POWERTORQUE MAGAZINE ISSUE #83 APRIL/MAY 2018

A U S T R A L I A’ S L E A D I N G T R U C K A N D T R A I L E R M A G A Z I N E

Incorporating

ISSUE 82 APR/MAY 2018 RRP: $8.95

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ISSUE 82 APRIL / MAY 2018

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licence to drive one*. And they have a better turning circle than

of a much larger tray for handling awkward loads.

a lot of utes, so you won’t sacrifice manoeuvrability, either.

Gaining all that space doesn’t mean you’ll have to give up any

Other touches include a telematics and sat-nav†-ready

creature comforts, though. With direct injection turbo diesel engines

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Best of all, you won’t have to hang around for months to get behind the wheel, because the Ready-to-Work range is already fitted with a body and is ready and waiting to drive away. So if it’s time to get serious, head to isuzu.com.au or visit your nearest Isuzu Truck Dealer now.

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AT THE WHEEL Warren Caves reports on the road ahead ACROSS THE PADDOCK David Meredith reports from Western Australia

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OLIVER ABROAD, Our roving reporter in North American and Europe gives his take on the global trucking scene

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KEEPING IT COOL Melbourne-based QCFM grows its business in refrigerated freight

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LIVING THE DREAM Hayllar Transport has reason to celebrate the arrival of a new T610 SAR

22

AMERICA FIRST ProStar links International with IVECO for a renewed attack on the Australian market.

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PUSHING THE BOUNDARIES “It’s all about your business” as Scania breaks new ground with its brand-new model range

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INCREASING APPEAL Mercedes-Benz grows the Actros range to become a game changer for the brand

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BRAVE NEW WORLD Scania launches its Next Generation attack: Ed Higginson takes the wheel of the new G500

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V8 APPEAL Scania’s Next Generation V8 R620 comes under the spotlight

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CONTAINMENT Prevention is better than cure when it comes to replacing hoses

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HORSES FOR COURSES Charting the growth of Millers Transport Group

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CUSTOM AND CLASSIC Warren Caves focuses on Burkinshaw’s Transport of Wagga Wagga

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RELIABLE OUTCOMES Isuzu heads towards its 30-year record of market leadership

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LEGAL COMMENT Leading law firm Cooper Grace Ward makes their determination on work diaries

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

Ed Higginson Contributing Writers - Stuart Martin Warren Caves David Meredith Rob Randazzo Photography - Jonathan Wood

Geoff Parrington

Mark Bean

Cristian Brunelli

Warren Caves 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

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40 YEARS OF DAKAR The toughest test of man and machine continues to fascinate drivers across the globe.

SPRINTING OVER THE LINE Mercedes-Benz ramps up with all guns blazing as it takes on all-comers in the medium to large van market LAYING THE FOUNDATIONS Fleet expansion in the highly competitive concrete business relies on the legendary ACCO HARD YAKKA Warren Caves takes a weekend off to visit the Penrith Working Truck Show

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92 TRAILER TORQUE

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INTERNATIONAL APPEAL Tickford Racing returns to the track for 2018 hauled by a pair of ProStars

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EURO TRAILERTORQUE Following the trends in overseas trailers and equipment

FIT FOR PURPOSE Townsville Logistics has a business model that would be the envy of many operators ITALIAN STYLE V.Orlandi increases its presence in the Australian market.

AUSSIE-MADE The MaxiTRANS group shows that diversity leads to shared strengths.

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UP, UP AND AWAY SANY concrete pumping equipment joins the Gough Transport Solutions stable WORKING UNDER PRESSURE Brenton O’Connor delves into the world of hydraulics

Follow PowerTorque on

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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Chris Mullett

FORWARD

TORQUE

Welcome to the April issue of PowerTorque.

It’s currently one of the busiest periods in recent years for truck sales, with near record levels each month as truck operators plan their fleet replacement programmes against a backdrop of activity in new infrastructure that’s pushing the tipper and dog market.

Against this activity, the truck manufacturers are bringing new models into the market almost on a monthly basis.

Despite having a federal government that appears to reject the notion of climate change, the truck makers are determining their own decisions to upgrade to Euro 6 emissions standards.

The move to cleaner emissions simply requires an open mind that understands that pollution and global warming have to be controlled. It’s much the same with renewable energy, but politics gets in the way to cloud the issue and favour the lobbyists that are employed by the major polluters that bend the ears of government ministers, in return for a fat pay cheque.

Failing to seize an opportunity to reduce pollution means that we continue to find pre-1986 trucks in urban areas, blowing black smoke and polluting the inner city. For the elderly and those with respiratory problems it’s bordering on callous indifference to their health and life expectancy.

Meanwhile, those running long haul are financing the upgrade themselves with new equipment that’s cleaner and more efficient, but are receiving no incentive for their efforts.

A sustainable environment will only result from reducing the average age of vehicles in the Australian arena and providing incentives for those that take the initiative, while penalising those that don’t. It’s not rocket science, but, unfortunately, neither is it government policy.

This month the big news is the launch of the New Generation Scania truck range. We report on how the Swedish company introduced the different models to their customers, plus we include the first two road tests in Australia of prime movers in B-double configuration with our reviews of the 500 hp and 620 hp models.

This event is a huge deal for Scania, and the result of $3 billion of investment, over a decade of research and development, and 12 million kilometres of testing, of which 500,000 kilometres took place within Australia.

Customers can make their choice between Euro 5 and Euro 6 engines, but, for those that think ahead, there are fuel savings of up to 10 percent, reduced fatigue levels for drivers, and safer working environments. Scania has 6

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worked hard to gain ground in our market, and last year was rewarded by achieving its best ever sales record and scoring a market share of over 7.0 percent. Our test team came away from the launch experience with a very positive attitude towards the new models, and we will be interested to hear from our readers as to their impressions.

Our road test activities have not been solely confined to Scania, with Brenton O’Connor taking the wheel of the latest 13-litre Actros and Cummins-powered ProStar.

Our featured companies this month include Hayllar Transport, QCFM and Millers Transport Group.

Burkinshaws Transport is profiled by Warren Caves for the Custom and Classic feature, and Warren continues his photographic essay on trucking with a visit to the Penrith Museum of Fire Working Truck Show.

We look at the upgrades to Isuzu FX and FY models, visit operators using ACCOs in their concrete businesses, marvel at the stamina and ability of competitors driving trucks in the Dakar Rally and report on the all-new Mercedes-Benz Sprinter range as it joins the Australian market.

To interest the service department of your operation we talk to Gates Australia, which has released a new multipurpose hose that can provide a one-design-suits-all solution to substantially simplify your hose replacement strategy. Staying with the technical aspects of trucking we also profile Delta Hydraulics. This Tasmanian-based company is an Australian success story, supplying worldclass hydraulic rams and equipment to major global OEMs. TrailerTorque starts with the latest designs available in the European market and continues with details of how Townsville Logistics is setting new standards of efficiency in the triple road train sector. Gough Transport Solutions is now representing the SANY range of concrete pumping equipment options with booms that extend from 38 m to 62 m.

Maxi-CUBE and Freighter celebrate the delivery of 368 trailers fitted with Carrier Transicold Vector fridge units to Coles Supermarkets, and we detail the latest upgrades to Maxi-CUBE’s Classic refrigerated van trailer design.

Thanks for joining us, and we hope you enjoy Australia’s largest truck magazine as much as our team enjoys bringing you the latest transport industry developments in every issue.

As always, stay safe and enjoy the drive.

Best regards, Chris Mullett – Managing Editor and Publisher

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WHEEL

AT THE W A R R E N

C A V E S

R E P O R T S

A

lot of attention has been focused on the nation’s road toll of late, and with good reason. 2018 has started out with tragic events affecting far too many drivers and their families. We have also seen heavy vehicles included in these tragedies, which is heartbreaking for all concerned.

As a result of these unfortunate events our governing bodies have seen it necessary to carry out blitzes to try and address the representation of heavy vehicles in these statistics.

Operation “Rolling Thunder” is the latest catchcry of regulatory enforcement. I don’t have a problem at all with weeding out the elements of our industry who flaunt the rules and regulations to increase their gains with scant regard for public safety. I do however have a problem with where the authorities are focusing their attention.

There have been a lot of varying statistics being thrown around lately, so I’ll generalise a bit as these statistics are very overwhelming in their definition. Over 80 percent of vehicle crashes involving trucks are NOT the fault of the truck driver! However, when fatality rates go up and trucks are involved, these figures cannot continue to be ignored. In order to pacify public opinion, we see high profile media attention on the latest blitz to assure safety on our roads from unscrupulous transport operators.

It’s obvious to me, as I see it every day, but it should also be obvious to anyone else who studies these figures, that current training and licensing requirements with relation to driving around heavy vehicles are failing dismally.

One area where this failure can be attributed is with the successive generations of young drivers being taught to drive by someone who most likely has no qualifications to do so. Yes, that’s right, Mum and Dad. I’m not wanting to berate parents for doing what they can, but, if Mum is a solicitor and Dad an IT expert, things like braking force, centre of gravity and turning radius would be well and truly lost on them. Who evaluated their ability to drive, and PowerTorque ISSUE 82

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subsequently deemed it satisfactory enough to pass-on these skills, or lack thereof, to another driver?

Sure, there are professional driving instructors who do a fine job in teaching drivers what’s expected of them – that being, how to drive around the block and on local streets, park a car, do a hill start and ultimately gain enough skills to pass the test. These are not the skills that keep drivers alive. But I know from teaching my sons to drive in the last few years, that, at $50 per hour for lessons, I could not afford to pay instructors the 120 hours required.

If the regulatory bodies want to allocate funds to fixing this problem, in conjunction with truck safety blitzes, I would suggest a major public awareness programme on television and radio, more in-depth training for new drivers, not in hours but in online courses featuring video presentations of real-world situations that might be encountered on the road, and a test at the end to gauge their comprehension.

This could be done at home with a login type system and certain point score required for a pass. Surely some of the revenue raised from truck infringements alone could help to subsidise this.

“Current training and licensing requirements with relation to driving around heavy vehicles are failing dismally.”

This reaction is akin to trying to address the number of drowning deaths on our beaches by coming down hard on the lifeguards. There is only so much that professional truck drivers can do to protect other road users from their own incompetence, indifference, or just plain refusal to obey road rules.

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Truck licensing could come under some scrutiny as well, with the prohibition of one-day truck licence courses. Who can learn to become a competent heavy vehicle operator in just one day?

It’s ludicrous, and all drivers, both local and those from other countries, should be made to show competency in all aspects of the job.

It really is time that attention is focused on the right areas if we are to see any real improvement in the road toll. As our population grows and roads get more congested with cars and the everincreasing freight task, accidents are going to happen.

It’s now more important than ever to tackle the real issues instead of taking the easy way out and picking at the low hanging fruit because it’s easy, and looks good on the evening news.

Tough decisions need to be made and money needs to be spent, and I personally would like to see truck infringement revenue allocated to truck-related infrastructure and education instead of being dropped into consolidated government revenue to be wasted on insignificant causes.

Safe trucking, Warren Caves

NewsTorque Buying on-line is now easy for operators looking to lower their parts costs.

VMR Truck Parts originated in 1995 to supply quality used and reconditioned genuine truck parts to owners of older model Mack, UD and Volvo Trucks. Now, more than 20 years on, VMR carries over 34,000 parts offering everything from a door handle to a remanufactured transmission.

As of January this year, VMR extended its availability to on-line ordering, with customers able to access parts through the internet, augmenting the previous direct sales availability through dealerships.

“Buyers looking at VMR are typically not shopping for brand-new parts. They are looking for an alternative option. This is a responsible way of providing that option while at the same time ensuring quality and safety,” said Tony O’Connell, vice president of aftersales and service for Volvo Group Australia.

“We are really demonstrating that we can service the entire truck life cycle,” Tony added.

The VMR operation provides a cost effective alternative to the Volvo Group’s new parts stream, that is predominately suited for owners of older model trucks. Remanufactured parts are built to the highest Volvo Group standards, and all major components are tested on test rigs prior to being dispatched.

All parts are cleaned, inspected, checked and graded before they are dispatched again.

Used parts are graded into A Class and B Class, and come with warranties of six months and three months respectively.

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ACROSS THE

PADDOCK

DAV ID M ER EDITH LOOK S AT HOW A LOCA L DEA LERSHIP CA N UNDERPIN A MAJOR FRANCHISE IN WESTER AUSTRALIA

W

The dealership’s service facilities for customers are also examined – cleanliness, comfort, parking and access.

Calls to individual customers were also made to see what the real world was saying about the service experience.

Probably not a great deal. But what if the dealer has won recognition for its service operation? That’s another level of significance, and two West Australian dealers have recently gained that recognition over their national colleagues, impacting on customers of a wide range of brands.

Dealerships must provide the level of commitment and resources necessary to attain the standards of service expected in modern-day transport. The ability to stand out from the competition is a hard won commendation on how a business operates, and so it is particularly significant for our local industry that two of our WA dealers earned national recognition for excellence for 2017.

hat hat does it really mean to an operator that drives into a truck dealership for a service or to check out a new rig, when they see a giant poster announcing that the dealer has won a sales award from the factory?

As with almost any industry recognition programme, the satisfaction and achievement that a winner experiences is most keenly felt amongst its peers. That’s why they’re so keenly contested.

For car buyers, owners will enjoy the benefits at a level that is largely personal convenience. But for truck owners and operators it’s far more significant. The highest quality service levels mean your business spends less time off the road, with your vehicles contributing to your profitability rather than not earning revenue. In short, it’s cash in hand.

When you buy a new truck, the dealership should become as much a part of your ownership experience as is the truck itself. The relationship it encourages with its customers is no less important than the performance of the service technicians it employs and the speed and efficiency with which it solves your problems in order to keep your vehicles out on the road.

Reputation is a hard-won attribute that is easily lost if standards are allowed to drop, and once that reputation is damaged it takes a lot of effort to restore. The mining boom saw talented mechanics and fitters head for the higher pay of fly in and fly out work, but in recent months the truck industry has regained its equilibrium and attracted qualified mechanics to return to the employment safety that a major dealership can offer in the centre of a town, rather than in the middle of nowhere.

The manufacturers take the assessment process for these awards very seriously, completing a detailed analysis of the dealership operation. Processes checked include looking at booking records, how close quotes were to the eventual repair orders (ROs), parts supply, amount of rectification work needed, repair and service times vs. standard times, and level of warranty claims.

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Significantly, those two dealers represent 7 of the 18 or so brands available on the market – Volvo, Mack, UD, Hyundai Trucks, Mercedes-Benz, Freightliner and Fuso owners.

Truck Centre (WA) has captured the Volvo Group’s Metropolitan Dealer of the Year award for 2017. The dealership also sells Hyundai Trucks, so those owners can also be confident they’re getting the best level of service, even though the market share of the brand is still in its early days.

The Daimler Trucks Perth team is also basking in the glow of triple gongs. The dealership was named overall Australia and Pacific Dealer of the Year for all its brands, as well as individual Dealer of the Year for Freightliner and Mercedes-Benz.

In other recent news, PACCAR Leasing (PacLease) has announced the addition of new franchises in Perth, Darwin and Launceston, in association with the CJD Group.

CJD has partnered with PACCAR since 1984, starting out as the West Australian dealer of Kenworth Trucks, adding the distribution of DAF trucks in 2002.

The expansion of PacLease into 13 locations across Australia results in more full-service truck rental and leasing locations than any other provider in Australia. For CJD it provides a valuable asset of additional services to the group’s customers.

As we move forwards into 2018, the truck industry is showing all the signs of recovering from the hardships of the mining collapse to rebuild and expand with positive growth. Dealer awards – more strength to them, I say – as long as they’re in WA.

OLIVER

ABROAD

OLIVER DIXON, OUR ROVING REPORTER IN NORTH AMERICA A N D EU ROPE , GI V E S H IS TA K E ON T H E GLOBA L T RUCK I NG SCEN E 2017 wasn’t a bad year to be selling trucks. Europe and North America both outperformed expectation, and, now that various OEMs and suppliers have issued forecasts for 2018, it looks to be more of the same. Well, almost.

domestic demand. Finally, in the positive camp lies India, which Volvo sees as edging ahead – albeit marginally by 1.4 percent – while Cummins sees production as increasing by 13 percent.

Unsurprisingly – given January’s Class 8 order intake which represented the second best month on record at 48,700 units, and February’s similar out-of-the-park numbers of 40,600 units – there is absolute agreement that, during 2018, North American truck sales look likely to at stratospheric levels.

What of the laggards? Japan is forecast by Volvo to contract by 5.7 percent, but the big loser during 2018 looks set to be China.

Volvo sees sales at 280,000 units, up 14.6 percent over what was an already strong 2017, while Daimler – owner of the market-leading Freightliner brand along with Western Star – believes that the NAFTA market will experience “significant growth”.

PACCAR is slightly more conservative at 250,000, but this figure represents an increase of 15,000 units over the company’s last viewpoint. Finally Navistar, the most domestic-focussed of the US OEMs, posts a Class 6-8 delivery total of 375,000 units.

From a component supplier perspective, Cummins sees build rates in the heavy-duty Class 8 segment as likely to increase by 20 percent, Meritor sees a build rate of 290,000 vehicles, and Eaton a likely increase of 9 percent.

North America is very much the standout market for 2018, but there’s also some confidence around Europe too.

While the OEMs see the Europe 30 area as essentially flat when compared to full-year registrations for 2017 – although PACCAR has raised its previous and extremely conservative guidance by 10,000 units – it’s a flat market that continues a high registration level trend that has lasted someway beyond the length of the average upwards part of the truck buying cycle.

On the basis that Brazil could hardly get any worse, it’s not surprising to see that OEM and component supplier guidance is positive. Volvo is looking for a 39.4 percent improvement in heavy-duty sales, while Daimler is expecting “significant growth from low level”.

Notably, however, Cummins sees production as increasing by just 1.0 percent, something that perhaps implies that the growth in the export business that has done much to keep Brazilian production lines moving in recent months may now be coming to an end, to be replaced by growing 12

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Volvo is forecasting a 14.9 percent fall in heavy-duty sales and a similar decline in medium-duty sales of 12.7 percent, while Cummins, which also bands medium and heavyduty forecasts together for its Chinese guidance, believes that production will decrease to the tune of 14 percent.

Meritor, which provides revenue guidance for its Chinese operation, sees sales improving to $180 million from a previous estimate of $140 million. This may be explained by the bundling together of both on and off-highway derived revenues, but remains the only optimistic take on China.

Put this all together and we get an interesting picture.

A decade ago, had North America looked set for close to 15 percent growth, and had Europe promised to continue along a high plateau in terms of truck registrations – all would be very well in the world.

Today, things are rather different. If we focus on Volvo’s guidance, as it is by far the most comprehensive set of figures offered, we can see that four markets – North America, Europe, India and Brazil – are set to expand.

Two – China and Japan – are due to contract.

On balance, on a region versus region basis, this is clearly better than it is worse. But if we take an aggregate of the total heavy-duty guidance from Volvo, we can see a global market actually declining during 2018, with the total forecast representing a 5.7 percent decline in global truck sales.

That China is important is not news. But we can now see just how important China really is. In a world made up of global truck manufacturers, it is – comfortably – the world’s biggest market. Which is all well and good when things go well. When they don’t, not even a North America on fire and a Europe defying gravity can make up the shortfall.

Oliver Dixon

NewsTorque

T

he atrocious behaviour of Volkswagen Australia in the avoidance of addressing compensation for owners of vehicles affected by the Dieselgate scandal has taken a step forward through the efforts of Maurice Blackburn Lawyers, the leaders of the class action on behalf of owners of vehicles in Australia.

With $30 billion (USD) in fines already applied globally, there are currently eight VW executives criminally charged throughout the world for their alleged roles in the scheme.

Attempts to extradite VW executives in higher positions from Germany to the US have been resisted so far by the car maker, although an investigation is ongoing in Germany and against individuals in the US. Oliver Schmidt, VW’s compliance liaison with American regulators, who pleaded guilty in August to one count of conspiracy to defraud the US and another of violating the Clean Air Act, has been sentenced to seven years imprisonment in a US gaol and fined $400,000 (US). James Liang, a veteran VW engineer, was sentenced by a Detroit court to 40 months in prison and fined $200,000 (US) in August.

In January 2017, a South Korean court sentenced a Volkswagen executive to 18 months in jail for allegedly fudging the type approval of Volkswagen vehicles, according to Reuters. South Korea’s environment ministry also filed a criminal suit against Johannes Thammer, CEO of Audi Volkswagen Korea. The Australian Dieselgate trial affects around 100,000 Australian motorists. After two

years of pre-trial battles the VW trial is the first stage of a two-part trial aimed at imposing some real accountability.

Presiding judge, Justice Lindsay Foster, had previously lost patience with Volkswagen’s conduct in the case’s court hearings, accusing the company of treating Australia as a “backwater” due to its ongoing delay tactics.

In the final days of the trial, Volkswagen conceded that their vehicles in question fail the required emissions standards tests unless operating in cheat mode – known internally within Volkswagen as “customer” or “comfort” mode. In its closing submissions to the court VW Australia conceded on the major point that only its “test” mode was able to pass Australian emissions testing standards.

Class action principal at Maurice Blackburn Lawyers, Jason Geisker, said the admission from VW was a major bombshell late in the trial, given VW had vigorously defended any attempts to show these vehicles would fail emissions testing without using a cheat mode.

“People should have had straight answers and proper redress from the company, just like their Northern American counterparts. VW’s corporate conduct towards Australians is abysmal.

“Only now, after more than two and a half years of continuing to push for concessions and admissions to the questions at the heart of the scandal, are we finally seeing the cracks appear and a company that is facing a closing window of opportunity to resolve this scandal before the court decides the issue conclusively,” added Mr Geisker.

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FEATURE

KEEPING IT COOL

Melbourne-based QCFM grows its business in refrigerated freight – Words and images by Ed Higginson

I

t is always great to see a business grow from small beginnings, reminding everyone out on the road that the dream of starting your own business can be achieved.

And, with QCFM, managing director Eddie Quadara’s success has been amazing to see.

Just six years ago, Eddie was driving trucks for Woolworths out of the Mulgrave DC in Melbourne. When Woolworths announced that its old Safeway fleet in Victoria would be outsourced to Linfox in 2013, all of their drivers were made redundant. Some went on to work for Linfox, but others moved on, and, for Eddie, an opportunity came up at just the right time.

An old family friend, Anthony DiPietro, ran a successful fruit supply business and required a quality reliable transport provider. So, knowing of Eddie’s upbringing in the Melbourne Markets under his dad’s guidance, and his years of experience 14

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driving trucks, the foundations for QCFM were set. QCFM also had a great mentor in Frank Brancatisano, who worked with Anthony, and so they all got off to a great start.

The business has grown quickly over six years, moving produce from the markets to QCFM customers’ warehouses and onwards into the supply chain and supermarkets, whilst also supporting some other well-known family transport businesses. Today, it has depots in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne, employing a crew of 45 to run the fleet of 23 trucks with others on order.

One of the keys to the QCFM success has been the family focus that Eddie looks for within his own business, as well as his customers and suppliers. Eddie’s wife Vivianne looks after the company’s HR and compliance, whilst his mother-in-law Connie helps with all of the business admin.

KEEPING IT COOL In terms of fleet, Eddie has had various brands over the years.

Starting off with an old Kenworth at the age of 19, that his older brother would drive out of Melbourne’s markets before Eddie was able to get his own licence. Then during his years driving for SPD, Toll and Safeways, he gained experience with other brands such as DAF and Volvo.

Having started with a couple of brands in the fleet, the company has now settled on Volvo for the majority of the purchases, with all of the trucks and trailers branded in the bright white with lemon/lime striped colourscheme.

“We currently have a total of 23 trucks in the fleet. For the prime movers we have three Scania R620s, three Volvo Classic FH540s, two new shape Volvo FH540s with the standard cab and five of the bigger Globetrotter cabs. Then for the rigid trucks – two Mitsubishi 14-pallet rigids, a sole DAF 16-pallet rigid, which will soon to be replaced with a new FM11, two Volvo FE320 14-pallet rigids, a Scania P320 14-pallet rigid and an old Mercedes 1986 truck that stays within the markets,” said Eddie.

The fleet is currently still expanding, with three new Volvos about to join the fleet.

Firstly, another Volvo FH540 Globetrotter with the XL sleeper cab. The engine is the Euro 5, 12.8-litre, which is rated at 540 hp with 2600 Nm of torque running through the impressive I-Shift automated 12-speed gearbox. Interestingly, QCFM has chosen the option of placing the I-Shift controls on the dash rather than the usual stick connected to the drive’s seat.

Eddie explains, “By putting the gearbox controls on the dash, the driver gets more space between the seats, and the fridge is moved closer to the driver so they don’t need to lean over for bottles of water”.

PowerTorque’s visit to QCFM was on a busy Friday afternoon, but provided the chance to chat with one of the company’s drivers, John, who had been driving for the company for three years.

When asked for his views on his new FH540 Globetrotter, he explained, “It has more power than I thought as we pull 68 tons usually. It has plenty of room so we can stand up to move around, and it has a great fridge. I’ve driven lots of other trucks, but Volvo takes it for comfort”.

The new trucks also come with an impressive list of extras, particularly in terms of the safety options from the brand that is constantly pushing the envelope in this area. These include the Active Safety Plus Package, electronic stability program (ESP), adaptive cruise control with forward collision warning and emergency braking, lane keeping support with a lane departure warning system, lane change support, driver alert support (drowsy driver warning) and Volvo Dynamic Steering (VDS).

As a driver, Eddie likes to buy trucks that he would want to drive himself, while also making sure that they meet the highest level of safety.

Andrew Cox from CMV explains, “Eddie has a real push and passion for safety and driver well-being. They order the full safety pack and also Volvo’s Dynamic Steering (VDS). We do not sell too many vehicles with this level of consideration for the guys behind the wheel and other road users”.

Along with the new FH540, and a FE320 14-pallet rigid awaiting delivery, QCFM has also ordered a Volvo FM410 8x4 with the 11-litre engine that will be the first Volvo 16-pallet rigid in Australia with a sleeper cab. The truck will operate under PBS, and, in order to meet the turning

circle requirements Volvo had to bring in steering axles that incorporate a higher cut angle from their main factory overseas. The chassis has a 6700 mm wheelbase and is fitted with a MaxiTRANS side slider refrigerated van body.

and brand. We get all of our trailers and fridge bodies through Gerry Casse who is the salesman at MaxiTRANS. For axles, we use only BPW with disc brakes and EBS, using the Haldex Smartboard, and for tyres we use Bridgestone”.

Various brands of trucks have been used, but Eddie has settled on Volvo supplied through CMV. Eddie said, “I believe all modern trucks are good, but it’s the back end service that will make you or break you. The Volvo group worldwide always rolls out the red carpet, treating us the same as someone with over 100 trucks. We buy through CMV in Laverton, and Andrew Cox, plus the whole team there, deal with me, so there is always someone who is willing to help out”.

In terms of maintenance, QCFM has chosen to go with a fully outsourced business model. “All of our trucks are on full repair and maintenance contracts,” said Eddie.

Eddie has also found which brands and suppliers work best for his business and give him the support that he needs.

He said, “We only run Thermo King engines in our fridges, purchasing everything through Wayne Taylor at Southern State, which has been a really good support to our business

“CMV service all our trailers in Sydney and Melbourne, with service requirements in Brisbane split between CMV and MaxiTRANS. Our tyre supply and tyre maintenance programmes are provided through Bridgestone, every fortnight, with pressure checks and tyre rotation and replacement”.

In terms of technology to monitor their customer’s sensitive freight, QCFM has opted to go with the Cooltrax GPS and temperature monitoring through the Thermo King fridge units. This is coupled to the information provided through Volvo’s Dynafleet system and also the Haldex Smartboard data collection system through the trailers EBS provides, so there is more than enough information at hand to ensure the compliance of the fleet.

However, like many operators, Eddie is constantly looking for a better way to collect all of the information required in the modern age of transport, but also at a reasonable price, with a few options currently being looked at.

Moving forward, Eddie explained that he could see that there is a lot more scope to grow. With his focus on treating employees, customers and suppliers like family, it is easy to see why the business has grown rapidly in six years and will undoubtedly continue along this path.

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PROFILE

LIVING THE DREAM

With a strong reputation for great service and an immaculate fleet, Hayllar Transport has reason to celebrate the arrival of a new T610SAR – Words by Warren Caves, images by Torque it Up

S

mall rural town values and community spirit, along with a new Kenworth 610SAR are sound drivers of business for Hayllar Transport of Narrandera.

The town of Narrandera is located on the banks of the Murrumbidgee River, approximately 550 km southwest of Sydney at the junction of the Newell and Sturt Highways.

With a population of approximately 3800, this is predominantly an agricultural area serviced by the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area developed in the the early 1900s. Narrandera is also the birthplace of Marie Bashir, the former governor of NSW, born here in 1930.

Hayllar Transport was originally started in Narrandera by Lenny and Ruby Hayllar in 1963, and is still operated from that original location by their son and his wife, Bernie and Joanne Hayllar.

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In the early years, Bernie worked driving trucks for his father Lenny, when shock absorbers on trucks were unheard of and air conditioners were reserved for public servants in fancy city offices. In those days the work covered regular runs to Sydney, Melbourne and Darwin in anything from a 1418 Mercedes Benz, Ford Louisvilles and later on with International TranStars and K-Series Kenworths.

As a change from driving, Bernie had a slight break for five years or so and went into truck sales. Due to Lenny’s failing health, Bernie returned to work with his father, eventually starting to purchase his own vehicles around 15 years ago and finally taking over the whole operation when his father passed away.

LIVING THE DREAM Hayllar Transport today employs 10 local staff and is currently operating with 6 prime movers, 2 rigid trucks and 14 trailers. The trailers are made up of curtainsiders, flat-tops and extendable flat-tops, and the fleet operates predominantly between Narrandera, Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide and anywhere in between, moving general freight, oversize loads and produce to the company depots in Sydney and Melbourne.

Speaking to Bernie recently, it was obvious that both he and Joanne are proud community members and are optimistic about the future of their town. Hayllar Transport is a regular sponsor of local sporting events such as the rodeo, football and basketball teams. “They (the town) look after us, so, we, in return, look after them wherever we can,” said Bernie.

This local support network is evident with the local Elders logo emblazoned on an immaculate trailer that was coupled to Hayllar Transport’s latest equipment acquisition, a Kenworth T610SAR. The Elders trailers (there are two) were the result of Bernie approaching the local Elders retail centre and asking if they were keen on having a presence on these new trailers. Both trailer curtains featuring a rural livestock theme were produced by Rice Graphics of Wodonga and are quite striking in appearance.

“We utilise satellite tracking in our trucks and have done so for the past 14 years or so. This enables us to effectively manage our trucks and equipment but also ensures that our signwritten trucks from our sponsor’s point of view are being operated professionally out on the road,” explained Bernie.

work between Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide carting general freight, flour and timber, and averaging around 4000 to 5000 km per week.

The Cummins X15 engine is set to 550 horsepower and sits in front of an 18-speed Eaton Roadranger manual transmission. At the time of our visit the truck had around 30,000 km on the odometer, so it’s a bit too early for accurate fuel economy figures, although Bernie says it appears to be encouraging up to this point.

Bernie and Jarrod are both pleased with the new design of the T610SAR. “We traded in our 408SAR, and these 610 models are worlds ahead as far as comfort, space and cab layout go,” said Bernie.

While the new truck has been well accepted into the fold, the start was a little rocky, as, with just 10,000 on the clock, the truck was wheeled into Cummins in Leeton with the X15 diagnosed with suffering from a failed camshaft.

Bernie, who I’m sure was disappointed at that stage, has become a little more pragmatic with the passing of time, and as a result of the way in which the issue was addressed.

“Cummins’ head office rang me and said, before I even had to ask, we don’t think you should have to have a camshaft replacement this early on in the piece, so we would like to put a new engine in the truck for you” said Bernie.

The latest T610, purchased through Inland Truck Centre in Wagga, was recently inducted into the fleet and is driven

by Jarrod Murray, who has been with Hayllar Transport for eight years. Jarrod is working the truck on single-trailer

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PROFILE

“Kenworth also offered a loan truck through their PacLease programme, of which Cummins was to cover the cost.

With some minor adjustments of workload this was not necessary, and we had that truck back on the road in just two days, which was amazing. This was honestly the best service I have ever had from a manufacturer,” Bernie added.

The T610 is now back on track and working alongside the company’s existing fleet that includes a trusty W-model and three K200s.

“We invested in the K200s for their versatility. We can easily use them in B-double work and also find that with cabover-designed trucks we can use them with our extendable drop-deck trailers for oversize work and run at 22 metres total length without being restricted to daylight hour travel. This is not possible with a conventional-cabdesigned truck,” said Bernie.

There is a noticeable comradeship amongst the local businesses, which group together to have freight moved by local companies. This obvious show of support to companies such as Hayllar Transport is the backbone that supports the local area and produces a steady flow of loads that need transporting to and from the major cities.

Hayllar Transport has had to be innovative in its equipment design to increase cost effectiveness, and this is evidenced in one of their Freighter trailer designs from MaxiTRANS. In a first of its kind for Freighter Trailers, a 48 ft curtainsided trailer was built (nothing out of the ordinary there), but the unique feature of this trailer is that is was designed and manufactured with a roll-top roof design.

Bernie explained that this design allowed the company to transport bulk, bagged flour from Narrandera to Sydney and load raw steel material back to Narrandera for a local manufacturer. The flour is loaded by forklift, the traditional way from the side via the curtain opening. However, the steelworks only load by overhead crane. With the roll-top roof design and a rear door opening, the dogman can load steel via the crane while maintaining an unobstructed view of the process. A handy by-product of this configuration for steel loads in the removal of the need for tarping.

“The only other way we could have transported steel other than tarped on our flat-tops was by the use of the Prairie Wagon designed trailers, which didn’t lend itself well to transporting our other freight,” explained Bernie.

It’s this kind of collaboration with manufacturers, and inspired design and thinking from operators to think outside the box and improve efficiencies, that keep everyday operators competitive with the big players in the transport game – well, that, and a lot of hard work.

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FEATURE

AMERICA FIRST

ProStar links International with IVECO for a renewed attack on the Australian market. Words by Brenton O’Connor – Images by Geoff Parrington.

I

t’s been a long wait between the announcement of the return of International to the Australian trucking scene and the arrival of trucks on dealer forecourts, but, with trucks now available, ProStar is now a happening thing in the heavy-truck market.

With Navistar (the parent company of International Trucks), having entered into an agreement with IVECO Trucks Australia to distribute the ProStar range through the already established IVECO Australian dealer network, the brand returns at a point where it still holds street credibility amongst previous owners.

Since revealing its homecoming at the Brisbane Truck Show in May 2017, this is the first opportunity PowerTorque has had to drive the ProStar on Australian

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roads. It’s always something of a privilege to drive a brand-new truck, and in this instance my transport for a few days was in the form of a ProStar day-cab, fitted with a beautifully polished Hercules aluminium body, coupled to a quad dog. The truck was loaded to its legal limit of 23,000 kg (without mass management) and the quad dog was loaded to 24,720 kg giving a total gross combination mass of 47,720 kg.

All ProStars are fitted with Cummins X15 engine, with a standard rating of 410 kW (550hp) and 2508 Nm (1850 lb-ft.) of torque. However, International Trucks Australia had re-programmed this particular truck to the engine’s maximum output of 600 hp and 2050 lb-ft of torque, and the power was truly impressive.

AMERICA FIRST The day cab is particularly limited in length (112� bbc), and, as such, seat travel was limited for taller drivers such as myself, plus the engine firewall intrudes into the cabin competing for legroom and foot space. For taller drivers, the extended cabin provides further legroom, plus it includes additional storage options for personal items.

These options are missing from the day cab configuration.

Standard gearbox on the ProStar is the Eaton 20918B 18-speed constant mesh transmission, but in this instance it featured the optional Eaton UltraShift PLUS automated manual technology. This combination also provided a unique opportunity to experience the benefits of the partnership Cummins and Eaton have forged by mating their engine and transmission to each other respectively, with ADEPT technology.

The ProStar is fitted with Hendrickson Primaax EX air rear suspension, with parabolic springs fitted to the steer. Brakes are drum all round; however, they are fitted with ABS and automatic traction control as standard.

When the truck is fitted with the optional Eaton UltraShift transmission, a hill-start aid is also fitted.

Unlike Kenworth and Freightliner, International uses a steel cabin rather than aluminium. The cab is available in day cab (as tested), extended cab (with a 660 mm bunk) and also a full sleeper cabin with raised roof.

A nice touch included by International is to fit leather seats as standard, and the driver’s seat is a unusual brand called GRA-MAG, which is the American arm of European seat manufacturer Grammer. The seat has lumbar supports and plenty of other adjustments to help get comfortable.

As expected from such a sloping bonnet, visibility is excellent, rivalling even a cabover, as the bonnet drops away very quickly.

As such, it would be ideal entering construction sites as a tipper where space can be of a premium, the turning circle was also good thanks to the set-back front axle.

Noise levels from the Cummins X15 in-cab are as good, if not better than other American bonneted trucks using this engine; however, on engine brake application there is more noise, possibly due to the standard dual mounted stainless exhausts on each side of the cabin. Despite high ambient temperatures on the testing day, fan-on time was near non-existent, which demonstrates the radiator is getting plenty of air through the large grill, both saving fuel and noise from running the Horton two-speed fan.

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FEATURE

Unusually for an American truck, the ProStar runs a CAN bus wiring system, which makes life easy for body builders to tap into the electrical power supply to fit safety systems. A typical example of this benefit being that if the door is opened without the park brake being applied the horn will sound. Furthermore, International fitted factory electric switches for the tipper body into the main dashboard, which, not only look smart, but also function well when compared with aftermarket switchgear being fitted by the body builder.

The standard-fit SONY single-DIN radio was difficult to use, and the speakers fitted were quite ordinary. It would be nice if International could fit a double-DIN radio system that incorporates GPS truck mapping into the truck as done by many of the Japanese and European truck manufacturers.

On the road, the ProStar is very easy to drive. With the maximum rating of the Cummins X15 and a gross weight of just less than 48 tonnes, the combination felt as if it was empty. For the test, a route from IVECO’s Dandenong headquarters through to Sale was selected and provided a good mix of city, freeway and country road surfaces as part of the evaluation.

The truck has excellent road feel, and sits on the road very easily on cruise at 100 km/h. Upon tipping the bonnet, there is a very complicated arrangement of universal joints from the cabin through to the steering box, which didn’t impede on road feel at all, but did feel slightly odd when manoeuvring through tight corners or around roundabouts.

The ProStar we tested was fitted with Meritor RT46-160GP rear axles, with a 4.11:1 rear axle ratio. Adrian Wright, chief engineer of International Trucks Australia, explained

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they would move to faster diff ratios than the typical 4.3:1 to provide better fuel economy. As such, the truck sat on 100 km/hr at just over 1500 rpm, which felt ideal for the combination. Also nice to see as standard fit, are the power divider and cross-locks on both rear axles.

The Cummins Eaton partnership is now outstanding, and the UltraShift combined with the X15 is the best I’ve driven from any American AMT. I did find that at lift off, and particularly when the truck was cold, the transmission was hesitant to upshift, and the truck would rev to near 2000 rpm before upshifting. To counter this behaviour I would manually intervene and upshift the truck earlier.

Out on the open road the gearbox is excellent, and makes very few bad-judgment shift errors. The advanced technology of SmartCoast, which selects neutral when there are no power or braking requirements on the engine when on cruise control, worked as well as any European.

Once the truck had hit 3.0 km/h above the preselected cruise control speed, the gearbox would re-engage and apply the engine brake independently and without the driver’s involvement. Cruise control switches are operated from the steering wheel, and it would be nice to see International also fit the engine brake switches to the wheel for further ease of operation.

For the 388 km round trip, an overall average fuel consumption of 54.6 litres per 100 kilometres (1.83 km per litre) was achieved, which, given the truck was loaded at all times, was an impressive result.

There’s plenty to like about the ProStar, and with the impressive combination of Cummins X15 and Eaton’s UltraShift PLUS, driving is by no means a chore.

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FEATURE

It’s all about your business, as Scania breaks new ground with its brand-new model range – Words

by Chris Mullett – Images by Mark Bean.

PUSHING THE BOUNDARIES W

hen a truck manufacturer launches a new product range it’s a really big deal, as it changes the entire future of the brand almost overnight.

Because of the longevity of a truck production cycle it’s not something that happens frequently, with a timeframe of at least ten years being the normal gestation period.

When brand loyalty ruled the purchasing decisions of truck operators, both small and large, it was often sufficient to release a new engine and a few upgrades to the interior trim while claiming a milestone in truck development. That’s no longer the case, with operators looking for much more from a manufacturer before they change their buying preferences, due to the need to minimise total cost of operation (TCO) and to protect their shrinking profit margins in order to stay in business.

It’s no longer a secret that Scania is launching its New Generation truck range into the Australian market.

Selected local operators have been trialling examples of the new model for 500,000 km of testing in our climate, seeing how the new models cope with our high ambient temperatures, long distances, average road speeds that are higher than those of Europe and North America, and gross weights that are the envy of many nations.

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“Sustainability is at the core of what we offer the Australian market”

PUSHING THE BOUNDARIES Through the past two years, PowerTorque magazine has been included in aspects of the development of the new range, has appreciated the trust of the manufacturer through being given access to different members of the engineering team responsible for its success, and travelled to Sweden to experience the driving, ride and handling capabilities at firsthand, long before the first production model drove off the boat into Australia.

Now the wraps are off, and all the effort, planning and precision necessary to create a totally new range of trucks are complete. PowerTorque recently joined over 300 truck operators in Sydney as the Scania Australia management team and Swedish senior executives told their story about the New Generation range.

It’s a story based on an overall investment programme costing $3 billion (USD) that covered 12 million kilometres of real-world testing in order to replace the previous model as it came of age after its initial design some 21 years ago.

Undoubtedly, the New Generation design looks more modern, and it offers increased interior space for the driver, a level of safety the company claims is the highest standard of the industry, thanks to curtain side airbags that can reduce fatalities by 25 percent, and a major reduction in fatigue for the person behind the wheel.

That criterion is in itself impressive, but it’s not enough to guarantee success for the brand in the years ahead.

Its success, in terms of sales and its introduction into new and old fleets alike, will come from the financial benefits of improved TCO, better product support than its competition, reduced downtime from current expectations, improved durability and reliability.

Without waiting for legislation demanding a decrease in exhaust emissions, Scania has joined a growing number of truck makers, including Mercedes-Benz and MAN, to provide the choice of Euro 6 engines for those operators keen to reduce emissions in response to requests from the community, and, in an increasing number of cases, their customers, to play their role in addressing climate change.

Despite the resistance by some truck manufacturers to introduce Euro 6 compliant engines today, ahead of legislative requirements, for those operators that become early adopters the benefits come in the form of lower engine operating temperatures, a reduction in AdBlue consumption, a reduction in emissions of NOx and an overall reduction in TCO. The gains for the community that result from lowering emissions and adopting new technologies are measured by the reduction in respiratory disease. The less pollution, the less people die prematurely. The more we slow down the rise in global warming and address climate change, the less countries will be affected by massive swings in temperature and rainfall.

European and Asian cities are already looking to the future that includes focusing on sustainable fuel systems and a reduction of vehicle noise before permitting trucks to enter city areas, especially at night. In a timeframe that could be as short as the next five years, urban deliveries will be completed by trucks powered by electricity or hydrogen, while those on long haul may be fuelled by biodiesel, or, in certain cases, natural gas.

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FEATURE

The benefits to operators continue through the technology of telematics, which currently connect over 300,000 Scania trucks, representing 80 percent of its vehicles delivered in the past five years. The corresponding data transfer enables the company to more accurately predict the ideal service intervals for trucks operating in similar environments – enabling service schedules to be extended past standard intervals, providing cost savings and reducing downtime spent during unnecessary servicing.

“The connectivity of the vehicles in the global fleet enables us, as a manufacturer that also owns and operates the service centres or provides its in-house service technicians to private workshops, to maintain the vehicles. Connectivity means we can predict when a service is due and to pre-order all the necessary parts or components that our global data confirms will be required, so they are ready and waiting for the vehicle to come into the service bay.

While climate sceptics grapple with the notion of climate change, future company growth for the truck operator depends on selecting the right vehicle. The benefits to TCO from purchasing a fleet of trucks such as the Scania New Generation models come from the manufacturer having addressed much more than how the new trucks look or how good they are to drive.

“Sustainability is at the core of what we offer the Australian market,” said Mikael.

As Mikael Jansson, managing director of Scania Trucks Australia, explained to the operators attending the launch, Scania’s main focus is, “It’s all about your business”.

The full range of New Generation models, from rigid to line haul, single-cab to high-roof sleeper, crew-cab for fire service application, and XT models for harsh earthmoving applications, is available to order across the Australian market as of now, with the earliest deliveries forecast for mid-year.

Scania, in 2017, sold the highest number of trucks, buses and coaches into the Australian market in its history, reaching a 7.0 percent market share for the first time. Now, with the launch of the New Generation, the company is confidently predicting it can cut fuel consumption by 5.0 percent across its main engine range, increasing this saving to 10.0 percent in the case of the V8-powered models.

“We can predict when a service is due and to preorder all the necessary parts” 28

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W W W. I V E C O. C O M . AU

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For your nearest participating dealer call 1800 4 IVECO or visit www.iveco.com.au * Terms & Conditions apply. Offer available at participating Iveco Dealers only. All 2017 Plated Daily models (excluding Daily 4x4) purchased by 30th April, 2018 will come with a 3 year / 200,000 km new vehicle factory warranty plus an additional 2 year extended factory warranty.

Excludes Government, Motorhome and Fleet Buyers. For further information see full terms and conditions at www.iveco.com.au or contact your local Iveco Dealer.

INCREASING APPEAL FEATURE

The fourth-generation Actros prime mover range launched into Australia in 2016 was followed by the rigid truck range the following year. Its success has been quite phenomenal, with reports in the field surpassing the expectations of many and resulting in a sales performance that eclipses that of stablemate Freightliner.

When the first-generation Actros was launched in 1998, it was a technological revolution, pioneering inclusions such as disc brakes (electronically controlled), as well as electronic gearshift and ECAS (electronically controlled air suspension). Despite high expectations its appeal dipped, with frequent engine and transmission problems. Although there are still plenty of first-generation Actroses running around today, particularly in tipper and dog applications, the reputational damage to Mercedes-Benz Australia was significant, and has been difficult to overcome.

Learning from this experience, Mercedes-Benz Australia undertook the largest testing of the new-generation truck outside of Europe, evaluating a large range of potential models across various fleets, in various applications.

Significant kilometres of testing were done and feedback was sought from fleet operators, drivers and dealers that ultimately helped establish the line-up of trucks that was launched into this country.

The new Actros has been an attractive business proposition to large fleet operators, smaller fleets and owner/drivers alike. The key reasons behind this include the move to standardise on Euro 6 emissions technology (with Euro 5 available only on the 16-litre engine variant), maximising fuel economy gains and also reducing AdBlue consumption compared with Euro 5 engines. Further support for the Actros came in the form of MB’s best basic service plan, complimentary on every new truck sold (up to 90 t GCM), which includes five years/500,000 km free

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Mercedes-Benz grows the Actros range to become a game changer for the brand – Words by Brenton O’Connor, images by Geoff Parrington

servicing. Customers doing higher kilometres can elect to pay an additional fee to have their higher kilometres covered for the period, plus there are higher-level service plans available with more inclusions, at additional customer cost.

Daimler Truck Financial has been able to offer “Agility,” guaranteeing the future value of the truck at the end of the finance period. This type of product has been available for many years in passenger cars and light commercials, but had yet to reach heavy trucks. Buyers can accurately calculate the true cost of owning the truck, as the residual value at the end is guaranteed, rather than being market specific at the time of sale.

It also allows customers to update to a new truck at the end of the finance period, handing back the old truck for Daimler to find it a new home.

PowerTorque’s latest Actros experience has been at the wheel of a 2653 Actros for an evaluation in real-world B-double application. The 2653 is powered by the 13-litre variant of the HDEP engine platform Daimler launched, known as the OM471. The 2653 is the highest power offering available in the OM471 at 390 kW (530 hp) and with peak torque of 2600 Nm. As mentioned earlier, it’s a Euro 6 engine combining SCR, EGR and a DPF. Immediately impressive was the tare weight. With full tanks of fuel (1100 litres) and AdBlue (110 litres), driver, and personal items, the truck tared at an impressive 9960 kg.

The large capacity Hilton tanks are very low to the ground, and I was concerned even leaving the road to go through a steep gutter into the service station that they could be potentially hit. I have since been advised the dealer can reposition the tank brackets 50 mm higher, which would certainly help to alleviate this issue.

Hooked up to a set of tri-tri Hercules B-double tippers, our route ran from Sale in eastern Victoria through to Robe in South Australia. This was a worthy test route as it encompassed 50/50 of loaded versus unloaded time.

INCREASING APPEAL On the way across from Sale to Robe, at an empty tare mass of just under 24 tonnes, a combined average fuel figure of 2.4 km/litre was achieved, and for the return journey, loaded to 68.3 tonnes, a figure of 1.6 km/litre was showing on the dash display. This resulted in an average fuel economy across the trip of 2.0 km/litre, which is an impressive outcome.

The new engine brake is unlike anything previously used

by Mercedes-Benz, including the AEB (active engine brake) introduced in the early 1990s. A transmission retarder is now only available by specific customer request, which is testimony to the effectiveness of the new fully integrated engine brake. Given the remarkable job the 13-litre engine did to brake this high gross weight, the 16-litre promises to be truly outstanding.

The OM471 did an impressive job when loaded; however, the rear axle ratio of 2.733:1 was too tall for the high gross weight of this drive route when matched to the MercedesBenz’s G281 direct drive 12-speed PowerShift transmission.

Due to the high weights encountered, power mode was selected for the hilly parts of the route. With the tall final drive ratio, and with high gross weights, the transmission tended to fluctuate between ninth and tenth gear consistently when on a continuous grade. This shows that despite drive axle specs in Europe and North America tending to go for taller ratios, our higher gross weights require careful thought at the time of ordering to get the correct match in the driveline.

For the driver, it also proves that the transmission can benefit in these circumstances from having selected the standard automatic or manual mode.

In my opinion, the 2653 with its standard rear axle ratio and current power outputs would be ideal for lightweight B-doubles in the vicinity of 50-55 t GCM or other PBS truck and dog applications with gross weights in the mid 50 tonnes. While PowerTorque is yet to test the Actros with the 16-litre engine variant at either 580 or 630 horsepower, we would anticipate these engines are better suited to such high weights, especially when running with tall rear axle ratios.

“Noise levels are very low in the new truck, and ride is also impressive”

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FEATURE Moving about in the cabin is easy and safe, without the need to clamber over the engine tunnel. In terms of comfort, the new Actros certainly comes to the party, with the flat floor of the 2.5 m wide “Streamspace” cabin being a major feature.

It’s a long climb up into the cabin, but once on board the Grammer seat is excellent, particularly as it’s wider, and with armrests on both sides. It’s supremely comfortable and feels like an armchair in comparison to some other seats fitted to other heavy trucks.

Seat adjustment fore and aft is limited due to the locally fitted inner sprung mattress, but by lifting this up the seat can then move further rearwards. An omission here is the need for support struts under the mattress, to facilitate easier lifting of the bed for access to the under-bunk storage and also to secure it when upright to gain the additional seat clearance.

Noise levels are very low in the new truck, and ride is also impressive. There is very little engine, road or wind noise present in the big cabin. It was pleasing to see the cup holders are now positioned in a spot suited to the driver, unlike the old Actros, where the cup holder was better suited to the passenger than the driver!

Storage space in the cabin is somewhat limited, particularly the locker space for clothing. There is locker space above the windscreen, but this is limited by the slope of the roofline in the Streamspace cabin. Space does exist for additional locker space on the rear wall of the cabin, up towards the roofline.

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The fourth-generation of Active Brake Assist (ABA) fitted to the new Actros is designed to detect both moving and stationery objects (including pedestrians). Detection of a hazard initiates a stage-based warning system commencing with visual and acoustic alerts leading on to full application of the braking system to bring the vehicle to a halt.

On the test route, while on freeways the system worked as expected. It was not so capable when travelling on twisty country highways in Western Victoria with the system detecting, on three or four occasions, large signs located close to the road that prompted it to provide a visual message to the driver.

The technology level of the prime mover needs to link with similar technologies fitted to the trailers, as, when towing trailers without ABS or EBS functionality, there is presumably a risk that if the system initiates further stages (including braking) it could have the capacity to lock up and potentially jackknife the trailers. This may be an issue solved by professional driver training to demonstrate the systems more completely, but it does highlight that, although ABS and EBS are common inclusions in Europe, this is not necessarily the case with the trailer pool in Australia.

There’s certainly plenty to like about the new range of Mercedes-Benz trucks, and the sales results being achieved are testimony to that. The critical point for the ongoing success of the brand will be the way MercedesBenz Australia and its dealer network supports the product. With the provision of high support standards the industry now demands, we may see Mercedes-Benz experience a major resurgence, repeating the market share enjoyed in the day of the famous 1418.

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nti.com.au *Source: NTI Claims surveys conducted FYJul2016/Dec2016 for Fleet and Commercial Motor customers Insurance products are provided by National Transport Insurance, a joint venture of the insurers Insurance Australia Limited trading as CGU Insurance ABN 11 000 016 722 AFSL 227681 and AAI Limited Trading as Vero Insurance ABN 48 005 297 807 AFSL 230859 each holding a 50% share. National Transport Insurance is administered on behalf of the insurers by its manager NTI Limited ABN 84 000 746 109 AFSL 237246.

DRIVEN

BRAVE NEW WORLD

Scania launches its Next Generation attack: Ed Higginson takes the wheel of the new G500 – Images by Mark Bean.

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BRAVE NEW WORLD

W

ith autonomy being the buzzword for future truck design, the launch of the Next Generation Scania truck range poses the question of could we be seeing the last time that truck cabs are launched that still focus on the driver?

Whatever the answer, Scania has thrown everything at its totally new truck to ensure it’s the ultimate in design, with $3 billion in development over 10 years and with 12 million km of testing.

That answer is also why I had been excitedly counting down the days until I got to drive the all-new Scania from Melbourne to Sydney, prior to the official national Australian launch.

Scania’s outgoing cab design dates back to 2004 and has served it well, but the new generation takes the brand to a whole new level.

Dean Dal Santo, Scania’s national sales manager, explains: “With the new generation of trucks, we are focusing on providing our customers with the best total operating economy. The new trucks are much more fuel-efficient and we are also placing greater emphasis on aftersales solutions, such as our flexible maintenance plans to reduce costs. The trucks also have a lot of safety features that make them amongst the safest trucks in Australia, including a full rollover side airbag curtain”.

Scania’s model numbering is about the only thing remaining from the previous models. The range starts with the S-series, with the largest cab in the range and with a fully flat floor. Then, moving down in size, it’s the R-series and then the G-series, all focused on the long and medium haul markets. The smallest cab, the P-series, focuses on the urban distribution market. Australia will also see the launch of the new XT bulk construction range, and the new four-door, six-seater crew-cab, with which Scania has seen a lot of success here with the fire authorities.

As well as the striking new cabs, Scania has also spent a lot on development of its engines to reduce running costs and will offer its well-established 9.0-litre five-cylinder, 13-litre six-cylinder and 16-litre V8 engines in both Euro 6 and Euro 5 compliance.

The Euro 5 engines are rated from 280 hp with torque of 1400 Nm, up to 620 hp with 3000 Nm of torque. For those wanting to take the jump to Euro 6, the range of power is much wider, starting with 220 hp and 1000 Nm of torque with a new 7.0-litre six-cylinder engine, up to a whopping 730 hp and 3500 Nm of torque in the V8, while also claiming substantial fuel savings of 7-10 percent.

PowerTorque’s first Australian drive included two Australian specced trucks available at Scania’s head office in Campbellfield, on the outskirts of Melbourne, ready to hit the Hume Highway towards the company’s Sydney dealership in Prestons.

Prior to our departure, PowerTorque’s Brenton O’Connor and I joined Scania’s in-house driver trainers, Lindsay Pollock and Alan McDonald, for an introduction to a brand-new R620 and G500. Both evaluation units were Euro 5, as these had been ordered soon after the launch late in 2016, so the only difference we’d expect to see with their Euro 6 engines is a few extra horses for the R-series from 620 to 650, and improvements in fuel economy.

Brenton and I would swap between trucks around the half way mark to compare our impressions, but, as Brenton had reviewed the outgoing previous model of the R620 in the February issue of PowerTorque, he would focus on the big V8. I would then be able to compare the new G500 against the older G500 that I’d taken for a run earlier in the year.

G500 Although the G-series is a smaller cab than the R, the new generation feels much roomier than the older model and a lot larger than many other trucks. The dash feels flatter and nearer to the windscreen than before, with the seat positioned 65 mm nearer to the front and 20 mm closer to the door. This, along with larger windows, no external sunvisor (to reduce drag), better visibility with smaller pillars and a glazed sunroof to lighten the interior, all add to the sense of space.

The design throughout is first class and bang up to date. In the G, the engine cover is raised from the floor to about shin height, which I actually like because it was high enough to use as a bench whilst driving, but still low enough to step over when heading to or from the bed.

Immediately noticeable are the number of buttons you have at your fingertips, with all controls positioned to be seen and reached easily while driving. Scania has moved the lighting controls onto the door, joining the mirror adjustments (all six are electronic), plus the window and the central locking buttons, and the result makes a lot more sense.

The steering wheel remains familiar in layout, with the spokes containing switching for the cruise control, downhill speed control, adaptive cruise, radio, DAB, phone, horn, and truck information system control buttons. There is even a voice recognition option if you don’t want to look down! This just leaves the indicators/ wipers and retarder/Opticruise controls on the steering column stalks. While some truck designs have similar switch functions, they are not always that easy to use. But, as far as those on the Scania are concerned, everything was simple and worked effectively.

The dash has a range of other features that are well laid out and provide a quality feel, such as the climate control, diff locks, suspension adjustment, and options to deactivate the lane departure warning, traction control or the advanced emergency braking system, which is useful

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DRIVEN on twisty country roads. There is also an impressive Scania infotainment system with a 5” or 7” LCD screen including sat/nav as an option. In line with what drivers expect today for connectivity, the new truck gets plenty of charger points for USB, AUX, two 12 V sockets and a 24 V socket.

The layout has some familiar features to the outgoing model, so if you currently drive a Scania you will feel happy to head straight out of the depot, but for your first drive you will definitely benefit from using the Scania driver training programme.

In terms of driver comfort, Scania has looked at all areas and has based its decisions and designs as the result of considerable customer feedback. The G-series gets a decent sized inbuilt fridge tray that slides under the bunk, plenty of dash storage, above-window cabinets, drawers and even a neat table that folds out in front of the passenger seat if you want somewhere to eat your lunch or work on the laptop. Overseas models also get a swivel passenger seat so you can relax and stretch your legs when on a break, but, unfortunately, our Australian Design Rules (ADR) don’t allow this at the moment.

I found the bunk comfortable, so would happily use it for a night away. It is a little narrow behind the driver’s seat, so if you are away for days at a time you may want the R or S-series. When standing on the engine cover, as a six-footer I only had to lower my head slightly, but with the passenger seat folded upright you have the option to stand to get changed, which was another neat touch.

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Performance For our evaluation, the G-series was loaded to a GCM of 55.6-tonne with B-double curtainsiders, whilst the R620 had a slightly bigger load of 61.5 tonnes. Surprisingly, the speed performance was comparable with just a 6.0-tonne difference – the big V8 with an extra 120 hp and 450 Nm of torque couldn’t pull away from the G500. I was expecting a much bigger difference, but this is where the computers come in to focus on fuel consumption so all of the power is kept under control.

For our drive experience the power mode had been deactivated, and on the G500 we couldn’t use the manual shift on the auto in 12th and 11th gear to knock the box down coming into hills. The engine’s computer likes to let the engine lug low into the torque band before changing gear at around 950-1000 rpm, so you tend to lose momentum quickly. This is a good option for fleet operators because it forces the driver to drive with fuel in mind, but it does take away some of the driving enjoyment, especially when much smaller trucks fly past.

With the driver trainer by your side, you quickly change your driving style to focus on keeping the truck rolling, and using the unique Scania Driver Support system to score your driving behaviour in the dash display.

Throughout a full week of heading back and forth between Melbourne and Sydney in the hands of several different drivers, the G500, which weighed in at 55.6 tonnes, covered 3677 km with an average speed of 79 km/h to achieve an average fuel consumption of 47.3 litres per 100 km (or 2.11 l/km). In comparison, the R620 at 61.5 tonnes covered 3752 km with an average speed of 77 km/h and averaged 54.7 litres per 100 km (or 1.83 l/km). These are decent figures considering they were loaded 100 percent of the time and had multiple drivers, but we would expect the Euro 6 versions to be even better.

BRAVE NEW WORLD If you aren’t running at high B-double weights, the G500 could be the ideal pick for fleets looking for the balance between price and fuel economy, while making sure the drivers are kept happy. One of the disadvantages of cabs with flat floors is the height and the safety implications when climbing up four or five steps with all you gear and a coffee. For that reason, if you run multiple drops on your daily round my pick would be to choose the new G-series.

Alternative Viewpoint – Brenton O’Connor provides his comment on the G500 The G500 was both the surprise and winner of the day during our test of the next-generation G500 and R620 Scanias.

Despite having a lower power to weight ratio and also a lower torque to weight ratio than the bigger R620 V8, the G500 managed to achieve a 2.0 kilometre per hour higher speed, as well as a very impressive fuel consumption

figure of 2.11 km litre (at a gross weight of 55.5 tonnes) towing tri-tri B-double curtainsiders.

Scania had locked out both manual modes, restricting the option for the driver to override the transmission in automatic mode above ninth gear, meaning the truck was lugging back as a low as 950 rpm on some of the long, steep pulls endured on the Hume Highway. The cabin on the G, with its higher engine tunnel, didn’t feel as spacious or as comfortable as the R cabin, with reduced footwell room, and also the ride between the air-sprung R cabin and the steel-sprung G cabin was immediately noticeable.

With its lower overall height, and easier cabin access, the G would be ideal for local B-double work around city and intrastate applications where Scania will be targeting this model.

there’s a tat r a t o s u i t all your requirements

w: www.offroadtrucks.com.au PowerTorque ISSUE 82 37 e: sales@offroadtrucks.com.au

DRIVEN

V8 APPEAL Scania’s Next Generation V8 R620 comes under the spotlight – Words by Brenton O’Connor – Images by Mark Bean

I

n developing the design of the Next Generation range of trucks, Scania has followed four key factors, concentrating on safety, fuel efficiency, driving enjoyment and uptime.

All major components of the trucks have been redesigned including cabs, engines, transmissions and suspensions, all aimed at improving these four demanding principles.

PowerTorque’s first drive experience on Australian roads was in the form of a Next Generation R620, with a fully laden run in B-double configuration from Scania’s Campbellfield dealership in Melbourne’s north through to the Sydney dealership at Prestons in Sydney’s west, via the Hume Freeway. The truck was coupled to a new set of curtainsider trailers loaded to a respectable (and verified) 61.5 tonnes for the test route.

Immediately noticeable about the new range is the cabin styling, which is certainly much different from that of the previous generation. The external appearance is more square, compared to the more rounded shape of the model it replaces. The sun visor is no longer a standard fitment, with Scania engineers stating the reason being to reduce aerodynamic drag for the effect it imposes on fuel economy. As a substitute, Scania has blacked out the top section of the windscreen to prevent glare from sun entering the top of the windscreen and affecting the driver’s visibility.

Scania’s chief driver trainer, Alan McDonald, provided an overview of the truck and the main functionality of the dashboard, prior to pointing the big rig north on the Hume Highway.

There’s no doubt this is a V8, as, once the engine is started, it has the familiar burble of which only a V8 can boast. The sound is unique of course, but becomes particularly more noticeable when compared to the previous-generation truck and with the engine under load.

This V8 is completely different from the 620 hp V8 it replaces, with 16.4 litres in displacement producing 456 kW (620 hp) at 1900 rpm and 3000 Nm of torque from as low as 950 rpm through to 1400 rpm. The new engine runs a common-rail fuel injection system using Scania XPI extra high-pressure injection, rather than unit pump injectors as seen on the old V8.

The particular truck tested was a Euro 5 variant; however, the new range is available in either Euro 5 or Euro 6 38

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emission reduction technologies from which the buyer can choose, dependent on their enthusiasm for reducing the amount of AdBlue used in the SCR (Selective Catalytic Reduction) process. Only the 730 hp Euro 6 will use EGR technology together with SCR, with the remaining engines in the V8 stable adding a particulate filter to the SCR process in order to reach Euro 6 emission standards. With no date yet mandated for the introduction of Euro 6 in Australia, selecting the Euro 6 option will give buyers the choice to stay with current standards, or to future-proof their fleet by selecting the higher standard and greater benefits from a reduction in AdBlue use and lower engine operating temperatures.

Immediately noticeable for any driver used to Scania is the change within the transmission. The GRSO905R is an overdriven gearbox, with 12 speeds, plus two crawler gears, combined with the Opticruise fully automated gear change. As per the previous model, the retarder is standard, as is the engine exhaust brake.

The new Scania gearbox features a lay brake that acts to both reduce gearshift times (by 48 percent) but also to provide better drivability.

Instead of using synchro rings to synchronise the different speeds of the countershaft and main shaft in the gearbox during gearshifts, Scania has moved to a layshaft brake like most conventional truck gearboxes. In addition to the aforementioned benefits of quicker and smoother shifting, this will further act to lengthen gearbox life, as synchronisers are a wearing part, which shortens transmission life.

On the road, the new gearbox is truly sensational, and the benefits explained by Scania are certainly noticeable, particularly through the faster gear shifting. Also most impressive is the gearbox’s ability to choose the right gear, and not to hunt back and forth between gears as seen in some other recent truck reviews.

I believe a lot of this improvement comes from Scania’s new integrated topography mapping, which is included in the new truck. What this technology does is help the truck to see (or imagine it sees) what is coming by way of hills and slopes.

A previously common complaint with all AMTs in heavy trucks has been their inability to see the hill coming and consequently upshifting at the bottom of the hill. This impression is then compounded by its inability to see the truck is approaching the top of the incline. Rather than

SCANIA R620 maintaining the current gear, the AMT then downshifts, prior to realising it’s made a mistake, at which point it then returns to another upshift that can be followed by yet another downshift before upshifting again as it heads down the other side of the hill.

If there is a disadvantage during this procedure, it’s when the transmission lets the engine lug right back to 950 rpm up a steep incline before downshifting. Scania says the

truck is programmed to do this to save fuel and maintain the peak torque band. However, it does feel as if the engine is labouring, and also it costs road speed, rather than downshifting earlier and keeping the revs up.

The results with the new-generation transmission were mind boggling, and, in addition to gear selection, the topography mapping also influenced the cruise control and the application of power.

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DRIVEN When lugging up a hill, the engine would automatically ‘back off’ and coast up to the top, as the result of the truck having been programmed to expect that it had reached the summit and was in the final stage of the ascent, prior to rolling over the crown of the hill. Having crested the hill it re-established control, using the angle of the descent to re-establish the speed set previously on the cruise control.

Every small gain in fuel economy builds towards a major benefit, so rather than pulling up the hill at full horsepower, then requiring the engine brake/retarder almost immediately to reduce speed on the descent, the truck lets gravity do its thing, which both increases fuel saving while reducing brake wear through minimising service brake applications.

The combination of the cruise control and overspeed limiter (set to a minimum of 3.0 kilometres within each other) meant that the service brake was not required at all on the journey from Melbourne to Sydney. Throughout the drive the retarder would automatically reduce the speed of the B-double combination whenever it detected a speed overrun differential of 3.0 km over the cruise control limit.

For the trip from Melbourne to Sydney via the Hume Freeway, loaded at 61.5 tonnes, this Next Generation Euro 5 truck achieved an overall fuel average of 1.83 km/ litre, recorded at an average speed of 77 km/hour. The other truck on the journey was a new generation G500, and despite having a lower power to weight and torque to weight ratio, surprisingly it was able to achieve a slightly higher average speed than the R620 V8.

The new truck certainly steers much better than the old model, as the ‘kick’ that could be felt through the steering wheel was not as noticeable as it had been in the previous model R620 evaluated by PowerTorque at the beginning of the year. Unfortunately, due to time constraints, we were not able to evaluate the next generation on rough country highways, having to stay with the relatively smooth surfaces of the Hume.

Interior fit and finish is first class, and a big step up from the old range. The way the door shuts is truly car-like. I found the steering wheel to be incredibly complicated, with heaps of buttons through which to control audio, phone, cruise control, overrun speed, and the in-dash menu system.

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One thing I missed from the old truck was the ability to revert from standard cruise control to distronic cruise control using a button on the right of the dash – this now is done via menu selection of the central display, which is neither as quick nor as easy as with the previous model.

This truck is a huge improvement over the range it replaces, particularly when it comes to interior space and comfort, transmission operation and the improved gearshift speed. Exterior styling will be up to each individual’s personal taste, as it is certainly much different from that of its predecessor.

Alternative Viewpoint – Ed Higginson provides his comment on the R620 Compared to the G-model, the R is noticeably bigger with close to a flat floor, much taller lockers mounted above the windscreen with 324-litres of storage, plus you can order large cabinets above the bed with hanger rails instead of a top bunk.

As the R-series is seen as the premium highway spec, it also gets many more extras over the G. These options include two tall fridges that can be set at different temps, charger sockets in the lockers for items such as a microwave or TV, chargers above the bed, and carpet between the seats. The V8 also gets a smart badge on the rear of the cab wall that lights up at night, just so others know what lies beneath.

Two items that stands out on the R-series, and better than many other trucks on the market, are the inbuilt cab cooler that works off the truck’s aircon with the engine switched off, plus an extendable lower bed. When sitting on the bed, there is a foot pedal for each seat that, when pressed, enables both seats to be moved forward, and then you can lift a lever on the bed to simply slide it forward for a full width 1000 mm mattress that feels very comfortable.

The R620 was programmed to enable us to manually change from 12th, so we could change down higher in the torque curve at around 1200 rpm to keep the momentum over hills. This resulted in about a 20 km/h difference over the crest of some of the steeper hills and felt much more enjoyable.

­­

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OUR COMMITMENT - YOUR SUCCESS

PROFILE

CONTAINMENT Prevention is better than cure when it comes to replacing hoses before they can fail When the first sign of a component failure is a pool of fluid on the floor, it’s time for any workshop to initiate preventative maintenance, rather than rectification after failure.

Hoses come under the category of being able to generate a major engine or equipment failure just by failing to contain the fluids that travel through them. Prevention of impending failure becomes a matter of scheduling attention at the time of service, usually around the 100,000 km interval, and implementing a replacement programme for the hoses and the attendant clamps at not later than 150,000 km intervals.

It’s unlikely that a workshop manager or mechanic will find reference to hose inspection in OEM service manuals other than mentioned as a possible cursory glance. What should happen is that, unless there’s a glaringly obvious cut or leak displayed on the outside of the hose, at which stage it should already have been replaced, inspection for general condition means removing the clamps and carefully inspecting the hose interior.

As Rahul Palkar, automotive heavy-duty product manager of leading hose manufacturer Gates Australia, explained to PowerTorque:

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“Standard service intervals include the requirement to check hoses and clamps, as well as V-belts, drive belts and tensioners at a set distance and with a time-preferred changeover interval. That’s always a good thing in regard to the longevity, as in the case of hoses it enables you to see any examples of electrochemical degradation, and this is only possible if you remove the hose and inspect it internally. When you refit the same hose after examination you should use new clamps, as the old clamp is not going to torque up to match a new replacement.

“The same applies to the checking and replacement of V-belts, pulleys and tensioners. What we have seen over a period of time are well-organised fleets that may change the belt, the tensioner and the pulley at a specific time or distance. This contrasts with a section of the market that doesn’t do regular inspections, and, although they may change a belt, they ignore the tensioner. Even though the tensioner bearings may appear to be okay, they don’t know what pressure the tensioner is applying and it should be changed.

“We actively promote the preventative maintenance programme in relation to the drive system to replace the belt and the pulley and the tensioner, or the hose and the clamp. This produces a much better outcome than replacing just the one component,” said Rahul.

GATES HOSES As way of focusing on the importance of hose and belt maintenance, it’s well known that failure of hose assemblies accounts for up to 47 percent of downtime on equipment such as a drilling rig. For the agricultural sector it’s also known that combine harvesters and tractors fail more from weathering than from usage. It’s for this reason that belts for agricultural applications on farm equipment are built to specifications capable of withstanding harsh ambient temperatures and conditions.

For the transport operator, it’s necessary to look further than the engine and driveline for preventative maintenance options. Hydraulic hoses controlling tippers and other trailer designs such as walking-floor and bulk pressure discharge blowers all need to be controlled by properly scheduled maintenance programmes.

In the past, the typical workshop had to stock a variety of hoses to suit the different applications. Engineers at Gates Australia have worked with their American counterparts to produce a new range of hoses called Multi Master™ SD MegaFlex® that cover a multi-use application for coolant, fuel, hydraulics and suction hose requirements.

“We have just launched Multi Master into the Australian market and are finding a growing acceptance from end users and our partners.

Available in a variety of sizes from ¾ to 6 inches diameter and covering a wide range of applications, this is the first type of hose capable of meeting the needs of coolant, fuel and suction delivery,” said Kent Clark of Gates Australia.

“The Multi Master hoses are generally clamped on but can also be used with crimped ends for those that use a crimped linkage. We can supply Multi Master hoses in bulk lengths of 30.48 metres (100 ft) or as pre-made hose assemblies available direct through our channel partners such as the national support provided 24/7 by 1800 HOSE VAN. “The mobile 24/7 specialist hose repair vans operated nationally across all major markets by 1800 HOSE VAN provide a national service and repair network for Gates hydraulic and industrial hose and fitting products, for service and breakdown solutions on site or at the scene of an on-highway breakdown. This fleet of mobile units is rapidly expanding and stocks and supplies Gates hoses. 1800 HOSE VAN can be contacted by phoning 1800 467 382 or via the website at www.1800HOSEVAN.com.au

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FEATURE “We see the Multi Master range as potentially becoming the single type of hose stocked in service and parts departments because of its multiple application. Stocking of this hose can reduce the number of product lines usually kept on hand, effectively consolidating three different product lines into one. This simplifies service procedures and reduces parts stock costs.

“Being branded as Multi Master, and with a red strip along its length, it’s easy to identify and its selection comes down to its intended application. The working pressure for the hose at ¾-inch diameter is 350 psi, and as the diameter increases to 6-inches the pressure capability rating reduces to 150 psi. The other advantage of Multi Master hoses is that each hose has a 1:1 turn ratio. This means that a 2-inch hose has a 2-inch bend radius etc.

“For companies using Gates hoses for specific application, the product availability includes two-ply and four-ply green stripe coolant hoses, plus silicone coolant hoses in three-foot lengths, plus a range of 45 and 90-degree elbows. The four-ply coolant hose provides a superior ability to cope with extremely high ambient temperature usage, such as experienced in

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stationary engines where airflow may be limited, or on heavy haul mining applications in very high ambient temperatures.

“When replacing standard coolant hoses in linehaul operations we would suggest fitting a four-ply rather than a two-ply hose. The two-ply is recommended by OEMs, but, to prevent leakage, or where the clamps are biting into the hose and you see leakage, we recommend the use of four-ply designs because the hose is thicker.

“We also recommend using a banded clamp rather than a twin-wire clamp, as these provide a more uniform clamping torque across the circumference of the hose.

The twin-wire clamps tend to be used because of their lower initial cost, but, while they are acceptable in their functional performance, the banded clamp is superior over time,” added Kent.

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The wait is over – INTERNATIONAL® is back down under with the exciting new ProStar® truck model range and for a limited time all 2017 plated Prostar models are backed by a Cummins 5-year / 1,200,000 km extended engine warranty* and include a $5,000 Iveco branded Visa card.

Featuring a premium American driveline with 550 hp / 2508 Nm Cummins X15 engine and the choice of either a traditional Eaton 18-Speed manual or ‘Ultrashift Plus’ automated transmission, the ProStar ® has been extensively engineered and tested to meet Australia’s demanding conditions and operator requirements. With class-leading aerodynamics, ProStar ® is an efficient performer and available in Tipper, Day Cab and Extended Cab configurations making it ideal for tipper, single trailer, 34 and 36 pallet B-double and even B-triple and two trailer road train work. The International® ProStar® is a proven winner and now even better with 5-year / 1,200,000 km extended engine warranty and include a $5,000 Iveco branded Visa card.

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FEATURE PROFILE

HORSES FOR COURSES

Brenton O’Connor charts the growth of Millers Transport Group from a single horse-drawn trailer to major container handlers.

Images by Cristian Brunelli.

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HORSES FOR COURSES

T

here’s something very special about interviewing a family-owned transport business, especially when there’s a rich history relating to the ancestors that started the business from zero.

Back in 1923, Syd Miller recognised the need for reliable transport services in the East Melbourne area, and, with his horse and cart, he founded Miller’s Transport and began transporting firewood, ice, briquettes and furniture.

As Syd’s reputation grew, the business branched out to include warehousing and distribution. In the 1970s, the second generation of the Miller family, Malcolme Miller, expanded the business to include wharf cartage, distributing containers to and from the docks precinct in Melbourne.

Thanks to the family’s foresight in appreciating the potential for the growth in containerisation, the company focused on this aspect of transport and it remains today the core business of the company.

Under the guidance of third-generation family members Glen and Sue Miller, the Millers Transport Group continues to prosper from its headquarters in Dandenong South.

For those unfamiliar with southeast Melbourne, this area has experienced significant growth in recent years in both residential and industrial properties.

The five-acre site at Dandenong South includes the head office and workshop, truck and trailer parking areas, as well as a hard standing that provides space to store up to 600 containers.

PowerTorque Magazine met with business manager, James Vine, to find out more about the business and the decision-making process behind the company’s decision to once again include Mercedes-Benz in the company fleet. Although in previous years Millers had operated a number of Mercedes-Benz 1418, 2228, and 2235s, it had been many years since the three-pointed star was adorned in Millers’ livery.

The decision to trial the new Actros resulted from the enthusiasm of Mitchell Hynd from Whitehorse Truck Centre, who was convinced the Actros could make a difference to Millers’ bottom line. On this basis, Millers commenced an Actros evaluation programme of the three different engine options, with the 11, 13 and 16-litre models joining the fleet.

In a relatively short time, the Benz’s were proving themselves in both driver satisfaction and also in fuel economy. Against the other trucks in the fleet, Millers witnessed a 0.4 km per litre fuel economy gain on sideloader operation and a 0.2 km gain per litre on skel’ and curtainsider operation while operating the 11-litre Actros in both 430 and 460 hp guise. On the B-double operations, a 0.2 km per litre fuel gain was proven, with the 2651 Actros with the OM471 13-litre engine at 510 hp.

The 2651 Actros is currently undertaking standard B-double work at 68.5 tonnes gross, but Millers intends to utilise them in the future on its Super B-double work at a gross weight of 74.5 tonnes.

Quarantine facilities are also available on-site for the packing and unpacking services Millers offers its customers, and Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service officers (AQIS) are on-site most days inspecting freight. This link with AQIS is both more efficient and cost effective for customers, especially when compared to the alternative option of completing these tasks at the wharf.

When queried on the decision for relatively low horsepower rating for these high weights, James explained that, although the 16-litre engine was trialled, Millers found the 2651 more than adequate for the work, given the high torque rating of 2500 Nm and also due to the traffic conditions frequently experienced on the Monash freeway, which limits speed significantly.

The range of goods typically handled by Millers Transport Group varies greatly, but can typically include timber, steel, grain, raw plastics, as well as many consumer products.

In addition to the fuel economy gains, the other reasons behind the decision to purchase Mercedes-Benz included Euro 6 emissions standards, which are demanded by some of their customers, the safety package including proximity cruise control, and also the complimentary BEST BASIC service plan with additional warranty provided by Mercedes-Benz compared to its competitors.

On arrival at the Dandenong South facility the freight is unpacked from the containers and then distributed to customers on either flat-top/drop-deck open air trailers or alternatively in curtainsiders. This benefits the customer as it saves them from the laborious task of unpacking the container, while also reducing costs by negating the need to double handle the container and return it when empty to the Millers’ facility. The customer is therefore exempt from the additional expense of container rental fees or secondary loading or unloading costs at the customer’s site.

Millers operates a fleet of 30-plus prime movers, which include trucks from Volvo, Iveco, Scania and Mercedes-Benz.

The recent purchase of six Fourth Generation MercedesBenz Actros prime movers was one of the reasons

According to James, the new Benz’s have been well received by the drivers in the fleet with positive feedback with regards to comfort and ease of operation.

James confirmed that, while the initial purchase price of the Mercedes Actros was higher than its competitors, once factoring in the total cost of ownership, including the reduced fuel consumption and the standard BEST BASIC service plan, the total cost of ownership of the Mercedes was actually less than the other trucks in consideration for purchase.

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PROFILE

In the Millers fleet the company anticipates running its trucks on a seven-year life cycle before replacement, with all vehicles covered by a repair and maintenance contract provided by their respective manufacturers.

For the 100-plus trailers in the company fleet, Millers itself carries out maintenance in its own on-site workshop. A long-standing tyre service agreement has the supplier’s technician on-site daily, checking trailer tyres for pressures and replacing and rotating them as required.

The trailers run by Millers include a range of skels in both single trailer and B-double application as both Super B and regular tri-tri axle configurations. Due to the route covered from the Melbourne ports to Dandenong, the highest permissible gross weight is 74.5 tonnes. In addition to the skels, Millers runs a range of sideloaders and also flat-tops, curtainsiders and drop-decks for distribution of goods. Trailer brands are varied but include Vawdrey, Steelbro, Krueger, Barker and CIMC. When summing up the success of the group and the reasoning behind its continual growth, James Vine explained that Millers prided itself on its service.

“We have multiple sites in the southeast and Port (Melbourne) area, meaning we can run efficiently with Super B-doubles between depots, keeping costs down for customers yet still delivering on time”.

James went onto explain the success is also down to the staff Millers employs, with a large number of long-term employees: “Just last week we had a driver celebrate 28 continuous years with Millers, which is testimony to the strong working relationship the company has with its drivers”.

Summing up, James stated, “We are a family business that never says NO, with a can-do attitude that is continually investing in its staff, equipment, systems and customers to provide an ever-increasing level of service to our customers”.

Millers Transport Group is a family business in its fourth generation that was founded upon high levels of service and its commitment to an integrated logistics package with quality customer service. The newly-formed relationship with Mercedes-Benz trucks seems an ideal fit, as both businesses continue to push the boundaries on finding efficiencies and ever-improved service levels for their respective customers.

“We allocate one point of contact at Millers to each customer for day-to-day operations,” said James.

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James Vine, Business Manager, Millers Transport Group

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Warren Caves focuses on Burkinshaw’s Transport of Wagga Wagga 50

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CUSTOM & CLASSIC

S

ince the first all Australian-built cabover Kenworth, the K125CR, rolled off the production line in 1971, Kenworth K-Series trucks have had a familiar presence on Australian roads.

The K104 and K108 models were a product of evolution from earlier variants, and throughout the late 1990’s enjoyed a period of marketleading sales. This dominance can, in part, be attributed to regulatory restraints in relation to overall combination lengths.

The 1980s saw the introduction of B-double combinations onto the Australian transport landscape; however, they were not widely embraced until the early 1990s, with initial lengths set at a maximum of 23 metres. Shortly thereafter this was extended to 25 metres, where this limit on length stayed for some years.

This 25-metre benchmark led to the manufacturing of trailer combinations with 34 and even 36-pallet capacities, with one main downside. To adhere to the length regulations and maximise productivity with the use of the longer trailers, the reduction in space available meant that the only choice for a towing unit was that of a cabover truck.

During this period of time the only options available for proponents of American-based truck design were the Kenworth K-Series or the Freightliner Argosy, to which, to a lesser degree, Volvo and Scania also shared in the “cabover years”.

The 25-metre length was widely criticised for adverse effects on handling, safety and driver comfort (although I suspect the driving factor was more fiscal), resulting in the eventual extending of the length limit to 26 metres, effectively opening up the door for B-doubles to begin using conventional cab designed trucks with certain safety criteria to be met.

The K200 was a giant leap forward as far as cab design goes for the brand, with that cumbersome engine tunnel intrusion into the internal space now all but gone, giving way to a near flat floor design, negating the need to crawl up into the bed and making the “lie down to put your pants on manoeuvre” now just a distant memory.

The ability for a grown human to be able to stand up inside the cab created instant appeal and brought the K200 in line with its European counterparts. Attention was also applied to entry and egress from the cab with safety improvements like a full-length top step opening replacing the need to locate the second foot-hold by the “Braille method” when exiting the cab.

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FEATURE With ongoing emission targets to be met, the introduction of the Cummins EGR engines and subsequent increased heat required the K200 to feature a dramatically new front-on styling with wider and lower grille openings, and a redesigned fan shroud to facilitate increased air flow and cooling efficiency.

Because of the discontinuation of cabover models in the United States, re-engineering a totally new model for a relatively small Australian market would, to many, have been seen to be cost prohibitive. The solution here was for Kenworth Australia to refine its existing K-Series platform instead.

As a tribute to the long-standing market leadership of Kenworth in the heavy truck segment, the 50,000th Australian made Kenworth was a K200 sold to Rodney’s Transport of Wagga Wagga NSW. Also based in the Riverina town of Wagga Wagga is Burkinshaw’s Transport. Formed in 1942 by Ray Burkinshaw, with their original depot in Lockhart NSW, (which they still utilise), the company emphasis was on stock crates. Over time and under the direction of subsequent generations of family management, Burkinshaw’s Transport has moved almost exclusively into general freight work, from its current depot in Wagga since 2002.

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FEATURE PowerTorque met with Brendan Burkinshaw and their driver, Chris, to find out more about their operation and their K200 Big Cab. As the name would suggest, Brendan is a third generation Burkinshaw working within the company operations, moving into the family business after completing an apprenticeship as a cabinet maker.

Brendan describes his role as a bit of an all-rounder, splitting his time between yard and forklift duties, administration and fill-in driving work.

“We are a small family-run business employing 18 staff, operating 9 prime movers, 6 rigid body trucks and 20 trailers of drop-deck/curtainside design. It’s a small operation and we like it that way, preferring the personal nature of doing business with our clients and the closer connection with our drivers. We’re more like a bunch of mates than work colleagues,” says Brendan.

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Chris is the driver currently operating their K200, having initially run on single-trailer work and for the last 12 months in B-double guise, running between Wagga and Sydney, and Wagga and Melbourne.

“The truck currently has around 920,000 km on the odometer and it still drives like new, I have been driving it as a one-driver truck since early 2017. I find it a great truck to drive and quite comfortable, even after previously driving the company’s FH Volvo. It does tend to pitch a little, fore and aft, when on single-trailer work, but I find this does not occur when pulling two trailers,” said Chris.

Chris explains, “This truck was initially from new, given to Shane Burkinshaw, another third-generation family member to work in the company, and this is the significance of the “Third Generation” painted on the cab air-conditioning unit. Shane and subsequent drivers have really looked after the truck, which makes it easy for me to do the same, I take great pride in its appearance”.

CUSTOM & CLASSIC

“The truck currently has around 920,000 km on the odometer and it still drives like new”

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FEATURE

Chris has been with Burkinshaw’s for seven years, previously working for Finemores for 22 years. As someone who is very grateful for his employment, Chris says, “This is a great company to work for”.

The truck is a 2011 K200 Big Cab, purchased through Inland Truck Centres in Wagga, fitted with a Cummins EGR engine rated @ 600 horsepower, mated to an 18-speed Eaton Roadranger manual transmission. Also featuring are aluminium fuel tanks with LED lighting and totalling 1500 litres storage, and an aluminium Barup bullbar standing proud for frontal protection and as a mounting platform for the four chrome Hella Rallye 4000 driving lights.

All stainless steel work was carried out by Royan’s of Wagga, including, stainless steel wing trims with LED marker lights, eight-inch curved exhaust stacks, and stainless steel step treads with LED courtesy lighting.

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Polished alloy rims are used with the classy looking off-sets on the steer, giving that custom edge and complementing the deep green livery of the Burkinshaw fleet colours, with scroll and line highlights by Auto FX Signs and Graphics, also of Wagga.

To keep things more comfortable for rest breaks, an electric aircon unit is used, and Chris says it works quite well under all but the very hottest of days.

To help with thermal efficiency and to keep the daylight out, Chris has fashioned up a set of wraparound curtains on bungee cord as these were not an option on the very early 200s.

As a storm approached, with the promise of some relief from a humid February afternoon, the K200 stands proudly against an angry sky, as Brendan and Chris admire their well-presented workhorse.

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RELIABLE OUTCOMES

Isuzu heads towards its 30-year record of market leadership with further refinements for the FX and FY.

S

ales records come and go, but, in the case of Japanese truck maker Isuzu, the company has achieved something that is unmatched by any other manufacturer, in any segment of vehicle manufacturing.

Achieving a continual number-one spot for 29 years consecutively as the leading vehicle supplier in the entire commercial vehicle market is testimony to the effort and ability expended by its Australian management team.

Throughout the history of the brand in the Australian market, the Isuzu team has continued to fine tune the individual model specifications to keep the various product lines highly competitive, and supported this expertise with one of the strongest and most efficient customer service support systems operated within the truck and transport industry.

Isuzu’s FX and FY ranges of heavy-duty trucks were first introduced to this market back in 2008, with the 325 hp FX models subsequently uprated to 350 hp and Euro V in

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2011. Further updates in 2013 saw the introduction of the twin-steer 8x4 and 10x4 FY range with its load sharing front-suspension, industry-best American driveline and highly competitive tare mass.

These models operate in the highly competitive world that covers a broad range of businesses and applications.

They seldom attract extreme customisation, unlike the long-distance conventional prime movers running interstate, but they provide the highest level of productivity and the lowest possible total cost of operation. When looking for a simple description of the reasoning behind their purchase, it’s best summed up as being that they go out and do the job and don’t cause their owners many concerns.

With the latest updates to the FX and FY range of heavyduty trucks, Isuzu has delivered an increase in towing capacity combined with leading-edge technology and engineering features to boost efficiency and deliver a stress-free driving experience.

RELIABLE OUTCOMES The best term to describe the update is ‘more’ – more of everything. More wheelbases, more models with automatic transmissions, more GCM, more technology and more engineering improvements.

to help operators and drivers get the best return on their time.

Isuzu Australia Limited’s (IAL) director of sales and marketing, Andrew Harbison, said Isuzu engineers were aware of the need to provide cutting-edge technology while retaining the reliability our customers have come to expect.

“Isuzu has chosen to maintain the competitive power and torque ratings of the popular 6UZ1-TC engine, even when fitted with an Allison automatic, by selecting the higher capacity HD Series transmission. The result is superior performance, towing capacity and durability for Isuzu operators,” said IAL chief engineer of product strategy, Simon Humphries.

Both the FX and FY offer impressive GVM and GCM ratings, and the updated range benefits from the introduction of eight new models to the FX range and an additional three to the FY range.

“All FX 4x2 and 6x2 models now feature a 38,000 kg GCM rating, regardless of transmission, while all FX 6x4 and FY 8x4 and 10x4 models have a standard GCM rating of 45,000 kg,” he added.

With a range of wheelbases and suspension configurations in both model ranges, as well as the availability of the Allison 4430 automatic transmission in most models, Isuzu has responded to the demands of the market by ensuring the specification options are targeted to key heavy-duty applications.

Some of the broad improvements include new coolant temperature gauges, relocated height sensors, uprated alternator (to 90 A), and standardising tail lamp connectors and ABS connectors for towing across various models.

Other changes include the FYJ, FXZ, and FXY auto medium-wheelbase models with drivelines specified for short distance construction applications, and the associated stop/start, low-speed driving.

Satellite navigation systems are now a standard inclusion across all FX and FY models, combined in a package that includes map updates and truck-centric information

As a snapshot of how well accepted the Isuzu product range is around the country, PowerTorque investigated some of the views of operators that have experienced the ability of the brand at firsthand.

In Mildura, Craig Lush, the founder of waste removal company, Payless Skips, reckons his Isuzu trucks are working well in an environment that often sees ambient temperatures exceeding 42 degrees Celsius.

“First and foremost, our trucks need to be reliable and comfortable, with drivers spending up to 11 hours in them each day,” he said.

“Reputation was a big thing for us. Isuzus were always at the forefront of our selection process and we eventually decided on the NPR 75-190. The fuel economy is good, and, with a GVM of 7500 kg, 140 kW @ 2600 rpm and 513 Nm @ 1600-2600 rpm, it’s got power requirements covered,” he added.

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FEATURE Moving up in vehicle size to the Isuzu Giga led PowerTorque to Mark Mitchell, owner and co-director of Northern New South Wales’ civil construction firm Valley Earthworks.

“We’re a multi-faceted company that does a wide range of civil construction activities, from subdivisions to carparks to bulk land cut and fill areas,” said Mark.

“Part of that is having graders, rollers, bobcats and floats so you can move gear to and from the site. We also do road construction, bulk earthworks, forestry maintenance, marine rock walls and national park roads.

“From the 60 pieces of equipment we operate, 10 of those are Isuzus – not just the Giga tippers we recently bought, but also some single-axle tippers and other vehicles – all of which have been good, reliable and competitively priced,” he said.

After adding six Isuzu Giga CXY 455 trucks to the Valley Earthworks stable of machinery last June, Mark said the vehicles were valuable assets from the moment they started work on the Grafton Gaol and Pacific Highway upgrades.

“With a GCM of 57,000 kg the Gigas are powered by the six-cylinder, 24-valve SOHC SiTEC Series II 455 engine and comfortably handle the work pulling super dog trailers. The Gigas were the right fit for Valley Earthworks – so much so, the company is awaiting the delivery of a seventh Giga,” he added.

The final comment about Isuzu comes from Interhaul Transport, based on Queensland’s Gold Coast and specialising in the supply of pre-mixed concrete.

“It negotiates heavy traffic, roundabouts, narrow streets and poorly prepared, tight access worksites with ease.

The truck’s turning circle is fantastic”

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Interhaul has been transporting concrete since 1988, and subcontracting concrete deliveries for industry-leading Nucon Concrete since 2003.

“Interhaul subcontracts ready-mixed concrete deliveries across Queensland, and my drivers are some of the hardest workers in the business,” said company founder John Polites.

When John was in the market for a new truck he chose an Isuzu FYJ 2000 8x4 agitator spec model.

The FYJ 2000 has a GVM rated at 30,000 kg, 257 kW @ 2000 rpm and 1422 Nm @ 1400 rpm, making it highly capable for a wide variety of applications in addition to the particular demands of concrete agitator work.

For the transmission, the FYJ has an Allison 4430 series six-speed automatic, while driver comfort is ensured by features like cruise control and an ISRI 6860 airsuspension seat with pneumatic lumbar support.

“The truck operates in mostly metropolitan areas, but also handles some off-road driving around worksites brilliantly,” said company driver Mike Smith.

“It negotiates heavy traffic, roundabouts, narrow streets and poorly prepared, tight access worksites with ease. The truck’s turning circle is fantastic. The heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system are also standouts.

Isuzu compares very favourably with other truck brands that I’ve driven,” Mike added.

With safety a top priority for Isuzu, the FYJ also features a driver’s side airbag with seatbelt pretensioner, anti-lock braking (ABS) and Isuzu Electronic Stability Control (IESC).

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FEATURE

LEGAL COMMENT

Gillian Bristow and Emily Ng of leading law firm Cooper Grace Ward make their determination on work diaries

U

nder the Heavy Vehicle National Law and its associated fatigue-management regulations (HVNL), heavy vehicle drivers are required to comply with complex rules in relation to keeping work diaries, recording work and rest hours, and counting overlapping periods (among other things).

heavy vehicle, cleaning or refuelling the heavy vehicle and recording information or completing a document required by the HVNL).

Drivers who do not understand their obligations may find themselves in hot water if they are pulled over by enforcement officers. In this issue of PowerTorque we explain some of the key requirements of the HVNL in relation to work diaries and highlight some common mistakes made by drivers.

Drivers must record work hours in their work diary whenever they are driving a heavy vehicle or completing any of these tasks (regardless of whether they are being paid to work and regardless of whether the vehicle is carrying any load).

Keeping a work diary – the concept of 100+ km work A heavy vehicle driver must carry a work diary if they are working under BFM, AFM or exemption hours, or have worked under BFM, AFM or exemption hours in the past 28 days. The same applies if they are undertaking ‘100+ km work’ or have undertaken ‘100+ km work’ in the past 28 days on standard hours.

A driver undertakes 100+ km work if they are driving in an area with a radius of more than 100 km from their base (which is generally the place from which the driver works).

The driver must keep the work diary in their possession while driving the vehicle and must record the required information for each day on which, in the previous 28 days, the driver worked under BFM, AFM or exemption hours or undertook 100+ km work under standard hours.

The driver must record all details for each day on which they undertake 100+ km work, starting from the time the driver first starts work and including any local work (within 100 km of the driver’s base) undertaken on that day.

Many drivers aren’t aware that the HVNL defines ‘work’ broadly to include driving a heavy vehicle, instructing another person to drive, or supervising another person driving a heavy vehicle. It also includes performing another task relating to the use of a heavy vehicle (such as loading and unloading, inspecting, servicing or repairing the heavy vehicle, inspecting or attending to a load on the

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The HVNL definition of work also includes occupying the driver’s seat of a heavy vehicle while the engine is running.

Counting time – beware of overlapping 24-hour periods In any period of 24 hours, a solo driver operating under standard hours must not work for more than 12 hours and must have at least seven continuous hours of stationary rest.

When counting time for the purposes of a 24-hour period, the time must be counted forward from the end of a ‘relevant major rest break’ (which is a break of at least five continuous hours).

What many drivers don’t realise is that it is possible (likely, even) that they are operating under multiple overlapping 24-hour periods. Therefore, drivers need to be very careful that they are keeping track of their fatigue obligations across all relevant periods.

Here is an example of how this works in practice: Bob is an interstate driver. Bob completes seven continuous hours stationary rest time at 6:30 a.m. on Monday, starts work at that time, works until 11:00 a.m. that day, has stationary rest until 4:00 p.m. that day, works until 10:30 p.m. that evening and then rests until 5:30 a.m. on Tuesday.

Bob then works until 10:30 a.m., has stationary rest until 1:30 p.m. and works again until he is intercepted by a police officer at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday evening.

In this scenario, Bob is operating under three overlapping 24hour periods. These are 6:30 a.m. on Monday to 6:30 a.m. on Tuesday, 4:00 p.m. on Monday to 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, and 5:30 a.m. on Tuesday to 5:30 a.m. on Wednesday (this period is still running when Bob is pulled over).

LEGAL COMMENT Bob has recorded his work and rest hours in his work diary. The officer inspects Bob’s work diary and discovers that Bob has worked 14 hours in the 24-hour period between 4:00 p.m. on Monday and 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday.

The officer charges Bob with a ‘critical risk breach’ (the most severe category of breach). Because of the severity of the breach, Bob must appear in court to respond to the charge. The penalty that Bob can receive for a critical risk breach is more than $16,000, and the offence can attract four demerit points.

Travelling to or from WA or the NT – to record or not to record hours under the HVNL? The HVNL does not apply in WA or the NT (though WA has its own legislation dealing with maximum work and minimum rest hours).

The rules governing the use of work diaries for interstate drivers travelling to or from WA or the NT are relatively complex.

If a driver spends seven days or less in WA or the NT, the HVNL requires the driver to continue to comply with their work and rest hours option under the HVNL and record their work and rest hours in their work diary using the time zone of their base.

If a driver spends more than seven days in WA or the NT before returning to another state, the HVNL requires the

driver to start complying with their work and rest hours option and recording their hours in their work diary from the end of the last major rest break (which is a break of at least five continuous hours) that the driver takes before leaving WA or the or NT. Remember to ask for advice Complying with the HVNL fatigue management requirements across multiple overlapping periods and time zones presents challenges to drivers, schedulers and others that supervise and manage transport businesses.

This article only deals with some of the issues – we encourage you to consult the additional resources available on the NHVR website at nhvr.gov.au PowerTorque wishes to thank Gillian Bristow and Emily Ng, of leading law firm Cooper Grace Ward, for their assistance in this breakdown of just some of what is involved when you complete your work diary. The information contained in this editorial feature is provided as broad-based advice, and, if you have any specific concerns, PowerTorque recommends that you seek qualified legal advice.

Cooper Grace Ward’s transport and logistics team regularly posts video alerts and holds webinars and training sessions on issues facing the transport industry.

For further information, we recommend checking out their website at www.cgw.com.au

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FEATURE

INTERNATIONAL APPEAL Tickford Racing returns to the track for 2018 hauled by a pair of ProStars

A

pair of new International ProStar prime movers has joined leading Supercars team, Tickford Racing, to haul the race cars piloted by drivers Mark Winterbottom, Cam Waters, Chaz Mostert and Richie Stanaway around the Australian Supercar race venues.

Tickford Racing joins the Supercars grid in 2018 and will be the new name for this year’s season and beyond for the team previously known as Prodrive Racing (Australia).

Heading into the 2018 Supercars season the team has claimed 63 race wins, 66 pole positions and 187 race podiums with its #5 and #6 entries.

The name change was made to more closely align the racing team with its sister company, the vehicle personalisation and performance business, Tickford. The change creates a collective of brands under the Tickford masthead, ensuring a clear identity for the business.

Both the ProStars – one sleeper cab, the second an extended cab – are powered by Cummins X15 engines producing 550 horsepower (410 kW)/1850 lb-ft variant (2508 Nm) matched to Eaton UltraShift Plus 18-speed automated manual transmissions.

One of the vehicles also features the ‘ADEPT’ package, which includes ‘SmartTorque2’ and ‘SmartCoast’ technology. SmartTorque2 is the next generation of torque management technology from Cummins whereby the system

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senses both the selected gear and overall engine load as a result of the gross vehicle weight, aerodynamic drag and road grade.

The ADEPT package is an option with the UltraShift Plus and utilises load, speed and grade sensing software, making minor adjustments to speed, power and transmission gear selection to take advantage of vehicle momentum for better fuel economy.

ProStar customers looking for increased power and performance can now choose an additional power rating with a new 600 horsepower (447 kW)/2050 lb-ft (2779 Nm) option. The additional power has been achieved via calibration changes

INTERNATIONAL APPEAL to the ProStar’s 15-litre Cummins X15 engine, in a successful joint project between International’s Australian engineers and the team at Cummins South Pacific.

The race team transporter drivers get their new ProStars with some additional bling, including chrome, checkerplate and polished alloy trimmings along with additional auxiliary lighting.

Navistar’s head of design, Chris Ito, had a major influence in the “slipperiness” of the overall truck aerodynamic performance that forms a common design cue through the International product range. International’s design team was also responsible for the cab interior space that provides the driver with a standing roof height of 1922 mm (sleeper cab variant), facilitating easy across-cab access and into the sleeper area.

The cab interiors feature the latest ergonomically designed 10-gauge instrument cluster with chrome bezels, a curved dashboard, leather driver and passenger air suspension seat, and 6.1” touchscreen multimedia system with satellite navigation.

“There is a freshness about International that’s very appealing, and they have been very keen to work with us,” said Tickford Racing co-owner, Rod Nash. “We are very much looking forward to having their ProStar vehicles leading us from race to race this season and beyond.

The driver’s view from the cab of the ProStar of the road and surrounding potential hazards is particularly impressive as a result of the truck’s sloping hood, sweptback design, wraparound windshield and set-back A-pillars, plus the smooth lines are a major contributor to aerodynamic efficiency.

“What IVECO is doing with International is similar to what we have been doing with Tickford Engineering and now Tickford Racing, in bringing a beloved brand back into the Australian market. That common mentality should make it a very positive partnership for both parties,” Mr. Nash added.

Two new INTERNATIONAL ProStar prime movers have joined the Tickford Racing Supercars team as official transporters

Interestingly, both International Trucks and Tickford relaunched their activities for the start of 2017. This rebranding positioned Tickford as a performance focused organisation that on one hand prepares race cars for the Supercar Championship, while subsequently also offering a one-stop customising centre for those wishing to personalise either the latest Ford Mustang or Ford Ranger.

Both sides of the business are run separately but benefit from being able to share joint engineering resources.

PowerTorque ISSUE 82

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FEATURE The Tickford brand has grown substantially over the past two years as Ashley Miniken, Tickford’s marketing coordinator explained to PowerTorque Magazine: “We provide our Tickford customers with something new and different to enhance their vehicles. We aim for an improved on-road experience rather than the offroad focus, as there are already plenty of companies specialising in extreme off-road aspects”.

Using the 3.2-litre, five-cylinder Ford Ranger engine, Tickford reprogrammes the engine management system to increase power output by 15 percent from 147 kW to 169 kW, and increase the peak torque rating by 20 percent from 470 Nm out to 564 Nm. The turbocharger remains the same, but there is a lift in boost pressures, assisted by an increase in intercooler capacity with the addition of hard piping, to improve the driveability and smoothness of power delivery. There are changes to the exhaust pipework downstream from the catalytic converter, with the exhaust system now increased to 2.5-inch diameter and exiting on the driver’s side, behind the rear wheels.

The performance and driveability gains of the Tickford Power Pack are aimed at improving towing smoothness and performance when carrying heavy loads. This upgrade also benefits driveability in the mid-range and is suitable for either manual or automatic transmissions.

Rear axle ratios remain standard.

When it comes to fitting improved ride and handling packages, Tickford engineers have developed three key packages that suit the Ranger XLT, FX4 and Wildtrak models.

The Adventure Pack includes special Tickford designed sports bar and tonneau cover, all-terrain tyres, door sill plates, side exit exhaust, tailgate badge and light surrounds, together with a unique Tickford grille assembly.

Customers can choose to incorporate 20-inch alloy rims shod with 265/50R20 tyres from Nitto or Goodyear, Bilstein dampers, King tapered wire coil springs and a 2.0-inch lift kit, to which is added greaseable bushing

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on the rear suspension and an additional coupling to compensate for the increased driveline angle.

The Tourer pack maintains the standard ride height but includes sports suspension for an improved on-road driving experience through reducing body roll for a more car-like feel and driving attitude. Accessories from the Adventure pack can be carried over or added to the Tourer pack. Opportunities also exist to personalise the external appearance with a matt black signature look through adding black-out styling cues around doors, windows and lights etc.

“Everything we do is about personalisation. We have a lot of Wildtrak owners that tow caravans. They want a little more power and comfort with a full Powerpack and full leather interior. We retrim the original seats, also changing the foam in the seat base for the rear passengers to reduce fatigue and improve comfort,” said Ashley.

“We also cater for the tradie that wants to upgrade all the visual aspects, such as the Adventure pack that provides both an engine tune and visual kit, wheels, flares, sidesteps and more power. It’s all about supplying varying levels of different personalisation of their vehicles. We can also offer a completely different range of seating colours, and retrim door trims and the centre console to match upgrades,” commented Ashley.

A brief driving evaluation of the Tickford Ranger underscored the additional smoothness of the power delivery, which is undoubtedly superior to that of the standard vehicle.

The increased power and torque output matches the automatic transmission extremely well, and the driving experience is again enhanced by the improvement in ride and handling for on-road work. The final result is a much smoother ride on-road, without the harshness associated with the standard model.

Adding interior trim upgrades are subjective to the owner, but the opportunity of being able to personalise a vehicle to a unique standard is guaranteed to appeal to a select audience. The Tickford catchphrase of Performance Driven by Passion, ably sums up the experience.

(From l to r) IVECO Australia managing director, Michael Jonson, with Tickford Racing co-owner, Rod Nash and team principal and company CEO, Tim Edwards

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FEATURE

40 YEARS

The toughest test of man and machine continues to fascinate drivers across the globe.

It’s

the rally that unites competitors from across the globe, all keen to conquer the challenges of off-road racing in virtually all forms of motorised options, from bikes to quads, buggies to utes, and of course heavy trucks.

The DAKAR event owes its heritage to the 1970s where the route traversed Africa, subsequently relocating due to safety concerns for the competitors and spectators to challenge South America at the start of the 21st century.

For the 40th anniversary the route started in Peru, involving rolling sand dunes for the first five special stages. After Peru came Bolivia, where the extremes of weather and atmospheric conditions would pose the next set of problems to be overcome for the competitors.

For the last third of the event it was the turn of Argentina, where those remaining in the event from the 337 starters would all be aiming to reach Cordoba, the capital of Argentinean motorsport.

Age and experience counts for a lot in an endurance event, with Stephane Peterhansel having won the event 13 times since the start of his career 30 years ago. The fleet of Toyota HiLux utes led by Nasser Al-Attiyah would also be chasing a podium finish, aiming to beat the new Mini X-Raid buggies.

Australian Toby Price showed that ability and success is not a European prerogative, when he won the bike section in 2016 for KTM, returning this year despite surgery that involved replacing a rod in his leg after having broken his femur in four places in the 2017 event.

For PowerTorque readers the main interest of course is with the truck division. This year’s event attracted 44 truck entries, including IVECO, KAMAZ, MAZ, Renault, Hino, Mercedes-Benz and Scania. Although some of these makes were providing technical and mechanical support to teams rather than actually competing for line honours, the routes they all travelled to complete the course were very little different, and at times they had to be competitive to keep the support crews available in the right spot should their team mates need assistance.

By the time the contestants reached La Paz in Bolivia the Peruvian sand dunes had culled the numbers back to 110 bikes, 41 quads, 71 cars and 30 trucks.

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40 YEARS OF DAKAR

OF DAKAR

“The question of whether the KAMAZ trucks can be beaten is regularly asked” PowerTorque ISSUE 82

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FEATURE The question of whether the KAMAZ trucks can be beaten is regularly asked on the DAKAR. On arrival in La Paz it would indeed have seemed the Russians might dominate the 2018 event, led by Eduard Nikolaev. The two-times winner had stamped his authority on the race, with three stage victories out of six, but for this year he was being chased by Federico Villagra on his tail (52 minutes behind).

The Argentinean had won two special stages and was showing the sort of racing maturity that could witness him causing problems for the Russian rally leader.

At 500 km, the longest special of the 2018 DAKAR was also one of the hardest. Rain on the Bolivian Plateau and sections at altitudes exceeding 4800 metres made the challenge even more daunting.

The competitors had to contend with their own fatigue, as well as the wear and tear of their vehicles, after the rules of the marathon stage left them without assistance service the night before the start. Tough meteorological conditions (heavy rains), forced the organisers to cancel special stage nine, which was supposed to take place between Tupiza and Salta, leaving the field to transport to the Salta bivouac by road to resume stage ten from Salta to Belen.

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FEATURE

Argentinean Federico Villagra had finished in the top two of eight out of ten special stages by the time the event hit La Rioja province, but it was the overwhelming dominance of Eduard Nikolayev and his KAMAZ that he had to beat in order to lead on home turf in Chilecito in the truck category. In the bike category, Australian Toby Price won this stage, beating Kevin Benavides and the other KTM rider, Antoine Meo. For the arrival in San Juan after the longest special stage of 523 km there was just one second in the general standings between the KAMAZ driven by Eduard Nikolaev, the new leader, and the IVECO of Federico Villagra. After 7518 km since the start in Lima, this is an amazing example of the degree of competiveness facing the truck racers.

Eduard Nikolaev had started his eighth Dakar at one hell of a pace, and, with his amazing performance in the Peruvian dunes, the 2017 champion had opened up a strong lead over all his rivals, except for the tenacious Federico Villagra.

The Argentinean had been the only driver able to take the battle to the KAMAZ clan leader and had to grin and bear it during the first week, before putting the Russian under pressure as well as briefly taking the general standings lead from him.

Federico Villagra had struggled in the sand dunes of San Juan the day before the finish in Córdoba, his hometown.

As he held second place in the general standings, just one second behind Eduard Nikolaev, Federico was leading the last special stage (and therefore the rally), when the gearbox on his IVECO Powerstar started to develop problems.

Sadly, for Villagra, the gearbox problem put paid to the IVECO driver’s hopes as he exited the race the day before the finish. With Federico Villagra no longer a threat on the last day, Eduard Nikolaev justifiably obtained his third title win behind the wheel of his KAMAZ. In total, 191 vehicles completed the 40th event: 85 bikes, 32 quads, 49 cars including 6 SxS, and 25 trucks, meaning 55 percent of the competitors that set out from Lima two weeks earlier managed to reach the finish.

In the final stages on arrival at Cordoba in Argentina, Toby Price did his utmost to leave in his wake Kevin Benavides and his teammate and rally leader Matthias Walkner. In the final results, Toby Price finished in second place for the Red Bull KTM Factory Team, behind Kevin Benavides, and just 54 seconds short of the winner’s time separation of 1 hour, 26 minutes and 41 seconds, and 2 minutes and 49 seconds ahead of his KTM teammate Antoine Meo.

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40 YEARS OF DAKAR

For the truck category the line honours went to Eduard Nikolaev in the KAMAZ Master (#500), some 3 hours, 57 minutes and 17 seconds ahead of Siarhei Vioazovich in the MAZ SportAuto (#512). Third place went to another KAMAZ Master (#507), this time driven by Airat Mardeev, with the Astana Motorsport Team De Rooy IVECO (#508) driven by Artur Ardavichus in fourth position, ahead of Martin Macik of Big Shock Racing (#510) followed in turn

by Terhito Sugawara of Hino Team Sugawara (#511), 8 hours, 10 minutes and 16 seconds behind the winner.

The second IVECO of the Petronas Team De Rooy (#509) finished in eighth position overall.

Hino Team Suguwara’s success in the DAKAR Rally is particularly noteworthy as it was a record ninth consecutive class victory in the 2018 event, scoring sixth place overall and first place in the under 10-litre category.

“Rain on the Bolivian Plateau and sections at altitudes exceeding 4800 metres made the challenge even more daunting”

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73

FEATURE In the early stages of the rally, Hino Team Sugawara was left with only one of its two Hino 500 Series trucks due to a problem that forced Car 1 crewed by Yoshimasa Sugawara and Katsumi Hamura to withdraw from what was Mr. Yoshimasa Suguwara’s 35th straight start in the race.

The 2018 event was the 20th Dakar Rally for Teruhito Sugawara. His father Yochimasa, also known as the ‘Ironman of DAKAR’, was disappointed not to finish, but has already stated he will enter the rally again next year.

Both of the Hino DAKAR Rally 500 Series vehicles used an enhanced version of the Hino A09C six-cylinder engine, which is available as an option in the Hino 500 Series Wide Cab trucks in Australia.

Key specifications of the two 2018 DAKAR Rally Hino trucks include the 8866 cc direct-injection turbocharged and intercooled engine matched to a six-speed directdrive gearbox with secondary transmission, two-speed transfer and a part-time all-wheel-drive (AWD) feature in Car 1, and full-time AWD in Car 2.

“Australian Toby Price won the bike section in 2016”

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IVECO was also quick to celebrate the team success of placing two of its entries in the top 10 finalists of this year’s DAKAR, following on from wins of the DAKAR in 2012 and 2016 with Gerard de Rooy. This year it was the entries of Ton Van Genugten and Artur Ardavichus from Team PETRONAS De Rooy IVECO that both achieved placements in the Top 10. Dutch driver Van Genugten clocked three stage wins – including the last special of the rally – and finished in eighth place.

Teammate Artur Ardavichus delivered consistent performances throughout the rally, steadily rising in the classification to complete the DAKAR 2018 with a fourth place. This result follows his debut in Team PETRONAS De Rooy IVECO at the Silk Way 2017 rally, when he also won a fourth place.

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FEATURE

SPRINTING OVER THE LINE

Mercedes-Benz ramps up with all guns blazing as it takes on all-comers in the medium to large van market

T

he new Sprinter for 2018 continues the standards set by the first and second-generation products, and improves on just about all aspects of its safety, drivability, braking, handling and comfort.

The Sprinter’s original A-pillar, B-pillar and framework to the rear doors are pretty much retained from generation two, providing the same internal fixing and mounting points already developed by companies manufacturing shelving, racking and motorhome conversions. Only the front-wheel-drive version is able to claim being a totally new development, with its 80 mm lower floor height in the cargo area.

What is new throughout the range, though, is the final look of the bodywork, which has been re-skinned to soften the flow lines around the external design, while promoting a bolder stance through the stronger design lines of the front bonnet and grille assembly.

With 1700 versions on the order books, there’s literally something for everyone that wants to shift, carry or move a load – be it cargo for a van or people requiring a minibus for transport.

The new Sprinter 2018 range kicks off with a front-wheeldrive version. The absence of a drive shaft connection to the back axle has enabled the designers to drop the cargo

deck floor by 80 mm. That’s good news for the courier that has to step in and out of the van 50 times a day, and for the motorhome manufacturers, as it capitalises on the available interior height for the layout of kitchen and accommodation.

With this new move into front-wheel-drive for the Sprinter, comes new engines and transmissions, with a six-speed manual gearbox and a nine-speed, full-fluid automatic heading the options list. Mercedes-Benz calls the ninespeed the 9G-TRONIC, and, although this might suggest it comes from the same family as the 7G-TRONIC also available, the nine-speed has a totally different heritage.

Maximum load capacity extends right up to 17 cubic metres with GVMs of 5500 kg, and there is a 3500 kg braked trailer towing limit. Also new for generation three is the availability of air suspension for the rear axle, smoothing out the bumps for motorhome and minibus passengers alike.

The assistance systems available for the new Sprinter include a reversing camera showing its image in the rear-view mirror, a modern parking package with a 360-degree view, and a rain sensor and wiper with an integrated Wet Wiper system to ensure optimum visibility even during the wiping process. The driver can expect an improvement in ergonomics by inclusion of the “driver’s seat Plus” with its flattened seat cushion for frequent entry and exit.

“The pure electric drivetrain is simpler and cheaper to manufacture”

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SPRINTING OVER THE LINE Telematic connectivity and onboard diagnostic systems are a transfer from the passenger car and heavy truck products, especially when it comes to remote vehicle diagnostics and the monitoring of maintenance requirements. In similar fashion to the systems available globally and developed by Daimler and Detroit in the United States, a fleet operator will be able to investigate all aspects of the vehicle including engine operating temperatures, average speeds, location and the optimum time to schedule vehicle servicing.

Mercedes PRO connect provides eight connectivity packages online, including the automated logging and loading of goods. Communication is obviously going to be the central topic of conversation for van buyers of the future, as the telematics connectivity makes for greater efficiency, lower operating costs, improved vehicle availability and optimised fleet availability. These systems include vehicle supervision, vehicle operations, fleet communication, maintenance and repair management, and a digital driver’s logbook, all of which are accessed through the 10.25-inch high-definition display unit in the centre of the dashboard.

If you talk to the infotainment system with a comment such as “the fuel tank is empty”, the system will respond with suggesting filling stations along the planned route. It also apparently responds to recognisable messages, but it remains to be seen what the van will say or do when it overhears a comment made about the poor driving ability of passing traffic.

The Parking package with Parking Assist and reversing camera presents the driver with a visual and an audible alert of obstacles, while the sensors cover all areas in front of, next to and behind the vehicle. The radar-based distance control system, DYSTONIC, is also part of the safety suite, as are Active Brake Assist and Active Lane Keeping Assist.

Where a vehicle is left parked, it can now be restocked by a passing courier or technician even though it may be locked and unattended. The driver can access an app on their mobile phone that enables them to unlock the door remotely, so that a passing courier has a certain time window during which they can either collect goods or restock the van with parts or equipment before it is relocked, again remotely, without the driver being present.

Traffic congestion can also be alleviated or avoided by the use of the MBUX multimedia systems, which register the changing traffic situation practically in real time and dynamically adapt the routing accordingly, to offer substantial cost and time savings.

There’s a lot of cleverness for passenger transport providers using the Sprinter minibus version where passengers can use an app to request the new Sprinter stop at a location to pick them up, thereby interacting with the transport operator to organise their own route scheduling. When a would-be passenger uses the app to submit a request, it is displayed to the driver automatically in the telematics system, at the same time adjusting the suggested route for pick-up in line with the current traffic

density. The same system can also transmit data as seat sensors will register the number of passengers, report it to the app and reconcile the requests and available capacity.

This ensures optimum utilisation of the service with a capacity of up to 19 passengers, plus the driver.

Passengers travelling in the Sprinter minibus gain USB charging facilities supported by an adequate power supply, while an optional WiFi hotspot provides passengers with their own individual connections to the digital world.

The centrepiece of these systems is the MBUX multimedia system, which is controlled via touchscreens or the multifunction steering wheel. The air-conditioning system positioned on the roof allows individual climate control settings in the passenger compartment, while the auxiliary heating creates a feel-good atmosphere on every seat.

Safety systems on-board the new Sprinter have also received an upgrade with the advancements incorporated in the radar-based DISTRONIC adaptive cruise control system, Active Brake Assist, Active Lane Keeping Assist and Attention Assist. Crosswind Assist is also on board as standard.

The optional Parking package including a 360-degree camera in conjunction with the 10.25-inch MBUX multimedia system helps the driver to master confusing situations. Traffic Sign Assist draws additional attention to speed limits, no-entry and no-overtaking restrictions and their cancellation. The Wiper System with rain sensor is also new in the Sprinter. The washer fluid is passed through the wiper arms, sprayed directly ahead of the wiper blades and immediately wiped away.

The differences between the front-wheel-drive (FWD) and rear-wheel-drive (RWD) vehicle dimensions come down to a variation in wheelbase, with the FWD at 3294 mm and the RWD at 4325 mm. Where interior width of the cargo area can be a game changer, the Sprinter featuring supersingle tyres on the rear axle can provide the solution as it features a GVW of 5000 kg. This leaves an available loading width of around 1.22 metres between the wheel arches, so that pallets can also be loaded sideways.

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FEATURE With an engine range of three diesel alternatives from 94 kW up to 140 kW, the buyer can really choose between the benefits of FWD or RWD. Where road surface conditions are slippery, as with snow or loose gravel, there’s also the option of all-wheel-drive (AWD). For selected markets there’s also a petrol engine available matched to the 7G-TRONIC full fluid automatic transmission.

The panel van variants with a total of three different wheelbases, three body heights and five weight classes particularly benefit from the extensive package of technologies used to reduce noise and vibrations.

Irrespective of the actual van model selected, the rear doors open and fold back to the sides of the exterior walls.

For the Sprinter variants with a diesel engine and rearwheel-drive, maintenance intervals up to a maximum of 60,000 km or two years are envisaged in the European markets. The newly introduced front-wheel-drive variant is due for a service after a maximum of 40,000 km or two years. Optimisation of the servicing process also brings a noticeable improvement in efficiency. Optional connectivity services can, for example, send information about the condition of wearing parts to the fleet manager while on the road, so that preventive servicing can be planned to avoid expensive downtimes. All models are built to Euro 6 emissions compliance with the engines using AdBlue with selective catalytic reduction (SCR) technology.

Fully electric versions of the Vito will appear on the market around the middle of this year, with Sprinter E versions following a year later in mid 2019. In conversation with Volker Mornhinweg, head of Mercedes-Benz Vans, PowerTorque was told that Hybrids are seen as being more expensive to manufacture, through the disadvantage of requiring two separate powertrains to function.

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“The pure electric drivetrain is simpler and cheaper to manufacture,” said Volker. “It’s easier for light commercials to move to full EV capability because you have the room for the battery storage capacity. This is not always available for passenger cars.

“When it comes to the size of the battery we now have the opportunity to put the capacity we need on board to suit the individual requirements of the vehicle operation. For people movers we can put in more capacity and we can plan the available electricity battery storage capacity to suit the distance required each day, because we have the space availability to install the battery supply necessary for the task of the vehicle,” Volker added.

As an example of the enthusiasm Mercedes-Benz has for pure electric drive light commercials, the company will be initiating a pilot project in Germany that will see a specific logistics company operating 1500 electric vehicles in its fleet by 2020. Having experimented with NGT (natural gas fuelled engines), the company seems settled on not continuing on that path, at least for the near future.

From a global manufacturing perspective, Sprinters for the European market will be sourced from Dusseldorf and Ludwigsfelde. Although Argentina has in the past supplied the American market, that will now be sourced from Charleston in North America, with the vans wearing the Freightliner badge. The Russian factory will supply Russia, and the factory in China will supply the Asian market.

Sprinters for the Australian market will be manufactured in Dusseldorf for the panel vans and Ludwigsfelde for the cab/chassis models.

FEATURE

LAYING THE FOUNDATIONS

T

he technology of trucks in today’s highly competitive market continues to evolve as standards of driver safety and comfort are matched by more efficient engines and drivelines.

What makes this continual development of greater interest is how not everything needs to be changed to remain competitive. One of the great stories of truck development in the Australian market is how the ACCO has stood the test of time, and, with continual development through its life span of virtually half a century, it continues to keep pace with the world’s leading truck makers, in some cases still leading the pack.

The name ACCO (which stands for Australian Constructed Cab Over) may no longer appear today on the front grille, having been replaced by the IVECO nameplate, but, for those with any form of trucking-history bone in their body, it’s from the first ACCO that it draws its heritage.

Heavily updated in late 2014 with a raft of improvements and an updated visual appeal, the ACCO remains Australia’s most popular vocational truck model. It’s also the longest running truck model manufactured in Australia by any truck company, being built through its life at the Dandenong, Victoria, factory operated by IVECO, and with 85 percent of its components sourced from this country.

From day one, the cab has conformed to rollover and accident deformation test requirements, making the cab structure a leader in its early days and still relevant in

Fleet expansion in the highly competitive concrete business relies on the legendary ACCO. The ACM team at the new batching plant in Rockbank.

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LAYING THE FOUNDATIONS today’s market. With a flat floor and easy access across the cab from either side, the design still ranks as one of the easiest to enter or exit, with dials and gauges that, whether by luck or good judgement 50 years ago, remain ergonomically easy to view and operate.

In terms of application, the ACCO competes in market segments that include concrete agitators, waste compactors, prime mover and single trailers, rigid distribution trucks, hooklifts, tankers, tippers and general haulage, making it a jack-of-all-trades that possesses the ability to compete with other makes at all levels, while offering a low tare weight.

Given the number of different applications for specific bodywork requirements that the ACCO has satisfied through its career, there’s probably nothing in the vocational sector that hasn’t been tried. It’s also available with factory-supplied dual-control, adding to the versatility for waste bin retrieval and street sweeping.

Available in 4x2, 6x4 and 8x4 configurations, its GVM options range from 16.5 to 30 tonnes. These days the power comes from the 8.9-litre Cummins ISL running with Euro 5 emissions capability by using selective catalytic reduction (SCR), which in the 4x2 and 6x4 versions offers 209 kW (280 hp) at 2100 rpm and with peak torque of 1055 Nm rated at 1300 rpm.

There’s an optional power and torque increase for 6x4 buyers that expands the figures to 239 kW (320 hp) produced at 2100 rpm and peak torque of 1359 Nm rated at 1300 rpm. It’s the higher rated 239 kW/11359 Nm engine that forms the basis of the 8x4, plus there’s also an optional uprated version of 254 kW (340 hp) produced at 2100 rpm with peak torque of 1500 Nm rated at 1300 rpm.

Transmission options reflect these diverse applications, with optionally available Allison GEN 5 3200 and 3500 Series six-speed fluid automatics and transmission retarders, Hendrickson STEERTEK leaf spring axle with AIRTEK suspension on the front axle and heavy-duty multi-leaf springs, Hendrickson Primaax or HAS460 air suspension or HAULMAAX rubber block suspension on the rear.

The braking system remains currently focused on drum designs with automatic slack adjusters, based on a Bendix four-channel ABS design with traction control, together with electronic stability control (ESC) on the 8x4 5.1-metre agitator variant.

“It’s a jack-of-all-trades that possesses the ability to compete with other makes at all levels, while offering a low tare weight” PowerTorque ISSUE 82

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To get a perspective on the appeal of the IVECO ACCO in modern fleets, PowerTorque looked at the experiences of leading concrete and construction products company ACM. The company is capitalising on Melbourne’s booming western suburbs with the opening of a new batching plant in Rockbank and the acquisition of 10 new ACCO 8x4 agitators to service customers in the region.

Established in 2009, ACM now operates 38 trucks from two sites with a key differentiator for the company being its strong commitment to sustainability – the philosophy is captured in its company tagline ‘Redefining Green’.

To achieve this philosophy the business has a number of initiatives in place to minimise its environmental impact.

These include collection of stormwater for use in its concrete and crushing plants, the use of recycled rock and concrete in making its concrete aggregates, the adoption of dust suppression systems at all plants and the use of ‘E-CreteTM’, a replacement for conventional concrete that delivers up to 80 percent less carbon output than traditional concrete.

ACM has chosen a bright green livery for its fleet that is hard to miss on the road or at the building site, further drawing attention to the company’s strong environmental aspirations.

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The new ACCOs are all equipped with 7.4-cubic-metre bowls and are an ideal fit to service a range of customers across civil, residential and commercial sectors, according to ACM general manager, Digby Crawford.

“The great thing about the ACCOs is that they are fit for purpose – the trucks and all of the driveline componentry is proven, reliable and longlasting,” he said.

“Maintenance on the trucks and availability of parts is another benefit, you can find replacement parts everywhere, which minimises the likelihood of any downtime.

“Another attractive aspect of the ACCOs was the availability of electronic stability control, which is important in this application where the load has a higher centre of gravity”.

“We looked closely at five different brand trucks all up, but in the end the ACCO had the best all-round package.

The combination of low tare weight, industry standard components, cabover design, which allowed us to better manoeuvre in confined spaces, and superior serviceability, won over,” Digby said.

The trucks all feature 340 hp engines with 1500 Nm of torque and are coupled to six-speed full automatic

LAYING THE FOUNDATIONS

Bevan Richardson and his team of drivers.

transmissions, and, while the vehicles will only cover approximately 20,000 km per year, they will face high running hours.

The drive axles use Hendrickson HAULMAAX rubber block suspension, while up front the trucks run integrated air suspension, a combination that has drawn praise from ACM drivers.

“The drivers are complimentary of the ACCOs, they drive well and in particular they mention that the ride is very smooth and comfortable,” Digby said.

“The Rockbank facility and the 10 new ACCO agitators are important components of ACM’s future growth and are helping us ‘Redefining Green’.

“We also have another plant under construction in Clyde (Southeast Melbourne) which is due to open in early 2018 – a further 10 ACCOs have been ordered for this site,” said Digby Crawford.

It’s not always the case in transport that what works in the southern states will work equally well up north. To find out whether the ACCO demonstrates the same degree of success, irrespective of its location, PowerTorque also outlined the operating experience of the Neilsen Group,

Southeast Queensland’s largest independent supplier of premixed concrete and quarry products.

When six new agitators were needed quickly to satisfy a contract, the Neilsen Group turned to IVECO to deliver with its proven ACCO 8x4.

Thanks to local manufacturing at IVECO’s Dandenong plant in Melbourne, lead times on ACCO models are much shorter than those of all the imported vehicles supplied by competitors. This flexibility in manufacturing schedules and lack of time wasted with vehicles on the water means trucks can be supplied to start work faster even when larger numbers are required.

“This is the first time as a company that we’ve added ACCOs to the fleet, and although it’s early days they’ve been great and haven’t missed a beat,” said Bevan Richardson, Neilsen Group transport manager.

“We purchased five as a company and a sixth was bought by one of our subcontractors – we needed the trucks promptly to meet the requirements of a contract, and IVECO was able to work with our tight schedule to get them on the road fast”.

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“The ACCOs have been performing well and the feedback from drivers has been good.”

All six trucks are fitted with ATT 8.0-cubic-metre bowls and feature familiar industry-standard American driveline components including Cummins engine and Allison sixspeed auto transmission. The trucks also ride on front and rear airbag suspension, featuring electronic stability control, a vital standard safety feature for higher centre of gravity applications.

The new ACCOs are part of a fleet of around 50 trucks, mainly comprising of agitators but also including several tippers and tankers.

Prior to starting work, each vehicle is put through the company’s own pre-delivery process to ensure 100 percent reliability from day one.

“We have a technician that goes through each truck and checks everything – it gives us extra peace of mind. When it’s time for servicing, the more streamlined the process and lower the downtime for each truck, the better for productivity. That’s why parts availability was another important consideration when choosing ACCO,” said Bevan.

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“I did the research and I know that ACCO parts are widely available throughout Australia, and, importantly for us, in Queensland.

“It’s no good to us having parts in New South Wales or Victoria. We need to have access to a good stock holding closer to home, and I know that there are plenty of ACCO parts near us and available off the shelf.

“We have trucks on fleet that are 15 years old, we look after them well, we have a refurbishment process and they last.

“It’s a philosophy that suits us well and will be a good fit for the ACCOs, given they already have a great reputation for longevity and that they’re extremely serviceable.

“The new ACCOs are based at the company’s sites in Brendale and Carole Park and have made a good impression since starting work with Neilsen Concrete several months ago. So far driver acceptance of the ACCOs has been good, they’ve been reliable and the payload is what we need – the trucks are ticking all the boxes for us,” Bevan said.

ACM general manager, Digby Crawford (l) with Adtrans Truck Centre general manager, Marcus Prato.

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TRUCK SHOW

HARD YAKKA Warren Caves takes a weekend off to visit the Penrith Working Truck Show – Photography by Torque it Up

H

aving started out in our bi-centennial year of 1988, the Penrith Working Truck Show this year celebrates its 31st event and retains its reputation for remaining a highly popular date on the truck show calendar.

This year, as always, there was plenty of entertainment on offer to keep truck enthusiasts, young and old, entertained.

Country music fans were not to be disappointed with a star-studded line-up playing throughout the day, including Troy Cassar Daley, Amber Lawrence, Travis Collins, Missy Lancaster and the Viper Creek Band, all providing a toetapping soundtrack to the show.

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PENRITH WORKING TRUCK SHOW The kids were treated with balloon art carefully constructed into all manner of animals and objects, rides and carnival stalls, and the “Little Big Rigs� remote control truck arena.

The big kids were also not left out with a comprehensive display of trucks, new and old, meticulously lined up and displayed with an abundance of chrome, stainless steel and polished aluminium reflecting the perfect sun-soaked weather along with the sweet smell of tyre-shine dripping onto the grass. All rides, balloons, face painting and shows were free after entry.

Pre-show, owners and drivers cast off the dirt and grime of a working week on the road to transform these workhorses, from diamonds in the rough to show pieces not reflecting the toil they endure in their working life.

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TRUCK SHOW As a driver of a hard working truck myself, it’s a real credit to the owners and drivers of these trucks that they scrub up so well. With some of them showing odometers into the millions, it takes a great deal of pride and commitment to keep these trucks looking this good while still getting out and earning a dollar. Hats off to you gentlemen and ladies!

Judging by the size of the crowd, their efforts were more appreciated than they may think, and it is these dedicated guys and girls that make shows like this such a success.

Flintstone Mack, Super-Liner, Kenworth 950 and 900 of the Legend series, Volvo, New Mercedes Actros, Isuzu, MAN, UD, Daff and Scania were all represented by their owners, and trailers from Muscat, Krueger and more.

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PENRITH WORKING TRUCK SHOW Trade displays were on show with truck and equipment manufacturers, such as Volvo, Mack, Western Star (Penske Power Systems), UD, Jost, Muscat Trailers, Kent Collision & Kustom, and Signs Lines & Scrolls, with each and every one showcasing their equipment and services.

Penske Power Systems had its Western Star Road Star 50th anniversary model on display, with Matt Harrison giving PowerTorque a guided tour inside – pointing out the features installed, such as an electrically raised bed, which, when elevated, exposes the lounge and table area with a sink and hot and cold running water, a microwave, cappuccino maker and multimedia unit. A perfect fitout for a real working truck and available straight from the dealer.

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All in all, a great day was enjoyed by all, with outstanding weather. Special thanks should also go to the Museum of Fire and its organising committee, and the team of volunteers, as these events take a great deal of work, and pleasing everyone is a tough job.

Not everyone wins a prize – that’s not really what it’s all about. It’s about getting out there and proudly displaying your truck, be it a small Isuzu or a Kenworth B-double.

All participants share a prize in the knowledge that, big or small, old or new, they are providing an essential service to the community, and the effort they put in to the presentation of their rigs is appreciated by all that attend these shows.

Amber Lawrence

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THE LATEST INNOVATIONS IN

TRAILER TECHNOLOGY

TRAILERTORQUE

EURO TRAILER TORQUE

Following the trends in overseas trailers and equipment

T

he European trailer market is always of interest through the cargo volumes and distances involved when travelling between countries and negotiating the different regulations that apply as vehicles cross border controls.

The French expo, Intermat, held in Paris brings together the companies involved in the construction, buildings and public works industries in a single venue with 1500 exhibitors. The expo is based around four sectors, with earthmoving and demolition; roads, minerals and foundations; buildings and concrete; and lifting, handling and transportation.

When it comes to moving exceptional loads, the Goldhofer brand from Germany is well known globally for its expertise in heavy-duty road haulage and oversized cargo transport.

Intermat enabled Goldhofer to showcase its ADDRIVE-6, a six-axled version that combines trailered and selfpropelled modules in one single vehicle.

long-load turntables. Depending on road gradients and surfaces, the additional drive provides maximum speed or concentrated pulling force and can be operated comfortably by wireless remote control.

The second Goldhofer exhibit at Intermat is the STZ-L4 with wheel recesses. This unit has been developed specially to handle large self-propelled construction equipment with the wheel recesses greatly reducing overall height of the combination. The STZ-L4 can also be quickly converted into a trailer with a level deck so that tracked vehicles or heavy construction materials can also be transported with ease. Goldhofer quotes the payload options of 43 to 50 tons, dependant on the regulations in place in the location concerned.

Heading to Germany for the Transport Compleet expo in Hardenberg brought Euro TrailerTorque to look at the Box Liner and extendable container skel trailers from Krone.

ADDRIVE is easily installed in a variety of trailer and semitrailer combinations, such as with drop-decks and

Flush-fit rear loading of 20’ containers is a must in the container transport sector, and Krone’s multifunctional Box Liner SDC27 eLTU70 chassis is easy to operate and carries most types of container from 20’ to 45’. It

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Tim Knowles, Mark Skinner, Simon Knowles and Ian Williamson (L-R)

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EURO TRAILERTORQUE

comes with an extending rear section and optional front extension for 45’ containers.

Krone uses higher strength steel, but, even so, the chassis weighs only 4600 kilograms, and, owing to the flush-fit container positioning, weight distribution is significantly better than comparable container chassis.

Payload too is increased, and the Frankfurt-based intermodal operator Kombiverkehr reports an advantage of almost one ton using a 20’ container and Krone Box Liner chassis with a 6.0-ton fifth wheel load, operating at a gross vehicle weight of 28 tons.

Weight saving is due mainly to the compact rear-end design, although the longitudinal beams are constructed from 40 mm high-grade steel and the 20’ container is positioned further forward, which brings the centre of gravity closer to the kingpin.

The sliding chassis makes it easy to change from one 40’ container to two 20’ containers. The front end is simple to operate and has an extension for the front locking mechanism, which ensures secure loading. Each operating position is colour-coded and easily selected using a simple lever. For added protection, and to keep repairs down, the taillights are integrated into the rear cross-beam.

Krone’s locking system is fixed to the chassis and ensures that each container is securely loaded onto the chassis.

Removable positioners for added convenience result in the front 20’ container being easily accessible when transporting two 20’ containers.

The transporting of refrigerated containers is facilitated by a GenSet unit, which is equipped with its own fuel tank for independent operation.

Switching now to materials-handling equipment brings Euro TrailerTorque to the latest Moffett E-Series forklift trucks, with parent company Hiab having developed the world’s first electric-powered truck-mounted forklift trucks.

European cities have strong restrictions on evening and nighttime deliveries, based on pollution and noise controls.

Pets at Home, a major English retailer, needed to find a silent solution to complete deliveries to its 1400 stores after 8:00 p.m.

Working with Hiab, Pets at Home began a six-month trial of a MOFFETT E-Series, to counter complaints by local residents concerning the noise from the retailer’s dieselpowered forklifts.

Steve Travis, general manager for transport at Pets at Home, described the MOFFETT E-Series as a “total game-changer”, as it enabled the retailer to return to scheduling its fleet at the most economic time of day, “saving money on fuel, reducing our carbon footprint, and no longer being a nuisance to our neighbours”.

During the trial, the drivers reported that the MOFFETT was just as “up-to-the-job” and just as “user-friendly” as its diesel counterpart, and there was plenty of chargetime to enable through-the-night multi-drop deliveries.

“More and more people are moving to the cities – urbanisation is happening at a fast pace, so we all have a role to play in thinking in a more sustainable way and finding solutions to the challenges of delivering in urban environments,” said Rogier van der Linde, managing director of Hiab UK & Ireland.

“At Hiab, we respond to these needs with solutions like the MOFFETT E-Series and Hiab loader cranes that are powered electrically by a plug-in system (ePTO), which means that they can be operated when the truck engine is switched off. These solutions make our customers more productive, eco efficient and increase the window of opportunity for their business”.

Hiab has also been extremely active in the North American market and announced the launch of MULTILIFT demountables and hooklifts to the US market at the Work Truck Show held in Indianapolis, Indiana. The launch introduced five hooklift models covering the light, medium and heavy-duty ranges to the US market.

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Back to Europe, and German trailer manufacturer Kögel has delivered 15 Kögel Cargo semitrailers and another 5 Kögel Mega models to be added to the fleet of FRIEDSPED Friedrichsohn Internationale Spedition GmbH based in Ummendorf.

The forwarding company’s existing fleet consists only of Kögel semitrailers and it will use the new trailers primarily for transporting high-quality fridges and freezers from an internationally recognised manufacturer.

The standard Kögel Cargo and Mega semitrailers come with benefits such as low maintenance costs and highquality workmanship.

The VarioFix perforated steel external frame is equipped with 13 pairs of lashing rings for load securing, each ring affording 2000 kg of tensile force. The body meets

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the body stability standards of DIN EN 12642 Code XL, making any additional load securing unnecessary for form-locked loads.

Thanks to the use of the standard Kögel integral roof tarpaulin, there are no straps left hanging down when the roof is open, because these are integrated into the roof tarpaulin. This means that the straps cannot get snagged up when loading and unloading.

Pallet cages stacked three high are easy to load and unload from Mega trailers thanks to the clear internal height of 3.0 metres and the standard mechanical-hydraulic lifting roof.

This increases the side and rear through-loading height to more than 3.0 metres.

All 20 trailers are optionally equipped with steel pallet limiting rails and a double front-wall bulkhead made from

EURO TRAILERTORQUE

a 12-millimetre thick and 1250-millimetre high textured coated board. The rear of the trailers can also be fitted with reinforced steel rubber bumpers for enhanced bump protection.

Most of the new semitrailers are equipped with mechanically adjustable corner posts that can each be moved sideways 500 millimetres to allow easier loading and unloading. Further custom equipment includes a toolbox, five pairs of load-securing slots on the rear corner posts, a rain guard on the end frame and a host of other features. Nano ceramic technology and cathodic dip-paint coating together with a coat of UV varnish provide the entire frame on Kögel Cargo and Mega Rail trailers with long-term corrosion protection.

Finally, we look at Kässbohrer, one of the fastest growing trailer manufacturers in Europe. Kässbohrer’s huckepack curtainsider range, fixed and gooseneck container chassis

options, and swap body range, include box swap bodies for textile transport.

Intermodal transport involves more than two modes of transportation (e.g., rail, ship, and truck), without any handling of the freight itself when changing modes. Some of the benefits of intermodal transportation include a decrease in CO2 emission, with less carbon emitting modes of rail and sea, while offering customers flexibility in operations.

Autamarocchi is one of Italy’s top five companies in the field of container and FTL transport and is currently taking delivery of 70 new Kässbohrer trailers. The order includes K.SHG S gooseneck container chassis to carry both 20’ and 40’ containers, and the newly released K.SHG L design of container chassis with capacity for 40’ to 45’ containers as well as swap bodies. Kässbohrer options can reduce the unladen weight from 3840 kg to 3640 kg.

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FIT FOR PURPOSE

With 130+ tonnes GCW and up to 100 tonnes payload on all runs, Townsville Logistics has a business model that would be the envy of many operators – Words by Chris Mullett – Images by Jonathan Wood

I

n the heavy haul road train business the economies of scale are quite outstanding. High weights, long distances and very specialised equipment are exactly the opposite of what Europe and North America are currently pursuing with their quest for autonomous trucks and the platooning of vehicles.

Australia already enjoys the efficiencies of road train operations hauling three or four trailers with one prime mover that can’t be matched by four prime movers each hauling one semitrailer and travelling frighteningly close to each other on a European freeway.

But there are differences in the way that road train operations are handled, with many in the mining industry running only one way fully laden, returning empty.

PowerTorque recently travelled to Townsville to meet Mark Pope, operations director of Townsville Logistics, for a personal introduction into one of the most professionally planned road train operations we’ve yet encountered.

Interestingly, some of the parameters of the operation are set by the limited availability of suitable vehicles, while other benefits are attributed to the ingenuity and creativeness of Australian trailer manufacturers such as Jamieson Trailers of South Australia and Mick Murray of Mick Murray Welding of

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Currajong, Qld, being able to deliver on trailer design ideas coming out of Townsville Logistics.

Townsville Logistics has been in operation for just one year, providing the transport requirements for Sun Metal Corporation, a South Korean owned zinc refinery. Both operations are fully owned divisions of Korea Zinc.

Before delving deeply into the transport operations, it’s worth setting the scene about how Sun Metals has synchronised its business activities with the population of Townsville.

Sun Metals, established in 1996, produces 225,000 tonnes of zinc each year and has initiated infrastructure programmes such as a 124-megawatt solar farm, the first large scale solar farm to be built by a major energy user in Australia. It provides one third of the refinery’s power requirements and is capable of adding its excess capacity in off-peak periods to the requirements of Townsville itself.

FIT FOR PURPOSE And now to Townsville Logistics. The company operates over 160 pieces of ancillary equipment and in its first 12 months of operation the division has grown to be the largest road train operator from the Townsville area, with 24 triple-trailer road trains operating a 24/7 operation.

Nine of these triple road trains run each day heading for Mount Isa and Cloncurry, with the longest run being from Townsville to the Tanami, a return distance of 5400 km.

With each triple road train fully laden on both the outbound and return runs, vehicle and trailer combinations gross 130 tonnes GCW with payload capability of 100 tonnes.

Because the weight of the load can be consolidated into shorter than normal dimension trailers, the overall length is determined by the weight displacement, resulting in shorter overall lengths. Loads vary from zinc concentrate to lead and cement or acid, and this equates to average weights of 22.5 tonnes over each of the five tri-axle sets, plus the additional weight over the steer axles and drive axles.

For Mark Pope, the shorter overall lengths of 46 metres are an important safety feature because the combinations have to cross road intersections and rail lines in various locations, and it’s important to have road crossing times kept to a minimum.

“Our vehicle and equipment specification has always been selected in order to do our job better,” said Mark. “Our operation is unusual in that we run fully laden on both outbound and return runs. This two-way laden running affects service and maintenance recommendations as some suppliers are only used to vehicles being laden one way.

“Because of the weights, distances and road conditions, we required conventional bonneted trucks for maximum resistance to animal impacts and settled on Mack Titan prime movers running at 685 hp with the MP10 engine and mDrive transmission. There is really no other alternative, and we are having an excellent run out of them.

“We purchase our Mack’s through Rex Ross, the Mack specialist salesman at VCV Townsville, as our policy is to support local business wherever possible. We base our operation on a four-year vehicle turnover after a total distance of up to 1.1 million kilometres. Additional features include an ICEPAK and interior fridge/freezers for added driver comfort.

“Our policy is to deal with a company that is responsible for the entire vehicle, front to back, and that’s what we get with Mack. VCV Townsville looks after all service requirements with a vehicle pick up and return service.

“Service intervals are maintained at 32,000-litre fuel burn periods or 30,000 km periods, and with the maintenance completed by VCV the oil drains use Volvo/Mack branded semi-synthetic lubricants. Rear axle ratios are 4.3:1 and all combinations are speed limited to 90 km/h.

“Our tyre preference is for Kumho in all positions with 315s on the steer and 11R22.5s on drive and trailer application, unless we are looking for a lower overall ride height of some trailer combinations in which case we use 275R22.5s, which are running well compared to 11R22.5s.

“We trialled a selection of tyre makes and found the Kumho KMA04 to return the lowest c/km TCO. This is an all position tyre for mixed service application. Our tyre pressure checking and monitoring programme is administered by Twin City Tyres of Townsville, and this activity is completed in a 24/7 operation on our site at Stuart.

“We achieve a regular fuel economy return of 1.1 km/ litre on the Townsville to Mount Isa run at full weight of 130 tonnes. We also run bottom gravity discharge or pressurised top discharge acid trailers that average 90 tonnes payload, and these return 1.4:1 km/litre.

“Our drivers work to Basic Fatigue Management of a maximum of 12.5 hours per day and our trips are planned around a maximum of one overnight stop. Our drivers benefit from the same series of work entitlements

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TRAILERTORQUE provided for those working at the refinery. They can select a salary sacrifice component with their wages that can include a range of benefits, from private health funds, to novated leasing of motor vehicles or private school fees for children etc.

“Health and fitness is also an important focus for our company and we provide subsidised health centre and gymnasium memberships at clubs in Townsville, plus counselling on health, fitness, lifestyle and personal issues.

We also feature regular training programmes using the Mack driver trainers as well as our own in-house training staff.

“Vehicle monitoring is centred on Dynafleet with satellite tracking systems, and we use Pinpoint for electronic work diaries. Driver identity is confirmed through each driver tabbing on or off duty in the truck. This is important, as we do not run a one-driver/one-truck operation. As soon as a truck returns it is unloaded and reloaded and a new driver takes the wheel for the next run,” added Mark.

“We found the major suppliers prefer to build standard dimension trailers, and this led us to look at specialist suppliers. We have standardised our trailer manufacturing with Mick Murray Welding of Townsville and Jamieson Trailers of Adelaide, through Sean Gilsmore.

“As with all our suppliers we aim to work with those that provide the best product and the best product support. Everything is bespoke. The lead trailers are not interchangeable and remain permanently connected to ensure we can maximise trailer payload.

“We have just ordered a further four triples of high-tensile steel skel trailers taring 7.5 tonnes each, including 100 tonnes payload. These have perfect displacement for

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centre loading. For side tippers we use AZMEB trailers from MaxiTRANS. “All our trailers are very high-end designs, featuring JOST Forged Wheels with either BPW OM or Hendrickson HXL7s running gear as we run on really rough roads. The Hendrickson warranty is 1.2 million km and BPW comes in with a 1 million km warranty. All our combinations are fitted with disc brakes with WABCO electronic braking systems and roll stability throughout every combination using the Smartboard system. Disc brakes have proved to be safer and more efficient, and when compared to drum brakes they are not only more effective, but also cheaper to maintain.

We select JOST for all our landing legs, greaseless 5th wheels and couplings and are now ordering Rockinger couplings from JOST as well. They have a really good product with a really good backup and service. Our suppliers are selected because they are all very good to deal with,” added Mark.

“We also run Seeing Machines that cover the on-road driver fatigue detection with blink detection, a vibrating seat and audible alarm, while also sending a message to the control centre if there is an issue. Our inclusion of all safety systems has resulted in us creating further substantial savings in areas such as insurance costs.

“The future holds lots of exciting opportunities and we are even looking at the option of using trailer axles that provide regenerative braking into batteries in order to run electric vehicles in certain urban operations that we are considering. There are opportunities that are yet untapped for those prepared to think outside the square and develop equipment designed to do the job and not to simply match existing designs and specifications,” said Mark.

TRAILERTORQUE

ITALIAN STYLE

Ed Higginson looks into the background of V.Orlandi as it increases its presence in the Australian market.

O

ne of the most crucial components on a truck is the coupling between the truck and trailer, and its selection is usually the result of a decision between the customer and the trailer manufacturer. The selection of the preferred coupling system ultimately has to provide the customer the peace of mind that everything is secure while running at 100 km/h down the highway, especially when running at the weights we pull in Australia.

The correct choice comes down to selecting products from a proven brand with a solid history in engineering, and, with these factors in mind, PowerTorque was recently invited to discuss how Italian manufacturer, V.Orlandi, is growing its market share in Australia, supported by a long history that can trace its origins back to 1859.

Originally founded in Northern Italy, in the city of Brescia, V.Orlandi remains one of the European market leaders, exporting transport components all across the world.

V.Orlandi designs and manufactures towing systems from 3.5 tonnes up to a 500 tonnes capacity, supplying units directly to OEMs, various military fleets around the world, mining and automotive operations, as well as for the agricultural market.

D-values also range from 28 kN up to 800 kN, which is probably more important to understand than simply the 100

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tonnage that will be towed, especially if you operate under PBS as the D-value explains the forces that will be affecting your combination. If unsure on the D-values when looking at your options, V.Orlandi offers a useful online tool that helps you work it out, or simply give the V.Orlandi guys a call as they will be more than happy to assist.

The long history and company’s know-how is applicable to manual and automatic drawbar couplings, all types of drawbar eyes from 40 mm to 70 mm, tow bars, 2” and 3.5” fifth-wheels, fifth-wheel sliders, ball-races, landing legs and king-pins.

ITALIAN STYLE The move into the Australian market started just over 20 years ago, Simon Tortorici, V.Orlandi’s Australian general manager recalls: “Over this time, our philosophy has been to have standard products but target the markets that they are designed for.

So, for Australia we have a specific catalogue of products designed for the applications we find here. Our strength has been that we value our relationship with the customer in order to have honest feedback so we can continually improve the products, especially some of our more specialised couplings”.

V.Orlandi started to build its market share originally by using Australian agents, but, in the past three years, the company has decided to take on its product distribution with an in-house operation.

“Since taking on the distribution task, we can now deal directly with our customers to ensure our products meet their specific needs,” said Simon.

“In fact, we have been able to develop some products in partnership with customers, which means we now have a range of products that is unique to Australia. With new sales staff starting directly for V.Orlandi as well, we are beginning to see customers’ brand awareness increase greatly,” he added.

V.Orlandi has a strong following in the truck and dog market, particularly in Victoria where their kits make up around 35 percent of the market, but now the company can start to focus on all markets and areas, particularly NSW and WA. It also enjoys a strong following with certain customers in the mining sector due to its couplings having the highest D-values, and vertical S-loads.

There is a wide range of products on offer, but one coupling that has performed extremely well has been the main 50 mm truck and dog coupling.

“The V.Orlandi E550 Pacific coupling is our bread and butter, its designed for the truck and dog market, which has seen it achieve strong volumes in the market place,” said Simon.

Some recent updates have seen this coupling improved further. The E550 comes with a 50 mm pin with the strongest D-value rating of 330 kN, plus it also has the highest vertical load rating in the market with a S-load of 2500 kg, yet it only weighs 42 kg.

V.Orlandi has also spent a lot of time in making it as easy as possible to service and repair if the component is damaged. The company claims that the coupling pin can be replaced in just 4 minutes, the wear pad in 8 minutes, upper and lower bush in 40, and it takes just 55 minutes to replace the full rebuild coupling kit. A comparison servicing test was also done alongside a competitor’s coupling, with V.Orlandi confident that its service costs are greatly lower, considering the speed that key components can be changed, saving 70 percent on workshop time.

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TRAILERTORQUE Some other features that mechanics particularly can appreciate, especially when fixing couplings in the field, is that if a driver manages to smash the bell mouth, the jaw can be replaced in just 13 minutes, without having to replace the complete coupling assembly, making it much quicker and cheaper to repair.

For the driver, a benefit incorporated into the coupling is that it can be detached in any angle to help speed up turnaround times.

A variation to the E550 coupling that has been developed specifically for the Australian market has been the EH524 Pacific that has been designed for tip-over-axle trailers, as the coupling can pivot 47 degrees vertically. All the couplings have various angles of articulation, both vertical and horizontal, so, no matter what your application or terrain, there will probably be a coupling to suit all requirements.

Other couplings start with the van and light vehicle range, the GA38 with a 30 kN D-value, and the DE71. Then, for the truck and dog or truck and pig trailer sector, V.Orlandi has the E40 to fit drawbar eyes of 40 mm, with a D-value of 150 kN and S-load of 1000 kg vertical. Finally, there is the larger and most popular unit in Australia, the E550 Pacific, which, as outlined above, is also for use with road train applications.

Moving into the highest coupling range, V.Orlandi offers the E576 to fit drawbar eyes of 57 mm, with a D-value of 350 kN plus a S-load of 3000 kg, or if you have serious loads to move you can go up to the Hercules, with 50 mm or 70 mm pins to pull up to 500 tonnes with a D-value of 800 kN. With this range of ratings, it’s easy to understand why they go so well in the mining sector.

V.Orlandi also offers pintle hooks, which are ideal for serious off-road applications, such as military combinations with D-values from 31 kN to 190 kN – for those in the military, it can even be supplied in green!

Then there are the fifth-wheel options, starting with the 2” kingpin rated to a D-value of 200 kN and U-load of 22 tonnes that is designed for tankers, stockcrates, fridge vans, B-doubles and road trains.

Heavy-duty applications use the 3.5” range, with a D-value of up to 260 kN and U-load of 40-tonne. The fifth-wheel can also have many options added to tailor it to specific applications, such as the location of the release handle, grease top or autolube, plus various height plates and other options.

In terms of safety and to increase productivity, V.Orlandi offers the pneumatic remote opening, with either the linear or rotating options that allow the driver to couple up to the trailer and close the coupling from within the cab, improving safety and also speeding up the coupling process.

Complementary kits are also available that assist the operator by showing if the coupling is open or closed, or if the towbar is nearing the jackknife point, so they can stop to prevent serious damage. In terms of road train couplings, the coupling indicators are placed on the dollies to keep it simple and reliable. “‘At V.Orlandi, we ensure our products are the most competitive in three key areas – productivity, safety and maintenance,” said Simon.

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TRAILERTORQUE

AUSSIE MADE

The MaxiTRANS group shows that diversity leads to shared strengths

D

ifferent brands have different strengths, and for the MaxiTRANS group these strengths multiply to create Australia’s largest supplier of road transport trailer and rigid body solutions, coupled with classleading trailer repair and service support.

The group comprises Freighter, Maxi-CUBE, Lusty EMS, Hamelex White, AZMEB and PEKI, together with MaXus specialist parts, PANELMasta insulated and fibreglass panels for dry freight and refrigerated vans, and the TRAILERENTALS by MaxiTRANS division. It is also a significant supplier of parts through the retail brand of MaxiPARTS. Two of the MaxiTRANS brands that come under the PowerTorque spotlight in this issue are Maxi-CUBE and Freighter, both of which have jointly concluded the supply of 386 trailers to Coles Supermarkets. The order was completed ahead of schedule at the MaxiTRANS manufacturing facility in Ballarat, Victoria.

The $60 million (AUD) project generated a significant increase in regional Australian manufacturing. All of the trailers were assembled by MaxiTRANS in Victoria, creating more than 100 new jobs at the company and further employment openings throughout its Australian supply chain.

The flow-on effect of an order of this size also benefits Australian equipment suppliers such as Carrier Transicold, which was the exclusive supplier of transport refrigeration equipment that forms an integral part of the trailer features and benefits.

Carrier Transicold supplied 235 Vector™ 1950 multitemperature (MT) units with patented E-Drive™ all-electric technology, adding to the 170-unit strong, 100 percent 104

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Carrier fleet operated by Coles Supermarkets in Victoria, Queensland and South Australia.

With this order, a mix of two- and three-compartment Vector 1950 MT systems will be installed on MaxiTRANS refrigerated trailers, to be split between Coles distribution centres in Sydney and Perth.

“The Vector 1950 MT system gives operators the power to consolidate deliveries, making fleets more efficient and able to cope with frequent door openings,” said Kelly Geddes, manager of marketing at Carrier Transicold Australia.

The Carrier-powered refrigerated trailers will be in service year-round, delivering chilled, ambient and frozen produce to Coles stores across New South Wales and Western Australia. With plans to keep the trailers in service for 10 years, it is expected they will average approximately 2250 running hours annually.

Vector 1950 MT units offer a high refrigeration capacity of up to 18,200 watts, ensuring precise temperature control within each of the trailers’ compartments. Powered by high volume electric fans, the host unit can provide up to 5700 m3 per hour of airflow to protect the load with even air distribution and an unparalleled pull-down time – making it ideal for intensive distribution cycles with multiple door openings.

The patented E-Drive technology built into the Vector system uses electricity to power the refrigeration system and can simultaneously heat and cool the different load spaces as required, ensuring maximum performance across several compartments. The technology also removes 17 serviceable parts from the unit, which increases reliability and trailer uptime.

AUSSIE MADE As part of the order, Coles selected Carrier’s fully comprehensive contract maintenance agreement for the expected lifecycle of the units, which will help to ensure maximum fleet availability at all times.

Coles will have the ability to access MaxiTRANS’s leading Australian trailer aftersales support footprint over the life of the trailers at more than 30 locations in the combined MaxiTRANS dealer network and MaxiPARTS retail parts network.

Despite completion of the Coles project, MaxiTRANS says that it remains very active with a pipeline of new orders that is generating further jobs growth.

In addition to its traditional core base, the company says that it has received various new large orders from some of Australia’s leading private and national fleets to be split between MaxiTRANS’s Ballarat and Brisbane manufacturing locations.

Since announcing its research and development collaboration with Monash and Federation Universities late last year, the group says it is also beginning to make inroads into the future of trailing equipment design and construction in order to maximise efficiency, safety and environmental sustainability.

An example of this focus on future technology is the market release of the evolution of the Maxi-CUBE Classic Refrigerated Van, which was previewed at the 2017 Brisbane Truck Show.

Setting a new benchmark for refrigerated trailers, the new Maxi-CUBE Classic includes significant improvements over the previous design including an optimised tare weight and a leading K-value achieved via a range of thermal efficiency upgrades.

“Through the use of composite material and improvements in modern manufacturing techniques, we have been able to further optimise the way we build the trailer, allowing us to increase the amount of insulation, while also reducing the trailer’s tare weight,” said Kevin Manfield, general manager of products and markets at MaxiTRANS. “We’ve been able to reduce the tare weight by up to 250 kg on a standard 22-pallet reefer, providing better payload and improved fuel efficiency, further reducing the whole of life cost of the trailer.

“The construction process of the Classic design employs Maxi-CUBE’s unique in-house urethane foam process, which improves thermal performance by producing correctly-sized panels without the need to cut or destroy important surface cells.

“Upgrades to the new MaxiCUBE Classic have resulted in a thermal efficiency improvement over the previous model of up to 5.0 percent on a standard 22-pallet reefer”

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TRAILERTORQUE TRAILERTORQUE “We have also improved thermal breaks, which means inserting a material with low thermal conductivity between internal and external materials to reduce the thermal path between inside and outside temperatures, to improve the retention of cold air inside the trailer. The inclusion of a fully moulded door seal, increased insulation via a redesigned front wall and floor module, as well as fibreglass dress cappings in the interior corners, further add to the thermal advantages,” said Kevin Manfield.

Independent testing has shown that the new Classic has a thermal efficiency improvement over the previous model of up to 5.0 percent on a standard 22-pallet reefer. This translates to improved performance, integrity of carried product and fuel efficiency for owners.

The fitment of a lightweight, full-width skid plate enables drivers to unhook the trailer at sideways angles rather than straight-on and contributes to the reduction of the Classic’s overall tare weight. The modular design of the skid plate also means that it can be easily repaired or replaced if damaged, without impacting on the integrity of the trailer floor.

“The new skid plate design is the result of extensive Finite Element Analysis (FEA), accelerated fatigue and in-field testing, each of which has rigorously tested the strength and reliability of the design,” added Kevin.

Other upgrades to the Maxi-CUBE Classic include a reinforced floor and rear frame, coupled with stainless steel rear corner castings that combine to enable the trailer to better withstand impact during docking. The inclusion of many modular components allows them to be easily removed or replaced if damaged, maximising uptime for owners.

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Also incorporated into the design is a full-length chassis from bumper to skid plate, offering greater strength over alternatives. The floor module has also been re-engineered to increase the internal aperture without compromising on tare weight, strength and durability.

“The internal height, with the exception of our lead model, has been increased by 25 mm, which means customers can fit more in and be more productive with each load,” said Kevin.

Upgrades to trailer safety standards include brighter internal LED lighting for greater visibility when loading and unloading, as well as a redesign of the double loader bars.

“The new double loader bars are now 50 percent lighter over the previous design, making them easier to manoeuvre into position, raising aspects of Work Health and Safety requirements. We have also increased the load rating from 500 kg to 670 kg per pallet space,” said Kevin.

“The Maxi-CUBE Classic Lead model features our proven rack and pinion rollback system for fast and reliable loading and unloading. For added durability, the body is lifted off the rollers when left in the forward position, which helps to extend roller life,” concluded Kevin.

The new Maxi-CUBE Classic is available now to order in Ambient, Reefer, Freezer, Chiller and Hi-Cube Reefer models at no additional cost over the previous standard Classic model. In recognition of the continuing growth of the company, over the next two to three months MaxiTRANS will be seeking to fill an additional 70 vacancies for tradespeople, particularly qualified welders, production welders and other job seekers for its Ballarat manufacturing site.

Some of the 500+ employees at the MaxiTRANS manufacturing site celebrate the commissioning of the final trailer deliveries to Coles Supermarkets

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Because of our long history in the Australia, you’ll find our advanced OE quality repair solutions, like RepSet® Pro and RepSet® DMF along with special tools will save you time and money.

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TRAILERTORQUE

T

he Gough Group is New Zealand and Australia’s leading value-add solutions provider to the infrastructure, mining, forestry, transport and power system industries. It’s a diverse group made up of five trading subsidiaries incorporating ten distinct businesses, and, as a privatelyowned New Zealand business, it draws on a rich heritage stretching back over 80 years.

“Gough Industrial Solutions Australia has made a TransTasman commitment to SANY to build a partnership based on quality, service and technology, and is leveraging off the Gough Group’s 30+ years of concrete experience in New Zealand to deliver service, spare parts and responsive support through the Australian market,” said Simon Bell, Gough Transport Solutions’ general manager of sales and marketing.

With more than 850 highly-skilled employees and a network of over 50 locations in both Australia and New Zealand, the Gough Group represents premium brands such as Caterpillar, Hyster, SAF, WABCO and Palfinger.

“With SANY’s Concrete Division purchase of Putzmeister in 2012, SANY has integrated Sino-Germany technology featuring top performance, wide adaptability, easy operation, high efficiency and reliability.

With the signing of an exclusive dealership agreement for SANY concrete equipment in New Zealand and Australia, the Gough Group has formed a new business unit named Gough Industrial Solutions. This enables the group to offer the concrete and infrastructure industries a true 360-degree solution, with batch plants, agitators and concrete pumps.

“Our range of truck-mounted concrete pumps, trailer pumps, line pumps, placing booms, truck mixers, batching plants and mortar pumps meets the unique business demands of our clients. It’s the high level German quality standards integrated into the SANY robust design that separate the brand from its rivals.

Gough Industrial has no doubt that recent sales success in Australia and New Zealand will translate into a rapidly increasing market share,” Simon added.

UP, UP AND AWAY

SANY concrete pumping equipment joins the Gough Transport Solutions stable – Words by Ed Higginson, images by Geoff Parrington.

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UP, UP AND AWAY With 25 manufacturing bases and over 100 offices worldwide, including China, the US, Germany, India and Brazil, SANY is the world’s number-one manufacturer of concrete machinery. Its products are exported to 150 countries and regions worldwide, and, now with the experience, network and facilities of the Gough Group, SANY’s introduction to Australia will be of interest to a broad range of operators.

Sales activities for Gough and SANY for concrete industry equipment will be led by Gough Industrial Solutions’ key account manager, Horst Hendrich, who has years of experience in this sector “With SANY’s modern production processes we know that the pump mounting frame is engineered precisely to fit specific chassis requirements. We source the chassis from within Australia and the equipment can therefore be mounted as soon as it arrives into Australia,” said Horst.

Coordination of the arrival of the mounting frame and the availability of the truck chassis enables us to reduce the lead time considerably, a considerable advantage over the current industry standard in Australia which is usually six to nine months.

“Here at Gough we can set up the truck chassis ready for a simple fitment within a week. This level of turnaround is a major improvement over the alternative of waiting for the pump to arrive before beginning to modify the chassis layout to accept the equipment.

“Truck-mounted concrete pumps come in a wide range and can be fitted to an equally broad range of truck chassis. Many customers focus on purchasing the pumps then ask us for advice on which make of chassis it should be mounted. The final decision comes down to application, such as on-road or off-road, which may require all-wheel-drive, followed by the size of boom they need and of course tare weight and eventually the overall cost,” said Horst Pump sizes are measured from the ground to the highest reach point of the pumps, and SANY offers extendable booms that reach to 38 m, 43 m, 47 m, 49 m, 53 m, 56 m and 62 m.

The 38 m pump when mounted with a typical 6x4 rigid truck has a GVM of around 27,800 kg and is ideal for access into restricted area locations. When working with boom extensions reaching between 43 m and 56 m, the GVM can then range from 36,350 kg up to 42,500 kg, respectively, so 8x4s are the standard choice. Where the customer requires a pump boom extension to 62 m, the option is to move into the 10x4 options to allow for the GVM of 53,000 kg.

“When customers add optional extras and include equipment that they will need onsite, it can easily add an extra ton or more. For these applications we try to use the light-weight trucks if we can, like the Japanese offerings or the DAF on an 8x4 rigid truck chassis,” said Horst.

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TRAILERTORQUE “The issue with having to move up to the 10x4 is that this application requires permits to be obtained for transport.

It’s not uncommon for the customers to find out a pump is required within 24 hours notice, so having to get permits to move the specialised units becomes prohibitive,” he added.

Since SANY took on Putzmeister in 2012 and expanded the level of its investment in R&D, the pump designs now incorporate an increasingly impressive range of technologies integrated into them that are categorised into eight core areas.

There has been considerable focus on making the operation of the boom more accurate, to overcome the challenge involved in trying to manoeuvre a boom weighing several tonnes up to 62 metres away. The slightest movement on the controls could make the final concrete discharge point of the boom swing a considerable distance, and this is just one of the reasons why concrete pump operators must be highly trained and qualified, to similar standards as those that apply to crane operators.

To assist the operators, SANY has developed stabiliser technology that, with a touch of a button, will quickly dampen any sudden movement as the boom is being repositioned. There is also an anti-vibration button that reduces the boom vibrating by 50 percent whilst pumping, plus an anti-overswing button that reduces unwanted swing by 60 percent. These inclusions are combined with a simple remote-control panel that allows the operator to stand away from the machine as they move the boom into position, making this operation that much easier.

There has also been a lot of investment into lowering running costs through reduced fuel usage by up to 10 percent while operating the equipment at 12 MPa and reducing component wear to increase uptime. The pumps can also be changed between high or low pumping pressure options, for various concrete mixes, to again assist with reducing running costs.

The next technological category that SANY has focused on is the computerised self-diagnostics system that constantly monitors over 200 aspects of the operation.

This system reduces troubleshooting time by 70 percent with faults displayed on the onboard monitors.

Maintaining the highest level of workplace safety is obviously a major priority, especially where complex machinery and equipment spend their days working on construction sites. For SANY equipment the safety technology includes boom overload valves, shutdown switches if safety guards are opened, and auto-greasers. The operator can also programme maximum attainable height limits when operating in areas that include high voltage overhead power lines or restrictions such as encountered when working under a building roof or overhang.

In addition to its range of truck-mounted pumps, SANY also manufactures trailer-mounted concrete pumps and concrete placing booms that are used on sites requiring much longer pump distances.

According to SANY, its pumps have been used on 80 percent of all high-rise buildings above 300 metres. As testimony to SANY’s technology, the company holds the world record for the highest single pumping of concrete at nearly 500 metres vertical, plus 4000 metres horizontal with an outlet pressure of 50 MPa.

“The pump mounting frame is engineered precisely to fit specific chassis requirements”

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WEIGHS LESS, WAY LESS. The Vector 1550 unit from Carrier is one of the lightest trailer refrigeration units on the market (712 kg) and operates with low noise emissions (71 dB). And while Vector 1550 units weigh less, they also offer way more.

Designed using the patented combination of a hermetic compressor with an economizer, it delivers a 40 percent increase in refrigeration capacity during pull down. As a result, Vector 1550 units deliver faster temperature pull down, reaching the desired set point up to 25 percent faster compared to conventional technology and with extremely precise temperature control (+/- 0.8°C).

As if that’s not enough, the Vector 1550 unit’s low fuel consumption reduces its overall carbon impact by up to 19 percent compared to conventional systems, the equivalent of removing 2.8 tons of CO2 per unit per year.

Carrier Transicold Australia Nationwide Ph: 1800 448 166 www.transicold.carrier.com.au

Performance data dependent on a range of operational settings, environmental conditions, and model type. Data is based on the Vector 1550-T Low Noise model. © 2017 Carrier Corporation.

TRAILERTORQUE

WORKING UNDER PRESSURE

Brenton O’Connor delves into the world of hydraulics

T

he principles of hydraulic systems are an integral part of the transport and earthmoving industries, and yet they remain a very specialised area of expertise. In simplistic terms, the principles of hydraulics are defined as relating to a liquid moving in a confined space under pressure.

Unlike a mechanical breakdown, which in the most part simply means the vehicle in question will stop somewhere, a hydraulic failure usually has the potential to become messy as the fluid under pressure escapes, plus it has the potential to itself create injury amongst those working in close proximity.

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Delta Hydraulics was established in Tasmania by John White and two other business partners in 1975, when each partner contributed up to $1000 to get the company up and running. With the business growing rapidly, John subsequently bought out the shares of the other two business partners and to this day John White remains the sole owner, with the company headquarters based in Devonport, Tasmania.

Prior to his involvement in Delta Hydraulics, John’s background was that of a dairy farmer, who was then conscripted to service in the Vietnam War. While John was never sent to Vietnam, he was involved in multiple roles with the Australian Army. These included managing

DELTA HYDRAULICS

a number of workshops for the army’s varied range of trucks, earthmoving equipment and other plant from the Puckapunyal base in central Victoria.

It was during this tenure with the defence forces that John learnt about hydraulics and what they could achieve, and, as a qualified fitter and turner, hydraulics was of particular interest. It was a very different industry then from today, with the late 1960s featuring front-end loaders being produced and operated using pulleys and cables, rather than full hydraulic power.

Delta is a business that specialises in the manufacture and repair of hydraulic cylinders, with the core products produced by the business including single and doubleacting multi-stage telescopic cylinders, single and double-acting single-stage rod cylinders, annular ported telescopic feed cylinders, hydraulic power packs, manifolds, directional valves, cylinder refurbishing and repairs.

The company’s headquarters in Devonport, Tasmania, also house the production facilities on-site for manufacturing and repairs to hydraulic cylinders. It’s here that Delta employs over 100 people, to cover the requirements of administration, engineering, purchasing and stores, spare parts and manufacturing. As a small town of just over 30,000 people, Delta is most important to the regional economy of Devonport, both through its direct employment and flow-on effects to the community via the related service industries that work with Delta.

In addition to the Tasmanian operations, Delta operates a facility in Thailand of 9000 square metres to provide additional manufacturing capacity and superior service to the Asian region for hydraulic cylinders and related products.

Delta exists as both a supplier and manufacturer of OEM parts to multinational earthmoving equipment including Caterpillar. The company also produces specially designed hydraulic cylinders for the underground mining industry.

With regards to road transport, Delta supplies hydraulic systems to a range of bodybuilders that supply specific vocations in the industry. For example, Delta is a major supplier to Superior Pak, the manufacturer of waste bodies and compactors. Delta also supplies hydraulic systems and equipment to rigid tipper bodybuilders and trailer manufacturers, including Hercules and Tefco.

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TRAILERTORQUE Delta’s multistage tipping cylinders sold under the Delhoist brand are known for their extended service life, with a strong reputation that can be attributed to a number of unique design factors.

The company was the first to chrome plate multistage cylinders, which extends the service life of the cylinder as it prevents corrosion of the stages and also extends the seal life. The twin-lip seal and also the flapped wiper used by Delta reduce contamination such as dust and moisture entering the cylinder. John White’s unique design eliminates the need for gland nuts or base plugs in Delhoist’s cylinders, which further extends the service life of the cylinder.

When mounted on tip trucks only a single acting hoist is required as hydraulic pressure is only required to raise the body, and gravity acts to lower the body once the tipping has occurred. For applications such as found in the waste compactor market, the requirement is for double acting cylinders as hydraulic power is required to both open and close the ram when undertaking operations.

Another aspect of Delta’s business is with the ongoing maintenance and supply of hydraulic componentry to the Australian Navy for its Collins Class submarines. As these submarines are on strict maintenance schedules, Delta is relied upon for providing hydraulic components both of high quality and on demand to minimise time the submarines are out of service for repairs and maintenance. An onsite clean room is used for the

manufacture of navy components as well as additional capacity for medical applications.

One of the particularly impressive features at Delta’s Devonport factory is its friction welder, which is the largest in the southern hemisphere. John explains the friction welder allows for much quicker, and ultimately cheaper production costs compared with using a forge.

Friction welding (FRW) is a solid-state welding process that generates heat through mechanical friction between work pieces in relative motion to one another, with the addition of a lateral force called “upset” to plastically displace and fuse the materials. Because no melting occurs, friction welding is not a fusion welding process in the traditional sense, but more of a forge welding technique. Friction welding is used with metals and thermoplastics in a wide variety of aviation and automotive applications.

“Delta’s sophisticated in-house design, engineering and end-to-end manufacturing capability enable us to provide rapid and flexible design, engineering and manufacture, and deliver quality product to our customers whether it is a one-off project or high production volume OEM product,” said John.

“Sophisticated capability enables us to perform the full design, engineering and manufacturing cycle completely in-house. This means that we can deliver both highvolume products to our OEM clients as well as specialised cylinders for low-run or one-off projects” he added.

The paint shop at Delta’s Devonport operation can supply all cylinders in the specific colours of the customer’s requirements, such as in genuine Caterpillar yellow or customer preferences for individual pieces of equipment.

Delta also has onsite chroming facilities to chrome plate the hydraulic cylinder rods.

The system used by Delta provides chrome-plating protection 100 times greater than those demanded by many OEMs. The main role of chrome plating is to prevent corrosion, which would ultimately damage the seal and subsequently cause hydraulic fluid leakages around the cylinder. The chrome plating at Delta is particularly advantageous in operations where there is high exposure to corrosive environments such as mining or marine applications.

As testimony to the product quality produced by Delta, the company is ISO 9001 certified with AS/NZS ISO 9001:2008 certification. This is further underpinned by a 6 Sigma operating system utilising Caterpillar Production System (CPS) techniques.

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The future for Delta on a global basis looks set to grow steadily in response to the increasing applications and usage of hydraulics in a diverse range of industries. The growing emphasis on the use of robotics in manufacturing plants will also play a part in the expansion of the hydraulics industry as well as in agriculture where advanced machinery is used to both sow and pick vegetable and fruit crops.

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XAVIER_HINO35907_0318

VEHICLE STABILITY CONTROL - STANDARD

The Hino 500 Series Wide Cab redefines what to expect from comprehensive vehicle safety in the medium duty truck category. In an Australian-first for this class, Vehicle Stability Control is now fitted as standard across the range. Another class-leading active feature is the standard inclusion of a reverse camera. The Hino safety package also includes ABS, traction control, driver SRS airbag, ADR84/00 Front Underrun Protection System (FUPS), Easy Start, Cruise Control and Fog Lamps. All that’s on top of the 500 Series’ unrivalled build quality, safety features, driver comfort, and innovative range of Hino Advantage business support solutions.

The Hino 500 Series Wide Cab. It’s a game changer! Visit hino.com.au