light, medium and heavy duty trucks by the end of the year.

“Our new innovative smart multimedia system introduces an unprecedented level of vehicle connectivity and entertainment functionality, together with the safetyenhancing reversing camera, and can also include vehicle operational information and driver information,” Mr Petrovski said.

It features a curated Hino application store, which allows the creation of bespoke apps to suit an individual customer’s needs.

Completing the 500 Series line-up on the stand was a 500 Series Wide Cab FM2632 with a six-speed Allison automatic transmission and Electronically Controlled Air Suspension (ECAS), both of which have proven extremely popular with customers in the two years since the 500 Series Wide Cab was launched.

Australia’s best-selling hybrid diesel-electric light duty commercial vehicle, the Hino 300 Series Hybrid, also attracted a lot of interest on the Hino stand.

FUSO launched its new-generation heavy-duty truck at the Brisbane Truck Show, the Shogun. The new model comes in 4x2, 6x4 and 8x4 configurations, using a new 11-litre, six-cylinder Euro 6 engine rated at 400 and 460 hp (298 and 343 kW).

Fuso is so confident of the new product and development in the Shogun that it will now offer an industry-leading, five-year, 500,000 km warranty.

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FEATURE Fuso Truck and Bus Australia Director, Justin Whitford, said the arrival of the new-generation heavy-duty truck marked a new chapter for the brand. “We have listened to our Australian customers and we have delivered the heavy-duty truck they have been waiting for,” he said.

Fuso also displayed models from its existing model lineup, including the medium-duty Fighter and small Canter truck, including the E-Canter. Producing 390 Nm of torque with a GVM of 7500 kg, the E-Canter is a real alternative for many city deliveries.

CUMMINS celebrated its 100th year, so featured a range of legacy and future engines at the Brisbane Truck Show.

“This will be one of the most impressive collections of Cummins engines ever displayed in Australia, ranging from a 3 hp [2.2 kW], single-cylinder 1922 unit to our 600 hp [447 kW] X15 coupled to the all-new 12-speed Endurant automated transmission,” said Mike Fowler, Cummins South Pacific’s Director of Engine Business.

Two X15 engines and one X12 displayed at the Brisbane show were Euro 6 versions, both of which are expected to become available in Australia and New Zealand in 2020.

Both the 12-litre, rated at 500 hp (373 kW) and 15-litre Cummins platforms are EGR-free for Euro 6, using SCR/ AdBlue technology along with a diesel particulate filter (DPF) for compliance.

“They are two separate platforms that will allow customers to optimise their engines to best meet their needs without compromise,” Mr Fowler said.

The star of the ZF SERVICES Australia stand this year was its world-first modular TraXon transmission.

TraXon is equipped with ZF’s innovative electronics, including software which combines a predictive shifting strategy, PreVision GPS, connecting the transmission with GPS data and digital maps. This means TraXon knows the exact route in advance and takes that information into account when selecting gears, ensuring reduced fuel consumption and stress on the transmission.

As part of ZF’s commitment to advancing vehicle electrification, it also revealed the TraXon Hybrid, combining the TraXon with a powerful hybrid module for use in trucks and coaches up to 40-tonne, making them seven percent more efficient.

After two full days of walking around the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, it has been great to see that the advances in technology seen at recent international truck shows will be heading to Australia sooner rather than later.

With electric trucks and transmissions on display from SEA Electric, Isuzu, Fuso, DANA, ZF and Eaton, plus everyone pushing for the very latest in safety packages well before legislative requirements, it is a great testament to the professionalism and efficiency of the Australian trucking industry.

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PRODUCT REVIEW

HINO’S SLIMLINE 500 SERIES The new mid-range Hino is winning significant support from operators looking to tick all the distribution boxes – Report by Brenton O’Connor.

It’s not often that Japanese truck manufacturers launch a new model. The conservative mindset of the Japanese means they don’t change a proven truck formula lightly, and they don’t jump on fads or trends unless the benefit can clearly be proven.

One of the latest additions from Japanese manufacturer Hino is the new 500 Series narrow cabin. This was a momentous occasion in truck terms, as the engineering team at Hino Japan has significantly raised the bar in terms of vehicle safety, emissions standards, and operator comfort.

As an indication of the importance attached to the new 500 Series narrow cabin, the public launch was attended by all the significant staff members of Hino Australia including CEO Steve Lotter and newlyappointed President Sam Suda. Also in attendance was the project lead for the new narrow cab 500 Series, Koyu Goto, who provided valuable insight into the key objectives behind the development programme.

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Lotter sees an ongoing trend in the sales of commercial vehicles due to the market conditions, and also the large infrastructure spending by both State and Federal governments respectively. So much so that Hino Australia was caught short in supply of the run-out model 500

HINO 500 SERIES Series narrow cabin in 2018, as market demand exceeded expectations. With the new model now in dealerships, Lotter expects increased sales going forward.

Despite Australia’s relatively small population, it is an important market for Hino, ranking as the company’s seventh-biggest globally − quite an achievement for an economy of our size. It also explains the background to Hino Japan’s investment into this market and its willingness to adapt and create models suited to it, a classic example of which was the 718 4x4, a model developed between Hino Australia’s head of product development Daniel Petrovski and Hino Japan’s engineering department.

The three key objectives for the design team behind the new Hino 500 Series narrow cabin included satisfaction and delight in driving, safe operation, and solutions for management (in other words, increased fuel efficiency).

Hino has increased the appeal and model spectrum of the new 500 Series narrow cabin by introducing a number of new variants, including more flexibility in factory wheelbase offerings, with a total of 54 different models available across three ranges − FC, FD, and FE.

The FC kicks off the 500 Series narrow cabin range with an 11,000 kg GVM, an increase from the previous model’s 10,400 kg, and offering increased payload for customers.

This model will be known as the FC 1124 and includes a short cab (non-sleeper) and a transmission-actuated park brake rather than an air maxi brake. The GCM is a maximum of 16,000 kg.

Stepping up into the FD 1124 adds in the Rest Cabin, which includes an ADR-approved sleeper berth and a higher 20,000 kg GCM. In terms of safety, it picks up daytime running lights and LED headlamps over the FC. Going one step further and into the FE 1125, the horsepower rises from 240 to 260 hp (179 to 194 kW).

Improvements are also made to the GVM and GCM, which improve to 14,000 kg and 22,000 kg respectively.

One of the major changes to the new range of trucks is the engine. Power comes from a new 5.0-litre, four-cylinder turbo-diesel, with the cleanest emissions ever produced by a Hino truck. All models meet the PLNT standard, which is the Japanese equivalent of Euro 6.

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The A05 is a derivative of the larger A09 six-cylinder engine powering the 500 Series wide cabin. This new engine comes in three power ratings - the 1124 models receive the AO5-TE engine producing 240 hp (179 kW) and 794 Nm of torque, while the 1424-Crew Cab receives the A05-TD with 240 hp and 833 Nm. The range-toppers are the FD 1126 and FE 1426, both of which receive the top-performance engine known as the A05-TC, with peak power of 260 hp (194 kW) and 882 Nm of torque.

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Hino has developed this engine to deliver high torque at low rpm, which it achieves through providing 10 to 20 percent more torque than the J07 engine it replaces. The biggest change is the Jacobs brake now standard and integrated into the engine. This provides class-leading engine retardation, in addition to the standard-fit exhaust brake, making for both easier and safer operation and reduced operating costs through decreased service brake wear.

On some of the hilly terrain around the launch venue in Canberra, the engine was able to show off its credentials by providing plenty of pulling power up some of the inclines, ideally matched to an Allison automatic. Hino is claiming an improvement in fuel consumption over the outgoing model; however, this was not possible to confirm on the day, through a lack of comparison data.

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FEATURE What was impressive, though, was the outstanding performance of the engine braking. Controlled through a one-position (on or off) switch in general driving, I had to cancel it on some of the descents as it was providing too much retardation.

Transmissions includes six-speed synchromesh manual gearboxes as standard on the FD and FC models. The FE receives a seven-speed manual, adding an extra gear compared to its main rivals.

Automated Manual Transmissions (AMT) are available as option but were unavailable for evaluation on the day of the launch. Both the manual and AMTs are standard with an automatic stop / start system.

The standout transmission option is the Allison 2500. This is a fully hydraulic automatic, which means Hino is the only company to offer a true automatic from car license trucks through to the 2632 wide cab bogie drive model.

The advantages of the Allison are true power shifts with no power loss, and also easier low-speed manoeuvring without the difficulties associated with the clutch actuation of an automated manual. The gear selector for the Allison improves operation with a T-bar-style shift lever to make gear selection a breeze.

Throughout the drive day a range of models with various bodies and specifications were available to test. As expected, the synchromesh manual was both light and direct and simple to drive, with a light clutch pedal feel.

The preferred transmission, though, has to be the Allison automatic as it is pretty much idiot-proof; this means in rental fleets and fleets with a revolving door of drivers, the risk of damage to the clutch and transmission is removed.

Furthermore, with the increasing traffic congestion in our capital cities, the Allison allows the driver to focus their time on the traffic situation rather than contemplating which gear to select.

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HINO 500 SERIES Vehicle safety is the area where Hino has invested much of its resources to make this a true ‘safety-truck’. Importantly, all safety features are fitted as standard.

In addition to vehicle stability control and reverse camera, the new Hino 500 Series narrow cabin will include Pre-Collision System (PCS) Safety Eye (SE), Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) and Pedestrian Detection (PD). Additional standard fitment safety features include ABS, traction control, driver’s airbag and a UN EVE R29 safety cabin.

“Hino Japan has significantly raised the bar in terms of vehicle safety, emissions standards, and operator comfort” PCS is an active safety system that can detect potential collisions with another vehicle, pedestrian and/or other object in advance of the impact and help prevent them, through use of camera and radar technology. Also included as standard fitment on the new truck is adaptive (radar) cruise control and lane departure warning, which throughout the test procedure worked very well.

The all-new interior is a massive improvement with an attractive chocolate brown trim colour rather than the drab grey found in most Japanese trucks. The standard ISRI driver’s seat is great, although it needs armrests fitted.

The fit and finish is a step above its competitors with a multi-function steering wheel now included, something we believe is unique for a Japanese truck. The interior is not only visually appealing, it’s also functional, designed with typical Japanese efficiency and a no-nonsense layout. The new 6.5-inch high-definition audiovisual unit provides audio entertainment as well as the reverse camera and satellite navigation, and has the ability for telematic connectivity.

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FEATURE

A SURE BET Multi-million-dollar loads are all in a DAF’s work – Words by Warren Caves, Images by Torque it Up.

T

he “Sport of Kings” draws large crowds of ambitious punters to racetracks around the nation, immersing themselves in the culture of this noblest of sports. When the horses jump from the gate, vocal crowds attempt to spur on their chosen thoroughbred to win.

Well before race day, specialist horse movement logistics companies work behind the scenes to meet the needs of the industry. Horses are not only transported to racecourses to compete; they also travel for trials and between spelling farms.

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But whatever the reason for travel, the safety and good health of the horses are paramount, to ensure the valuable animals arrive in tip-top condition for their owners and trainers.

Additionally, broodmares and stallions − some individually worth many millions of dollars − have to be moved between studs for breeding purposes, and also arrive from overseas needing to be transported around the country. Thousands of yearlings also require transport when sale time comes around.

GOLDNERS HORSE TRANSPORT A prominent name in the specialised horse transport business is J.G Goldner. Established in Adelaide in 1945, John Gustav Goldner, aided by his wife Ethelene, began transporting horses from Adelaide’s Morphettville racecourse. This service continued until John’s passing in 1978, at which point the family business came under the control of his daughter, Beryl.

Over the years, the business has expanded to become the dominant horse transport operation between Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, Scone and Brisbane.

The equine transport business was sold approximately five years ago and is now under the directorship of its chairman, representing a private investment firm based in Melbourne.

Clare Oxley, the CEO of Goldners Horse Transport, met with PowerTorque at the company’s new purpose-built facility in the western Sydney suburb of Len Waters Estate, to provide an insight in to the 27,000-plus horse movements it facilitates each year, plus the performance of the five DAF CF prime movers that carry out much of that demand.

The new facility will amalgamate the operations from previous locations at Warwick Farm and Ingleburn, with Len Waters Estate specifically chosen for its easy access to the M7 motorway and its zoning for livestock.

“We needed to select a location that enabled horses to be transported efficiently, with the goal of minimising the time horses spend on the trucks,” Clare explains. “We pick up the horses from locations across Sydney in our smaller rigid trucks and bring them here, where they can be stabled for a time before being loaded onto our semitrailers for interstate transfers. This limits any undue stress on the animals.

“The problem with keeping horses on trucks for long periods of time is that they can suffer travel sickness.

The natural position for horses, being grazing animals, is for their heads to be down. This is not practically possible during transport.

Equine transport is a very refined niche industry, with only a handful of large-scale operators in the field. Goldners ranks as the largest in this sphere, with a mixed fleet operation comprising a total of 16 trucks.

“It’s very hard to teach horse skills to a driver.

We find it much easier to teach a person with horse skills how to drive a truck” PowerTorque ISSUE 89

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FEATURE

“All of our DAF trucks return to Gilbert & Roach at Huntingwood for repairs and servicing at 30,000km intervals, with the extended workshop opening hours until 10pm being a massive help in terms of flexibility. We simply drop a truck off late in the afternoon and pick it up in the morning, so we are not having to hurry to get the trucks to a workshop by 4 to 5pm.

Included in this are three earlier-model DAF prime movers.

A further two DAF CF prime-movers were purchased in December 2018 and March 2019, with negotiations between Clare Oxley and Gilbert & Roach in Huntingwood.

Other vehicles in the fleet include three Mercedes-Benz Actros, with the remainder made up of Hino rigid trucks.

“We needed to expand our fleet and, although I evaluated several options, I was reluctant to introduce another brand, which focused the choice to either DAF or MercedesBenz. By evaluating input from our drivers and from a cost perspective, it didn’t make sense to go any other way than with the DAFs,” Clare explains.

“We wanted to lease a single-drive 4X2 DAF through the PACLEASE programme until our purchase timeframe came up. Although at the time it didn’t have a truck of our particular specification, PACLEASE at Gilbert & Roach sourced a brand new truck for us suitable to our requirements. This was subsequently leased to us until we completed its eventual purchase, with the lease payments being subtracted from the purchase cost.

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“Our drivers seem to prefer the DAFs for the work we do.

They find that the steering seems better weighted for our particular configurations and the DAFs handle the poorquality roads and driveways well that are encountered regularly when heading to rural stud properties.

“With 95 percent of our work made up of racing, paddock and stud transfers for thoroughbred racehorses, reliability of our equipment is paramount.

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FEATURE “We cannot have multi-million-dollar horses left stranded on the side of a freeway and to ensure this does not occur we keep our fleet well-maintained and compliant. The commonality of the fleet together with good after-sales service is also critical to us. We don’t have any set rollover timeframe for vehicle replacement, we just evaluate our equipment regularly and monitor performance.

Trailing equipment is also unique to the equine industry, with an individual capability of 10 to 15 horses and featuring moveable gates to accommodate single horses or mares with foals. The individual compartments are all camera-monitored from within the truck cabin, so the driver can act upon any transport issue with the horses quickly. A fully compliant strapper seating area is also available within the trailer.

Clare Oxley, J.G. Goldner CEO

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With such an expensive and often unpredictable cargo, Goldners drivers require a unique skillset over and above that of a typical operator.

With driver shortages being experienced across the industry, this adds an extra layer of difficulty to recruitment.

GOLDNERS HORSE TRANSPORT “The welfare and safety of our clients’ horses is paramount and it’s with this in mind that we only employ drivers with excellent horsemanship as a priority,” she says. “It’s very hard to teach horse skills to a driver. We find it much easier to teach a person with horse skills how to drive a truck, and we employ our personnel with this philosophy in mind. This is what makes our business stand out from the competition, we only employ highly experienced horsemen and horsewomen.”

With many of Australia’s leading trainers, owners and breeders entrusting Goldners to handle their horse transport logistics, it’s easy to see why drivers play such a pivotal role. Live payloads, at times worth in excess of $100 million, require a competent handler to ensure your $5 each-way at Randwick on Saturday has the best chance of getting up.

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WOOD WORKER FEATURE

ATS Building Products finds Isuzu Trucks make the ideal business partner. Words and images by Ed Higginson

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ATS BUILDING PRODUCTS ATS Building Products has set itself apart from others in the retail hardware sector by offering a rapid and efficient delivery model. Haytham Moshi founded the business from his suburban garage in 2003 as ATS Timber.

With a name change to better reflect the core business, ATS Building Products now employs more than 100 staff and has expanded rapidly into a wide range of construction materials and tools, making it one of the fastest-growing building material suppliers in Australia.

Headquartered in Northmead, Western Sydney, the company has expanded into five warehouses across Australia − in Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide and Brisbane.

With such a wide range of products from conventional timber to engineered wood products, formwork, panel lines and kitchens, the fleet must be as flexible as possible.

Supporting this expansion is a fleet of new Isuzu trucks, all fitted with their own Hiab rear-mounted crane. ATS also has a wide mix of equipment from trucks to utes, giving it a reliable and cost-effective service to carry a wide variety of construction materials in various quantities.

ATS takes pride in its premium delivery service, believing it greatly complements its business services, and helps to retain loyal customers both small and large. With a dedicated centralised logistics team, it ensures hassle-

free delivery of construction materials and timbers to its customers and emphasises the importance of timely delivery. To help the team track loads and keep customers informed of schedules, all of the fleet is fitted with the latest Vericon GPS tracking (previously known as Fleetmatics).

Sean McNabb, National Operation Manager for ATS, explains: “All of our new trucks come fitted up from Gilbert & Roach ready for us. They come with a standard tray with headboard cradles to allow for longer timber, toolboxes and storage, then the rear frame is reinforced for the Hiab crane so our drivers can load and unload the product themselves.

“We have a fleet of 15 trucks now, mainly made up of Isuzu.

This year we’ve bought two new Isuzu FXY1500 6x4 and another two are on their way. Last year we purchased four FXY1500 in the same specification which have been going great. Our account manager from Gilbert & Roach, Adrien Meurant, is very good to work with.

“The Isuzus are all 6x4 configuration, so our drivers can access small sites and they rarely get fully loaded. They are equipped to take trailers, but only two drivers pull them regularly as it limits where they can go. We also have around 15 utes, one of them being an Isuzu D-Max SX.”

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FEATURE All the Isuzu FXY 1500s feature the SiTEC Series 3, 9.8-litre six-cylinder engine which produces 355 hp (265 kW) at 2000rpm and 1422 Nm of torque (1049ft-lb) at 1400rpm. The trucks also use cooled EGR with exhaust diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC) to meet the ADR80/03 (Euro 5) emissions without the need for AdBlue.

“As we continue to grow, we’ve just been adding trucks rather than replacing them, but we are starting to look at this now. We like to take the driver’s feedback regarding the trucks, which is why we order the Isuzu entertainment system with the GPS function and reversing camera, to help them in the city.”

With a GCM of 42,500 kg, the rigid truck is more than capable of delivering building products onto construction sites around the cities. With an electronically controlled variable nozzle turbocharger with air-to-air intercooler, and a direct injection high-pressure common-rail system, the trucks are extremely fuel efficient as well.

The Isuzu Digital Audio-Visual Entertainment unit, affectionately called DAVE, is designed with the driver in mind. It’s a radio/CD/DVD and DAB+ digital radio with a 6.2-inch LCD touch screen and features a fully integrated Bluetooth system with voice recognition. For driver comfort, the Isuzu comes equipped with an Isri 6860 air suspension driver’s seat with pneumatic lumbar support, height, rake and automatic weight adjustment.

The new FXY1500 also comes fitted with the six-speed automatic transmission and gets a driver-controlled, interaxle lock and cross locks on both axles. The combination is great around the city and for driving onto construction sites, which is why it’s such a popular choice for tippers and agitators.

Sean says: “The rest of the fleet is a mix, with a MAN TGS 8x4 purchased in 2016, a Volvo FM9 from 2006, a couple of small HINO, then everything else is an Isuzu. We bought an Isuzu FTR in 2017, two Isuzu FXZ1500 6x4 in 2014, a FVZ1400 in 2005 and a 94 model FVR991 which is still going well.

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One of ATS’ long-term drivers, Brad, pilots the newest Isuzu FXY that joined the fleet in Sydney.

“I enjoy driving the Isuzu because there is a lot more room in the cab, especially for my knees which is good when I’m over six foot. It’s got much more leg room than the Volvo and MAN, and with the auto transmission it’s great around the city,” he says.

Sean appreciates this too, adding: “The drivers take pride in the fleet, so we purchase new trucks which keeps them positive and helps to keep our driver turnover low. We are a big family, so we try to create a positive environment.”

FEATURE

CLEANER & GREENER North American engine suppliers join the Green Team – report by Neil Dowling and Chris Mullett

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ummins used the Brisbane Truck Show to elaborate on its plans next year to introduce a Euro 6 heavyduty engine in Australia and New Zealand.

The low-emission range, which doesn’t use EGR, will be the L9, X12 and X15 Performance and X15 Efficiency engines. Cummins, now celebrating its centenary, said the engines skip the need for EGR but continue with SCR/ AdBlue technology and a diesel particulate filter (DPF) to reach Euro 6 status.

The X15 engines have been tested in Australia over the past 18 months, with 14 engines used over three million kilometres in single trailer, B-double and roadtrain operations. A spokesman for Cummins at the Brisbane show said though the Euro 6 engines will be on the market next year, there were no plans to drop the current Euro 5-specification engines. Euro 6 is yet to be mandated in Australia.

He said two variants of the Euro 6 X15 will be available − the Efficiency and the Performance. The X15 Performance will come with ratings from 525 to 625 hp (392 to 466 kW), with torque from 1850 to 2050 lb-ft (2510 to 2800 Nm).

The Efficiency version will range from 460 hp to 550 hp (343 to 410 kW) and torque of 1650 to 2050 lb-ft (2240 to 2800 Nm). A report on the new engines from Cummins said the 550 hp Efficiency version came with the 2050 lb-ft torque rating that put it into the 600 hp-plus battleground.

The 550 hp will focus on improved fuel economy through engine downspeeding, while still providing the performance that meets driver and trip-time expectations.

It will be matched with Eaton’s UltraShift PLUS 18-speed automated transmission.

Cummins uses its single-module technology for the exhaust after-treatment that combines the DPF and SCR in a smaller unit.

“The smaller size enables better heat management and retention for improved fuel economy capability, while the single-pass exhaust flow design delivers low back pressure,” Cummins said.

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“The single module design also results in a more robust and reliable after-treatment system.”

Meanwhile, the X12 with Euro 6 rating has been promoted

by Cummins as having the highest power-to-weight ratio of any engine in the 10-litre to 16-litre class.

The X12, with outputs of 500 hp (375 kW) and 1700 lb-ft (2305 Nm) and a 900 kg weight, is to be fitted in a wider range of vehicles. Cummins South Pacific’s director of engine business, Mike Fowler, said the X12 would be offered in coach chassis in Australia.

“We are also continuing discussions with truck manufacturers about the release of the Euro 6 engine in truck models for Australia and New Zealand in 2020,” he said.

“Field testing of the 12-litre platform began in Australia in 2015 and there is now a strong customer demand for the engine based on its proven fuel efficiency and reliability.”

The Brisbane truck show displayed the X12 mated to Eaton’s all-new 12-speed Endurant automated manual transmission. This transmission is the first heavy-duty unit to come out of the joint venture between Eaton and Cummins under their Automated Transmission Technologies division.

Cummins’ L9 in Euro 6 guise will succeed the 8.9-litre ISLe5, which remains the biggest-selling engine for waste collection and agitator applications.

The L9 will be offered with outputs up to 400 hp (300 kW) and 1328 lb-ft (1800 Nm), up on the Euro 5 engine’s 400 hp and 1255 lb-ft (1700 Nm).

As truck manufacturers have realigned their powertrain requirements to move in-house with vertical integration of their own brand of engines and drivelines, Cummins has re-invented itself to provide the high horsepower alternatives. In the lighter engine capacity market,

ENGINES

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FEATURE Cummins is also rumoured to be a prime candidate to provide future engine technology support to Japanese truck makers such as Isuzu, when the time comes for them to upgrade into a new engine platform.

Meanwhile, the Detroit Diesel people at the company’s Redford plant in Michigan have finally got the go-ahead to bring the DD16 engine to the Australian market, satisfying those operators that have been looking for more horsepower for their North American Daimler products of Freightliner and Western Star.

The growth of Daimler Trucks North America has seen major investment in the past decade at the Redford plant, which is proud of origins that date back 80 years. The art of vertical integration has certainly been a cornerstone of Redford’s progress, with Detroit engines in varying power and torque capacities linked with the production of Detroit-branded axles and transmissions.

The DD8 is the latest Detroit engine to join the family, with 260 to 350 hp (194 to 261 kW) from a 7.7-litre offering 660 to 1050 lb-ft (895 to 1424 Nm) of torque options. Joining the DD8 is the all-new DD5, catering for the 200 to 240 hp

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ENGINES (149 to 180 kW) range from a displacement of 5.1-litres to produce torque ratings of 560 to 660 lb-ft (759 to 895 Nm).

Next up the foodchain is the DD13, offering power outputs of 350 to 505 hp (261 to 376 kW) from 12.8-litres and with torque ratings of 1250 to 1850 lb-ft (1695 to 2508 Nm).

Australian operators are already familiar with the DD15, offering 400 to 505 hp (298 to 376 kW) from 14.80-litres to produce a torque rating spread from 1550 to 1750 lb-ft (2101 to 2373 Nm).

That synopsis now brings us to the expectation of high horsepower and the DD16 when that rolls into Aussie towns in 2020.

With a wide, flat torque curve that delivers from 1850 up to 2050 lb-ft (2508 to 2779 Nm) and with a range of 500 to 600hp (373 to 447 kW), this 15.6-litre engine was designed from the outset to run with turbo compounding and the second-generation Amplified Common Rail fuel injection system using AdBlue and a diesel particulate filter to meet the equivalent Euro 6 emissions legislation.

Although Eaton Roadranger transmissions feature prominently in Australian applications, both as full manual, AMT as in UltraShift PLUS, and design-specific AMTs such as the new Endurant, Daimler Trucks North America will be promoting its own in-house DT12 automated manual transmission as featured in the Mercedes-Benz product range.

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FEATURE

CZECH MATE Tatra has a firm following in places where the tough get going – words by Neil Dowling

T

atra may be a hidden player in the highly visible on-road geography of road transport, but its gutsy products are quietly amassing a solid audience.

No better reflection of the rolling popularity of the centuryold innovator from the Czech Republic (which changed its name to Czechia in 2016, but few people adopted it), is its performance in its most distant market of Australia.

The family-owned, Perth-based Offroad Trucks Australia is the Tatra distributor for Australia, and noted that improving sales for the brand was impacting on service and parts. In response, last month it opened a new four-bay workshop and service centre close to its existing support and sales businesses in the Perth south-eastern industrial centre of Maddington.

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This is the third building for OTA in Perth − it also has similar operations in Queensland’s Mackay − which company general manager Amber Gaden said was consistent with the philosophy of putting the customer first.

“This is not a cheap exercise,” says Amber, who has increasingly been part of OTA’s engine room since it was founded by her father, current MD Larry Gill, 16 years ago.

“But my father’s philosophy from the very beginning was to look after the customer. As a former truckie, he’s been out there on the side of the road with a truck broken down for a $5 part. So he knows what it’s like.

TATRA OFF ROAD “The new service centre came about because there was an increase in the service demand for the trucks and, with new sales from the existing range and the new Phoenix that demanded pre-delivery, this was slowing service times. A new building was the solution.”

The Tatra Phoenix, in six and eight-wheel variants, deviates from Tatra’s iconic air-cooled V8 engines by using a PACCAR powertrain, so OTA has further expanded its spare parts inventory.

The new building in Eva Street is on an expansive hardstand − to be used to showcase examples of the brand − alongside the auxiliary parts centre, and has a 10-tonne overhead crane with full workshop facilities.

Opened on-site last month by Larry Gill and his staff, the event was supported by more than 100 customers and suppliers to the tune of a live band and sincere − and emotional − speeches by members of the Gill family.

Larry emphasised the need to look after customers, recounting to the audience the case of the first truck he sold that is still in operation on a farm in Perth’s hills and “we still carry 100 percent of its parts”.

The three spare-parts warehouses, only a couple of minutes from the new service centre, are regarded as among the most comprehensive in Australia.

OTA has up to 12 months of parts in stock to counter the time delay in getting parts out of the Czech factory, ensuring customers don’t have to wait.

“If we have to airfreight a part, or if we have to rob a part from one of our trucks to get the customer back on the road, we’ll do it − at our cost. The customer comes first,” Amber Gaden says.

It is one of the main reasons that led Mark McKay of McKay Drilling to buy his 10th Tatra from OTA, an 8X8 Phoenix.

“The availability of spares is the main reason we have another Tatra,” he told PowerTorque.

“The trucks are also very comfortable − all our operators comment on that. We have issues with some spare parts for our other trucks that can get pushed out to two or three months. That’s impossible for us when we’re out in the field.”

McKay Drilling has a substantial fleet for its work with top-tier mining and oil companies. Currently it has 63 Mercedes-Benz, four MAN and 10 Tatras.

Amber says: “These trucks are expensive. People rely on them and we want to give first-class service. There’s no reason not to expect that.”

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FEATURE She says the Tatra products suit a niche market and as a dedicated off-road truck, drew little sales from highway users. The Phoenix, however, has highway applications that are an extension to its main off-road purpose.

Mark McKay says his latest Tatra was bought to work in WA’s North-West resources fields, but could comfortably be used on the highway from Perth.

Axle load changes made recently by the Main Roads of Western Australia − lifting the twin-steer load sharing maximum to 12 tonnes from 11 tonnes – could have the impact of boosting sales.

Amber says this would effectively add another tonne to the payload of the Tatra, making the brand more competitive against mainstream manufacturers.

“We had been at a disadvantage because the Tatras are made for very heavy-duty conditions and are heavy − the cab-chassis are up to one-tonne more than many rivals, for example,” she says. “The lifting of the load limit puts us back in the race.”

She adds the majority of sales are by referral and repeat business.

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Mark McKay from McKay Drilling

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FEATURE

PENRITH’S SHOW & SHINE

The Penrith Working Truck Show, now in its 32nd year, continues to entice and encourage the trucking community with its exemplary display of vehicles from today and yesteryear. The annual event is an integral part of the Western Sydney trucking scene, providing a great day out with top-level entertainment for all ages − especially tiny, excited visitors who marvel at the exhibits, many of which were built before they came into this world.

Since the show’s origin back in 1988, generations of kids and grown-ups alike have been treated to an exceptionally well-presented array of working trucks, which spend their working week toiling in all manner of arduous working conditions from long-haul, highway work to civil construction sites.

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PENRITH WORKING TRUCK SHOW

The Penrith Working Truck Show struts its best – Words by Warren Caves, Images by Torque it Up.

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FEATURE To look at these trucks lined up majestically in uniform rows, with chrome and stainless steel reflecting the sun in every direction, it’s easy to forget these are true workhorses that just days earlier may well have been slopping about in a muddy quarry pit or dotted with the remnants of a bug-splattered western run.

What becomes quickly evident as you wander around the 200 or more trucks on display is the tangible connection between owners and their trucks. They are clearly more than just a rolling tin office. They become part of their life, an extension of themselves of which they take meticulous care (some even demanding you leave your thongs at the door) at every opportunity.

The 2019 show was, by all accounts, another great success, despite the ever-present make-or-break threat posed by the weather. Fortunately, the day was pictureperfect this year with brilliant sunshine throughout the day for families to take in the rides, stalls and entertainment – and, of course, to drool over the finest examples of working trucks from near and far.

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PENRITH WORKING TRUCK SHOW

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FEATURE A must-do on the truck show calendar, the Penrith display continues to attract quality entertainment acts and this year was no exception. Entertaining the crowds were The Wolfe Brothers, Adam Eckersley and Brooke McClymont, Christie Lamb, The Viper Creek Band and Brad Butcher.

And, as an alternative to the music, the all-day free rides kept little ones wishing they hadn’t eaten that last fluffy stick of fairy floss.

Awards were presented in numerous categories and as testament to PowerTorque’s eye for a well-presented truck, Best Custom Super Truck was taken out by FAT 388 − the very classy PETERBILT owned by B&R Stevens, which was featured in the February issue of this magazine.

All funds raised from the Penrith Working Truck Show go to The Museum of Fire, a local charity that, through historical displays of firefighting equipment within the museum, educates visitors about fire safety and firefighting principles, whilst preserving the equipment and its history.

Organisers were justifiably pleased with the patronage this year, with figures expected to rival the show’s best-ever attendances. The event wasn’t without its challenges – a little rain on the preceding Saturday night saw volunteers braving the weather in raincoats to get everything ready in time, while the parking of some heavy vehicles had to be re-evaluated to look after the soggy ground.

The weekend of the 30-31 March was a full one for trucking enthusiasts, with the Penrith event coinciding with a Razorback Blockade 40th anniversary memorial gathering atop the famous mountain on the Friday. On Saturday, the historical trucks rolled down the Hume Highway for the ‘Haulin’ The Hume’ rally, followed by the Penrith event on Sunday.

Show organisers reported some regulars had experienced obvious logistical difficulties in attending both events, leading to suggestions it might be in the best interest of both if they were not held over the same weekend in future.

For truck enthusiasts, however, the weekend was full to the brim with nostalgia and quality trucks from all over.

Whether it be a brand-new Kenworth 900 Legend, a roadwise Commer Knocker, or an Isuzu, all facets of road transport were out and about for a very busy weekend of truck appreciation.

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THE LATEST INNOVATIONS IN

TRAILER TECHNOLOGY

TRAILERTORQUE

TRAILER TORQUE NEWS Bruce Rock Trailers The standout trailer on the popular West Australian trailer builder’s stand was its Cold Core MSC (molded structural composite) fridge van, which can be specced as either a single trailer or as a multicombination unit for B-double or road train applications.

The advantages of this trailer are its one-piece construction, which means it has outstanding thermal properties without temperature loss through bolts or screws. Wabash National, the largest manufacturer of trailers in North America, provides the cuttingedge MSC technology. The chassis are built by Bruce Rock to suit Australia’s arduous conditions.

Brenton O’Connor and Neil Dowling check out the news in trailing equipment

Bruce Rock also displayed one of its side tippers, with a design that has been received particularly well in the West Australian market. The re-emergence of the mining boom has sparked particular interest in Bruce Rock’s range of side tippers in road train configuration for WA’s extensive mining operations. These trailers are renowned for their robust design and simple operation, which is making them particularly popular with customers in the country’s West.

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The Bruce Rock product range includes Evolution side tippers, road train dollies, flat tops, drop decks, deck wideners and extendables, the Wabash National refrigerated and dry vans, plus Etnyre live bottom trailers.

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NEWS Graham Lusty Trailers The range of trailers on display from Graham Lusty and the team showed the great diversity of this Brisbanebased manufacturer. GLT has developed purpose-built trailers to suit a wide variety of applications in addition to its well respected range of tippers.

A 64-foot PBS walking floor was most impressive, designed for bulk products such as green waste and rubbish. The steerable axle design allows it to track impressively behind the prime mover.

Another interesting display was the asphalt-spec’ moving floor, which requires far less maintenance than a live bottom floor trailer, as it doesn’t have the ongoing maintenance costs of wear seals and the like. The moving floor system of the Keith Walking Floor system uses temperature-proof bearings with high-wear-resistant steel planks that self-seal when loaded, to provide a leakfree floor.

Build quality of the Graham Lusty trailers is always first class, with the welds seen on the display trailers being truly outstanding.

Also on display was a widening low loader (float) that Graham Lusty Trailers distributes in Australia. Whilst manufactured in China under strict guidance from Graham Lusty, these trailers are ready to go now and avoid the long wait times associated with many locally built low-loaders.

The first day of the show brought many orders from visitors to the GLT stand, prompting a company spokesperson to note that the justification for taking part in the event had been confirmed by lunchtime on day one.

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TRAILERTORQUE JOST Australia Technology leader JOST Australia showcased a variety of new products. Having marketed a range of alloy wheels for years in Australia, with the launch of the EverShine wheel it now offers a coated alloy wheel designed to prevent pitting, blistering, corrosion and coating breakdown. Best of all, it is low-maintenance with simple cleaning by soap and water without the need to polish.

The new JOST JSK42WKS turntable includes a number of additional safety features including three sensors that can be wired through the dash of several European trucks, or alternatively fitted with JOST’s own in-cabin display.

The turntable can be opened pneumatically from inside the driver’s cabin, rather than with a manual handle. The advantages of the pneumatic operation include safer operation, by reducing the risk of a driver injuring a shoulder by pulling on a stiff turntable release handle.

The Rockinger RO500 is a 50 mm trailer coupling that includes a pneumatic coupling release with sensor technology that provides the driver with an in-cab display of both coupling status and a turn-angle jack-knife warning. This should certainly help to reduce the damage caused when a dog trailer is excessively jack-knifed, which can result in damage to mud flaps and tail-lights.

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Also on display on the JOST Australia stand was the latest in powered electronic landing legs from RAZOR with the Delta Drive unit. Australian-designed and tested, the Delta unit takes electric landing leg technology to the next level.

Available for all major brands of landing leg, RAZOR units are particularly suited to JOST equipment.

Knorr-Bremse The Knorr Bremse stand highlighted many of the innovations and regulatory changes that are soon to be seen by the industry with the mandatory nature of roll stability control coming into trailer designs.

Information and video demonstrations on the stand highlighted the difference between a trailer equipped with roll stability and one without, and how such technology can prevent rollovers in many instances.

Information was also provided to customers on the regulation changes coming, and what changes need to be made by customers when ordering new trailer equipment once these changes become mandatory from July 1, 2019.

The new Bendix/Knorr-Bremse Wingman Fusion 2.0 system can now be fitted across the entire Kenworth truck range and is an integral part of the next-generation Mack Anthem models, due for release in Australia next year.

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Dollies, Drop Decks, Retractable Skeletals, Flat Tops, PBS Combinations

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TRAILERTORQUE Hendrickson Australia Hendrickson revealed its disc-brake steered axle and trailer assemblies at the Brisbane show, reaching operators who may want to complement a disc-brake European prime mover.

The retro-fit trailer unit is compatible with disc brakeequipped trucks but is also being launched in response to the rollout of the NHVR’s Performance-Based Standards (PBS).

Currently Hendrickson has drum-brake systems and suspension systems in over and underslung layout, with disc units only available in the overslung arrangement.

The Hendrickson display included truck suspensions in air, spring and rubber block formation. Its large range of trailer axles and suspension offers a wide variety of configurations, with drum and disc brakes, as well as trailer stubs axles for float applications.

Hendrickson Asia Pacific general manager Arthur Mitsel said the underslung design with discs will be on the market in about six months.

The trailer-steerable disc-braked systems are compatible with the TIREMAAX PRO tyre inflation system, requiring hollow spindles − a major change from the solid spindles fitted to the existing drum-brakes units.

Also on display at the show were the Toughlift liftable pusher suspension units that allows operators to increase payload through the number of axles and so improve operating efficiencies.

“Kenworth is offering our product,” Mr Mitsel said. “We don’t have much competition as it’s a niche sector of the market.”

The suspension offers a 150mm lift and is light in weight.

It is designed for pusher or tag applications with an axle rating of up to 10 tonnes.

TIREMAAX PRO is Hendrickson’s automatic tyre inflation system and is designed to both extend tyre life and reduce fuel consumption by drawing upon the trailer’s air supply to keep trailer tyres inflated properly and rolling smoothly. The system monitors pressures in all tyres and will direct air to one or more tyres when they dip below the pre-set level. According to Hendrickson, the system can pay for itself within a year when you factor in reduced fuel consumption, reduced maintenance costs and increased tyre life.

Another unique feature of the system is relieving pressure from the tyre when necessary through heat, as tyre pressures typically increase substantially from cold to hot, particularly during 40-degree-plus Australian summer days. The system is not prone to damage as the air-line runs through the centre of the axle and hub and is not externally mounted like some systems, which are prone to having hoses knocked off.

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NEWS MaxiTRANS MaxiTRANS recently purchased Trout River live bottom floor trailers, filling a need for customers which has seen significant growth in popularity due to OHS laws and the risk associated with end-dump tippers (semi-trailers and truck-and-dog combinations).

Continuing to be sold under the Trout River name, but now with the backing of MaxiTRANS, live bottom floor trailers are becoming particularly popular in asphalt operations due to the fact they don’t risk rollover or coming into contact with overhead objects, in particular power lines.

The other innovation from MaxiTRANS was the SafeADJUST Mezz Deck, which is an innovative mezzanine deck system designed for quick and easy operation. Its exclusive design to MaxiTRANS, using conventional forklifts, enables the deck to be safely manoeuvred to the desired position without operators needing to approach the trailer or exit the forklift. This is due to the locking system, which senses deck movement and controls the lock engagement automatically.

SafeADJUST is then permanently secured, making it safe to travel without the risk of decks collapsing.

Panus Oceania Panus Trailers Oceania is Thailand’s largest manufacturer of heavy-duty trailers. After spending the past six years evaluating, testing and designing a range of trailers suited to the Australian market, it has now launched a selected product range here for Australian operators. Led by Ron Gysberts, PowerTorque was invited to a preview as Ron showcased a range of trailers to show visitors.

Ron believes the strength of the brand will be reinforced by quick lead times and the availability of stock ready for delivery now, when compared to local manufacturers that are typically six to 12 months behind in production. The componentry used on the trailers is Australian-sourced, such as brake valves, axles, suspension and lights, so that they not only meet ADR rules but are easily and quickly replaceable from truck parts suppliers when required.

Standard axles are SAF; however, the customer has a choice of axles to suit their particular needs. EBS brakes are standard, rather than the mandatory ABS, both on drum and disc brake axle trailers. Panus’s range of trailers includes dollies, drop decks, retractable skels, flat tops and PBS combinations, such as a doubles and Super B-doubles.

Right Weigh Load Scales With intentional overloading now a thing of a past, and with most operators running mass management accreditation, ensuring vehicles are not overloaded is more critical than ever.

Many truck operations don’t have the luxury of loading on a weighbridge − for example, a grain carrier loading grain on a farm. As such, Right Weigh’s new Bluetooth load scales can help avoid both overloading and also underloading, which costs the operator daily in lost payload. These scales operate on each axle group and send a message to an app on the driver’s smartphone via Bluetooth showing the weight on each axle group. So confident are they of their robustness that Right Weigh includes a three-year warranty with each unit sold.

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TRAILERTORQUE

SAF-HOLLAND SAF-HOLLAND displayed a wide variety of equipment including trailer axles, suspension, turntables, landing legs and tyre inflation systems.

Standouts included the new HLD30 landing leg, which has a 30-tonne lifting capacity and two-speed gearbox. The big advantage of this leg compared to conventional twospeed landing legs is the constant mesh gearbox design, which is not only lighter than traditional setups, it also reduces the risk of the gear not being correctly engaged when changing from high to low gear and consequently damaging the gear.

A trailer axle with electric drive, developed by SAFHOLLAND, is being trialled overseas and could make it to the Australian market within two years.

for trailers fitted with ancillaries such as refrigeration equipment. Like the hydraulic model, it allows additional drive for maximising traction and power when operating heavy trailers on slopes or on poor surfaces.

The SAF-HOLLAND representatives said the benefits, aside from maximising traction, were lower fuel consumption and fewer emissions.

The fuel saving is a direct product of the electric drive powering ancillary equipment that may normally be powered directly from the engine.

The electric drive works like a kinetic recuperation system, using the axle momentum to drive the electric motor that also acts as a generator.

The axle, called SAF TRAKe, is designed to recuperate energy and allocate it to the truck or trailer’s ancillary electrical system to save on fuel.

This generator charges an onboard battery that then supplies power to equipment such as a refrigeration unit. The power can also be used for cooling and heating systems, pumps, tail lifts and so on − in fact, anything that operates on the truck electric system.

An SAF Holland spokesman at the Brisbane Truck Show said the company has a hydraulic axle unit on the market now, though the two axles have different applications.

SAF-HOLLAND said the SAF TRAKe would be ideal for high-density urban areas or night-time truck operations where it could be operated on the silent electric motor.

The electric drive replicates the engine-assist function of the hydraulic model but offers a lot more, especially

The unit would also be compatible with existing axle hardware, using the same brakes − for example − as nondriven axles.

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TRAILERTORQUE

SAF-HOLLAND’s hydraulic drive trailer axle scored considerable interest

Tefco Tefco trailers from Goulburn in NSW displayed an impressive alloy truck-and-quad-dog PBS combination featuring a full aluminium trailer chassis. That helps to both reduce tare weight and risk of chassis corrosion, particularly in industries dealing with corrosive products such as fertiliser.

Buyers have been somewhat averse to alloy chassis through fear of work hardening and cracking; however, Tefco have been building them successfully for many years without witnessing the problems of cracking typically associated with such designs.

The build quality of the trailers shown was excellent, testimony to Tefco’s reputation with owner-operators and fleets alike.

TMC Australia TMC, Australia’s own trailer axle manufacturer, had on its stand a large variety of trailer axles and suspensions in various forms to suit different applications. TMC’s strong point has always been its reduced tare weight, which TMC claims to be as light as 163 kg per module. These sorts of reduced weights should be appealing to tare weightcritical applications such as tippers and fuel haul.

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NEWS

WABCO WABCO continues its push for greater fleet connectivity with its leading technology, OptiLink, which is now available on both Android and iOS devices. Offering drivers and fleet managers easy access to 18 trailer control and monitoring functions, OptiLink gives the widest range of accessibility through a single mobile device for real-time information, improving safety and efficiency.

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TRAILERTORQUE

SUPPORTING ACT The bright spots in new technology for equipment and accessory suppliers – Neil Dowling reports

W

hile the stars at truck shows are usually the truck makers and trailer manufacturers, the grass roots industries of product suppliers and services provide their own excitement and innovation.

Tyre retailers in Australia are a secretive bunch, guarding the results of surveys amongst customers on tyre life and the effects of new compounds on fuel economy as though their lives depend on it. But one company at the Brisbane show surfaced from the dark side to showcase a new development in tyre pressure monitoring, in the process attracting a lot of interest from operators who find tyre technology interesting and realise how much influence on costs a tyre monitoring programme can have.

Bridgestone Australia has signed off on a new product after successful trials of a static monitoring system that checks truck and bus tyre conditions without human involvement.

Available now to Australian operators, the Bridgestone tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS) Is installed in the premises of the operator, usually at a gateway, and senses tyre air pressure and air temperature. The results are transmitted to the cabin or truck operator control centre.

Bridgestone’s TPMS, part of the tyre maker’s Total Tyre Management model, is suitable for return-to-base applications such as metropolitan delivery services, waste management, construction and bus fleets.

The data collected through the technology will also be integrated into the B Mobile platform, with low-pressure warnings creating action items within the system.

A spokesman for Bridgestone Australia told PowerTorque it had already prevented two potential vehicle fires after extreme air temperature was detected in two buses at an Australian coach operator.

The monitor, also in use overseas, has been introduced into Australia after Bridgestone saw the potential for vehicle accidents attributed to poor tyre condition.

Bridgestone’s national commercial and solutions business manager, Jon Tamblyn, estimates the technology will provide a 70 percent reduction in tyre-related failures.

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ACCESSORIES “Slow leaks are difficult to detect, and often they are not picked up until it is too late,” he said.

“It only takes a few days for a slow leak to become a critical issue, or worse, result in a catastrophic failure.

“Fleet operators understand the importance and costper-kilometre benefits of running at the optimal pressure, and through the regular, automated checks our gate technology is designed to deliver, operators will be able to ensure their vehicles are at the correct pressure when they leave the depot.”

The system has external sensors mounted on each wheel position’s valve, each with a unique identifier to measure tyre pressure and temperature.

As the vehicle passes between the magnetometeractivated gates at the operator’s depot, the data is received and uploaded to a Cloud-based reporting system twice a day.

The system also features logic to immediately notify depot or fleet managers to critical alerts, such as a low-pressure value or unusually high temperature, via email or SMS. Bridgestone said that because the hardware is all standalone, installation is simple and cost-effective, with no need to remove existing tyres to implement the technology.

TRAILERTORQUE Bridgestone Australia and New Zealand managing director Stephen Roche said the launch of the gate TPMS technology demonstrated how Bridgestone is committed to providing business solutions.

“The introduction of Bridgestone’s gate technology is a major advancement for the industry and will allow us to bolster our fleet offerings,” he said.

“The technology is designed to alert fleet operators of potential issues before they become a problem, and streamlines what was previously a manual task in the yard.”

The installation of the gate TPMS allows operators to automatically check tyre pressure when a vehicle enters or leaves the yard. This increases the number of checks, and provides more frequent and up-to-date data.

Bridgestone said it had made significant investments in its commercial solutions programmes over the past few years. It has launched its locally-developed B Mobile platform digitising and streamlining system for service technicians, and continued to roll out new Total Tyre Management tools.

Carrier Transicold Carrier’s latest Vector HE 19 (High Efficiency) unit was big news at the Brisbane Truck Show for operators involved in fridge pan work. The new unit includes Carrier’s E-DRIVE all-electric technology, which replaces the mechanical transmissions of a conventional belt drive system with electricity from a generator. The advantages of the HE 19 include a reduction in fuel use by up to 30 percent. It is also 82 kg lighter and 3dB (A) quieter.

Hella Australia As might be expected from the global leader in lighting, Hella Australia launched several innovative new lighting products at the Brisbane show.

The new RokLUME 380 N driving light is both powerful and extremely durable, for high performance in the harshest environments. Its 12 high-power LEDs provide the RokLUME 380 N’s class-leading light output of 7500 lumen, housed in a rugged body made from corrosionfree aluminium, with a tough, impact-resistant, hardcoated polycarbonate lens. A heavy-duty stainless-steel bracket protects against vibration.

Following its debut in 1999, HELLA’s iconic DuraLED® combination light has been vastly improved with the release of the DuraLED® Combi, which now includes an ADR-approved inbuilt reflector, stop light, tail-light, indicator and reverse light in a super-slim, maintenancefree sealed unit. It’s designed to withstand not only highpressure washing but even temporary submersion, as well as being corrosion, impact and shock-resistant, for a longer service life and backed by a lifetime warranty.

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Hella’s latest RokLUME driving light (on left), with the Luminator LED (above)

ACCESSORIES Narva Narva announced at the Brisbane Truck Show that it will offer new LED light packages coming in six months to retrofit existing halogen headlights. The packages are slipin units designed for easy fitment.

It is part of a programme to give owners of older vehicles a way of increasing light output to boost safety.

Narva has already released LED headlight inserts in the traditional 5 3/4-inch size, which are a direct replacement for halogen inserts complete with a H4 connector.

Other new HELLA lighting products include the new LED Light Control Units ensuring ADR-compliant indicator failure control, as well as the innovative VISIOTECH series of work lights and reversing lights that enhance safety during loading.

HELLA’s broad commercial vehicle product portfolio also includes brake system products from leading European friction brands TEXTAR and DON, including a new TEXTAR brake disc for the Volvo FH12 to match TEXTAR’s Original Equipment brake pads. The Hella range also includes the latest thermal management and filtration products from Original Equipment brands BEHR HELLA SERVICE and MANN FILTER, as well as the SCANGRIP range of high-power workshop lights.

ISRI Specialist German seat maker ISRI has unveiled a new airsuspended seat range that is being introduced into OEM brands before becoming available to aftermarket buyers.

The NTS2 has already been picked up by OEMs including Hino and for the Volvo FE − which is set for Australian launch itself next year − but representatives at the Brisbane show said it could be two years before ISRI opened the doors to this model hitting the replacement seat market.

Though similar in appearance to the current NTS, the second-generation version features adjustable seatbelt height to eradicate chafing of the neck and shoulders of the driver or passenger. ISRI said this was incorporated into the NTS2 because of customer feedback.

The new seat design also has a longer seat-height adjustment to suit occupants needing a higher or lower cushion. The seat cover is now made from recycled material and the foam is of mixed density, replacing the previous single-density cushion.

ISRI said the bolsters were of a firmer material than the cushion and centre of the backrest. The seat also comes with a new style of optional armrest.

OEMs have the ability to add extra features to the NTS2, including seatbelt warning lights and seat heaters. These functions are not offered from the ISRI factory.

The latest lights have a black-chrome finish and LED features of free-form optics, and a brilliant white light at 6000-degrees to resemble natural daytime conditions and minimise eye fatigue.

The light is available in two versions − the 72110 with high and low beam, daytime running light and position lightpipe functions. The 72144 version has high beam and directional indicator functions.

Both are fully sealed and weatherproof (IP68 and IP69K) and have heavy-duty construction with impact-resistant polycarbonate lenses to protect against damage from deflecting rocks and roadside debris.

The housing is made of die-cast aluminium that is corrosion and impact resistant, while solid state LED construction means there are no filaments or bulb tubes to be damaged.

The lamps also have built-in reverse polarity, over-voltage protection and an active thermal management system, and come with a five-year warranty.

The multi-volt design (between 9 and 33 volts) makes them compatible with 12-volt and 24-volt systems.

For vehicle owners with seven-inch headlamp inserts, Narva has LED headlamp inserts as model number 72104 and 72106, which have the same benefits as the smaller inserts.

TRP TRP has produced its first full product range guide, filling 284 pages with part numbers of OEM components and a range of accessories.

There is also cross-reference parts numbers, specifications and images to ensure the correct part if ordered.

Parts covered run from brakes to HVAC components, lighting and air systems, wheels, steering and suspension, and even cabin parts.

The parts and accessories are then available through TRP stores around the country, or PACCAR dealerships and service-parts outlets.

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TRAILERTORQUE

GLOBAL POSITIONING

The Australian trailer market is set to become much more interesting as Panus Oceania grows its presence Down Under

I

n the April issue of TrailerTorque, we looked briefly at Panus Oceania as it completes what could be described as a six-year apprenticeship in trailer manufacturing for the Australian market.

This is not an apprenticeship in terms of building trailers; with an almost 50-year history of trailer and equipmentbuilding, this Thailand-based conglomerate has plenty of runs on the board.

The apprenticeship in this instance relates to Panus evaluating the Australian market and fine-tuning its existing and future product range to suit the very specific requirements of Australian operators, rather than adapting an existing design and expecting the buyer to make the final compromise.

To understand why Australia figures so prominently in the future plans of Thailand’s largest trailer manufacturer we travelled to the Bangkok suburb of Chonburi to speak exclusively to the company CEO, Watanachai Panus.

His Australian sales team is headed by industry stalwart Ron Gysberts in his role as International Marketing and Sales Director, together with National Sales Manager Scott Wettenhall.

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PANUS Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney as the brand grows its customer base. Currently there are two Panus Oceaniaapproved outlets: K&J Trucks of Coffs Harbour and Express Engineering of Dubbo.

The past six years have seen a fanfare-free approach from the company as it introduced a selection of options from its expansive product range into the Australian market, Ron Gysberts explains.

“Initially we were looking at the breadth of product range we could substantiate. But we soon came to realise that establishing the Panus name should rely on the major product lines of flat-tops, drop-decks, curtainsiders, skeletal trailers and PBS-approved designs, which together comprise around 80 percent of market requirements,” he says.

“These are the more common trailer designs that we can offer with a solid reputation for durability and reliability.

What makes us different are the economies of scale coming from dealing with the Panus organisation.

“Our design team uses Finite Element Analysis (FEA) with Computer Aided Design and Manufacturing (CAD/CAM) to identify potential stress and hot spots. We source our steel from Sweden, Australia and other markets, with hightensile options enabling lighter tare weights. We have also developed our own trailer and equipment tracking and onboard weighing systems by working with LogiSenses, with a system that also monitors and reports on repair and maintenance tracking and reporting.”

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TRAILERTORQUE As the Panus business nears its half-century celebration in 2021, the company is well into its expansion phase covering an expected doubling of production capacity.

As the largest trailer manufacturer in Thailand, Panus has also expanded into different metal fabrication areas, making vehicles and equipment for defence use such as mine-resistant personnel carriers.

On a global basis the company includes the Bliss Fox division which manufactures aircraft tugs and tractors to suit airside requirements from light planes to the largest commercial airliners. The latest development includes the F1-340E, a push-back airline tractor. With a tare weight of 34 tonnes, this 4WD, 4WS unit can handle A380s and 747s with a GM of up to 340 tonnes, and is fully electrically powered.

The rail division manufactures rail wagons for cargo, while its passenger division manufacturers extra-wide-bodied buses for airside passenger transportation.

Panus is also the largest manufacturer in Thailand of car carriers and is working closely with Kerren Smith, managing director of Smith Global Pty Ltd of Gympie, an engineering consultancy business renowned for its designs of Australian car carriers and specialist coal and hard rock mining equipment. This association also benefits the close cooperation required to develop PBS approval for different Panus semi-trailer and rigid truckand-dog trailer designs.

And of course there is more, with a bunded fuel tank division manufacturing remote-location fuel storage options for mine sites and rural truck operations, providing a fully accessible, controlled fuel storage and distribution service.

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CAMERA RADAR BRAKES

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TRAILERTORQUE “Our future growth is only possible outside Thailand,” Mr Panus says. “Since we started our Australian operations back in 2012 we have made a commitment to this market and we are now reinforcing that commitment with making stock available.

“We currently manufacture 3000 trailers each year and when our expansion is complete we could increase that to between 6000 and 8000 trailers per year. To proceed further we can then also add a third production shift, so we have tremendous capacity and tremendous flexibility.”

The total market for trailer sales in Thailand tops out at around 12,000 units per year, which is why the desire to expand production capabilities comes with the need to expand into new markets. While Australia is a very firm part of that expansion, Mr Panus says the company could also be looking to establish closer cooperation with an existing Australian trailer builder to underpin its growth.

“We are continuing to invest in robotic manufacturing techniques to speed the production of individual trailers, while also improving welding integrity and production values where there are repetitive manufacturing procedures,” he says.

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“Our trailer designs incorporate high-end safety standards with EBS (Electronic Braking Systems) standard across all products. In our first six years of association with the Australian market we wanted to develop the right product, right for the customer and right for the factory. Now, with 20 models available for introduction to the Australian market, we can build stock and have it available in the market.

“The ready-built bodies for rigid trucks fitted prior to sale is also a market that is attractive, having established the reputation of overseas-built factory-supplied bodies.

These can be provided in flat-packed containerised import for local fitment.

“Once we have fully established our Australian operations we will then look to the New Zealand market and further expansion through areas such as Papua New Guinea.

The PNG scenario for expansion uses a different product focus. This is more aligned with heavy-duty vehicles that draw similarities with existing Thai domestic products used in remote and rural areas.”

The Thai management style is very different from that of Australian companies through various programmes designed to ensure the wellbeing of staff and also to participate in local communities. Examples of this management style include sponsorship by the factory of workforce soccer and volleyball teams as this ensures a raising of fitness, as well as being highly popular.

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TRAILERTORQUE It also extends to local community projects, with Mr Panus explaining that in a business based on steel fabrication, there are always off-cuts and scrap metal left over.

When a division in the workforce is experiencing a temporary downturn, employees are redeployed to turn the scrap metal into equipment for children’s playgrounds. Having picked an area such as a town or village, the company finds workers that come from that village so that they can go with the playground equipment when it is delivered for the children.

This links the workers with the location and to the children and creates a much more personal involvement by the company in the local community.

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