New Zealand Trucking December 2020

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DECEMBER 2020 – JANUARY 2021

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CONTENTS

36

WATCH T HE V IDEO IN T HE DIG ITAL EDIT ION

Easy ‘Peas-y’ – getting the most from the opportunity

Photo: Ed Mansell

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Official Sponsor

A big adventure – ‘Man-ning up’ to Aotearoa!

MAGAZINE O IAL

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Progress Power Pride – One man and his army

INTERNATIONAL TRUCK OF THE YEAR

Associate Member

EDITOR

Dave McCoid

ASSISTANT EDITOR

Gavin Myers

Ph: 027 492 5601 Email: editor@nztrucking.co.nz Ph: 027 660 6608 Email: gavin@nztrucking.com

For all advertising enquiries for NZ Trucking magazine and Truck Trader contact: Matt Smith

Ph: 021 510 701 Email: matt@nztrucking.co.nz

Pav Warren

Ph: 027 201 4001 Email: pav@nztrucking.co.nz

SUB EDITOR

OFFICE ADMINISTRATION

Faye Lougher

Georgi George

CONTRIBUTORS

PUBLISHER

Craig Andrews Carl Kirkbeck Faye Lougher Craig McCauley Jacqui Madelin Niels Jansen (Europe) Howard Shanks (Australia) Will Shiers (UK) Paul O’Callaghan

Long Haul Publications Ltd

PRODUCTION MANAGER

Ricky Harris

OFFICE

Long Haul Publications Ltd 511 Queen Street Thames 3500 PO Box 35 Thames 3500

John Berkley Willie Coyle DIGITAL MANAGER/CONTENT

06 Editorial 08 Road Noise – Industry news 30 Hall of Fame Inductees 2020

70 Just Truckin’ Around

Louise Stowell New Zealand Trucking magazine is published by Long Haul Publishing Ltd. The contents are copyright and may not be reproduced without the consent of the editor. Unsolicited editorial material may be submitted, but should include a stamped, self-addressed envelope. While every care is taken, no responsibility is accepted for material submitted.

Opinions expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of New Zealand Trucking or Long Haul Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.

This magazine is subject to the New Zealand Press Council.

Complaints are to be first directed to: editor@nztrucking.co.nz with “Press Council Complaint” in the subject line.

If unsatisfied, the complaint may be referred to the Press Council, PO Box 10 879, The Terrace, Wellington 6143 or by email at info@presscouncil.org.nz Further details and online complaints at www.presscouncil.org.nz

72 Top Truck – On top of the world 76 IToY Truck of the Year – The lion roared 78 IToY Innovation Award – Cellular solutions 86 Aussie Angles – Road to recovery

112 Moving Metrics 116 NZ Trucking Association –

Summit 20

118 Person of Interest – Michael Wood 120 Incoming Cargo – Einride Pod 124 IRTENZ – Electric vehicles 126 Product Profile – Domett next gen 128 Sponsored Content – Varta Fonterra

90 ITS – Doing it together

136 Truckers’ Health

6 months

94 Gallery – Westies

138 Health and Safety

One year

96 Rhino Photo Comp – Down home

140 Legal Lines

Subscribe online: magstore.nz

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THE REST

68 Jackson Enterprises Ltd – 30 years young

DIGITAL IMAGING

Email: subs@nztrucking.co.nz

Born at the right time – tomorrow’s tough

64 Invercargill Truck Parade – Out in the South

ART DIRECTOR

SUBSCRIPTIONS / RATES:

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Two years

(22 issues).................. $151

98 Gav’s licence journey

1 Year Australia

100 New Rigs

(11 issues).................. $187

102 New Bodies and Trailers 104 Mini Big Rigs – What goes around

142 NZ Trucking Association 144 Road Transport Forum 146 The Last Mile B R OUG H T T O YO U B Y

106 Little Truckers’ Club 108 What’s On/Cartoon ABC Audited circulation 7092 as at September 2017 Nielsen audited readership 95,000 as at 01–2016

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EDITORIAL

THAT WAS DIFFERENT

W

Dave McCoid

Speaking of whom, we could do nothing without our incredible team here at New Zealand Trucking Media.

A more passionate group of people you could not wish to be associated with.

I’m always loath to use the word ‘family’ in terms of the workplace; I think it’s an inaccurate, trite expression. Families are not always sentinels of commitment and unity, and work is ‘water’ in terms of choice; family is ‘blood’, with little choice. To have our team choose to put in the effort they do, to see them take the ownership and pride in what they produce every day is both humbling, and energising.

Faye Lougher, our sub-editor, is leaving the sub role at the end of the year to take up a full-time position in rural publishing. Faye took over the subeditor role five years ago and she’s been an absolute rock in terms of helping me on my New Zealand Trucking magazine journey. Her personal work quality is inspirational, as is her enthusiasm for the subject, and her ability to keep you grounded in 20 words or less legendary!

The good news is her byline will still be alive and well in the contributor group. Thank you Faye for all your help, education, support, and belief in me.

Faye’s replacement is Tracey Strange, a freelance sub-editor based in Auckland who starts in early January. Welcome

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Tracey, fantastic to have you in the cab at New Zealand Trucking Media. We’re a wacky old lot, so buckle up.

Thank you also to the Road Transport Hall of Fame for inducting Trevor Woolston into the hall. Anyone who had their life changed forever by picking up the March 1985 issue of New Zealand Trucking magazine will agree that one is long overdue.

Looking ahead, there’s a lot going on and we’re busier than a metro driver on Christmas Eve. Next year is going to be huge for us. For those who have been bashing the table, there will be another retro test early in the New Year for sure, and it’s shaping up to be a doozy. We have a number of other innovative and significant projects on the go, all with the aim of keeping you entertained and informed. The excitement here is palpable, I can tell you that.

But, in order to make it all happen we need you, as in back next year and safe. Please take care over the next couple of months. We all need to let our hair down, but just take a breath, keep the foot off the gas, and take an extra minute or two.

On behalf of Margaret, Matt, myself, and entire team here at New Zealand Trucking Media, thank you all sincerely, have a Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year. 

B R P

Dave McCoid Editor

T O S 1120-07

ell, that was a year, wasn’t it? I have to admit, I’m slightly trepidatious about inferring in that first sentence that it’s over and there are no more surprises left in its bag of tricks.

As I write this editorial we still have a fraction under a whole month to run, but this is the last print mag for the year, so hope springs eternal and I’ve got my fingers crossed we’ll coast on in to a well-deserved breather.

There’s enough fodder around the traps to fill a dozen editorials. As one attendee said as we all left the New Zealand Trucking Association summit held in Christchurch on 21 November, “That certainly didn’t leave you feeling excited and energised”. He was right, and again it was a great function in terms of getting high calibre people from the regulator and policing together to explain what the playing field looks like from their perspective. As an industry, there’s an immense amount of work to do in terms of internal housekeeping, ensuring our needs are listened to, resources are allocated appropriately, and above all, our strength understood.

But we have next year to get into all that. What this last editorial needs to be about is thanks. Firstly, a huge thank you to everyone – advertisers, suppliers and consumers of our content – for your incredible support. Like every business in the country, for Matt, Margaret, and me, in the weeks following the 25th of March this year, it was like trying to drive an HPMV through thick fog in a strange county. There was dialogue many times most days as events unfolded.

We learned a hell of a lot and, now in December, being the only trucking masthead to complete a full complement of print media for the year is a point of immense pride for everyone involved in the business.

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ROAD NOISE NEWS

SOUTHPAC ANNOUNCES DEALER CHANGES Blenheim

On 15 January 2021 two major changes will happen in the Taranaki region. First, Egmont Diesel Services Limited, Inglewood, has been appointed the Kenworth and DAF service dealer for Taranaki. Alvin and Emma Hunt founded Egmont Diesel Service in 2009 and have grown the business to 10 staff, who are all New Zealand-trained technicians.

The company has recently moved into a new 1000m2 workshop located with good access from State Highway 3 and 3A. On the same date, Southpac Trucks will be extending its reach and opening up a TRP Parts branch in Bell Block, Taranaki, bringing its nationwide coverage to six branches (including Auckland, Hamilton, Rotorua, Palmerston North and Christchurch).

8 New Zealand Trucking

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auranga-based trailer manufacturer Domett has built its 2000th trailer, which has entered service in the fleet of recent client Hilton Haulage.

The unit is a dry 9-axle curtainside combo, which required a bit of creative thinking with regards to the fact that it’s being towed by a Mercedes-Benz Arocs featuring straight walkthrough floors, bunks, and many other modern features.

The Domett 5-axle curtainside trailer itself is a lightweight spec with a tare of 6840kg. It’s sprung by Hendrickson ZMD air bag suspension, and has disc brakes and Alcoa Dura-Bright rims. Other features include two 1200 alloy toolboxes and an alloy dunnage box, ratchets at both ends, curtain track lights, sliding roof supports, and ferry tie-down locations. It is mezzaninefloor-ready.

The South Island-based transport operator runs more than 200 truck and trailer combinations out of its Timaru

head office and a number of regional offices and depots across New Zealand. The company is now onto its second batch of curtainside builds, which will bring it up to six Domett truck and trailer combinations.

Hilton Haulage fleet general manager Steve Scott says the company focuses on quality gear, consistency and safety across its fleet.

“We set high expectations of both ourselves and our selected truck body and trailer manufacturers. After working with a variety of different manufacturers over the past 25 years, Domett approached us at a time when we were undertaking a review of our current fleet requirements and supplier networks,” he explains.

A series of discussions and visits resulted in an opportunity for Domett to pitch for curtainside truck and trailer builds to transport a variety of general freight. “The decision to go with them was based on the fact they met the brief in terms of timeline,

build spec and price,” says Scott.

“During the course of our first set of builds, it became evident to us that Domett has very high standards and really understands the benefit of providing regular communication and updates, including photos during the build progress. Upon visiting the factory, I was highly impressed at the level of care taken with the cab, chassis and wheels to protect it against any chance of damage during the build or overspray during finishing.”

Scott says that given the weight of this cab and chassis and the requirement to operate at the high limits of HPMV, the truck body and trailer needed to meet some very specific tare targets.

“I’m not sure Domett would want me to share their trade secrets on how they achieved this, however the end result is their layout plan and quote ticked all the boxes for us in terms of tare range, performance, delivery timeframes and price.”

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Transport Repairs Ltd Blenheim has been appointed the parts and service dealer for the Blenheim-MarlboroughKaikoura region for Southpac Trucks. Transport Repairs Ltd was established on 1 October 2017 and came about from the amalgamation of three companies that grew their businesses very successfully in Invercargill, Gore, Cromwell, Dunedin and Christchurch. TRL’s Blenheim workshop is modern, with state-of-the-art equipment and facilities, and the dealership is conveniently located at Riverlands Roadhouse.

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New Zealand Trucking

ROAD NOISE NEWS

The South Island is soon to benefit from the latest move into the region by secondhand truck sales company NZT Group.

Taking on experienced industry stalwart Richard Johnston will see the presence of NZT Group grow with his vast knowledge of the heavy trucking world in the deep south.

His background, from parts and service through to being a leading UD Truck salesman for 15 years, will be paramount in the growth of NZT in the region.

Johnston knows the industry very well and is looking forward to catching up with new and existing clients in his new role of South Island sales for NZT Group.

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4000 for Hardox

H

amilton’s Transport Trailers has manufactured New Zealand’s 4000th Hardox bin, a truck body for Fulton Hogan in Auckland. T&G has built more than 500 of the 4000 Hardox units, 58 of which have been built for Fulton Hogan since 2013.

Hardox has been available since 2012 in New Zealand, imported, processed and supplied to approved builders and engineers around the country by Wellington-based Real Steel.

Real Steel managing director Luke Mathieson says Hardox is the best steel available for tipper bodies and trailers as it is highly wearresistant, very tough, and is resistant to cracks and dents.

“Because Hardox is so hard and strong, you can make the truck body out of thinner steel and make it lighter.

This improves payload with increased strength and less maintenance, which saves the customer time and money down the road. Real Steel forms tipper sides and floors from one piece of Hardox steel up to 8.2m long. We have Hardox plates up to 11m in length, which means no seams or laser welds and no weaknesses,” he says.

To prove the point, the

4000th bin is 4.9m long and has a floor thickness of 6mm, side thickness of 5mm, and a headboard thickness of only 4mm. An added benefit of the seamless, single-piece sides and floors is a better-looking bin.

T&G director Greg Cornes adds that Hardox is five times stronger than conventional mild steel. It’s generally used in the toughest of applications, such as refuse bodies, scrap steel, demolition, quarry products and mining. It does not workharden, has a reduced risk of fatigue and cracking, and requires less maintenance.

The 12-man design team at Real Steel works directly with truck body/trailer manufacturers on the design and specifications required by the end user. Real Steel then supplies the Hardox kitset

as a flat-pack ready to be assembled.

For T&G (Transport Trailers), being one of only five licensed Hardox in My Body (HIMB) members in New Zealand means it’s part of an exclusive club. HMIB certification is granted by SSAB (Swedish Steel), which produces Hardox for world markets, and means the trailer builder’s processes are in line with best practice as recommended

by SSAB. “Each application with the Hardox in My Body sign attached has passed strict quality control and is approved as a premium product by the SSAB board.

When you see the HIMB sign you can be sure you are getting a superior steel product manufactured by a qualified programme member,” says Cornes.

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ROAD NOISE NEWS

TRT’s ESS trailer struts its stuff

MyTrucking has appointed Marie-Claire Andrews as its new commercial manager.

Andrews’s focus will be growing the business, building on the solid foundations already in place. Her key goals include building a great customer experience, growing the customer base, and expanding into new territories.

“The theme of my career is business growth – spotting an opportunity and making it happen. Bringing people together, creating teams, scheming big plans – and executing those plans,” she says.

“Software is what I love to play with and this is an awesome industry with huge potential.”

Andrews will be tasked with leading the sales, marketing and customer success team to achieve the company’s aspirations for growth.

“They have already nailed a niche that’s non-corporate, down to earth and an absolutely relevant product and service for trucking businesses. MyTrucking is really going places, so watch this space – it’s about keeping what people love and putting it on steroids.”

12 New Zealand Trucking

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RT hosted the country’s biggest names in house removals at a special event at Hampton Downs Motorsport Park during October, where the engineering firm showed off its latest and greatest house removal trailer.

The TRT ESS 4-axle house trailer with single-axle steering module – to give it its full title – was hooked up to its usual prime mover, the Peterbilt 389 6x4 of Prestige Building Removals, with driver Malcolm Whitehead-Clarke behind the wheel to show off the unit’s talents. The Pete and ESS trailer combo starred in our October 2020 cover feature, where we delved deeply into the technical aspects of both units, especially the ESS trailer.

ESS, by the way, stands for electronic steering system, which Whitehead-Clarke demonstrated by expertly manoeuvring the unit around the tightly packed cones in the demonstration area – even in reverse. As he moved along the trailer was set at its lowest point of 0.88m, then its highest of 2.75m, and anywhere in between – sometimes even differing from side to side as the split axles can be controlled independently.

Packed full of technical innovation, the ESS 4-axle trailer was equipped with an extra axle module on

the day to demonstrate the effectiveness of TRT’s Quick Connect modular system.

(It can have a single-axle, two-axle or both singleand two-axle clip-ons for a 7-axle trailer.) In 15 minutes Whitehead-Clarke and three of TRT’s engineers had the module propped up and secured, the hydraulic lines disconnected, and locator pins retracted, before truck and trailer glided off less one axle.

With the fifth modular axle disconnected, the ESS trailer’s torsional box trombone was extended to show off how nimble the unit is at a fully extended deck

length of 22.2m.

“TRT has been building steering axles for many years but up to now the steering axles have all been castor steer,” said TRT trailer sales engineer Glen Harnett.

“However, a lot of house movers have told us we’re not supplying an axle that steers enough. Now the ESS trailer has steering 35 degrees either side of centre; it provides the ultimate steering angles no matter what length the trailer is set to. Pre-programmed software trailer configuration is an easy one-step setup for the operator.”

Dec 2020 / Jan 2021 1220-20

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Dec 2020 / Jan 2021 13

ROAD NOISE NEWS

NEW DEALERS

FOR MERCEDES-BENZ LIGHT COMMERCIALS Some new dealers for Mercedes-Benz vans and utes have been appointed in various locations around the country.

Auckland Keith Andrews has been appointed as the MercedesBenz Light Commercial and Vans dealer for the Auckland region, south of the Harbour

Bridge. The long-time Daimler partner will provide full sales, service and parts support for Mercedes-Benz vans and X-Class utes from its dealership at 131 Roscommon Road, Wiri.

Keith Andrews already successfully represents Mercedes-Benz Light Commercial and Vans in Whangarei, as well as

Mercedes-Benz, Freightliner and Fuso trucks and buses in a growing number of locations around the North Island.

South Island Following on from the recent appointment as the South Island sales, parts and service representative for MercedesBenz heavy commercial, CablePrice has been

appointed as a South Island Mercedes-Benz Vans parts and service dealer.

CablePrice provides everything from scheduled servicing and routine maintenance to general repairs and roadside assistance, with locations in Christchurch, Greymouth, Timaru, Dunedin and Invercargill.

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ROAD NOISE NEWS

Scania’s Trucks & Trailers dealerships open

S

even of Scania New Zealand’s eight new service centres are shop-window ready and open for business.

Mattias Lundholm, managing director of Scania New Zealand, says the newlook dealer network service centres, made up of seven Trucks & Trailers service centres acquired in August, are now fitted out with Scania branding and set for their first official days of servicing as part of the Scania stable.

Scania New Zealand has

also established a workshop in Rotorua, which starts with limited capacity in December.

Lundholm says incorporating the Trucks & Trailers employees into the Scania team has been one of the most satisfying parts of the journey. “It was very important for Scania to align with a business like Trucks & Trailers that shared its values towards its people, customers and community, so it’s been a very efficient and rewarding process bringing them all up

to speed on our own Scania values,� says Lundholm. “They wear the Scania brand well.�

Lundholm says acquiring the centres significantly expanded Scania’s footprint across the country, and just as importantly underlined the company’s commitment to its customers and provincial New Zealand.

The expansion lifts Scania’s stable of nationwide dealerships and will almost treble its number of employees to a team of more than 165.

TM

The new Scania-branded service centre locations are: •S cania Auckland (Wiri) •S cania Drury •S cania Rotorua •S cania Palmerston North •S cania Wellington •S cania Christchurch •S cania Greymouth •S cania Timaru •S cania Invercargill There are some gaps across New Zealand, but Scania New Zealand says it is working on a solution, with more to come soon.

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TALK TO BUSINESS

REQUEST TO NEW GOVERNMENT

18 New Zealand Trucking

for immediate attention to this.

“Both through the New Zealand Government’s lockdown of New Zealand and its level 3 lockdown of Auckland, little consideration was given to the supply chain and no intelligence from relevant businesses was sought. That can’t happen again.”

Leggett says as the RTF does with each incoming government, it has sent the new transport minister Michael Wood a briefing about the critical role road freight transport plays in the New Zealand economy.

“Our economy is driven by exports and imports – goods that need to get where they are going as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible, given our disadvantage of

Dec 2020 / Jan 2021

being so far away from the rest of the world.

“This is a well-oiled, logistics-driven machine, and the government could learn a lot from the businesses involved. They only have to open the door and ask.

“We believe the Covid-19 experience has highlighted the need for a formalised Freight Strategy for New Zealand. For example, we saw the major issues that arose from trying to distribute a flu vaccine around New Zealand earlier this year; how does the government plan to distribute a Covid-19 vaccine should one ever get to market?

“And if there is no Covid19 vaccine, what are the government’s plans? We can’t be cut off from the rest of the world for much longer – the strain is starting to show in both the supply chain of goods and of skilled workers.

Without materials from offshore and skilled workers, the big-ticket projects to boost the economy won’t get off the ground.

“We are keen to hear what the government is planning in its response to Covid-19 and can only hope they ask for advice before making decisions with broad-sweeping adverse impacts.”

1220-24

T

he trucking industry wants to see Labour engage better with the business community in its second term of government, says Road Transport Forum chief executive Nick Leggett.

“Solutions to the issues and opportunities that Covid19 has thrown up lie in the knowledge and expertise held

by New Zealand’s businesses, rather than its bureaucracy,” Leggett says.

“Covid-19 has highlighted a critical need for better understanding by government and its officials about how the global supply chain works and how that flows through to moving goods into, out of, and around New Zealand. There are some significant supply chain issues ahead and we have asked the government

1220-24

ROAD NOISE NEWS

NRC offers support to congestion charges

C

ongestion charges for Auckland roads would be supported by the road freight industry if the user-pays scheme delivered the claimed benefits of faster travel times and increased productivity across the city, said National Road Carriers chief executive David Aitken.

Aitken was responding to a briefing on Monday 30 November from Auckland Council and government agencies on the potential of road congestion charges.

Initial findings from a combined agency study found that congestion pricing could reduce congestion in Auckland by around 8 to 12% when fully implemented.

“While on first blush we

support the principle of congestion charging, we would need to see more details and be assured that forecast productivity and efficiencies gains can be secured,” Aitken said. “Additionally, the price per freight vehicle for accessing the central city or arterials routes would need to be right.”

NRC is part of the Auckland Business Forum, which supports the congestion concept and has called on the government to implement a trial congestion charging scheme in Auckland as soon as possible.

“This is not the first time we have seen a report on congestion price. The technology for congestion

charges is well proven. There have been enough reports. It is now time to trial a congestion charge scheme and see if it actually works,” Aitken said.

As traffic congestion is costing Auckland more than $1 billion annually, initiatives along the lines of congestion charges will need to be trialled and implemented so that freight supply channels can be freed up.

“Everyone is aware of the current wider supply chain issues affecting New Zealand now; local congestion is

adding to this,” Aitken said.

He noted that the report released on Monday suggested heavy freight vehicles would pay double what passenger cars would pay. “Some would question why this is the case given that congestion was largely due to commuter traffic.”

NRC would support congestion charges also, if the revenue collected was spent directly on roading infrastructure and was not just another tax on road users, Aitken said.

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ROAD NOISE NEWS

Accelerating New Zealand’s investment into biofuels

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orestry New Zealand is moving ahead with the next stage of research into creating a New Zealand biofuels industry, following a successful first stage.

“The Wood Fibre Futures project earlier this year identified viable wood-based alternatives to high carbon emitting products such as transport fuel, concrete, steel, and coal,” says director sector investments, Jason Wilson.

Stage 2 of the project will be to build business cases for attracting international investors to New Zealand.

Wilson says there is considerable interest in biofuels and biomass energy from organisations such as Air

New Zealand and Fonterra.

“We are now putting out a tender, seeking an organisation with extensive international contacts and experience that can develop compelling business cases for investing in the biofuels and solid fuels sector in New Zealand.”

These business cases are expected to be completed by mid-2021 and will focus on wood-based products that will provide a large source of residues that can be used to produce three priority products identified in stage 1: •b iocrude oil • l iquid biofuels (such as sustainable aviation fuel) • s olid fuels such as wood pellets.

“We have a huge amount of pine in New Zealand that can be used to create these fuels, but we need to attract investment and prove that there is both the demand and a viable supply,” says Wilson.

“The growing demand for alternatives to fossil fuels has the potential to transform the forestry sector into a provider of biofuels, bioenergy, and a range of renewable bioproducts alongside more traditional wood products.”

Wilson says biofuels will also have the added benefit of supporting regional development, with biofuel

manufacturing centres being in areas where forestry is prevalent.

“We are already seeing sizeable investment in wood pellets to replace coal use in New Zealand and this will only increase as the domestic carbon price rises.

“In North America and Europe, government policies targeting transport emissions are beginning to catalyse investment in biofuels, which also have the ability to benefit New Zealand economically and environmentally, and create employment in our regions.”

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ROAD NOISE NEWS

FOTON AUHAWK R 2021 CHINESE TRUCK OF THE YEAR

Euro 7 debate mustn’t ignore internal combustion

As a new truck generation developed on a new platform, Foton’s Auhawk R has made many improvements such as the cab, power transmission, intelligence and light weight, to keep up with China’s latest strict road regulations.

“The Auhawk R medium-duty truck is a new generation of medium trucks developed by Foton Motor. The design integrated European standards with China’s new regulatory requirements and new market demands. With its beautiful appearance, optimised structure, intelligent, safe, comfortable and reliable firstclass configuration, it provides us with excellent driving experience and sets a new benchmark for the Chinese truck market,” said president of CToY jury, Yu Jing.

coalition of transport and energy stakeholders has written to the European Commission voicing concerns about the way that DG GROW’s Advisory Group on Vehicle Emission Standards (AGVES) is planning the Euro 7/VII standard.

The coalition includes the International Road Transport Union (IRU), the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA), the European Association of Automotive Suppliers (CLEPA), FuelsEurope and the Natural Gas Vehicle Association (NGVA).

A

The letter calls for: •C learly defined objectives for new Euro 7/VII regulations.

•N ew pollutant emission targets that are commensurate with needs and costeffective.

•C onsideration for changes to pollutant emission test procedures that, on their own, could achieve a proportionate impact on air quality where needed.

•T he Euro 7/VII AGVES works with a transparent data‐driven process that allows stakeholders sufficient time to analyse new

proposals and collect input for evidencebased responses.

“The European Commission must not use Euro 7/VII as a pretext to phase out combustion engines, which will continue to play a key role for commercial vehicles using low carbon fuels in the long term,” said Raluca Marian, IRU’s general delegate to the EU. “Zero pollution or zero emissions measured only at the tailpipe will not solve the CO2 emissions problem and a more comprehensive well-to-wheel approach is needed for the definition of globally applicable standards,” she added.

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10,000,000+ battery-electric trucks and buses to be sold this decade

A

fter a 7% decline in the market for batteryelectric commercial vehicles in 2020, which was the continuation of a decline in 2019 and was largely due to Chinese subsidy policies, the sector is set to bounce back in 2021. Market research firm Interact Analysis says that though sales dipped from 168,000 in 2019 to about 156,000 in 2020, the projected global sales figure for 2021 stands at nearly 231,000 units – 47% growth for the sector.

This is driven by growth in Europe and North America along with the extension of China’s EV subsidy programme, which was meant to come to an end in 2020.

Asia-Pacific will be streets

ahead in 2021, surpassing the 2019 global figure with more than 171,000 sales.

Europe will be second in this league table, with a projected 44,000 new electric vehicle registrations in 2021. The total truck and bus market (batteryelectric, fuel cell, hybrid and diesel) will decline by 16% in 2020, but will see 15% growth in 2021.

Interact Analysis forecasts that electrified powertrains will account for more than 2.5 million annual registrations of commercial vehicles by 2030, out of a total of more than 20 million. Battery-electric powertrains are predicted to make serious inroads in the city bus and light-duty vehicle sectors. Intercity bus fleets and long-haul trucks, where

pure battery-electric is not always a viable option, are predicted to see an increasing use of fuel cell technology.

The latest policy developments in China signalling a relaxation in green rules to stimulate production, indicate that hybrid technologies will have a strong role in the region.

Targets indicate that by 2030 New Energy Vehicles (batteryelectric or fuel cell electric) should account for 30% of new sales in China, while hybrids should account for 75% of ‘traditional energy’ vehicles. The impact on the medium- and heavy-duty commercial vehicle market could be significant.

“We aren’t there yet with full electric powertrains for

heavy-duty commercial vehicles, and we may not be for some time,” says Interact Analysis senior analyst Rueben Scriven. “We predict that hybrid solutions will come to the fore in APAC (partly due to new regulations in China), whilst in Europe, OEM fleet CO2 emissions regulations (-15% by 2025 in the EU) will likely push mild hybridisation in heavy-duty applications.

California, along with several other US states, is mandating OEMs to sell a certain number of zero emission commercial vehicles. This will disincentivise OEMs to sell hybrids as these vehicles may cannibalise zero emission vehicle sales.”

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M ETRO BRIE F S Tesla’s Cybertruck was designed for the US, but a smaller European Unioncompliant version is likely for other markets, and it could come here. The electricpowered truck is designed for any ute function, plus carrying its own electric quad bike, and is expected to attract tradies who can run their power tools off it. That will reduce range, but as it’s expected to hit 800km on a charge, Kiwis shouldn’t be worried.

Got a tea break to fill with idle internet surfing?

FleetLogging has compiled a series of poster images showing the evolution of various pickups and vans from their beginnings to the modern day, including the development of Ford’s iconic F-150 from 1948 to 2020.

See fleetlogging.com/longestliving-trucks/ New Zealand’s first ebus fleet is at work on Waiheke Island under the Auckland Transport banner. They’re tipped to cut 538 tonnes of CO2 emissions by yearend, and deliver a real-world test of their use in local conditions.

Electric E-Transit for New Zealand Ford New Zealand has confirmed an electricpowered E-Transit is expected here by mid 2022. Full specifications and price are not yet available, but we do know it will go on sale here just months after it appears on European working fleets.

Ford’s FordPass Connect modem will help drivers find and pay for charging on the go, and downloadable updates will upgrade satnav and other features without the driver needing to visit a dealer.

Isuzu launches latest D-Max Isuzu New Zealand is confident its latest D-Max, which has shifted upmarket from its original value proposition, still has what it takes thanks to boosted specification, and the departure of Holden from the market. Its previous ute was a shared project with GM, and Isuzu NZ hopes to leverage that to gain customers replacing their older Holden pickups via its expanded dealer network – which picked up 12 former Holden dealers.

This time it shares a platform with Mazda’s BT-50, and both share top ANCAP crash test ratings for the class. We reported on the specifics of the all-new D-Max in the November issue. Retail price is $49,990 to $75,490, depending on variant.

GM has revealed an allelectric Hummer ute for production late next year. It is expected to deliver 745kW and 15,592Nm via three separate motors working two drive units in 4WD. GM promises 161km of range with 10 minutes of fast charging.

Ford has patented a range extender for an electric ute.

Reportedly a removable generator that recharges the EV battery via a small motor, it’s likely to be allied to an upcoming electric Ford F-150.

28 New Zealand Trucking

The onboard power system will be able run power tools and recharge jobsite equipment.

Range is tipped at 350km. European versions will offer choices of body, length, height and GVM, with a payload of up to 1616kg for the van, and up to 1967kg for the chassis cab model.

The E-Transit can use either AC or DC fast charging, with a full charge available in up to 8.2 hours, or 80% capacity in just over half an hour – that’s your lunchbreak sorted.

Dec 2020 / Jan 2021

Hilux gets a boost Toyota’s Hilux has had a boost this year, with minor cosmetic alterations and a 2.8-litre turbo-diesel tuned for 15% more power and 11% more torque than before, with 150kW and up to 500Nm. There are 18 variants in the refreshed lineup, which is priced from $28,990 for the 2WD 2.7-litre petrol single cab chassis, to $58,990 for the 4WD 2.8-litre Cruiser Double Cab Wellside SR5.

2020 NZ ROAD TRANSPORT HALL OF FAME

Hall of Fame 2020 welcomes its first female inductee Story and photos supplied

Following a couple of postponements, due to Covid-19, the 2020 Mobil Delvac 1 NZ Road Transport Hall of Fame gala dinner was finally held in mid-November at Bill Richardson Transport World in Invercargill. Six members of the national transport industry were welcomed into the Hall of Fame, including the first female inductee.

A

bout 350 people from around the country attended the event, fewer than usual and understandable given the circumstances.

“The transport industry has long been a male-dominated field, but the contribution made by many women has been absolutely vital in growing and strengthening the New Zealand transport industry as a whole. We encourage all women involved in the industry

30 New Zealand Trucking

to celebrate their successes, and encourage others within the industry to do so as well,” said Jocelyn O’Donnell, who launched the event in 2012 with husband and fellow director of HW Richardson Group, Scott.

“All deserve acclaim and thanks for their care and enthusiasm for our industry. The Kiwi road transport industry would not be what it is today, were it not for the efforts of the men and women who dedicate their lives to strengthening our industry for the future.”

All proceeds from the Mobil 1 Delvac NZ Road Transport Hall of Fame, including a charity auction, are donated to the ProActive Drive Youth Driver Education Trust. The programme aims to make driving safer for young New Zealanders and is provided at no cost to teenagers who already hold a driver’s licence. It offers courses aimed at improving their driving skills, to ensure they are equipped in the event something unexpected happens while they are on the road. With courses combining theory and practical elements, it is also available to corporate drivers.

Dec 2020 / Jan 2021

Roman, italic, bold, bold italic

alic

Anita Dynes Anita Dynes is credited as being crucial to the development of Tapanui-based Dynes Transport.

Throughout her five decades in the transport industry, working alongside husband Jim, her substantive work ethic, tenacity, and family values were pivotal in the company becoming an iconic industry fixture, with interests in the dairy, forestry, and wine industries in addition to transport.

Born in Balclutha on 5 February 1948, Anita was brought up on a farm at Rongahere, South Otago.

She married in 1969 and moved to Tapanui, where Jim and his twin brother, John, had bought a five-truck general carrying transport business from Jim Cooper a few months earlier.

Adapting to transport life for this inductee meant being tied at home to landline and radio telephone.

The 1970s was a hectic decade for Anita, with three children born and two more general transport businesses purchased. In 1976 Dynes won the contract to cart woodchips from five sawmills in Otago to Port Chalmers and later Bluff.

In 1977 John moved north to run T D Haulage, a chip carting business they purchased. Two years later they split ownership; John with T D Haulage, Jim and Anita with Dynes Transport (Tapanui) Limited. The business grew extensively during the 1980s with additional log and timber cartage.

The management of cashflow was essential and was a critical part of Anita’s role.

Diversification came about with the family farm at Conical Hill being purchased, adding to the workload

with Jim working the farm during the day and carting woodchips at night.

Family holidays were now farmstays for the weekends, to tackle lambing, tailing, and haymaking amidst daily transport activities.

Anita’s capabilities were put to the test when Jim was ill with cancer. Her daily activities included driving Jim the four-hour round trip to Dunedin for treatment every day, running the transport business, sorting the three kids, and helping with the lambing beat on a now increased additional neighbour’s farm.

In 1991 NZ Rail applied for resource consent to reopen the line from Waipahi to Conical Hill Sawmill. Anita opposed the application, spending months accumulating information for a petition and the hearing. Opening the line did not happen. During the mid-90s a new Tapanui depot was purchased, with a bigger yard, and the opportunity to move from the shoebox home office to the depot to accommodate additional staff.

Over the next 15 years, multiple businesses were purchased and contracts won, including work with the Edendale dairy factory. This was enhanced by the successful ISO accreditation that Anita implemented within the business, with Dynes Transport being one of the first in the South Island to be accredited. This helped secure additional work for future years and is still current with their nationwide Fonterra contract today.

Dynes Transport’s solid foundations were set with the strong business partnership of Anita and Jim,

Anita Dynes makes history at the Road Transport Hall of Fame.

their different strengths working collaboratively together to grow the business that it is today. Anita’s strong work ethic, family values, and tenacity have been crucial to the success of Dynes Transport and have been embedded in her children, Debra, Peter and Shona, who have all worked in the business. Anita retired two years ago after working 50 years in the business.

In 2017, Anita, Jim and Peter sold 50% of the Dynes group to the HWR Group, where both business and family values were in line for the future of the company. The Dynes Group has depots throughout New Zealand. Along with their passion in being solution architects for the dairy, forestry and wine industries, they are incredibly proud of the amazing people who have worked with the family for more than 50 years to make what is today, an iconic company within New Zealand.

The 2020 crowd gathered to honour the inductees.

New Zealand Trucking

Dec 2020 / Jan 2021 31

Graham Sheldrake Born in 1954 in the small seaside village of Great Yarmouth, in Norfolk, England, Graham Sheldrake immigrated with his family to New Zealand at the age of two. The family first settled in Patea, then shifted to Waitotara near Wanganui, and eventually ended up in Tokoroa where Graham attended school. After high school Graham joined his father as a diesel mechanic at NZ Forest Products Kinleith, qualifying in the trade.

At the age of 20 Graham embarked on an OE with his sister and brotherin-law, taking a campervan around Europe for 18 months. Upon returning to New Zealand, Graham learned how to move furniture for Parks Furniture Removals in a 5-speed TK Bedford, and that’s where he met his future wife, Jillian. After getting married in 1978 they headed back overseas to find his roots in England.

Trucks were starting to become important in Graham’s life and while overseas he made enquiries into log cartage back in Tokoroa. He applied for a contract with NZFP and was successful, purchasing his first truck, a Kenworth SAR with a Hiab crane to selfload logs. He called the truck Mork and the crane Mindy.

In 1984 he replaced that truck and purchased a Kenworth W924, carrying off-highway logging. In 1986 he purchased a Scammell carting peeler logs from Kinleith to Henderson & Pollard, Mount Eden. In 1986 NZFP divested itself of its fleet of loggers and contracted out all of the cartage, which enabled Graham to expand his fleet.

The formation of the Log Haulage Contractors Association came about as

Graham receives his right of entry into the Hall.

a result of Graham’s encouragement for operators to band together to get lower fuel and insurance prices and have one voice when negotiating favourable discounts with various suppliers. Graham has been the driving force behind this organisation since its formation.

In 1994 Graham joined the No 2 Region NZRTA, completing a term as president prior to becoming the owner-driver director on the RTF board from 1998 to 2005. He also represented the RTF for the Transport and Logistics Industry Training Organisation. From 2005 to 2009 Graham was vice president of the RTA Region 2, acting president in 2009, and the president until 2012. He has also been a member of the Log Truck Safety Council since its formation in 1997 and has represented the RTF board for numerous years on this council. It should be recognised that Graham could not have done all of this without the support of Jillian.

A restructured NZFP became CHH

Pulp & Paper and in 2000 Graham secured a contract for the cartage of paper from Kinleith to Levin, and paper products from various parts of the North Island to and from Kinleith. In 2004, Graham was invited to join Dynes Holdings Ltd, Rotorua Forest Haulage Ltd, and Honeycombe Log Transport, to form Timber Logistics Ltd to cart Red Stag Timber.

Graham is a family man; he and Jillian have a daughter and son, Emma and Mathew, and also five grandchildren. At the beginning of 2020 Mathew took over the business.

Graham has been a part of a number of successful industry organisations and has the reputation for tackling many of the difficult issues that the industry throws up from time to time. His organisational skills are second to none and the industry has used these skills to help make the industry better for everybody.

Jim Black

Arron Black collects Jim’s award.

32 New Zealand Trucking

Born in Dunedin on New Year’s Eve 1944, James (Jim) Benjamin Black grew up in Andersons Bay, Dunedin. In 1968 he purchased his first home and married Ann. The couple was blessed with two boys, Stuart and Arron, who both work within the family businesses.

Jim attended Tainui Primary School before going to King Edward Technical College. Leaving school at 15, he started work as a warehouse boy at Sargood, Son & Ewan in Dunedin, but soon found wrapping parcels was not his game. This led to his move into

Dec 2020 / Jan 2021

the motor industry, where he joined Volkswagen Motors as an apprentice motor mechanic in 1961. After nine years he joined Kew Services in Hillside Road until it was sold, and then he moved to Holland and Bell.

Then began the start of what Jim is renowned for, when he started in the tyre industry. Jim joined Firestone Tyre Services in Andersons Bay Road as a wheel alignment and underbody mechanic, working his way up to service manager and ending as Otago manager for 14 years. At one stage,

Jack Newman Born on 3 July 1902 in Brightwater, near Nelson, Jack Newman was instrumental in growing one of New Zealand’s largest road transport businesses, Newman Bros. Ltd. Jack joined the family firm in 1922 as a coach driver. This gave him tremendous respect for ‘the bloke up front’ and throughout his career he made a point of knowing and caring about his staff. His father, Tom, and uncle, Harry, started Newman Bros. in July 1879 driving their first Royal Mail Coach between Foxhill and Murchison. The first motor vehicle was purchased in 1911; the start of a nationwide fleet of buses, campervans, rental cars, and trucks, and a major tourism business. Jack became a director in 1927 and managing director by 1930.

The family motto ‘only the best will do’ took Jack to the United States to source Cadillacs. They were extended to seat 10 to 12 passengers, changed from left-hand drive to right, and travelled up to 1.6 million kilometres each. They cemented the firm’s reputation for quality and reliability.

Only the best meant Internationals, British Leylands, Mercedes-Benzes and Volvos came next.

By the firm’s centenary in 1979, Newman’s was the largest tour operator in New Zealand, with offices in Tokyo, Sydney and Los Angeles.

Jack founded Transport (Nelson) Ltd (TNL) in April 1938 with 12 shareholders. He was chairman until his retirement in 1980 and was then honorary founder president. It

deciding he wanted to do something for himself, Jim operated a taxi in Dunedin for a couple of years, but the novelty soon wore off. In 1976, Jim joined Cooke Howlison Andersons Bay as a new car salesman under Bert Gibb, where he worked for five years.

But Jim missed tyres and in 1982 he joined Bandag (part of the Freightways Group) as area manager Otago and Southland. He managed the Bandag Commercial Truck Tyre Retread Factory in Harrow Street, and the sales area. He then decided he should own the place,

Sir Jack’s grandson Nigel Newman-Hollis (left) and great granddaughter Sarah Newman-Hollis recieved his award from Scott O’Donnell.

Jack Newman.

started with about 50 trucks scattered between the West Coast, Golden Bay, Nelson, and Blenheim, and included Newman’s Nelson to Takaka freight operation. By 1952 it became Transport (Nelson) Holdings Group, a public company. Newman’s merged into TNL Group in 1972. By 1977 the group had a staff of about 1500 and close to 1500 vehicles. It was one of the biggest transportation and trucking companies in New Zealand.

Jack held directorships of many other companies, served on different councils, business associations and charities. He was known for his entrepreneurial spirit, enthusiasm,

so he bought the business from Bandag in 1992 and General Tyres Ltd was born in September 1992. His son Stuart now manages the business.

In 1996 Jim joined with Alan and Ian Neumann from Ashburton and purchased the Bandag Retread Factory in Christchurch, where they continue to retread tyres for the transport industry. They co-own eight

generosity, instinctive concern for the feelings and welfare of others, and ability to get others involved.

Jack married Myrtle Thomas on 27 September 1926. They had four daughters, Anne, April, Josephine (Jo), and Jillian. A keen sportsman, Jack represented Nelson at cricket, golf, rugby and bowls. He played international cricket for New Zealand in the early 1930s and was a member, selector and former president of the cricket council and founding member of the Cricket Foundation.

Jack was knighted in 1977 for services to the travel industry, commerce and the community.

Upon receiving his knighthood he was quoted: “This sort of thing is not achieved alone. I have had tremendous assistance from many people over the years in the things in which I have been involved. I have just headed these things, that’s all.”

Jack retired to Nelson in 1980, and died on 23 September 1996.

of the Tyre General Stores in the South Island. In 1999 Jim Purchased a Mag & Turbo franchise in Dunedin, which is managed by Arron.

As of 2020, Jim remains managing director of Mag & Turbo Dunedin Jim Black. and is active in the running of the business, still going into work every day.

New Zealand Trucking

Dec 2020 / Jan 2021 33

Warwick Wilshier Warwick Wilshier was born and brought up in Otorohanga by a family immersed in the timber industry. But Warwick was more interested in the delivery trucks.

This led him to a mechanical apprenticeship at Statecraft Waipa Mill and then to an opportunity to purchase an existing unit carting into the Waipa Mill – a highly sought-after contract in those days.

Warwick became an owneroperator in 1982, stepping into fleet ownership in 1984, and multiple fleet ownership from 1989, operating in both the North and South Islands. A partnership with Gary Williams led to a fleet delivering logs to Kinleith at Kawerau and McAlpines in Rotorua.

Cyclone Bola slowed work in the Bay of Plenty, so Warwick shifted to Canterbury to take on an opportunity with McCarthy and Wilshier Transport – MWT – as it was known. Paragon Haulage was next, putting self-

Warwick Wilshier accepts his award.

loader trucks into Kaingaroa with the experience gained in operating selfloaders in Canterbury. Then came Rural Haulage in Wyndham as forests came on stream.

Paragon sold out of Rural in 1998 and Warwick shifted home to Rotorua to help with the growth in Northland and the East Coast.

The opportunity to invest in Pacific Haulage arose, Warwick becoming director of finance.

Warwick has been the chairman of the Log Transport Safety Council for 20 years. He has spent hundreds of hours at his cost in Wellington and

throughout the country, fighting to improve the terrible reputation the log trucks had for accidents. He has made an outstanding contribution to transport safety including things like Static Roll Threshold, Share the Road, sleep apnoea testing, and Fit for the Road. He received recognition from the Institute of Road Transport Engineers of New Zealand (IRTENZ) with the presentation of the Outstanding Industry Achievement Award for service to log truck safety.

Warwick has the innate ability to focus on the point and achieve common ground with respect and integrity. He has a clear view of industry direction and is called upon daily for assistance from drivers, forest managers, fellow carriers, NZ Transport Agency, and the Road Transport Forum. The assistance saught is given freely and honestly in a warm and generous manner. Warwick has truly been a leader in his field.

Trevor Woolston Trevor Woolston was born into trucking, his extended family having a lifelong involvement in the New Zealand trucking scene. By 18 he was being paid to drive. However, as a young man Trevor went into the insurance industry and there met Sue, the woman who was to become his wife.

In 1975 Trevor started working for Mitchell Transport based in Ohaupo.

When the hay season finished he got a job with General Foods, delivering frozen foods to retail outlets. In 1977 Trevor purchased the family milk run.

In 1982 an opportunity arose to purchase a 1974 Mack R Model from Dibble Brothers in Te Awamutu.

Trevor, along with Barry Stamp, Alf Quaife, Derek Smith and Geoff Dibble, formed the co-op Dibble Independent Transport. At this time, Trevor was introduced to the Road Transport Association, becoming a member and serving on the regional committee.

Trevor enjoyed the Australian Truckin’ Life magazine but became frustrated by the lack of New Zealand content until Sue suggested he start his own magazine. In March 1985, the first issue of New Zealand Trucking hit the shelves.

In 1989, Trevor ran the first-ever national road transport exhibition at

industry was duly recognised.

Mystery Creek, with more than 23,000 visitors from across the country. The shows ran every two years, moving to Hopuhopu in North Waikato in 1999.

Also in 1989, Trevor started truck racing in New Zealand with the Caltex New Zealand Truck Grand Prix held at Pukekohe Raceway in April. More than 25,000 people jammed the venue, with thousands more watching on TV. Truck racing in New Zealand carried on under Trevor’s management until 1994.

In 1995, Independent Newspapers Ltd purchased New Zealand Trucking.

Trevor was made the manager of the industry-based magazines division but left within a year to focus on transport shows and truck racing. Over the next few years, he added a truck show at

Dec 2020 / Jan 2021 1220-05

34 New Zealand Trucking

Trevor Woolston’s contribution to the

Penrith, Australia, and a contracting expo at the Stevenson Drury Quarry.

In 1999, Tony Freidlander, CEO of the Road Transport Forum, asked Trevor to take over running its monthly newsletter.

Trevor pitched an idea of starting an official magazine of the RTF and New Zealand Truck & Driver was born. Trevor and Sue have run Allied Publications since then, including Equipment Guide, Truck Body & Trailer and New Zealand Logger magazines.

Trevor has always contributed to the RTF and the industry as a whole; his donations and sponsorships too many to list. In 2017, Trevor received the RTF’s Supreme Contribution Award to the Industry for his dedication over the years.

Trevor has four children: Elizabeth, Olivia, Todd, and Hayden. He played premier rugby until he was 40 and coached his sons’ rugby teams, also serving as president of the Ngaruawahia Rugby Club.

Trevor has a strong passion for fishing and has served as club president of the Bay of Islands Sports Fishing club, the oldest saltwater fishing club in New Zealand. He has also run the Southpac Trucker & Loggers Fishing competition out of their Paihia clubrooms for the past 15 years.

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COVER FEATURE

S EE THE V IDEO I N THE DIG I TA L E DI TON

S EE THE GA LLE RY I N THE DIGITA L E D I TO N

EASY ‘PEAS-Y’ Many argue there’s no need for trucks in the 700 and beyond horsepower bracket. But what if your transport mission is keeping the minute-critical heart of a primary sector giant beating with zero tolerance for compliance infringement? Maybe then the arguments for big horses start to ‘Talley’ up.

Story by Dave McCoid

W

Photos and video by Gavin Myers and Dave McCoid

ithout the input of a good conductor, all violins, trumpets, horns, timpani drums, oboes, saxophones, and tubas do is make noise. With a top-notch baton-waver however, you get a symphony instead.

Trucking’s most valuable jewel is also its most maligned and feared position. Like the head rig operator in a sawmill, the dispatch or operations office in a transport business is where all the variables meet, and where trucking’s symphony is conducted from.

It’s the place where deck space meets loads, meets driver skill and availability, meets customer expectation. You can employ as many walking overheads as you like with the fanciest of titles you can think up, but if operations is running with the left shoe on the right foot, you’ll go broke.

You would think overseeing an internal transport operation cell where you only deal with your own people and product would be a doddle compared with the trauma

of pleasing Joe Bloggs and Jane Doe in the outside world. You’d be wrong.

“If a fishing boat is 24 hours from Bluff then we have to get there to empty it,” says Hayden Reed, freight operations manager for Talley’s Limited. “If there are multiple loads of peas to be trucked ex Ashburton at the same time, and containers in Motueka, then that needs to happen too.”

It’s both exciting and daunting listening to Hayden and southern freight manager Brad Guilford chat about their orchestra and the logistics symphony they conduct in order to keep one of the country’s most respected food brands on point.

Playing by the rules We’ve been here before: a company whose core business is not transport, deploying trucks to ensure their day-to-day goals, dreams, and aspirations can’t be ankle-tapped by failed pick-up or delivery promises. But Talley’s takes things a step further inside

their transport cell. Their goal is one hundred percent compliance.

No questions, no discussion, no exceptions.

“There are stringent food product and health and safety rules and expectations right throughout our business, and the truck cabs are part of our workplace. If that’s the rules, that’s the rules. We play by the rules,” says Brad.

If we’re being brutally honest, high service expectation and on point compliance are not historically a perfect union in the world of road transport for reasons only the industry itself can answer. There’s no argument that one benefit an internal supply and distribution chain has is the ability to operate in a scoundrelfree world with no one sneaking in the back door decimating your realistic rate, dangling the cheap yet impossible alternative.

But make no mistake, this is a high-pressure operation. The customer is demanding. The fleet doesn’t just deal with the fruits of

New Zealand Trucking

Dec 2020 / Jan 2021 37

the company’s labour, it also delivers what’s required to make it all happen.

“People think if you open a Talley’s truck it’ll be full of veges, ice cream, or seafood,” said Brad. “But it might also look like a line haul freight truck. It might have pallets of packaging, factory equipment, gloves, groceries, washing machines, you name it!”

“Washing machines?”

“Yep. A vessel might be coming into Dunedin and one of the ship’s washing machines has failed. They tell the company provedores in Nelson, and we simply have to get it there. Then there’s trawler re-wires, 11-tonne spools of wire that tow the nets. We wind the new wire onto the boat’s drums, and the old off the boat directly

onto the truck. The list is endless.”

Yet for all this, the Talley’s freight cell in Christchurch is not full of people with nervous twitches wringing their hands, or scratching their arms until the skin is raw. It’s a calm and cheerful place, and driving cadet Jayden welcomed us as he took our forehead temperature to make sure we weren’t bringing you-knowwhat with us.

In trucking, the way it often happens, it’s the ‘noise’ that makes life hard, meaning all the stuff that gets in the way: things like overloads, speeding tickets, and minor logbook infringements. That all goes away here, and it helps create a known set of boundaries for what can and can’t be achieved.

“If you can keep two days

The big Scania heads into the rolling country of lower North Canterbury.

38 New Zealand Trucking

Dec 2020 / Jan 2021

ahead, that really is the key,” said Brad. “Big surprises tend not to work. We’re lucky we have a good team across the wider company management, and constant communication is key. If something looks like it’s not going to play out, we just keep talking until we have a solution. Yes, we do have a pool of trusted subbies we can call on if we have to, and the expectation here is they’ll play by our rules.”

But playing by the rules doesn’t mean you can’t extract the maximum from the terms of engagement. Aligned to that exact premise and parked just outside the office at the company’s Ivan Jamieson Place yard in Christchurch was the reason for our visit, a gleaming new S730 Scania 9-axle rigid and dog reefer unit. Now that’s a lot of truck!

‘Position, possession, and pace’ The words of Fred ‘the needle’ Allen, one of the great conductors of All Black on-field symphonies, but very apt when confronted with such a machine.

Vetting the article, Talley’s management might have squirmed momentarily at the word ‘pace’, but let’s be honest here, they’re a onehundred percent compliant firm, and you don’t buy 730 ‘horses’ if you’re not wanting to get 30 tonnes of time and temperature-sensitive product where it needs to be, when you want it to be there. If the speed limit up a big lazy climb is 90kph and you have truck that’ll climb it at 89.9kph rather than 54.8kph, that’s just fine, and nothing to be

embarrassed about in any way.

Possession, well, you need to entrust all those horses with someone trustworthy.

Ideally a bloke who’s well known to the company, the sort of guy who could put a million kilometres on a highend truck without mishap.

Finally, there’s position. Te Waipounamu is a beautiful place when it comes to extracting the most from ‘big-jiggers’. A long, thin land mass split down the guts by huge mountains, a highway system down each side, with a few big crossings. Many of the climbs you can either hoe into with a bit of pace on, or they’re just generally longer than their North Island counterparts. To use a slightly crass trucking vernacular from over the ditch, ‘you need to

be able to get up it mate’.

Although there are a small handful of set runs, Talley’s trucks can in all reality be found anywhere in either island; the dominant task for the new Scania – eventually – will be a daily Ashburton to Blenheim and return. It’s a 780km rounder, not currently achievable on account of the ongoing remedial work on the Kaikoura coast as well as a bit of infrastructural farting around in Christchurch. The Scania is a truck bought with the future in mind, no question.

“We haven’t been able to do Ashburton–Blenheim rounders consistently since the earthquake [2016],” said Hayden. “Ironically, sometimes over Christmas it’s possible because the roadworks are fewer. Prior to

the quake it was doable with an hour or more to spare, but now it’s four runs in five days with accommodation, rather than five in five days and the driver getting home every night. It’s cost a fortune in accommodation and overnighters. Hopefully that’ll change in the not too distant future.”

Wandering outside with Hayden and Brad we’re struck by the enormity of the S Series cab. It’s a big ole shed, standing significantly higher than the R Series we sampled in June this year. What the S’s higher lines instantly do is deal to the at times confronting look imposed by the NTG cab’s expanse of glass. The S Series proportions are beautiful, and everything falls easily on the eye.

We asked Hayden about

the choice of the S730, and Scania generally.

“The easy solution would have been an in-stock Argosy, backed under the old truck’s body. It would have been off, on, and we’re trucking within a month. But that would also have flown in the face of our desire to improve the safety of our drivers’ workplace.

We priced an R620 and the response was more favourable than we’d been expecting, so we asked about an S730. The number was still acceptable, and so we went that way instead. In the end it’s a big run and we want to use every tool available in the toolbox to make the job as safe, comfortable, and achievable for the drivers as we can.

“In terms of Scania, there’s the safety as mentioned, but

Brad Guilford, southern freight manager for Talley’s Ltd (left), and freight operations manager, Hayden Reed. The S730 fell within budget and provided the opportunity to make the driver’s day easier and safer, so they took it.

there’s also fleet consistency.

“Here in the Talley’s line haul business, it’s largely a one driver, one truck operation, but in our Open Country Dairy business for instance, it’s more dynamic. The cabs are all the same and moving from truck to truck is simple.

If we had to take a truck out of this operation and put it in one of the others, it wouldn’t be unfamiliar to the drivers.

In some of the other makes we have, identical units built close together have switches in different places. We don’t get that with the Scanias.

Having said that, every purchase involves a rigorous

40 New Zealand Trucking

process of vetting the application, price, and lead time. We’re in no way blind to any other brand by any means. It’s not a done deal before it starts, ever.

“We also like the Scania setup here in New Zealand now. You’re not dealing with an agent, it’s Scania, the people who built it, and the culture they’ve set up we think is fantastic. They’ve been great to deal with. Even though we don’t do ScanPlan, we’ve had no issues in terms of service.”

At that moment the S730’s driver, Owen Thornley, walks around the corner. A 12-year

Dec 2020 / Jan 2021

Talley’s veteran, he’s just come off his beloved DD15 powered Freightliner Argosy, having done all of its millionplus kilometres – go figure – that’s just the sort of driver we said would be ideal!

The big Scandinavian has taken Owen a bit of getting used to. That’s not really surprising, given it’s a bit of a Xena Warrior Princess versus Mary Poppins approach to things, meaning one’s an all-in hack your head off approach to the job, whereas the other’s a bit more brolly and sugar – albeit with a 16-litre V8 brolly and a shit-load of sugar!

Walking on sunshine A more glorious day for a run north from the garden city you could not have hoped for.

The journey up to Blenheim is a game of two halves: flat at the start, steadily climbing the further into North Canterbury you go, with the first half culminating in the climb up and over the Hundalees. From there you drop down onto the Kaikoura coast, before the leg inland and over the hills behind Clifford Bay, finally winding your way down the Welds Pass, and popping out in Blenheim.

We ascended the 5-step

Above: Thundering up a box cut north of Cheviot.

Right: Loading in Ashburton.

entry into the leatherette-clad seats and opulence of the S Series cab, and looking out through the windscreen at the people below, we were expecting to see a sign saying ‘If an oxygen mask drops down in front …’

Owen kicked ‘big rumbly’ in the guts, gave the Scania park brake valve the signature pull-and-flick, turned the Opticruise controller to D, pressured the throttle with a

deftness of touch, and just like that, Christchurch was a memory in the mirrors.

The ease with which this machine got its permitted 53,860kg rolling was absurd.

The uninitiated looking on from cars alongside the truck as it passed through the intersections in and around Memorial Arch could have been forgiven for thinking it was an empty. But nothing could have been further

from the truth. We had just under 29 tonne of frozen fries on board. Owen carts a variety of produce on this run, depending on the season obviously. Interestingly, Brad told us peas were one where loading has to be watched carefully as they can be heavy little buggers. Who knew? Holding a pea in your hand hardly conjures up the thought of a 9-axle reefer being in weight trouble.

Out on the Northern Motorway there was no chance of straining vocal chords chatting at 63dB in cab, and even rolling onto the chipseal, noise only crept to 65. Owen is based in Ashburton and that’s where he’d set out from that morning. He was aiming to get to Blenheim, unload and reload, and then hopefully make it back to Kaikoura.

“If the road works aren’t too busy, we might make Blenheim for our break, otherwise it’ll be Ward or Seddon or something,” he said.

What he’s referring to is driving in the world of the electronic logbook.

“No, it’s all good,” Owen says with a chuckle.

“Seriously. The world changes and that’s just how it is. Yep, you might think what a funny place to stop, I’m only 10 mins away and the storeman could unload while I have a cuppa, but that’s the old way, and this the new. When they put them in, they were going to leave me until last – old dog, new tricks I guess, and I tend to say what I think, but I said, ‘no, put mine in first’. When they asked why, I said ‘if this is how it is, that’s fine, and seeing me embrace them might help the cultural change. It was the same with the cameras [Seeing Machines]. Putting them in the older drivers’ trucks first smooths the transition’.”

Owen’s approach is beyond

New Zealand Trucking

Dec 2020 / Jan 2021 41

commendable for a man with his years in trucking; ours is a little less accepting … if we might have an editorial moment mid-test.

We fully support good, well-thought-out compliance, no question, but New Zealand’s driving hours laws have nothing to do with anything relating to fatigue. Absurdly, their roots lay in post-depression rail protection. In 2020, a law mandating when a person will and won’t be tired is ridiculous. When we did eventually bring the Scania to a halt 20 minutes from Blenheim, Owen had been laughing and chatting about his life, his kids, the truck, the scenery, all at a climate controlled 20-odd degrees.

In no way did he appear on the brink of a fatigue-induced collapse. Twenty minutes up the road he could have taken 45 minutes, even an

hour, to eat his sandwich and have a cup of tea while the truck was being unloaded.

But no, it sat 20 minutes from Blenheim, a supreme multimillion dollar example of bureaucratic paralysis stymying productivity.

Electronic logbooks and strict adherence to compliance? No issues, in fact eventually it may affect freight rates positively. The law such devices administer as it currently stands?

Absolute bollocks, and the industry’s big players and representation have to start bashing the table on this.

The first minor delay occurred at Glasnevin when the S730 was summoned in for a once-over. ‘Nothing to see here people, move along’.

Pushing north into the Greta Valley and beyond, the country begins to dip and rise, dropping into river catchments and climbing

It’s a big lump of grunt. The DC16 in 730 trim.

42 New Zealand Trucking

Dec 2020 / Jan 2021

over foothills, as mountains, sea, and road all start to vie for the same spot. It’s pure entertainment listening for the tonal change emanating from the 8-pot monster deep beneath the floorboards, the faint thump thump separating out, and then coming back together as the Scania crests the undulations.

“It’s such a different truck from the Argosy,” says Owen.

“I’m fine with it now, and every day I’m enjoying it more and more, and at 67,000 it’s starting to really go.”

Over the gain line There’s no arguing the DC16 in 730hp trim is a brute of an engine, outputting a whopping 545kW (730hp) at 1900rpm and 3500Nm (2581lb/ft) from 1000 to 1400rpm. At 54 tonne those peaks represent 10.1kW/tonne (13.5hp) and 64.8Nm/tonne (47.80lb/ft). It’s little wonder things happen

when the go pedal gets squeezed.

The 16.4-litre V8 thumper has Scania’s XPI (Extra High Pressure Injection) common rail fuelling system, four valves per cylinder, and sports Euro 6 emissions via EGR and SCR. Behind it is the company’s 14-speed GRS0925R Opticruise AMT with retarder.

At the front, twin Scania AM640S axles at 7100kg each sit fully air suspended, while out back a Scania AD400SAP hub reduction bogie with diff lock and rated at 19,000kg, resides on dual spring and 4-bag suspension.

“The front air suspension was a no-brainer,” says Brad. “It means we can get accurate and optimal load weights regardless of where that loading is happening, and the hub reduction diffs are more or less the same tare so longevity was the key driver

behind them.”

EBS/ABS disc brakes furnish the entire unit, as do Alcoa Dura-Bright alloy rims, and it rolls on 275/70 R22.5 rubber.

Of the big Euros we’ve sampled lately, namely the Northchill DAF and Iveco X-Way, the Scania’s 4-bag air suspended cab seemed the least reactive to the road surface. That’s possibly attributable to the South Island’s generally better roads, although having said that, the appalling surface of SH1 north of Kekerengu to the Lion’s Back south of Blenheim failed to get it overly agitated either. Coming from an Argosy, it’s certainly a lot softer than Owen’s been used to for the thick end of a decade, so we’ll avoid using ‘firmer’ when drawing comparisons with the other recent Euros.

Into the Greta Canyon and

the S730 bowled on over in 10th, dipping to 1100rpm and a hair over 50kph. Dropping off one of the crests and down steeply, the exhaust brake and 4100D retarder combo lit up the show with its customary and reassuring whine that makes it sound more like a locomotive than a truck. The retarder is active on all five stages, with an exhaust brake to add additional braking. The peak pull-up potential is 4100Nm (3024lb/ft).

“You pretty much don’t have to do anything in this,” says Owen. “Just set the speed and it all just happens.”

Speaking of which, the AMT? “No, I just leave it in ‘A’ pretty much all the time. It handles it all easy, it’s got that much power. It’ll drop back to around 1000 to 1100rpm and just pulls away.”

Yes, it has got ‘that much power’ indeed, and big power

in engines of this era should be there to carry speed so torque has a better base on which to start doing its thing. The 730 rolls into hills, and from the moment the front wheels hit a gradient, it’s gravity that has to really work hard in order to wash off speed. In say a 13-litre motor of 400-odd kilowatt at these weights, it’s the opposite. The power struggles to hold the ground speed into the climb, and by the time torque’s moment in the sun looms, momentum’s dropping so quick it’s like trying to catch an Olympic shot put dropped from an airliner.

Suffice to say, you might be strong as hell, but it’s going to smash your hands and squash your toes. As a result, the truck bogs down until the transmission can grab a low enough gear, and then the claw-back commences.

It’s why drivers in New

Zealand’s hilly terrain still like to intervene and manually find the gear that will keep revs up and stem the rate of speed loss, and it’s why OEMs have ‘Hilly Terrain’ AMT program maps, essentially doing the same thing. With this beast, however, big power takes the edge off the rate of speed loss. To use the analogy above, it’s more like us catching a medicine ball chucked off a balcony. The AMT has ample time to react to the rate of speed being lost, and the handoff between power and torque is not the hospital pass it is in smaller engines. Add to the recipe the enormous torque the big engine’s producing, and it’s a win all round for the truck in the war of physics and maintenance of progress.

To put it all into perspective, in terms of the DC16 730, at the point the two lines cross on the way down the

Descending Weld’s Pass.

Owen rolls into Blenheim.

NO BACKWARD

revs, the motor is churning out just north of 500kW (670hp). Even at 950rpm it’s producing 351kW (470hp). In Owen’s office, what that feels like is momentum, and in trucking, momentum is good! In Hayden and Brad’s office, it feels like productivity, and in management’s world, productivity is also good!

Rolling into the base of the Hundalees the Scania again bores into things and holds 11th gear at 1100rpm and 55kph before Owen has to adjust for cornering requirements. The further you get into these hills, the more tight and windy they get, and that’s when productivity becomes the realm of the driver. Remember in June, Pin and Bomb Te Huia shied away from a 730 Scania because the Coromandel is just too twisty and tight to get that extra benefit.

Like the Coromandel, the northern section of the Hundalees is a bit narrow and tight, and so Owen just lets the truck find its way up without leaving vast swathes of steer and drive rubber on the ground in his wake.

That’s experience and maturity right there,

just what’s needed to extract the most, from a lot.

Seeing is believing And believe us when we say you can see and awful lot from up here. Five steps up, with ample grab handles … in bright yellow.

You might think, like we did initially, why you would want someone driving your S730 up the track who needed bright yellow paint on the grab handles in order to see them? Like everything there’s a plausible, and can we say reassuring, reason.

“Health and safety consistency across the fleet is the driver here,” says Brad. “Also the yellow grab handles have a slip-free coating as opposed to the smooth, shiny finish on the standard black handles.”

The Scania NTG interior is a familiar hotel to us now; the obvious thing in the S is the entirely flat floor. It’s not as safe as houses, it’s safer! Whose house complies with ECE29 and has the airbags this thing does?

Fit, finish, trim, and materials are barsetting – durable, and high quality, to

Mike Anstis unloads Owen at the Talley’s Blenheim cold store.

44 New Zealand Trucking

Dec 2020 / Jan 2021

STEPS O

wen Thornley, like much of the product he carts, originates from the rich farmland of South and Central Canterbury.

Owen grew up on the family farm in Waimate’s rolling country, where his folks ran sheep, and also took on a bit of contract heading [wheat harvesting] in season to help pay the bills.

“I was eight when I first drove tractors on the farm,” he recalls. “But Dad had a couple of scares on the hill country driving the tractor so we bought a farm on the flat at Ashburton, again running sheep, contracting, and a bit of cropping. I was 12 at the time.

“One day I was in the paddock, I was about 13, and Dad asked if I wanted to unload the truck, a TK Bedford. That was the start really. I progressed from there, moving on to loading under a moving header. Dad used to say, ‘drive through the paddocks to the unload, don’t go on the road’. But as soon as I knew he wasn’t looking or doing something else, I was off up the road,” Owen said with a laugh.

“From there it was on to towing the 48-foot auger around the countryside, just progressing a bit each time.

Dad was one of those blokes who if he knew you could do it, he’d just tell you to do it, otherwise he wouldn’t ask at all.”

Owen wasn’t really hooked on trucks from those early experiences; his early working

Owen Thornley tells it how it is. Farming and trucks have formed the backdrop of his life’s adventures. life was all about farming and all that came with a varied life on the land. Trucks were one of those things that were always just there.

“Back in the day we’d harvest 1000 acres in a season with a 12-foot header, nowadays they’d use one three times that size. Mind you, it used to be hard wheat back then, now it’s soft and more prone to sprouting after an unwanted bout of rain, so speed is key.

“I went to Aussie in 1990 when I was about 28 and managed a 7000-acre farming operation split into three separate blocks. Again, the farm had trucks that used to run up to Perth to retrieve fertiliser, and anything required.”

With that experience under his belt, it was home again for another stint farming in the Ashburton area before heading to the United States to try his hand truck driving over there.

“It was something I wanted to do for a while, and there were companies hiring

Aussies and Kiwis through an agent in Nelson. I went to Cannon Express out of Springdale, Arkansas. They had 800 International Eagles and setting off on my first trip, it was 17 weeks before I returned home to the main depot. I’d only been there the once and had to call up and ask where it was!”

Owen did just under a year in the USA before coming home, returning to the farming and contracting game. But it wasn’t to be his only spell driving stateside.

“I probably would have stayed the first time, but I promised the kids I’d be home for Christmas. I went back five years later but didn’t stay as long. In all reality the novelty had worn off a bit, and it had changed; the money wasn’t as good because the exchange rate had strengthened. I was also put in a two-up team, which I hadn’t really planned on. It wasn’t uncommon to run from Missouri to San Francisco, a 2225-mile (3580km) trip. We’d load and

leave at 5pm on Saturday for a 3am Monday morning unload in San Fran. That was three fuel stops, that’s it.

The rest of the time we were running. I really enjoyed the experience overall; I saw 44 of the 48 states in total over both stints.”

Home in 1998 and it was back to the land. Owen went to work for Winslow Contracting in Ashburton, later Carrfields, where he stayed for 10 years before starting with Talley’s as a driver.

Fifty-eight-year-old Owen has been at Talley’s 12 years has driven the length and breadth of both islands, having just put a million trouble-free kilometres on a Freightliner Argosy prior to climbing into the Scania. “I’ve driven all over the States and in Western Australia, but before I worked at Talley’s I’d never driven a truck in the North Island, or Auckland.”

He has two sons, Blake and Todd, and it’s unlikely we’ll ever see them take the wheel.

“Blake followed his uncle’s

footsteps and is now an internationally renowned chef and restaurateur based in Asia, and Todd’s a head rugby coach at Central Washington University.”

Listening to Owen talk about his boys was fascinating; there were times when he wouldn’t let them settle for something they were capable of exceeding. What a great life lesson to take on as we travelled along.

“I’m bloody proud of them both. They’ve done really well.

We invested a lot into them, and it’s now paying off for them.”

Owen Thornley is in many ways the definitive South Islander. A straight-shooter, who tells you what you need to hear with few frills, or words that don’t need to be there.

His life experience is vast, his recollections many, his advice well worth a listen. There are no agendas, and as such, he’s great company and an easy guy to spend a glorious couple of days with in a beast of a truck.

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Still one of our favourite Euros. use our old Scania, Volvo, Mercedes-Benz chestnut: serviceable luxury. Oh, and yes, there’s colour, with some snazzy red flashes amongst the fawn and black. Well done you people in the Griffin’s nest!

The driving position is superb; millimetres are everything in ergonomics and a few tweaks in the NTG brought the driver closer to windscreen and door, making fabulous, superb. Visibility to the front is fantastic, with left and right clearance as good as you’d get in a mirrored cabover. While we’re talking mirrors, they’re great, but Traton’s answer to mirrorless must be looming you’d think.

Home away from home.

Almost a modern-day essential.

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Eyes on the dash, there’s a two-gauge binnacle with fuel and DEF as bar gauges lower down on the dials, and a central truck, trip, and driver diagnostics screen between them. The big wrap is a lot more integrated than others in the genre, with all the usual climate, brake levers, switches, traction controls, and infotainment.

Left column wand is wipers, indicators, and dip, and the right transmission, retarder, and brake blending controls.

The smart wheel left spoke sorts out the ‘sounds’ and the phone; right is vehicle data, and the tumblers lower down are adaptive cruise and descending.

The air suspension controls are down on the bottom right of the dash and on a remote on the floor by the driver’s seat. Of course there’s the driver’s door sill which in itself looks like it has more buttons and switches than Houston Control at the time of the moon landings, even housing the headlight controller.

The Talley’s machine has the Normal CS20N cab rather than the Highline version, although ‘normal’ in Scania’s world is not the same as many others’. Obviously the flat floor in the S Series helps afford a clear 1960mm headroom, ample for most to stand up in, but that aside, you still get substantial front

Big power needs to be finessed in the tight stuff.

and overhead locker space and a higher than … well, ‘normal’ roof line.

The lovely big central console has oodles of storage and flat bits for clutter, with more storage lockers up behind the bunk, in the side pelmet, on the right-hand sleeper wall, under the passenger seat, as well as the must-have fridge, and pullout stow bin under the bunk.

Owen also has a TV for R&R. Externally there’s a quad locker setup. Even in this ‘normal’ guise it’s a motorhome, people.

Daily checks are all under the front, and yes there’s still a dip-stick.

What we love? As we’ve

said before, the uber mod Scania interior still feels like a truckies’ truck. Gripes? Geez, there’s a lot of switches on that driver’s door sill. One bash and you’re potentially cast, especially with headlight controls there.

Two for one Steering and braking in the big Scanias is, as we know, superb, and as you’d expect in a pinnacle Euro it’s dripping with safety tech. Adaptive Cruise, Advanced Emergency Brake, Eco-roll, and Hillhold, they’re all there. Lane Departure is available as an option.

Rolling on up the Kaikoura coast big ‘Griff’ certainly

helps calm any stress and tension the endless roadworks would have induced in a lesser machine.

Its ability to roll along in the flow of traffic, holding its place easily from standing starts, and the Opticruise’s almost undetectable razorsharp shifts, meant life in the cab was all about the state of the ocean and affairs of the world in general. Imagine an old R Model Mack at 48 tonne (c’mon, we know how it was), trying to get up the coast with 10 or more stop/go sites. If you weren’t of the era and can’t imagine what it was like, let us help … sweaty, tired, hot, noisy, and angry.

The swing inland at the

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Waima Ure River brings an end to the seaside amble, and has the big Swede again on song.

Constantly servicing multiple locations from all directions, the teams at Talley’s transport cells keep empty running to as little as humanly possible. On the Blenheim run Owen is nearly always loaded the whole time. Taking load factor into consideration as well as gross weight, even the tare at around 25 tonne, and of course the big bopper up front between the rails, you might be forgiven for thinking fuel use could be the minus you pay for all the pluses.

Well, maybe not. All variables Trucking at its most idyllic on the Kaikoura coast.

Talley’s Ltd. Another 100% Kiwi success story.

NOTHING MORE

NOBLE If you call yourself a Kiwi and the name Talley’s results in a blank look on the old dial, then some might argue you ain’t a real Kiwi at all.

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T

he name Talley’s is as Kiwi as Red Band gumboots, Split Enz, and ‘Fush and Chups’.

Actually, they are Fush and Chups – literally – and ‘tatties’, and peas, carrots, endless other veges, meat, dairy … they’re pretty much a homegrown pantry!

The modest seafood company founded by Ivan Peter Talijancich in 1936 is today a multi-division, multinational Kiwi success story. It produces for the home market under its own brand names, supplies commercial customers, and exports to 70 countries around the world.

There’s red meat and dairy representation in the portfolio also, with Talley’s owning AFFCO, and holding the majority share in Open Country Dairy.

The numbers generated by the Talley’s brand alone boggle the mind. The fishing fleet incudes more than a hundred inshore independent boats, and seven deepsea factory ships which combined fish more than 70 species of fish, and the Motueka operation processes more than 70 tonnes of Greenshell mussels every day.

On the land over 40,000 tonnes of vegetables are

considered, this T-Rex appears to be signed up at Weight Watchers, running a life to date average of 1.84kpl.

Again Euro 6 appears to raise the bar on fuel consumption expectation in whichever category it pops up in. For us, that’s a better than honest figure for this machine.

As hinted at previously, for all our good intentions and attempts, we ran out of clock at Seddon of all places, so it’s there we stopped for a cuppa.

The first thought in the mind of any truck buff seeing the Talley’s Group S730 Scania 9-axle rigid and dog combination for the first time is probably cost. There’s the ‘S’ on the front grille, a 730

badge next to that, sleeper cab, an 8x4 configuration, and refrigerated bodies. It’s as close to the top of the tree in terms of capital spent on a truck and trailer as makes no odds, and even if you had seven figures saved up, don’t expect a lot of change.

Although you could buy a fleet of them for the worth of one deep-sea factory ship, it’s still a huge outlay in trucking parlance, and transport operations at Talley’s must contribute, not just cost.

While the Scania got a new body, the trailer’s the one off the Argosy, but she’s had a good old tidy up. Basic spec on the bodies is 30mm foam composite floor with

aluminium planks and fork hoist rated. One feature of the new composite floors is no screws, so leakage with age, racking, and wear, is hopefully eliminated.

“After a million kilometres the trailer floor was a bit tired and leaked when carting fresh fish or mussels,” said Brad.

“We re-floored it to match the truck’s technology. Both units have two shoring bar rails, and temperature dividers.

“The body on the truck is on a subframe built to be almost flush with the rails. It ended up being higher than it was meant to be, so there was a bit of work to be done there. We absolutely have to get through the Lyttelton

Tunnel at 4.27m, and we’ve ended up at 4.255, five millimetres higher than we aimed for, but it’s a pass nonetheless.

“The trailer runs on BPW disc brake axles and suspension and aside from the floor it’s had a new door frame, guards, Dura-Bright rims, the works.

“We run Carrier fridges.

They’re a great product and Transcold’s backup service is great. If it’s hiccupping and we call, they come; it’s fixed.

When the load’s worth as much or more than the truck, the fridges must go. We also use Euroscan so we can see what’s going on.

“In terms of life, we’ll start

grown and harvested each year, and that’s not including 80,000 tonnes of potatoes.

And don’t forget after dinner.

There are millions of litres of ice cream produced each year to get through.

But as great as those stats are, they’re not the real gems. The three that count most are the sustainable fishing practices, the 100% homegrown and GE-free produce, and then leaving the best until last, jobs. From a one-man start-up, Talley’s Limited today employs over 2000 people across the wider operation. All in a company that’s still 100% New Zealand owned and operated.

“It’s a great place and brand to work for,” says Hayden Reed, freight operations manager for Talley’s Limited.

“In the Talley’s branded truck fleet we have about 50 units of varying makes, currently tending toward Scania in line haul, and Isuzu in paddock and short haul work.”

In keeping with a company whose very ethos is built on reaping what you sow, Talley’s also contributes positively to road transport industry driver development and the driver pool, able to start cadets from car licence and progress them to class 5.

“They’ll often come from the factories too, looking at the trucks, liking what they see and wanting to get involved,” said Hayden. “We have around seven or eight class 4 and 5 drivers who started off on car or class 2 licences. Obviously, we can’t place all the drivers we get to class 5 as we don’t have a great staff turnover. Recently we had an employee who wanted to progress on and we were happy to help place them with a company we felt had similar values.

We’ll always be here when positions come up.

“Likewise, you have to be flexible nowadays. Older

drivers looking to cut down on hours can job share on a truck. That way they stay active, and we retain their IP and wisdom. Then we have examples like Toni Tawhara in our northern division. She was runnerup in last year’s RTF Young Driver of the Year. This year she decided she wanted to study, but continued to work for us part-time while she did it. She is now back driving full-time for us and the possibilities for her within Talley’s, as they are for any of our drivers, are just about endless. You have to look for win-win situations.”

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S P E C I F I C AT I O N S

Scania S730 Highline 8x4 rigid Tare: 10,250kg (cab and chassis fuelled) 14,380kg (load cert) GVM: 33,200kg GCM: 100,000kg Wheelbase: 5825mm Engine: Scania DC16 108 L01 V8 Capacity: 16 litre Power: 545kW (730hp) at 1900rpm Torque: 3500Nm 2581(lb/ft) at 1000 to 1400rpm Emissions: Euro 6 (EGR/SCR) Transmission: Scania Opticruise GRSO925R – Eco-roll Clutch: Scania K432 26 Front axle: Scania AM640S Front axle rating: 7100kg each

Summary The break over, we were off.

The Lion’s Back just north of Grassmere was the last big obstacle, but the 730 romped up the gnarliest bit in 8th at 1550rpm and saw 40kph for a just a mo.

And before you knew it, there we were, at the foot of Weld’s Pass in wine country.

We unloaded the full load of fries at the company’s cool stores in Riverlands before Owen headed to another Talley’s factory in Renwick for his reload. There seemed to be no end to the pallets coming out one by one, yet for the past five and bit hours they’d made little impression on this machine’s ability to make a mile. Owen looked nothing like our fictitious R Model driver would have after such a run on a hot spring

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day. Owen looked like he’d just turned up to work from a week off.

At the end of the day, that’s what work should be like, especially a job driving class 5 licence combinations.

Directing a 23m long, 2.55m wide, 54 tonne machine up a windy carriageway barely wider than itself at up to 90-odd kph for 380km is no mean feat, and anyone doing it should look like Owen did at the end of this run.

Is there really a need for trucks in the 700 and above horsepower bracket?

Absolutely there is. In the right application and in the hands of the Owen Thornleys of the world, trucks like this and productivity go together like peas and carrots, and it’s productivity that keeps those conducting the transport’s symphony smiling.

If what the S730 Scania dished up is anything to go by, we’ll wager trucks in the rarefied air of uber high power will only increase in prevalence. And hey, we all know even the DC16 730 has just put down the first fiddle, and picked up the second.

Have a big power Merry Christmas.

Dec 2020 / Jan 2021

Front suspension: Scania Air Rear axle: Scania AD400SAP Rear axle rating: 19,000kg Rear suspension: Dual-spring and air (4-bag) Brakes: ABS/EBS Auxiliary braking: Scania TMS R4100D 5-stage Additional safety: ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control), AEB (Advanced Emergency Braking), Hill Hold Fuel: 500 litres DEF tank: 80 litres Wheels: Alcoa Dura-Bright Tyres: 275/70 R22.5 Electrical: 24V Cab exterior:

S Cab – Normal, Steel ECE29 compliant, stone guard, air management, LED lights – roof, grille, bumper. Heated electric mirrors with wide spotter, keyless entry.

Cab interior: Premium fully adjustable leatherette driver’s seat – V8 black/ red stitch (both). Climate control, infotainment, Bluetooth, fridge, TV, 800mm lower bunk.

Acknowledgements A couple of days on the Kaikoura coast in a truck. Isn’t life great! A huge thanks to Hayden, Brad, and the Talley’s team for allowing us to review their new Scania. Their cooperation and willingness to make the truck available was unbelievable. Thanks also to Owen Thornley. Drivers put up with a lot when we’re around. Superb mate. The wee gems on life were spot-on! Also Simon Leary at Scania New Zealand. It’s never a problem for Simon, but it’s appreciated nonetheless.

1220-23

the replacement process when the truck’s done about 900,000km. We need director’s approval, then ordering, lead time, and build slots, so by the time the new one turns up, the existing truck should be about the one to 1.1 million kilometres. Just right. That’s basically how we work it. Moving them on before reliability issues start to appear is important.”

1220-23

As a real Christmas treat we have a first-hand driver account of life at one of New Zealand’s famous transport companies in the halcyon days of 1970s/early 1980s trucking. Sit back with your favourite beverage, you won’t want to miss this!

PROGRESS

POWER

PRIDE

Progress, Power, Pride read the headline in the Tauranga publication of the mid 1960s. Reading on it also mentions efficiency, reliability, and cleanliness. It was advertising the business of one Ian Marshall Rorison. This is the story I know of this entrepreneur and leader; a transport operator for whom service was king.

Story by Ron McLean

Photos as credited

Setting the scene Ian Rorison was a mentor, and his philosophies the greatest influence on my transport and fertiliser business life.

In my opinion he was head and shoulders above his competition during his time in the transport and agricultural mining industries.

Ian was raised in Taumarunui and moved to Tokoroa where he and wife Nora started his transport business I M Rorison Ltd in 1950, carting timber with a 1946 Chevrolet tractor unit towing a single-axle semi.

In 1957 Ian and his family left Tokoroa and headed for Tauranga, where he set up I M Rorison Ltd, Bulk Haulage Specialists. Shortly after arriving in Tauranga Ian changed the name again to Rorison Mainline Limited. Over time he built the business steadily, amassing a fleet of Commer TS3 truck and trailers.

In the mid 60s Ian took over ownership of a lime and serpentine quarry in Aria,

A classic Rorison look in the early to mid-80s. A W Model Kenworth 6x4 and 4-axle trailer with big power. The Enterprise sported a KT450 Cummins. Photo: Ed Mansell

nine kilometres inland from Pio Pio in the King Country.

The high-quality calcium carbonate (lime) at the Aria mine was unique in that it was positioned on top of the serpentine deposit. Serpentine is a magnesium source used in the manufacture of serpentine superphosphate.

This operation would prove pivotal in Ian’s master plan for his business.

The move to Tauranga had coincided with the Bay of Plenty Co-Operative Fertiliser Company Ltd’s works being commissioned in Mount Maunganui. Being a close friend and associate of Lloyd Saunders, owner of Midland Bulk Services Taupo, Ian’s trucks hauled fertiliser from Mount Maunganui to Midland’s bulk facilities in Tirau, Lichfield, and Tokoroa. This provided forward loading and meant his trucks could relocate to Aria, either for back loads home, or to cart Rorison Aglime to the Taranaki, King Country, Waikato, and the Bay of Plenty regions.

For a period of time serpentine was hauled to Lichfield in rock form and milled into ‘fines’ before being taken to the fertiliser works at Mount Maunganui. This was done purely to overcome the licensing regulations protecting rail at the time, and I shall explain more about this further on.

During the busy autumn and spring seasons up to 16 loads of superphosphate were carted per day from the Bay of Plenty, over the Kaimai ranges, into the Midland bulk stores.

The development of farmland in the South Waikato and western Taupo saw stiff competition emerge between Bay of Plenty Co-Operative Fertiliser Company Ltd in Mount Maunganui and Morrinsville-based Kiwi Fertiliser Ltd. Ian won work stocking the new Bay of Plenty Co-Op store in Te Poi on the

Rorison Fiat 697N on the old Waipunga section of the Napier-Taupo Road Photo: Mike Beesley

Waikato side of the ranges.

It was not uncommon to see 15 Commers lined up in the early morning at the Mount Maunganui works, awaiting their first despatch dockets for loads out.

There was plenty more happening also. Innovation was always a key to Ian’s success. Rorison Mainline Limited had three Commer TS3 4x2 tractors and singleaxle bottom-dump semi units hauling aggregate to the Tongariro Power Scheme based at Otukou, southwest of Turangi. The trucks were contracted to Fletcher Construction Ltd and at the contract’s end, two were repowered with V8 Perkins engines and set up as A-trains, towing Domett singleaxle semis and 2-axle pup trailers, able to cart 24 tonne on class 1 roads. The third was reconfigured to a bulk tipping truck and trailer.

Following on from the contract with Fletchers, Ian was offered the opportunity to tender for woodchip cartage from the newly commissioned Fletcher sawmill in Taupo to the New Zealand Forest Products Kinleith pulp and paper mill near Tokoroa.

The tender was won and two TS3 Commer truck and 2-axle trailer units were commissioned. The trucks’

The advertisement that demonstrated the Rorison ethos in six clear bullet points.

Photo: Ian Kesner configuration was 6x2 with lazy axles, but fitted with a Gates Tandematic belt drive between the rear dual tyres. As production at the mill ramped up, they were joined by two Mercedes-Benz 1418 bulk tipping units in 5-axle A-train configuration. Based out of the company’s Miro Street depot in Taupo, the chip trucks shifted 280 to 300 tonnes of woodchip per day.

Always wanting to be a step ahead of his competition, Ian chased horsepower and efficiency constantly. He was one of the first to repower

TS3 Commers with V8 Perkins engines, commissioning three in total. Other reconfigurations included building up a Hino 6x4 and 3-axle trailer capable of a 25 tonne payload. Sadly, the Hino was a dismal failure and was replaced early on with a 171kW (230hp) 6x4 Mercedes-Benz 2623, which was joined shortly after by a second unit.

In 1970 Ian became the first New Zealand owner of a 224kW (300hp) Fiat 697N 6x4, and soon after he became the official New Zealand distributor for the marque.

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Fertiliser spreading entered the portfolio next, purchasing Pongakawa Bulk Spreaders and its fleet of five ground spreaders. The new entity was called Rorison Bulk Distributors and provided another outlet for Rorison Aglime.

Ian was also part of a consortium of local Bay of Plenty businesses that established Bay Park Raceway motor racing circuit in Mount Maunganui. Others in the group included Bitumen Distributors Ltd, Graham Pearce of Pearce Motors, Whiteside’s Transport in Te Puke, and Cecil Wright of Poplar Lane Quarry. Rorison Racing regularly raced a Chev Camaro at the track and other circuits, his car being driven

by Dennis Marwood.

First impressions count On my first visit to Tauranga in 1970 I drove past Rorison Mainline Limited’s depot with the large fleet of TS3 Commer tippers lined up. I immediately thought ‘that’s who I would like to work for’, and returned home to Whangarei, resigned from my employment as a milk tanker driver, and headed back to Tauranga.

Rorisons had just moved into its new depot on Hewletts Road in Mount Maunganui. I walked in off the street cold and asked for a job. Much to

Commer TS3 truck and trailer with Tandematic belt drive.

Photo: Ian Kesner

my surprise, I was taken on and duly started with them on fleet number 14, a TS3 Commer 4x2 with a 2-axle Domett underbody hoist tipping trailer. So began my career in bulk tipping work.

There was no such thing as an induction or working with someone else; it was straight in the deep end. My first experience was being sent to the Metal Haulage Ltd quarry at the end of Wharawhara Road, Katikati in the western Bay of Plenty. On arrival, boss Ian Penwarden noticed I was a new driver. He approached me and said, “You a new boy on the job?”

“Yes“ “Well then, we have one rule in this quarry, see that shovel on your truck? You get up on

every load and water level it out. If you don’t, I will kick your bloody arse!”

Ian was a big man and meant every word he said. I duly complied with his request and so began my personal quest for doing any job to the best of my ability.

My first ever trip in a TS3 Commer loaded over the Kaimai Ranges was not uneventful either. Loaded with 16 tonne of superphosphate for the Te Poi bulk store, I was one-third the way down the Waikato side when the right front brake cylinder gave in and the brake pedal went straight to the floor. Luckily I was in low gear high-split, and I still had trailer brakes.

I pulled the truck handbrake on full and managed to get

down and pull into the store to unload. With no means of communication, I unloaded and drove back to the Mount depot using the trailer brake hand control. I was praised for getting the truck back without calling for a mechanic or a tow. The experience taught me to respect hill work and always keep the brakes cold for emergency stopping.

The farming recession in 1971 hit Rorison’s business hard and Rorison Mainline Limited was taken over by the New Zealand Lumber Company (NZL). A number of staff were let go on a first-on first-off basis, me included. Ian retained ownership of the Aria mine in the name of Rorison Mineral Developments Limited (RMD).

The tide turns

Mercedes-Benz 1418 chip liner. Photo: Ian Kesner

NZL was one of the companies contracted to haul the serpentine until the family earned enough to purchase number 86, ‘The Power Game’. A 4x2 K Model Kenworth tractor, the truck ran a 250kW (335hp) Cummins, 13-speed Roadranger transmission, and a Rockwell diff. It was fitted with an alloy bodied 2-axle semi and 2-axle pup Mills-Tui A-train.

Single drive was a popular choice at the time for hauling on class 2 roads.

The rig carted a 26 tonne

A Commer TS3 truck and trailer that could well be the unit Ron got when he first arrived.

Photo: Ian Kesner

Commer TS3 working on the Fletcher’s Tongariro project. Photo: Ian Kesner

race car The late Ian Rorison (centre) chats with consortium that drivers at Bay Park. Ian was part of the Kesner developed the original venue. Photo: Ian

legal payload at 39 tonne GCM plus tolerances, and in those days we pushed the tolerances. Ian carried on the number sequence from the Rorison Mainline Limited days, numbering the tractor 86, the semi 87, and pup 88. Tony Condor, and Ian’s eldest son Gary drove 86, with younger son Marshall filling in on double shift, hauling serpentine to a Cambridge bulk store where NZL took the product to the Bay of Plenty Co-Operative Fertiliser Company Ltd at the Mount.

In terms of distribution elsewhere C Bridgeman Ltd in Taupo and later Nationwide Transport carted the serpentine to the East Coast Fertiliser Company at Awatoto near Napier; Mokauiti Transport carted it to New Zealand Farmers Fertiliser’s works in New Plymouth, and Kohe Russling carted it to the Te Kuiti railhead for transport to Kempthorne Prosser’s works in Aramoho, Wanganui.

Not long after the arrival of the K Model, another single drive Kenworth, this time a

W Model, arrived. Again in A-train configuration, number 89, ‘The Cool One’ had air conditioning, hence the name.

The truck was driven by Melvin Carruthers, an early Rorison employee who’d gone to NZL at the time of the takeover. Mel jumped at the opportunity to come back and went on to be a long-term employee.

By 1976 a third unit had arrived, another single drive conventional Kenworth W Model. Number 94 was built from a glider kit in the company’s Maranui Street depot at Mount Maunganui by mechanic Graeme Goodall.

Again, with 250kW (335hp) Cummins power, it had a Spicer Spoiler transmission and was duly named ‘The Spoiler’.

I had driven a log truck in Taupo after the layoff, and although it was good work, I didn’t enjoy the repetitive nature of logs. Returning to Tauranga, I drove for Tauranga Metal Supplies, the quarry division of Seton Contracting.

Ian contacted me with the offer to drive number 94;

suffice to say, I didn’t need much convincing.

The fleet continued to build as the business was rebuilt.

Number 97, ‘The Stirrer’, was the last single drive Kenworth A-train and the first 261kW (350hp) truck in the fleet.

It was fitted with Modern Transport Engineers steelbinned tippers, which proved unsuccessful.

A famous anecdote in the company’s history was Ian asking driver Mel Carruthers: “With that extra fifteen horsepower, will you be able to get another load in?” His tongue firmly in cheek ... maybe!

As an interesting aside, Mel took ‘The Stirrer’ in for its first CoF at six months old with 113,000km on the clock. The testing officer noted the kilometres the truck had done and asked Mel if it was double-shifted.

“Yes,” replied Mel. “You’re looking at both drivers!”

When the road user charges regime was introduced in 1977, the 4x2 tractor units were instantly discriminated

against in favour of 6x4 and 8x4 configurations.

Number 101, ‘The Clipper’, was next to arrive and was the first 6x4 in the fleet. It was fitted with a Cummins KT 450, the first in the country, and was also our first Transport and General Transport Trailers (T&GTT) alloy bodied bathtub unit. It towed a 3-axle trailer with a 6-foot spaced rear axle set.

In January 1978 Cliff Guy joined as an owner-driver with his immaculate 6x4 Kenworth tractor unit and 3-axle tipover-axle semi-trailer. Cliff was based in Taupo hauling serpentine on the Aria to Awatoto run. Cliff was a real character and he drove like there was no tomorrow.

Following an accident in the ice on the Napier-Taupo Road that earned Cliff his famous ‘Snowman’ nickname, his trailer was sold to PGF Transport Benneydale and replaced with a T&GTT bathtub tipper and 3-axle bathtub trailer, again with the 6-foot rear axle set spacing.

Painted in RMD colours, it was renamed ‘A Fistful of Dollars’.

Ghost trucks 1978 also marked a change in RUC rules, and Norris Mackie of Waipukurau was quick to catch on that 4-axle trailers were much cheaper to operate. We were having a few Friday night drinks when I mentioned to Ian about these 4-axle trailers and I indicated to him that if we had a tipping bathtub 4-axle trailer we could lose about seven tonne of weight on the wind-up pit scales! “One and a half tonne on the drive, and another two and a half on the two close axle sets on the trailer.” Ian pointed skyward and said, “I will have one of those!”

The next Monday Ian called Ian Stevenson from T&GTT and asked for a quote on a 4-axle tipping trailer. The reply was “We don’t make 4-axle trailers Ian, we only manufacture 3-axle trailers.”

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‘The Power Game’ was the first Kenworth into the fleet and marked the start of the road fleet rebuild. Driven new by Tony Condor and Gary Rorison, with Gary’s brother Marshall filling in on night shift.

Photo: Mike Beesley

“Well then, I will find someone who will!”

The next morning Ian Stevenson phoned back and said, “Well okay, we will build a 4-axle trailer, but there will be no warranty.” Ian Rorison just said, “When can you start?”

A few months later fleet number 103, ‘The Hustler’, a 261kW (350hp) K Model Kenworth with a T&GTT body and 4-axle trailer arrived. The first 4-axle bulk tipping trailer on the road in New Zealand, it set the fleet’s new standard configuration. Driven by Peter May from new, I took the wheel at 54,000km.

What we had also presumed turned out to be correct. By losing the seven tonnes on wind-up scales we could cart a 30 tonne payload on a class 2 road with a $30 fine for being over on the front axle.

The constabulary knew we were overloaded but couldn’t figure how we got away with it, unlike today. As the fleet grew, having four units like this meant you were essentially operating a ghost truck on the PNL.

Best foot forward Next was number 105, ‘Eager Beaver’, a secondhand unit

‘The Huslter’ was a game changing truck for the business. The first-ever 6x4 and 4-axle T&GTT bath tub units it was the first of the new standard configuration and first of the ‘Ghost trucks’. Photo: Mike Beesley

56 New Zealand Trucking

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purchased from Frankham Freight in Auckland. It was a truck that helped signal the change from crossply tyres to radials, and it sported a set of tubeless rims. On seeing them Ian said, “I’ll get those off!” “No, no, please just leave them on,” was the chorus from the rest of us.

Carting 40 tonnes long distances in 335hp trucks meant the traditional 10-stud split rim wheels and Dunlop crossply tyre setup simply couldn’t cope any longer, but it would be fair to say Ian took some budging in terms of a change.

It was nothing to get three punctures a day, with Mel Carruthers once recording 20 flat tyres in a five-day week.

When the tyres flattened and the rim threw a ring, we often heard them ‘tingle’ off to the side of the road. It was sheer luck no one ever got hurt or one never went through a windscreen. Ian used to purchase split rims from Ray Vincent’s by the gross.

We carried three spare tyres, a good jack, and a rattle gun that we plugged into the trailer coupling. The first driver back to the depot at night got the pick of the best tyres to replace the flats in his rack.

Aside from ‘Eager Beaver’s’ arrival, there was another stake in the ground moment that signalled the end of the inferior tyres. When Gary Rorison got ‘The Clipper’ new it came with a transition Firestone radial/crossply tyre set which proved useless. The truck was barely three weeks old when Gary was returning from the Hawke’s Bay with a load of barley for Harvey Farms Mount Maunganui.

The left front tyre blew out near the 60/8 weighbridge on State Highway 5 east of Taupo. Gary pulled up without incident, changed the tyre, then continued on his journey.

Later in the same trip coming off Hickeys Flat at the bottom of the Waimangu hill near Waiotapu, the right-hand front tyre blew. Gary was lucky no one else was coming as the unit went right across the centreline and ended up off the right side of the road precariously close to the edge of a river. By this time his nerves were shot. He called his father on the R/T. “I’ve just blown the righthand front tyre. You better get a tyre company out here and you better order me two Michelins for the front of this thing, I nearly ended up in the creek.”

Ian replied in a flash, “You’ll be getting two new Dunlops, and tomorrow take your togs.”

There was no reply from Gary, and the local tyre company duly came out from Rotorua and fitted a new front tyre that got him back to the depot. Gary pulled up, took out his lunchbox, overalls, tools and personal gear, and told his father, “I’ve had enough, get yourself someone else to drive this thing, I quit.”

At 11pm that night Ian called Gary at home and told him that 101 had two new Michelins on the front, to have a sleep, bring a cut lunch and overalls, and leave the depot at 5am. Gary duly turned up and carried on, but this was the turning point we were looking for. Previously, on the single drive tractor units the crossply tyres on the front and drive axle would barely last a month; 14,000km if we were lucky. Once we turned to Michelins and Bandag retread tyres we went to 50,000km, without the constant flats.

Shortly after the arrival of ‘Eager Beaver’ and the ‘Hustler’, the two remaining 3-axle wide-spaced trailers were converted to four 4-axle units.

Next came two more KT 450-powered Kenworths, number 107, ‘The Enterprise’, and 109, ‘The Endeavour’.

Both 6x4 and 4-axle bathtub units, this gave us a fleet of nine bulk units by 1981.

RMD’s modus operandi at the time was supply and delivery; if clients requested our high quality Aglime, we delivered it, no doubt about it. The rebuilt company had earned a reputation for exemplary service, reliability, and a high standard of presentation. It had earned the admiration of many others in the industry and the ire of those with whom it competed.

Character-building It was hard work and long hours. Truck cabs at least had to be washed every night regardless of knock-off time.

The options were to work the hours the job demanded or be

Probably the most famous RMD photo taken was this one by David Lowe that appeared the Cavalcade of Trucks No3 ‘Focus on the Mount’. One picture of No97 thundering through the Waikato countryside tells the whole RMD story beautifully. Photo: David Lowe

told, ‘Put the keys on the table and let someone else in who can handle it’. It was nothing to cover a 1000km a day, and work 90 to 100 hours a week.

Coming off an airstrip one night near Te Puke following an arduous tow-in and unload situation for three of us, we were heading home to the Mount, due in about 1am. A call was made to Ian on the RT to let him know where we were. The reply came, “Yep all good. Have a sleep in and kick off at five.” (He meant am.)

Another, regular mission was loading ex Aria about 2pm and being told to head for home and call at Kihikihi.

Being the salesman he was, Ian would then attempt to find a home for the product. A call at Kihikihi might result in being told to keep coming, and call again at Karapiro.

Sometimes you prayed he’d not found your load a home and you’d be told to bring it to the Mount. But more likely was a call along the lines of, “Yep, head to Midlands Tirau and tip off there”. On arrival at Tirau you’d be met with utter surprise and Moss Shultz the depot manager saying, “Bloody hell, I only confirmed this order 20 minutes ago! That’s service.”

Then you’d call clear at Tirau, by now about 4.30pm,

Taken the year before Ian’s passing, the fleet totalled nine magnificent units.

Photo: Ross Brown knowing full well what was next.

“Yep, good on you. Just head back to Aria, load up and call again at Kihikihi.”

Thank goodness logbooks prevent this sort of practice now.

In 1981 Ian asked me to become transport manager and I was pleased to be given the opportunity. I learned much more about marketing and pricing transport, supply and delivery.

Ian was a hard taskmaster but fair; he was quick-witted and sharp.

Hide and seek On 12 September 1978 the Kaimai [rail] Tunnel was officially opened and it was also the first day of operations for the Commercial Vehicle Investigation Unit (CVIU), or ‘Mod Squad’ as they were nicknamed, after the TV show from the late 60s/early 70s.

RMD Mount Maunganui and Scott’s Transport from Tahuna were their first two target clients.

At the time, New Zealand had a regulated road transport industry, whereby it was illegal to cart certain products beyond a specified distance,

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Dec 2020 / Jan 2021 57

in order to protect rail. In 1936 the distance was set at 50km (30 miles), relaxed in 1961 to 67km (40 miles), and again in 1977 to 150km. RMD serpentine went to all of the major manufacturing fertiliser works from the Aria mine.

Destinations included Mount Maunganui, New Plymouth, Morrinsville, Awatoto, Wanganui and Auckland. With the exception of Morrinsville, they were all over the regulated distance.

Initially the CVIU used Triumph 2000 cars with one rail official and one cop in each car. The day of the tunnel opening Gary Rorison was on his way back home with a load for the BOP works (now Ballance Agri-Nutrients), and was the first driver to report over the R/T to Ian that he was being followed up the Kaimais (they took a while to perfect their tailing skills on account of trucks going slower up hills, meaning they were easy to spot). Ian told him to just keep coming home, turn off and come to the Maranui depot back through Welcome Bay. Gary did this and gave the cop the slip.

The next day was my turn.

At the time we lived on 15th Avenue in Tauranga and when I called Ian he instructed me to go straight home and give him a ring. This really bamboozled

the two in the car. I parked my truck, locked it up and started walking home. I then got a yell from the car. “Hey, we want you!” When I enquired as to the problem, they asked where my load was going, to which I replied, “I have no idea, someone else is taking the truck on from here.” They hung around another hour and departed. I then went back down to the truck at 9pm and went and unloaded at the works. From that point on it was a regular daily occurrence.

The smarter the squad got, the smarter we got – as did the rest of the road transport industry. Soon the rail people departed and the job was left to the CVIU alone. On the way home to the Mount we’d either go to the Midlands Tirau store, or Dalton’s sandpit near Matamata and hide.

Two loads, each traveling less than 150km was fine, so hiding for an hour or two somewhere, and reappearing with new paperwork (for the same load) and continuing on was a common practice that occurred all over the country for years. Ian and the late John Dalton (JD) were old friends, and we heard some interesting stories in JD’s smoko room while we were supposedly unloading and reloading.

Back then they were never interested in weighing us

(thank goodness), or our speed. We just carried on driving as though they were not behind us. All this carried on for a number of years until the permit system came into operation in 1983. Ian had a couple of very smart lawyers who defended him vigorously, and to the best of my knowledge I don’t believe he was ever convicted.

In all of that stupidity and wasted energy, all the government was trying to do was stop a number of successful transport businesses trading in order to protect an inadequate rail network not run on the premise of service to clients as a priority.

Ian once told me, “I would rather spend $100k on a bulk store than buy a ticket on the rail”. He was a man totally customer-focused with the philosophy: “One tonne or a thousand, treat all clients the same.”

A moulder of men As hard as he worked us, he too worked equally as hard.

Day or night the phone would never ring more than twice before being answered, and it mattered not what time you called him on the company R/T, there would always be an instantaneous “Receiving” at the other end.

Ian Rorison was a man years ahead of his time. He once said, “I have shoved a hundred years into fifty!”

Unfortunately Ian met an untimely death in 1982 aged 52. Garry came in to manage the business, and I stayed on as transport manager for a time. Not wanting to take on another owner-driver position following Cliff Guy’s departure, I resigned. The business that I went on to start, and the business I run today, are in large part built on the business ethos Ian imparted.

I believe Ian Rorison should be inducted into the Road Transport Hall of Fame for the innovation and leadership he offered the transport industry.

He was a true pioneer and I am proud to have been a part of not just his history, but also the ruckus we caused.

Acknowledgments My thanks go to Ian’s grandson, Ian Kesner, who supplied the memorabilia; Mel Carruthers; Murray Smith, and Mike Rorison, who all helped recount some of the early history.

RMD was famous for its 4x2 tractors in the pre-RUC era. Here, Kenworth W-Model ‘The Spoiler’ has the covers pulled back preparing to load at Mount Maunganui. Photo: Ed Mansell

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BORN AT THE RIGHT TIME Western Star’s arrival into Daimler’s North American platform family has been eagerly awaited, and in late September it arrived. New Zealand Trucking magazine met with David Carson, senior VP Vocational Trucks Daimler Trucks North America, and Penske New Zealand GM Brent Warner to talk about the new star of the show, but first…

Some background It’s actually appropriate a new Western Star arrives in the grip of a global pandemic, when everyone’s bogged down under the weight of it all and in need of a kick-start.

They’re the sort of truck you turn to when you ‘need to take a concrete pill’ as grandpappy would have put it in the days before feelings.

Well, it’s been a long time coming, six years to be

Story by Dave McCoid

precise according to David Carson, senior vice president Vocational Tucks at Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA), but at last it is here. The new Western Star 49X was launched in the US on 29 September this year, via a global online event.

Its imminent arrival has been hinted at more and more recently. When we were in DTNA’s North Carolina plant last year looking at its

stablemate, the Freightliner Cascadia, staff there were talking about the new platform Western Star on the way. Then, at a press conference in Sydney last November (2019), Daimler’s top Trucks & Buses man Martin Daum told us that Western Star was the next cab off the platform rank.

The significance of the new Western Star 49X is huge for us. Although a well respected brand here in terms of delivering a robust chassis with longevity in arduous work, in recent years Western Star has struggled to sell in the numbers needed to pose a threat to archrival Kenworth. Penske New Zealand is Western Star’s importer and retailer here, and believes it can now redress that imbalance.

“We’re excited to be part of this global launch, with our partners at DTNA, and can’t wait to bring the truck to the local market here,” said Penske New Zealand GM Brent Warner.

A polished answer it

might be, but again there’s the message that Western Star is now part of DTNA’s family of platform trucks. As we said at the time of the Freightliner Cascadia launch, we can’t overemphasise the importance and size of the R&D resource pool available to the Daimler family of trucks in this part of the world now they’re under the DTNA umbrella.

For Western Star however, the impact may well be greater than for Cascadia.

Firstly, it’s been many haircuts since you’ve been able to entertain a cabover Western Star in Aotearoa, so there’s no shock that comes with 49X having a nose. As good as Cascadia might be, it’s not a cabover, and that’s going to make life tough here.

Second, Cascadia was due just as Covid hit and that’s ankle-tapped it royally in terms of getting a head start.

By the time 49X arrives, it’s looking like most of us will have had a jab in the bum, and the world will be up and running again.

SE E T H E GA L L E RY I N T H E D I GI TA L E D I TON

Third, no dealership upheaval to unnerve the market. No legion of new techs to induct and train, no behind the scenes manoeuvring. The 49X arrives to a stable, longterm, local sales and support environment, which knows what market to target.

Fourth, perception. In the US there might be a distinct separation in market space between Western Star and Freightliner, but it’s far less so here. In New Zealand we need US vocational spec to survive on-highway, so there’s no real differentiator. The 49X is going to have all the safety and tech of Cascadia, without the historical mental connection between brand and cab trim reinforcement.

Last, and by far the biggest plus, the age-old Kiwi ‘bonneted 8x4’ question.

Harking back to Mr Daum and last year’s press conference, there was a distinct cooling when the prospect of an 8x4 Cascadia was raised, and instead Daum said this: “The 8x4 is part of the Western

“We’re providing a truck that meets not just our customer’s standards, but also those of our customers’ customers, as well as meeting the expectations of the social licence provided by the communities they operate in.” Brent Warner Penske New Zealand GM

True story. When they shot the pic in Oregon State the bush fires were burning – that’s smoke you can see. Very Western Star.

Star project. Before an 8x4 Cascadia, what you might see in your country is an 8x4 Western Star, and with me that’s fully okay. We don’t need to double up.” That single comment will likely play out as a gift from God for Brent and the team at Penske New Zealand.

When and what?

In terms of when, there will be evaluation and test units on the ground mid Q3 2021.

That will be the final phase regional tests, just to make sure there’s no ‘gotcha!’ moments down the track. To contextualise that, you have to appreciate just what’s available back in Oregon State in terms of testing and development. Aside from their facilities, the intellectual property held on topography and operating conditions the world over, including us, is surprising. Or maybe it’s not surprising. After all, Daimler products have been here a while and a lot’s been learned.

Also, don’t forget about the data they’ll have from the Cascadia.

“We’ve had trucks wired up and out with customers for some time, in oil field operations and bush work in British Columbia [BC],” said Carson. “BC logging proved

the toughest environment.

It’s brutal. We then used all that information to customise the proving facilities at our Madras testing facility in Oregon. At the same time, we have our own over the road fleet gathering data. From all this, prototypes go back to customers for re-evaluation.

“Also there’s the destructive testing at Daimler’s Swan Island facility in Portland.

Cab shakers replicating 800,000 miles, doors opened and shut 225,000 times, headlight covers and bonnets beaten until they’re broken – sometimes with a baseball bat! By the time we’re finished, we have a truck built for a 25-year life in the field.”

In terms of the launch and first customer trucks, they’re expected in New Zealand by late Q4 2022 early Q1 2023.

Although the final specification options are yet to be signed-off, the preferred setup from Western Star’s standpoint will undoubtedly be Detroit DD13 through 16, and Daimler DT12V and DT12VX (X - GCM 136 tonne) AMT transmission and all that comes with that, features like Rock-Free, Hill-Hold, PowerLaunch, and Paver-Mode etc.

Having said that, there’s likely to be the option of Cummins power, as well as Allison,

and Eaton Fuller manual and automated transmissions.

Undoubtedly one of the bigticket items is inclusion of the Detroit Assurance proprietary safety suite. Being a platform truck allows components from the ‘global tool set’ as Daum likes to call it.

“Yes, the Western Star is a vocational truck, but statistics tell us a vast proportion of vocational truck accidents occur for the short time the truck is on the road,” said Carson.

The suite includes Adaptive Cruise Control to stop, and Active Braking Assist (ABA-5) to stop - including pedestrians; Lane Departure; tailgate warning; video capture; and Side Guard Assist as a safety option also.

“We’re not giving people the option on standard safety kit,” said Warner. “Chain of responsibility is only going to push further into the workplace and for that reason it’s not negotiable.

“We’re providing a truck that meets not just our customer’s standards, but also those of our customers’ customers, as well as meeting the expectations of the social licence provided by the communities they operate in.”

Being platform architecture there’s telematic and data

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Dec 2020 / Jan 2021 61

David Carson, senior vice president Vocational Tucks at Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA).

Brent Warner Penske New Zealand GM, is looking forward to 49X bringing a mix of traditional Western Star DNA and class-leading safety to their customers.

Obviously, time is really the only judge, and we’ll let you know more in terms of feel and heritage when we get our mitts on one sometime next year. When Daum talks of the ‘global tool set’, he is always at pains to emphasise

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Dec 2020 / Jan 2021

There’s a myriad of dash options including gauges galore. There are also woodgrain and buttoned interiors.

It has a full width one-piece windscreen that contributes significantly to improved visibility, enhanced further by the elimination of the external air cleaners – sorry oldschoolers – which no doubt helps the aero also.

The bonnet’s had a big rework with rake to improve the view, and a new suspension system in the front mount called ISO tech, designed to take all the pain out of twisting and racking.

The three-step entry has also been the subject of much R&D, now with a cascade to allow safe, clearly visible entry and exit, with a grip tread that won’t clog with mud, sand, and gunk. One delightful touch is the reinforcement of the door pockets and steering wheel so both can be used as grab handles.

“Our customers told us that regardless of what you tell them, they still use steering wheels to haul themselves in,” said Carson. “So we designed the wheel to allow that.”

Then there are other things like the C-bracket mirrors that a 136kg’er can do a chin-up

on evidently (you have to find a 136kg person who can do a chin-up first; that’d be the real impressive bit).

“In order to get the door to flex you actually have to tow the truck by the mirror bracket,” said Carson.

Without having a 49X to poke, prod and kick, it all sounds pretty good.

Suffice to say, it’s here it lives; it’s on its way. Probably one of the more significant heavy duty and vocational trucks in New Zealand’s recent history.

A quick initial insight done, tracking the 49X’s progress south will be a big topic next year for sure. We can hardly wait to get our hands on one, that’s for real!

Let’s leave the last word for now to Penske New Zealand GM, Brent Warner.

“The truck builds on Western Star’s heritage and DNA, but with new technology. We’ll certainly be targeting traditional logging and tipping markets, and obviously highway where the regulations allow.”

CAL1100

Is it a real Western Star though?

the individual nature of each marque in their specialist area; things like chassis, undercarriage, component mounts etc. As Kiwis we’d be arrogant to think BC loggers, and Canadian oilfield workers don’t know how to evaluate new vocational trucks in terms of fit-for-purpose. The single skin frame has an RBM (Resisting Bending Moment) rating of 3.7 million inchpounds, the reinforced version up to 5.4 million. It sports bolted cross-members and there are front tow options at time of build. It’ll be hardy, rest assured.

Looks-wise the 49X is a good-looking machine, definitely the toughest version of a 2020s ‘softening’ of an older style truck you could do. The X-series cab certainly has family ties to other platform machines, with its own ‘outboard’ mounting system for improved stability.

It has wider openings, classleading room, and a clear back wall for easier body and equipment installations.

Moving inside the familiarity increases further, although they have retained options that are more gauges and switches, and less screen and tablet. There are also woodgrain and buttoned interiors to placate the real traditionalists.

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potential galore and Penske is partnering locally to ensure all mapping functionality and telematics are on point.

“Warranty-wise, that’s being worked through, however it will match the expectation of the market. We understand in this area there’s variance, things like high engine hour/low kilometre work, and there’ll be warranties and maintenance plans accordingly,” said Warner. “In terms of preparation, as you know Penske has two flagship state-of-the-art facilities in New Zealand, one in Wiri and one in Christchurch. There are 22 Detroit dealers, and 17 Western Star dealers, and more news to come soon in terms of support network. There are 10 dedicated training providers in Australia and New Zealand, and 50 world-class trained technicians in New Zealand. It’s a very structured programme that’s being rolled out in preparation for 49X.”

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INVERCARGILL TRUCK PARADE 2020

Turning it on down south Story and photos by Ken Bell

Once again the Purdue family of Invercargill excelled in putting on a great Labour Weekend Sunday truck show and prizegiving function for the transport companies, drivers and general public of Southland.

C

oming fresh off a long period of cancellations due to the Covid pandemic and lockdown, it was a much-needed day out for all concerned.

About 115 trucks parked up in the new industrial area of Invercargill where they were inspected by the judges and on show for the public to view as well.

Although the numbers were down slightly, the standard of

64 New Zealand Trucking

presentation was higher than previous years, which meant some pretty close judgments had to be made.

Mark ‘Mackers’ Wilson with his mount, a Mack Superliner, took out the King Rig title. This big American is powered by a 685hp Mack MP10 engine with mDRIVE transmission.

It is double-shifted hauling woodchips from Winton to the fibreboard plant in Mataura. Mackers has worked for McNeill Distribution for approximately 10 years and has competed at Invercargill Truck Parades for 23 years. Last year he won the Best International trophy. The McNeill success at the 2020 show didn’t stop there, being supplemented with the prestigious and coveted award of Best Fleet, just ahead of Phil Collinson’s immaculate Eden Haulage fleet.

After the parade through the streets of Invercargill the participants of the show met at the Newfield Tavern for the prizegiving function. Mark Purdue thanked the drivers for their continued support, and also made special note of the support of the company owners for allowing their trucks to be used for this event, which is a special part of Labour Weekend in Invercargill. 

Dec 2020 / Jan 2021

Roman, italic, bold, bold italic

alic

RESULTS Invercargill Truck Parade

Mark ‘Mackers’ Wilson alongside the Mack Superliner.

He won the coveted King Rig title with McNeill’s also awarded the Best Fleet trophy.

King Rig Runner-up King Rig Best new truck >20000km Best truck <1,000,000km Best Fleet (3 or more trucks) Best Paint Best Working Truck Best Linehaul Best Logger Best Stock Truck Best Tipper Best DAF Best Freightliner Best Fuso Best Hino Best International Best Isuzu Best Kenworth Best Mack Best Mercedes-Benz Best UD Best Scania Best Volvo Best Western Star Best Other

Mark Wilson Jaden Pearson Andy Muir Izzy McLellan Corbyn Cook Ricky Harland Nathan Reynolds Robert Crosbie Paddy O’Donoghue Nick Young Ben Roxburgh Aaron Callendar Mark Robertson Davey Searle George Smith Ray Stirling Jaden Pearson Mackers Wilson Angus Drummond Paige Sales Corbyn Cook Larry Strang Daniel Diack Kylie Olsen

McNeill Distribution JAE Haulage/Bascik Transport Ryal Bush Transport McLellan Freight McNeill Distribution A & L Coombes South Roads R & J Snowden Scott Transport Ryal Bush Transport Southern Transport Ryal Bush Transport Eden Haulage Auto Logistics Mainfreight Eden Haulage Sinclair Transport Bascik Transport McNeill Distribution CromTrans Kapuka Heenans Transport A & L Coombes Freight Haulage D T King Transport Central Southland Freight

Close runner-up to King Rig was Jaden Pearson with this stunning Kenworth K200.

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Dec 2020 / Jan 2021 65

Ryal Bush Transport driver Andy Muir took out the prize for the best new truck with this DAF auger truck.

Titiroa Transport has always been a keen supporter of the truck parade, which dominates the events in Invercargill at Labour Weekend.

Eden Haulage was runner up in the Best Fleet category. Owner Phil Collinson is quick to acknowledge the hard work and devotion invested in the constant everyday struggle by his staff to maintain a top level of presentation.

66 New Zealand Trucking

Dec 2020 / Jan 2021

1220-091

DESIGNING AND MANUFACTURING QUALITY TRAILERS FOR THE WIDER TRANSPORT INDUSTRY FOR 30 YEARS

Queen St, Pahiatua. Ph: 06 376 0020 Trevor mob: 0274 437 968 e: trevor@jacksonenterprises.c.nz

The Mark of Quality

www.jacksonenterprises.co.nz

P HOT O: C R A I G M C C A U L E Y

JACKSON ENTERPRISES LTD Celebrating 30 years

Story by Faye Lougher Photos by Faye Lougher or as credited

Time flies when you’re having fun, and it’s a safe bet there has been plenty of fun at Jackson Enterprises over the past 30 years.

Kiwi Dairy Company, before starting up his own truck servicing business.

He said waiting lists for new truck bodies were getting longer and longer with the already established body builders, so he was approached to see if he was interested in building a new stock deck.

T

he unassuming man behind the Pahiatua trailer manufacturer is modest, and keen to give credit where he feels it is due, saying the company’s longevity is a result of team effort.

“A business of this size could never run without a good team of people around me,” Trevor Jackson says. “Right from the quality assurance, the management structure and plans, the guys in the drawing office and the store, to the guys on the floor, they are all part of the big picture.”

A diesel mechanic by trade, a series of events led to Trevor establishing Jackson Enterprises in the early 1990s.

After doing his time with Ryan’s Garage in Pahiatua, Trevor worked for Eric Gleeson & Sons, before moving to Feast Contractors near Huntly. When he moved back to Pahiatua he worked on the development of the LPG-powered trucks for Tui/

68 New Zealand Trucking

It’s a busy place with something always on the go.

December 2020 – January 2021

Roman, italic, bold, bold italic

The stock unit in this painting was Trevor’s first complete unit built for JP Trucking Ltd.

Stock crate decks and trailers are a huge part of the business. Rural customers helped immensely in terms of providing the business impetus for growth in the early years and Trevor is hugely appreciative of that.

P HO T O: J AC K SO N CO L L EC T I ON.

“The first stock deck was for David Pope and the first highly modified trailer was for Stringfellow Contracting. Our first complete unit was for JP Trucking – a complete truck and trailer unit.”

Trevor says right from the early days it was vital they looked after the rural side of trucking, and he would like to say a big thank you to all the companies and loyal customers he has dealt with over the years.

“Our whole industry revolves around the rural sector. There’s a number of people, like Stringfellow Contracting and David Pope Transport, who gave me the opportunity to manufacture something and put it out there on the road.”

Trevor says they made a few stock decks and tipping units, which gave the company a huge opportunity to expand. He uplifted the old Ministry of Works workshop from the Turangi Tunnel Project and moved it to the site the business still occupies today in Queen Street, Pahiatua.

Over the years the business has expanded from a single workshop to three massive workshops as well as aluminium, steel and finishing shops. Initially there was just Trevor, Bruce Falconer (whose son Dylan now works for the business) and apprentice Bevan Wolland, but the company now runs a staff of 54.

Jackson Enterprises builds a range of trailers, including livestock, curtainsider, B-trains, quads, tipping, and specialist orders such as transporters, hiab trucks and fifth-wheels.

Trevor says today businesses are looking for versatility so they can get the most out of their investment.

Trevor says they are currently building a huge number of bodies that can become demountable for stock crates and milk barrels.

As of November 2020, the number of trailers Jackson Enterprises has built is closing in on four figures, and they now average about one a week. While there is a fairly heavy emphasis on aluminium chassis and trailers, Trevor says they will build whatever their customer wants.

Among the hundreds of trailers they have built, there are a few that have stood out for Trevor.

“There was a 250-tonne transporter for the Stockton Mine – that was a nine-month build. And we built a special quad with roll-up curtains for the export of GIB board.”

Trevor says Jackson Enterprises has an excellent reputation, one that has been built up by the people he has around him who enjoy doing a top-class job.

“You’ve got to point the finger at those who work for me. The business has always been creative from our start up and our point of difference is having long-term staff who imagine seeing great products going on trucks. We have got a great reputation for our finish – a lot of it hinges back to servicing, to seeing things right. Our warranty is driven by putting things right.”

Trevor is always quick to emphasise the team effort in Jackson Enterprises’ business.

The company’s portfolio is extensive and covers many genres of carriage.

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December 2020 – January 2021 69

Just Truckin’

Around

www.trt.co.nz

Logan Phillipson Gore local, Logan Phillipson, was having a break just north of Gore at the McNab Weighbridge when Craig Andrews decided ‘this guy needs annoying’. Logan drives ‘Ned Kelly’, a 2009 Kenworth K104B in West Otago Transport colours. It pulls a MD Engineering trailer running on a 54 tonne permit. The Kenworth, although built for stock, did milk initially before being reconfigured for bulk work. It can be crated up when the livestock gets busy. The truck is based in Heriot and is part of the Road Transport Logistics group.

Logan is a relative newcomer to trucking but it’s something that has always been in his blood. His uncle, Gerry Phillips, drove for Dynes Transport for years. His whole working life up until a couple of years ago had been spent in livestock processing plants, but a need for

a change saw him follow his interest in the transport game. He started with West Otago Transport lifting bobby calves and then progressed onto an Isuzu flea.

Then the giant leap into an earlier K104, and then onto the pictured Kenworth.

The K104B has around 780,000km on the clock.

It’s got a healthy 580hp Cummins motor under that classic cab and it’s a truck that Logan is quite fond of.

He enjoys the Roadranger, and the Cummins power.

Logan also enjoys the variety that comes with carting bulk products all over the lower south. On this day, he was carting bagged super to two farms at Edievale near Heriot. Not much bothers him about the industry but wet days can be frustrating when a chunk of your work is keeping the spreaders within the RTL group busy.

Regan Sanford Trucking is in the blood for Regan Sanford. He’s followed in the footsteps of his father, who drove for local Southland stalwart, DT King and Co. Regan spent a lot of time in the passenger seat alongside his father during the school holidays.

DT King was also where Regan got his start, on a 400hp Nissan.

Roll on 12 years having completed stints at Switzers Valley Transport driving field tractors, and Te Anau Transport, Regan is now at Sinclair Transport in Winton and still enjoying the industry. “No one day is the same for me and I get to see the countryside and get paid to do it,” he tells Craig Andrews.

Regan drives a 2019 FH16 Volvo for Sinclair’s, solely on livestock cartage around New Zealand.

The Volvo is a relative newbie with only 105,000km on the dial.

He enjoys the close-knit family operation at Sinclairs and the great bunch of guys that he works alongside.

There was nothing in the industry that Regan dislikes. He is proudly pictured with his daughter, Kynleigh.

70 New Zealand Trucking

December 2020 – January 2021

Roman, italic, bold, bold italic

alic

Just Truckin’

Around

www.trt.co.nz

Wayne Bowman While driving along Moffat Road in Bethlehem, Alison Verran spotted Wayne Bowman unloading a 26-tonne digger at the old Mills Reef Winery, now The Vines Retirement Village.

Wayne drives for Rowe Motors in Tauranga. His C16 CAT-powered Western Star with a three rows of eight low-loader is an impressive sight on the road. He travels most of the central North Island, carting heavy machinery.

Wayne has always loved trucks and would go for rides as a little fella. With 34 years of driving trucks so far, he just loves being on the road and enjoys the solitude of the job.

Wayne’s biggest gripe with the transport industry is how difficult it is for young ones to get their licence these days. The cost and length of time needed is a huge deterrent.

“We just had to jump in a truck and learn.”

Wayne was amused by vexing question number 69 … leather or lace? “Definitely lace,” he said.

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December 2020 – January 2021 71

TOP TRUCK

TUMEKE IN TAKAKA

Tumeke – in Te Reo it means surpised and startled. In modern pop culture, ‘too much’ – an apt description of what any truck lover will identify with when they see this month’s New Zealand Trucking magazine Top Truck come down the road.

72 New Zealand Trucking

Dec 2020 / Jan 2021

Tumeke Logging’s Kenworth T909 pulling off a skid in Golden Bay.

L

ike many Kiwi youngsters of his generation, Wayne ‘Sol’ Solly, owner of Takaka-based Tumeke Logging Ltd, had his introduction to the transport industry in the passenger’s seat of various trucks driven by his father.

Sol’s vocation of choice ended up being logging; he recalls the first woodlot job behind the once-famous Rat Trap hotel at Upper Takaka.

Chainsaws, a Massey Ferguson 135 tractor, and International TD9 bulldozer were the tools of choice; the logs produced trucked out of Golden Bay by self-loaders from Richmond-based Johnson Logging.

Log trucks coming to the skids kept the

trucking flame alive and when the ex-Alan Forbes, ex-Steve Murphy 1998 Kenworth T900 arrived on the lot at Star Trucks in Nelson, Sol headed for a look.

Driving out the gate and through the Richmond traffic lights on a test drive, he loved it, despite almost losing a car under the Kenworth’s long bonnet.

With the deal done the T900 went to work carting the crew’s own logs between Golden Bay and Nelson.

When a second truck was required Sol looked at a new T909, however the 8x4 T659 was chosen due to its suitability around HPMV loading. He rates the T659 and 5-axle trailer combination as a ‘good log truck’ and another pair has joined the fleet since.

Looking for a better way to deal with the large volume of logs four metres and less in length on the forest companies’ cut cards resulted in the Kenworth T909 and 6-axle Patchell B-train combination.

Designed so each half of the B-train can be towed separately should site access dictate it, the trailer runs Hendrickson INTRAAX suspension, WABCO disc brakes, and Jost Modul B0301 landing legs.

Despite having purchased a lot of new machinery during his logging career, buying and setting up a new truck rates as one of the most enjoyable parts of the business for Sol. “There is so much you can do to make them a better logging truck,” he says.

New Zealand Trucking

Dec 2020 / Jan 2021 73

Patchell B-train tracks well.

Sol rates the Patchell product highly, remarking that it’s generally heavier than the others. “But I’m not hung up on tare and it doesn’t break all the time.” He says Patchell’s workshop manager Pete Elphick is “magic – a real good bastard, straight up”.

Destined to spend a good part of its life running over the Takaka Hill, a climb of 791 metres, the T909 was built to complete the traverse loaded in the transmission’s high range (9th gear).

A 459kW (615hp) Cummins X15 engine produces 2779Nm (2050 lb/ft) of torque at 1200pm, which turns the power into an Eaton Fuller

RTLO 22918 transmission, fitted with oil cooler.

Meritor RT 50-160GP rear axles with a 4.56:1 ratio sit on the steel pedestals of Kenworth’s 20.9-tonne rated Air Glide 460 rear suspension.

Offset rims are fitted to the 7.3-tonne rated Meritor FS73LA front axle and the complete unit sits on Alcoa Dura-Bright wheels.

A twin-cylinder compressor is fitted to the X15 due to the massive draw of air that takes place during the setup and loading process with so many air bags across the entire unit.

With the tractor unit having a 5250mm wheelbase, HPMV axle loadings are easy to

The unit handles four bunks of short wood with ease.

74 New Zealand Trucking

achieve. Sol commented he likes the tractor unit/Btrain concept “because you are only loading your tractor unit to between 21 and 22 tonnes, you’re then putting the rest of that weight back there, where it should be, on those tri sets”.

There is so much more that could be written about this well-thoughtout and splendid-looking Kenworth and B-train combination, but it’s best to let you enjoy the visual splendour of this month’s New Zealand Trucking magazine Top Truck.

Wayne and Moana have been involved in the logging industry for three decades.

Dec 2020 / Jan 2021

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2021

MAN’s NEW

TGX

IS 2021 INTERNATIONAL TRUCK OF THE YEAR

The new MAN TGX has received the most prestigious award in trucking, having been crowned International Truck of the Year 2021 by a jury of 24 commercial vehicle editors and senior journalists.

W

ith a winning score of 155 votes, MAN’s flagship fought off the strong challenge posed by the new Volvo FH range.

The prestigious award was handed to Andreas Tostmann, CEO of MAN Truck & Bus, during a virtual ceremony that took place at MAN’s headquarters in Munich, Germany, during November.

Based on the International Truck of the Year (ITOY) rules,

76 New Zealand Trucking

the annual award is presented to the truck introduced into the market in the previous 12 months that is judged to have made the greatest contribution to road transport efficiency. Several important criteria are considered, including technological innovation, comfort, safety, driveability, fuel economy, environmental footprint and total cost of ownership.

The new generation TGX brings the ITOY award back Dec 2020 / Jan 2021

Watch the handover on the New Zealand Trucking YouTube page. Scan here to open it directly. to the MAN brand for the first time in 12 years – being lauded as a big step forward in terms of comfort, safety, fuel efficiency, connectivity, advanced service portfolio, and human-machine interface.

“There is no doubt why the new MAN TGX was voted Truck of the Year 2021. It is a future-oriented truck that meets the transport needs of today and tomorrow,” says ITOY president Gianenrico Griffini.

As soon as conceptual development work began for the new generation truck, MAN set about asking 300 transport companies and 700 drivers for regular feedback on their requirements for the new truck and incorporated this feedback into the design. Tostmann says the title ‘International Truck of the Year’ is tremendous recognition for the outstanding work put in by the team at MAN. “For more than five years now, the team has been working with a single objective in mind: to develop the best truck for drivers and

SE E T H E VI D EO I N T H E D I GI TA L E D I TON

our customers and to get it out on the road. This coveted award just goes to show: we did it,” he says.

The ITOY jury members appreciated the overall reduction in fuel consumption during extended test drives carried out at the February launch of the new range in Bilbao, Spain, and more recently between Germany and Austria in July. This was thanks to improved cab aerodynamics together with the D26 and D38 Euro 6d engines, optimised drive axle and the MAN EfficientCruise GPS-assisted cruise control – which now exhibits an even greater degree of anticipation.

All this adds up to claimed fuel savings of up to 8.2% compared with the previous models. The ITOY jurors were just as positive about the living conditions in the new driver’s cab.

Technology plays an important role in the new TGX, impressing the ITOY members on numerous fronts.

The jury praised the humanmachine interface, based on an easy to read, fully digital

Andreas Tostmann, CEO of MAN Truck & Bus.

ITOY president Gianenrico Griffini.

NEW GENERATION WORKPLACE A WINNER

I colour instrument cluster and the ‘turn-and-press’ MAN SmartSelect control system of the secondary display, along with the multifunction steering wheel. The jurors also highlighted the high level of safety systems, including the radar-based turn assist and lane change support systems, Lane Return Assist and assisted driving in traffic jams.

Last but not least, the new MAN TGX made a particularly trendsetting impression with the ITOY experts thanks to the high degree of connectivity provided by its electronic architecture – which is the first of its kind in the commercial vehicle sector, and the range of associated digital services.

New Zealand Trucking magazine editor and associate member of the jury, Dave McCoid, was able to spend time with the voting jury and other associate members at the February drive event in Spain.

“The D26 Euro 6d engine range is frugal and as cutting edge as oil burners get, maybe will ever get. The

trucks were a joy to drive.

It is so wonderful to drive a premium truck in a country that knows how to build a road. But the real story in the new TG model range is its future-focused architecture both in terms of tech and propulsion. They’re a cybernest waiting for tomorrow’s world,” says McCoid.

“Looks-wise the truck’s an evolution for sure, more refined and slicker without doubt. The new interior is superb, so easy to familiarise yourself with and navigate your way around. Switches are placed in logical clusters, and speaking of ‘navigate’, MAN’s SmartSelect wheel for managing the mammoth 12” infotainment unit is a standout. Likewise, the switch set on the inside of the driver’s door, accessible from the ground, is a fabulous tool and came about via the consultation with real-world drivers.

“Congratulations New Generation MAN. Well deserved. Please don’t be long getting here!”

t’s not only been a good year for MAN in terms of the New Generation TGX winning the ITOY crown, it also received a Red Dot in the renowned Red Dot Award: Brands & Communication Design 2020.

“When MAN developed the new truck generation, it was obvious that the driver must be involved from the outset and be the focus of attention.

Only in this way do we as a manufacturer know what the drivers really need. We have received a lot of positive feedback from customers and the trade media, and winning this great prize underlines once again that we are on the right track,” says Andreas Tostmann, CEO of MAN Truck & Bus. The workplace, designed according to the latest and consistent design criteria, allows the driver to intuitively operate the numerous assistance and comfort functions of the new MAN Truck Generation and therefor to steer his vehicle safely and efficiently. All operating elements are designed in

such a way that they do not distract the driver’s attention from what is happening on the road.

Another key criterion in the development of the driver’s workplace of the new MAN Truck Generation was also to offer every driver the same high level of operating comfort quickly and in a self-explanatory manner, regardless of age, professional experience, or technical affinity. With its well-thought-out and practice-oriented driver’s workplace, the new MAN Truck Generation makes a lasting contribution to simplifying the truck driver’s everyday working life.

Tracing its roots back to 1955, the Red Dot Design Award appraises diversity in the field of design in a professional manner, breaking down into the three disciplines of Red Dot Award: Product Design; Red Dot Award: Brands & Communication Design, and Red Dot Award: Design Concept.

With more than 18,000 entries, the Red Dot Award is one of the world’s largest design competitions.

New Zealand Trucking

Dec 2020 / Jan 2021 77

TRUCK INNOVATION AWARD 2021

MERCEDES-BENZ eACTROS AND GENH2 TRUCK DOUBLE-UP INNOVATION The latest electro-mobility solutions from Mercedes-Benz Trucks have won the 2021 Truck Innovation Award.

78 New Zealand Trucking

solutions with regard to connectivity (whether semi or fully autonomous driving systems) a ‘platooning’ capability, or advanced support services such as remote diagnostics.

“Shaping CO2-neutral transport requires the swift development of batteryelectric and fuel cell trucks,” said ITOY chairman Gianenrico Griffini. “This development needs to be supported by a long-term electro-mobility strategy, which is precisely what Mercedes-Benz Trucks is doing.”

The ITOY jury, who had the chance to get to know the previous prototype of the eActros and the latest nearproduction vehicle, praised the handling characteristics of the battery-powered truck in distribution applications and its performance in terms of acceleration and driveability.

Moreover, the jury praised the user-friendliness for a quick and easy transition from a conventional internal combustion engine vehicle.

Finally, the ITOY jury members appreciated the comprehensive approach Mercedes-Benz Trucks has Dec 2020 / Jan 2021

taken to electromobility, based on a clear-cut longterm strategy, on a global modular electric powertrain platform and on in-house development of main critical components. It’s a widerange solution portfolio, which spans from the pre-production eActros to the batterypowered eActros Long Haul, to the fuel cell liquid-hydrogen concept GenH2 Truck for long haulage applications.

Martin Daum, chairman of the board of management of Daimler Truck AG and member of the board of management of Daimler AG, said the company was honoured and proud that the ITOY jury had recognised the eActros and GenH2 Truck with the 2021 Truck Innovation Award.

“This is strong affirmation that we’re on the right track with our strategy clearly focusing on genuinely locally CO2-neutral technologies: battery power and hydrogenbased fuel cells.

“This combination enables us to offer our customers the best vehicle options, depending on the application.

With the eActros, we have demonstrated in recent years

that locally CO2-neutral urban distribution is already possible today. And with our GenH2 Truck, we have additionally presented our specific concept for heavy-duty fuelcell trucks to perform flexible and demanding long-distance haulage.”

The eActros battery-electric heavy-duty truck is planned to go into series production in 2021. It will have a range exceeding 200km. The hydrogen-based fuel cell electric concept MercedesBenz GenH2 Truck is planned to start operational customer trials in 2023. MercedesBenz says it will have a range of more than 1000km in series production version, planned for the second half of this decade.

1220-30

T

he prestigious 2021 Truck Innovation Award has been given to two trucks from Mercedes-Benz: the battery-electric eActros and the hydrogen-based fuel-cell electric concept MercedesBenz GenH2 Truck.

Twenty-five commercial vehicle editors and senior journalists, representing major international trucking magazines, who are members of the International Truck of the Year (ITOY) jury, awarded Mercedes-Benz’s electric trucks a winning score of 128 votes, beating the Volvo heavy-duty BEV concepts and DAF’s second-generation CF Electric.

The Truck Innovation Award acknowledges both the enormous technological changes and the energy transitions that are taking place within the automotive sector. According to ITOY rules, a Truck Innovation Award nominee must be an advanced-technology vehicle with a gross vehicle weight over 3.5-tonnes either fitted with an alternative driveline or have an alternative fuel system. Otherwise, it must feature specific high-tech

Daimler

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13/11/20 9:06 am

On the road to Glenorchy with Lake Wakatipu behind.

A

BIG

ADVENTURE Story by Gavin Myers

Photos by Gavin Myers and Gunnar and Elena Müller

What do you do when you’ve resigned from your job, have a taste for adventure, and the keys to what can only be described as one of the most capable mobile homes on the planet? If you’re Gunnar, Elena, and Lasse Müller, you set course for a faraway land – and hit the road!

N

ew Zealand is no stranger to the travelling tourist, or their motorhomes and campervans. The country is a mecca for nature lovers and adventure junkies and its relative compactness means seeing all the great sights doesn’t take too long or cost too much. But if you’ve been here twice, done 5000km in campervans and still not seen the real sights, the parts of the country most others don’t go to (or are prohibited from in their rental agreements), then there’s only one way to do it properly. The biggest,

the best, the Unicat.

Now, this is not the kind of story we’d usually write for New Zealand Trucking magazine, but we’re always on the lookout for something new, different and awesome – and, at the end of the day, this particular Unicat is based on a MAN TGM 18.330 4x4 with some very serious hardware.

So when we heard in January that an affable German couple and their then 11-month-old son had just begun their planned 6-month criss-cross of New Zealand, we thought it would be rude to not, at the very least,

‘The more remote the better’ was the approach.

80 New Zealand Trucking

Dec 2020 / Jan 2021

introduce ourselves and have a poke around the truck.

Evidently, a Unicat is a magnet for that sort of thing.

From the moment it arrived at the Ports of Auckland on 20 December 2019, it would be the spark to just about every social encounter the Müllers would have on their tour of Aotearoa. Blending in and cruising below the radar was not going to happen!

She’s a pretty big job While the Unicat was brought into the country as a temporary import, one of the first stops was the Albany VTNZ for a CoF. “It was like a party, all the engineers came over to see it and take pictures. That was the first time we realised the interest in it. Meeting so many people wouldn’t have happened with a normal campervan,” said Gunnar at our first meeting,

about a month into their trip.

At this point the Müllers were passing through Tauranga on their way to Matata and the East Cape, having already traversed Auckland, Northland and the Coromandel Peninsula, up and down their east and west coasts.

“Everybody likes it. The first week we drove to a small campsite in Takapuna and couldn’t get anything done, there were so many people stopping by to see the truck.

We’ve already met so many nice people that way, offering their help or services. The Kiwis are very, very helpful – we actually felt embarrassed, I don’t think anyone coming to Germany would be treated that nicely. When Kiwis say something, they’re honest and genuine and they mean it.”

The interest in the Unicat wasn’t expected at all. In fact, the Müllers were a little worried after reading a report

Tongariro National Park.

Route up to the Tukino Skifield was no contest.

about another German couple who brought a similar vehicle here a few years ago whose trip didn’t end too well. “They must have done something wrong and got into trouble, probably because they didn’t inform themselves,” Gunnar said. But inform themselves the Müllers did. If you’ve ever wondered what the process involves when bringing such a vehicle into the country, it goes something like this: Obtain a Carnet de Passages from the ADAC (Germany’s AA), a customs guarantee for the duty-free temporary importation of a vehicle that means New Zealand Customs just waves the vehicle though; understand the importance of biosecurity in New Zealand and get stuck into cleaning the truck for 10 days, toothbrush in hand; have it cleaned again at the port in Germany and obtain a certificate from the port

authorities; have it fumigated there for two days as well, get a certificate for that too; arrive in Auckland in advance of the truck and rent a small house in Ponsonby for a few weeks to take advantage of the New Zealand summer while you wait; thank your lucky stars when the truck arrives two days ahead of schedule, get it out of customs before the Christmas shutdown; get very expensive special comprehensive insurance from underwriters that specialise in campers; get a CoF from VTNZ; join the New Zealand Motor Caravan Association and get a self-containment certification, for freedom camping and docksides, as well as a warrant of electrical fitness, all done in one day by some friendly NZMCA members.

Gunnar said that the only hiccup they experienced was the theft of some items from

“Yes, you can go to Countdown with it!” said Gunnar. The biggest thing in Whangarei?

the truck either at the port or on the ship. “Nothing valuable but it was annoying. We heard it happens to 8 to 10% of motorhomes that are shipped, because you have to give them all the keys for customs and biosecurity,” he said.

House or truck?

Lasse’s a very lucky boy. Not even two years old and he’s spent most of his life in a truck! Around the time he was born, 35-year-old Mama and 45-year-old Papa decided to take a break and go on a big adventure. “After 15 years of working you feel there might be something else you’re missing out on, and you’ll never find out if you don’t try it. The decision we had to make was to buy a house or buy a truck. We thought ‘since we don’t know where we’ll end up, a house on wheels is more suitable – so let’s buy the truck!’” Gunnar said.

It’s not the first truck the Müllers have owned, though.

They had an ex-German Army Unimog that they bought at an army auction and started to convert, but while it worked for two people, it was too small for three. The Unimog also had coil springs and its famous portal axles, therefore more off-road capability, but it wasn’t great for long distances on tar. “You couldn’t even read in it while driving,” said Gunnar.

The Unicat – a TerraCross 55 - Comfort Plus model – was bought secondhand, which was much more convenient than waiting the two years for delivery of a new one. “We bought it online in Germany. It was built for a Spanish guy who owned a restaurant chain. He travelled all over the world.”

Lasse was four months old when the family packed the Unicat, left their hometown of Hamburg, and travelled Northern Europe, Denmark, Norway, the Faroe Islands and Iceland, clocking up about 10,000km before departing Germany for New Zealand.

The initial plan was to also explore some other countries the Müllers might consider settling in for a few years, Canada for instance.

“There is no real deadline for us to be back in Germany, but we’re aiming for May. We both resigned from our jobs; we didn’t just take parental leave, so we’re not guaranteed the same jobs back. But even though we quit our jobs one of us still gets 60% of our salary from the government for 14 months. We’re both orthopaedic and trauma

Never mind all that – Raspberry Flat carpark at the entrance to the Mt Aspiring National Park.

New Zealand Trucking

Dec 2020 / Jan 2021 81

Ninety Mile Beach was one of the obvious must-dos. “It was the most economical and fastest drive of the trip! It’s slow going with the truck on the roads,” said Gunnar.

surgeons. The job market in Germany is very good right now for doctors, so we should easily find jobs.

“If you have this break in your life anyway, you might as well use it to do something you’ve always wanted to do. We are very fortunate,” Gunnar said.

Familiar MAN view forward with a few key additions; the Garmin marine GPS unit and bolted-in child seat.

And then the world went mad…

Individual rear seats the same airsuspended units as the front.

The Unicat could be had with a rear bench and fold-down bunk.

Crawl-through makes moving between the two compartments easy at any time.

By now you’ve probably put two and two together and realised the Müller’s intrepid journey was about to be dealt the Covid curveball. Having left the East Cape behind, it was a roundabout route to Taranaki via the Desert Road, around Mount Ruapehu and through the Tongariro National Park to the Forgotten World Highway, and then down the coast to Wellington. (Yes, they got their passports stamped at the Whangamomona pub!)

“When we took the ferry we could feel something was happening, and took a cabin to keep social distance,” Gunnar and Elena tell me when we meet up again on

an overcast August day in Thames, a week before they were to leave for Hamburg.

From Picton the trio carried on to the Marlborough Sounds, where they were for two weeks before lockdown hit. “We were at French Pass, the furthest out campsite in Marlborough Sounds, in the middle of nowhere, camping with another couple from Hamburg travelling in a small van who we met a few weeks earlier. A friend from Thames called to check if we knew about the lockdown. We needed to find a space we could park up for weeks or months at a time, and not knowing how long it would last we searched Bookabach.

When we first looked everything was booked out because Easter was coming; the next day people were giving the baches away for half price.”

The two families locked down at Kaiteriteri, at the entrance to the Abel Tasman National Park, for 52 days.

When lockdown ended the Unicat traversed the South Island from Farewell Split to Dunedin, covering almost everything in between.

“Travelling after lockdown was heaven for us. We were practically the only people at any of the sites!” Gunnar said.

A mobile abode to conquer mountains There are a few ways to find the best a foreign land has to offer and navigate your way there. The first is to carry a good old-fashioned map book and circle all the suggestions from the locals who will inevitably come over to chat about your truck.

The second is to ensure your Unicat is fitted with a Garmin

Running along the Forgotten World Highway. If the bridge wasn’t there, it probably wouldn’t have mattered.

82 New Zealand Trucking

Dec 2020 / Jan 2021

GPS marine chart plotter, onto which you can download open global and street maps to see even the smallest trails.

Then you could go the most modern route and download an offline navigation app onto the iPad. Spending some time in the evenings bringing these together to plan the next leg of the journey is the key.

“Sometimes we’d plan to go 100 or 200km, drive 30km, round the next corner and decide to stop. It’s very spontaneous,” Gunnar said.

With spontaneity comes the need to be prepared for anything and there could be no better vehicle for this than the Unicat. None of New Zealand’s roads, tracks or trails was a match for this 14-tonne bach on wheels.

The base as mentioned is an 18-tonne (derated to 15 tonnes for German tax reasons) 330hp MAN TGM 4x4 chassis with diff locks front and rear, 12-speed MAN Tipmatic transmission and reduction box. With more than enough gearing to tackle most situations and massive military-spec 395/85 R20 Michelin tyres, there’s little chance it should get stuck.

But, if it does, 18-tonne hydraulic winches front and back are ready to help it out.

There’s a tow coupling on the rear if needed, too. Gunnar said tyre pressures are kept at 5.5 bar front and 6.0 rear, and they’re pretty bulletproof, having even driven on fresh volcanic lava in Iceland, which is sharp enough to cut into the rubber. The truck’s equipped with tyre pressure and temperature monitors (the Müllers removed the CTI unit to avoid unnecessary trouble in the middle of nowhere).

With two 400-litre fuel tanks

Lasse checks the undercarriage at Puriri Bay DOC campsite.

and 600 litres of fresh water onboard, all up weight on the VTNZ weighbridge was 13.5 tonnes. On the roof of the truck is one spare and a stainless steel crane and winch to get the 130kg wheel down to ground level. “I pushed one off once back at home and almost destroyed some cars! I thought it would bounce once or twice and land; it bounced nearly as high as the truck all over the place!”

Gunnar said with a laugh.

Also on the roof is a solar system with six large batteries that generated enough power during the New Zealand summer to meet day-to-day needs, even running the washer-dryer twice a day sometimes (yes, it has one of those, as well as a fridgefreezer, microwave, induction cooker, oven and pull-out barbecue). There’s also a diesel generator, which came into its own during the South Island winter. All equipment is electrically powered, there’s no gas.

Elena and Gunnar both got their heavy vehicle licences

Survival gear.

Note tracks attached to rear bumper for the stickiest situations.

Living space for the free spirit. Note crawl-through behind swing-out table.

Touring the East Cape.

New Zealand Trucking

Dec 2020 / Jan 2021 83

Elena, Gunnar and Lasse Müller in Tauranga. “After you posted that picture we had even more people recognise us, lots of truck drivers at the petrol stations and truck stops,” said Gunnar. and share driving duties. The left-hand drive configuration was no problem in New Zealand, the mix of left and right-hand drive being quite common between Europe and the UK. Its size wasn’t a problem either; this Unicat measures 8700mm length x 2550mm width x 3680mm height (on a 4800mm wheelbase) and just one bridge at one of the docksides wasn’t passable. That Garmin unit holds another trick up its sleeve, with a rear-view camera for reversing (it has a second channel for another camera too).

The MAN cab is otherwise very familiar, and comfortable.

The four individual seats are all air-suspended and heated, and little Lasse even has his own child seat up front, one of the most secure that could be found in Germany, bolted directly to the cab.

There’s separate HVAC front and rear. Between the rear seats is a 60x70cm tunnel to move between the cab and living area.

Expecting the unexpected The Unicat is fitted with Bluetooth and a dual-band, short- and long-range VHF radio – which as any truckie would know, is something you can’t be without. In Gunnar’s case, that also goes for some basic mechanical knowledge.

Before studying medicine, he was a trained firefighter and that included vehicle maintenance.

In the case of a breakdown the truck’s packed with power tools and basic spare parts.

Electric cab tilt makes the job just that little bit easier.

“Most things I’d be able to repair myself if I needed to, even though I’m not a trained engineer. It’s always annoying to have to tow a truck away,” he said.

Or you could always rely on that typical Kiwi spirit. “We had an experience when a little rubber component of the cab suspension fell out. We pulled into a small parking lot where a lady in a car drove off while I was fixing it. She

Alongside Lake Hawea at Kidds Bush. “You can just drive, find something beautiful, decide to stay for a couple of days.”

came back five minutes later saying she felt bad because we probably needed some help. This doesn’t happen everywhere,” Gunnar said.

Thankfully, that was the only hiccup on the mechanical side of things, but the ‘house’ side of it all suffered a bit of flooding when the 60-litre hot water cylinder cracked and leaked in mid-June, somewhere close to Westport.

It took Gunnar a whole day, with much of the Unicat’s interior out in the campsite, but he got the job done.

“We thought that finding an Italian-made hot water maker for a German vehicle in New Zealand would be difficult, but we found out that they’re used on lots of boats, so we called a marine company in Auckland and they had one in stock. We had it in 36 hours – the payment probably wasn’t even in their account before they dispatched it – but that’s typical Kiwi!” he said with a smile.

By the end of their extended stay, the Müllers had clocked up another 20,000km in their Unicat and been won over by Aotearoa and everything Kiwi. They plan to return on a more permanent basis, and the Unicat will be coming with them – there’s still a lot to explore.

“What we like most is the beauty and variety of the

nature – you can ski in the morning and in the afternoon sit on the beach and have a cocktail. It’s one of the only countries that offers that.

Mountains, beaches, rivers, lakes … and the way New Zealand takes care of those areas, they’ll stay that way for a long time.

“When we stayed in Port Jackson it was crowded over Queen’s Birthday Weekend, then everyone left and we were by ourselves again, and there was not a piece of rubbish left. That’s very different from Europe. There was not a trace; I like that.

Kiwis are proud of their country and they will keep it for the next generations.

That impresses me; there aren’t many places where that happens,” Gunnar said.

“The people are amazing, relaxed, open-minded, trusting, interested in you, and friendly. Obviously the truck sparks conversation… We met so many people; I have a whole pile of [business] cards.

People really mean it when they say ‘ring me and come by’ – and we did that a lot, visited people, stayed in their driveways, some helped us to get things sorted. That’s really special. We’ve had a really, really nice time.”

Doing it properly – Kiwis being Kiwis, and the Müllers in their Unicat.

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RECOVERY Story and photos by Howard Shanks This special application engineered Kenworth T610SAR has been specced to make the road ahead a lot easier for Tas Road Express operator Daniel White.

The past decade has not been an easy one for him; it has been a long, tough haul on the road to recovery and being able to climb back behind the wheel to do the job he’s always dreamed of doing.

T

his is an inspirational story of one man’s determination to overcome every challenge and obstacle thrown at him to achieve his goal.

Daniel is the second generation in the successful Tas Road Express family transport business. Like many prosperous trucking companies, Tas Road Express owes much of its success to its founders for the long, tireless hours, sound business practices, and good old-fashioned service they provided. These are work ethics and principles

that Daniel’s father, Andrew, instilled in him at an early age – principles that demand quality, with no compromise on safety or service. It’s these high standards of service the company provides its customers that make them stand out from the crowd.

It’s also the same level of service expected from suppliers. The White family’s relationship with Kenworth Trucks goes back many years, and according to Daniel, the ability of Kenworth Australia to customise its trucks to suit his very specific needs went a long way to making his life a lot easier.

Daniel’s trucking career came to an abrupt stop back in January 2009, when he was involved in a serious truck accident on the Lyell Highway near the notorious Mount Arrowsmith on Tasmania’s rugged west coast that cost him the use of his left arm.

“It was Saturday evening,” Daniel recalled. “I thought I’d join my mate, Tim Bennett, on his run from Hobart up to Strahan with a load of bulk bags of fish food. Usually, you’d get to New Norfolk and tighten the straps then you wouldn’t need to touch them again for the rest of the journey. But this particular night, the bags just wouldn’t settle. We got to Ouse and tightened them up a bit more, then again at Tarraleah, and then at the top of Mount Arrowsmith tightened them up for the fourth time.”

Unbeknown to Daniel and his mate, one of the bottom bags had split, which was causing the load to move.

Daniel White back on the road.

Note LED spots discreetly hidden behind the grille.

And, almost word for word, straight from Joy McKean’s famous Lights on the Hill song, ‘The load started shiftin’ I-i-in a dance’ and it was ‘over the edge and down the mountain side’.

It took 12 hours to get Daniel out of the truck and helicoptered to the Royal Hobart Hospital. Twenty-four hours later he was flown to Melbourne for specialist treatment. Sadly, his mate Tim died.

“So began my long, hard road to recovery,” Daniel said.

Daniel admits that he had his fair share of critics during his recovery, especially whenever he’d remark that he was going back to trucking.

Step one was to learn to walk again.

“Getting back behind the wheel of my truck was my motivation,” Daniel said.

“That’s what made me get up every morning and take it one step at a time.

“My licence was suspended

on medical grounds,” Daniel explained. “To get my licence back I had to retake my driving test with a driving occupational therapist and a driving instructor. At the time there were no test vehicles capable of seating three occupants available in Tasmania. However, DECA in Victoria had one, which meant I had to take a trip over there with the driving occupational therapist to be tested.

Nothing was simple!”

Daniel got his licence back around the end of 2011, albeit an automatic one.

“My old truck had a CAT C16 with an 18-speed, consequently, after some preliminary enquiry about getting it converted to an automatic proved economically unviable, I traded it for a 2006 T404SAR with a C15 and a three-pedal Eaton AutoShift. That truck really got me going again. I kept that T404SAR for five years then upgraded to a

2011 K200 big cab.”

The decision to specify the new T610SAR this time involved two key considerations: the ability of Kenworth’s local engineering team to customise the vehicle to better suit Daniel’s requirements, and provide application flexibility to be able to cover a diverse range of tasks.

“Both Luke and Chris

from CJD Equipment here in Tasmania were extremely helpful during the purchasing of this truck,” Daniel said.

“Because I don’t have the use of my left arm, they were able to get the headlight dipswitch mounted on the floor and fit a paddle style gear shifter on the right of the steering column. It’s all these little things that make my life a helluva lot easier.”

Tasmanian Kenworth agent CJD Equipment went so far as to move switches and the gear shifter so that Daniel’s life behind the wheel would be a little bit easier.

New Zealand Trucking

Dec 2020 / Jan 2021 87

Daniel went for the twin bunk so that his kids could go truckin’ too! Right: Accommodation is comfortable with the 4100mm sleeper, storage tower, and a large fridge.

Behind the polished stainless steel grille sits a Cummins X15 rated at 410kW (550hp) and 2508Nm (1850lbft) of torque.

It is coupled to Eaton’s FO-22E318B-MXP UltraShiftPlus transmission, with the optional Dual-Mode load-sensitive skip-shifting, Urge to Move, and Hill Start Assist. The Cummins-Eaton combination features the latest ECM integrated power systems that include SmartTorque-2 and Smart-Coast, all designed to maximise fuel economy. To further enhance

the fuel efficiency of his T610SAR, Daniel specified the Meritor RT46-160GP rear axles with the taller 3.91:1 final drive ratio.

“Our older trucks had tall final drive ratios and they paid big dividends in fuel savings,” Daniel said. “I’m seriously chasing high twos with this engine transmission and final drive ratio package.

Straight out of the box its fuel economy is not too bad, and it’s getting better as it’s bedding in.”

Future-proofing his investment is one reason for

his decision to specify the top of the range 1400mm sleeper.

The other is having a quality of life while working away from home. “A few years back it was considered the norm to leave Hobart at three in the morning to be in Devonport at the other end of the state at daybreak, and then still do a full day’s work on top of that.

Now, with tighter regulations on fatigue and chain of responsibility, it’s far easier to go up the night before and have good night’s rest.”

Inside the sleeper, Daniel specified the twin, upper

and lower bunk option so his children can accompany him on runs. The space also includes a storage tower and a large fridge.

The main dash includes the Paccar information centre, which can display trip and fuel economy information.

In the centre dash panel is the Paccar 7” display touchscreen, which includes truck navigation, eight virtual gauges, the ability to view up to four cameras, and of course the entertainment system.

There is no question this journey so far has been a long, tough haul for Daniel, but those work ethics and principles that his father instilled in him early in his trucking career have been his driving force. His determination to beat adversity to get back behind the wheel is certainly inspirational.

“Yes, planning and specifying this Kenworth T610SAR certainly was one of the highlights of the past decade for me,” Daniel says with a smile. “Certainly, I’ve been a long-time Kenworth fan, love cool trucks and always dreamed of driving them. I just hope that my story can inspire someone else who might be suffering personal hardship and help them take the first step towards achieving their dreams.”

It took Daniel nearly three years of recovery, dedication and commitment to get back behind the wheel of a truck.

C 88 New Zealand Trucking

Dec 2020 / Jan 2021

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INTERNATIONAL TRUCK STOP

DOING IT TOGETHER

Will Shiers meets up with a couple of British haulage pioneers, who have a fascinating story to tell.

Story by Will Shiers

Photos by Richard Lea, Tom Cunningham and Farrall’s Group

T

hat’s how it all began,” says a proud 89-year-old Edwin (Eddie) Farrall, showing me a photograph of a boy driving a goat-drawn cart. “That was me at the age of nine, delivering sticks to houses. I made that cart.

The shafts are chair legs and the mudguards are sides of a barrel. They published that picture in the Staffordshire Evening Sentinel, because I shouldn’t have been on the road!”

“And I still have a copy of the newspaper,” adds wife of 65 years Joan Farrall, who together with her husband

created and built family-run firm Farrall’s Transport (now Farrall’s Group), based in Cheshire, in the northwest of England.

“Notice that he’s wearing a tie,” continues Joan.

“That’s right. I always wear a tie, because I think it’s important to make a good impression,” adds Eddie.

I’m suddenly regretting turning up to the interview open collared, so quickly change the subject, and ask what Eddie would have done if he hadn’t had a career in road haulage.

“That’s easy. I would have been a farmer,” he says

Farrall’s today.

90 New Zealand Trucking

Dec 2020 / Jan 2021

without any hesitation, going on to explain that his father was a farmer when he was a teenager, and by the age of 15 he was working on eight farms.

The same applies to Joan, whose father was a farm labourer. “I’d have definitely followed him into farming,” she says. “The fact that his father was a farmer was one of Eddie’s good points,” she says, smiling. “That and he had a car!”

But before Eddie’s father was a farmer, he was a publican, and it’s then that Eddie had his first encounter with lorries. He takes up the

story: “My dad was a coal miner until 1933, and then he won some money. He took on a pub, which had a lodger who was a lorry driver. I used to ride around in that 3-ton Bedford cattle truck. It’s what got me into transport. I didn’t like school; I wasn’t a listener and didn’t want to be there.

But what I did want to do was go in that truck, and read all the signs on the road and the names on the trucks. I learned to read quicker.”

After a few years working on the land Eddie was behind the wheel of a truck, driving for a local farm haulier. The seeds were well and truly sown now, and he wanted to set up his own transport company.

When he was in his early 20s, Eddie met someone who would help him achieve his dream – future wife Joan.

But when he met her she was only 17, and despite the couple wanting to tie the knot immediately, Joan’s father had other ideas.

“In those days you asked the parents for the hand in marriage,” recalls Eddie.

“And the first thing he [Joan’s father] said was, ‘where are you going to live?’ I told him we were thinking of buying a caravan. Well!”

“He said ‘bricks and mortar for my daughter’,” says Joan.

With no wedding to plan or caravan to buy, the couple put the £300 ($618) they had saved towards an operator’s licence. In those days, the cost for one of these was £300 per unladen weight ton.

And because Eddie and Joan wanted a 3-ton Bedford, they had to find £900 ($1845). An extra £110 ($226) was raised by selling Eddie’s beloved SS Jaguar car (it would be many decades before he replaced it), and the rest was covered by hire purchase.

The petrol-powered Bedford was thirsty, and capable of carrying no more than 6 tons, meaning it was difficult to make a decent wage. “It only did 10 to the gallon, and then there was the hire purchase to pay,” recalls Eddie.

When Joan turned 21, the couple promptly married, moving into a caravan. “It was parked down a lane, and didn’t have any running water or electricity,” remembers Joan, who by this stage was bookkeeping for the company.

Still struggling to scrape a living with the Bedford, it was sold, and replaced by a Seddon. Running on diesel, and capable of carrying more weight, the truck immediately

put the couple in a better financial situation, and the hire purchase was soon paid off.

Proudest moment “Buying my first new truck was my proudest moment,” remembers Eddie. “It had been a struggle up until then, but now we were on the way to success.” The truck in question was a Thames Trader, and he owns a fully restored one today.

“I worked day and night in that Trader. Up to Scotland and all over the country, carrying Marley roof tiles. It was really hard work, and my wrists got cut to ribbons, but we made money,” says Eddie.

“At this point he told me I could start drawing a wage out of the business,” says Joan. “It was £10 a week, and I felt like a millionaire.

Although we were still living in a caravan!”

The arrival of kids (they would eventually have five) meant the Farralls finally outgrew the caravan, and moved into a cottage on Eddie’s father’s farm. At this time the fleet was growing too, and by 1961 they had five Thames Traders, all doing Marley tile work. “It was hard graft, and we were blowing

tyres on building sites,” says Eddie. “They said the tiles weighed 1 ton per 1000, but I knew they were heavier than that.” He’d had enough!

In a spur of the moment decision, Eddie quit the tile work, and instead started moving cardboard for a local firm. “It was forklifted on, and forklifted off, and there were nice smooth roads to the factory. It was utopia,” says Eddie, who reckons it taught him a valuable lesson.

“From that point onwards I decided I never wanted to carry anything heavy again,” he says. “Next I went into a toilet paper factory and got that job. People would say ‘you should get some work in the steelworks’, and I’d reply ‘no I bloody don’t as it’s too heavy’.”

Farrall’s Transport boomed and over the coming years the couple purchased their own yard and house, and were soon running 20 trucks.

Studying the numerous photos the couple brought for me to see, it’s clear that Farrall’s Transport has run a lot of different marques over the years. In addition to the Bedford, Seddon and Thames Traders already mentioned, I can see some Ford D-series, Atkinson Borderers and plenty

Eddie and Joan with their Thames Trader.

Left: Today the Farrall’s operation is a far cry from its humble roots, but family values still underpin it.

The Farrall’s fleet of Thames Traders back in the day.

ASSET RICH Eddie says one of the most important things to have when running a successful company would be assets, something he was sadly lacking in the early days of Farrall’s Transport.

“My sons are fortunate that they have collateral, but I never had that,” he says, before recounting a meeting with a bank manager during the early days of the company.

“I went to see him because I needed an overdraft. He asked me what assets I had, and I told him I had a caravan, a car and a truck. He said ‘they all have wheels and could be gone tomorrow, so we can’t lend you anything’.”

of 1970s Mercedes-Benzes. But as far as Eddie is concerned, the greatest truck ever built is the current Volvo FH. “It’s streets ahead of the rest of them,” he reckons. It’s also the most prominent truck in today’s 70-strong fleet.

During their days at the helm of Farrall’s Transport, Eddie and Joan built a very successful transport business. By their own admission, Eddie was a tough boss, but definitely fair. He also commanded a lot of respect amongst his drivers, many who counted him and Joan as friends.

Farrall’s Transport prides itself on the large number of long-serving drivers it has.

One recently retired after 47 years with the firm, and another member of staff has been there for 37 years. Eddie believes the

secret behind the haulier’s ability to retain staff has a lot to do with the respect they get.

The couple retired in 1995 when Eddie was 65, handing over the reins to sons Mark and Mike. But Eddie admits that in the early days of retirement he couldn’t quite let go.

“I remember we went on holiday once and when we came back Mike had put new electric garage doors on the workshops. Bloody hell, how much have they cost? And then they resurfaced the yard to motorway spec. It cost £100,000 ($206,000), and I nearly had a heart attack!”

“Eddie said to me ‘they’re going to make mistakes’,” says Joan. “I said ‘yes they

The first new truck Eddie and Joan bought was a Thames Trader, and they own a fully restored one today.

92 New Zealand Trucking

Dec 2020 / Jan 2021

Eddie and Joan take Will down memory lane.

FARRALL’S GROUP TODAY

will, but they will learn from them’. I said ‘leave them to get on with it. If they want advice they will come and ask for it’, and they did, and still do.”

Eddie needn’t have worried. Farrall’s Group has grown steadily in the past 25 years, and now owns and operates a number of warehouses.

These days Eddie and Joan are well and truly retired, happy in the knowledge that the company they founded is in the safe hands of younger generations of Farralls.

Joan has passed on her bookkeeping skills to daughter-in-law Elaine, who in turn passed it on to her daughter Kat, and these days Eddie spends much of his spare time under the bonnet of his three

beloved SS Jaguars.

Now for the final question: “Would you do it all again?” I ask.

It’s a resounding ‘yes’ from both of them.

“We have enjoyed it all,” says Eddie.

“There were some bad times, but we got through them.”

“Yes, like laying awake at 3am, trying to decide whether to buy the next truck,” adds Joan.

“We have done it together,” says Eddie, putting his arm around his wife, “me and my soul mate here!”

“I’m just his back-up, to catch him when he falls,” adds Joan, with a smile.

WANTED

The growth that Farrall’s Group has seen in recent years is beyond Eddie and Joan’s wildest dreams.

Both were incredibly proud when, in 2019, grandchildren Matthew and Kat took the reins as joint MDs. The aim of this third generation is to take the business forward while striving to remain at the forefront of the industry through technology. They tell me they “want to ensure that the ethos of a traditional family business and the longstanding culture and values our grandparents and parents built are retained”.

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GALLERY

BEST OF THE BULLER This month’s gallery was taken by truck driver, truck photographer, and writer, Craig McCauley.

Craig’s passion for all things trucks and machinery stems from the cradle, and he says 1988 would be the year he kicked off his photograph collection. His ‘bent’ is trucks operating at the extremes of their ability, with a real connection to agricultural and rural transport. Today Craig’s an accomplished writer and photographer – with three New Zealand Trucking magazine Top Truck of the Year photo titles under his belt. He is well known and respected in both the New Zealand and Australian rural trucking scene.

This month’s pics recall a trip Craig made to the West Coast in the late 90s.

“The South Island’s West Coast has always been home to an interesting array of trucks working in hard country. Westport, in the Buller District, is the northernmost town of any size on the coast, and when I visited near the end of last decade, I captured this selection of trucks working locally.”

1) Johnson Bros. Transport Ltd, the largest carrier in the Buller, ran three of these Ford LTS-9000 Louisvilles. Seen in front of the company’s former depot in Adderley Street, Westport. 2) Milburn New Zealand Ltd Scania P112M, this truck and three others ran a consistent shuttle from the works at Cape Foulwind to the Westport wharf. 3) Ken Kees from Karamea operated this Mack Super Liner, which began its working life with Renall’s in the Wairarapa. Pictured with a healthy load of native logs on. 4) TNL Freighting Mitsubishi FS400S Shogun loaded with stock feed.

94 New Zealand Trucking

Dec 2020 / Jan 2021

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RHINO PHOTO OF THE MONTH COMPETITION

RURAL AT ITS BEST

Our first winner in the Rhino Photo of the Month competition is Tait Robertson from Heriot in Otago. Tait’s hit the nail on the head, sending us a classic rural trucking scene, and what better livery to feature in such a pic than West Otago Transport.

Congratulations Tait, you’re our Rhino winner this month.

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PHOTO OF THE MONTH Each month we will select the best photo from readers and publish it in NZ Trucking magazine plus social media.

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Email pics to editor@nztrucking.co.nz

96 New Zealand Trucking

Dec 2020 / Jan 2021

GAV’S LICENCE JOURNEY It might have been little, but the 300 had two very important, increasingly rare features: a third pedal and a manual gearbox.

CLASS 2

Story by Gavin Myers

I

was a bit perturbed, having left the Rotorua TR Driver Training offices where I’d just completed the class 2 truck driver licence theory and logbook sessions with affable instructor Garry Thrupp. The overall feeling I got was that there was an assumption the learners have had some exposure to or experience in trucking. As we worked through the study guides and

assessments as produced by MITO New Zealand and the NZ Transport Agency, it was a case of page upon page (well over 230) of theory.

Thankfully, TR Driver Training sent out the study guides in advance, which for a couple of weeks took me back to my uni days of trying to juggle work with study.

Having had only a year’s exposure to the industry in the New Zealand context, I wanted to ensure I was as clued up as possible before entering the classroom with Gary. Nonetheless, truckies in general are hands-on,

practical types, so I pondered the effectiveness of books and classrooms.

With a lifetime of experience behind him, Gary speaks the truckies’ language and reiterated all the more important sections in a relatable way. I still expected some practical tuition before hitting the road for my test evaluation.

Luckily this was to come a week later (it should have been two days, but work commitments had to take priority) when I met instructor Dale Brunskill at the TR Group Tauranga depot. We

Prescribed unit standards form the base of modern truck driving knowledge.

98 New Zealand Trucking

Dec 2020 / Jan 2021 0620-04

Class 2 achieved, with the help of the brilliant trainers at TR Driver Training.

were straight into the yard and Dale – also with a wealth of experience to call upon – explained his approach to the art of the pre-trip inspection and loading of a 2-axle truck.

With the opening logbook entry made, it was straight into the driver’s seat so Dale could evaluate my driving style.

My enthusiasm was dampened a little when I was introduced to the 8.5-tonne Hino 300 917 Crew Cab I’d be driving… There were other, much larger class 2 trucks in the yard that both of us agreed would be better for an evaluation drive, except for the fact that Dale refuses to do an evaluation unless it’s in a truck with a manual transmission. The lone manual 300 was it.

“If you master the skills needed to smoothly and efficiently drive a manual, you’ll be able to get the best out of any automatic,” he said. However, it doesn’t necessarily work the other way around. I fully agreed with Dale’s sentiment on that one.

Within the space of a two-hour tour that took in the tightest urban roads, some highway, and the most challenging rural routes Dale knew of in the greater Tauranga area, he had identified and helped me rectify most of my bad habits.

Confident in my abilities behind the wheel it was back to the yard for a yarn and quick cup of tea before hitting the road again for the actual evaluation.

Happily, I now have a class 2 endorsement on the back of my licence card.

However, Dale was quick to point out that all this means, for anybody moving up the licence ranks, is that they’ve met the absolute minimum prescribed standard to be able to drive that class of vehicle.

The only thing left for me to do then, is to get behind the wheel as much as possible – and preferably with those far more experienced than I am.

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Titan mover of earth The the Limit TheSky’s Sky’s the International ProStar 6x4Limit Rigid

Rising in the East Twin Tippers Twin Tippers Scania R620 8x4 rigid

Renault Lander 460.32 8x4 Renault Lander 460.32 8x4 Titan Operator: Earthmovers Ltd – Silverdale Operator Roadex logistics Ltd,X-15 Mount Maunganui Engine: Cummins 448kW (600hp) Operator Roadex logistics Ltd, Mount Maunganui Driver Frank Eaton Roadranger RTLO20918 18-speed Transmission: Richards Driver Frank Richards Engine 0Xi11, 460hp manual Engine 0Xi11, 460hp Transmission Transmission Optidriver Meritor RT 46-160 GP Rear axles: Optidriver Rear axles Renault Rear axles Renault P2191 with hub reduction Rear suspension: P2191 IROS with hub reduction Truck body Flat deck with front mounted PK12000 Truck body Flat deck with front mounted PK12000 Transport and General Transport Trailers Body/trailer: Palfinger crane

Palfinger crane Features/extras: Alloy bumper, stainless drop visor, twin Features brakes, Bluetooth, Features Disc Disc brakes, Bluetooth, stacks Dura-Bright alloy wheels

Dura-Bright alloy wheels Bulk cartage Operation: Carting Operation roofing material Auckland around region Operation Carting roofing material around Driver: Robbie Williams thethe Bay of Plenty area Bay of Plenty area

Renault Lander 460.32 8x4 Renault Lander 460.32 8x4 Operator: HTL Ltd – Whakatane Operator Roadex logistics Ltd, Mount Maunganui Operator Roadex logistics Ltd, Mount Maunganui Engine: Scania DC16 16.4 litre V8 463kW (620hp) Driver Frank Richards Driver Frank Richards Transmission: 460hp Scania Opticruise GRSO905 14-speed Engine 0Xi11, Engine 0Xi11, 460hp AMT Transmission Optidriver Transmission OptidriverScania RBP662 Rear axles: Renault Rear axles P2191 with hub reduction Rear axles Renault P2191 with hub reduction Scania airmounted PK12000 Rear suspension: Truck body Flat deck with front Truck body Flat deck with front mounted PK12000 Body/trailer: Palfinger crane Jackson Enterprises/Nationwide crate

Palfinger crane microwave, leather seats, central tyre Features/extras: TV, Bluetooth, Features Disc brakes, Features Disc brakes, Bluetooth, inflation

Dura-Bright alloy wheels

Dura-Bright alloy wheels Operation: Carting Livestock cartage Operation roofing material around Operation Carting roofing material around the Bay ofDarryn Plenty Ross area Driver: the Bay of Plenty area

FuelHauling Hauling FHcarrying Fuel FH First class ‘Can’

All the comforts of home Shooting Star Shooting Star

Renault Lander 460.32 8x4 Renault Lander 460.32 8x4

RenaultLander Lander460.32 460.328x4 8x4 Renault

Sales:

Rob Byers – PIL

Mercedes-Benz Actros 6x4 tractor Operator:

Mondiale – R N M Enterprises Ltd – Akld

Sales:

Neil Roycroft – KAT

Operator Roadex Roadex logistics Ltd, Mount Maunganui Operator logistics Ltd, Mount Maunganui Engine: M-Benz OM471 396kW (530hp) Driver Frank Richards Driver Frank Richards Transmission:

M-Benz PowerShift-3 12-speed AMT Engine 0Xi11, 460hp Engine 0Xi11, 460hp Rear axles: Optidriver M-Benz Hypoid 13 tonne Transmission Optidriver Transmission Rear suspension: P2191 M-Benz airhub suspension Rear axles Renault P2191 with hub reduction Rear axles Renault with reduction Body/trailer: Andrews Whangarei set up tractor Truck body Flat deck with front mounted PK12000 Truck body Flat deck Keith with front mounted PK12000 Features/extras: Roof-mounted light bar, extra front lighting,

Palfinger crane Palfinger crane Features Disc Disc brakes, Bluetooth, blueBluetooth, grille lights, super-single front tyres Features brakes,

Dura-Bright alloy wheels Paint: Fleet Image Dura-Bright alloy wheels Operation Carting Carting roofing material around Operation: Side-lift container cartage greater Auckland Operation roofing material around

thethe Bay of Plenty area Bay ofMonish Plenty area Driver:

Prasad

Sales:

Andrew Lane – Scania NZ

DAF CF450 Euro-6 4x2 Space Cab tractor Operator:

Efficient Carrying – Napier

Sales:

Mark O’Hara – Southpac

Operator Roadex logistics Ltd, Mount Maunganui Operator Roadex logistics Ltd, Mount336kW Maunganui Engine: PACCAR MX-11 (450hp) Driver Frank Richards Driver Frank Transmission: Richards ZF TraXon 12-speed AMT Engine 0Xi11, 460hp Engine Rear axle: 0Xi11, 460hp DAF with ASR Transmission Optidriver Optidriver Transmission Rear suspension: DAF Electronically Controlled Air Rear axles Renault P2191 with hub reduction Rear axles Renault P2191 with hub reduction Suspension (ECAS) Truck body Flat deck with front mounted PK12000 Truck body Flat deck with front mounted PK12000 Full safety suite, fridge, Alcoa Dura-Bright Features/extras: Palfinger crane Palfinger crane alloyBluetooth, wheels, extra lights, under-truck strip Features Disc brakes, Bluetooth, Features Disc brakes, lights, air horns, side skirts

Dura-Bright alloy wheels Dura-Bright alloytwin wheels Operation: Carting Furniture transport

Operation Carting roofing material around Operation roofing material around Driver: the Bay of Plenty area Todd the Bay ofNick Plenty area

November 2015

100 New Zealand Trucking Dec 2020 / Jan 2021 10 10 NZNZ TRUCKING TRUCKING November 2015

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Northland Star& Michelin Men Mellow Miles Mercedes-Benz Arocs 2651 6x4 rigid

Renault Lander 460.32 8x4

Operator: Aaron Pascoe Contractors Ltd – Operator Roadex Mangakahia logistics Ltd, Mount Maunganui Driver Frank Richards Engine: M-Benz OM471 381kW (510hp) Engine 460hp

M-Benz PowerShift-3 12-speed AMT Transmission:0Xi11, Transmission Optidriver Rear axles: M-Benz 13 tonne Hypoid Rear axles Renault P2191 with hub reduction Rear suspension: M-Benz air suspension Truck body Flat deck with front mounted PK12000 Body/trailer: Transport and General Transport Trailers Palfinger crane Features/extras: CTI, reverse camera, additional Traction-Air Features Disc brakes, Bluetooth, work lights, super-single front tyres Dura-Bright alloy wheels Paint: Sign writing by around Marshall Signs Ltd Operation Carting roofing material Operation: the Bay of Forestry Plenty road area building Driver: Grant Norwood Sales: Neil Roycroft – KAT

Monster in the deep Superb Super Liner

Scania S730 XT 6x4 tractor Renault Lander 460.32 8x4 Operator: D&D Haulage – Tuatapere Operator RoadexScania logistics Ltd, Mount Maunganui Engine: DC16 16.4 litre V8 545kW (730hp) Driver Richards Transmission: Frank

Scania Opticruise GRSO925R 14-speed AMT Engine Rear axles: 0Xi11, 460hp Scania RP735 Hub Reduction Transmission Optidriver Rear suspension: Scania air suspension front and rear Rear axles RenaultXT P2191 hubtonne reduction Features/extras: Specwith – 160 GCM. High ground Truck body Flat deck with frontheavy mounted PK12000 protection, clearance under-bumper Palfinger crane heavy front tow point, strengthened mirror Features Disc brakes, Bluetooth, surrounds Dura-Bright alloy wheels Operation: Heavy haulage lower South Island Operation Carting roofing material around Driver: Unihi the BayDwane of Plenty area Sales: Kere Menzies – Scania NZ

Silver and gold Kenworth K200 2.3m Aerodyne 8x4 rigid Carperton Argosy Operator:

Regal Renault Lander 460.32 8x4 Haulage – Alex Hayes Log Transport – Napier

Operator Roadex logistics Ltd, Mount Maunganui Engine: Cummins X-15 448kW (600hp) Driver Richards

Transmission:Frank Eaton Roadranger 20918B 18-speed manual Engine Meritor RT 46-160GP Rear axles: 0Xi11, 460hp Transmission Optidriver Rear suspension: Kenworth Airglide 460 Rear axles Renault P2191 with hub reduction Body/trailer: Regal in-house engineering. Five-axle tipTruck body Flat deck with front mounted PK12000 over axle trailer Palfinger crane Features/extras: Alcoa Dura-Bright alloy wheels Features Disc brakes, Bluetooth, Fleet Image Paint: Dura-Bright alloy wheels Operation: Carting roofing Bulk cartage Operation material around Driver: Scott Martin the Bay of Plenty area

Sales:

Mark O’Hara – Southpac

Looking chilled about it all Dew’s Jewel Hyundai Xcient QZ P520 6x4 tractor

Renault Lander 460.32 8x4

Operator:

Hornell Investments Ltd – Auckland

Sales:

Scott Pollard

Operator Roadex logistics Mount12.3 Maunganui HyundaiLtd, D6CE52 litre 388kW Engine: Driver Frank Richards (520hp) Engine 0Xi11, 460hp Transmission: ZF AS-tronic Transmission Optidriver Rear axles: Hyundai R178HT single reduction hypoid Rear axles Renault P2191 with hub reduction Rear suspension: Hyundai 4-bag air suspension Truck body Flat deck with front mounted PK12000 15m reefer Body/trailer: PalfingerMaxiCUBE crane Features/extras: Air management Features Disc brakes, Bluetooth, kit, thermal draw (hot/ cold), electric Dura-Bright alloy wheelsroof hatch Operation: Carting roofing Food distribution Auckland metro Operation material around Driver: Bruce Hornell the Bay of Plenty area

Making heavy vehicle fleet management easy for you www.trgroup.co.nz

0800 50 40 50

New Zealand Trucking

DecNovember 2020 / Jan 101 11 2015 2021 NZ TRUCKING

new kiwi bodies & trailers New Zealand Trucking brings you New Kiwi Bodies & Trailers. Bodies and trailers are expected to last twice as long as trucks. What’s more, there’s new technology and advanced design features showing up almost every month.

New Zealand has a rich heritage of body and trailer building and we’re proud to showcase some recent examples of Kiwi craftsmanship every month. If you want a body or trailer included on these pages, send a photo, features and the manufacturer’s name to trailers@nztrucking.co.nz

Swinging in the garden TR Group has just built up this striking Swinglift HC4020 container sidelifter for Cardinal Logistics. The unit looks crisp and clean in Cardinal’s trademark livery. Equipped with extended outreach lift modules, the trailer runs a Yanmar (68hp) auxiliary power unit. Matched to its Fuso tractor unit, the snazzy combination will busy itself working from the company’s Christchurch DC. Features: ROR SL9 disc brake axles and suspension.

Swinglift NZ Ltd

‘Hang on wait for me!’

Remember the fabulous new 10.52m 5-axle monocoque livestock trailer Total Transport Engineers LP built for Harvest Matawhero Transport, which we featured in the October 2020 New Kiwi Bodies and Trailers? Well, here’s the new front bit.

Built on an 8x4 Scania R620 chassis the monocoque deck and Nationwide Stock Crates livestock crate now complete the new unit.

Features: Stainless steel deck, polished stainless steel guards, alloy effluent tank.

Total Transport Engineers LP

KIWI 16/17

KIWI 175

Contact John O’Donnell 027 226 9995, Jim Doidge 021 190 1002 or Hayden Jones 0800 549 489 | sales@kiwityres.co.nz |

0800 KIWI TYRES (0800 549 489) | kiwitrucktyres.nz 102 New Zealand Trucking

Dec 2020 – Jan 2021

Roman, italic, bold, bold italic

alic

We have Warren, Warren, and now, Warren!

Wilkins Farming Co in Southland has just commissioned its third Warren Auger Bins (NZ) Ltd stock feed combination, and what an object of beauty it is! The 6.1m (20ft) open top 4-compartment auger truck bin is mounted on an 8x4 Scania R520. In tow is a stunning 5-axle monocoque trailer

with an 8.5m (28ft) 6-compartment bin, also with open tops. The 9.1m (30ft) discharge auger will reach a silo 10m high. A Deutz oil-cooled diesel engine runs the trailer hydraulics. The stunning and suspension, WABCO braking paint job was done at Matamata system, and Alcoa Dura-Bright Car Painters. alloy wheels.

Features: SAF Intradisc axles

Warren Auger Bins (NZ) Ltd

We bet you had no idea!

Who would have known the trailer behind Cuzzin Transport’s slick new Kenworth T909 was their existing trailer refurbished.

Yes folks, Patchell Industries are not just about new and swanky, they’re more than happy to put your old trolley through the time machine.

The truck was all brand new though, with a steel painted cabguard, fixed stanchion layover bolsters fitted with load restraint chains and twitches, trailer carriers, onboard weigh system, and LED lights.

Features: Trailer – Full refurbishment of existing 4-axle trailer.

Patchell Industries

Spec your trailer on KIWIs – the new tyre of choice for KIWIs KIWI 16

KIWI 17

KIWI 175

Wide grooves will not hold stones Heavy duty case Excellent mileage performance 17mm extra deep tread

The KIWI 16’s tougher twin Super heavy duty case Puncture resistant 17mm extra deep tread

Multi use tread pattern Urban/highway/off road Puncture resistant 17.5mm extra deep tread

265/70R19.5

215/75R17.5 265/70R19.5

265/70R19.5

New Zealand Trucking

Dec 2020 – Jan 2021 103

Left: Sprue G moulded in silver plastic, the perfect base for our black and white paint.

Above: Cut the sprue to isolate the four rims that need to be painted white. Leaving the parts on the sprue makes for faster and cleaner paint application.

Story and photos by Carl Kirkbeck

MINI BIG WHEELS

ROLLIN’ This month it is all about the painting and assembly of wheels and tyres in readiness for fitment to the axles.

I

t is now time to move towards a rolling chassis, so looking at step 4 and step 6, we see there are areas of sub assembly that detail the correct process for both the front and rear wheels.

The first step is to paint the wheels and rims. The truck we are replicating is the Pilkington Automotive Glass Mercedes-Benz driven by Ken Kirk in

104 New Zealand Trucking

the 1990s. This was an era where there were very few polished alloy wheels around. Today we live in an age where standard spec is highly polished alloy for just about every application, including rubbish trucks. Back in the 90s it was the polar opposite and it was all about 5- or 6-spoke artilleries or painted 10-stud steelies; polished alloys were special order only. Ten-stud steelies are what we find on our truck, painted with a two-tone effect, black wheel bodies to match the chassis, with very distinctive white paint applied to the outer faces of the rim edges.

Italeri have moulded all the wheel bodies and rims on one sprue, labelled G. As you will see, sprue G is moulded

in a silver plastic that will cover easily with both the black and white paint, so no need for primer undercoat here.

First step is to leave all the wheels and rims on the sprue; this will make paint application a lot easier for us. Next, identify an area of the sprue where there are four outer rims in close proximity to each other that you can cut away from the main sprue. This way you can paint these four together in the white on a mini sprue, then paint the balance of the main sprue in the black. This will greatly speed up the process for you and it is also easier to handle the freshly painted items while they dry. Have a quick look over the parts at this stage to remove any flash left over from moulding. Also,

Dec 2020 / Jan 2021

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alic

Use a sharp hobby knife to remove paint from areas to be glued so the glue adheres correctly.

Use sandpaper to scuff the tread surface of the tyres to give them a realistic worn look.

Again, remove little areas of paint between the wheel nuts to get good glue adhesion.

Left: Another step closer, six wheels for our 6x4.

Right: Our subject matter, Pilkington Automotive Glass/Ken Kirk circa 1992.

if necessary, clean any grease or grime that might be on the parts with warm slightly soapy water, rinse thoroughly and allow to completely dry.

I have chosen TS-29 semi-gloss black and TS-26 pure white from Tamiya.

These paints are supplied in 100ml mini spray cans that are premixed specifically for plastic model kit sets; they are set to go at a push on the nozzle. Follow all the instructions and precautions on the can as you are dealing with a fine mist spray that is not good to inhale. When spraying with these mini cans you need to hold them about 250 to 300mm away from the item you are painting. Always keep the can moving so as to not load up the paint in one area. The art is to lightly dust the paint on from all angles to achieve a good solid coat that covers the plastic evenly but does not build up too thickly and hide detail.

Once the paint has thoroughly dried remove all the wheel bodies and rims from the spurs and lay out in assembly sequence. Before applying glue, ensure that you use the sharp edge of your hobby knife to gently scrape away any

paint on the areas that require glue application, as the paint will stop the glue from activating adhesion of the parts you are gluing together. Once all 10 wheels are assembled and glued together, allow them to dry completely.

The early Italeri truck kitsets had rather crude tyres that were moulded in plastic and came in two halves that required gluing together. They were okay however, being plastic, they required painting with a flat black colour to give them a sense of realism. Fortunately the new Italeri kits now come with much more realistic one-piece tyres that are moulded from rubber, so factory fresh they have an extremely realistic finish and greater level of detail. Gently remove the tyres from the sprue by using either micro shear side cutters or a sharp hobby knife. One trick that I was taught is to gently sand the tread surface of the tyres before you fit them; this adds a true sense of realism by giving the tyres a genuine scuffed and slightly worn look to them. Once you are happy with the look of the tyres, fit them onto the completed wheel assemblies.

The last items to fit are the decorative wheel nut covers to the two front wheels. These are both numbered 114A and are also moulded in silver. You can fit them as they are, or like I did, paint them with Tamiya X11 Chrome Silver to give them a bit more sparkle. Again, gently remove the paint in between the wheel nuts so that the glue will adhere directly to the plastic.

There we have it, a completed set of six wheels for our 6x4 Mercedes-Benz.

Next time we will be fitting all the various accessories to the chassis in preparation for painting.

Do you build model trucks? Would you like to share your stories and model builds with our readers?

Then please feel free to contact us (carl@nztrucking.co.nz). These pages are dedicated to supporting the hobby, and we would like to hear from you.

New Zealand Truckingâ&#x20AC;&#x201A; Dec 2020 / Jan 2021â&#x20AC;&#x201A;â&#x20AC;&#x201A;105

LITTLE TRUCKERS’ CLUB

2020 FUN FACTS QUIZ 1: In 1964 the first Kenworth was introduced to New Zealand. What model was it? ..................................

2: What town in Brazil did Christine Cort live in when two trucks drove into her house 22 years apart? ..........................

3: What kind of truck is the world’s largest limousine? ...................................

4: In New Zealand about 92% of freight is transported by trucks and measured by ................................

5: The first Mack Truck was built in Palmerston North. Can you name the model? ...................................

6: Which truck got its name from partners Harry Kent and Edgar Worthington? .......................................

7: Founded in 1867 ................................. is possibly New Zealand’s oldest transport company.

8: I n 1929, .......................... .......................... from Texas, USA, is believed to be the first licensed female truck driver.

TWICE THE FUN! Once you have answered the fun facts quiz you will have the answers to both these puzzles. For the word find, the answers can be found upwards, downwards, across and diagonally. The crossword answers fit in the grid from top to bottom in the order of the quiz questions, with the last one going down the centre of the grid. I have filled in one of the answers in each puzzle for you to start you off. Enjoy!

B C 1 4 0 V M F M 3 G H 6 6

L I L L I E D R E N N A N 4

A F 6 2 8 K N 7 A P F 0 M 2

Y H P 3 H L 6 0 Z I D P A C

U P J K E 4 T 0 9 T A E C X

S O N Z E X P R E S S T D Z

P E T E R B I

A X L F N N 9 L 8 R K E T B

L C N G 0 G W K F 6 V R H 7

L T

V V L H 7 Q 2 O H 0 X B G L

A L W 7 D R 8 J R I 5 I B S

D M 9 9 S 2 8 A 5 T 2 L F A

O B 3 8 W 3 C 9 2 H H T L I

R N 2 U W E I G H T L 8 K P

E A 9 U B Y M 4 1 N 9 7 Y L

JOKE OFNTH: THE MO t k carrying frui

A truc led them accidently espexilpressway. th er all ov fic jam!

It caused a traf

HI LITTLE TRUCKERS!

M

erry Christmas Little Truckers! It’s hard to believe it is the end of 2020, what a fun year we have had! I have really enjoyed our fun facts and sharing what I learn each month with you all, so much so that this month our last competition for the year is a fun quiz covering everything we have learnt. Answer all the questions correctly and send me your answers to go into the draw to win an awesome prize pack!

Email your answers to me at rochelle@ nztrucking.co.nz. Entries close 19 January 2021 and the winner will be announced in our February issue. Also, just for fun I have created two word puzzles for you to do over your Christmas break. The clues to both puzzles are the answers to the fun facts quiz; good luck and have fun.

Congratulations to Lucas Braxton who found the ‘Find the Truck’ logo on page 40 of the November issue. Keep an eye on your mailbox, a prize is on its way to you.

Thank you all for an amazing year, I look forward to seeing you all next year. Have a fantastic Christmas with all your friends and family, kids!

FIND THE LITTLE TRUCKERS’ CLUB LOGO The Little Truckers’ Club logo is hidden somewhere in this issue – find it and let me know where it is and you never know your luck, you may just win a wee prize! You can email me at rochelle@nztrucking.co.nz.

106 New Zealand Trucking

Dec 2020 / Jan 2021

uit hem way. jam!

ROAD SAFETY TRUCK Since the Covid-19 alert levels dropped back to level 1 and 2 the Road Safety Truck has been super busy. Partnering up with Teletrac Navman to run a campaign for Mental Health Week 21st -27th September. The truck headed south to Dunedin and set up in Toll’s yard to share resources and raise awareness around mental health for truck drivers.

Later in the week the road show set up at Glasnevin Weigh Bridge outside of Amberley. The drivers that visited were also given a “TRUCKING ALONG” window sticker for their truck and a resistance exercise band from Teletrac Navman. Cody Hunter from Teletrac Navman has made a video showing how to use the bands. This can be accessed on our website. EROAD joined the team in Dunedin and bought St John’s along to provide free health checks for the drivers that visited. BP rewarded the drivers by giving away Wild Bean coffee vouchers. Over 300 truck drivers, staff and management attended the weeks’ visits. Lots of good conversations took place, the drivers seemed quite open to discuss mental health and share stories.

We teamed up with Steve Murphy (SML) to visit Glentunnel and Clarkville School. These are both country schools that have a lot of trucks going past their gate, so they really benefitted from learning about how to be safe around trucks. SML did a stopping distance demonstration to show how long it takes for a log truck to stop at different speeds.

Lyttleton School also got a visit, with the team set up at the Port. The Road Safety Truck is in high demand and we are working towards putting a permanent team on board so it can go further.

Become a supporter of the Road Safety Truck today - you can join the New Zealand Trucking Assoication or make a donation

Join us today! 0800 338 338 www.nztruckingassn.co.nz

WWW.ROADSAFETYTRUCK.CO.NZ

HEALTHY TRUCK DRIVER TOP TIP

Order your window stickers and display it on your vehicles to show awareness and empathy around mental heatlh in the trucking industry.

We know some people have times when they are not TRUCKING ALONG WELL! LETS TALK ..........

alic

WHAT’S ON Truck drivers’ Christmas day out

13 December 2020 Assemble at J Swap Contractors, Pepper Street, Matamata Registration essential – 50 places only Contact: Dave 027 477 8775

Brisbane Truck Show

13 to 16 May 2021 Brisbane Convention Centre Contact: 0061 7 3376 6266 admin@brisbanetruckshow.com.au www.brisbanetruckshow.com

Wings and Wheels Thames 30 January 2021 Contact: Mary Thompson 027 200 3433, 07 868 5699

Toki Truck Show

All scheduled events may be subject to change depending on weather conditions etc. It is suggested you check the websites above before setting out.

Wheels at Wanaka

Show organisers – please send your event details at least eight weeks in advance to editor@nztrucking.co.nz for a free listing on this page.

21 March 2021 Tui Brewery, State Highway 2, Mangatainoka, Wairarapa Contact: Rachael Fletcher 02 612 998 www.tuihq.co.nz

4 April 2021 Three Parks, Ballantyne Road, Wanaka Contact: Colleen Nisbet 021 780 674 www.wheelsatwanaka.co.nz

108 New Zealand Trucking

Dec 2020 / Jan 2021

1220-18

TN360 AI-powered journey pPlanning solution

Stay one step ahead with guided driver routes for instant impact Get notified when a driver goes off-route â&#x20AC;&#x201C; redirects them back to route

Instant access to trip reporting and analytics for insights into jobs and journeys

Turn-by-turn voiceguided driver guidance through a familiar view

Journeys sent direct to the driver in the vehicle to complete

0800 447 735 1220-14

TeletracNavman.co.nz

112 Moving Metrics 116 NZ Trucking Association – Summit 20 118 Person of Interest – Michael Wood 120 Incoming Cargo – Einride pod 124 IRTENZ – Electric vehicles 126 Product Profile – Domett next gen 128 Sponsored Content – Varta Fonterra 136 Truckers’ Health 138 Health and Safety 140 Legal Lines 142 NZ Trucking Association 144 Road Transport Forum 146 The Last Mile B R OUG HT TO Y OU B Y

MOVING METRICS

THE SALES NUMBERS New Zealand Trucking shows you how the economy is travelling via key metrics from the road transport industry. From time to time we’ll be asking experts their opinion on what the numbers mean.

Summary of heavy trucks and trailers first registered in October

Note: vehicle classes are not the same as RUC vehicle types or driver licence classes.

This information is put together from information provided by the NZ Transport Agency statistical analysis NB, NC and TD classes year team First and registration through the of Open Data Portal. on year to date 3000 Vehicle type

Description

NB (medium goods vehicle)

A goods vehicle that has a gross vehicle mass exceeding 3.5 tonnes but not exceeding 12 tonnes

NC (heavy goods vehicle)

A goods vehicle that has a gross vehicle mass exceeding 12 tonnes

TD (heavy trailer)

A trailer that has a gross vehicle mass exceeding 10 tonnes

2749

This 2500summary 2251 includes data from two heavy truck 2035 classes and one1833 heavy trailer class.

2000

Number of units

Vehicle class

1500

1267 A goods vehicle is a motor vehicle that: 1005 1000 (a) is constructed primarily for the carriage of goods; and 500 (b) either: 0 (i) has at least four wheels; or YTD 2019 YTD 2020 (ii) has three wheels and a gross vehicle mass exceeding one tonne.

A table of all vehicle classes can be found in Table A of the Land Transport Rule Vehicle Dimensions and Mass 2016 Rule 41001/2016 First registration off NB and NC class vehicles for https://www.nzta.govt.nz/assets/resources/rules/docs/vehicleOctober by manufacturer dimensions-and-mass-2016-as-at-1-june-2019.pdf 70

s

60 50

rs

zu

o

Ive co Ke nw or th

YTD 2020

NB

Oct-19

Dec 2020 / Jan 2021

First registration of TD class heavy trailers for October year on year by manufacturer 48

10 8

6 4

TE S NC

Oct-20

6 7 132

113

rs

14 209

Ot he

10

TM C

12

ra ile rs

17 8

po rt T

0

206 13

11

Tr an s

50

249

15

39

287

l Ro ad m as te r

Number of units

30300 250 20 200 7 10 10 150 0 100

vehicle class Oct-19Heavy Oct-20

NC

112 New Zealand Trucking

NC

Pa tc he l

M M er AN ce de sB en z Sc an UD ia Tr uc ks

zu

o

Ive co Ke nw or th

Isu

o

Hi n

Fu s

DA F

NB

7

1

0

10

40350

Do m et t

7

17

50

Number of units

7

10

11

25

vo

12

2021

rs

24

Ot he

20

31

Vo l

Number of units

34

1005

First registration of TD class heavy trailers for

50

24

10

7

1 1267

October yearof onNB, yearNC by manufacturer First registration and TD class vehicles 48 for October year on year

60

61

27 24

Isu

YTD 2019

52

30

o

Oct-20

70

40

NB

0

First registration off NB and NC class vehicles for October by manufacturer 60

Hi n

500

TD

Heavy vehicle class Oct-19

17

7

M M er AN ce de sB en z Sc an UD ia Tr uc ks

NC

1000

M .T .E .

NB

11

7

25

2021

01500

50 0

2035

vo

113

100

Fu s

132

150

24

1833

ha uf

200

2749

31

Ot he

209

206

34 27 24 24 2251

30 2500 20 12 2000 10

Fr ue

249

250

403000

Vo l

287

DA F

300

50

Number of units

Number of units

350

61

First registration 52 of NB, NC and TD classes year on year to date

60

Number of units

First registration of NB, NC and TD class vehicles for October year on year

TD

First registration of new and used NC class vehicles by October First registration ofyear newtoand used NC class vehicles by year to October 9

3000

Number of units Number of units

2500 3000

49

2000 2500

49

1500 2000

28

23

3 3

9

28

0 0

23

1000 1500 500 1000 0 500 0

2128

1935

2438

2652

2747

2033

2128 2015

1935 2016

2438 2017

2652 2018

2747 2019

2033 2020

2015

2016

2018

2019

2020

2017 Year

Year

New

Used

New

Used

First registration in for NC class vehicles year to date 2018 -in 2020 by manufacturer First registration for NC class vehicles year to 600 date 2018 - 2020 by manufacturer Number of units Number of units

500 600 400 500 300 400 200 300 100 200

DA DAF F Fu Fus o so Hi Hin o no Isu Isuz u zu I Ive vec o c Ke Keon w nw or orth th M M M AN er eMrcAe Nd ce e de s B s Be nz en z Sc Scan an ia UD UiDa T r Tr uc uck s ks V o Vo lvo lvo Ot Oth er he s rs

0 100 0

2018

2018

2019

2019

2020

2020

2018

2019

rs Ot he

TM C

ra ile rs

TE S

po rt T Tr an s

l Ro ad m as te r

Pa tc he l

M .T .E .

Fr ue

ha uf

700 600 500 400 300 200 100 0

Do m et t

Number of units

First registration in for TD class heavy trailers year to date 2018 - 2020 by manufacturer

2020

New Zealand Trucking

Dec 2020 / Jan 2021 113

This information is put together from information provided by the NZ Transport Agency. New Zealand Trucking acknowledges the assistance of the media team at NZTA for providing this information to us.

ROAD USER CHARGES

RUC purchase for October 2020, all RUC types A description of RUC vehicle types is available at https://www.nzta.govt.nz/ vehicles/licensing-rego/road-user-charges/ruc-rates-and-transaction-fees/ Please note data may differ from that reported for the same period previously due to adjustments made to the base data supplied to us.

Total value and distance of all road user charges purchased between 1 January 2018 and 31 October 2020 Purchase period

Distance purchased (km)

Value of purchases

Monthly average (km)

1 Jan 2018 – 31 Dec 2018

15,736,558,458

$1,875,364,397

1,311,379,872

1 Jan 2019 – 31 Dec 2019

16,166,434,103

$2,041,939,272

1 January – 31 October12,496,599,334 2020 1 Jan 2020 –2020 31 Oct 2020 RUC distance purchased for RUC Type 1 vehicles RUC type 1 vehicles are powered vehicles with two axles (except type 2 or type 299 vehicles.

Type 299 are mobile cranes). Cars, vans, and light trucks that use fuel not taxed at source, i.e. diesel fuel, are generally in this RUC type.

1,094,452,842

8,899,941,524 $1,675,740,509

889,994,152 1,249,659,933

Purchase period

Distance purchased (km)

Monthly average (km)

1 Jan 2019 – 31 Oct 2019

9,492,310,592

949,231,059

1 Jan 2020 – 31 Oct 2020

8,899,941,524

889,994,152

Rolling trend month-on-month purchase of RUC during 2019 – 2020

Rolling trend month-on-month purchase of RUC during 2019 – 2020

$200,000,000 $150,000,000 $100,000,000 $50,000,000

RUC Distance Purchased (km) 114 New Zealand Trucking

Dec 2020 / Jan 2021

RUC purchases for the top eight RUC types

Oct-20

Sep-20

Aug-20

Jul-20

Jun-20

May-20

Apr-20

Mar-20

Feb-20

Jan-20

Dec-19

Nov-19

$0

RUC Value ($)

Purchase value ($)

$250,000,000

2,000,000,000 1,800,000,000 1,600,000,000 1,400,000,000 1,200,000,000 1,000,000,000 800,000,000 600,000,000 400,000,000 200,000,000 Oct-19

Distance purchased (Km)

RUC purchases all RUC types

The top eight RUC type purchases, other than type 1 in descending order RUC Type Description 2

Powered vehicles with one single-tyred spaced axle and one twin-tyred spaced axle

6

Powered vehicles with three axles, (except type 308, 309, 311, 399 or 413 vehicles)

43

Unpowered vehicles with four axles

14

Powered vehicles with four axles (except type 408, 414 or type 499 vehicles)

951

Unpowered vehicles with five or more axles

H94

Towing vehicle that is part of an overweight combination vehicle consisting of a type 14 RUC vehicle towing a type 951 RUC vehicle with a permit weight of not more than 50,000kg

33

Unpowered vehicles with three twin-tyred, or single large-tyred, close axles (except vehicle type 939)

408

Towing vehicles with four axles that are part of a combination vehicle with a total of at least eight axles

RUC purchases year to date (end of October 2020) for selected RUC types

RUC class

RUC value ($)

RUC distance (km)

2

$142,321,547 $220,084,106 $94,948,367 $163,115,834 $59,265,455 $75,798,127 $31,975,795 $40,506,795

$142,321,547 943,702,358 $220,084,106 535,464,360 $94,948,367 417,371,604 391,103,701 $163,115,834 342,821,570 $59,265,455 183,020,270 $75,798,127 178,593,814 $31,975,795 108,613,929

943,702,358

$828,016,026

$40,506,795 3,100,691,606 $828,016,026

108,613,929

2 6 6 43 43 14 14 951 951 H94 H94 33 40833

408 Total YTD Total year to date

535,464,360 417,371,604 391,103,701 342,821,570 183,020,270 178,593,814 3,100,691,606

80,000,000 60,000,000 40,000,000 20,000,000 0

2

6

43

80,000,000

Total RUC distance (Km)

$10,000,000

60,000,000

$5,000,000

40,000,000

20,000,000 H94 33 0 RUC type 14

$15,000,000

951

408

2

$30,000,000

100,000,000

$25,000,000

80,000,000

43

14

951

H94

33

RUC type

Total RUC distance (Km)

$10,000,000

20,000,000 0

6

$15,000,000

40,000,000

$0

Total RUC Value ($)

$20,000,000

60,000,000

$5,000,000 6 43 14 951 $0 RUC type

2

408 Total RUC distance (Km)

the cost of RUC $20,000,000 purchased for that RUC type for the year to date $15,000,000 October 2020 only, thus for RUC type 6 vehicles, $10,000,000 powered vehicles with three axles, (except type $5,000,000 308, 309, 311, 399 or 413 vehicles), the higher value $0 results from the high cost H94 33 408 of RUC for these type vehicles above 12 tonne.

Purchase Value ($)

100,000,000

120,000,000

Purchase value ($)

100,000,000

$20,000,000

Distance Purchased (km)

120,000,000

Distance purchased (km)

120,000,000

Purchase Value ($)

RUC purchases June 2020 for selected types RUC purchases June 2020 for selected types RUC purchases October 2020 for selected 140,000,000 140,000,000 $25,000,000 $25,000,000 The red dots represent types

Total RUC Value ($)

Total RUC Value ($)

Distance purchased (km)

ed dots represent the cost of RUC purchased for that RUC type for the year The red to date dotsJune represent 2020 the cost of RUC purchased for that RUC type for the year to date June 2020 RUC distance purchased January to October for thus for RUC type 6 vehicles, powered vehicles with three axles, (exceptonly, typethus 308,for 309, RUC 311, type 6 vehicles, powered vehicles with three axles, (except type 308, 309, 311, The red dots represent the cost of RUC purchased for that RUC type for the year to date October or 413 vehicles), the higher value results from the high costselected of RUC forRUC these 399types or type 413vehicles vehicles), above the higher value results from the high cost of RUC for these type vehicles abov 2020 only, thus for RUC type 6 vehicles, powered vehicles with three axles, (except type 308, 309, 1,200,000,000 nne.

12 tonne.

311, 399 or 413 vehicles), the higher value results from the high cost of RUC for these type vehicles 1,000,000,000 By comparing above 12 tonne.

800,000,000

700,000,000 600,000,000

400,000,000 200,000,000

500,000,000

-

400,000,000

2

6

43

300,000,000

YTD 2019

200,000,000 100,000,000 -

2

6

43

14

951

H94

33

408

Distance Purchased (km)

RUC distance purchased year to date (January to June) 600,000,000 for selected RUC types

distance purchased date withtothe RUC distance purchased year to year dateto(January June) same period for the for selected RUC types previous year, any 700,000,000 trends in changes to 600,000,000 activity will become 500,000,000 clear.

14 400,000,000 951 H94

33

408

300,000,000

YTD200,000,000 2020 100,000,000 -

2

6

New Trucking 43 Zealand 14 951 H94Dec 2020 33/ Jan 2021 408 115

RUC type By comparing distance purchased year to date with the same period forRUC thetype previous year, any YTDtrends 2019 in YTD 2020 YTD 2019 YTD 2020 changes to activity will become clear.

NZTA INDUSTRY SUMMIT

RTF CEO Nick Leggett

DOING IT FOR THE

INDUSTRY

R

oad Transport Forum CEO Nick Leggett was the first guest speaker at the summit and touched on a number of concerns with which the industry is grappling at the moment – starting with the most obvious, the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic.

Leggett said there’s still uncertainty on the horizon ‘as the impact on the world continues to ripple and economies remain impacted’, and that the RTF remains concerned that there’s a lack of planning from government around Covid and the rebuilding of the economy.

However, he reiterated the good work done by the RTF for truckers working under

116 New Zealand Trucking

tough conditions at the time, illustrating their inability to buy food, find open bathrooms or even operate under arbitrary rules, which were successfully petitioned against. “The public sentiment responded to that, they got it. Our job was to try and illustrate the reality of what we do and we need stories and people to do that. So if you have a driver who’s done something amazing, we’d like to tell their stories on your behalf,” he said.

While Covid is a new concern facing the industry, there are still some traditional issues that need continuous attention. The National Land Transport Fund, for example, that truckers all contribute to through road user charges, which is not being spent only on roads, but is also going to the likes of rail or bike lanes. “That falls down to the slightly illogical agenda that puts road and vehicles last on the hierarchy of needs.

They’re only looking at major new roading projects really since Covid has revealed the need for a stimulus. We’ll be keeping the discussion going on that,” said Leggett. “If trucking operators are paying

for the roads, the money should actually be spent on these areas.”

Leggett also touched on the concern that the industry has around the possible change of employment law.

“It will decimate the choice that avails people to be an owner-driver, the ability to control their own lives and livelihoods, and negotiate terms. That’s a real threat and we’ll be keeping the industry informed of that as it comes up, and advocating for some sensible change where it might be required.”

In defending the role the trucking industry plays as ‘the most efficient, fastest and most competitive way to get stuff around, so people can live their lives’, as Leggett put it, he suggests being openminded, not defensive, and telling the good stories of the work the industry does every day. “We are under threat as an industry because there is an ideology that doesn’t like combustion engines, trucks, commerce particularly. It’s our role to tell that story. We have to be positive.”

Leggett continued: “The external perceptions of this industry, particularly by a

• 2 • 1

Dec 2020 / Jan 2021 0220-08

The 2020 New Zealand Trucking Association Industry Summit took place on Saturday 21 November at Riccarton Racecourse, Christchurch. Over the next few issues, we’ll report on some of the presentations.

lot of the politicians and government, are not that positive, and they’re not actually real either. So we need to have some time where we can sit down and maybe concede some things, talk about some of the things that concern them. Talk about how we can improve safety, lift standards, but also some of the stuff that can make operators’ jobs easier: how can we be more efficient, effective, keep government out of business to the point where as long as they know you’re safe, efficient and doing what you said you’d do, you’re left to be free to run your business the way you want.”

Leggett said that RTF feels that a lot of the issues facing the industry could be best captured under an industry accord, similar to that in the construction industry.

“At our [the RTF’s] industry conference last year [former Minister of Transport] Phil Twyford asked us if we were interested in an industry accord. I went back to him a couple of times to talk about that and when he finally answered he said wait until after the election. Well, the election’s been and gone, he’s no longer the minister, but we will be taking that up – because it’s about capturing all our issues, and putting them on the table at once so we can have a really good discussion.”

NZT 20

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NZT 2001 Kiwi Tryre Ad.indd 1

21/01/20 2:33 PM

PERSON OF INTEREST

Q&A WITH THE MINISTER New Zealand Trucking editor Dave McCoid had a one-to-one Q&A session with the new Minister of Transport, Michael Wood.

I

t’s high time the post of transport minister was held by someone who understands and is ready and willing to engage with the industry. With Wood’s recent appointment as Minister of Transport (as well as Minister of Workplace Relations & Safety), we felt it was an opportune time to understand early on where he sits philosophically with regards to the road transport industry.

In opposition Wood was Labour’s spokesperson for Transport, Revenue, and Consumer Affairs – so he has at least some familiarity with the portfolio. Given the former minister of transport was borderline apathetic, and the associate minister was outwardly not a fan of the industry, will it be smoother roads ahead this term?

Let’s kick off with a really basic question – as a citizen of New Zealand, what’s your impression of the road transport industry?

Trucking plays a really important part in the economic and social structure in New Zealand; more than 90% of goods transported in New Zealand do come through trucks and our broader freight system. It’s absolutely essential to how we go about and live our lives. Like any sector, it faces some challenges and opportunities as well in a changing world.

We’ve seen in Covid how important that connectivity is.

We know there are challenges around making sure we’ve got an adequate supply of

118 New Zealand Trucking

drivers, some of the standards within the industry; that big looming challenge not just for trucking but pretty much for everyone around the drive for decarbonisation. So, an incredibly important sector and lots of issues for us to work on in the next few years.

The transport portfolio, was it something you put your hand up for or something you were given?

It was something I really wanted to have. I’m an Aucklander born and bred, so I can see as well as anyone how the issues of transport policy and whether we get it right or not affects people’s lives. One of the things I’ve learnt quickly in this portfolio is everyone has a view on transport because everyone is affected by transport one way or another.

It’s one of the ways we can improve New Zealand’s economic performance, the ways in which our cities and our regions work, and our environmental outcomes if we get the policy right and work together.

It’s just a hugely interesting space. If you look at the core things we’re trying to achieve, they’re things most people would sign up to – making our cities and regions work better, moving freight around more effectively, saving lives, and that big challenge of decarbonisation. If we can agree on those goals, it’s a very exciting challenge to work out how we get from A to B. That attracts me, that kind of problem solving, and I’m sure we can do it.

Dec 2020 / Jan 2021

Michael Wood

More than 93% of freight is moved by road, at a time where the infrastructure in the regional state highway network routes is detonating faster than ever witnessed.

How do you plan to address that in the context of road freight being an absolutely key component of our climb out of the Covid economic situation?

What we’ve inherited is a pretty long period of neglect across many of our regional roads. In the last term of government we started to put additional funding into the GPS in the category of road maintenance; that pretty much flatlined under the previous National Government. We’ve increased it significantly; we’re renewing 60% more of those regional roads that were being renewed by the previous government. We’ve started making progress there, but there are a hang of a lot of roads in new Zealand, so we’ve just got to keep that up and that’s one of the things I’m committed to as transport minister: as we add new projects into the mix – and that’s a part of what we’re doing – that we don’t forget about looking after what we’ve got. In my inbox every single day I get alerted to every single state highway where there are these issues, and I’m going to keep working with the

NZTA to make sure we keep on top of that maintenance programme.

As a transport minister, how do you see your role in educating the public of the importance of road transport and helping to defeat the somewhat of a pariah status we often have in the community?

I think it’s a real shame and wrongheaded if people are thinking of the trucking industry in that way. As we’ve discussed, a huge number of our goods get to market and to customers because of this industry and that needs to be acknowledged. One of the areas maybe we need to talk through with people a bit more is the way in which transport does work together. I am a minister who believes you don’t just look at one part of a transport system, you look at the whole chain from A to B. I want to build up a system in which we have all the modes – be it trucking, rail, coastal shipping – working together really effectively. We haven’t always done that well in the past and I think as we transition to doing that, we need to make sure people understand what it’s all about; it’s not about running down any one sector, it’s about getting things to work together well.

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WATCH FOR MORE! For the full interview and to find out what the minister thinks about collecting RUCs from hydrogen and electric vehicles and how he plans to handle the review of the driver licensing system, watch the video on our YouTube channel.

F

F Scan here to go straight there.

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NZT 20

Murray ‘Hogget’ Maslin – Switzers Valley Transport The name for Switzers Valley Transport came about over a few drinks with friends when Murray Maslin and his partner were renovating their house. Everyone wrote their suggestion for a name on the bare walls, and Switzers Valley Transport was the winner.

Murray has been in the trucking game most of his life, starting out as a driver for Andrews Transport at age 18. He eventually became a shareholder in Andrews Transport before selling in 2010 and going out on his own.

Favourite truck?

Freightliner. I just love the power and have always found them nice to drive. Of the trucks I’ve owned the Freightliner would be the favourite by a long shot.

Favourite place to get a pie?

Definitely McGregor’s Pies in Palmerston, east Otago, renown around the world.

Favourite MyTrucking feature?

Being able to input jobs and send them off to the trucks, no trying to explain myself over the phone to a driver. I admit to being the worst writer in the world and the guys used to have trouble. Now I send the work to the guys the night before and they have it clear as anything on their phone.

Favourite trucking route?

Definitely not Arthur’s Pass! I enjoy the road from Gore to Christchurch.

I like a challenge to go a bit further, so definitely up the main road, State Highway 1.

Favourite gearbox?

18-Speed Roadranger. I don’t like automatics, it’s just force of habit, I’ve got to have a gearstick in the truck.

Starting out with one truck, Switzers Valley Transport has grown to a fleet of 13 trucks with livestock carting, bulk carting and spreading arms of the business.

“We’re a rural trucking firm, sow fert, cart fert and cart stock and general goods. I’m the major shareholder and run the bulk and sowing division,” Murray explains.

“We’re pretty down the road rural carriers but we try to be a bit different in some of the things we do. We’re owner-operator, which I think is important, we’re not a corporate and the buck stops at myself and my stock manager.

“I feel you always work harder if it’s your bum that’s on the line.

We try to be up with the play, we’ve got modern gear and try to be revolutionary with everything we do to make the best buck for ourselves, and give clients very good service.”

Switzers Valley is based in Southland, 53km inland from Gore, but carts all around New Zealand, with stock trucks going through to the North Island.

Murray jumped on board with MyTrucking after a few gentle nudges, and admits to being a bit nervous about the technology at first, but he needn’t have worried.

“I’m not super computer savvy and was worried it might be beyond me, but the team at MyTrucking come to my aid with cheeky little emails and it’s been a real pleasure to work with them.

“It’s been a lot easier than I thought it would be, and definitely much better – I’ve thrown away my diary!

“I wish MyTrucking all the best, I think they have something really good going. It’s fantastic service and great people. If you’re having a bad day and the MyTrucking team walks in, you don’t have a bad day for much longer. It’s been a pleasure to get involved, credit to them, and long may it continue.”

Favourite way to acknowledge a truckie?

I like to see people toot when they pass because you’ve indicated you’re pulling off, and not holding them up. Otherwise, just a nice wave.

Favourite saying or catchphrase?

One thing I have on my wall and look at every day: ‘Some people want it to happen, some people wish it would happen, others make it happen’. I reckon that’s pretty sharp.

NZT 2071 MyTrucking - Murray Maslin.indd 1

my trucking www.mytrucking.com

3/12/20 9:53 AM

INCOMING CARGO

PARCELS IN A POD Einride is a Swedish company you probably haven’t heard of. But it may be one to watch as the future of transport unfolds. Here’s what we know…

Story by Gavin Myers

I

t’s perhaps fair to say that not since the dawn of the automobile have we seen numerous start-up companies in that space, as we have in the past decade.

The need for alternative, environmentally friendly fuels, coupled with the exponential growth in communications

Photos supplied and artificial intelligence technologies, has opened the floodgates for traditional automobile manufacturers and technology companies alike to run with their ideas for the vehicles of tomorrow.

One of those ideas is the autonomous vehicle – selfdriving, driverless, cabless

even. Forgetting for a moment the real-world practicalities and societal implications, such a concept is no flight of fancy. It’s real – everyone from industry giants, like Daimler, to small private companies is racing to prove the concept.

And they’re mostly a lot closer than you’d expect.

The Einride Pod takes to the Top Gear test track.

120 New Zealand Trucking

Dec 2020 / Jan 2021

One of these companies is Einride, a Swedish technology company that launched in 2016 and focuses on digitalisation, electrification and automation. Einride’s founder, Robert Falck, was an engineering manager at “a certain truck manufacturer in western Sweden”, and the rest of its core team includes individuals entrenched in IT. In 2019, Marc Llistosella, former president and CEO of Mitsubishi Fuso Truck & Bus Corporation and Head of Daimler Trucks Asia, joined the board of directors. Soon after, Anders Böös (previously chairman at software developer Hantverksdata AB) was appointed chairman of the board, and former Spotify product manager Gabriel Lundberg as CPO. In March, the company attracted Jonas

The Timber Pod. Imagine that trundling around Kaingaroa…

Hernlund as CCO, who before joining the company designed and launched Google’s Investor & Startup operations in Northern Europe. In November, Dr Per Olof Arnäs, who has been working in and researching the transportation industry since the late 1980s, was appointed senior logistics expert.

So the brains behind Einride are very much technology people; technology people who want to revolutionise transport. With the exception of Tesla, time has proved this to be a tough ask. At least the man right at the top of Einride, along with Llistosella, has some actual understanding of the trucking industry – and Einride seems to be moving rather quickly.

In September it despatched its COO to the US so the

company could set up business and operations there, and in October its next-generation Pod made its debut.

Einride’s first vehicle, the Pod, debuted in April 2017.

The concept was for an electric, self-driving vehicle with no driver’s compartment that could be remotely controlled by drivers. The 7-metre long vehicle was designed to have a cargo capacity for 15 standard pallets and 20 tonnes. Battery capacity of 200kWh meant a distance on one charge of 200km. Einride also aimed to develop a remote driving system, charging stations, and an infrastructure that would make the system the most pioneering of its kind, claiming that this transport system could reduce carbon

dioxide emissions from freight transport in Sweden by up to 60% by 2030.

In July 2018 Einride unveiled the Timber Pod at, interestingly enough, that year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed in the UK. This autonomous, all-electric logging truck was more powerful than the pallet Pod, incorporating some off-road capability, with the ability to navigate forest roads.

The next-generation, 2020 Pod has been enhanced for commercial availability on a global scale. The design has been refined for better aerodynamics and functionality while preparing it for wide-scale production, says Einride. With the latest generation Pod the quoted specifications indicate a loading capacity of 15 to 18

pallets but a lower payload of 16 tonnes (GVM is 26 tonnes). The range per charge is also quoted lower at 130 to 180km.

Since the Pod has no driver’s compartment and existing autonomy standards rely on some level of human operation as a baseline, it was necessary for Einride to develop a proprietary methodology for describing the use cases for Autonomous Electric Transport (AET). The AET classification system ranges from levels 1 to 5, and levels 1 to 4 are available for pre-order based on individual business needs.

AET 1 (Fenced) is for closed facilities with predetermined routes that are best suited for fully autonomous operation.

AET 2 (Nearby) includes closed facility operation, but adds the capability to traverse public roads over short distances between destinations. The company says both AET 1 and 2 Pods are available for reservation now and will begin shipping to customers in 2021.

AET 3 (Rural) allows operation on back roads and less busy main roads between facilities, at a maximum speed of 45kph. Finally, AET 4 (Highway) includes fully autonomous operation on freeways and other major roads at up to 85kph. Levels 3 and 4 are available for pre-order, and will ship to customers in 2022/23, says Einride.

Operating the Einride Pod is based on a different cost structure. First up is

Einride’s Freight Mobility Platform.

Is the sun setting on trucking as we know it?

New Zealand Trucking

Dec 2020 / Jan 2021 121

122 New Zealand Trucking

to launch a commercial pilot outside Stockholm.

Commercial operations with the Michelin Group were to commence in 2020 with the deployment of the Einride Pod at Michelin sites in France.

When the pod was originally launched in 2017, Einride’s stated ambition was to deliver a complete transport system between Gothenburg and Helsingborg by 2020, involving 200 pods with associated charging stations on the route. The 200 pods on this route would have capacity of up to 2,000,000 pallets per year, with CO2 emissions savings the equivalent of 400,000 passenger cars travelling the same distance.

Does Einride’s system actually work? We don’t yet know. The Lidl pilot programme should have commenced in October with the first electric transport operations taking place, and earlier in the year Einride put a 42-tonne DAF-based electric truck, underpinned

by Einride’s Freight Mobility Platform, into service with Swedish vegan food brand Oatly. Oatly’s electric trucks are said to be the first in Europe for heavy transport and the aim is to build up to operation of the Pod. While the Pod’s early implementation dates haven’t materialised (perhaps the company’s taken a more conservative approach to

proving its technology), October saw the Pod take to the track at the 2020 Goodwood SpeedWeek and also make history when it became the first vehicle of its kind to complete a lap and set a record at the famous Top Gear test track. It ran at its top speed of more than 80kph and Einride CTO Pär Degerman commented that the run was a display of the AET 4 (Highway) solution.

Falck added the achievement was “one that shows our technology is prepared to meet a wide range of typical freight operating conditions”.

We’re not so sure about that, the question of navigating other road users still hangs in the air for one… It will be interesting to watch the development of all the pilot programme partnerships, nonetheless.

Finally, what does all this mean for the trucking community? Einride says: “Beyond the cost and sustainability benefits, this innovation takes one step further in transforming what it means to be a trucker.

In place of long, tiresome, and potentially dangerous hours on the road, remote operators will have a more stable, safe, and regular work environment. This fundamental shift will be crucial in addressing the systematic problems in the trucking industry, such a shortage of more than 51,000

SCAN THE QR CODE TO SEE IT IN ACTION truckers and a gender split that is only 6% female in the US. “In the future, operators will be employed by customers and operational partners, relying on the Einride Freight Mobility Platform for optimisation and execution of electric and autonomous operations.”

Dec 2020 / Jan 2021 1220-17

a US$10,000 reservation fee, and businesses will be responsible for approximate operational fees of US$18,000 per month for AET 1 and US$19,000 per month for AET 2. Pods with AET 3 will cost approximately US$20,000 per month to operate, while AET 4 will cost US$22,500.

The subscription fee includes access to the Einride freight mobility platform, which will coordinate and operate the Pods, overseen by Einridecertified remote operators.

Einride has certainly attracted the attention of some forward-thinking entities. Since 2017 numerous European transport and logistics companies have partnered with Einride to test its Freight Mobility Platform and move towards operating the Pod. The earliest of these include Swedish grocery company Lidl and German logistics company DB Schenker.

In 2018, Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority signed a memorandum of understanding with Einride regarding the sustainable transformation of Dubai’s road freight transportation system, planning the sustainable transformation of the logistics sector in Dubai and identifying possible installations of Einride’s solution. In 2019, Coca-Cola European Partners, the Swedish licensee of the Coca-Cola portfolio in Sweden, partnered

NZ-Truck

VARTA ProMotive AGM is designed to optimally support drivers and their trucks during their time on the road. Since the demand for nonstop transportation services requires trucks to be on the road every day, drivers spend more time in the cabin than ever before. The Varta A1 AGM truck battery leads with high vibration resistance, excellent charge acceptance, extended cycle life and increased depth of charge, allowing fleets to equip driversâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; cabins with hoteling functions without draining the battery, avoid downtime and maximise productivity.

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CONSIDERING ELECTRIC VEHICLES Contribution for IRTENZ by Russell Walsh (Life Member IRTENZ) The number of electric vehicles entering the New Zealand fleet will increase, and as with any vehicle acquisition decision, there are a number of factors that have to be taken into consideration before introducing EVs.

T

he use of electric trucks as viable alternatives to diesel fuel will accelerate as more manufacturers add electric vehicles to their product lines. The NZTA’s Open Data portal (https:// opendata-nzta.opendata. arcgis.com/search?tags=MVR) showed that on 14 July there were 111 heavy goods vehicles (classes NB and NC) and 17 omnibuses that were either full electric or derivatives such as hybrids registered in New Zealand.

In New Zealand electric vehicles (EVs) are defined as: • Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) – a purely electric

124 New Zealand Trucking

vehicle, powered only by the battery, which is charged by connecting to an external source of electricity.

• Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) – these have two engines, one powered by a battery that is charged by connecting to an external source of electricity, the other engine is fuelled from a fuel tank and generally uses petrol or diesel.

Conventional hybrids are not considered electric vehicles as they are not charged by ‘plugging in’. Their batteries are only charged by recapturing energy when braking or from electricity generated by the engine.

Selection As with the selection of any trucks, there are several factors that must be taken into consideration when considering the electric option.

Many of these factors are similar and well documented, however there are some additional ones that must be taken into consideration. A white paper available from https://www.geotab.com/ white-paper/going-electric/ suggests some of these.

While the white paper is

primarily focused on light vehicles, some of the points raised apply also to heavy vehicles; one of these being range anxiety. Range anxiety is the fear that an EV will not have the range to complete a cycle of work; a cycle of work being how much work the vehicle is expected to do during a normal day without the need to refuel. For a dieselpowered truck performing local deliveries, this would normally be a full day. The current charging infrastructure for EVs may not make it easy to complete a full cycle of work, but this will improve over time, however duty cycle and recharging opportunities must be factored into any truck acquisition.

Another factor that enters the acquisition decision is the fitting of accessories to the truck such as tail-lifts and chiller units that are powered from the onboard electrical supply and the electrical consumption of these accessories.

High voltage awareness Introducing EVs into your fleet can bring with them additional safety responsibilities. While

intrinsically safe, the majority of EVs operate in the range of 400 to 1000 volts DC. These high voltages create a potential danger to anybody who works on them and who does not take the necessary safety precautions. Good practice is that, other than for routine charging, anybody who does work on or around EVs has received the appropriate safety training that includes making the high voltage systems safe.

Otago Polytechnic has an online course to gain an understanding of health and safety requirements when working on, or around, electric vehicles, see https://www. op.ac.nz/study/engineering/ electric-vehicles-shortcourses/. For automotive technicians the Motor Industry Training Organisation has a New Zealand Certificate available in electric vehicle engineering, see https://www. mito.org.nz/get-qualified/ our-industries/automotive/ electricvehicle/.

Charging options In the United States, 70% of electricity is created from fossil fuels. We are lucky in New Zealand as 82% of our power is generated from

Dec 2020 / Jan 2021

New Zealand Trucking

July 2020

35

A DAF CF Electric at the 2018 IAA Commercial Vehicle Show in Hanover.

renewable sources. But to be truly environmentally friendly, EVs should be able to operate completely independent of any fossil fuel, including any fuel

that is used to generate the charging electricity.

EV charging stations are normally connected to the national power grid, although

some supplement this by having solar panels. As these stations rely on connection to the power grid, a gridtied charging station; once

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installed an EV charging station becomes a permanent fixture.

If you move your operation, or the installed station impedes site development, relocation can be an expensive and time-consuming activity. An option therefore is to consider a charging station that is entirely solar powered. Solarpowered stations operate free from supply fluctuations and outages, thereby giving you improved security of supply.

By capitalising on the free energy provided by the sun, the overall cost benefit of using EVs is improved. Having your own onsite charging station means that you can recharge your vehicles at your convenience, reducing or eliminating your dependence on third party providers. For example, if your driver has downtime during the day, lunchtime perhaps, they can plug the vehicle in for a recharge and when their break is over the vehicle is recharged and ready to earn its keep.

PRODUCT PROFILE

IN SERIES

The Mainfreight ‘Black Dog’ K200 was the first Generation Series curtainsider B-train to hit the road.

DOMETT’S NEXT GENERATION

Domett’s new truck and trailer units, the Generation Series, have been crafted based on customer feedback and experience to offer a premium range of features, with reliable delivery times and at a highly competitive price.

I

n business, there’s always room for improvement, and over the past few years especially, the team at Domett Truck and Trailer has put production challenges and the sources of any delays under the microscope, alongside what exactly the industry wants from the trailers it sells.

Analysing these ‘pain points’ has enabled Domett to create a more

streamlined process to benefit its production team and customers alike. The outcome of this is a new generation of trailers with light tare and premiumspecification components offered at competitive pricing, delivered on time, due to standardisation and repeatability in the production process.

“We have the benefit of a highly experienced

Building trailers is about to become a lot simpler, quicker, and cheaper.

The first batch of low-deck livestock trailers are already in the marketplace and proving a worthwhile investment for the operators.

126 New Zealand Trucking

Dec 2020 / Jan 2021

Domett has invested heavily in its paint facilities to increase quality control.

engineering and design team, who understand how trailers need to be put together, and being technologically astute, they’ve worked together to create a smart solution,” explains sales representative Malcolm Bangs.

This fresh look at the manufacturing process has also meant production becomes both more predictable and flexible to customers’ needs – saving both time and money. The results are exciting: not only has a new generation of trailers been developed, but so too have new ways of building and selling them.

Domett has kicked off the Generation Series of trailers with a 6-axle B-train curtainsider and a low-deck

5-axle dedicated livestock trailer. The company is planning the next batch of trailers to be released under this newly established family, but for now, these are the two foundation units.

“The standardisation of these builds gives us a more predictable production schedule and will, in the long term, allow more flexibility and enable us to respond to our customers’ requests in an even more timely fashion,” adds Malcolm.

The Generation Series chassis are a mixture of mild and high-tensile steel to achieve the strongest and most durable trailer Domett can produce, while also keeping an eye on the everimportant tare.

Soon to be a common sight on New Zealand roads.

“Our team has gained a lot of industry experience over the past 30+ years from manufacturing a wide range of trailers for our customer base.

Our customers are savvy people; they’ll tell us things that make a huge difference to them and we listen.

We’ve used all that collated information to build the ultimate, best-priced trailer that will fit the biggest portion of the transport market.”

The new Generation Series livestock unit is a revolutionary design, as Malcolm explains. “Back rub has long been an issue that doesn’t seem to be going away anytime soon. Cattle also cannot successfully stand on a floor that has a slope built into it, so we needed to give crate manufacturers more of the allowable 4.3m for internal crate height to accommodate cattle.”

With the 4.3m height restriction, the only way to get extra height into the crates is to build a lower trailer.

However, the industry also wanted 19.5” wheels and a flat deck straight through from bumper to bumper. That’s the challenge given to the Domett design team, who came up with a recipe that allows a finished deck height at a very low 990mm.

The 6-axle B-train

curtainside unit comes with premium-spec running gear, disc brakes with integrated air suspension, Wabco ABS/ EBS braking systems, and 19.5” Alcoa Dura-Bright rims.

It is also mezzanine floor ready, has ferry tie-downs, Hella LED lighting, toolboxes, mudguards, rope rails, and chain slots among numerous other standard features.

“By standardising the specification of these units, we can cover the majority of customers’ needs and provide really competitive pricing as well as a higher degree of certainty around delivery dates. Ultimately these builds become less complicated and any extras the buyer wants – lights, toolboxes, and so on – are easy add-ons which we can pull off the shelf and put straight into the factory.”

The streamlined production approach now frees up the Domett engineering and design teams to look at improvements they can make to the other trailers in their range. With production split across two sites in Tauranga, Domett is investing in a few improvements such as lengthening its smaller heated paint booth to accommodate 5-axle units and to match the length of the original heated paint booth. This expansion enables the paint team to increase the number of trailers going through blast and paint, and to match the output of the assembly factory. The paint (supplied by Resene) is applied electrostatically.

“Our paint used to be done by a third party but with varying results, so we decided to do it ourselves,” says Malcolm.

Indeed, the acid test to these developments will be the customer response, but Domett has a reputation for innovation and the first Generation Series units have already hit the road. As Malcolm says, “it’s an exciting time for both the industry and our company”.

New Zealand Trucking

December 2020 127

ADVERTORIAL

FONTERRA’S JOURNEY FROM EXPLODING BATTERIES TO INCREASING FLEET EFFICIENCY A three-way partnership aimed at improving battery reliability across Fonterra’s milk tanker fleet has had health and safety benefits as well as boosting the co-op’s bottom line.

A

decade ago, when Guy Cooper took up the role of national parts and warranty manager at Fonterra, one of his priorities was tackling a worrying problem with truck batteries in the dairy co-operative’s milk tanker fleet.

For a start, battery life was alarmingly short. In the 201011 financial year the fleet of 432 trucks chewed through 1422 batteries with some having to be replaced after less than three months.

But more concerning for Guy was that a relatively high number of batteries were exploding, posing an obvious safety hazard

128 New Zealand Trucking

to drivers and mechanics, as well as compromising efficient operations.

“These battery explosions generally happened during jump-starting attempts,” he explains.

“While our staff are always wearing PPE in these situations, we clearly didn’t want to put anyone at risk with acid and chunks of battery material flying around. It was imperative, from a safety point of view, to address the problem.

“At the same time, with battery life sometimes less than three months, we saw this as an area where we needed to improve reliability, which would result in cost Dec 2020 / Jan 2021

reductions. Back then, in 2010, we set a target of getting to two years life out of a battery.”

Ten years on, Fonterra is well on its way to achieving that goal, thanks to a strong and enduring relationship with its battery supplier, HCB Technologies Ltd, and a history of success with their chosen brand, VARTA®.

Thanks to that relationship, Fonterra – and its drivers – are already enjoying the benefits of VARTA®’s latest and most advanced heavy duty commercial vehicle battery, the ProMotive AGM, introduced in September 2019.

Having been on the market for over a year now, the ProMotive AGM has performed strongly for Fonterra, mirroring a success story that has already been seen in the EMEA region.

A hard-working tanker fleet

In his role as national parts and warranty manager, Guy reports to Fonterra’s general manager of national transport, whose division is accountable for the provision of the New Zealand-wide milk collection fleet, currently comprising more than 500 truck and trailer units.

With the tankers operational 24 hours a day, it’s one of the hardest working fleets in the world.

At peak times, the trucks will make a total of about 3000 journeys a day, collecting milk from almost 9500 farms.

Each vehicle travels about 200,000km over the course of a year, meaning the entire fleet clocks up around 95 million km on the road annually.

Those impressive numbers, and the fact that milk collection can’t be interrupted, mean that reliability is one of the key tenets around maintaining the fleet, Guy says.

The trucks are equipped with a sophisticated Electronics which control everything from Driver and Engine management, the pickup schedule and mapping through to the onboard sampling and measuring the milk collected at each site. Because of the importance of these systems, Fonterra can’t simply go out and hire a replacement vehicle if one of its fleet is unexpectedly off the road.

“When we know there’s an issue going on with the fleet, we don’t just fix our trucks, we’ll do in-depth analysis to define the problem and then we’ll carry out a problem solving exercise aimed at improving reliability. We’ll then feed our findings back to the manufacturer of the truck or the component concerned,” Guy says.

“We work very closely with our suppliers and OEMs (original equipment manufacturers). Over the years we have affected quite a few engineering changes that have been introduced globally.

“We find that because of our high usage and the uniqueness of how our fleet operates – for example our trucks are running empty about 55 percent of the time,

and often on gravel roads, which means they work under some tough conditions – we usually find problems quite early on in a model’s life. We feed that back to the manufacturers, and because we can supply good data to demonstrate the root cause, they’ve got the evidence to make changes.”

Demands on truck batteries grows Around the world, heavy commercial fleet operators are finding the demands on batteries in their vehicles have increased significantly as the amount of onboard electronic equipment continues to grow.

“With our trucks spending a large portion of their time on unsealed roads, and empty, when there’s no weight to steady up the suspension, that leads to quite a bit of movement.

Sharp shocks in the trucks under these conditions have been measured at up to 9G in the battery box, so the batteries certainly take a hammering,” Guy says.

“Another safety aspect is that these batteries are heavy – up to almost 60kg each – so you don’t want technicians on the roadside changing them, it’s too

much for them to lift. We’re at the point now where if there’s a failure, the batteries should be able to recover back to site where we can use mechanical handling equipment to make the change so there’s no lifting involved.”

Fonterra’s relationship with HCB Fonterra’s relationship with HCB dates back to 2010 when it asked HCB to participate in a request for proposal process (RFP) for the supply of batteries for the co-op’s tanker fleet.

HCB has been New Zealand’s battery specialist for 30 years, offering the widest range and the biggest depth of product, and the most knowledgeable people in the industry.

HCB is part of the Bapcor group of companies. Bapcor is the sole distributor for VARTA® batteries in Australasia.

As part of the 2010 RFP process, HCB carried out field testing – included monitoring open circuit voltage, current draw and vibration tests – to assess the performance of the batteries Fonterra was using at the time. Two sets of batteries that had failed

after three and nine months respective usage were torndown and analysed. HCB then prepared a report on the findings of its testing and analysis, along with a recommendation to switch the fleet to an alternative battery type.

The work resulted in HCB picking up the contract a few months later and following up its initial testing with an 18-month trial to monitor the performance of the new batteries, which showed an impressive success rate of 99.6 percent.

At the same time, HCB worked with Fonterra to carry out site audits of battery handling and charging equipment, developed standard operating procedures, and carried out onsite training with Fonterra staff on safe testing, correct battery handling, preventative care and general battery maintenance.

This resulted in a drop in battery-related safety incidents across the co-op and led to HCB winning the ‘Best Safety Initiative Which Enhances Health and Safety Performance at Fonterra’ award at Fonterra’s 2013 Vendor Awards.

“Early on in our relationship with HCB we also purchased new chargers and modified all our trucks to be fitted with Anderson plugs, the large high-amp charging plugs that fit directly into the side of a vehicle, eliminating the need to lift the battery cover,” says Guy. “We received excellent support from HCB as we set up these changes. That type of support has certainly been one of the benefits we’ve enjoyed through our relationship with them.”

VARTA® delivers performance boost With the problem of exploding batteries well in the past by 2015, a

New Zealand Trucking

Dec 2020 / Jan 2021 129

desire to continue making performance and reliability improvements saw Fonterra and HCB begin work on transitioning the fleet to VARTA® batteries for the first time.

The VARTA® brand has a strong global reputation for its heavy commercial vehicle batteries and Fonterra initially installed VARTA®’s ProMotive Super Heavy Duty (N9) model across its fleet before moving to the even higher-performing ProMotive EFB (C40) in 2017.

The move to VARTA® resulted in Fonterra’s average battery life increasing significantly to around 16-18 months following the introduction of the ProMotive EFB which, like other batteries before it, was trialled in a small number of tankers before its wider deployment across the fleet.

Clarios, the owner and manufacturer of VARTA® branded products, has worked closely with Fonterra and HCB as part of the trials, including making visits to Fonterra sites and organising tear-down analysis of the batteries being trialled.

Clarios are also suppliers to Volvo, the manufacturer of the majority of Fonterra’s tankers, which are made in Brisbane.

“We catch up with the Clarios reps once or twice a year. Recently it’s been important to have that connection to support Volvo Group Australia to ensure they can supply the battery we want into the trucks that are being built for us in Brisbane,” Guy says.

“Through our Clarios contacts we’re connecting with Volvo to ensure they have sufficient batteries for the trucks that are coming to New Zealand.”

Latest technology set to deliver further improvements In 2019 the next phase of Fonterra’s journey towards achieving its two-year battery life target got underway when it became the first customer in Australasia – and one of the first in the world – to trial VARTA®’s new top-of-the-line heavy commercial vehicle battery, the ProMotive AGM (A1).

The ProMotive AGM

is designed to optimally support drivers and their trucks during their time on the road. Since the demand for nonstop transportation services require trucks to be on the road every day, drivers spend more time in the cabin than ever before, increasing the demand on their vehicles’ batteries.

The AGM meets this challenge, offering excellent charge acceptance, extended cycle life and increased depth of discharge. It also has exceptionally high vibration resistance, making it ideally suited for New Zealand roads where the problem of reduced battery life due to vibration has plagued truck and fleet owners.

The ProMotive AGM was initially trialled in three of Fonterra’s tankers. One of the three battery pairs was removed and torn down after six months. It was found to be performing on par with a brand-new battery, with no degradation.

A second pair was pulled out and torn down in August 2020 after the truck had travelled 280,000km. While it was showing some signs of

wear and tear, Guy says the degradation was less than expected after that much usage.

The co-op has subsequently fitted 17 more ProMotive AGM pairs across its fleet and is expanding that number further as batteries need replacing.

“The longest running ProMotive AGM – the third of the original three we installed – has now done over 300,000km after about 18 months. It’s going well, with no signs of failure, so we’re highly confident we’ll reach our two-year target with this new model of battery,” he says.

“With our next lot of Volvo trucks that are being delivered in 2021, we’ve specified that they will come fitted with the ProMotive AGM straight out of the factory.”

The AGM has already been adopted by many commercial fleets in the EMEA region, proving that it is the first choice with both OE and aftermarket customers.

OE manufacturers, such as Volvo, MAN and DAF, have transitioned to AGM in

their portfolios because it is especially designed to fit the needs of today’s trucks.

A tried-and-true formula for success “As well as a focus on safety, within Fonterra’s National Transport division our aspiration over many years has been to have the most cost-effective and efficient fleet in the country, and we’re well on the way to achieving that,” Guy says.

“In terms of the evolution of batteries, we haven’t got here by accident. We’ve always had formal trials, we’ve defined up-front what success looks like, and then at various stages – whether it’s three or six months – we’ve taken a set of batteries out and HCB have torn them down and done an in-depth inspection to see what condition they’re in.

“We measure all aspects of our fleet operations, right down to the individual truck level, so we know which truck is more cost-effective than the others, even though we’ve got a fleet of over 500.

“Having that data available makes my job

much easier, as does having great vendors like HCB, who listen and understand what we’re aiming to achieve.

Rather than being in my face, just trying to sell me new products all the time, I feed back to them what’s going on and they use that information to come up with a solution for us.

“The end result is that while we’re now paying more per unit for our batteries than previously, we’re getting significantly improved life, so we’re spending less overall.”

The benefits of an honest relationship Guy says Fonterra’s relationship with HCB – in line with the way the co-op likes to operate – is about feedback and having an honest communication.

“We could be involved with someone whose sole motive was to sell as many batteries as possible. It’s been more a case of us needing a battery technology that’s reliable, and gives us the best value option.

Our requirements are firstly safety, then reliability and

value to the business.

“The success of our relationship with HCB is demonstrated by the fact we’ve moved from consuming more than 1400 batteries in a season for a smaller fleet to 300 – it’s a huge change over the time.

And while those earlier batteries were cheaper, it meant people had to lift a 50kg battery, so it’s about the human interaction as well. Having drivers who don’t have to touch a battery box for two years is a big achievement, as opposed to every three or six months.

He says the relationship has evolved over the past 10 years.

“It’s been great working with them to define where we’re going, and they’ve taken that onboard.

“Individuals come and go, as with any organisation, but the main tenant has remained: that they understand what Fonterra’s requirements are, and have always provided the technical ability and the sales ability to meet those demands.

“This is particularly in relation to the fact the

About Fonterra •A global brand, processing about 83% of New Zealand’s milk • Generate about $11b into the NZ economy through the milk price • At peak production, collect about 85 million litres of milk per day, or 16 billion litres a year • 30 manufacturing sites across New Zealand • Run a fleet of more than 500 truck and trailer units, operating 24/7

VARTA® product comes from overseas, so getting the right amount of supply into the country can be a challenge, and that’s where HCB come into their own because they work very hard in that space, and if a particular battery is not available they’ll readily make a suitable alternative available.”

New Zealand Trucking

December 2020 131

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TRUCKERS’ HEALTH

2020 vision: a year in review

I

’m sure most people would agree with the sentiment that 2020 has been a ‘spanner in the works’ type of year. Many of us had plans for amazing overseas travel and attending special events, which all went by the wayside when Covid-19 reared its ugly head in March.

As Christmas approaches, it seems like the perfect time to reflect on the year and derive some important lessons from it.

It is extremely easy to take a negative stance on the year. For example, I didn’t get to go on my one-month safari to South Africa or complete my Ironman charity event. But it seems a little more helpful to look upon 2020 as a year of learning, character-building, and patience-testing.

Here is what 2020 has taught me:

1. Change up your training style

Given that I eat, sleep and breathe the gym environment, when I was in lockdown I struggled immensely to continue my training and exercise regime. I got extremely slack and barely worked up a sweat for seven weeks straight. I think it’s important to realise that in any weight-loss journey there will be setbacks; it is inevitable. But it’s important to be flexible and change up the way you do things.

Going forward, if I am unable to access a gym facility, I will put a plan in place to create a series of enjoyable, simple home workouts and incorporate walking, running and cycling to add variety and interest to my training. Although we gravitate toward the training styles that we enjoy, it is important to mix it up and have some variety in our training to keep the body guessing and also keep ourselves interested. Or in 2020’s case – if you literally cannot access that form of training.

2. E xercise is good for your mental health

Often we get caught up in the ‘exercising to be slim’ mantra.

But there are far more important reasons to exercise than for desirable aesthetics. The way exercise affects your moods, motivation, positivity and productivity levels is incredible. I noticed this massively throughout lockdown when I let my exercise lapse and felt lethargic and unmotivated.

Exercise should be an important part of your routine and lifestyle. In my opinion, your health should be prioritised above all else – as looking after your physical health in turn takes care of your mental health. I often say to clients, the days where you really don’t feel like exercising are normally the days where you really should. Once you push past the ‘I can’t be bothered’ barrier, how much better do you feel?

I think this is true in the sense of our health and fitness journeys too. I was originally meant to be doing an Ironman this year, but because the local pool was shut for seven weeks, I was unable to recoup the progress that I had lost, given that swimming was my weakest leg in the Ironman trio. I had to accept that it wasn’t going to happen, but that I could still make a success of my training this year – just in other forms.

This often happens when we set goals for ourselves in terms of where we would like to be physically by a certain time.

Sometimes injuries, work, life, or Covid, gets in the way of us achieving our training goals. But that doesn’t mean we are total failures. We can still succeed in other ways and achieve different goals from we had intended. For example, obviously no Ironman for me, but I am probably the fittest I have ever been and have been enjoying my training immensely – which is an achievement in itself, given I felt as though I was back at square one as I emerged out of lockdown.

4. Don’t be so hard on yourself

It sounds pretty straightforward that if you have a slip-up in your eating regime, you don’t quite nail your training plan, or you don’t quite hit all of your goals, that you don’t beat yourself up for it. But for some of us, this is easier said than done. If you’re the type of person who holds great expectations for yourself and always likes to achieve above and beyond, it can be hard to accept when you don’t succeed on all fronts.

But if 2020 has taught us nothing else, it’s that surviving on a day-to-day basis with what life throws at us is achievement enough. Going forward, I hope to learn to celebrate all of life’s small achievements rather than focusing on what I haven’t accomplished. It’s all about perspective.

As we are looking back at the year that was 2020, and into the future of 2021, I hope that we take a positive and auspicious mindset into the New Year. Absolutely everyone has struggled in 2020 in their own way and has probably learned something new about themselves. But I believe that with struggle comes strength and we can head into the New Year with a new sense of resilience.

My advice is to start thinking about what you would like to achieve in your health and fitness next year. Start setting some goals to keep yourself focused and excited for the coming year. 

3. Not everything goes to plan

As an extremely structured and organised person, I find it hard to be flexible and accept when things don’t go as planned.

136 New Zealand Trucking

Laura Peacock Personal trainer TCA Fitness Club

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TO 2020 0

OCTOBER 202

NZ Trucking is New Zealand’s leading magazine for both the industry and the enthusiast, featuring the latest heavy truck and light commercial road tests, product news, and trucking personalities.

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HEALTH AND SAFETY

Stay safe in the holiday season

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t’s that time of year: longer days, more sunshine, more socialising, and more people on the road. It’s also the time of the year when the road toll rises, creating heartbreak for families, friends and communities. The news focuses on the deaths, but there are many, many more people who are badly injured.

The following are some examples of what can go wrong and some of the things we can do to manage them.

Things that can go wrong

What we can do

More people on the road

Scan – use our mirrors to know what is going on in all directions around us.

Act before it becomes urgent.

Expect delays.

Pull over to let faster traffic past when it is safe to do so.

Don’t overtake unless it is safe.

Drivers who don’t know where they are going

Familiarise yourself with the route, plan the journey, use GPS. Scan (see above!)

Drivers unfamiliar with the road conditions

Drive to the conditions.

Take your time.

Scan (see above!)

Fatigue

Plan the journey. Take breaks and eat regularly.

Weather

Plan for rain and sunshine.

Keep the windscreen clean and the wipers in good condition.

Keep the windscreen washer fluid topped up.

Use the visor and wear sunglasses.

as we could see. One driver was overtaking whenever he could, pushing in, taking big risks with his life and the life of the others on the road with him.

About five kilometres after he passed my car, we saw his car – upside down in a ditch. The few minutes he may have saved by overtaking were lost in the resulting accident. Not to mention the impact on the other road users and the extra pressure on our emergency services.

So, take your time. Try not to be frustrated with other road users, and enjoy your journeys. 

How can Safewise help?

We work with organisations that need more health and safety knowledge, or more time, than they have in-house. For more information, check the website www.safewise.co.nz

I recall a situation many years ago when State Highway 1 was closed and the traffic was diverted through Wanganui.

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Tracey Murphy is the owner and director of Safewise Limited, a health and safety consultancy. She has more than 12 years’ experience working with organisations from many different industries. Tracey holds a Diploma in Health and Safety Management and a Graduate Diploma in Occupational Safety and Health. She is a Graduate Member of New Zealand Institute of Safety Management and is on the HASANZ register.

Danielle L. Beston Barrister At Law Log Book & Driving Hours Transport Specialist Work Licences Nationwide Road User Charges Contributor to New Zealand Trucking ‘Legal Lines’ Column Telephone: 64 9 379 7658 mobile: 021 326 642 danielle.beston@hobsonchambers.co.nz Referral Through Solicitor Required and Arranged

138 New Zealand Trucking

December 2020 – January 2021

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LEGAL LINES

Community panel for low-level offenders

T

e Pae Oranga is the new name for the Iwi Community Panels that were launched in 2010 to reduce the load on the court system and prevent minor offending leading to serious crime and imprisonment. It is an alternative to prosecution for low-level offending and is run by the police.

Rather than sending someone to court, they can refer them to a local panel of community members instead. The aim of the panel is to make offenders accountable and address reasons they offended.

The panel’s focus

The focus is on putting right the harm done to victims and supporting participants to change their behaviour rather than punishing them. Support can include upskilling participants by offering training, assisting with driver licensing training, referrals to health, social or budgeting services, helping them to get into long-term employment, and finding ways to change their mindsets so they can re-engage with their communities.

While Te Pae Oranga follows Maori cultural practice and protocol, it is available to participants of any ethnicity.

Referral criteria

When police refer someone to Te Pae Oranga, police are using their discretion not to prosecute, in a similar way to deciding to issue a warning. It is open to participants aged 17 years and over who have committed a low-level offence, and admit responsibility for that offence. Police must establish there is evidential sufficiency to charge and consider whether or not it’s in the public interest to prosecute. Police must also consider the person’s prior offending, current offending, and victim opinions.

It works well when an underlying cause of the offending can be identified and addressed, such as disengagement from education, or drug and alcohol misuse. Participants are given an opportunity to tell their story, put things right by completing agreed actions to make up for the harm done, and connect with the services and support they need to address the underlying causes of the offending. A whanau or support person can be present when they appear in front of the panel, but they cannot have their lawyer present.

The kaikawe korero discusses the offence, the impact of the offence on the victim, and what the needs of the participant are. A risk assessment is completed and it will be decided whether to proceed to the hui matua. If the result of the risk assessment is that the hui matua should not go ahead, then the kaikawe korero will notify the police, who can then decide whether to proceed with charges in court.

The purpose of the hui matua is to agree actions that the participant will take. It allows plenty of time for discussion to help the participant look at what’s influencing their behaviour to commit crime. They sit with the kaikawe korero and mangai o to hapori (panel members) around an oval table. The police observer and any whanau members or support people are also present. Victims are always invited too. The sessions open with karakia and introductions. The police observer outlines the summary of facts and the participant and victim are asked for their versions. The panel then looks into what’s happening in the participant’s life to examine what led them to carry out the crime, avenues for restoration, how to address the underlying criminal behaviour, and how to stop them reoffending.

The participant is usually given six weeks to complete certain actions to make up for the harm caused. These actions are included in the agreement and may include giving an apology to the victim, payment of reparation, or some form of volunteer work and working with local support services to help deal with the problems that led to the offence.

The purpose of the huinga o muri is to support the participant to achieve the agreed actions. The Te Pae Oranga provider follows up with the participant to support them to achieve the agreed actions, the provider then reports back to the police, and if the participant completes the agreed actions within the specified time frame, then they won’t go to court. If participants do not complete these actions, then the police will decide what to do, which may include prosecution. 

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Z B re s c re m s fi d

Please note that this article is not a substitute for legal advice and if you have a particular matter that needs to be addressed, you should consult with a lawyer. Danielle Beston is a barrister who specialises in transport law and she can be contacted on (09) 379 7658 or 021 326 642.

How it works

There is a huinga o mua (pre-panel meeting), hui matua (panel meeting) and huinga o muri (follow-up).

The purpose of the huinga o mua is to prepare everyone for the hui matua. It involves a face-to-face meeting between the participant and the kaikawe korero (facilitator). If there’s a victim, the kaikawe korero also meets separately with them.

140 New Zealand Trucking

Dec 2020 / Jan 2021

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NZ TRUCKING ASSOCIATION

Truck driver health – an industry issue

W

ith more than 90% of the freight task in New Zealand moved by trucks, it is critical that the drivers of these trucks are healthy. The average age of a truck driver in New Zealand is the midfifties, with a significant number aged 60 to 70-plus years old.

Despite many great industry initiatives, we are faced with an aging workforce; this is causing concern for the industry as it tries to attract younger drivers.

Driving a truck for a living can be a difficult job. With long hours behind the wheel, it can be both sedentary and physically demanding at the same time, and driving trucks has become a profession with a reputation for poor health. The industry needs to become more aware that the health of the industry is coupled with the health of the drivers.

Poor health contributes to high healthcare costs, loss of productivity, and accidents, which can negatively affect business profits and can cost lives. Drivers have a high health risk for: • Fatigue • Obesity • Pain • Mental illness, including • Poor diet depression and anxiety • Lack of physical activity • Hearing and vision and exercise problems • Diabetes • Problems with sleep, including sleep apnoea and • High blood pressure, heart, and cardiovascular diseases. insomnia Improving the health of our drivers should be a top priority for improving the wellness and profitability of the trucking industry. The place to start is wellness training with the drivers.

Helping drivers understand how their own choices can negatively affect their health is the most important step towards helping drivers recognise their bad habits and getting them to take action to improve their health. Raising awareness of the risk factors for long- and short-term health outcomes can start drivers on the road to better productivity, with a reduced risk of accidents and other negative health and safety outcomes.

Technology like the Fitbit and other wearable devices that track activity and sleep as well as other biometric measurements can be one of the tools in helping drivers understand their health and encourage them to make the changes that will improve their health. This technology, coupled with programmes to encourage weight loss, smoking cessation, increased physical activity, and better sleep, gives us some of the best tools to improve the overall health of drivers throughout the industry.

Drivers should be encouraged to seek regular medical checkups that not only look to take care of their current medical issues, but also include counselling and resources for improving health. This also means encouraging a culture of wellness within the industry itself.

Punishing those people with poor health is not the way to get a healthier population; workplace programmes that focus on threats of loss of benefits or even the loss of a job for the unhealthy are usually short-term and are bad for the overall morale of the workplace. You cannot just provide an

142 New Zealand Trucking Dec 2020 / Jan 2021

information-only wellness programme and offer no other support or services to help your drivers get healthy. This might encourage some people, but will not help drivers as a group to make changes.

What does work is a multi-pronged proactive programme that combines information with services and reinforcement of a healthy culture. Implement a programme to shift the workplace culture to supporting healthy habits. The most effective wellness programme is one that is focused on each individual driver. Look around your own workplace – what kinds of snacks are available, is it easier to get a soft drink than water?

Does the morning revolve around the coffee machine? What changes can you make in the workplace that send the message that you care about your drivers’ health? Creativity is needed, since so many drivers are eating out on the road.

Providing benefits that include gym memberships, nutrition counselling, weight loss services, and smoking cessation, makes it easier for drivers to get healthy and also sends the message that health is something your company is serious about, not just another topic for lip service.

But you also have to talk about health, incorporating information about health risks and good health choices into safety meetings, newsletters, and other communications as part of an overall wellness programme. The big thing is not to treat getting your drivers healthy as a new fad, but a long-term business commitment, just like a long-term commitment to improving driver safety and reducing accidents.

Improving safety and reducing accidents is one of the outcomes that will happen naturally when your drivers get healthier. Good health is not just good for your drivers, it also improves morale and productivity, reduces absenteeism, and overall makes your business more profitable. As the industry faces driver shortages, changing the perception that driving is an unhealthy career choice will also help to encourage more people to join the industry as they see that a career in truck driving is also a healthy career.

The New Zealand Trucking Association delivers the ‘Healthy Truck Driver’ programme from the Safety MAN Road Safety Truck to trucking companies around New Zealand. The programme is designed to help truck drivers identify the symptoms and causes of common truck driver health issues. Each participant is given a booklet to take home that identifies the key health issues, with useful links for further information, advice, and help. By participating in the Healthy Truck Driver programme, you are helping to start conversations and encouraging your drivers to become healthy drivers.  You can request a visit at www.roadsafetytruck.co.nz.

NZ Trucking Association can be contacted on 0800 338 338 or

by Dave Boyce, info@nztruckingassn.

NZTA chief executive co.nz officer

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ROAD TRANSPORT FORUM

Will you be a tiger or a tabby in our economic recovery?

F

ollowing the election, the Road Transport Forum held a free Zoom seminar with economist Cameron Bagrie to discuss where the economy is heading and what to expect as the world continues to deal with the fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic.

Cameron is well known as an outspoken economic commentator and has presented at a number of RTF conferences. His seminar was framed around the premise that reality is setting in about the road ahead for New Zealand. Do we want to be a tiger or tabby? Time for some tough decisions.

Needless to say, it was a fascinating discussion.

I can’t go into all the detail here, but there were some takeaways that I believe will be really useful to road transport companies with an eye on the future.

The first is to consider how your organisation is positioned for the near future, because according to Cameron the Covid19 recovery will be ‘K-shaped’. By this he means companies that are innovative and adaptable will, like the upper arm on the K, head back upwards very quickly. However, those that try to keep doing things the way they always have and who refuse to innovate will find themselves, like the K’s lower arm, heading downhill.

Cameron’s advice is not to worry too much about the big macro-economic factors at play. As a business owner, those things are largely out of your control. Instead, focus on the small things in your business, take some risks, and think about how the pace of change over the next few years is likely to be exponential rather than linear.

There will be opportunities to be had and it will be those businesses that are prepared to take a few risks and can accept the odd mistake that will be in the best position to take advantage of the recovery.

Cameron also expressed considerable concern about how monetary policy from the Reserve Bank is dominating the overall state response to the Covid-19 recession. He is particularly concerned that the actions of the bank to drive down interest rates is widening the gap between the ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots’ in our society by making housing affordability worse. He doesn’t think the government is doing enough to offset this.

Cameron believes the government should have a much bigger role in the policy mix by spending more of the Crown’s balance sheet on infrastructure. He’s also very critical of how the government is approaching infrastructure investment generally, with the emphasis seeming to be on making future debt numbers look less bad than developing a medium to longterm infrastructure plan. Such a plan, Cameron argues, would provide the construction and business sectors with 10 to 15 years of certainty, allowing them to invest, upskill and employ people to meet the expected demand.

144 New Zealand Trucking

Dec 2020 / Jan 2021

I was really pleased that Cameron identified the dominance that big business has over SMEs when it comes to influencing government. RTF’s members can be sure that we will continue to advocate for the interests of our sector, which is dominated by small and medium businesses, as much as we can. However, we would love to see the government do more to directly tap into the expertise of SMEs as this could give them a far more realistic appreciation of what is really happening at the coalface and to make the right policy decisions going forward.

For those who wish to watch the whole seminar, just go to YouTube and search for ‘do you want to be a tiger or a tabby’.

It’s an hour well spent. 

Let me welcome Greg Pert as the new chair of the Road Transport Forum board. Greg takes over from Neil Reid, who has done a fantastic job leading our governance team over the past six years.

Greg is well known in the road transport industry and is already a board member of National Road Carriers. He has worked his way up through the industry, starting out driving for others, then becoming an owner-operator. He and partner Jackie Carroll built their business, Tranzliquid Logistics, into one of the leading bulk fuel logistics and cartage providers in New Zealand.

Greg knows how our industry works and as a highly regarded employer will be a massive asset as RTF makes progress towards solving our industry’s workforce challenges.

None of us really knows what the ultimate impact of Covid-19 will be, but it’s pretty safe to say that road transport will not be immune from the economic downturn. Greg’s expertise will help RTF support the industry through this uncertain time.

Nick Leggett Chief executive officer

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THE LAST MILE

S

ome may recall the television series Blackadder and Blackadder’s faithful servant Baldrick. One of Baldrick’s often used sayings was “I have a cunning plan”. I am convinced that some within our government circles, both national and local, must be great fans of his and are in tune with his cunning plan theory, especially when it comes to extracting money from road users.

Hardly a day goes by when we don’t hear from one official or another telling us that traffic congestion is bad, and this is what they are going to do about it. Of course, telling us what they intend to do and doing it are entirely different things; like railway tracks, they are most unlikely to ever come together.

Under the cunning plan theory traffic congestion is good, unless you happen to be stuck in it. By creating situations that create congestion the officials are making people use more fuel; more fuel means more tax, and if you are unfortunate enough to have to buy fuel in Auckland, you are also stung with the regional fuel tax. If you are one of these officials, why would you want to stop people buying fuel? You simply wouldn’t; you are not likely to be overly active in cutting off a source of income. But of course you cannot come out and say that you are encouraging congestion because it would not be the right thing to do, so what you do is to sit around in meetings and pontificate on what you can do to create situations that

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146 New Zealand Trucking

give the impression you are doing whatever you can to reduce congestion, but which you know will have the opposite effect.

Let’s look at some examples of these. Reduce speed limits to make the roads safer for other road users; a noble gesture but one that hides the fact that many roads have deteriorated now to the point where it is a travesty to call them roads.

Introduce dedicated bus lanes to ‘speed’ up the passage of public transport. That these lanes reduce the lanes available to lesser mortals, further aggravating congestion, is but a minor inconvenience, and the extra income it derives from fuel tax is not to be sneezed at.

Reduce the availability of parking in the city. In cunning plan theory this will force people onto public transport when you know that the public transport system is failing, and people will have to revert to private means just to move around.

Exempt one section of the motoring public from paying a fuel tax contribution towards the upkeep of the roads, even though they can still use the roads and contribute to congestion. Let’s disguise this under decarbonising our transport network; people will buy into it, but more fuel will get used and more tax received. Let’s get even more cunning and increase enforcement on those roads where we have reduced the speed limit in the name of road safety, and we can increase our income from this source as well.

A further example of cunning plan theory is embedded within the Land Transport (NZTA) Legislation Amendment Act 2020, which provides for the NZTA to establish new mechanisms to fund its regulatory functions. You don’t have to have a degree in public policy to understand what that means.

Those of us who pay to use the roads have been paying for the regulatory function for many years; a function that used to work, but the cunning plan came along to syphon some of this money off to other projects, such as building cycleways, happy in the knowledge that there would be not enough left in the piggybank to operate an effective regulatory system and the system would run down. Eventually it would be on the verge of collapse and would require new money to build it back up and make it work.

The application of the theory goes something like this: we need money to build cycleways, so syphon off some of the funding that was used to support the regulatory function.

This function will diminish to the point of being virtually ineffective, but that’s okay, we can go to the government to provide a mechanism to get more money to rebuild the function we robbed from in the first place.

A quote from Abraham Lincoln says: “You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time”.

Appropriate guidance I suspect, for those who are paid from the public purse. 

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