NZ Trucking Magazine June 2022

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CONTENTS EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

Dave McCoid Ph: 027 492 5601 Email: editor@nztrucking.co.nz EDITOR

Gavin Myers Ph: 027 660 6608 Email: gavin@nztrucking.com FIELD EDITOR

Carl Kirkbeck Ph: 021 760 766 Email: carl@nztrucking.co.nz For all advertising enquiries: Matt Smith Ph: 021 510 701 Email: matt@nztrucking.co.nz Pav Warren Ph: 027 201 4001 Email: pav@nztrucking.co.nz SUB EDITOR

ART DIRECTOR

Tracey Strange

John Berkley

CONTRIBUTORS

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Craig Andrews Marty Crooks Faye Lougher Craig McCauley Jacqui Madelin Alison Verran Mike Verran Shannon Williams

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Niels Jansen (Europe) Paul O’Callaghan (Europe) Howard Shanks (Australia) Will Shiers (UK) VIDEO PRODUCTION

Jonathan Locke Izaak Kirkbeck Milly McCauley Howard Shanks

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Georgi George PUBLISHER

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Ricky Harris 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.

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REST 8 Editorial 10 Road Noise – Industry news 44 Just Trucking Around 46 Good on Ya Mate – 108 and strong 52 Where’s that Road?

56 Classics Locker – Beaut from another time 60 Great Dashboards – White Road Boss 62 Wanaka Memory 64 Unsung Heroes 74

Little Trucker Down Under – Winter’s here

76 Craig’s Truckin’ Snapshot 78 New Rigs 84 New Bodies and Trailers 86 Million Mile Club 88 Mini Big Rigs – Adding the detail 90 Little Truckers’ Club 92 What’s On/Cartoon WATCH TH E VIDEO O N YO U TU BE

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112 Truckers’ Health 114 Health & Safety 116 Legal Lines

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Associate Member

EDITORIAL

MIXED-BAG PLANNING

I

’ve always believed that city buses should be electric – their consistent stop-start routes make them a perfect use case for the technology. Passengers would probably appreciate the more refined ride, too. And there would be less noise and air pollution in crowded city spaces.

That could be a reality by 2025, when New Zealand’s first emissions reduction plan (ERP), released on Monday 16 May, requires only zero-emissions public transport buses to be purchased. The ERP (first of six and for the period to 2025) essentially stages the course for achieving the government’s commitment to net-zero emissions by 2050 at the start of each emissions budget period. It’s been criticised for being thin on real detail and, reading through it, it certainly comes across as more of an outline document. It’s borderline noncommittal, using words such as ‘evaluate’ and ‘consider’ – although the use of ‘develop’, ‘provide’ and ‘establish’ impart a bit more certitude.

Naturally, it outlines its targets, initiatives and actions for key sectors, including

energy, construction, agriculture, forestry, waste and, of course, transport.

Transport, the ERP states, is responsible for 17% of the country’s gross greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs). While this is not a patch on the 50% attributed to agriculture, we can’t ignore the fact that 17% is a considerable contribution. A lot can be done to reduce that figure.

As, we’re told, two-thirds of transport emissions come from the light-vehicle fleet, the bulk of the first ERP’s actions for transport focus on private mobility – reducing the number of kilometres travelled and increasing the number of low- and zero-emissions vehicles on the road.

Tackling heavy transport will be a far more challenging undertaking than public buses or light vehicles, and the plan acknowledges this.

A reduction in emissions by freight transport of 35% by 2035 is the goal but, again, the key initiatives outlined for the decarbonisation of freight use lots of those noncommittal words.

No.1 on the list of initiatives is “Develop a national freight and supply chain strategy with industry.” That’s

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encouraging, so long as this is not purely a tick-box and the industry’s input is truly considered.

“Provide funding to support the freight sector to purchase zero- and low-emissions trucks” and “Evaluate options to support infrastructure development for green fuels and fast charging for heavy vehicles” are two other, separate initiatives. But these go hand in hand; you can’t ‘provide’ for the one and only ‘evaluate’ for the other. We’ve said it before, transport will not opt for alternative propulsion if one of the biggest compromises to be made is the ability to refuel. We need to do better than a handful of operators here and there with the capacity to accommodate the compromises.

Within a few bullet points of each other are “Evaluate options to improve efficiency of heavy vehicles” and “Consider the implementation timing of Euro-6 standard for heavy vehicles”. What’s there to consider? Euro-6 vehicles are here, and operators are reaping the benefits of their exceptional efficiency. There can be an immediate increase in efficiency and reduction

in emissions simply by fasttracking this standard. We can lump “Evaluate options to regulate heavy vehicle imports” in here, too.

Somewhat unsurprisingly, the only real affirmative initiative is “Continue to implement the New Zealand Rail Plan and support coastal shipping”.

And the industry can probably brace for further revisions to the RUC system on a fuel-type/emissions basis. At the same time, a “freight decarbonisation unit” will be established “to help decarbonise the freight sector through regulation and investment policy”.

I’ve written before that if we are to make a real, meaningful impact, things need to be done properly, with a sustained commitment by all concerned. Will the government and industry be able to pull all this together?

Let’s see… The road to 2035 is long, but time has a habit of passing quickly. I’ll be encouraged when I see those zero-emissions buses arrive.

Gavin Myers Editor

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ROAD NOISE NEWS

FUSO NZ NAMES NEW GENERAL MANAGER Kevin Smith is the new general manager at Fuso New Zealand.

Smith comes to the role from the heavy transport industry with a wealth of knowledge and experience. He will work closely with managing director Kurtis Andrews and, among other tasks, will be responsible for developing and implementing company strategy, driving growth and mentoring managers.

Smith trained as a chartered accountant and lectured in accounting and financial systems at Massey University before working for various building supplies, manufacturing and heavy transport businesses, including trucks, trailer manufacturing and aftersales focus.

“Fuso New Zealand has recently seen significant growth across our truck sales, which lead us to No.1 in the market in 2021, and in our parts distribution operation,” says Andrews.

“We are now well-positioned to consolidate and build on that growth through robust processes and strategic development.

Kevin brings some very relevant knowledge and disciplines that will enhance those areas and guide the next phase of our evolution,” he says.

“I have watched Fuso New Zealand develop since its creation in 2016 and have been impressed with its growth, particularly now I’ve had a chance to look a bit deeper,” comments Smith.

“It is a privilege to have the opportunity to help support and guide its progress for the foreseeable future, and I look forward to helping the team reach its potential.”

From left: Cathy Clennett, co-founder and chair of Hiringa Energy; Jimmy Ormsby, managing director Waitomo Group; Dan Khan, co-founder and CTO of Hiringa Energy; Simon Parham, COO Waitomo Group; and Andrew Clennett, co-founder and CEO of Hiringa Energy.

Ground broken on New Zealand’s first green hydrogen refuelling site

H

iringa Energy and Waitomo Group have begun constructing New Zealand’s first highcapacity green hydrogen refuelling station next to a Waitomo Group Fuel Stop adjacent to Palmerston North Airport.

It is the foremost of four planned hydrogen refuelling stations for New Zealand – in Hamilton, Tauriko and Auckland – which will be one of the first hydrogen refuelling networks for heavy transport in the world.

Specialist hydrogen equipment for the station has been sourced from Europe.

Financial backing has been provided by

Hiringa’s Strategic Alliance partners – Mitsui and Co (Asia-Pacific), government funding from EECA and the Covid-19 Recovery Fund, and growth capital from key investors, including Sir Stephen Tindall’s K One W One and international backers. Waitomo Group is self-funding its investment in the project.

More than $50 million has been invested in the project’s first phase, and detailed engineering and compliance work has been completed. Resource consent has been granted for the Palmerston North and Hamilton sites, and applications are in for Tauriko and Auckland.

The expansion of the refuelling network into the

South Island will begin in 2023, with 24 highcapacity refuelling stations due to come online countrywide in the next four to five years.

TR Group has purchased an initial fleet of 20 zeroemission Hyzon hydrogenpowered trucks to utilise the network. Built to meet New Zealand regulations and the demanding road conditions, the trucks will be capable of more than 600km of range between refuelling stops.

Hyundai New Zealand is bringing five hydrogen fuel-cell Xcient heavy-duty trucks to New Zealand, with the second arriving soon. Hyzon and Hyundai have received support from EECA funding.

Mercedes-Benz Trucks launches Level-2 automation in NZ

M

ercedes-Benz Trucks has introduced Active Drive Assist technology as an optional feature on its Actros models.

The company introduced the technology as an optional feature after a 1,200,000km validation programme that included 20 trucks, including 15 units in Australia and five in New Zealand.

Active Drive Assist helps to actively steer a truck and keep it in the centre of its lane, although the driver is still required to hold the steering wheel. According to Mercedes-Benz, it is one step ahead of some current systems that can push a truck back into the lane should it wander out.

“The Mercedes-Benz Trucks system actually helps

to steer the truck in the first place and aims to prevent it from getting out to the edge of the lane. The lane-keeping assist system is proactive rather than reactive,” it says.

It does this by using cameras to monitor lane markings and using the data to help operate the electrohydraulic steering system.

The driver can overrule lanekeeping assist at any time and is able to turn off the system.

Active Drive Assist uses an electric motor located on the steering box to provide assistance in addition to the standard hydraulic power steering. It helps keep the truck in the lane and provides more assistance to the driver and improves manoeuvrability, especially at lower speeds.

“Mercedes-Benz Trucks’

Level-2 automation makes life easier for drivers and boosts safety by helping reduce fatigue,” says MercedesBenz Trucks Australia Pacific director, Andrew Assimo.

“The feedback from our

validation programme has been overwhelmingly positive from drivers who can really appreciate the benefits of the system after experiencing it firsthand,” he says.

ROAD NOISE NEWS

Scania overhauls assistance service

S FUSO CELEBRATES 90TH ANNIVERSARY Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation is celebrating the 90th anniversary of the Fuso brand.

In 1932, the ‘Fuso’ name was used for the first time for the B46 bus manufactured at Kobe Shipyard of Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co, currently Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. The 7m, 38-seater bus was equipped with a seven-litre, six-cylinder 74kW (100hp) gasoline engine.

The vehicle’s name, selected among proposals from employees at the company, was suggested by an engineer at the shipyard.

Following the first vehicle, the nickname ‘Fuso’ was used for major products such as the gasoline engine four-ton truck KT1 (1946), Japan’s first large cab-over truck T380, and Japan’s first minibus, the Rosa (1960). In line with Japan’s steady economic growth in the 1950s to the 1970s, the product line-up included a full range from small to large trucks and buses and played an important part in economic development.

cania Assistance – Scania’s bespoke emergency assistance service that began operating here in a limited capacity last year – now has the support, resources and expertise of the global community of Scania Assistance.

Rafael Alvarenga, Scania New Zealand’s managing director, says the upgraded service will make roadside servicing more efficient and effective for customers.

“A significant feature is that workshop teams now have access to the Scania Assistance app, Scania On Scene (SOS), which gathers information about customers and cases on a single digital platform,” he says.

“For the customers, this means one clear point of contact directly with the workshop with SOS providing a better communication platform with technicians in the field. The app is also used to secure technicians’ wellbeing and safety during what are often remote and after-dark roadside missions.”

Alvarenga says Scania experienced a 110% increase in local truck sales last year, so its commitment to service and support must

reflect its growing market share, which increased from 6% to 16% in the past two years.

“We’ve also worked hard to increase our national network of service centres with more than 30 regional workshops providing round the clock service.

However, given the many remote and rural routes that trucks service 24/7, Scania Assistance is a very important complement to the workshop service and our customers’ peace of

mind,” he says.

The project manager for the Scania Assistance launch in New Zealand, Colin Bowden, says the service is staffed by a strong team that understands the local industry and customer needs.

“We’ve trained nearly 70 technicians and serviceminded professionals who now have access to these very comprehensive Scania systems and vehicle diagnostics,” he says.

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ROAD NOISE NEWS

Hino Motors turns 80

I

n 2022, Hino celebrates its 80th anniversary as a global brand. The company, which has been operating in New Zealand for 58 years, is in more than 90 countries and regions.

“From our first vehicle sold in 1964 to our latest heavyduty model introduction, innovation, safety, customer service, and sustainability are at the core of everything we do,” states the company.

The company traces its origins back to 1910, with the founding of the Tokyo Gas Industry Co. In 1917 the Type TGE-A prototype truck made its debut, followed by various TGE-type trucks over two years. In 1930, the company moved into bus manufacture with the Type TGE-MP bus.

In 1937, the automobile division of Tokyo Gas Electric Engineering Co, Automobile Industry Co and Kyodo Kokusan K.K. merged to form the Tokyo Automobile Industry Co. In 1941, it changed its name to Diesel Motor Industry Co. In 1942 – 80 years ago – the Hino plant of Diesel Motor Industry Co was made independent as Hino Heavy Industries Inc. Post-war, in 1946, the name was changed again to Hino Industry Co. In 1948, the manufacturing and sales entities were split.

In 1962, Hino established its first overseas sales company in Thailand. By 1946, production had begun in that country – the first outside Japan. Two years later, a business alliance

was struck with Toyota Motor Corporation. In 1999, Hino Motors Co and Hino Motor Sales Co merged into Hino Motors Co, while the company became a

subsidiary of Toyota Motor Corporation in 2001.

Hino expanded to Europe in 1974 and to the United States in 1985. In 2007, it celebrated overseas sales overtaking

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domestic (Japanese sales).

In 1991, the brand released the HIMR bus, the first commercially available hybrid vehicle.

This year, it debuted the Hino DUTRO Z EV lightduty truck.

“Committed to providing solutions to meet the ongoing transport and logistics demands, Hino Motors continues to draw on 80 years of design innovation and experience globally and builds every new model on timehonoured principles of quality, durability and reliability. With the aim of remaining essential to all customers and society in the future, Hino will continue to be a trusted global manufacturer of commercial vehicles.”

Truck operators “extremely concerned”

T

ruck operators are highly worried about the rising cost of fuel and other operating expenses, poor roading and driver shortages, according to a survey from National Road Carriers.

The survey of 1800 NRC members included respondents ranging from individual ownerdrivers to large trucking companies with more than 100 drivers and support staff.

All industry work types were represented among the more than 160 respondents, spread across North and South Island businesses and including a few overseas-owned companies operating in New Zealand.

The survey found nearly 80% of members are extremely concerned about rising fuel costs and inflation, while 65%

of members are extremely concerned about rising costs of other inputs such as fuel additives, tyres and insurance.

Some 58% of members are extremely concerned about poor roading, which causes increased running and maintenance costs and accidents, and 48% of members are extremely concerned about driver shortages and retention.

National Road Carriers COO James Smith says there are no surprises in the findings, especially as fuel prices in March 2022 were nearly 60% higher than in the same month last year. Poor road conditions and driver shortages are both longstanding issues – with the driver issue seriously exacerbated by the Covid-19

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“Nevertheless, these member insights have given the organisation a greater understanding of member needs and what they value – which includes advocacy, a strong industry voice, government relations, leadership, commercial partnerships – particularly with fuel companies – industry and road updates, and an NRC person on the end of the phone for advice,” Smith says.

“The insights from the survey are extremely valuable and will inform our future direction.

We are currently refreshing NRC’s business strategy and communications plan, which we will share with members in due course.”

ROAD NOISE NEWS

Sales start for Volvo’s heavy-duty electric trucks

V

olvo Trucks has opened the ordering system for its heavyduty electric truck range.

Serial production of the electric FH, FM and FMX will start in the European autumn. The electric trucks will initially be produced in

the CO2-neutral Tuve plant in Gothenburg.

In 2021, Volvo Trucks took orders, including letters of intent to buy, for more than 1100 electric trucks in more than 20 countries.

The electric versions of Volvo’s medium-duty trucks

– Volvo FE, Volvo FL and Volvo VNR – are already in production. Currently, the largest markets for Volvo’s electric trucks in Europe are Norway, Sweden and Germany. Volvo Trucks is the market leader in Europe for heavy electric trucks with a

market share of 42% in 2021 and has a leading position in North America.

Volvo Trucks has six electric truck models in production as of this year. The company’s target is that half of its total truck sales will be electric by 2030.

$15m innovation fund for transport sector

W

aka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency has launched a $15 million innovation fund to accelerate innovative projects in the transport sector.

The fund, Hoe ki angitu, is focused on encouraging collaboration with the private sector and removing unnecessary barriers to accelerate solutions.

“We know some great work and thinking is going on in the private sector to address some of the major transport challenges we face – such as reducing emissions, encouraging mode

16 New Zealand Trucking

shift, improving accessible and equitable transport options, decarbonising freight, and improving road safety outcomes,” says Waka Kotahi national manager multimodal and innovation Deb Hume.

Hoe ki angitu is challengebased and seeks solutions with the potential to deliver real impact for the land transport system. The fund will launch with three specific challenges – with others added in future rounds.

With an allocated $15 million over two years, the fund will partner with and support innovators of all types

and at various stages of the innovation cycle.

To be considered for funding, innovators need to demonstrate how their project aligns with at least one of the transport outcomes as outlined in the Government Policy Statement on Land Transport, as well as address the specific problem presented in the challenge.

Innovators from the private sector, including iwi, start-ups, domestic and international companies, research institutions, and community and university groups are invited to apply.

It is expected that innovations submitted will be at various stages of development – from idea and testing to implementation or growth.

“For successful applicants, support might be financial – or it might be in other ways, including support to navigate the transportation regulatory system, access to data or capabilities or the creation of strategic partnerships. Each project will have a unique set of needs to help it advance.”

Applications open on 7 June. More information can be found at nzta.govt.nz

June 2022

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MirrorCam improved

M

ercedes-Benz Trucks has given the MirrorCam system its first update, with the second generation available for the Actros, Arocs and eActros series.

The camera arms on both sides have been shortened by 10cm on the narrower and wider cabs, enabling drivers to reverse in a straight line more easily than the first MirrorCam generation. This is because now MirrorCam’s perspective is even more like that of conventional glass mirrors. On the 2.5m-wide cab, the camera arm now protrudes no further than the kerb mirror, which is within the driver’s plain sight.

While the original features of MirrorCam have been retained, Mercedes-Benz

Trucks has also evolved further features. For example, a drip edge has been incorporated at the bottom of MirrorCam to prevent rainwater from running onto the lens and causing undesirable visual effects.

The tone mapping has been optimised, and the camera system’s evolution in colour and brightness adaptation means that the displays show the area relevant to the driving situation more accurately when reversing into a dark or poorly lit facility.

The enhanced system can help manage situations such as overtaking, manoeuvring, driving in poor visibility and darkness, cornering and passing narrow spaces even more safely.

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ROAD NOISE NEWS

Scania Super is ‘Green Truck’ 2022

T

he Scania Super powertrain has taken out the ‘Green Truck’ title for 2022, marking the sixth consecutive year a Scania has taken out the title.

The Green Truck test is organised by trade magazines Trucker and VerkehrsRundschau. It identifies the most efficient heavy truck by using a formula that considers fuel consumption and average speed. All manufacturers of heavy trucks in Europe are invited.

The same 340km route on German public roads is used every year, with different conditions on the different legs.

The testing is rigorously monitored.

Factors that influence the results (such as outdoor temperatures and headwinds) are compensated for by using a reference truck with welldocumented performance, which takes each test in parallel with the competitors.

This time, 4x2 semi-trailer

combinations with 373kW (500hp) and a total weight of 32 tonnes was stipulated.

Scania’s new 13-litre Euro-6 Super engine was introduced in November 2021 and is available in four power outputs.

“Our Super-based powertrain has brought a completely new performance level to the market, with our customers now benefiting from its 8% fuel savings,” says senior vice president and head of Scania Trucks, Stefan Dorski.

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ROAD NOISE NEWS

Volvo Trucks updates I-Shift

V

olvo Trucks has increased the shifting speed of its I-Shift gearbox by up to 30%, improving the driveability and smoothness of its diesel and electric heavy-duty trucks.

According to Volvo Trucks, the driveability upgrade, which has been added to drivelines at all emission levels, is achieved by a

change in how the I-Shift gearbox interacts with the engine. The update includes faster clutch activation, resulting in a shorter torque interruption. It also makes the gear shifting smoother for a more harmonious driving experience.

“Faster gear shifting makes it possible to optimise the gear selection more

efficiently. And the more shifting events that the road and terrain require, the more the improvements will be appreciated by the driver,” says Pär Bergstrand, heavyduty transmission manager at Volvo Trucks.

The high-speed shifting is achieved with several key improvements, including updated sensors that provide

more accurate data to the control unit, and an added disc in the gearbox brake making it react faster before a gear shift.

The air volume has also been reduced in different actuation systems – for example, the shift forks, the clutch and the gearbox brake – to further enable a faster shift.

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THE NEW TRUCK

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FOR NZ All Trucks come with: • Cummins 440hp • Eaton AMT • European Axle Technology • Ladder Chassis

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ROAD NOISE NEWS LIGHT COMMERCIALS

Ford’s updated Ranger lands Ford has confirmed its E-Transit Custom EV van will arrive in New Zealand before early 2024, one of seven EVs to be sold here that year. Built with electrification, intelligent software and connectivity tools, it will feature full towing capability. More details are expected in September.

April new-car registrations were the lowest since 2015 (bar April 2020, thanks to the first Covid19 lockdown). Light commercial registrations dropped 72%, and it was the first time in more than 10 years that a ute wasn’t in New Zealand’s top three, with Ford’s Ranger in sixth overall. The Motor Industry Association cites dealers preregistering stock to beat the introduction of further Clean Car Discount measures, such as levies for high-emission vehicles, and tips a return to dominance for utes as the year progresses.

Global manufacturing supply constraints have led to the news that Mitsubishi will halt production of short wheelbase Express vans, with long wheelbase likely to run out mid-year. No word yet on what will replace it.

Production of Ford’s F150 Lightning has begun for American customers, with about 200,000 reservations in the US alone. It marks the start of the expansion of Ford’s EV footprint in the US in a smart vehicle able to power a house during a power cut for three days. It is envisaged eventually to deliver power back to the grid or charge other EVs. No word on arrival Down Under – given US demand, it’s unlikely to be here within two years.

22 New Zealand Trucking

June 2022

Amarok hits Europe undercover

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olkswagen’s new Amarok ute has been photographed during European testing before launching later this year.

Designed in Germany and Australia, it will be built in South Africa and sold in three variants; Amarok, Amarok Life and Amarok Style. The hero off-roader will be the PanAmerica and the top-spec on-roadfocused variant, the Aventura.

The new Amarok is 100mm longer than its predecessor – at 5350mm with a wheelbase up 175mm to boost in-cabin space.

Payload increases to a 1.2-tonne maximum, with trailers up to 3.5 tonnes towed depending on the engine/gearbox fitted.

Those heading offseal will like the greater fording depth, approach and departure clearance angles.

One petrol engine and up to four diesels will be built. Options will include four- or six cylinders, 2.0- or 3.0-litre powerplants teamed with rear-drive, on-demand or permanent all-wheeldrive.

New safety tech advances have been added, while the exterior

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hree pre-production Ford Rangers have arrived in New Zealand, with the Wildtrack, V6 turbodiesel XT and Sport promptly going on display at the Hutchwilco Boat Show.

The updated vehicle is based on its predecessor, albeit with a brashly muscular new-look front and rear.

The 3.0-litre engine fitted to the Sport and

has had design changes.

Amarok is still pitched as a premium commercial, with both front seats in some variants getting a 10-way electric adjustment.

The launch will see the new Amarok on sale in some markets as a four-door double-cab by the end of this year. New Zealand-specific spec and price details have yet to be announced.

Wildtrack deliver 184kW and 600Nm, considerably up from the 157kW/500Nm 2.0litre bi-turbo in the outgoing flagship. With such a hike in torque, you might expect a higher tow rating, but it remains 3500kg braked, except for the Raptor at 2500kg.

The XL entry-level Ranger gets the single-turbo 2.0 in 2WD and the bi-turbo 2.0 for the 4WD in single cab, super cab, and double cab

pick-up. Drum rear brakes are standard, along with a swag of other features, including climate-control air, an 8” digital cluster and 10.1” touchscreen, nine airbags, traffic-sign recognition and adaptive cruise control.

The XLT includes disc brakes for all wheels, side steps, dual-zone climatecontrol air, rain-sensing wipers, a six-speaker sound system and SatNav. The Sport adds wireless phone charging,

a power driver seat, some design flourishes and, of course, the 3.0-litre 600Nm engine.

The range-topping Wildtrack has all-terrain tyres, USB ports for both seating rows, a 12” touchscreen, 360° camera, parking assist, heated seats, a power roller shutter and quite a bit more.

Its hard lid opens at a button touch while the tray can heft a tonne, on a Euro pallet between the wheel arches.

Sliding mounts for the tiedown points, capped bed sides, load-bearing side rails and a power socket complete that clever load bay.

The cabin features a more premium, more spacious feel, new controls for the 4WD system, new storage spaces and lower-mounted seats to assist taller drivers.

Production models aren’t due for at least two months, but Ford says its order books are open.

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COVER FEATURE

BACKBONE If the country is to avoid serious economic rapids, it’ll be thanks in no small way to farmers and transport operators. If you wanted a truck that symbolises the scale of their contribution and capabilities, Volvo’s 16-litre FH in Globetrotter spec would be a likely contender.

We went to Nightcaps in the deep South to check out the latest Series 5 incarnation of this captivating machine, in the hands of rural carrier, Transport Services Ltd. A company that believes capability is the key to contribution.

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The Finn brothers were wrong – history does repeat. Here’s Rowdy in the Volvo at the same place on the Nightcaps-Opio Road that the photo of the FHL Foden driven by the late Lindsay Keen was taken. The Foden test appeared in the August ’86 issue. The trees have certainly grown, but Nightcaps can still be seen – just.

he opening photograph in the leading double test feature of the August 1986 issue of New Zealand Trucking magazine was one of the magazine’s more unforgettable images – a Freight Haulage Foden S108 climbing north away from its home base on the Nightcaps-Opio Road. The sevenaxle stock unit, driven at the time by the late Lindsay Keen, represented some pretty capable gear; packing a 261kW (350hp) 3406B Caterpillar motor, ninespeed Roadranger, and Rockwell rears on Foden’s rubber block suspension.

Little did we know then that one of Southland’s most respected operators was heading for some inclement commercial weather, courtesy of the Transpac saga.

Neither did we know that a young bloke who’d started as a casual driver a couple of years before would one day find his name on the shareholder list of the transport spirit-child that would rise from the mayhem about to unfold.

“I’m still only casual!” says Transport Services Ltd (TSL) director and co-owner Wayne Williams. His baritone voice and laugh are as much a company signature as the fleet’s red livery. “I’ve never had a contract – still working towards it, I guess!”

As you’ll read further in, the resemblance in liveries between the FHL machine and TSL today is no coincidence.

Story by Dave McCoid

Fast Froward An apt crosshead indeed, both in terms of time and travel. It’s late autumn 2022 and we’re back in Nightcaps, some 397 issues of the magazine later, standing in front of TSL’s latest addition to the asset register.

Swedish Stag is fleet No.6, a majestic Series 5 Volvo FH16 700 Globetrotter, and although the base fundamentals haven’t changed – an engine connects to a transmission to a pair of diffs that ride on some form of suspension – the scene tells us just how far things have moved on. The scale of modern highway trucks is mindboggling. Alongside the ‘Globey’, the Foden would have looked like a flea truck.

It’s 23m long, 2.50m wide, 4.30m high, and has a cab that barely needs any form of roof-top spoiler to equal the crates in height. As imposing as it is impressive, we would find out in the succeeding days that the FH is in fact a gentle giant.

The driver of the Globetrotter is David Scobie, a.k.a ‘Rowdy’. He’s a 22-year veteran of TSL and, like Aaron Tait on the rural DAF in February, every inch the stocktruck driver having cut his teeth in farming before taking the wheel. This was obvious the instant we arrived at the first pick-up from James Dickson’s farm on Gowan Hill Road just north of Nightcaps, which as it happens is the farm Wayne Williams grew up on. As Rowdy loaded the cattle there

Photos and video by Craig McCauley and Dave McCoid New Zealand Trucking

June 2022 25

With the stunning Southland landscape in the background, the Josephville Hill poses no challenge to modern high-end trucks like the FH700. was no bellowing or yahooing, it was a quiet orderly affair, the crates giving off their signature ‘clanking’ sounds in response to the hooves of the boarding passengers.

The location of the various freezing works ultimately determines the flow of stock truck movements in the lower South Island, as it does countrywide. The average stock truck driver here often knows the gateways of Lorneville (Invercargill), Mataura, Waitane (Gore),

26 New Zealand Trucking

Finegand (Balclutha), Pukeuri (Oamaru), Pareora (Timaru), Seafield (Ashburton), Belfast (Christchurch), and even Kokiri (Greymouth), better than the gate into his own house.

Gowan Hill Road was the first of three pick-ups bound for the giant Silverfern Farms Finegand works in Balclutha.

Usually, getting a single pickup load in this part of the country is common, but not so now. Covid-19’s impact on the meat processing

industry has been significant and generally speaking, demand for killing space has backed up. To make matters worse, we’re now in the dairy cull, which is larger than usual because farmers are holding onto cows thanks to record farmgate milk prices.

It all means killing space is rationed, and that means multiple pick-up loads, a far more costly proposition for the carrier.

“There’s pressure right through the supply chain,”

says Wayne.

Once loaded, Rowdy pulled away, heading for the second pick-up near Centre Bush. He dropped the trailer and shot up a gravel road, stopping to make sure the driveway he intended to turn into was to the stockyards and not the house.

Just a few to go on, he was soon off, hooked back up to the trailer and off to Balfour, some 52km away for the rest.

That’s a big leg for a pick-up round, but it’s just how things

Rowdy stops for his compulsory Covid testing at the Finegand freezing works.

June 2022

Right: Rowdy at the Tinkertown wash between loads. Washing out is part and parcel of a stock truck driving job. are currently.

The Volvo glided serenely through the Southland countryside, impacting the locals’ Sunday sleep-in not one iota. Presentation wise, the unit is certainly on point, with impeccable lines, roof bars, air horns and the aero kit all setting off the final look. Yes, Southland’s climate means maintaining a Californian level of shine is impossible, especially on a rural truck. Nonetheless, TSL is particular about the look of

the fleet, to the extent that the fleet colour gets applied to the underfloor of the cab once the new trucks arrive in New Zealand.

“Lifting the cab and seeing white primer looks bloody awful,” says Wayne. “Why they can’t do it in the factory baffles me.”

The overwhelming theme of this entire test is just how easily these high-end Euros get work done. Take former challenges such as the Josephville Hill on

SH6 between Dipton and Lumsden. Admittedly it’s had a rework or two over the years, but even so, it now offers nothing by way of a test for trucks like the ‘Stag’.

“There’s an undeniable gap now between the Americans and the Euros,” says Wayne.

“The power, torque, and AMTs make it so effortless. We have both in the fleet, and under big loads, you can hear the US engines working a hell of a lot harder.”

The last farm was up a side

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road at Balfour. It’s an easy loadout with ample room in which to swing the entire unit around and butt up. It’s been an unusually dry autumn, almost a ‘green-drought’, as one farmer put it, indicating sufficient groundwater and lack of wind to counter the absence of rain.

The relentless search for payload space means modern trucks tend to be lower in the front than their predecessors.

As such Rowdy was all eyes when getting the big Viking into place.

The TSL machine sports Bigfoot CTI, a tool finding a home in livestock cartage on an increasing basis. Wayne says he wouldn’t be without it. “It doesn’t matter how you set it up, as soon as you hook something to the front of a stuck truck and apply pull, that truck will feel pain, somewhere. It’s worse now with HPMV combinations. Half the time, the farm’s tractor can’t pull them. Anyway, we thought ‘This thing works in logging, so it must work for us.’ It’s a no-brainer. With the power trucks have now, it also increases the drive footprint.

We run Tyre Pilot inflation management on the trailer too. I’d love that to have the ability to lower and raise pressures just to take the shock out of empty running, but the plumbing’s too fine, and that’s not its job. What it is proving though is the old tyre reps were right when they harped on about pressure checking. The improvement in tyre life is noticeable.”

Topped up with the remaining headage, Rowdy

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1 & 2) Tyres, they are a changin’. Bigfoot Central tyre inflation on the truck (right), and Tyre Pilot inflation management (left). The benefits cannot be ignored.

Passing through Gore.

stretched the unit out and glided out of the paddock and up the gravel road. It was now a ‘cruisey’ 100km run from the farm through Riversdale to the junction of SH94 and SH1 at Gore, and then up to Balclutha. It’s a typical Sunday run for Rowdy, and like stock truck drivers the length of the country, Sunday for Monday’s kill is part and parcel of the week’s work.

Smaller in silence Watching the really big trucks launch into their work is always awe-inspiring. At 50 odd tonnes, No.6 turned out of Two Chain Road and headed up SH94. From

our perspective, it simply got smaller in silence as its relationship with the horizon became more meaningful than its relationship with us. If we wanted to keep this Stag on side, then we had to go, and go now!

TSL is not backward in coming forward when it comes to setting the stage for optimal productivity. Its owners are not proponents of adequate power; they like to give drivers all the budget allows when it comes to kit. That philosophy has its roots in the captains’ offices.

Dean’s dispatched enough trucks to know power helps, and Wayne’s certainly driven

enough to know the same.

“I think we’re home to the world’s southern-most FH16s.

That’s our claim anyway,” laughs Wayne. “No, but seriously, back in the day, I’m talking 1970s here, John ‘Shad’ Curtin had a 1418 Benz and took four hours from Nightcaps to Milton [193km] with 300 lambs. I took three in the Foden to the Anderson Bay lights in Dunedin [248km] with 580 lambs, and doing 100kph,” again he chuckles. “Rowdy takes three to the same place with 620 on but he’s doing 90kph remember. It’s his average speed that is right up there.

“The 16-litre Volvo engine is a real good big motor.

We have two 13-litre trucks coming later in the year, and after that, it’ll be 16s for the heavier work. We’ve settled on the 700 because the gearing available with that engine suits us better. It’s still over 3000Nm of torque, and with the gearing there’s nothing really in it between that and the 750.”

Although the Series 5 is available in Euro-6 guise, Southern Stag sports the 16.1-litre DC16 Euro-5 big banger at 522kW (700hp) and 3150Nm (2323lb/ft) of torque.

Behind that is the singleplate clutch and an I-Shift

One of the Volvo’s awesome party tricks is the ‘open-wide’ cab tilt. There’s more access room than a lot of conventionals. Right: “A real good big motor,” to quote Wayne Williams.

The Volvo’s nimbleness belies its size.

ATO3112F 12-speed AMT. The RTS2370B hypoid rears at 23-tonne sit on RADD-GR 8-bag air suspension with shocks and stabiliser bar. Up front, FLA20 front axles ride on parabolic leaf springs with shocks and a stabiliser bar.

Under any circumstances they’re impressive output numbers – 10.4kW (14hp) per tonne, and 63Nm (46.46lb/ft) per tonne – but understand that the torque curve is flat from 1000rpm to 1550rpm, and peak power kicks in from about 1520 through to 1850.

The point here is that it has buckets of go at any point, with 1500 to 1550rpm the real bullseye.

But numbers are numbers, and like it or not, technology makes the package what it is. The seamless shifts of even the single-clutch I-Shift, the intuitive nature of adaptive cruise control, and productivity tools such as hillhold and descending control turn statistics into actual tools that save time, money, and wear and tear on both machine and man.

“At weight, it’ll climb the steepest section of the Kilmog Northbound in eighth at 40kph,” says Rowdy, “and then holds over 60kph on the flatter bit toward the summit.

On Porters [Pass], it’ll hold seventh at 50-tonne. You set

Rowdy packs up having just unloaded at Mossburn.

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June 2022 29

the descend control, and the engine brake does the rest, even on the Viaduct [Otria].”

The Stag has Volvo’s VEB+ compression exhaustbrake combination in five stages, producing up to 425kW (570hp) of hold-back.

Volvo’s descending control is a full blending system that implicates foundation brakes when in A (auto) mode. The B button on the stalk hastens downshifts when operating the auxiliary outside of auto.

Critters off at Finegand, Rowdy motored back to his Winton home on a rainy afternoon in preparation for Monday’s list. The morning rendezvous was Canterbury Grasslands Fawna Farm near Orawia, for a full load of stock to an NZSF Southland Farms property in Mossburn.

By now, we weren’t actually sure what the term ‘full load’ meant in the context of this truck.

“Yeah, 50-tonne is very workable,” says Wayne later.

30 New Zealand Trucking

“At 14,500kg for the truck and 10,500kg for the trailer, we get 25-tonne on. It’s a full fourdecker (four decks of sheep on both units), so that bumps the weight up a bit.”

As slick as the Volvo might be, it can’t earn a quid without crates and a trailer.

Invercargill’s TES (Transport Engineering Southland) built the five-axle step-deck trailer, and Delta Stockcrates in Timaru the crates.

The trailer in its own right is a specy’ bit of kit, and a clear indication that not all the evolution has occurred north of the coupling. It runs a Kiwi staple in SAF disc-brake axles and air-suspension, and even on 19.5” Alcoa wheels it achieves a 920mm floor height.

Neither does it end there.

WABCO add a plethora of smarts, like the TailGUARD system that engages the brakes free of driver input should something be detected behind the unit while June 2022

reversing; and Manoeuvre Assist, a system where air is released remotely from in the cab to aid movement when inches are everythng.

Of course there’s also airoperated effluent valves. How good are they? We wanted a photo of Rowdy discharging at an effluent dump on the way home from Finegand. To late! He was gone in mere minutes.

“We’ve had other trailer brands but the return to a platform step-deck model means it makes sense to get ‘Keasty’ [Stephen Keast, MD and owner at TES] to make them. It’s a bloody good product, and he’s right there on the back doorstep for aftersales. There’s an element of supporting local in these times, too. And yep, Delta Stockcrates. Blair Cochrane and the team in Timaru make a great product that lasts for years. We’ve had 20-year-old crates that have only required new steel floor mesh. And of

course, again, the back-up is right there on a regularly travelled path.

“The big thing for us is suppliers listening to what we want and delivering it.

The vehicles – be it the truck, trailer or crate – are so specialised now, and we’re all trying to extract the maximum out of them. If there’s poor communication, we can easily end up with a vehicle that’s of no use to us, especially with the pin and saddle decks a lot of our gear now runs. We can buy trucks that will need to take seven or eight bodies.

“We’re pretty settled on Volvo and Kenworth. We deal with Ben Gray for Volvo, a great down-to-earth bloke who knows what we want.

People don’t realise it, but there’s almost no end to what you can customise on a Volvo in terms of cross-members and packaging. A TSL stock and ‘bulky’ chassis are not the same, each has specific specs at Volvo. They deliver

Bottom right: Rowdy at the wheel of the latest of three Volvos he has driven in his time at TSL. He’s gone up in power and cab size with every one, now in a Globetrotter.

exactly what we want, ready to receive whatever deck.

“People might think we’re being pedantic when we want some little thing like a handle moved during a body or trailer build; but an engineer sees a trailer for two months, the driver lives with it for 15 years or more. If it’s taking the skin off your knuckle every time you turn the handle you’ll get pretty pissed off. Again, that’s where Keasty is bloody good.

“Size-wise it’s a 7.6m truck and 10.98m trailer. The increase in dimensions in the past decade or so has been vital. Genetics mean we’re dealing with bigger and bigger animals. In my day, you got about 15 to 17 milk-draft lambs in a pen, and by the time they were third draft, it was 13 to 14. Now those figures are 12, and 10 to 11 respectively.

“If I had one wish before my time is out, it’s height. If we could get 4.5m on sheep and cattle crates, all issues around

welfare would go overnight.

We’ve scratched out all we can at our end in terms of trailer and crate technology.

With 200mm more help at the regulator’s end, all the headaches would be gone.”

Ambassador Wayne Williams chuckles as he says, “You wouldn’t get Rowdy out of a Volvo,” and he’s right. Rowdy glances across the cab at us and shrugs, smiles and says, “It’s not hard, is it?” Swedish Stag is his third F series Volvo. He began in 2008 with an FH12 520 day cab, then went onto an FH16 600 flat roof sleeper (called ‘The Silent One’, LOL, that’s funny – read on), before the Stag, and he’s loved every one of them. It’s quite a neat transition because he’s gone up in power and cab size each time. Goodness knows what’s next.

“I just don’t know why you’d bother swinging off a gear lever. It’s just effortless. I

get out at the end of the day and feel nothing much has happened.”

And this is your textbook Southern man; hospitable, generous, and friendly with dead-straight gun barrels.

If it’s no good, he’ll tell you, and he’s unimpressed with superfluous ‘piffle’.

Loaded and ready to leave, there’s no question that back in 1986 when Lindsay let the clutch out on the Foden, with diff locks engaged and gooey autumn stodge underfoot, as good as she was, he would have felt her take the strain and the engine change note.

In the same conditions with 6-tonne more on, Rowdy leapt in, completed the paperwork, chatted to the customer, flicked the I-Shift into A, touched the throttle – which released the park brake – and Southern Stag just drove away like some enormous Ford Ranger or Toyota Hilux. If it needed traction aids, it made that

decision, and in terms of engine note… impartial. “I just leave it in A most of the time,” says Rowdy. “There’s no point mucking around with it unless you need to.”

The room in the cab is immense, and the atmosphere sublime. There’s no question if you’re staying away, you’d sleep in here; few motels would match it. Rowdy doesn’t have to stay away too often but appreciates he has all this when he does.

The shock – in the best possible way – of the in-cab experience is the ride. “I hear people say they’d wallow, and I chuckle because they don’t know a bloody thing they’re on about.”

In all honesty, we too assumed there’d be even a small pay-off for that enormous house. Not on your Nelly! The Globetrotter sat absolutely flat through the corners, even the camberless ones. No hint of a lurch, bounce, or wallow. There are airbags at rear, and massive coils connected to a hefty stabiliser upfront. This cab went nowhere it shouldn’t.

This Stag is sitting on 1.78kpl, a figure that’s been steadily improving in its 25,000km to date. “Yep, that’s about right,” says Wayne. “It’ll get to two eventually. If I took the crates off and put it into other work now, it’d be over two straight away.”

We arrive at the unload farm in Mossburn about 14km up Chewings Road, a typical gravel rural access. The Volvo easily turned into the farm gate in one swing, and there was a bit of a windy trip up to the yard that itself was a wriggle in sloppy ground.

Being more of a forwardcontrol truck, the Volvo gets the wheelbase advantage over the Kenworths at 5.8, helping give it an impressive turning circle for a truck of its size. Rowdy needed only one backup and go again to get the unit around. “Do that in your Kenworth,” he said.

“Yep, it’s one of the key

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June 2022 31

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

Volvo FH16 700 8x4 rigid – Globetrotter sleeper Tare: 9900kg (cab chassis) 14,500kg (operating weight truck) 25,000kg (operating weight combination) GVM: 32,980kg GCM: 60,000kg Wheelbase: 5785mm Engine: Volvo DC16 Capacity: 16.1-litre Power: 522kW (700hp) Torque: 3150Nm (2323lb/ft) Emissions: Euro-5 Transmission: Volvo I-Shift ATO3112F 12-speed transmission Clutch: Volvo single-plate clutch Chassis: Rail height (top) 1000mm Front axle: FAL20 Front axle rating: 13 tonnes (pair) Front suspension: Parabolic springs with shock absorbers and stabiliser bar reasons the Volvos are preferred for the rural work,” says Wayne.

The Volvo has a cool downcamera, focusing on the left-front cab side and corner.

It’s activated via several mechanisms, including the left indicator. Handy for cyclists and pedestrians, but also ideal for hidden fence posts or back blades for sure. Be gone insurance claim!

Butted up again, the passengers are released and Rowdy is on his way. The next mission was a full wash at the fantastic facility in Tinkertown operated by Nightcaps Contracting, and following that a load of hoggets from Lyall Terry’s farm at Ohai to the Alliance Freezing works in Lorneville near Invercargill.

Where to from here?

Everyone has their way of skinning cats, and Wayne Williams and Dean Carleton are no different. Theirs is a philosophy born at the coalface of the industry in which they work, serving the community they both grew up in. They believe productivity, safety, and fatigue are best addressed by supplying

32 New Zealand Trucking

drivers the most capable gear the business can afford. “Why make a hard job harder?”

Of course, the quid pro quo in that is the ‘who’, meaning who takes the wheel.

We joked in the story about Rowdy being the perfect Volvo man, and at a level that’s pretty much bang on.

He’s as humble as hell and immensely capable. As a fellow driver said the other day, “I’ve never seen Rowdy in any other way than he just is. Quiet, and gets on with shit. No hoop-la and noting.

Just does it.”

No matter how often you do it, revisiting the big bangers is always a thrill, and to think a Volvo FH16 700 is now 70hp off the front end of the power race, is exasperating.

And one thing is for sure. Any alternatively powered future won’t stem the relentless increase in performance. In fact, its potential for being even more thrilling is very real.

Maybe the mediator in the power race will actually be the humble tyre.

Southern Stag is an impressive machine. There’s a hell of a lot of truck here.

The Globetrotter’s cab is an industry icon, and the June 2022

Rear axle: Volvo RTS2370B Hypoid Rear axle rating: 23,000 tonnes Rear suspension: Volvo RADD-GR 23 tonne Brakes: Disc. ABS, EBS. Auxiliary braking: VEB+ 425kW (570hp) at 2200rpm Additional safety: Adaptive cruise control (ACC), forward collision avoidance (FCA). Lane change support (LCS). Lane departure warning (LDW). Driver alert (DA). Passenger corner blind-spot camera.

Additional productivity: Hill-start aid. Brake-lining wear analysis, Auto-park brake release (release when the I-Shift is in gear and the foot is on throttle).

Fuel: 505 litres DEF tank: 90 litres Wheels: Alcoa Dura-Bright alloy wheels Tyres: 275/70 R22.5 (truck) Electrical: 24V Cab exterior: Steel Globetrotter cab meets Swedish BOF10 cab strength rating (most stringent global standard). Spring and damper/rear air cab suspension. External ambient and heated lockers. Heated electric mirrors.

Can interior: Full air, heated, drivers and passenger seat. Globetrotter sleeper – full mattress with topper. Sky window/escape hatch.

Climate control system with carbon filter.

Fridge. 12” primary instrument display, 9” supplementary infotainment, navigation, and truck information system. Bluetooth.

undercarriage beneath has also made its mark on history. No one would argue that I-Shift is an AMT cornerstone. Whether it’s a fine example of the zenith of internal combustion’s reign

is yet to be seen. One thing’s for sure, though. Regardless of the tech you throw at them, trucks and agriculture will most certainly form the backbone of whatever’s next.

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WANTING FOR… NOT A LOT

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urely it was a stroke of sheer genius when someone, in the distant past, deep in Volvo’s loins, suggested ‘Globetrotter’ as the name for the new supreme cab option? No other moniker could better describe everything the cab stands for.

It’s the model-name versus model-number argument.

Numbers ‘shmumbers’.

It’s words that play on the heartstrings. Aerodyne, SuperLiner, Brute – they all conjure up an image, a narrative. You

instantly see the OEMs intent in your mind’s eye. As kids, from the moment we all saw the first pictures of an F series Volvo cab with the word Globetrotter emblazoned high on the front of its huge sleeper, we were all transported for a split second into something like an Astran truck enroute to the Middle East, or Cave-Wood machine on a cross-continent bash.

And now, here we are in 2022, in the bottom of little old Godzone, standing in front of the Viking brand’s

2

latest incarnation of its most famous child. The Globey’s size and majesty has kept pace with the times. Even by today’s standards, it’s a behemoth, a two-storey building on wheels. Like Lindsay’s Foden, a dear old F series Globetrotter at an overall height of 3.48m as tested by Commercial Motor in 1980, would look downright diminutive against the Swedish Stag’s towering 3.77m. Don’t forget the FH is not on 11Rs and would sit lower in the front end. Believe

us, the visual would be impactful.

The launch of Volvo’s Series 5 FH and FM cabs coincided in 2020 with the launch of Covid-19, and as was the case with other OEM new releases, the plague tended to steal the limelight.

In terms of overhaul, the FM is by far the biggest recipient of expenditure, with a whole new cab that transforms the machine and brings it bang up to date with big FH bro, for whom the story is more cosmetic in nature … until you’re sitting at the controls.

That said, even the snazzier adaptive beam headlights – Volvo’s the first cab off the rank with these – and vertical grille bars deliver a sleeker, stauncher look. It’s a betterlooking machine, no question.

The big change for the FH is in the cockpit, with the new dash set-up that’s a significant improvement aesthetically. To say its predecessor was polarising is an understatement; you either liked the Buck Rodgers thing or not. Obviously, it’s more a tech-fest than ever, but lookswise, Buck’s at least come back to the 21st century.

There’s a 12” main screen inside a binnacle with definitive borders, i.e. it looks like a dash should.

There are four base-display configurations; Rowdy’s was set up with the same big single odometer as the prior model, but now it only illuminates the immediate

3

(Left) The new dash is certainly an improvement – it looks like a dash again. (Right) Plonking your info-screen on the dash like this is currently very ‘Mary Quant’ in the world of vehicle OEMs. But all is forgiven when you can see the cab’s front corner and left side.

1

2

3

4 1 & 2) Scads of room in one of the world’s most famous cabs. The I-Shift controller is so cool just sitting there at the driver’s side. Pity it doesn’t see ‘I-to-eye’ with the fridge in the background. 3) You could carry your coffee and Jimmy’s pie up into here without any hassle. 4) The boys at Palmy put the second steer in the Super-Liner. I’m sure they’d whip up a plastic cover for this if you asked them.

34 New Zealand Trucking

June 2022

speed range you’re in. It must be an anti-distraction, energy-saving, less-reflected light thing. Encompassed low in the central gauge is the tachometer in horizontal ribbon-gauge format – big breath, grit teeth, we’re good… we’re good, move along.

Flanking the left of the main gauge’s lower circumference is a fuel display, and on the right, DEF. Immediately left of that central gauge arrangement are telematics, trip, climate info, and vehicle information; and on the right, infotainment and additional vehicle information, e.g. axlelock configuration. Step out from both sides again, and it’s warning lights. Outside of the binnacle proper to the right is the headlight light controls and to the left, USB sockets.

The wrap houses switchgear, traction management, climate, infotainment controls, park brake, and a vent. It’s set up under a design line that runs from the top right of the main dash housing, down and below the binnacle, and out.

It’s a sweet, Swedish, uberefficient, cool looking set-up.

Then there’s the tablet.

It’s a bit of the thing in the automotive world now, so let’s not ‘get up’ poor old Volvo. Car and truck OEMs think it’s ‘OMG, way cooler’ to have your infotainment tablet looking like it’s been glued on the dash as an afterthought.

Such is the case here with the swish 9” screen ‘plonked’ atop the wrap. Really? It goes without saying it does a lot; infotainment, navigation, transport information, and camera monitoring and its functions can be controlled via the smart wheel, voice, dash buttons, or the screen itself.

Above the driver are slots for comms radios and mood lighting.

The left steering column wand is home to direction and dip/full beam, and the right two, auxiliary brake (upper)

and wipers (lower).

The smart wheel functions comprise cruise and descend on the left, and dash display/ infotainment on the right.

Unlike their Swedish counterparts, Volvo has pulled off the miracle of being able to put all but door and mirror controls on the driver’s door sill. (See, there is room.)

The driving possie is superb, with the wee seat-mounted I-Shifter on the left, and the slim-line mirrors are easy to see past with minimal effort.

As we’ve always said, once you’re used to their severe top-line rake – intended to improve sightlines of what’s beyond even further – the mirrors themselves are fine.

Of course, FH16 means it’s Volvo’s closest thing to a flat floor, with a mere 90mm blip in the central tunnel to help accommodate the beast beneath. Four steps in, you can carry a coffee up easily, able to ascend bearing your weight on your feet, merely finessing your balance with the A-pillar grab handle.

Once in, two words come to mind: space and storage.

Like all other trucks in its market corner, you could live happily in here. It is a staggering 2.11m from the tunnel to the roof way up there beyond the skylightcome escape hatch. There are huge lockers right along the front overhead, along the top back wall of the sleeper, and four external ones, of which two are accessible via the inside. In addition, there are door, pelmet and rear wall pockets, plus a plethora of pull-out draws, trays, and cup holders in and around the centre console. And, yay! The birdbath is still here complete with footprints. Long live the birdbath. So portable.

So handy. So cool. If some accountant at Volvo ever wants to save a penny by ditching the bird-bath, the rest of the staff has our permission to slap them.

The TSL machine is set up as a single-bunk sleeper, with

driver and passenger air-ride seats. There’s more storage and the fridge underneath the bed. You might wonder why an Aussie assembled premium truck would still have the fridge on the left.

No, it’s not a tie-over from its homeland origins, it is in fact that super ‘cool’ seat mounted I-Shift controller.

The lid on the fridge won’t open when it’s pulled out.

Bugger.

With one glaring exception, the fit and finish in the Globetrotter cab is everything you’d expect.

Vinyl, hard compound plastics and rubber line the show, with a leather steering wheel and I-Shift controller, and even a splash of fawn here and there. We love colour in cabs. It’s all classy, cleanable and impeccably put together. The exception is the exposed TV sockets on the driver’s pelmet.

Because those who don’t get a tele in their ‘Globester’ are the exception, their punishment is living with exposed plugs. Really?

What the hell is a plastic moulded blank worth in the context of this truck? (Surely a bit of Anzac can-do can fix this.)

Daily checks are under the front flap, and for all the Globetrotter’s party tricks, the most startling one is when it bares its innards.

“Don’t get a fright,” says Rowdy as he tilts the cab. “Everyone craps themselves.”

“Na, mate, we’ll be right,” we replied. But we weren’t.

Just when you think it can’t go any further, it gives a final lurch to a full and impressive 90°. When it did that, we gasped and yelled, “Shit!” … and Rowdy laughed. Engine bay access is absurd for such an enormous house, and eliminates any other manufacturer’s excuse for not providing total access.

“Yeah, the boys in the workshop love it, eh?” says Rowdy.

David ‘Rowdy’ Scobie. You’ll go a long way to find a more humble, capable, no-fuss operator, and a great bloke to boot. He’s approaching his 22nd anniversary with TSL.

HANDSHAKES ARE

CONTRACTS

S

outhland. You know straight away if a bloke has the nickname Rowdy, rest assured, that’s exactly what he won’t be.

“When he first started, it was the winter off season,” laughs Wayne Williams, “Dean would pick up Rowdy and Mike Cody, aka ‘Driver’, from Winton, and bring them to work. Dean and Mike would chat away, but Rowdy would just listen and say bugger all. So, Mike nicknamed him ‘Rowdy’. But, hey, what a great bloke. He’s been here just on 22 years.”

A great bloke indeed.

After two days, we needed to think about the ‘Rowdy’ thing. Wayne had told us that Rowdy was a quiet bloke, and we thought, ‘Crikey, maybe we won’t get much out of him?’ Wrong. In the end, we reckoned Rowdy’s not actually quiet, he just doesn’t say shit that doesn’t need saying. But he’s more than happy yarning about what does. True to both his Southland roots and the truck he drives – quiet, and delivers the talk when required.

Honestly, you don’t get much more Southland than

Rowdy’s hometown of Winton, and the 50-year-old’s career has been split between farming and driving.

From school, it was to the land first, where he spent five years working for Hamish, Conor, and Bill English (yes, that Bill English), on the family farm in Dipton. “Bloody good people to work for. I enjoyed working for the English family.”

From there, he spent roughly seven years on Wairaki Station in the Blackmount area of Western Southland before making the jump to machinery operation, driving diggers and tractors for a local agricultural contractor. It was the height of the dairy boom, around the turn of the century, and work was plentiful. He took the opportunity to run his own truck for a short time, a tipper sub-contracting to agricultural contractors in need of more capacity.

Twenty-two years ago, he gave away the selfemployment gig in favour of paid employment again, this time at TSL. “It was six months after Dean and Wayne took over.”

Rest assured, it won’t take much to get Rowdy speaking to that subject.

“I’ve seen a lot happen in 22 years. Bloody great bosses! You know exactly where you stand all the time.

You get straight answers, and they call a spade a spade.

“I never hear from Dean.

He puts the work in front of you, and as long as you chip away and do it, he leaves you alone.

“I also can’t say enough about their support when my wife Aimee got cancer.

They were bloody incredible.

That’s the only way you can describe it.”

Rowdy’s first two-and-ahalf years were on a Hino sower, followed by a year driving a 209kW (280hp) MAN sower. His first foray into fulltime stock cartage came at the wheel of a 281kW (430hp) Foden Alpha, succeeded in 2008 by his first FH Volvo, an FH12 520. Since then, it’s been Volvos all the way, with a sleeper-cabbed FH16 600 before the FH16 700 Globey.

“Why would you drive anything else? You won’t get me out of this. I’m a Volvo man through and through.” Then he laughs: “I had to drive one of the new Kenworths the other day, and Dean said, ‘Don’t forget to change gear!’”

Rowdy. You won’t strike a more down to earth and humble bloke. A key to the man’s integrity is the number of work shirts in his wardrobe.

In an era where many have closets that look like a rack at Hallensteins, jumping here and there for a few extra cents or a shiny new badge, here’s a bloke who has buttoned up the same logo for nigh on a quarter of a century. That’s a rare thing. It speaks volumes for him and the people he works for, all of them from a place where a man’s handshake is every bit as good as his signature.

New Zealand Trucking

June 2022 35

Wayne Williams (left) and Dean Carleton. The key ingredient in their business is a simple one, respect. Respect your business partners, staff, customers, and history.

FEET, FIRMLY ON THE

GROUND

O

kay, so we’re feeling pretty spoilt this year – two grass-roots South Island rural carriers appearing on the cover in the first six months. How grouse is that?

Just like Rex Taylor and Kent Rowland at Kurow, Wayne Williams, Dean Carleton and the TSL team in the tiny Southern hamlet of Nightcaps are grounded in the roots of their community and customer base.

As we said before, the 39-truck TSL business is a spirit child of the well-known Southland cartage entity, Freight Haulage Ltd (FHL).

We say spirit child because ‘TSL’ was one of two names owner Ian Guise presented to his family at the formation of Southland Freight Haulage.

36 New Zealand Trucking

On that fateful night, it was their choice that would see TSL’s moment in the sun delayed by a couple of decades. But let’s take things back a tad further still and build back up.

Across the road from the current TSL site on Moffat Street in Nightcaps sits a forlorn, derelict shed on a grassy lot. Wayne and Dean look on the old shed with respect because it is home to the origins of their endeavours.

The old shed was the site of A J Grant Carriers. In 1932, one Sam McRae purchased Grant’s transport licence, starting in business as S. McRae Carriers. He sold his Chev car and replaced it with a Chev truck, then got stuck in.

June 2022

Noel McGregor was the owner of nearby Mt Linton Station at the time, and about a year into operations, he added real impetus to Sam’s business, bankrolling a second truck.

Sam worked hard, buying Noel back out, and then came World War II. Sam’s operation was deemed an essential business, however, brother Johnny was called up to serve his country. To encourage Johnny to stay clear of enemy fire, Sam promised him a half share in the company on his return. Thankfully, he was able to honour that promise.

Shortly after peace was declared, Johnny was home, and S&J McRae Carriers was born.

Business rocked along happily until 1967 when Sam

wanted to retire from the cut and thrust of transport life.

Local Invercargill businessman Ian Guise saw an opportunity to consolidate two entities, neither of which had any clear succession plan. Those businesses were S&J McRae and Ohai Carrying Company, and his purchase and merger of both propagated Southland Freight Haulage.

Initially, Johnny wasn’t so keen on such a merger and took his half of S&J to form Ohai Freight Services. But, in time, he was also absorbed into the flourishing new entity.

Deregulation in the early 1980s saw operations spread further afield into wider Otago and Dunedin. Ian felt commercial opportunities were being hamstrung by the regional constraints inferred in the company’s name. As a result, ‘Southland’ was dropped, and Freight Haulage Ltd (FHL) was formed.

Sadly, FHL was swept up in Transpac’s acquisition assault on the New Zealand transport landscape in the 1980s, but as Wayne Williams reflects:

The presentation of the Nightcaps head office tells the story within. Immaculate offices, and concrete yard and fert shed apron.

The loader’s sign written, it’s all on point. And don’t forget, the weather is not on their side generally speaking.

“There’s always a positive.

Had none of that happened, we would never have got the opportunity to buy the assets back off the receiver.”

In 1989, in the wake of the Transpac carnage, former owner Ian Guise, eight other working shareholders – including Wayne – five clients and a local coal merchant bought the assets of the Transpac’s Nightcaps branch back from the receiver. Ian took the role of chairman.

Because Bill Richardson had bought the old FHL Invercargill branch and secured the FHL naming rights, the Nightcaps crew needed a name for their business. Ian Guise told them about the original Southland Freight Haulage naming process and how the name TSL had lost the family vote and was still ‘sitting in the drawer’, so to speak. Problem solved, TSL it was. “It was a no-brainer,” says Wayne.

The new company operated happily until 1997 when some of the older shareholders began selling their interests.

“The company was buying the older shareholders out as they wanted to retire, but it got too much in too short a period, so we sought another interested party. DT Kings was offered a shareholding, but that didn’t work out, so Bill Richardson was approached, and a shareholders meeting organised.

“Bill had entered into a number of 50-50 partnerships,

believing retention of local ownership in businesses was key to their success. Andrews and Herberts Transport were good examples.

“Heading out on the night, that same model was the strategy Bill discussed with his second in command. ’We don’t want to buy the whole thing, just half’. Well, one thing led to another, and when they left, they had bought the entire business. Evidently, when they were driving home over the Wreys Bush Bridge, Bill said ‘What in the hell went wrong there?’”

HW Richardson Group retained full ownership for about 18 months. However, Bill had always intended to establish the model he originally sought. In 1999, Wayne Williams and Dean Carleton, who was working for Ryal Bush Transport in livestock operations, were offered a half stake in TSL. Almost a quarter of a century later, Dean and Wayne are still happily at the wheel of their shared enterprise – the original ownership model with HWR Group continues in place, with sowing and fertiliser shed despatcher, Grant Anderson, holding a shareholding also.

It’s testament to Bill’s theory of shared ownership and the old adage, ‘all’s well that ends well’.

“Yes, that’s right,” says Wayne. “But it’s in no small way due to Scott and Jocelyn O’Donnell also, who have

been outstanding business partners having taken over the mantle from Bill after his passing. Wonderful people to be in business with.”

The inherent pride and desire to reinvest in the business is evident from the moment you arrive. The Moffat Street head office is immaculately presented, with the main yard in front of the bulk bins fully concreted. The frontline fleet is dominated by Volvo and Kenworth product.

“When we had our very first staff meeting, a driver called David Cook said we should be buying Kenworths.

‘There’ll be no Kenworths in the fleet,’ I said. We’ve had 10 as I sit here,” Wayne says with a laugh. “We pretty much have the brands in their ideal applications – Volvo for stock and lift-out sider work, and Kenworth for HPMV bulk work. There’s a bit of driver preference in it – that’s how it is these days.

“At the end of the day, both are here because of the backup we get. Neither have ever let us down once

a problem happens. They’re machines, and something will fail. It’s all about what happens next. If the support is what we expect, we reward them at cap-ex time.

“There’s a new workshop complex planned for next year – that’s going to be really good.” The brand means a lot to both owners and staff, and there are banners, plaques, trophies, and memorabilia lining the walls, with more waiting for the extra wall space the new building will bring.

As well as TSL, the duo also have an interest in Te Anau/Lumsden-based Te Anau Healy Transport.

The mood and atmosphere at TSL is always warm and welcoming. It’s one of those classic Kiwi businesses where answers, decisions and resolution to the daily issues of life and commerce come quickly. The bosses are right there in the heart of it, and if you didn’t know them, the hardest thing would be figuring out which two blokes that look like one of the

New Zealand Trucking

June 2022 37

Just over the road from the Moffat Street HQ is where the story really began: the old AJ Grant Carriers depot. drivers, actually aren’t. Both men sit in offices as modest as you’ll ever find.

A culture many larger companies strive to replicate has its roots in a concept as simple as mutual respect.

Of course, the key to all businesses is succession, and in that context, all appears to be in hand.

“Yep, yep, yep. There’s a healthy headcount of kids

through all of us. Dean’s daughters Clare and Bridget, and my daughter Brooke, are not involved in the business currently, out doing their own thing. Likewise, my son Jamie is an apprentice structural engineer in Dunedin. My other two sons, Shaye [Gilbert], and Ryan Williams are here though. We’ve got back into contracting, something the company did early on that

was sold off. Shaye heads that up with two 20-tonne diggers. Ryan is head mechanic in Nightcaps with Keith Sutherland, a 22-year veteran of the company.

There’s an apprentice mechanic also. Dean’s son Nick Carleton is currently working up in Nelson. Grant’s daughters Stacey, Alice and Zoe aren’t involved, and son Riley is still at high school.

So, yeah, it’s all in hand.

There’s a plan and plenty of time to effect it all.”

And in a classic WilliamsCarleton style, a sign of respect honouring the efforts of those past sits at the company entrance: a JO-model Bedford with the name S&J McRae on the door. Looking at it and then the name atop the office, a passer-by might wonder.

But for those who know, that alone says everything about the humility and integrity of all those who reside beyond that entry point.

SPECIAL THANKS If you want something done, ask a busy person, and as busy as life at TSL is, Wayne Williams and Dean Carleton are always obliging and enthusiastic whenever we ask the question, ‘Can we…?’. Thank you and your wonderful team for your support of us getting New Zealand’s transport history on paper.

Rowdy: you’re a legend – fantastically welcoming and cooperative over two busy days.

Thanks to MTD’s Ben Grey for all your help – typical MTD enthusiasm for everything we want to do.

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Anderson Engineering’s Kevin Lockhart talks with NZE driver Pat Shields. Pat’s N12 Volvo, bought new for the contract, is loaded ready to leave for Tiwai with two cathode pots in 1982.

EXPRESS CHARGING 40 YEARS AGO Story by Dave Ching, Geoff Carpenter and Pat Shields Photos supplied by Geoff Carpenter and Pat Shields

The expansion of the Tiwai Point aluminium smelter in the early 1980s called for innovative engineering and transport. As always, Kiwis were up to the job, none more so than the team at NZ Express Transport in Christchurch. Forty years on, even with today’s equipment, achieving the same result would be just as impressive.

N

ew Zealand Aluminium Smelters at Tiwai Point, Bluff, decided to increase production of highgrade aluminium in the early

40 New Zealand Trucking

1980s by installing a third pot line. The new line would be housed in a building 600m long and contain 208 cathode pots.

The National government of the day, led by Prime Minister Rob Muldoon, supported this decision, and it ended up part of the massive fiscal policy programme of the era known as Think Big. In late 1980, tenders were called to construct the additional pot line over two years, starting in 1981.

Andersons Foundry in Christchurch won the contract to manufacture the cathode pots and related steelwork, while CWF Hamilton & Co, also in Christchurch, won the contract to make the anode and cathode buzz bars.

Tenders then went out to transport all manufactured components for the smelter June 2022

from Christchurch to Tiwai Point. NZ Express Transport Christchurch (NZE) was awarded the contract.

Each cathode pot was 9.6m long, 3.8m wide, and 1.2m high. They were made from 25mm and 30mm plate steel and weighed 9.4 tonnes each.

NZ Express designed and made special ‘H’-shaped yokes that were spaced at four intervals along the top side of each bottom pot, with the second pot located and loaded onto the H yolk.

The load was then secured in preparation for the 615km journey south to Tiwai Point.

Jigs were attached at each end of the pots for both loading and unloading, and these were also used for load security when securing the load to the semi-trailer.

On 17 August 1981, the first of 104 loads left Christchurch

for Tiwai Point.

The steelwork associated with the pots comprised 208 deck plates, each one 10.8m long, 4.3m wide, 25mm thick, and weighing three tonnes.

These were carted six at a time on two jigs manufactured from 150mm x 150mm RHS, 4.3m in length, with an internal upright at each end. Using strengthened semi-trailers, they secured onto twist locks, and during loading, the uprights guided each deck plate onto the jigs. The six plates were then uniformly positioned for the journey, overhanging the semi-trailers on each side.

The transport of the deck plates began on 17 September 1981, concluding 12 months and 35 loads later.

Considering the work ahead of them, NZE purchased two new Volvo N12 tractor units, operated by Pat Shields and Murray Glen. A Volvo N10 tractor unit in the care of Graham Forbes was also on hand to help out, along with other existing trucks from the fleet that included a Volvo G88 driven by Dick Horgen and a Hino HH V8 with either Trevor McLintock or Grenville Beri behind the wheel.

The Murray Glen machine was changed over to the CWF Hamilton buzz bar work two months later once that production had started.

Every load required a Class II pilot. NZE staff of the time Jim Carey, Ian White, Stu Ford, Bill Salt, Reade Cassin, Phil Timehau and Ken McQuilken, were joined by general manager Peter Boyd, operations manager Kevin Richards, and transport manager Geoff Carpenter, to to fulfil this requirement.

During one of the loads, an overzealous Dunedinbased traffic cop stopped the convoy and measured things up. He declared the load was over width by the diameter of the chain securing it, and each load would require the ‘assistance’ of a

full MoT escort from then on.

Obviously, this additional cost had not been budgeted for, so the next load that went down was piloted by Peter Boyd, who “sorted the cop and the situation out”.

During this time, with so many staff and units from the Christchurch fleet out of town, local jobs started piling up, causing stress and anxiety to the rest of the local dispatch team. However, as it was in the day, everybody pulled together to ensure things were kept running smoothly from the customers’ point of view.

Evidently, the old analogy of a duck looking calm on the surface but paddling furiously underneath was the best way to describe it.

Along with the NZE trucks carrying the components south, NZ Railways was also roped in to help. They carried a total of 3744 cradles, each measuring 4.8m long, 1.6m high and 0.25m wide, weighing in at 911kg. The cradles were carried on UN type railway wagons and loaded at the Andersons Foundry siding by NZE staff. Once the wagons got to Invercargill, they were unloaded by Southland Freight Haulage operations manager John King, after which the cradles were then trucked 27km to Tiwai Point.

Maximum loading on the railway wagons was achieved by inverting two rows of cradles onto the uprights of the lower ones, which meant each wagon carried 45 cradles weighing a total of 41 tonnes.

John King was also great at finding backloads to Christchurch for the NZE trucks.

Each of the cathode pots positioned at the smelter is supported by 18 cradles with each deck plate bolted onto the cradle tops. The cathode buzzbars were manufactured from 99.98% pure aluminium billet railed from Invercargill to the CWF Hamilton & Co

1 1) Steelbro design of the semi used for carrying the buzzbars.

2 & 3) Driving his N12 Volvo, Murray Glen completed 104 buzzbar moves without incident between November 1981 and 1982. He’s seen here on SH1 at Shag Point north of Dunedin.

4) Securing cathode pots at Andersons Engineering with steel for cradles in the foreground (1982). rail siding in Christchurch.

The metal was pure and therefore very soft and could easily be damaged during transportation.

Steel Bros of Christchurch was employed to design and build two dedicated semitrailers for this job (see the attached plan for the trailer).

The semis were essentially a chassis with support frames to load the buzzbars onto.

Staff from CWF Hamilton & Co loaded and secured the loads, and while one trailer was being unloaded at Tiwai, the second trailer was being loaded in Christchurch. The loaded dimensions of these units were 3.0m wide, 4.8m high, and weighed 22.7 tonnes each. The loaded height of 4.8m was the maximum that could pass under Watermans Bridge on the Dunedin motorway. Even so, the rear buzzbars had to

2

3

4

overhang, allowing it to sit lower than the semi-trailer chassis.

This work commenced on 25 November 1981 and ran through to 18 November 1982. There were 104 of these loads in total, all completed without incident by Murray Glen in his Volvo N12.

It is a historical account of Kiwi can-do and innovation at its finest. Recollections of the mood and atmosphere in and around the contract also reflect the true camaraderie of the era. During the time, several NZE Christchurch staff stayed at Invercargill’s Coachman Inn three nights a week for 15 months. Rumour has it there were a few big nights at the bar.

Of course, the lessons and experience gained from completing jobs like this result in improved capability. In the years following, NZ Express Transport Christchurch won many other specialised jobs.

FRYING SAUCERS!

N

ew Zealand Aluminium Smelters (NZAS) owns and operates the country’s only aluminium smelter at Tiawai Point near Bluff. It is a joint venture operation between Rio-Tinto and Sumitomo Chemical Company of Japan.

The smelter began operations in 1971 and produces 360,000 tonnes of aluminium annually. Of this, 90% goes to export, with the largest market being Japan.

Tiwai Point was identified in the 1960s as the location for the smelter as it met some key prerequisites. One, there was the availability of continuous hydroelectricity from Manapouri Power station. Two, a deep-water harbour. Three, support services close by in Invercargill. Four, favourable environmental and climatic conditions.

Bauxite ore is mined at Weipa on the Cape York Peninsula in Northern Queensland and shipped to Gladstone in Central Queensland for refining into fine white alumina powder.

The alumina is shipped to Tiwai, where aluminium is produced. Four tonnes of

A schematic of the pot furnace at the Tiwai works.

Bauxite produce two tonnes of alumina powder, which produces one tonne of aluminium.

To produce aluminium, 196,000 amps of current pass through the carbon anode blocks to the cathodes at the bottom of each pot. The pots are lined with special refractory bricks from Europe that are able to withstand operating temperatures of approximately 930°C. The molten metal is tipped into holding furnaces and heated to 730°C, considered the best casting temperature, for pouring into ingots, extrusion billet, rolling block, or ‘T’-bar.

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JUST TRUCKING AROUND

J

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Grimmy Roebuck Mike Verran recently spent a day with Graeme (Grimmy) Roebuck, who drives (and is an all-rounder) for J Swap Contractors, based at Mt Maunganui. For Mike, the attraction of a day on the road was made even more desirable as the journey was in a CAT-powered Kenworth T900, towing a five-axle B-train bulk tipping unit.

Graeme grew up in a trucking family.

Truck driving was all he ever wanted to do, and he now has an impressive 42-year history behind him.

His career started in a three-tonne TK Bedford at Hookers, based in New Plymouth. Then, after 25 years driving a Western Star bulk unit for RMD at Mt Maunganu, Grimmy thought he’d reached the end of his driving career when he moved to despatch for the following 12 years. Work then took him to J Swap, where he has been for the past five years.

Grimmy mentioned his favourite truck was an American Kenworth W900B,

with a 600 Cummins and 18-speed Roadranger, owned by RMD. The extra bling made this unit an impressive sight.

J Swap’s T900 comes a close second with the great vibes these old school trucks give out.

Grimmy enjoys being out on the road. He loves just “cruising”, finding

it relaxing. He says it’s frustrating that current health and safety regulations prevent young fellas from riding along with their dads, which could encourage them to become drivers themselves.

Vexing question No.30 had Grimmy choose cabbage, with kale not an option.

Steve Bettin Carl Kirkbeck and Gavin Myers had stopped at BP Bayview, about to head home from the Hawke’s Bay, when Waikato son Steve Bettin rolled up to the pumps in his new Scania R620.

Gleaming in East Coast Transport livery, the truck had been on the road only seven weeks and is the Ashburton fleet’s flagship – hence the graphic of the German battleship Bismarck on the sides of its cab. “The Bismarck was the flagship of the fleet, and I wanted something that doesn’t represent me but the fleet in case I leave one day,” explains Steve.

It’s kitted out with crates by Nationwide Stock Crates on top of a Jackson Enterprises deck and trailer. “It’s all good gear this. The trailers are super low to the ground and crates so deep,” says Steve.

A Euro man having come

44 New Zealand Trucking

off a Volvo FH, Steve’s impressed with the Scania.

“It’s a nice unit. The only thing the Volvo’s got is a bigger fridge. Other than that, everything else on the Scania is mint. You don’t get tired of driving it.”

Steve had just come from Taupo and dropped off a shipment of calves for export at the Port of Napier. He says it frustrates him how people get upset about the calves going overseas. “They have no understanding. All of them are bobby claves; farmers have kept them for this exact reason. If it wasn’t for the export… You know? I’ve had many arguments about it at the side of the road.

They’re going over for a better life; they’re cherished and adored.”

Work currently takes Steve all around the country. “I love working. I love being up and down New Zealand,” though, June 2022

F he adds, the downside is leaving his family behind. “I was last home three weeks ago. I thought, ‘If I’m away this long, I’ll have their [his family’s] names on it’. The kids are over the moon to

have their names on the truck.”

Steve’s vexing question was a steak and cheese or pepper steak pie? “Definitely steak and cheese, the old classic,” was his choice.

JUST TRUCKING AROUND www.trt.co.nz

Seth Warren While visiting Pio Pio on a blistering late summer afternoon, Craig McCauley had the good fortune to come across Seth Warren, who was giving the Kenworth K108 Aerodyne he drives for Progress Transport a once-over in preparation for an early start the following morning.

The Warrens are a well-known family of truck drivers, particularly in Taranaki and the King Country. Seth is among the fourth generation to join the industry, and before joining Progress, he worked as a machine operator for Inframax Construction.

He spent a lot of time in the passenger’s seat of a Progress Transport truck while growing up and leapt at the chance to drive for the firm when the opportunity arose. He started on PTL1, a Cummins Signaturepowered Freightliner Argosy, before going onto the K108.

When the topic of negatives about the industry was raised, Seth reckoned that everything about the job was pretty good. However, he doesn’t enjoy waiting when stock is being prepared for pick-up – but that goes with the job.

Living close to the well-stocked waterways of the North Island’s West Coast, Seth was asked if his preference was for whitebait or paua. The “ocean’s bounty” was his reply.

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ERIC WILSON 103 NOT OUT

N

ot many human beings celebrate a 103rd birthday, let alone even attend such an event, but Eric Wilson, the youngest of eight siblings, was born in Te Puke on 29 April 1919. He couldn’t celebrate his birthday like in past years at his local haunt, the Howick RSA, as his rest home was in lockdown.

Also, thanks to Covid-19, it was the first time in 76 years, since returning from World War II in 1946, that Erick couldn’t attend an Anzac Day ceremony. But he organised a service at his rest home to keep up his tradition of remembering his army buddies from the 24th Battalion he served with at El Alamein in Egypt, plus all those thousands of courageous men and women who have served in past conflicts to give us the great life we enjoy today. We will remember them.

Eric’s working life, spanning seven

By Peter Mitchell decades, was built around working in and owning general stores, plus driving and owning trucks. He had a fleet of four trucks in Auckland that he took with him to Waitakaruru on the Hauraki Plains, and with Joe Brenan as a silent partner, he formed Waitakaruru Transport on New Year’s Day 1955.

In 1963, Eric joined up with Thames transport operator, Jim Parker, to form Parker Wilson Transport, which gave them a direct link against the Railways from Auckland to Thames (with the loads supposedly trans-shipped at Waitakaruru to abide by the rules – yeah, right…)

I rang Eric at about 8.30am on his birthday, with no reply. I found out later that he was doing one of his regular daily jobs organising the seating in the lounge for the other rest home residents – wow!

At 103, Eric is still as sharp as a tack and

Eric conducting the Anzac Day service at Gulf Views Rest Home, Cockle Bay, Auckland. would possibly still live at home by himself if it wasn’t for his failing eyesight. He would probably have to get a crane in to lift the cake with all those candles, plus get a wind turbine cranked up to blow them all out.

Eric and his late wife Doris had four children – Noeleen, the late Peter, Craig and Keith. What a man; what a legend. Well done, Eric.

If you want to read the full story on Eric’s long life and escapades, written at the time of his 100th birthday, see the August 2019 issue of New Zealand Trucking magazine.

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TOP TRUCK

POWER B SURGE “Next level… a whole different league,” is an apt description of this imposing V8 Scania 770S by 40-year driving veteran Bruce “Roadie” Clotworthy.

Story by Alison Verran Photos by Alison Verran and Gavin Myers

rett Marsh Transport’s 16.4litre Scania 770S stands out from the crowd. While strikingly handsome on the outside, it’s real appeal is inside the cab and at the head of the powertrain.

One of two in the Marsh fleet, with a third arriving shortly, Roadie’s 770S runs at 60-tonnes maximum weight, with a Fruehauf seven-axle skeletal 40/20 B-train in the supporting role.

We were lucky enough to join Roadie on a trip to Manaia, Taranaki.

With a cinematic view of New Zealand’s countryside through the sizeable windscreen, Roadie quickly pointed out the first-class features of this impressive piece of gear.

In the big S-series Scania cab,

you sit towering above the tarmac. With an airsuspended cab and seats for driver and passenger, as well as air suspension on each axle, the Scania 770S is as smooth and quiet as riding in a premium car. Driver and passenger each enjoy super comfy leather seats with armrests. Add climate-control and Roadie reckons it has everything he needs.

“I’ve had plenty of new gear in my career, but I know what I’ve got now! It’s so quiet and so smooth… And no rattles!

There is no need to adjust the radio volume as you go; you can have the volume set the same for the whole journey.”

This quietness, along with the spectacular horsepower, was the inspiration for the name, ‘Roger, The Quiet

Achiever’. A tribute to Roadie’s father, the late Roger Clotworthy, the name equally fits the truck and the trucking legend. Roadie says: “My Dad liked his Scanias. Back in the 1970s, he repowered five Internationals with Scania engines. He would have loved this one.”

Roadie is impressed with the Scania 14-speed Opticruise transmission. “I never thought you could drive a truck without a gear lever, a clutch and at least 22 gauges.

Now I have no clutch, no gear lever and only two gauges… and I love it! The auto is great, but I still use the manual shift mode at times. It’s more suitable for our roads. With the high diff ratio, this thing sits on 1200 revs at 90kph.”

Our journey back to

Tauranga was plain sailing.

Pulling out from the first intersection at Manaia, weighing 59 tonnes, ‘Roger’ quickly reached 50kph with seemingly no effort at all. With 770hp, describing this truck’s performance as ‘sprightly’ is probably putting it mildly.

The day’s challenge would be Mt Messenger, but the 770S climbed it like a fitness freak.

Roadie comments: “With this power, I have to button off around corners up here.”

Equally, the Scania’s fivestage retarder worked its magic on the downhill. “No need to touch the brakes at all.”

Where do we start on the capacious cab interior?

Boarding step lights lead you to an interior where Roadie’s 6’4” frame has no obstacles.

Full head height, room to walk around thanks to the flat floor design, spacious permanent bed with a TV at your feet. A choice of LED lighting options adds a bit of ambience, and there is storage galore.

The large overhead lockers house even more comforts of home – a microwave and coffee machine. There’s more storage under the bed, along with a pull-out fridge, which is more sizeable than you would expect. Add to that a nighttime aircon/heater that runs for 12 hours, and this Scania becomes a home away from home.

He drove American gear for some time, but Roadie loves the design of the Scania mirrors. “See the big gaps between the mirrors and the cab? That reduces my blind

New Zealand Trucking

June 2022 49

Forty years in the seat and the 770S is the best truck Bruce “Roadie” Clotworthy has driven.

spots and gives me a much better range of vision. It’s also great that the windscreen demister clears the side windows, it all helps with visibility.”

He is impressed with the Scania’s ‘after dark’ features.

“I love the little touches – such as in reverse gear, the dash lights dim, reducing

reflections in the side windows at night.”

He demonstrates: “Check out these headlights on full beam. Look at the trees all lit up. This full beam is great.”

The grab handles on the inside of the cab are also liked by Roadie. “It makes cleaning the outside of the cab a lot easier. Also, on a wet

day, you’re not grabbing dirty handles when you climb in.

“Having two locker boxes on the cab exterior is handy.

The small one is great for gloves and things, leaving the larger one for bigger items.”

Walking around the Fruehauf trailer, it’s obvious it’s well set up for the job and features a full set of JOST components; turntables, landing legs and seven axles.

With the rear of the quad set being self-steer, it helps the 23-metre-long unit negotiate the tight corners around New Zealand, particularly through the twisting bends on Mt Messenger. A WABCO EBS-E braking system on both trailers assists this combination in staying in line.

With the WABCO Smartboard in communication with Roadie’s dash, there’s no need for him to exit the cab to check his axle loadings.

Roadie and Brett Marsh have always been Kenworth fans (and always will be).

However, both men have now fallen in love with the Scania 770S. Brett is a Scania convert, now running 14 Scanias in his fleet. “I started buying Scanias to get my

repairs and maintenance under control. Scania’s cloudbased Scan Plan system is great. I pay about 12c for each kilometre travelled every month, and that covers everything – all maintenance and servicing, the lot. I don’t have to worry about a thing.

It also gives me everything I need to know about each truck and how it’s performing.

It’s just so far advanced,” says Brett.

“Purchasing the 770S was a no-brainer. There’s just no substitute for horsepower.

It’s effortless and keeps up in the flow of traffic. The fuel consumption is great. It’s getting over 2km/litre.

“I’m amazed at what it can do. When I took it for a drive, it even came up on the screen that there was a 30kph corner coming up. It’s got all the latest safety features.” Brett is referring to the steering wheel and side curtain airbags, electronic-stabiliser programme (ESP), advanced emergency braking (AEB), lane-departure warning (LDW) and adaptive cruise control (ACC).

“It’s just so f**king smart!”

In Manaia, containers on, containers off.

WHERE’S THAT ROAD? Have a look at this pic, eagle-eyed truckers, and see if you know where the stretch of bitumen is.

The winner of the April issue Where’s That Road was Blake Perrin, who correctly identified SH73, the Arthur’s Pass route through the Southern Alps.

The shot was taken from the top of Porters Pass looking west. It caught quite a few of you out, many thinking it was on the Lindis Pass. Blake nailed it though. Fantastic job.

Good luck with this month’s stretch of highway, everyone.

TO ENTER

Blake Perrin, correctly identified SH73, the Arthur’s Pass route through the Southern Alps.

Flick us an email at editor@nztrucking.co.nz Subject line: Where’s that road? JUN-22.

Tell us your answer, and let us know your postal address.

Note: You must include the subject line, otherwise it might get lost in the pile.

We’ll pick a random winner from the correct entries, and see what’s in the prize basket.

Competition closes midnight on 30 June 2022.

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June 2022

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CLASSICS LOCKER

Story and photos by Christopher Moor

A BEAUT FROM 1946 This 1946 Chev has spent its entire life in the North Island and still runs its original motor (though not for much longer). It’s a fantastic restoration that transports all who see it back to another time.

D

ean Tredrea’s prized 1946 American AK series Chevrolet half-ton pickup truck is a conversation starter. “Everywhere I go, someone wants to talk to me about it. They are very popular,” he says.

The truck isn’t used as a promotional vehicle for his glazing business, and he has no intention of this happening, ignoring the suggestion that he paint ‘The Glass Shoppe’ on the doors.

He has owned the Chevy for about two years and describes its current upgrade as “a work in progress”.

Since he has owned it, a wellside tray, with a spare wheel on the passenger side, has replaced the wooden flat tray, and a sun visor fitted over the front windscreen. His plans for the Chevy include adding a cab to the wellside and fitting a bumper to the rear of the tray. “I still want to keep it looking how it did originally,” he says. “The military

wheels won’t be changed.”

Dean chose the location for this article’s photographs at the car park by the Hutt River at Silverstream.

After parking the Chevy, a damp patch on the tar sealing saw the pick-up hastily moved on. The wet surface would have given the wrong impression of the truck leaking oil.

Since the photo shoot, the Chevy has been stripped down, ready for an engine refit to give it more power.

Dean had no issues with the 90hp

straight-six, No.4058657, fitted when the Chevy came off the General Motors assembly line. “I went to Rotorua and back with the original motor doing 100kph.

It didn’t miss a beat,” he says.

From the way he speaks, it’s evident he has much pleasure in being behind the wheel. The fuel consumption is unknown because the fuel gauge hasn’t worked in his ownership.

His engine upgrade will include a General Motors 350 short block motor, General Motors turbo 350 auto three-speed transmission, a differential from a 1994 Pontiac Esprit, and Jaguar XJ6 front suspension with disc brakes.

When completed, Dean will have a smart-looking sleeper hot rod. For a layperson such as myself, this is a hot rod that doesn’t look like a hot rod.

He has the original ownership papers that show the Chevy’s plates have always been EI 3721 and that the pick-up has never been registered to a South Island owner.

John Donald Macmillan, a farmer from Katikati, bought the truck new from CF Washer & Son, the General Motors dealership in Tauranga, on 11 May 1946.

He sold the truck to his son-inlaw Wayne (Clarence Wayne) McCormack in 1960, and Wayne registered it in the name of his business Wayne McCormack Ltd in 1966.

Chris McCormack, Wayne’s son, shares a few happy childhood memories of life with the 1946 Chev.

“Dad taught my grandfather how to drive the Chevy, and he would often tell the story of my grandfather (Donny) yelling, ‘Woah, woah’ to the Chevy when he wanted to stop.

“As a boy, I recall having to stand on the foot pedal to engage the starter motor and quickly get off it once started.”

His dad built a canvas-covered box for the tray that Chris and his sister would sit on when the family made the trip of over two hours from Tokoroa to Katikati.

George Lozell, another Tokoroa resident, bought the Chevy from Wayne McCormack Ltd in 1969 and kept the truck until 1976,

The restoration required far more than a spit and polish.

The wellside is a more recent addition. A canopy and bumper will be added in the future.

Fantastic attention to detail makes it an eye-catcher.

The original maker’s plate.

New Zealand Trucking

June 2022 57

when he sold it to William Henry Scott of Onehunga.

The registration papers show the Chevy had three more owners until the purchase by David Kaijser.

David passed Chris McCormack’s childhood memories with the vehicle onto the current owner Dean Tredrea.

David purchased the truck from Michael Latham of Waiatarua in September 1995. To say the pick-up wasn’t in the best state is an understatement. David says he learnt an important lesson when the Chevy arrived aboard the transporter at his then-business Stichbury Automotive Care in St Aubyn Street East, Hastings.

“We had viewed the truck in Auckland on a rainy, miserable day, the truck was parked out in the elements, and the wet look of the truck hid the many defects. What was going to be a quick spit and polish ended up being a full restoration!”

The upgrade came to a halt for several years while he worked overseas. He says the project took on a new lease of life on his return. “Many, many parts were imported from Jim Carter trucks in the USA, right down to the period-correct cab-lining screws.”

David says Stichburys used the Chevy briefly as ‘a workshop hack’ before starting the rebuild. “I believe it was the original (engine), which we rebuilt along with a gearbox.”

He says he had the honour of driving his daughter to the church on her wedding day in 2017 in the well-groomed Chevy.

With some sadness, he sold the pick-up to Aucklander Damian Hooper in 2018. Dean bought the truck from Damian on Trade Me at the Buy Now price and hired Brent White Classic Towing to transport it to Upper Hutt.

58 New Zealand Trucking

From top: Dean Tredrea is the Chev’s seventh custodian in almost 80 years; An interior from a different time. Note the floor-mounted starter pedal; The original straight-six with 90hp soon to be replaced by a 350 short block.

Dean displayed the Chevy publicly for the first time at last year’s Super Chevy Sunday in Upper Hutt, where the pick-up appeared without its sun visor. The established annual event is put on by the Wellington Chevrolet Club.

Its membership includes both Dean and his brother Lance Tredea, the club president. At last year’s club prize giving, a happy Dean took home the award for the vehicle with the most work done on it.

Super Chevy Sunday has a reputation for bringing out trucks not displayed and admired at other Hutt Valley vehicle shows. Seeing Dean’s Chevy at last year’s show is where the idea for this article came from. Dean is disappointed that a scheduled trip down south means he can’t take the pick-up this year.

With the photos in the camera, Dean and passengers headed off with him driving the Chevy with its original motor for one of the last times.

June 2022

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GREAT DASHBOARDS OF THE PAST In this series we look at great dashboards of the past, when character, quirks and idiosyncrasies dominated the driving department’s control centre. When gauges were physically connected to hot and cold bits and, sometimes, told you if those bits were hot or cold.

When Kysor alarms bleared on summertime ascents and you could manually control shutters and fans. When switches made shit happen when it wasn’t important and didn’t when it was. Yes, the great dashes were yesterday’s infotainment – sometimes low on information but always high on entertainment.

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ew Zealand, the most cosmopolitan truck country. It’s an argument hard to dispute.

Over the years, haven’t we had some rippers come on our shores? None more so

AS TOUGH AS THEY GOT – WHITE ROAD BOSS than the mighty White Road Boss; a heartier machine you will not find.

Originally a Pan Pac truck, this old girl has fallen on her feet, owned today by Transport Repairs director

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Jason Popplewell. Although she’s been a yard truck for the last few years… he has plans.

Woodgrain from door to door, a steering wheel that looks like it would be at home

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2/3/22 10:45 am

WHEELS AT WANAKA MEMORIES

We bring you a pictorial memory from the phenomenal 2021 Wheels at Wanaka event – to keep the embers well and truly lit on the run-up to 2023!

Making the grade in the big parade! Maungatua Contracting’s uber-cool 140-grader fully rigged for the worst winter conditions its Wanaka home can throw at it. Graders are so cool when they’re decked out!

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UNSUNG HEROES

“It’s not a very fast truck, but it does seem to keep working without making a fuss – something possibly reminiscent of the work ethic of its era,” writes Paul Pritchard about his 1973 Ford D710 tipper.

Based in New Plymouth, Paul bought the old blue D-series a little over a year ago and is slowly but surely getting her back to working condition.

“It came from Carterton North. The registration had been on hold for eight years, but it is now back working in earthmoving and landscaping. I believe I’m the second owner and have put it back working after a ‘social distancing’ restoration. The cab was to have been completed by now, but work commitments have delayed that,” he says, adding that he’s planning to repaint the cab as a winter project and keep it working for quite some time.

Paul’s research shows that the New Zealand-new D170 has been employed in light civil construction work all of its life

I

t can’t all be 7” twin shooters, Texas bumpers, ram intakes, Kelsa bars, polished stainless steel, and Dura-Brights. Millions of tonnes of freight are moved every day in trucks that only the true enthusiast ever looks twice at. Yet owners

and had five owners since coming off the production line, the previous owner hanging onto the keys for 30 years.

“It came from a contractor in his 80s whose family convinced him it was time to dispose of his fleet. He had five trucks, all under 16 tonne, but only this one had the 19-inch wheels, which was what I wanted.

“Recently, it completed moving approximately 400 tonnes of earth from one location to another in a round trip of about 14km. It never missed a beat, worked all day and other than needing pulling out three times from getting stuck in soft ground, performed faultlessly.”

Also reminiscent of its era is the five-digit odometer – so the true mileage covered in almost 50 years of operation is currently unknown. “And the speedo cable was broken when I got it…” says Paul. “Currently, the odometer reads 93,400km.

It seems accurate with a consistent increase at each COF.”

and drivers alike often look on these old trojans with fondness – like the holey jumper you put on when it’s cold. Unsung Heroes, running opposite Rust in Peace, is aimed at those trucks. They may be near to God, but they’re also dear to our hearts.

IS THIS YOU? Do you own, drive, or know of an old truck that fits the Unsung Hero mould? Send us a good-quality pic and a little about her, and she might just have her moment in the sun as the headlights start to dim. Don’t forget, if it’s not yours, make sure whoever owns it is happy for you to submit the truck. Send your pic to: editor@nztrucking.co.nz

64 New Zealand Trucking

June 2022

ISU 210

TRUCKS YOU CAN RELY ON

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THE TRUCK NZ HAS LEARNED

TO TRUST IS NOW EVEN SAFER NEW SAFETY FEATURES INCLUDE

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^ NMR, NPR, NQR models only # Total 5 Year Warranty, including Base Warranty (36 months / 100,000kms) and Additional Warranty (24 months / 150,000kms), cover is 60 months or 250,000kms, whichever comes first. To qualify for Additional Warranty, all scheduled servicing during the Base and Additional Warranty periods (ie. the total 60 months) must be performed by an authorised Isuzu service dealer from the date of delivery to the first customer. If scheduled servicing is performed by unauthorized service providers, only the Base Warranty will apply. For VL24 NMR, NPR & NQR Tipper models, additional Warranty applies to the cab & chassis only. Tipper bodies are excluded from Additional Warranty. These are covered by Base Warranty only. Additional Warranty is not available for NLR & NPS models. Cab Perforation Corrosion is limited to 36 months / unlimited kms on all models. It is not included as part of Additional Warranty

ISU 21003 VL24 Series A4 - BRAND.indd 1

11/11/21 2:37 PM

AUSSIE ANGLES

WORKING IN THE

PILBARA Mike Williams reveals what it’s really like to drive in this mineral-rich but sparsely populated part of north Western Australia.

Story and photos by Mike Williams

I

ended up working in the Pilbara by accident. I’d planned to go to Perth with my other half to spend some time with grandchildren we hadn’t met thanks to the whole Covid-19 mess.

I’d lined up a job driving a tanker based in Perth, and I started there, but pretty soon I realised I wasn’t a good fit for the place and I decided to look at other options.

The biggest thing I’d driven until then was a standard triple road train, carting general freight. I could write what I knew about tippers on the back of a matchbox. I’d never even seen a side tipper up close, let alone tipped one or even seen one tipped. I was thinking the chances of

66 New Zealand Trucking

me getting a go in the Pilbara were pretty low.

I spent a few days ringing around and talking with friends, and I finally got on to Campbell Transport. Then it was a whirlwind experience!

In for a medical, and a couple of days doing inductions and then on a plane to Port Hedland. Since my other half was staying in Perth, I went on a two-and-one contract; two weeks on, one week off.

Eastern-staters usually go on 4:2 rosters.

I had a number to ring when I got off the plane, and I was collected from the airport.

I was taken to the Campbell yard in Port Hedland. There’s plenty of big iron laying about there. They had care June 2022

packages made up for the three of us new-starters with all the information we needed.

We’d each been allocated rooms in a share house, and we had some maps and even some breakfast cereal. We were given a little car to drive around, pointed in the right direction. “Be back here in the morning at 0800. Don’t get into any trouble!”

So here we are. I got lost finding the share house. No big surprise there. I got lost finding the supermarket, again not a surprise. The adventure had begun.

Campbells knew I had no side tipper experience when I was offered a start. It had trucks on a job that’s a great training ground. I started

in a standard configuration type 1 road train (two trailers and a dolly), a day cab C509 Kenworth with a couple of side tippers and a trainer sitting beside me. It was a really good start. I wasn’t daunted by the truck; I could drive a road train. I was there to learn how to load and tip the trailers. I’m not going to say it was easy, but thankfully I picked it up pretty quickly.

After a couple of days, I was flying solo. By the time I’d finished my first swing, I felt pretty confident about stepping up.

It wasn’t long before I got sent on a run in a quad with another driver. It was supposed to be a ride in the passenger seat to see the

The first horse.

job. I went with Jarrod, a Kiwi bloke from Auckland. We got talking about what I’d been doing, and not long after that, he wheeled her into a parking bay and I was getting a steer.

I’ll never forget the first time I looked in the mirror. A tri-drive T909 Kenworth Ultra Quad, big X-15 Cummins, 18-speed Roadranger, 60m long, 58-tonnes tare weight. It’s a lot of truck and, if I’m honest, I was a bit nervous. It was time to walk the walk.

I managed to put in a satisfactory performance and spent the next few days working with different drivers while they sat in the passenger seat and guided me through the job. There’s plenty to learn – all the radio

calls and how to interact with the mine site and machine operators. It’s a pretty steep learning curve if you’ve never been involved in mining before. Then I had to take the test! You have to get signed off that you are competent at every aspect of the job. That means the test lasts for the whole shift. Now I suppose this may sound stressful, but it’s really not. Someone had been watching over my shoulder the entire time, and I’d already had a bit to do with the bloke whose signature I needed, so it was really just another day in the saddle.

At the end of the shift, I was signed off and good to go.

It’s a milestone in my driving

career I’m proud of, and it wouldn’t have happened without the willingness of Campbells to train drivers and the quality of the operators I was lucky enough to work with and learn from. Now I could operate the largest trucks running regularly on public roads anywhere in Australia and, as far as I know, anywhere in the world.

Yes, there are trucks carrying bigger payloads, but here we’re talking regularly on a job on public road. That’s the difference.

So what’s the reality when you’re doing it? I hear you ask.

As I said, you’re in a share house. Campbells likes to have three drivers sharing

a house, a car and a truck.

There are two drivers in the house and one on R&R. For me, fly-in day was Tuesday – that’s the day the truck goes through the workshop and is thoroughly serviced and inspected. The two guys I teamed up with had a system we’d worked out. Obviously, as I flew in, one was flying out. I picked up the car from the airport and went and did my shopping for the first week. Then I drove to the house and got sorted out. My cross-shift driver would be on a 24-hour break. I would take the truck for the next run as soon as it was ready from the workshop. The crossshift would drop me at the workshop when the truck was

H H

Out here, there’s plenty to learn.

on the go line.

Then it’s on. I have to say the rolling shifts were the hardest thing for me to deal with. It’s relentless.

The mine we were going to meant the trip, depot to depot, including unloading, took about 11 hours.

Once again, we had a system. Ring up from the Newman T – that’s the intersection where the coast road to Karratha and the Great Northern Highway come together – gives you about an hour to get up, get sorted out, have a shower and a bite to eat and get your game face on. Then we’d get sent a text when we had a bunker allocated to tip-off at the port.

That’s like a half-hour warning. Then another text when we were leaving the port. Time to get in the car and

head to the yard. Meet up at the fuel pumps after signing in and blowing in the breatho. Fill a couple of the big square tanks and do the pre-trip, and off you go. Run empty down to the mine, load, and back to the port.

Then back to the depot and back to the house, shower, eat, sleep, rinse, repeat!

It’s good money. There’s lots to do in the community if you can find the time and the motivation. With a 24-hour break in the swing, there’s a chance to go for an explore or go fishing if you’re into that. Then there’s the week off at home for the WA locals.

I’ve had worse jobs.

There’s a lot of truck in the mirrors.

Man and machine. A lot of machine...

The rolling shifts were the hardest thing for Mike to get used to.

T T

Want to engage with Mike on something he’s written or see what he’s been up to lately?

Email him at mike@ontheroadpodcast.com.au, via @theoztrucker on Twitter, On The Road podcast (@otrpodcastaus) on Facebook or go to ontheroadpodcast.com.au

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24/05/22 12:42 PM

INTERNATIONAL TRUCK STOP

ICE

CRUSHERS Tourists visiting Iceland will be thankful for the comfort and safety of its fleet of specialist off-road buses.

Story by Niels Jansen

I

celand lies way out west at the edge of the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans. The least populated country in Europe, its climate is unpredictable, with moderate summers and extreme winters. Yet the barren wilderness with volcanoes and hot-water geysers in the interior each year attracts tens of thousands of tourists from around the world.

However, the 103,000m2 island has only good roads along the coast where most inhabitants live. Special

70 New Zealand Trucking

Photos by Sleipnir and Mountaineers of Iceland

off-road vehicles are needed to reach the lakes, glaciers, waterfalls, hot springs and volcanoes – very special on/ off-road vehicles. Initially, old 4x4 drive vans and trucks were converted by local entrepreneurs to carry tourists to the inland attractions.

These makeshift ‘buses’ performed reasonably well on the unsurfaced tracks in summertime. But under severe winter conditions, with lots of snow and ice, much stronger and more reliable people carriers were needed.

June 2022

Hence, Jeeps, SUVs and 4x4 vans were partly replaced by large truck-based off-road buses.

A few local tourism operators decided to design and build these all-wheeldrive vehicles themselves.

Their inspiration came from Canada, where Foremost had custom-built the Terra Bus for more than 20 years. This highwheeled behemoth provided all-terrain mobility to transport 50 or 60 passengers to the famous Columbia Icefield in the Rocky Mountains.

Equipped with large, lowpressure tyres, the 6x6 drive Terra Bus could tackle almost any winter situation. The Foremost differs from the early Icelandic people-moving bus trucks in that the latter were not completely purposebuilt but based on existing heavy-duty off-road chassis.

About 20 years ago, Mountaineers of Iceland engineer Haukur Herbertsson came up with the idea to build the first off-road mega bus.

Having participated in the famous Dakar Rally himself,

With its big wheels, long wheelbase and powerful engine, the Sleipnir mega-bus can overcome any obstacle.

In 2021, Sleipnir introduced this sturdy-looking 8x8 bus based on a DAFcabbed Tatra Phoenix truck chassis.

The interior of the Sleipnir Titan sports 48 leather comfort seats and large panorama windows.

Haukur had witnessed the military-style MAN 6x6 conquering with ease the soft sand of the Sahara Desert. He concluded that this type of heavy off-road vehicle could perfectly overcome the Icelandic snow conditions. Mountaineers of Iceland decided to build up a heavy-duty truck chassis as a bus and opted to do the conversion rather than go to a costly European specialist.

In the capital of Reykjavik, in a rented workshop, the passenger body was welded,

painted and mounted on the second-hand MAN 6x6 chassis. The 44-seat passenger body came from an old bus. Big Michelin R20.5 XSTL off-road tyres were fitted.

This setup worked well, but it was found that a heavier four-axle chassis with a more powerful engine could do the job even better. So, an ex-army MAN KAT 1 chassis was imported from Europe.

The 8x8 was powered by a 320kW (430hp), 14-litre Deutz BF8L diesel engine. The

3m-wide and 10.27m-long chassis received a locally built 58-seat bus body.

Unfortunately, the new vehicle turned out to be impossible to register with the Icelandic road authorities. The truck bus was too wide and could, for example, not reach the capital of Reykjavik, where the bulk of tourists arrive. It was only possible to operate the KAT 1 far away from public roads. Mountaineers of Iceland then decided to acquire a new on/off-road bus with an all-wheel-drive with a

width of 2.5m. Special vehicle company Vélrás EHF of Reykjavik was asked to build it. The new off-roader was based on a similar MAN KAT 1 8x8 chassis with a 290kW (390hp) D20 diesel engine, but then fitted with a narrower MAN TGA cab. The 16 R20 off-road tyres came again from Michelin. A sturdy Dutch Bova bus body was mounted on the chassis that could accommodate 49 passengers.

The finished vehicle was registered as a BovMAN I. Vélrás was also responsible for the construction of the BovMAN II, based on a new MAN TGS 8x8 heavy-duty truck chassis. This unit featured a full Arctic package for operating in extreme polar conditions. Power came from a 12.4-litre MAN diesel of 358kW (480hp), hooked to a 16-speed ZF transmission. Contrary to the first KAT 1 based buses, the BovMAN’s had no partition between the driver’s cabin and the passenger ‘salon’.

The single body improved safety because it had a greater strength and enabled the driver and guide to communicate directly with the passengers. Mountaineers of Iceland also imported a Dutch-built Ginaf X5450S 10x10 drive chassis with a 345kW (462hp) PACCAR MX13 engine and a 12-speed ZF AS-Tronic transmission.

The 60-seat Bova body also came from the Netherlands.

Tour operator Sleipnir is another user of purposebuilt off-highway bus trucks. Its first 4-axle AWD bus was based on a used E-One Titan crash-tender from the United States.

The impressive machine is powered by a 633kW (850hp) Caterpillar C18 diesel engine and an Allison automatic transmission. This tour operator designed and built its own 48-seat passenger body. The mastodont runs on huge low-pressure tyres of 90cm width that are normally fitted to construction

1

2

3

4

1) The cockpit of the Sleipnir still shows its crash-tender heritage. 2) Due to the custom-built off-road buses, travel to the barren interior of Iceland has become quite comfortable. 3) The huge E-One Titan-based 8x8 coach is powered by an 850hp Caterpillar C18 rear engine. 4) The Ginaf 5450S 10x10 with 60-seat Bova body was bought in The Netherlands. equipment. An automatic tyre pressure system is also part of the package. The 15m-long 8x8 can overcome crevices up to 3m wide, and its maximum speed on a glacier is 60kph.

The bus interior is surprisingly comfortable with leather passenger seats and individual heating. A toilet and kitchen are fitted in the back.

Designing and constructing the Sleipnir bus took nearly

three years and cost more than UD$500,000. From the front, the off-road giant looks like it is based on a recent Volvo chassis. But that is not the case. Only the front panel comes from a Volvo FMX truck. The bus body is 3m wide but 3.5m over the wheels.

The latest acquisition of Sleipnir, however, is an offroad bus that uses a Tatra Phoenix 8x8 chassis of

2021. One of the reasons to construct it was that the vehicle is equipped with a PACCAR MX13 diesel that complies with Euro-6 emission standards. The 395kW (530hp) engine is coupled to an Allison 4700 automatic transmission.

As with the other vehicles, the body was designed by Sleipnir engineer Astvaldur Oskarsson. The interior has 36 comfortable leather seats

and includes a toilet. The DAF CF-cabbed 8x8 bus has the unique Tatra chassis concept and driveline with a central backbone tube and independent half-axle suspension. This setup offers excellent off-road capabilities and driver/passenger comfort on the challenging tracks to the breathtaking wonders of Iceland.

In 2016, a military MAN KAT I 8x8 chassis was used to create this 3m-wide bus truck.

G

Du

72 New Zealand Trucking

June 2022

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Winter days stuck inside? Issue 3 of

ith winter comes shorter days, darker nights, and challenging weather conditions. As we start to see some snow and more rain, we tell our Little Truckers’ fan base how truck drivers prepare for the colder months, including a special feature on winter safety with our friends at Fuso.

Our junior reporters head out to the country in Leeton, New South Wales; we Meet the Fleet at Graham Wright Transport; plus, there’ll be bucket loads of puzzles and activities, including our very own Winter Wonderland board game.

On top of that, we have stickers, collector cards, a pull-out poster, and heaps of full-page photos of some very good-lookin’ trucks.

Keep an eye out for Little Trucker Down Under WINTER 2022, coming to a shelf near you.

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7178_C

CASTROL’S NEW SUSTAINABILITY STRATEGY Castrol is helping to drive a more sustainable future with its recently announced PATH360 strategy The strategy sets out aims for 2030 to save waste, reduce carbon and improve lives, not just in Australia and New Zealand, but on a global basis.

Castrol became Australia’s pioneer in carbon neutral lubricants in 2016, when the premium Castrol VECTON range of diesel engine oils became the first to be certified as carbon neutral.

In 2021, all Castrol products we sell in Australia and New Zealand will be committed to carbon neutrality in accordance with PAS 2060.

CASTROL’S 120 YEAR FIGHT AGAINST FRICTION, CORROSION AND WEAR Close to a quarter of the world’s energy is believed to be lost to friction, corrosion, and wear as per study by Kenneth Holmberg and Ali Erdemir.

“From Castrol’s earliest days, we have delivered products that help save energy by fighting exactly these problems,” says Jotika Prasad, Castrol Marketing Director, Australia and New Zealand.

Castrol is also supporting new and growing sectors, like renewable energy and e-mobility with products and services.

For example, Castrol is the first lubricant supplier in the world to offer PAS 2060-certified carbon neutral lubricants for the wind turbine industry.

REDUCING PRODUCT LIFE-CYCLE CARBON EMISSIONS As well as significantly increasing its carbon neutral offers to Australian customers, Castrol is aiming to halve its own global use of virgin plastic packaging from its 2019 baseline. The PATH360 strategy is based on circular thinking, which means the company is looking at the life-cycle of its existing and new products, to see how they can be improved, extended, reused, or recycled.

“Customers in the mining and CVO sectors are especially committed to reducing their carbon emissions,” said Jane Carland, General Manager Castrol Australia and New Zealand, “and we plan to be an important partner in helping them achieve their goals and our target is to halve the net carbon intensity of our products by 2030.”

For example, three of Castrol’s plants globally moved to renewable electricity in 2020.

At the same time, the company has developed new light-weight bottle designs which use less plastic, saving on a global basis 7,000 tonnes per year by 2023.

7178_CANZ 210x297 W 3mm Bleed.indd 1

CARBON NEUTRAL PROJECTS To help fulfil its carbon neutral programme, Castrol works with bp Target Neutral who purchase carbon carbon credits that support a portfolio of carbon reduction, avoidance, and removal projects around the world.

These include support for projects such as the Zhaoyuan Zhangxing wind energy scheme in China, which mitigates more than 180,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide are each year by replacing fossil fuel power.

Another such project has supported investment in solar energy in India, through a large-scale project that helps provide reliable and cost-effective off-grid electricity for families and business.

To date, 60,000 solar units have been distributed.

BUILDING ON ACHIEVEMENTS Castrol’s Senior Vice President, Mandhir Singh, said: “PATH360 builds upon work we’ve been doing for years, pulling it all together into one integrated sustainability programme. We know that many of our customers are looking for more sustainable offers and help with their sustainability goals, and this is what this programme is designed to deliver.”

15/03/2022 20:47

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SCANIA ASSISTANce Wherever you are, Scania Assistance is available 24/7/365 – with one call you’re in touch with a professional service coordinator who knows your Scania. So if the unexpected happens, there’s always someone at the end of the line who can help.

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Our team will speed things along by arranging workshop estimates and warranty or credit checks on your behalf.

If other services are involved, we’ll make sure the right things happen at the right time so you can get back to business.

NEW RI GS ON THE R OAD

DAF CF530 FAD 8x4 rigid – Space cab sleeper

GLORIOUS IN LIGHTS OPERATOR: Murlicht Transport, Waharoa ENGINE: PACCAR MX-13 12.9-litre 390kW (530hp) 2600Nm (1920lb/ft) TRANSMISSION: TraXon 16TX2820 16-speed AMT REAR AXLES: DAF SR1360T single

reduction with inter-axle and crosslocks REAR SUSPENSION: 8-bag ECAS with shock absorbers and stabiliser bar BRAKES: Disc. ABS, EBS SAFETY: ACC, FCW, AEBS-3, LDW,

VSC, ASR BODY/TRAILER: Deck and 5-axle trailer; Lilley Engineering, Rotorua FEATURES/EXTRAS: Right Weigh scales. Roof-mounted light bar, DAF badge light. Wrapped sun visor.

Additional marker lights. Alcoa Dura-

SHE’LL BE COMIN’ OVER THE MOUNTAIN… MAN TGS 35.540 8x4 tractor OPERATOR: MOVE Logistics, GSR Transport, Tauranga ENGINE: MAN D26 13-litre Euro-5 403kW (540hp) 2500Nm (1850lb/ft) TRANSMISSION: MAN TipMatic 12-speed AMT with Retarder 35 REAR AXLES: MAN HYD Hypoid 1370/HY1350 REAR SUSPENSION: MAN 8-bag ECAS BRAKES: Disc. ABS, EBS ASR SAFETY: EBA, ESP, ACC BODY/TRAILER: Rigged by Penske NZ FEATURES/EXTRAS: Roof-mounted air deflector. Polished alloy wheels PAINT: Ex-factory SIGNAGE: Blue Brokers United, Tauranga OPERATION: Container cartage, Waikato, BOP DRIVER: Sukhdeep Singh SALES: Mitch James, Penske Tauranga

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May 2022

Bright alloy wheels PAINT: Ex-factory SIGNAGE: Caulfield Signs & Graphics, Rotorua OPERATION: General freight DRIVER: Steve Murray SALES: Tim Finlay

…NEXT TO GODLINESS OPERATOR: Kiwi Waste and Recycling, Onehunga ENGINE: Cummins X-15 15-litre Euro-5 448kW (600hp) 2779Nm (2050lb/ft) TRANSMISSION: Eaton UltraShift FO22E318B 18-speed AMT transmission REAR AXLES: Meritor 46-160GP with inter-axle and dual diff-locks

Kenworth K200 8x4 rigid REAR SUSPENSION: KW Airglide 460 suspension BRAKES: Drum. ABS, EBSS BODY/TRAILER: Transfleet Trailers/body and 5-axle trailer. Capacity – 134m3 with walking floors FEATURES/EXTRAS: Ram air intake. Stainlesssteel drop visor and stencilled cab-wing. Polished alloy bumper, steps, tanks. Polished alloy wheels

PAINT: Ex-factory SIGNAGE: Headcase Design, Auckland OPERATION: Refuse, ex-Auckland region DRIVER: George Epere SALES: Steve Willcocks

INTO THE BIG TIME Shacman X3000 6x4 rigid – sleeper OPERATOR: VT Transport, Auckland ENGINE: Cummins 13-litre Euro-5 10.8-litre 418kW (560hp) 2150Nm (1586lb/ft) TRANSMISSION: Eaton Endurant 12-speed AMT with retarder REAR AXLES: Hande HDZ425 23,000kg REAR SUSPENSION: ECAS BRAKES: Disc. ABS, EBS SAFETY: ESC, LDW, TPM, ASR. Reversing camera BODY/TRAILER: Rigged, Shacman FEATURES/EXTRAS: Polished alloy wheels. Alloy air tanks.

Reversing camera. Five-inch Shacman media PAINT: Ex-factory SIGNAGE: North Signs and Print, Auckland OPERATION: Steel cartage, ex-Auckland DRIVER: Akmal SALES: Bobby Khan

Free phone: 0800 50 40 50 New Zealand Trucking

May2022

79

NEW RI GS ON THE R OAD A PACCAR PARADISE Kenworth K200 8x4 – 2.3m Aerodyne sleeper OPERATOR: Waitoa Haulage – Waitoa ENGINE: Cummins X-15 15-litre 459kW (615hp) 2779Nm (2050lb/ft) TRANSMISSION: Eaton Roadranger RTLO 20918B 18-speed manual REAR AXLES: Meritor 46-160 with full cross-locks FRON SUSPENSION: Kenworth load-share REAR SUSPENSION: Hendrick PRIMAAX EX 462 - 21,000kg BRAKES: Disc. ADS, EBSS, DTC BODY/TRAILER: Jackson Enterprises 5-axle trailer CRATES: Nationwide Stock Crates FEATURES/EXTRAS: Polished bumper, ram air intakes, polished Alcoa Dura-Bright alloy wheels, alloy drop guards, stainless-steel DEF tank facia and tool box doors PAINT: Ex-factory SIGNAGE: Truck Signs, Mt Maunganui OPERATION: Livestock haulage, nationwide DRIVER: “Blobby” SALES: Adam McIntosh

‘GREEN WITH ENVY’ International ProStar R8 LGHD 8x4 rigid OPERATOR: Paro Farms, KioKio ENGINE: Cummins X-15 15-litre Euro-5 459kW (615hp) 2779Nm (2050lb/ft) TRANSMISSION: Eaton Roadranger RTLO 20918B 18-speed manual REAR AXLES: Meritor RT46-160GP REAR SUSPENSION: IROS HD 4-bag BRAKES: Drum. ABS, EBS BODY/TRAILER: Mills-Tui/bolsters and headboard. Existing Patchell Industries 4-axle log trailer FEATURES/EXTRAS: Dual exhaust. Ali Arc bumper. Premium Plus trim package PAINT: Ex-factory SIGNAGE: Caulfield Signs and Graphix, Rotorua OPERATION: Log cartage, Central North Island DRIVER: Kyle Cunningham SALES: Jarod Maclennan

w w w. t r g r o u p. c o . n z 80 New Zealand Trucking

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DYNAMIC DUO OPERATOR: Self Loader Logging, Taupo ENGINE: Scania DC16 16-litre 545kW (730hp) TRANSMISSION: Scania Opticruise GRSO926R 12-speed AMT with 4100D retarder REAR AXLES: Scania RB735 Hub reduction REAR SUSPENSION: Scania Spring suspension all round

Scania R730 XT 8x4 rigid (x2) BRAKES: Disc brakes ABS BODY/TRAILER: Kraft Shorts set up with new 5-axle multi Kraft trailer FEATURES/EXTRAS: CTI, Scales PAINT: Ex-factory SIGNAGE: Quality Signs, Taupo OPERATION: Log Cartage, Central Plateau

DRIVER: Allan Davis/Steve Hogan (double shift) Graham Harris (single shift) SALES: Callan Short

A BETTER PLACE IN A BETTER SPACE Iveco Eurocargo ML160 4x2 rigid – Sleeper OPERATOR: HighTech Bins North Island, Auckland ENGINE: Iveco Tector F4A E28 5.9-litre Euro-5 205kW (279hp), 950Nm (700lb/ft) TRANSMISSION: ZF 6AS1000 6-speed AMT REAR AXLES: Meritor MS10-164 with diff lock REAR SUSPENSION: Iveco 4-bag ECAS BRAKES: Disc. ABS, EBS SAFETY: ASR BODY/TRAILER: MF King, Wellington FEATURES/EXTRAS: Sleeper cab. Iveco chrome pack. RVE Leather seats, premium floor mats PAINT: Ex-factory SIGNAGE: Royans, Auckland OPERATION: Skip deliveries and retrieval, greater Auckland DRIVER: Liam Sullivan SALES: Pieter Theron

Free phone: 0800 50 40 50 New Zealand Trucking

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81

NEW RI GS O N THE ROAD SAFETY KEY – ACRONYM BY ALPHA AB – Air Bag ABS – Antilock Braking System ACC – Adaptive Cruise Control ABA – Active Brake Assist AEB – Autonomous/Active Emergency Braking AEBS – Advanced Emergency Braking System ALA – Active Lane Assist ASR – Anti Slip Regulation / Auto Slip Regualtion

BAS – Brake Assistant System CAB – Curtain Air Bag DAS – Driver Assistant Support DM – Driver Monitoring DS – Driver Support DTC – Drag Torque Control EBA - Emergency Brake Assist EBS – Electronic Braking System EBSS – Electronic Braking Safety System ESC – Electronic Stability Control

FCW – Forward Collision Warning FUPS – Front Under-run Protection System HH – Hill hold HSA – Hill Start Assist LD – Lane Departure Warning LG – Lane Guard LKA – Lane Keep Assist PCS – Pre Collision System PD – Pedestrian Detection RB – Reversing Buzzer

RW – Reverse Warning SAB – Side Air Bag SD – Side Detection SGA – Side Guard Assist TEBS – Traffic Eye Braking System TECC – Traffic Eye Cruise Control TPM – Tyre Pressure Monitoring VSC – Vehicle Stability Control

w w w. t r g r o u p. c o . n z

ai16518098928_Half page ad for P&P NZ Trucking.pdf

1

6/05/22

4:04 PM

Hiring now!

APL Direct is searching for a highly motivated and driven individual to take on the role of Glass Distribution Planner. Joining our Glass Distribution Fleet, this senior role is vital to the success of our distribution teams and is responsible for a variety of store duties, leading and supporting the team, liaising with senior staff across the business, and project work.

Based at our new Hautapu location, this role is Monday – Friday, 10am – 6:30pm.

To be successful you will have the following:

APPLY NOW

To apply or inquire about other opportunities, email careers@apldirect.co.nz or visit www.aplnz.co.nz/work-with-us

19-0622-T

Current F Endorsement + OSH Forklift license Full Class 1 license (Full Class 4 license advantageous) Proven leadership skills Demonstrable experience and understanding of logistics and dispatch processes Impeccable safety standards

Kraft Engineering Limited 5 Wikaraka Street, Ngongotaha, Rotorua | Phone: +64 77 357 4597 Colin King: Ph: 027 539 0075 | E: colin@kraftgroup.co.nz James Worsnop: Ph: 027 572 2642 | E: james@kraftgroup.co.nz 19-0622-T

s

SINCE 1978

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, and

New Zealand has a rich heritage of body and trailer building,

new technology and advanced design features are showing up almost every month.

included on these pages, send a photo, features, and the

and we’re proud to showcase some recent examples of Kiwi craftsmanship every month. If you want a body or trailer manufacturer’s name to trailers@nztrucking.co.nz

Put the blues behind you!

How could you feel blue looking at this little sweety in the rear vision mirror? Crikey, you don’t even have to roll the covers over really… Well, you do, but winding the PowerTarps handle is hardly clambering around on top, rolling out the sheet, simultaneously filling your boots with product in the act.

Built for Aardvark Excavators in Auckland by the Mills-Tui crafts folk in Rotorua, the model F134 fouraxle steel tipping trailer runs a Mills-Tui low-rider chassis.

Peterson takes care of all lighting requirements, with additional highlight tail lights on the top of the tail door.

With stainless-steel mudflap bracketing and polished alloy wheels, this stylish piece of kit is obviously going to another image-conscious customer.

Features: Hendrickson ANT230 disc-brake axle and air suspension. EBS. Mills-Tui

Mobile Maitre d’ Food handling is a serious business. Both dishing up and delivering require on-point timeliness, cleanliness, and constant improvement. All of these qualities are present in this new Fruehauf NZ/Schmitz Cargobull 15.5 Q2 (double stack) quad-semi built for food industry supplier Provida Supply Chain Logistics, in Auckland.

The semi wants for nothing, with rear lift axle, ECAS raise/lower system, Tire Pilot inflation management, and Carrier refrigeration with one central evaporator and one at the rear for three-zone chilling.

Full side and rear under-run protection and JOST landing legs fitted with a Razor electric raise and lower kit ensure staff and public wellbeing are catered for.

Features: SAF Intradisc wide track axles and suspension.

Fruehauf NZ / Schmitz Cargobull

KIWI 16/17

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 84 New Zealand Trucking

June 2022

KIWI 175

Features: SAF axles and air suspension.

WABCO brake system.

Roadmaster

It’s a long story Or maybe it isn’t … it’s entirely up to Jeremy Harrison of Harrison Transport in Napier. He’s just taken delivery of this quad-axle steering beauty from the craftspeople at the one and only Roadmaster Trailers.

At 15.7m overall length, its chassis is made of HT fabricated I-beam steel with a 3mm C/10 seam-welded deck.

There’s an RHS removeable headboard with front and rear mount locations, tie-rail chain slots in the front and rear cross-members, seven pairs of deck stanchions, ferry tiedowns, full-length top-of-deck chainplates and twist locks for one (heavy) 20’, two 20’, or one 40’.

Doing it all is one thing, but you need to cart the gear around… no problem! The big semi sports twin 1500-litre and one 1200-litre alloy toolboxes, each with a shelf and stainless steel doors, an under-mount bearer box and six in-deck chain boxes.

In the ‘make life easy’ department, we’re not left wanting, with removeable wide-load signage with lights mounted to the front and rear cross-members, a 1.5m sliding rear light-bar frame (non-load rated) and, for party tricks, a raise/lower valve managed via a phone app.

The light fantastic What do you plug into the back of a Mercedes-Benz Actros tractor to produce end-to-end state of the art?

A TMC lightweight four-axle flat-deck container semi, colour-toned to perfectly complement its tractor, is probably a good option.

Going by the detail and finish, Dunedin’s Rohan Haulage were certainly after the professional, quality-brand look. Head and tail frame, stainless rear infills and toolbox doors, alloy drop guards, fulllength rear flap, coded dunnage locker, and polished alloy wheels all add up to a completed rig everyone involved can be rightfully proud of.

Features: 22.5” ROR disc-brake axle and air suspension.

TMC

Spec your trailer on KIWIs – the new tyre of choice for KIWIs KIWI 16

KIWI 17

KIWI 175

265/70R19.5

215/75R17.5 235/75R17.5 265/70R19.5

265/70R19.5

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

New Zealand Trucking

June 2022 85

STILL RUNNIN’ HOT

L

ast month, it was 1FATKW. This month, it’s the next in the Oruanui Linehaul submissions.

1HOTKW looks superb in black and, like its fleet-mate last month, churns out relentless kilometres on the Auckland to Christchurch run at 50-max for TAA. There’s no question a Kiwi family passing the immaculate K104 would

likely comment on a shiny new Kenworth, oblivious to the fact the flash of shining black paint, glistening chrome, polished alloy, and mirror-like stainless they’d just passed is 18 years old with 2,300,000km under its tyres. To put that into perspective, that’s 57.4 times around the earth at the equator.

Owner Michael Purvis says the truck

is an absolute credit to its driver Ashley Rowe, who’s been with him for more than six years.

Running Cummins 620hp Signature power, an 18-speed Roadranger manual transmission, 46-160 Meritor rears, 1HOTKW is testimony to the durability of its chassis and the components that provide its motivation.

Photo: Ashley Rowe

CALLING ALL TRUCKS ON OR OVER 1 MILLION MILES (1.6M KILOMETRES)

86 New Zealand Trucking June 2022

THE BEAN POLE

A

ffectionately named after Greg Low, the grandfather of Bluff Sand Supply & Cartage manager Casey Barris, the Bean Pole has earned not just its stripes but its Bridgestone New Zealand Trucking Million Mile club cap and plaque.

“He was rarely seen in any other truck in the fleet,” says Casey.

This extremely tidy 1995 Nissan Diesel CWA31 has spent its life in the deep

south, kicking off at Ryal Bush Transport before inching even further south to Bluff Sand Supply & Cartage.

Under the floorboards is a 234hp PE6 Nissan Diesel, and behind that, an Eaton Fuller RTO7613 and Nissan Diesel RW1AA rear end.

Casey says this dear old girl has amassed 1,600,000km, for sure. In the keep of Casey and co-owner Graham Laidlaw, you get the feeling the old Bean Pole will

be happily carting whatever needs tipping off around the Southland traps for many more kilometres yet.

Well done, Bean Pole.

You’ve earned your place!

HUNKY HEAVY HAULAGE

Photo: Grant Schofiled

J

Swap Contractors purchased its first Kenworth T904 in 2003.

Fleet No.920 was designed and built for the heavyhaulage division. The 120tonne rated truck is powered by a Caterpillar C15 engine

set at 550hp with a 20 series 18-speed Eaton Roadranger transmission and 51-160 Meritor drive axles, sitting on Kenworth six-rod rear suspension.

Over almost two decades, it has predominantly towed a

Bridgestone and N ew Zealand Trucking Media want to recognise trucks that have achieved this milestone in the act of carrying the nation on their backs. Each month, up to eight trucks will be selected, and will feature in the magazine, as well as on our social media.

four rows of eight low-loader, with a two rows of eight dolly (load divider) when heavier loads were on board.

At other times, the Kenworth could be seen with a bulk tipping B-train or a bottom-dump semi on local

Those selected will get a Million Mile Club cap and badge for the truck.

Terms • Only owners can submit • NZ trucks only • Supply chain may affect the timing of cap and badge arrival

roading work.

She’s semi-retired now but this tractor unit’s speedometer shows a spectacular 1,750,000km (1.26 million miles).

TO JOIN, EMAIL: editor@nztrucking.co.nz • Quality image of the truck • Name of owner and driver • Basic spec (model, engine, trans, rear end) • Contact details

New Zealand Trucking June 2022

87

MINI BIG RIGS

By Carl Kirkbeck

ACCESSORISING THE MERC Our out-of-the-box build is now complete, and it resembles the real Ken Kirk Pilkington Glass Merc. But a few extra details will finish it off.

W

ith our kitset now complete as far as the boxed parts are concerned, it is time to look at how we can add personal touches to the build. We do this by using items from spare parts and junk boxes found around the workshop. It’s fair to say the adage ‘never throw anything away’ rings true.

As time goes by, you will find that you acquire bins of spare parts, which tend to

amass after a few years of model building.

The first addition is a factory roof-mounted wind deflector, including cab side extensions (see reference photos). Looking at the many MercedesBenz Trucks Italeri has manufactured over the years, we see that kitset #793 is based on the later model 2448 Merc.

Fortunately, it comes complete with full factory wind kit and side skirts.

Once we have acquired the sprue from kit #793 that holds parts 182, 183, 184, 185, 186 and 189, we have everything we need to replicate the aero kit on our Pilkington Merc build.

Now it’s time to apply the skillsets and tricks learnt over the past few months.

By following the instruction sheet and steps detailed here, we can easily adapt these parts and take our build to the next level of realism and accuracy.

1

3

2 1) The donor Italeri Mercedes-Benz 2448, kitset #793.

2) The required sprue from kitset #793, with the required parts 182, 183, 184, 185, 186 and 189.

3) As we did with the cab panels, first spraypaint the red plastic surfaces with Tamiya Fine Surface Primer, then give it a topcoat in Tamiya TS26 ‘Pure White’. When painting, leaving the

parts attached to the sprue avoids getting finger prints on the freshly coated surfaces.

4) Remember to remove the paint from the surfaces to be glued when using solvent-based glues, such as Revell Contacta Professional, to ensure that the two plastic surfaces bond together effectively.

5) Following the instructions, we see that the

way forward is to construct the aero-kit as one complete piece and then once dry, fit the entire assembly to the cab as one piece.

6) Apply decals/signwriting before fitting the aero-kit assembly to the cab. Using low-tack masking tape, you can carefully mark out centre lines to assist with moving the decals into place.

7) The fitting of the completed aero-kit can now

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88 New Zealand Trucking

June 2022

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take place. We recommend a transparent waterbased acrylic adhesive such as Revell Contacta Clear. You don’t need to remove the paint to expose the plastic for the solvent to bond as the glue directly adheres to painted surfaces.

Leaning the cab slightly forward assists with keeping the aero kit in position while the glue takes hold.

8) The finished install of the aero kit adds another level of realism to our build.

Next month we look at the finer details – Hella spotlights, number plates, air horns and whip aerials.

NEW BIG SWEDE Exciting news from the Italeri website: a 1:24th scale Scania S730 Highline is set to join the kitset manufacturer’s ever-increasing fleet. The new kit offers fine detail, with photo-etched parts, super detailing of the big V8 and an option for an opening driver’s door. This news will be welcomed by model builders worldwide, especially here in New Zealand, where the mighty Griffin is well represented.

DO YOU BUILD MODEL TRUCKS? Would you like to share your stories and model builds with our readers?

Contact carl@nztrucking.co.nz.

These pages are dedicated to supporting the hobby, and we would love to hear from you.

LITTLE TRUCKERS’ CLUB

HI LITTLE TRUCKERS! Well, I have had a very busy and exciting month. I met Otto, Frank and Sylvie while interviewing their grandad about a classic Mack he has restored. You will be able to read more about the rebuild and see some awesome photos in the latest issue of Little Trucker Down Under – on shelves now!

I also met Elon, our logo competition winner from the March 2022 issue. It turns out that he lives just up the road from me and is Kenworth-mad, so I asked a friend of mine to show Elon his Kenworth K200.

I gave him his prize, and he got to go for a ride in the truck along with his brother and sister! It was Elon’s first-ever ride in a truck, and he absolutely loved it – they all did!

Henry and his brother Toby got to go to the Ruapuna Raceway Super Weekend of Motorsport in March, where they saw some awesome truck racing and sent us some cool photos!

What have you been up to? If you would like to share your adventures and see yourself here in Little Truckers’ Club, all you need to do is email me at rochelle@nztrucking.co.nz with a paragraph telling us about them along with your name and age.

Also, the winners of the Follow the Truck Around New Zealand competition from the May issue will be announced next month – in the July issue. If you haven’t put your entry in, there’s still time. Grab an atlas, mark the towns on the map, take a photo and send your answers to me along with your name and age – and just like that, you’re in the draw to win a fantastic prize!

90 New Zealand Trucking

June 2022

ie (5) love th k (8) and Sylv an Fr , 0) (1 to Ot ack. ored classic M grandad’s rest

eir

Anna, Logan and our Find the Logo winner Elon (4) in front of Guy Knowles’ Kenworth K200. Cheers, Guy, you made their day!

Henry (6) takes a seat in one of the racing trucks.

Henry with one of the wicked trucks he saw at the races.

Elon in the driver’s seat. He got to have a play and explore the cab of the Kenworth before they went cruising.

Joke of the month Why doesn’t Miss Piggy drive trucks?

Because all she does is hog the road.

Toby Don gi ves the truc k races a big thumbs up!

Have you seen the May issue of New Zealand Trucking magazine yet? Unfortunately, it was a bit late getting onto the shelves, so we’re giving you an extra month to find the May Little Truckers’ Club logo! Don’t forget to find the logo in this issue too!

W R

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2022 TRUCKING INDUSTRY SUMMIT 30 July, 9am-5pm Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre Contact: nztruckingassn.co.nz/truckingindustry-summit, pam.stark@trucking.nz For sponsorship: carol.mcgeady@trucking.nz, 021 252 7252

MOBIL DELVAC ROAD TRANSPORT HALL OF FAME 30 September 2022 Bill Richardson Transport World Contact: roadtransporthalloffame.co.nz, events@twevents.nz

MOTOR TRUCK DISTRIBUTORS’ 50-YEAR CELEBRATION 22 October 2022 At the Manawatu Car Club Octoberfest Manfield Park, Feilding Contact: 50years.macktrucks.co.nz

TMC TRAILERS TRUCKING INDUSTRY SHOW 25 and 26 November 2022 Canterbury Agricultural Park Contact: truckingindustryshow.co.nz, info@nztruckingassn.co.nz

All scheduled events may be subject to change depending on weather conditions etc.

Please check the websites before setting out.

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.

92 New Zealand Trucking

June 2022

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96 Moving Metrics 100 Incoming Cargo – Autonomy on the way 104 Product Profile – Oils from NAPA 106 Business Profile – Fully charged dairy 108 Vipal’s Knowing Your Tyres 110 Carriers’ Corner 112 Truckers’ Health 114 Health & Safety 116 Legal Lines 118 NZ Trucking Association 120 Transporting New Zealand 122 The Last Mile BROU GH T TO Y OU B Y

MOVING METRICS

THE SALES

NUMBERS New Zealand Trucking reveals 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 April 2022.

First registration of NB and NC class vehicles for April, by major manufacturer

This information is compiled from information provided by the NZ Transport Agency statistical analysis team and through the Open Data Portal.

The data used in this information reflects any amendments to the data previously reported.

Vehicle type This summary includes data from two heavytruck classes and one heavy-trailer class.

First registration of NB, NC and TD class vehicles for April, year on year

A goods vehicle is a motor vehicle that: (a) i s constructed primarily for the carriage of goods; and (b) either: (i) has at least four wheels; or (ii) has three wheels and a gross vehicle mass exceeding one tonne.

Vehicle class

Description

NB

A goods vehicle that has a gross vehicle mass exceeding 3.5 tonnes but not exceeding 12 tonnes.

(mediumgoods vehicle)

NC (heavy-goods vehicle)

TD (heavy trailer)

A goods vehicle that has a gross vehicle mass exceeding 12 tonnes.

A trailer that has a gross vehicle mass exceeding 10 tonnes.

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 https://www. nzta.govt.nz/assets/resources/rules/docs/vehicledimensions-and-mass-2016-as-at-1-june-2019.pdf Note: Vehicle classes are not the same as RUC vehicle types or driver licence classes.

96 New Zealand Trucking

June 2022

First registration of TD class heavy trailers for April, year on year by major manufacturer

First registration of NB, NC and TD class vehicles year on year, to date

First registration of NC class vehicles year to date 2018 – 2022, by major manufacturer

First registration of TD class heavy trailers year to date 2018 – 2022, by major manufacturer

New Zealand Trucking

June 2022 97

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 Total value and distance of road user charges purchased between 01 January 2018 and 30 April 2022 by purchase year

RUC purchase for April 2022, all RUC types A description of RUC vehicle types is available at https://www.nzta.govt. nz/vehicles/licensing-rego/road-usercharges/ruc-rates-and-transactionfees/ Please note data may differ slightly from that reported for the same period previously due to adjustments being made to the base data.

In April 2022 there were 48 different types of RUC purchased for a total distance of 1,740,969,633km at a value of $171,764,393.

Purchase period

Distance purchased (km)

Value of purchases

1 Jan 2018 – 31 Dec 2018

15,736,558,458

$1,875,364,397

1 Jan 2019 – 31 Dec 2019

16,166,434,103

$2,041,939,272

1 Jan 2020 – 31 Dec 2020

15,421,400,378

$2,069,615,049

1 Jan 2021 – 31 Dec 2021

16,204,803,262

$2,249,341,814

1 Jan 2022 – 30 Apr 2022

5,798,072,671

$565,183,771

RUC distance purchased for RUC type 1 vehicles

Purchase period

Distance purchased (km)

Average monthly distance (km)

1 Jan 2019 – 31 Dec 2019

11,502,905,782

958,575,482

1 Jan 2020 – 31 Dec 2020

10,952,303,565

912,691,964

1 Jan 2021 – 31 Dec 2021

11,427,917,860

952,326,488

1 Jan 2022 – 30 Apr 2022

4,159,966,583

1,039,991,646

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.

RUC purchases all RUC types

98 New Zealand Trucking

June 2022

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

Average monthly RUC purchases by year (all RUC types)

RUC purchases April 2022 for selected types RUC distance purchased year to date for selected RUC types

By comparing distance purchased during 2021 with previous years’, trends in changes to activity by RUC type vehicles will become clear.

New Zealand Trucking

June 2022 99

INCOMING CARGO

ON TRACK FOR DRIVERLESS

TRUCKS The chairman of the International Truck of the Year jury, Gianenrico Griffini, chats with Michael Fleming, president and CEO of Torc Robotics, and Peter Schmidt, head of autonomous technology group at Daimler Trucks, about the developments in autonomous trucks stemming from the partnership between the two companies.

S

ince acquiring a majority stake in Torc Robotics in 2019, Daimler Truck has made significant progress in turning autonomous trucks from an idea into reality. The companies have the longest autonomous driver technology and truck OEM partnership in

the industry and have been safely and reliably testing a fleet of autonomous trucks on public roads.

The testing and demonstrating of its Level-4 autonomous trucks in more complex scenarios – such as ramps and turns at controlled intersections – are

well underway. In April, Torc announced a technology and development centre in Stuttgart, Germany, to support the ongoing development in the US. As a next step, Torc is now cooperating with leading US logistics companies to further develop real-world applications for autonomous trucking.

It seems Daimler Truck is getting on well with its 2019 goal of having Level-4 autonomous trucks on the road within a decade.

In an interview from October 2019, you said you were in the phase of testing class-8

autonomous driving on the public road. What stage are you currently working in? What results have you achieved so far?

MF: Since we last met at the North American Commercial Vehicle Show in Atlanta in 2019, we have been safely testing a fleet of autonomous trucks daily on public roads in the US. We are developing autonomous truck technology to navigate for long-haul, hub-to-hub transport – our target use case. Typical driving scenarios such as lane changes and complex merges have been tested intensively

Self-driving trucks on public roads could be a reality by the end of the decade.

Interview by Gianenrico Griffini and have proven that Torc’s autonomous driving software can safely navigate on highways. Recently, we have expanded our features and are now running and demonstrating Level-4 autonomous trucks with enhanced capabilities in more complex scenarios on surface streets, ramps, and turns at controlled intersections.

Our routes have expanded to multiple states: Virginia, New Mexico and Texas. Each area provides us with diverse traffic and environmental conditions for testing.

We have also expanded our simulation testing – allowing us to safely simulate

Photos by Daimler Truck North America

thousands of traffic scenarios and reinforce capabilities on public roads.

Can you describe (in detail) your technical solutions for class-8 autonomous driving? Is a high degree of redundancy a key pillar of your Level-4 autonomous driving strategy?

MF: The virtual driver is the Automated Driving System (ADS), enabling the vehicle to perform driving tasks.

This includes software and hardware. Torc’s software stack is also known as the virtual driver. The automotivegrade hardware includes computers, sensors, and

other hardware necessary for the virtual driver to perceive the world, localise, and make behavioural decisions to perform driving tasks.

PS: Yes, in our opinion, redundancy is a must for autonomous trucks. It is the only way to ensure maximum safety. Here we do not compromise. Our engineers at Daimler Truck North America have done a phenomenal job in the past few years, successfully developing the first scalable autonomous truck platform with critical safety systems. Based on Freightliner’s industryleading flagship truck, the autonomous-ready Cascadia

with redundant functions represents the foundation for autonomous trucking.

This truck has a second set of critical systems, such as steering and braking, and continuously monitors and assesses the health of these systems. In case of interruption or errors, the newly developed redundant systems will be able to control the truck safely.

What does the launch of the cross-functional Torc Autonomous Advisory Council (TAAC) mean?

Does it mean you have already achieved a robust road-proof autonomous

New Zealand Trucking

June 2022 101

when it is safe to do so.

Level-4 means the driver must be on board as back-up. technology level that must be translated into transport operators’ reality?

MF: We believe in developing technology to create sustained innovation in freight transport. This means working closely with leaders in shipping and logistics to define the best way to integrate with the freight network. With members of the TAAC, we are exploring solutions for hub-to-hub operations, fleet logistics, and fleet maintenance services.

These are the capabilities beyond the technology for driving that are necessary for commercialisation.

The TAAC supports Torc’s goal to be the first scalable, profitable, commercialised Level-4 truck solution. We are collaborating with key

freight-industry players, who will provide strategic insights to Torc as we integrate with the freight network and tackle challenges beyond highway driving.

PS: With Torc now involving leading logistic companies, we are entering the next phase, focusing on specifically defining the real-world use case of the autonomous system of the future. We are on the right path and, together with our collaborators, we share the pioneering spirit and the willingness to succeed in autonomous trucking.

Can you outline a timetable for deploying hub-to-hub self-driving trucks on daily interstate operations in the US?

PS: We are aiming to commercialise autonomous trucks on the road within this decade. In the US, we expect autonomous trucking to be on a bigger scale by 2030. From the middle of the decade, we could see first trucks running freight with customers, and we could then see the market ramp up. While the go-tomarket timing is determined by our partners, we will make sure our autonomous-ready Freightliner is available in time.

MF: Building on what Peter said, our timeline to deploy hub-to-hub self-driving trucks on daily interstate operations is not determined by a specific target date but by safety first. We will bring autonomous trucks into customer operations only

Torc has established the Torc Autonomous Advisory Council (TAAC) with key freight industry players to incorporate deep industry insights into its development process.

What do you need from the legislator to speed up the introduction of selfdriving trucks? What is still missing?

MF: At Torc, we want to be part of the solution, but we need to strike a balance of pushing innovation while keeping safety at the forefront. We’re happy to be thought-leaders in sharing our own very stringent guidelines for testing and safety plans and helping to educate state and federal officials on the importance of autonomous trucking to society.

Recently, Torc Robotics announced the opening of a technology and software development centre in Stuttgart. How can you use the know-how acquired in the US for European autonomous driving operations?

MF: For now, we remain laser-focused on developing autonomous trucking for the deployment on US highways. The team in our Stuttgart office will support these efforts, tapping into the amazing talent pool of software and product development specialists in one of Germany’s prime automotive regions. This is the primary reason we decided to open an office in this location.

PS: Later, we can leverage our position as a global player and transfer the know-how and experience acquired in the US to bring autonomous trucking into other markets – for example, to Europe.

However, due to different legislations and infrastructure, we expect other markets outside of Europe to become viable sooner. For the near term, we are focused on commercialisation in the US and we believe this focus will help us reach our goal here by 2030.

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PRODUCT PROFILE

Exploring

GOOD OIL Keeping an engine in peak condition is essential to the overall performance of any vehicle, large or small. Finding the best diesel engine oil for a vehicle and the road conditions drivers face is key. Fleet operators need to take active steps to improve performance, lower costs and assist in the overall health of the fleet.

A

s diesel engines have developed, the need for higherperformance diesel engine oils has risen. In Europe, the European Automobile Manufacturers Association introduced engine oil specifications in the early 1990s. Many diesel engine manufacturers have also introduced their own OEM diesel engine oil specifications, including MercedesBenz, MAN, MTU, Volvo, Scania and Deutz.

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Benefits of EURO SYN LV 5W-30 include: • Low ash for complete DPF protection • Allowable drain in excess of 100,000km while maintaining complete protection • Formulation approval from DaimlerBenz against MB 228.51 requirements

104 New Zealand Trucking

June 2022

• Formulation approved by Scania against LDF-4 requirements, offering improved protection and fuel consumption in latest Euro-6 engines as well as Euro-5 and Euro-4 engines as found in many European trucks and buses.

Semi synthetic TOP DOG Indestructible 15W-40 is a semi-synthetic, next-generation heavyduty diesel engine oil with indestructible additive technology specifically designed to protect high-powered, turbocharged heavy-duty diesel engines.

The unique formulation contains performance-enhancing and superior wear-protection technology that exceeds the requirements of the new API CK-4 lubricant specification and previous specifications, including API CJ-4.

The product meets most modern engine manufacturers’ specifications.

Having a low SAPS level, TOP DOG Indestructible 15W-40 is suitable for heavy-duty diesel engines fitted with exhaust gas recirculation systems and other exhaust after-treatment systems, including diesel particulate filters and selective catalytic reduction (SCR)/ AdBlue.

TOP DOG Indestructible CK4+ 15W-40 can be used in agricultural, marine, stationary engines, earthmoving and road transport applications as well as light commercial diesel vehicles requiring a 15W-40 heavy-duty diesel engine oil.

“The product meets the formulation requirements of major European OEMs.”

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BATTERY RELIABILITY IS KEY FOR FONTERRA FLEET Fonterra processes more than 80% of New Zealand’s milk, with 30 manufacturing sites countrywide. The global brand runs a fleet of more than 500 truck and trailer units, operating 24/7.

Reliability is one of the key tenets for ensuring a smooth operation for such a hard-working fleet.

A

ccording to Guy Cooper, Fonterra’s national parts & warranty manager, improving battery reliability across Fonterra’s milk-tanker fleet was vital.

Fonterra introduced the VARTA ProMotive AGM heavy-duty commercialvehicle battery to its fleet in September 2019 through its relationship with its battery supplier, HCB Technologies. Since then, the battery has performed strongly for Fonterra, Guy says.

“Our partnership with HCB goes back beyond 10 years and, in the past 18 months, that high level of engagement between the parties has continued to ensure our needs are met,” he says.

HCB has been New Zealand’s battery specialist for 30 years, offering a wide range and great product depth. It is part of the Bapcor group of companies, the sole distributor for VARTA batteries in Australasia.

As technology advances and the amount of electronic equipment fitted to vehicles grows, demands on batteries

106 New Zealand Trucking

in heavy-commercial fleets continue to increase.

It’s no different at Fonterra. The VARTA brand has a solid 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 higher-performing ProMotive EFB (C40) in 2017. The move to VARTA resulted in Fonterra‘s average battery life increasing significantly to about 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.

Guy says the operating environment of the Fonterra milk-collection fleet is harsh, and the batteries can certainly take a hammering.

“More than half the time, the trucks are empty, so they are exposed to a high vibration of a wide variety of road surfaces. This means the batteries are exposed to those same vibrations,” he says.

“We also operate a modern truck fleet, which means the electrical architecture has changed with the introduction of new models. This has required fitment of batteries that can best suit those variations.

“The VARTA battery range has been required to adapt, culminating with the A1 AGM model that is now fitted capable of staying in the truck for less than 700,000km or three years, meaning considerably fewer intervals of swapping out 60kg batteries and resultant downtime.”

June 2022

NZ-Truc

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 drivers’ cabins with hoteling functions without draining the battery, avoid downtime and maximise productivity.

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KNOWING YOUR TYRES

15:40

VIPAL RUBBER RECOGNISED AT RECIRCLE AWARDS 2022

COMMON TREAD

KILLERS

Vipal Rubber presents valuable information to help you get the most from your tyres. This month – premature wear.

T

he tyre is a safety item – as important as brakes. For most fleets, tyres represent the third-largest item in the operating budget. Failing to inspect tyres regularly can lead to premature wear, a problem that may impact operational results.

Here are some common reasons for premature tyre wear.

Tread design Choosing the wrong tread design can cause a loss of up to 40% of the possible mileage in a tyre.

Overinflation

Overloading

A tyre overinflated by 30% causes a loss of up to 15% of the useful life of the tread.

Overloading a truck by 30% leads to an average loss of 40% of the tyres’ tread mileage.

Underinflation A tyre underinflated by 30% causes a loss of up 50% of the useful life of the tread.

Mismatched tyres Mismatching tyres can cause a loss of up to 30% of the useful life of the tread.

Alignment Tyre misalignment causes a loss of up to 35% of tyre mileage.

Rotation Lack of tyre rotation leads to a loss of up to 20% of the tyre mileage. Proper tyre rotation can lead to a 22% enhancement in tyre mileage.

Maintenance Overlooked tyre maintenance causes a loss of up to 60% of tyre mileage.

Vipal Rubber has won the Best Supplier of Accessories and Consumables for Tyre Retreading at the 2022 Recircle Awards, which recognises the contributions made by companies and professionals to the circular economy within the tyre, manufacturing, retreading, and recycling industries.

Vipal achieved the award as the Best Supplier of Accessories and Consumables for Tyre Retreading, a new category added to the current edition. In 2021, in the first edition of the awards, Vipal won all three categories in which it competed: Best Supplier of Precured Treads, Best Supplier of Tyre Retreading Equipment, and the Best Innovation in the Tyre Retreading Industry with the “Eye Control” case.

“The Recircle Awards is an important initiative for disseminating and recognising good practices in the circular economy, the new and retreading tyre industry, and final disposal through recycling,” said Vipal Rubber international business director, Leandro Rigon.

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CARRIERS’ CORNER

HOW DO WE TURN BIG BROTHER INTO OUR FAVOURITE SIBLING? The world looks set to grapple with labour and material shortages for the foreseeable future. Never before has a more logical – let alone necessary – opportunity presented itself to leverage technology to counter, and potentially leapfrog, the operational challenges stemming from the shortages.

I

t came from a recent conversation with a fellow transport operator about their transition from a paper-based planning and dispatch function to something a little more, shall we say, contemporary.

There was some acknowledgement that a web-based transport management system (TMS) solution may provide some benefits and look a little neater. But the operator couldn’t get past the concept of the dispatch and planning task being ‘my job’, and ‘there’s no way a computer can do a better job than me’.

What blew my mind was the blackand-white view that there was no way technology could improve the outcome for the business. There appeared a total lack of comprehension that the implementation of even the simplest of web-based TMS (and we’re fortunate to have a host of locally developed options) could free the operator up to provide (some) freedom to focus on other critical areas of the business. And this was before we got to talking about some of the fleet and route-optimising technology starting to appear with the likes of M2X. Although still in its infancy, M2X clearly presents scope for a level of load optimisation that until now has been the domain of only the industry’s most seasoned dispatchers’ grey matter.

In the same vein, albeit with some significant industry adoption already achieved, is the genre of vehicle tracking and telematics systems a la EROAD, Coretex, Teletrac Navman etc. While I understand that an increasing minority of our fine industry continues to operate ‘off the grid’ to try and leverage the perceived benefits of running under the radar and fear of big brother, elements of this approach continue to perplex me. Have these operators properly deliberated how easily their fleet management and scheduling might shift for the better,

110 New Zealand Trucking

June 2022

let alone allow for greater insights for their team and customers alike? And that’s before we consider the time and stress savings of an auto-RUC solution to eliminate one of the more rudimental compliance tasks we must perform.

But, beyond the face-value application of the systems of tracking the movements of our fleets, what are we doing with the individual truck and operator data we’re gathering to deliver even greater benefit to our operations? We’ve recently had the good fortune of being connected with a third-party provider who’s seen to turning our masses of monthly driver data into meaningful-yet-simple scorecards. We’ve been able to utilise these as the basis for team-wide incentive programmes that, at the same time, have created a marked change in our driving performance and fuel consumption, both of which have obvious financial flow-ons. Better yet, the harnessing of this technology and active and thorough distribution of the outputs will be sure to make for a safer team on the road, surely a critical detail at the heart of every decision we make as operators? This is our data – let’s use it!

A rant about big brother and technology wouldn’t be complete without ducking down the in-cab camera rabbit hole! The provision of cameras within our

fleets as a means of obtaining, at least, more favourable insurance terms can’t be far off becoming par for the course.

But, in the meantime, I wonder how much benefit we could obtain before the carrot needs to be dangled before us. One doesn’t need to spend too much time in a dispatch office to quickly hear reports of dangerous acts of driving or road use that a driver might’ve seen on a given day.

Empowering our driving teams through the provision of such widely available camera technology to capture these moments should be a priority, if for no other reason than to turn what can oft be ambiguous accident liability conversations into black-and-white decisions.

There is a raft of simpler standalone technologies that have come to market that also appear to be slower in uptake than their benefits might suggest they should experience. Take, for example, the electric pallet jack/trolley – a device that takes the laborious task out of loading and unloading units by hand. We seem lethargic to taking a longer-term view to how technology can make our lives easier and more productive.

I’m a believer that there’s a degree of inevitability to much of this technology becoming commonplace but I pose the question that in these times of shortages and the flow-on need for vast productivity gains, surely the very catalyst we’re looking for is right under our noses?

The opportunity exists for us to eke out gains on all fronts by parking some of our preconceptions and instead focusing on turning big brother into our favourite sibling. Then, we can get them to do what we all want our siblings to do for us; the donkey work!

Do you agree with Blake or want to engage with his comment? He’d love to hear from you.

Contact Blake at: blake@transcon.co.nz.

Blake Noble is managing director of Transcon, a 15-truck general freight operation based in Warkworth, north of Auckland.

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TRUCKERS’ HEALTH

BOUNCING BACK FROM HOLIDAYS AND EVENTS Setting a deadline or target for your health and fitness goals can be highly motivating. But what happens when you reach that goal? Do you carry on as you are, revert to old habits, or set even higher targets?

I

recently got married and, of course, I wanted to look my best for my big day.

So, I put a massive amount of work into my nutrition and training before the big day, losing 13kg over six months – not doing anything drastic but staying consistent and focused.

Now that my big day has come and gone like a gust of wind, I am asking myself – where to from here? My husband and I spent the past week in Queenstown living the dream, exploring the sights and bites the beautiful town has to offer. It can be daunting to return from holiday knowing you should get back into a routine. If you are like me and struggle, here are some simple tips.

1. S tock up the fridge and pantry I don’t mean with alcohol and treats. If we want to get back on track, we need the right foods in the house. Once you are back from holiday or recovered from your event, as soon as you can, make sure you have everything you need to ensure healthy choices for the next week or so.

You could even make a simple meal planner, so you know roughly what you’ll be having for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks for the coming week. It’s simple: if you don’t have healthy, nutritious options in your house, you will not eat healthily.

2. Drink plenty of water If you have over-indulged on food and alcohol, your digestive system may be struggling, leaving you puffy, bloated and uncomfortable. Besides exercising, drinking plenty of water can help flush out and process that extra food. It’s also a great habit to get back into (or to start doing).

112 New Zealand Trucking

May 2022 June 2022

It is important to draw a line in the sand, reminding yourself that while enjoyed the foods and laidback lifestyle you had on holiday, but it isn’t something that you can realistically maintain. It’s about moderation and the 80/20 rule – 80% of the time doing the right things with your health and fitness and 20% of the time splashing out and enjoying delicious foods and cold bevvies.

3. L ook at your diary or planner It is absolute bliss to not be buckled into a schedule or looking at lists every 10 minutes. But after returning from a holiday or event, it is important to regroup and get your head around what commitments you have. I am a stickler for a physical diary rather than an electronic one as I enjoy highlighting, crossing things out and seeing the view of my month rather than just a daily view.

Whatever type of calendar/diary system you choose, it can help you to manage your workload. Being unprepared can make things seem even more overwhelming when getting back into work and routine.

I also like to set out my training routine.

This doesn’t have to be anything detailed or intricate. It could simply be: Monday – 30-minute walk before work; Wednesday – touch game with the lads; and Friday – 30-minute cycle. If people jot down the exercise they aim to do over the week, they are more likely to achieve it.

5. Be kind to yourself If you are a perfectionist who tends to be a bit hard on yourself when you haven’t been following your usual routine – don’t.

It is important to find a balance between eating nutritious foods and getting plenty of exercise, and enjoying life and eating delicious treats with loved ones. I didn’t stick to my usual nutrition and training structure on holiday because it was unrealistic. It was my honeymoon, and I felt I deserved a break from the intense exercise and fitness regime I had been following for months.

If you find you’re being a bit hard on yourself, remember that no one is perfect.

Keep everything in perspective – you deserve to treat yourself. Having a break and enjoying yourself on holiday or at an event isn’t going to undo months of hard work and discipline. It is unrealistic for us to be 100% on point and motivated.

Motivation is not a personality trait; motivation is a feeling such as sadness or anger. No one has more power to harness it than anyone else. Discipline and determination will help you to get back on track. And taking these simple steps should ease you back into a routine without too much frustration.

4. Get moving again Depending on how active or inactive you were before your event or holiday, you need to ease your way back. But everyone is different. Personally, I find the longer I leave it, the harder it gets.

So, I normally crack straight back into everything I did before my event/holiday.

This does not work for everyone. Some people feel overwhelmed when trying to tackle too many things at once and instead opt to build up to their previous training regime with baby steps – that is fine, too.

Laura Peacock Personal trainer TCA Fitness Club

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HEALTH AND SAFETY

REASONABLY

PRACTICABLE The Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 talks about ‘reasonably practicable’. These are the steps required to manage hazards and risks.

T (b) (c)

(d) (e)

he definition of reasonably practicable is: (a) How likely is it that harm will occur?

How severe can the harm be?

What you know, or ought reasonably to know, about – i. The hazard or risk; and ii. Ways of eliminating or minimising the risk The availability and suitability of ways to eliminate or minimise the risk The cost associated with available ways of eliminating or minimising the risk, including whether the cost is grossly disproportionate to the risk.

Part (c) is essential. It refers to what the person knows or ought reasonably to know. Ignorance is no excuse. For example, a person who buys a going concern but has no experience in that type of business is still expected to know the hazards, risks and controls.

Reasonably practicable means you 23031 DANI1 TRUCKING AD.pdf

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don’t have to do everything humanly possible; you do what is suitable in the circumstances to try to eliminate the risk.

If the risk can’t be eliminated, then you minimise it. Just because something is possible doesn’t mean it is reasonably practicable under the circumstances.

If you follow industry standards or commonly accepted guidelines for carrying out a task (e.g. common controls), then it’s likely you are already taking suitable actions to ensure health and safety. Where these are available, WorkSafe expects people to follow them under most circumstances (WorkSafe NZ, 2016).

Cost is an important variable. It does not enable you to ignore a hazard or risk because you consider the cost too expensive or more than you want to spend. You must consider the level of risk in relation to the cost. It is not necessary to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on a minor risk such as lifting a box of paper. However, lifting a pallet of goods is a much higher risk and will require a greater spend.

It also recognises that different sizes of business have different financial abilities: a large workshop may have an extraction system while a one-man workshop will open the roller door and, maybe, use a fan.

More information can be found on the business.govt.nz website under WorkSafe information guidance.

Tracey Murphy is the owner and director of Safewise Ltd, 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 professional member of the New Zealand Institute of Safety Management and is on the HASANZ register.

How can Safewise help?

We work with organisations that need more health and safety knowledge or more time to address these issues than they have in-house. We also have free Covid19 resources available.

For more information, check the website safewise.co.nz

3:12:58 PM

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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

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LEGAL LINES

RECOVERING DEBTS

FROM INDIVIDUALS AND EMPLOYERS Here is some guidance about how to get civil judgments and other debts enforced, focusing on options if you are owed money by either an individual or employer.

Bankruptcy When trying to get someone to pay a debt, the first consideration is figuring out what assets the person has. Sometimes the threat of bankruptcy might be better than actually doing it.

Bankruptcy is a serious threat. It lasts for three years, will ruin your chances of getting credit from the bank and impede you from being a company director. If you get caught doing any of these things, you could be sentenced to a term of imprisonment.

Often the threat of bankruptcy will lead to the person beginning to pay the debt by instalments. It would be pointless to cripple someone financially when you can get paid over time rather than bankrupting them and receiving nothing.

Examination hearings If someone doesn’t appear to have money to pay the debt, you can apply to the High Court or the District Court, depending on the amount of money involved, to have the debtor crossexamined by your lawyer on oath.

Depending on the information you uncover, various applications can be made to secure any assets that the debtor may have.

For example, a warrant to seize enables a bailiff to take and sell property belonging to a debtor. If a debtor has no obvious assets but receives a benefit or has a job, attachment orders can be placed on their income to deduct instalment payments to pay off the debt.

Divestment and trusts Unless there is a record of something, it can be hidden. A bankrupt person may attempt physically to hide assets

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to avoid the Official Assignee, or they may decide to set up a trust and transfer their assets into it. If this happens within two years of a judgment being obtained against someone, it can be overturned by the Official Assignee. And the Official Assignee can call up loans related to that divestment.

Bear in mind that the Official Assignee deals with thousands of bankruptcies, so staff have to work hard to keep up with the workload. So it would be unrealistic to expect perfection when it comes to tracking down all of a debtor’s assets.

If the person attempts to leave New Zealand, they can be arrested. If you can satisfy a District Court judge that someone is leaving the country without paying their creditors, you can have them arrested and kept in court until their assets are secured to meet those debts.

Employers When there has been an award made against an employer in the Employment Relations Authority (“the ERA”), this usually results in payment because there are stiff penalties for non-compliance.

Employment Court judgements can be more difficult for individual litigants to enforce, especially if they are out of work and lack the financial ability to pursue the matter. Many plaintiffs can’t

afford a lawyer to enforce the judgment, so they seek support from third-party organisations, such as unions, workers’ advocates or collections agencies.

There is a range of tactics that you can use to get a settlement of a debt.

Some of these may involve diplomacy or employing a mediator. It is possible to pursue an employer who goes overseas by serving documents on relatives in New Zealand if there is no forwarding address or via e-mail if the authority in question accepts that as a means of substituted service.

There may be power in reminding an errant employer that their name could be added to the list of non-compliant employers which is maintained by the Labour Inspectorate. Employers on the list are barred from employing migrant labour.

ERA decisions can be escalated to the Employment Court if an employer refuses to pay. If there is a breach of a compliance order made by the ERA, section 140(6) of the Employment Relations Act 2000 empowers the court to impose a range of sanctions, including a fine, sequestrations and/ or imprisonment. Alternatively, it may be possible to go after the employer’s personal assets.

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 a lawyer.

Danielle Beston is a barrister who specialises in transport law.

Contact her on (09) 379 7658 or 021 326 642

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TACKLING THE ISSUES FACE ON, TOGETHER

T

he Trucking Industry Summit is not an old-fashioned conference. It is short, sharp and well organised. Conferences in the past have been drawn-out events with long sessions from speakers who want to tell the audience about themselves rather than addressing the key industry issues.

Together, the New Zealand Trucking Association and National Road Carriers represent most of the supply chain. The Trucking Industry Summit enables the industry to unite to create discussions and offer solutions.

The summit will be held in Christchurch on Saturday 30 July at the new Christchurch Te Pae Convention Centre and will be unmissable. Bookings are open online. The presenters and full programme will be announced soon.

Delegates in Christchurch the night before are invited to attend a networking evening. This will be a fantastic opportunity for friends and colleagues to connect again. After the summit, there will be time to reflect, continue discussions and enjoy refreshments.

The team is preparing a discussion document to tackle industry issues.

The hard questions will be put to the presenters and followed up on after the event. It has been decided to focus on five key areas. Here is a sneak preview of our five key issues.

Workforce strategy Every aspect of the transport supply chain is under pressure to find skilled workers. New Zealand will need

thousands of extra truck drivers by 2025, but we are already short of drivers and other logistics workers. Trucking operators compete with other industry and overseas recruiters for the same people.

The discussion document calls for: • Better government funding for training initiatives • A streamlined driver licencing system • Competency-based training and licencing, including driver-to-driver mentoring • Greater industry diversity, including women, Maori, Pasifika, and migrants • Truck drivers to be reinstated on the immigration skills shortage list • Immigration levels adjusted to assist visas • More flexibility for visas based on experience.

Safe roads The road is the workplace of the supply chain. We have a deficit of new roading infrastructure that needs to catch up with demand. Poor road surfaces and a lack of maintenance have seen a deterioration of the roading network, and in some cases, the road surface is a major safety issue. We have a fragile state highway connection system affected by weather and natural disasters. Few alternate routes in some areas mean that communities can be cut off from the delivery of essential items.

We would like to see: • Accelerated infrastructure investment on key metro, regional and national freight routes, including fixing the

connecting access gaps in the network • Control and budget for key freight routes to come under Waka Kotahi • A freight infrastructure champion attached to Waka Kotahi • A national map of freight infrastructure gaps • Good safe road design • Better-quality road surfaces that can withstand weather events • More active repairs as potholes open • Guaranteed safe arterial access to key ports and freight hubs.

Decarbonisation New Zealand has set a target to reach net zero by 2050. The carbon footprint of transport is to reduce by up to 90% of 2015 levels by 2050. This would mean a 17% reduction in total gross greenhouse gas emissions.

The challenge for transport operators is that the New Zealand truck fleet is old by international standards at an average age of 17.5 years. Older trucks have the highest crash frequencies and lack improved safety technology. Older trucks produce higher emissions. More than 20% of heavy vehicles are pre-1996, with poor emission standards. Less than half of the New Zealand truck fleet meets the latest emission standards. Older trucks have poor community impacts, including noise. Older trucks perform poorly and have a greater toll on drivers. Trucks that meet the Euro-6 standard produce 95% fewer emissions than Euro-3 trucks.

Early alternative technology trucks are expensive, and early adopters risk stranded assets if they choose the wrong

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The Trucking Industry Summit enables the industry to unite to create discussions and offer solutions. The hard questions will be put to the presenters and followed up on after the event.

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technology. We need a viable interim alternative that encourages the uptake of safer, more environmentally friendly Euro6 trucks.

Road to Zero Road to Zero, New Zealand’s road safety strategy for 2020–2030, adopts a vision of a New Zealand where no one is killed or seriously injured in road crashes and a target for reducing annual deaths and serious injuries by 40% by 2030. We would like to see: • Incentives for trucking operators to update their fleet to safer, more environmentally friendly Euro-6 trucks • The management of fatigue with proven fatigue management systems • Financial support for an industry-led road-user awareness programme • Support for industry-led programmes that promote the health and wellbeing of the workforce • Tightening of the Chain of

Responsibility legislation to hold contributing parties to account • Availability of better-quality data for fatalities and serious injury to enable more targeted interventions.

Productivity New Zealand has an export-led economy, and productivity is falling, especially against our trading competitors. Some of our major export markets are 14,000km away. Any unnecessary cost reduces our exporters’ competitiveness and increases costs to New Zealand consumers.

The cost of running a typical 50,000kg, 23m-long HPMV in New Zealand is 25% higher than our neighbours in Australia running a 65,000kg, 26m-long B-double, a productivity loss of 15,000kg payload per trip.

We would like to see 65,000kg, 26m-long B-doubles as a default industry HPMV standard, giving an immediate productivity gain, meaning fewer trips,

If you are part of the supply chain, do not miss this opportunity to hear from the government, stakeholders and industry. This is an interactive event where you will get plenty of time to ask questions.

Tickets can be purchased at NTA 0800 338 338 rebecca. dinmore@trucking.nz or NRC 0800 686 777 enquiries@natroad.co.nz

less congestion, reduced costs, reduced labour, and reduced emissions and fuel use. Road access should be as of right for HPMV based on vehicle type, rather than individual vehicles being permitted.

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Transporting New Zealand can be contacted on (04) 472 3877 Nick Leggett chief executive officer or info@transporting.nz

DIVERSITY DRIVE TO BENEFIT INDUSTRY

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ven our staunchest supporters will admit that the road transport industry has not traditionally been the most diverse. Many of them would also acknowledge that if we are to address our long-term driver shortage issues successfully, this is an area that we desperately need to improve. I was, therefore, excited to launch a groundbreaking initiative recently with our friends at Teletrac Navman to drive diversity and change in New Zealand trucking.

The 2022 Teletrac Navman Driving Change Diversity Programme will develop a group of diversity champions nominated from within road transport and teach them how to create change and facilitate diversity in their workplace and community. It is based on a similar programme undertaken by the Australian Trucking Association (ATA).

The programme will run under the auspices of the Te ara ki tua Road to success traineeship. It will focus on attracting talent by showcasing diversity champions in the industry and making road transport more inclusive.

We are grateful to have the support of Teletrac Navman to drive this initiative and are focused on the 2022 Driving Change Diversity Programme, promoting a positive view of the careers available in road-freight transport and encouraging more people into the workforce.

Participants will be provided professional development coaching to become mentors, be supported to become spokespeople for diversity and inclusion and develop a strong professional network with like-minded individuals.

We know that diversity in the workplace is not just a nice-to-have but also carries many commercial benefits. These range from increased productivity, access to a greater recruitment talent pool, and the development of more inclusive, attractive

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workplaces.

During the two years the programme has been running in Australia, Teletrac Navman has seen a positive change in the sector, with ever-increasing interest in the programme and participants creating a strong, diverse network to help shape the industry’s future.

Nominations for the Teletrac Navman Driving Change Diversity Programme are open until 3 June 2022. Participants must be involved as an owner or employee in a trucking business in New Zealand, be available to travel, and be willing to undertake media activity, including photography and video.

The programme will kick off at a workshop in September, and participants will attend the Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand Conference in Invercargill.

For more information on participating, contact Fiona McDonagh at Transporting New Zealand (fiona@transporting.nz).

Government to take over bitumen supply?

Like a lot of our industry, I was shocked to hear in the news that Waka Kotahi is planning to take over the supply of bitumen to New Zealand from Z Energy.

What has the machinery of government got to do with the domestic supply of a commodity product traded on the international market such as bitumen?

It’s a wee bit like stepping back in time to the bad old days of the Ministry of Works, although I guess with things such as fair-pay agreements, the entrenchment of collective bargaining and the nostalgic ‘investment’ in rail as a freight mode, quite a lot of what this government

does harks back to a bygone era. That was an era where nationalisation and protectionism competed with free-market liberalism for the affections of politicians and an era that many of us had thought was behind us.

We are told the reason Waka Kotahi is taking over is that it believes it is currently being overcharged by bitumen suppliers.

Z Energy, which currently supplies the biggest share of bitumen into New Zealand, has understandably refuted this, pointing to fluctuations in the international market, such as high crude-oil prices linked to the war in Ukraine.

Bitumen is a key strategic commodity as there is no current alternative to its use for road-building in New Zealand, so I can understand why we must have a secure supply. However, I struggle to see how Waka Kotahi’s negotiating skills will be superior to an experienced international supplier such as Z Energy with a full understanding of the market it operates in every day.

The whole thing seems shrouded in secrecy, with media only finding out via the Official Information Act and much of that information being redacted. It also seems that this is very much a done deal, with Z already planning to leave the market in July next year. Nevertheless, I believe it is time for some openness and transparency about Waka Kotahi’s plans because road users and commercial operators need to have confidence that the government and local councils can continue maintaining our existing roads and building much-needed new ones.

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It is time for some openness and transparency about Waka Kotahi’s plans.

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2022 Summit Poster PRINT MAY NZTRUCKING.pdf 1 11/05/2022 1:47:05 pm

It’s time for industry to gather for a one-day event that brings operators, regulators and stakeholders together to tackle the issues that impact trucking.

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THE LAST MILE

STICK TO THE PRINCIPLE

– THE INDUSTRY IS NOT A CASH COW

T

he Motor-Spirits Taxation Act of 1927 established an important principle in New Zealand relating to funding for our roads – the principle of user pays.

Simply, if you use the roads, you pay for their development and their upkeep. This act introduced a customs duty of four pence per gallon on motor spirits – as petrol was known back then. The money received was to be paid into the Government Consolidated Account and, after the deduction of administrative expenses and refunds, distributed 92% to the Main Highways Account, with the rest distributed to local councils for building and maintenance of local roads.

In 1977, the tax paid on diesel was replaced by road-user charges that also applied to all vehicles with a GVM greater than 3500kg, regardless of fuel type.

Over the intervening years, successive governments have syphoned off the money collected for roading into such things as subsiding public transport and, more recently, walking and cycling ways, exemptions for vehicles that meet the definition of EVs and other ideological projects. I don’t think anybody minds paying for what they use – but this should be applied

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equally and fairly across all road users.

The recent consultation document on reforming the road user charges system, Road User Charges Consultation|Ministry of Transport, seeks comment on whether the electronic collection of RUC on heavy vehicles should be mandated, whether the RUC exemptions for some light EVs should become permanent, and whether RUC charges should include other factors not related to road damage, such as greenhouse gas emissions, congestion and noise.

As an industry, we need to become very vocal about these ideas, especially given the state of our roads. Every cent collected for the building and maintenance must be ploughed back into what it was collected for. Treating RUC as a cash cow, as these proposals suggest, needs to be vigorously opposed, and I don’t mean just writing up press releases that express the industry’s concern. More visible opposition is needed.

On the same note, one of the government’s relief measures to offset the increasing cost of fuel by reducing fares on public transport for three months has renewed calls for public transport to be free for all. I have yet to see an analysis of who would pay from the advocates. Mind you, one would expect these advocates would like to see the Land Transport Fund to be the entire funding agent – and, of course, this draws most of its income for RUC and fuel tax.

It is perhaps an indictment on the associations that purport to represent the industry that, at the time of writing, it seems none have asked the basic question of ‘who pays?’ to the advocates of free public transport. Perhaps it is not politically correct or expedient to ask this sort of thing anymore.

Finally, full marks to the police officer who, on the morning of the opening of Transmission Gully, went above and beyond to demonstrate that the 250m gravel-filled runaway vehicle arrester pit is fit for purpose and does what it is designed for.

The Accidental Trucker

Kerry Arnold It would be remiss of me not to acknowledge the retirement of Kerry Arnold from Transporting New Zealand at the end of March. Kerry joined the then-Road Transport Association in 1987 and went through the establishment and lifecycle of the Road Transport Forum to see the RTA re-emerge last year, albeit with a different name and with one less region in its membership.

The industry owes Kerry a debt that it can never repay. His legacy includes the heavy-vehicle weight and dimension regime we enjoy today.

Thanks, Kerry.

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