Diesel November 2020

SPECIAL REPORT: CONVERGENCE CONTINUED

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2020 $7.50 including GST

THE SMART

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BRAKING RULES: CHANGE NEEDED

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TECH KNOW

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COMPARING CASCADIA WITH ACTROS

01

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EMBRACING CHANGE

N

one of us will ever forget 2020, it has been one hell of a year and has had the effect of multiplying uncertainty across the globe. The problem is there are so many unknown factors which will influence events in the future, that we sit here at the end of what feels like a very long year and we really cannot be sure about anything in 2021.

However, there is something we can be absolutely certain about, things have changed and they haven’t just changed in a temporary manner, they have changed completely forever. If we don’t get on board and understand that we are now living in a completely new world, we will not be ready for what is to come.

The events of this year are going to change many attitudes, which we would’ve thought were set in stone. It feels like a long year, basically because so much has happened to us and to the rest of the world and we still don’t know when it is going to end.

How do we work out what to do in the new paradigm? How long is it going to be before the economy recovers? Is the trucking industry going to have to re-tool to handle a different task in the next five years? Does Australia have to become more self-sufficient? Or will the levels of imports and exports return to the levels that they were at last year?

All of these questions will remain for quite some time. Once we are over the worst of the pandemic, we will be able to reassess some of these questions, but, on many subjects, none of the answers are going to appear any time soon.

We can’t look for solutions at this point because we don’t know what the problems will be. We can have a few guesses but we are still in the situation where we are one outbreak away from a total shutdown.

This does not mean that it is not a good time to start planning and working out where we can go into the future. What it does mean is that the trucking industry is going to have to go back to basic principles to get a handle on how it can approach the future.

The trucking industry is a practical hands-on industry which is not used to thinking deeply about its philosophy and approach to the big problems. But it would be a good idea to go back to first principles and look at what we do well and see how this might fit in a new scenario, when the dust clears.

We have learnt our lessons in the past, when structural changes happened in the trucking industry, like the period immediately after the Grafton truck and bus crash in 1989. At that point, industry had to look at itself and look at the environment around it, which had changed, and decided to take it upon itself to improve safety outcomes and the confidence of the public in the industry.

This was not a decision that was made out of the blue, it was a decision made because there was a very tangible crisis happening and solutions were needed in order for road transport to carry on in a way which it could justify.

We need to be doing the same type of deep thinking now, looking into the industry and going back to the real basics, seeing what it is that we could do better in the future in order to maintain the industry somewhere near the level it currently is.

The last thing we need is to be left behind without a plan after the pandemic.

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ISSUE 119

Contents

20

TAKE TWO TRUCKS

Here are two trucks from the same stable, Daimler, which come to the same problem from a completely different direction, using the same technology. Tim Giles test drives the Mercedes Benz Actros and the Freightliner Cascadia to see how the European vision compares with the US one, when they both have access to the same technology.

14

Tim Giles visits a groundbreaking training course which is getting the message out to people working in the livestock business.

STRAIGHT AND SIMPLE AS AN ARROW

The increasing complexity of road transport and the systems around it does not have to be quite so complicated, when you have a small footprint solution, which is as straight and simple as an Arrow Logistics application on your phone. Tim Giles meets Arrow’s founder, Ian Forster.

30

40 ABLE TO CARRY A WIDE VARIETY OF LOADS As a single float operator, Mount Gambier based Winterfields Float Hire needs a heavy haulage unit that is sufficiently versatile to be able to carry a wide variety of loads, both standard and oversize. Paul Matthei speaks with the company’s owner, Matty Winterfield.

A NEW STAR RISING

With the announcement of a new set of models from Western Star, Diesel looks at the X-factor which is now part of a new Star rising.

34 GETTING ANIMAL WELFARE RIGHT Many initiatives in the last few years have been aimed at getting animal welfare right for the livestock transport industry.

48 TAKING TECHNOLOGY TO THE NEXT LEVEL As the amount of technology involved with every interaction in the supply chain continues to increase, the need for all of the data to converge into a useful tool for road transport businesses becomes even more important.

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NEWS AND VIEWS

An all new engine with a top power of 770hp has been released, the National Trucking Industry Awards had to be awarded virtually this year, Euro 6 Volvo trucks are rolling off the line in Wacol, it looks like the end of International trucks in Australia, the Driving Heart Health Project aims to improve the health and wellbeing of Australian truck drivers, a common sense change in road train rules in NSW from Transport for NSW and a fuel cell truck maker is in freefall.

58

YOU DON’T NEED 16 LITRES TO GET THE JOB DONE

Will Shiers meets with UK family-run heavy haulier Kings Heavy Haulage, to discover that number 13 is lucky for some!

62

MACK MD IN PRODUCTION

The all-new MD Series was due for series production in July, but the Covid pandemic pushed it back eight weeks.

64

JACOBS FINDS USE FOR LOST MOTION

Diesel’s US Correspondent, Steve Sturgess looks at new developments in the engine brake world.

66

TECH KNOW

Introducing a flexible and modern bluetooth smart fuel management solution, disc brake chambers, using your head when replacing a drive head

69 CHANGES NEEDED TO DRAFT RULES FOR ADVANCED BRAKING The next generation battery master isolation switch, autonomous emergency braking, or AEBS, is a technology that provides truck drivers with a warning and then applies emergency braking if it detects an impending collision with a car, bus, truck or trailer in the same lane.

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36 HYUNDAI MIGHTY TO THE NEXT LEVEL The introduction of an Allison automatic transmission has had the effect of taking the Hyundai Mighty to the next level, the truck is now able to compete toe-to-toe with its strong Japanese competition.

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NEWS & VIEWS

ENGINE WITH A TOP POWER OF 770HP UNVEILED A new range of V8s including an all new engine with a top power of 770hp has been released by Scania. The Swedish truck maker is also claiming fuel savings of up to six per cent, when the new G33 gearbox is included in the drivetrain.

The new engine designs have undergone extensive fine-tuning and development including reduced internal friction, higher compression ratios, improved after-treatment systems and a new powerful engine management system (EMS).

The new 770 hp (566kW) engine produces 3700 Nm (2729 ft lb) of torque between 1000 and 1450 rpm, an increase of 40 hp and 200 Nm on Scania’s previous top power engine. This figure of 770 also leapfrogs the previous most powerful production truck engine, currently available from Volvo.

This latest release may recommence the ongoing horsepower race which has been a part of the history of the rivalry between the two Swedish manufacturers.

Don’t be surprised if, in a couple of months, Volvo announce another leapfrogging jump in horsepower available, going up from their current 750hp and getting ever closer to 800hp.

The powerful DC16 123 Scania engine

produces its 770 hp with the help of bigger injectors and a fixed geometry turbocharger using ball bearings. The result is faster response and improved combustion. Shedding certain heavy components and simplifying others has lowered the weight by up to 75 kg, compared with its predecessor.

The updated V8 range is now equipped with a new high-pressure fuel pump where the pumping elements are individually controlled through Active Inlet Metering. The overall pressure and inlet control will be enhanced with improved diagnostics for increased uptime and performance. The new pump is also optimised for minimising engine oil consumption. Also, the compression ratio and the maximum cylinder pressure has been raised, to further improve combustion and fuel efficiency.

Scania is introducing a new range of gearboxes that are planned to eventually replace all current automated Scania Opticruise solutions. The first member of the new range, the G33CM, is linked to the updated V8s and Scania’s 13-litre engines with 500 and 540 hp outputs.

The new gearbox range has a significantly wider spread with a true

overdrive gear and can handle both low and high revs in an efficient way.

Engineers focused on internal friction when designing and developing the new transmissions and internal losses were reduced by around 50 per cent. This was accomplished through polishing some of the gears, by using low viscosity transmission fluid and by locating the lion’s share of the oil in a separate, dry sump-like container on top of the gearbox. This reduces internal oil splash since the gears are not continuously exposed to oil.

The first example in the new range, the G33CM, is around 60 kg lighter than the current gearboxes, mainly due to the all-aluminium housings and smaller dimensions. The all-new Scania Opticruise gearbox range has no parts in common with the existing range.

The new gearboxes are shorter than the most common Scania gearbox at present, GRS905. By only using two synchromesh gears (compared to seven) between the low and high range split, the new gearboxes are shorter and sturdier, with shafts capable of handling more torque. This also enables Scania to use gears with slightly wider cogs that can handle more load and are more durable.

TURNING OLD TYRES INTO HYDROGEN Australian tyre recycler Green Distillation Technologies, proposes that its technology for turning old tyres into hydrogen can commercially and economically turn end-of-life tyres (ELTs) into high value, oil, carbon and steel, plus it can now take the carbon raw material and turn it into hydrogen.

Denis Randall, Green Distillation Technologies Technical Director.

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DIESEL November/December 2020

Technical Director Denis Randall said that although their tyre recycling technology is already a commercial reality the further post process development of their products has shown it has much further to go than just the destruction of tyres.

“Once you have a carbon source at negative cost, through the destruction of a difficult to dispose of waste, such as tyres, many reduction technologies become commercial including secondary water gas reactions to produce hydrogen for subsequent use in efficient hydrogen cell electricity production,” said Denis.

Green Distillation Technologies started in the small country town of Warren in Western New South Wales in 2009 when Denis started his first experiments to prove his theories. Two other partners, Craig Dunn and Trevor Bayley, who brought the essential skills of finance and management to the mix, backed him. This team is still

the essential core of the operation.

From that original research and development operation in a shed at the local racecourse in Warren, GDT has now moved to their production facility on a 21-hectare site north of the town.

They are currently working to expand the facility to full capacity where it will be able to process 19,300 tonnes of mixed ELTs per year to generate 7,160,000 litres of high-quality oil, 9,032 tonnes of carbon and 3,760 tonnes of recovered steel. GDT has expanded the technology to include oversized tyres used in mining with a single dump truck tyre yielding 1,570 litres of oil, 1.7 tonnes of carbon and 0.76 tonnes of steel.

There is no shortage of raw material as there are 1.5 billion tyres discarded globally each year with Australia generating around 25 million ELTs a year while the USA currently discards more than 250 million.

NEWS & VIEWS

VIRTUAL NATIONAL TRUCKING INDUSTRY AWARDS The 2020 National Trucking Industry Awards which recognises those who have gone above and beyond to improve the trucking industry had to be awarded virtually this year due to the pandemic.

“While we are in the midst of unprecedented and stressful times, it has never been more important to celebrate the valuable contribution of the trucking industry and its people,” said David Smith, ATA Chair. “While we were unable to present our national awards in the usual fashion, I am thrilled we were able to welcome so many people to our livestream to share in our celebrations. Our award recipients were extremely well-deserving, and I thank each winner for their contribution.”

The 2020 award for Outstanding Contribution to the Australian Trucking Industry was presented to Robert Cavanagh of Cavanagh’s Transport and Stockmaster, Inverell NSW. Robert has a long history in the livestock transport industry as well as long term engagement with industry representation in associations.

Named the 2020 National Professional Driver of the Year, Russell Lee is a road train driver with Directhaul in Darwin, NT, and has served the business for more than 30 years. He was cited as a role model at the company and is described by his

colleagues and management as safe, dependable, professional, trustworthy and hardworking. He is well-known for his extremely positive influence on Directhaul’s workplace culture.

Roslyn Anderson from Wales Truck Repairs, Smithfield NSW was presented with the 2020 National Trucking Industry Woman of the Year award. Rising to her current role as Chief Financial Controller at Wales Truck Repairs in Smithfield, NSW. Roslyn grew up around trucks and has a longstanding passion for the industry.

The 2020 National Training Excellence Award went to Chemtrans based in Truganina VIC. This wholly owned division of K&S Corporation specialises in the safe delivery of dangerous and hazardous goods throughout Australia.

SRH Milk Haulage, Rutherford NSW came away from the event with the 2020 TruckSafe John Kelly Memorial Award. This family owned business began with one truck and tanker in 1996 and has grown to an operation with 63 trucks and 110 tankers, servicing areas in NSW, Western Australia and Victoria.

The National Trucking Industry Awards are sponsored by BP, Volvo, National Transport Insurance, Cummins South Pacific, Sutton Road Training Centre TISC, and AEI Transport Insurance Brokers.

The Australian Trucking Association and its member associations collectively represent the businesses and people of the Australian trucking industry. Together, the ATA and its members are committed to safety, professionalism and viability.

The 2020 National Training Excellence Award went to Chemtrans based in Truganina VIC.

EURO 6 TRUCKS ROLLING OFF THE LINE IN WACOL To mark the next step in development for Volvo, with Euro 6 trucks rolling off the line in Wacol, Queensland, Linfox took delivery of the first batch of a 130 truck order for Volvo FM prime movers for its fleet. The first locally manufactured Euro 6 Volvo FMs started to roll off the Volvo Group Australia Wacol assembly line in September.

“Volvo’s new Australian-made Euro 6 fleet combines local manufacturing expertise with our key commitments at Linfox, to act sustainably and lead in safety and compliance,” said Peter Fox, Linfox Logistics Executive Chairman.

“Our investment in sustainable vehicles has helped to significantly reduce our emissions over the past several years.

Linfox and Volvo share a longstanding commitment to safe, efficient fleets that minimise our impact on the environment and the communities in which we operate.”

Peter Fox, VGA President and CEO,

Martin Merrick and Assistant Minister for Road Safety and Freight Transport, Scott Buchholz were present to see the first examples of Euro 6 models emerge from the end of the line.

“Here we have three iconic brands working together, Volvo Trucks, Linfox and Australian Made,” said Martin. “We are working together to drive a safer, cleaner, more productive transport industry here in this country. Manufacturing our products in Australia makes us strong, while buying Australian Made promotes success in our community. And now we are building our cleanest, safest trucks here in this country.”

These first Volvo FM prime movers cover both 11 and 13 litre engine capacities as well as horsepower ratings from 460 to 500hp. The trucks are also fitted with active and passive safety equipment as well as meeting the criteria of the Swedish BOF10 crash test.

In regard to local manufacturing, Assistant Minister Buchholz was effusive in his support of the Volvo Group Australia facility and the employees and local suppliers it supports, “It is great to see three iconic brands here, Volvo, Linfox and most importantly the Australian made brand,” said Buchholz,, “You’ll hear some people say manufacturing in Australia is dead.

“I say you only need to ask the employees here at this Wacol site, who I might add are building these trucks of tomorrow, about that. These employees are building the trucks of tomorrow that will deliver the essential goods and services our communities need.

“It is great to see the next generation of Euro 6 vehicles, rolling out of the Volvo plant and we look forward to Volvo Group Australia’s continuing investment in heavy vehicle manufacturing in Australia.”

www.dieselnews.com.au

9

NEWS & VIEWS

END OF AN ERA FOR INTERNATIONAL Is it the end of an era for International, or, perhaps, the end of International trucks in Australia, full stop? An announcement from Iveco Trucks Australia has stated that the company has been advised by Navistar in the US, that it will cease global production of the ProStar range, effective in December this year.

While left hand drive model replacements are in development, Iveco says it has been advised that the extensive validation and engineering investment necessary to make these vehicles available in right hand drive, for what is a limited number of lower volume markets, means that these replacement vehicles will not become available in Australia.

This may well be the end of the Australian trucking industry’s on/off and on/off again love affair with a brand which was synonymous with Australian trucking heritage for the second half of the 20th century. The International Harvester was one of the dominant brands in the truck market and there are trucks developed in that era still plying their trade on our roads.

Financial issues dogged the brand in the nineties and the current ProStar range being offered by International is

part of the second attempt to revive the Inter in the 21st century.

While Iveco’s position as distributor of new International trucks will cease at the end of the ProStar’s production, the company insists that it remains committed to supporting all existing ProStar customers through its

nationwide International Dealership network, by offering ongoing servicing and parts support and, of course, honouring all existing warranties.

Iveco Trucks Australia Managing Director, Michael May, said that whilst disappointed with Navistar’s decision, he understood the rationale for the move.

“We are obviously disappointed that the Australian market will no longer have access to the iconic International truck brand and the ProStar range, which is providing operators with outstanding productivity and performance benefits,” said May. “From a business perspective, however, we recognise the substantial investment required for right hand drive markets which does not prove to be viable for Navistar.

“The priority now, for Iveco Trucks Australia, is to continue to provide operators with a level of on-going support that ensures ownership of an International ProStar remains productive, cost-effective and hasslefree.”

The ProStar will remain available to purchase in the short term from existing local stock and through final orders placed in this year’s production.

DRIVING HEART HEALTH PROJECT The Queensland Trucking Association (QTA) has been allocated heavy vehicle safety funding for the Driving Heart Health Project to improve the health and wellbeing of Australian truck drivers.

The project will be funded through the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator’s (NHVR) 2020 Heavy Vehicle Safety Initiative, provided by the Federal Government and as announced by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development Michael McCormack and Assistant Minister for Road Safety and Freight Transport earlier this month.

The Driving Heart Health project aims to increase physical and psycho-social health awareness for heavy vehicle drivers through an early-intervention health screening program which assesses interrelated biomedical, psychological and modifiable lifestyle indicators.

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DIESEL November/December 2020

“Many truck drivers work and live with occupational pressures that adversely affect their health to a greater extent than workers in other industries and have a higher rate of chronic disease as a result,” said Gary Mahon, QTA CEO. “We want all drivers to be safe, healthy and fit enough to manage fatigue, alertness levels and manage the freight task and get home safely.”

NHVR CEO Sal Petroccitto said the funding was part of $5.5 million being distributed across the country.

“The HVSI program encourages community, industry and government groups right across the country to collaborate to create workable solutions to make our roads safer,” said Sal. “The NHVR is looking forward to working with the winning bids to ensure the projects deliver safety outcomes for all road users.”

The QTA will be engaging the

services of Heart of Australia Corporate Health Initiative (HOACHI) with a fully-customised mobile health clinic performing a ‘Heart Health Convoy’ in Queensland in early 2021. The project will also include locations in Sydney and Melbourne.

“This project will provide truck drivers access to a comprehensive mobile health screening program which identifies early warning signs of chronic disease and encourages lifestyle modification or further interventions where required,” said Dr Rolf Gomes, founder of Heart of Australia.

The two-year project will commence in late 2020 and the Heart Health Convoy will take the road in Queensland in 2021. The project will also see health screenings performed in NSW and VIC with project outcomes shared via a nationwide education campaign in 2022.

NEWS & VIEWS

COMMON SENSE CHANGE IN ROAD TRAIN RULES IN NSW Changes to road train access conditions in NSW is claimed to be a significant advocacy win for the Livestock, Bulk and Rural Carriers Association (LBRCA), after successfully driving reform and getting a common sense change in road train rules in NSW from Transport for NSW. Paul Toole, NSW Minister for Regional Transport is reported to have confirmed that more road trains can use the road train network in NSW following an announcement this week.

Long-awaited, these changes bring consistency of access for similar performing vehicles including flexibility in telematics and suspension requirements.

The headline change is that type 1 A-doubles, excluding livestock loads, with both a tandem-axle dolly are now able to operate on all approved Type 1 A-double road train routes on and east of the Newell Highway. There are a series of adjustments to improve access in the area.

“This significant and critical reform will remove roadblocks that have stifled productivity and growth of many NSW operators over the years because of inconsistent road train access east of the Newell Highway,” said Paul Pulver, LBRCA President. “However, in acknowledging this exciting reform we must not lose sight of the last mile of the Newell Highway, through Parkes, that remains the missing link for road train access on this key freight corridor.

“To truly realise the benefits of this reform, we must now focus our efforts on removing the need to divert road train combinations onto secondary roads from the Newell Highway to avoid the town centre of Parkes.”

LBRCA says it is now concentrating its efforts on this final piece of the Newell Highway road train access puzzle by preparing for meetings with relevant local, state and federal government authorities.

“This reform would not be possible without the determination and leadership

by Transport for NSW representatives including Susie Mckay, Executive Director of Freight and Scott Greenow, Acting Director of Freight,” said Paul.

Transport for NSW has developed a range of resources and fact sheets to support industry understand and adapt to the changes to road train access in NSW.

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NEWS & VIEWS

KENWORTH FIGHTING BACK With the release of the latest Australian truck sales figures by the Truck Industry Council, the heavy duty truck market results show Kenworth fighting back after losing number one status to Volvo earlier in 2020.

With 159 heavy duty truck sales in August, Kenworth came in at number one, with Isuzu racking up 123 heavy duty sales to grab number two status. This left Volvo back in an, unfamiliar, third position for August with 110 heavy truck sales.

However, on the year to date figures, Volvo retain number one status for 2020.

The lead has slipped from 101 in July to 52 at the moment. This is in a year where overall sales in the heavy duty

segment are 23 per cent down on the same time last year. The caveat is that we must remember that 2019 was a record breaking year all round, while 2020 sees a different set of records being broken during the pandemic crisis.

Looking at the overall truck market, the situation does not look quite so dire.

Sales numbers are down, but only 13.5 per cent below the results at the same point in 2019. Sales activity has slowed but good numbers in the lighter market segments are compensating, to a certain extent, for the drop in heavy sales.

In the light duty market sector sales are down in 2020, compared to 2019, but only at 7,093, which is 6.4 per cent below the record sales in 2019.

This is the kind of sales levels truck manufacturers could have expected in a normal year after such a strong boom last year.

Medium duty truck sales did not fare quite so well with the August 2020 sales results coming in 14.5 per cent below those in 2019, at 4319.

A trend in the medium duty sector for 2020 appears to be continuing, as truck buyers stick to tried and trusted brands.

The perennial top three, Isuzu, Hino and Fuso have all increased market share in 2020 compared to 2019. Between the three of them they control 90.4 per cent of the entire medium duty market, leaving the other seven brands in the segment picking up the scraps.

FUEL CELL TRUCK MAKER IN FREEFALL Nikola, the US fuel cell truck maker is in freefall, after a damning report by analysts. The report was titled, “Nikola: How to Parlay An Ocean of Lies Into a Partnership With the Largest Auto OEM in America,” led to the resignation of Nikola CEO, Trevor Milton and an ongoing fall in the company’s share

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DIESEL November/December 2020

value.

The carnage resulting from the report

by Hindenburg Research does not stop there. Reports suggest the US Justice Department and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission are both set to launch investigations into alleged fraud.

“We have gathered extensive

evidence, including recorded phone calls, text messages, private emails and behind-the-scenes photographs, detailing dozens of false statements by Nikola Founder Trevor Milton,” says the Hindenburg document. “We have never seen this level of deception at a public company, especially of this size.”

The report talks about how, in the face of growing skepticism over the functionality of its truck, Nikola staged a video called ‘Nikola One in Motion’ which showed the truck cruising on a road at a high rate of speed.

Hindenburg says its investigation of the site and text messages from a former employee reveal that the video was an elaborate ruse, Nikola had the truck towed to the top of a hill on a remote stretch of road and simply filmed it rolling down the hill.

Elsewhere the report tells us, “A spokesman for Volvo spin-off Powercell AB, a hydrogen fuel cell technology company that formerly partnered with Nikola, called Nikola’s battery and hydrogen fuel cell claims ‘hot air’.”

The reasons behind all of the alleged behaviour is explained by the assertion in the report that, “Trevor has managed to parlay these false statements made over the course of a decade into a ~$20 billion public company. He has inked partnerships with some of the top auto companies in the world, all desperate to catch up to Tesla and to harness the EV wave.”

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OPERATOR PROFILE

Straight and Simple as an

ARROW

The increasing complexity of road transport and the systems around it does not have to be so complicated. Especially when you have a small footprint solution, which is as straight and simple as an Arrow Logistics application, on your phone. Tim Giles meets Arrow’s founder, Ian Forster.

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DIESEL November/December 2020

OPERATOR PROFILE

C

omputerisation and its development over the last 30 years has made it seem that the world is growing ever more complex and sophisticated.

However, now we seem to have reached a point where the smart use of complex technology can help those in the trucking industry return to a more simple life.

This is certainly the case with a phone app that Diesel came across recently.

The whole idea sounded too good to be true, but Diesel followed it through and found development of, what can be, very complex systems, which are making life a lot easier for small trucking operators and owner drivers.

The small to medium sector of the

trucking industry is probably the one which finds the increasing complexity of compliance and business systems most onerous. It is okay for the larger trucking operators to have a department in the business which deals purely with the technology involved in running the business.

For the small operator, there is not enough activity in the business to justify a specialist in this area. This is where some smart thinkers in the trucking game in Australia are starting to come to the fore, with smart ideas which are designed to make the small operator’s life just a little easier.

Arrow Logistics uses a simple platform able to be accessed on a mobile phone which keeps all of the people involved in the bulk grain supply chain informed about what loads are available to be transported, what trucks are available to do that load and where the product has to be delivered.

It also enables everybody involved to keep track on exactly what is happening with their product, or their trucks, or their deliveries. One of the most important aspects of the system is its transparency, but also the way it is tailored so that the person accessing it is getting the information they need to have on hand.

The genesis of the Arrow Logistics operation begins with Ian Forster working as a barman in a pub in Toowoomba. A friend of his from Clifton asked him to help out with his transport business.

“I ended up learning the trade of how

Arrow Logistics’s founder, Ian Forster.

to organise trucks,” says Ian. “He always said to me, don’t ever get your truck license. He wanted me to just focus on organising and to do what I was good at.

If you start driving, you will start going on trips and then you will get distracted.

“Over the years we have bought two AB-triples and a couple of sets of road train trailers, I just don’t know how to use them that’s all. When I was 18, I was advised that I should always look for someone who is better than me at something. I always knew that I would be in my own business eventually.”

The operation for which Ian was working in Clifton began getting into

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OPERATOR PROFILE

financial difficulties and Ian moved on to a transport operation in Millmerran, doing the same job and organising the transport.

This was his first experience with building up a sub contractor base for a transport operation. Unfortunately, the drought in 2010 hit them hard and Ian was made redundant.

“I was left with the decision as to whether I would go and work for someone else or have a crack at this, “ says Ian. “I had got to know a few owner drivers by this time and I had spent a good deal of time in the field by then. So, I approached a few of them and asked them, if I found them some work would they come and work for me, they said yes.

“I just focused on helping four trucks to begin with and they sort of became my trucks, without me owning them. I just worked in my backyard, with a phone, a printer and a computer, and worked seven days a week for about two years.”

The business concentrated solely on just moving grain and fertiliser. He worked with fertiliser companies, grain traders and larger transport companies. After two years without a break, Ian decided to expand and bring a few people on board to help run the business. He took on a coordinator, who still works for him in the same role.

The next step was to start a separate equipment division of the business. This is

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DIESEL November/December 2020

the entity that owns a couple of trucks. At the same time, a driver with whom Ian had worked at the original company in Clifton, approached him and said that he would be willing to drive for him.

“He said, that if I bought a truck, he would treat it like his own,” says Ian. “I had known him for seven years and thought he was one of the best in the trade. We bought a truck for him, and he’s still with us as well.”

For the next two years the team buckled down and continued to grow the business.

However, in 2014, the business had a bit of a hiccup, with a truck going to the wrong delivery address because the text which have been sent with the information had been misinterpreted.

“It was the truck driver’s fault, but our system was not robust enough to have picked up on it,” says Ian. “Our system was excellent, but it was cumbersome, everything was a five step process. We were making notes on a bit of paper, then we would put it on the spreadsheet, then we would text message the driver. After this, we made notes on the spreadsheet, and then, when the notes came in, we would type up the invoice and then the corresponding supplier invoice.

“It was a cumbersome process, it was methodical, and it took ages to do. It was open to human error and I was constantly

having to keep checking things to make sure everything was right. An error with the client lost us a trader who was giving us significant business at that time.

“It was enough for me to go, right, now I’m going to fix this. So I began to become aware of some software programs that were out there. I then spent the next two years trialling a number of off-the-shelf products for use in the business. They were job management programs, but they were either for tradies or something like that.

There were a couple of transport related ones, but they seemed to be developed for companies which used mostly their own trucks.”

The applications Ian tried had been developed by software experts with little expertise in the transport industry. Not only were they not ideal, they were also relatively expensive for a small operation like Arrow Logistics. Ian was not willing to spend a lot of money for something which would not solve his problems, just create new ones.

By 2016, Ian has decided he was going to build a system himself. He didn’t have any expertise in developing the systems, but he has spent the previous two years investigating software and discovering the problems. He was taking little bits from everything he had tried and eventually shortlisted three developers, before

OPERATOR PROFILE

deciding on one supplier.

“It ended up costing four times what I was originally quoted, but I think it was worth it,” says Ian. “We ended up with a web-based platform, which also synchronises with a mobile app. Mainly, the carriers download the app at this point in time, it’s free on Google Play and the Apple App Store. I asked the developer, on a scale of 1 to 10, how hard was it to build, and he said it was about an eight or a nine, not because it was super complicated, but because it was important to make it simple to use.

“The whole premise, when I was building this was to have one program which would replace that five step process, with a single entry. We only enter the information once, the platform sends the messages to the trucks. The driver gets the information on the app. When the platform gets confirmation about a load it automatically sends the correct data through to the Xero accounting software.”

The old system took 30 minutes to set a load up for transport. Now, that process has dropped to less than one minute for the team. Time is being saved in booking loads, but also, instead of making twenty or so phone calls to find an operator and a truck for a load, the job board on the platform means the operators come to them.

At the moment, Arrow still get phone calls from grain traders – many still rely on the traditional method of phoning up and telling Arrow about their particular job. Often, people working in the rural community tend to prefer that social

“WE ONLY ENTER THE INFORMATION ONCE, THE PLATFORM SENDS THE MESSAGES TO THE TRUCKS. THE DRIVER GETS THE INFORMATION ON THE APP. WHEN THE PLATFORM GETS CONFIRMATION ABOUT A LOAD IT AUTOMATICALLY SENDS THE CORRECT DATA THROUGH TO THE XERO ACCOUNTING SOFTWARE.” contact, However, the platform does have the functionality for them to enter any work they have on offer, into the system.

The details of a particular load are entered into the system with the date and the time included. At the same time, the trucks which have the app are able to share their location with the platform.

If the truck driver has enabled the location sharing on their app, when a load is entered into the system and if they are within 500km of the location, they will get a notification about the fact that a new load has just appeared on the system.

“We have an Uber-type scenario with a map showing all the truck locations,” says Ian. “If a job comes in, say in Moree, we can look and see all of the trucks in a 100km radius and we can phone those trucks first.”

At the moment, there are about 20 trucks which are working for Arrow Logistics all of the time and then there are much larger number of operators, between 100 and 200, which do work for other operators, but will regularly take up work

from Arrow. Between 80 and 90 per cent of all those trucks involved have the app on their phones in the truck.

Once the load is allocated, the driver of the truck receives all of the details about the load through the app on their phone. It is then up to them to make the appropriate phone calls from within the app, pick up and deliver the load and take a photograph of the weigh-bridge dockets, using the app.

The allocation data is loaded directly up onto the Arrow website, then Ian’s team look at the details and approve it.

Once the job is approved, the client and the transport company can also see the load on the website. Then both the sender and the carrier are sent the appropriate paperwork.

“There are three of us, full-time, sitting in our office in Toowoomba,” says Ian Forster. “There are also five trucks out on the road with Arrow Logistic’s paintwork on them. When I am talking to people and tell them that we are Arrow, they are surprised when I say that we only own two

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OPERATOR PROFILE

trucks. They swear we have 20, from the amount they have seen.”

What this operation actually is, is a very modern version of a transport company.

The actual entity which is doing most of the business is, in fact, three people, plus a part-time bookkeeper, some computers, some phones and some quite expensive software. The vehicles actually handling all of the freight task are outside of this business.

“It’s good having the two entities separate, because you can manage your cash flow better,” says Ian. “If you run the two together, I think it can get confused.

Sub-contractor money can be spent accidentally.”

When a transport operator registers on the Arrow website, Ian will contact the operator and run through exactly what they have in terms of equipment, insurance, compliance and processes within their business. If the operator gets approved, they get onto the system. During the period when they handle the first few loads, Ian will monitor their performance, to ensure consistent behaviour.

“I would say that 99 per cent of the people who come on board have been pretty good,” says Ian. “I’ve been around

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in the business long enough to be able to pick up stories if there is anything wrong.”

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE The growth in the business has been largely organic and the operation has developed as the work has come along. There was a long period where they were handling around 12 loads a day and now the average is around 20 loads a day.

Although most of the work is based out of Queensland and New South Wales, there is regular work in an out of Melbourne and occasional work into South Australia and Western Australia. The system itself has no limits to its geographical coverage in Australia.

“We are just about to have a very big harvest in NSW, so expect some big numbers in the next few months,” says Ian. “All of our growth has been fairly organic so far, we haven’t done any real marketing, other than a few Facebook posts. We are still setting carriers up onto the system and probably getting about 10 new operators every month.

“This means we are starting to cover more and more ground and make things better for more and more companies. A big selling point is that we have a mobile

job board, so that they can see at a glance where the nearest load is. The driver can simply click on their iPhone and see what work we have available.

“It’s helping drivers to link up with loads, when they have loads of their own, they can look what we are doing and try and tie it in with their own work.”

As with many areas of the trucking business in Australia, there are always new operators coming into a particular region and competitive rates are offered in an attempt to win some work. Ian has seen a number of competitors come and go over the years, but points to the consistency in the way that the Arrow platform works.

“Grain traders love this system because they can log into our website and reconcile dockets and registrations as the work is happening,” says Ian. “Whereas with other systems and other operators they may have to wait a week or two. We just try and make it as easy as possible for each end user.

“The system is quite expensive to run and there is one thing I have discovered and that is that software is not cheap and there are quite often little bugs. Overall, I have had excellent feedback, because it was created within the industry, so I knew exactly what was needed.”

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TRUCKS ON TEST

Take Two Trucks

Here are two trucks from the same stable: Daimler. Tim Giles test drives the Mercedes Benz Actros and the Freightliner Cascadia to see how the European vision compares with the US one when they both have access to the same technology.

I

t has been a protracted process for the major truck manufacturers around the world, but the fruits of a long labour have appeared in the past few years. The process was born back at the beginning of the century when a number of truck manufacturers around the world became part of large global groups.

At that time, Volvo acquired Renault Trucks, which had just bought Mack Trucks and followed this with the acquisition of UD Trucks from Japan. Around the same time Freightliner trucks, which had been

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bought by Mercedes-Benz sometime before, acquired Ford’s truck operations in the US and soon after the company known as Mitsubishi Fuso, which is now known as Fuso trucks. Then we saw the Paccar group expand from its ownership of Kenworth and Peterbilt in the US to acquire DAF Trucks, which had recently acquired the Leyland trucks organisation.

Financial issues with trucking manufacturers, combined with the ever-increasing costs of research and development in creating new, much more

sophisticated designs, had put some truck makers into trouble, enabling the cashed up manufacturers to build global empires.

The watchword at the time was that the formation of these three global truck makers would make it ossible to develop global platforms for future trucks. The plan was to spend billions of dollars developing a single engine, for example, which could be adapted for all of the different truck markets across the world.

The same could be done for chassis systems, axles, transmissions, vehicle

TRUCKS ON TEST

around the world, as does Paccar product, to a lesser degree.

The group which bought into the package most enthusiastically was Daimler.

The DD family of engines are now used right across the range, as is the Mercedes Benz AMT, even though it is branded as a Detroit in the US and Benz in Europe.

Now, here in Australia we are able to compare and contrast trucks branded differently, but fitted with the same basic technology in the most important components, like engine, transmission, electronics, safety systems and so on.

In the last issue of Diesel, it was the Fuso Shogun which was tested. This issue sees the two big boys, the Mercedes Benz

Actros tested alongside the Freightliner Cascadia. Both pulling B-doubles and running the same route from Toowoomba to Warwick, before descending over Cunningham’s Gap into Brisbane, and then heading back up the mountain to Toowoomba.

The object here is not to compare like with like. They are different trucks built to handle different tasks. Diesel is looking at how the North American trucking philosophy uses the basic technology as opposed to how it is handled by the Europeans. In essence, this is not a truck comparison – it is a trucking culture comparison. Examining how different truckies perceive their trucks.

electronics and telematics.

These kinds of development projects have a long gestation period, so it wasn’t until after 2010 that we saw the first signs of the new global technologies emerging. Daimler developed a ‘global’ engine in the DD15, DD13 and later DD11, initially fitted in North American trucks and later adapted in a 16 litre guise for Mercedes Benz and at a lower capacity for Fuso trucks.

There were a few false dawns where a truly global technology platform looked to be arriving, only to develop problems in adaptation. However, in the last ten years the whole globalisation project has begun to bear fruit. Volvo Group run the same set of engines and transmissions

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TRUCKS ON TEST

TAKE ONE European Truck The new Actros from Mercedes Benz has been with us for a while, but this year it gets an upgrade with the addition of some new technologies and the mirrorcam system.

A

fter a number of ups and downs and a long period when the truck was not particularly fashionable, this latest version of the Actros has had considerable success since its Australian arrival in 2016.

There are a number of reasons for this success, not least it’s frugal fuel use and also a long-term change in the attitudes of the trucking industry in Australia, which is seeing European cabovers increasing in market share.

From the driver’s point of view, test driving a truck like the Actros, is simply a matter of making sure they know what all the buttons on the dashboard do and then working out how to set it up correctly before setting off down the road. It is possible to drive this model in a semiautonomous way. Much of the time on long runs all the driver has to do is steer the truck and keep an eye out. The automated systems do the rest.

The truck on test is probably the ideal B-double prime mover in this model range. It is an Actros 2663 with the StreamSpace cabin, which includes a flat floor. In fact, this particular cabin is laid out in the SoloStar configuration, which Mercedes-Benz have introduced as an option, but not many truck buyers have shown a lot of interest.

The SoloStar seems well worked out.

The bunk folds up to the rear wall of the cabin. On the passenger’s side there is a seat underneath bunk which fold up so that the seat-back is resting against the folded up bunk. The side wall of the cabin is cushioned so that there is a, sort of armchair in the corner of the cabin. This leaves the space where the passenger seat normally lives as clear open space.

This means there is a comfortable seat for the driver when resting, but a passenger has to do without a passenger door window. The space created is

Climbing up into the cab is literally that, climbing up four steps and then up again onto the flat cabin floor.

welcome in a European cabin, where it is always at a premium, but it will probably not spark much interest among Aussie drivers.

The engine in this truck is the OM473, rated at 625hp (460kW) and this puts out 3000 Nm (2230 ft lb) of torque.

This engine is based on the same engine block and many other engine components as the Detroit DD 16 used in the Freightliner range.

Approaching the truck, the driver will see the familiar tall Actros shape, but

The 2663 with the StreamSpace cabin, which includes a flat floor.

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TRUCKS ON TEST

also notice that there is something a little different about this truck. The introduction of the mirrorcam option is an Australian first. As to whether the Australian trucking industry will be willing to accept this new concept? The jury is still out. There is no doubt about the improvement in the aerodynamics and also in visibility for the driver by fitting this new system.

In fact, the introduction of the mirrorcam has been on the cards for some time, as European hauliers seek fuel economy and as safety systems becomes more important. Add in the fact that video cameras and video processing computers become smaller, lighter and cheaper, and they become inevitable.

Over the next 10 years they are likely to become an option on every heavy duty truck, before becoming standard when we finally get used to them. By that time cameras, instead of mirrors, are likely to be ubiquitous on all vehicles.

is vital for any driver taking over this truck. Although many of the controls are relatively intuitive, for many drivers, the sheer volume of different systems which can be turned on and off may be confusing. Clear and concise training and instructions will solve any problems.

The screen in front of the driver can be adjusted and controlled via the buttons on the steering wheel. The screen to the drivers left is more about items like entertainment systems and other information for the driver.

After starting the truck, the parking brake release is simply a large switch.

The transmission is controlled by a stalk on the right hand side of the steering

Mercedes-Benz engineers finally got the transmission right, they really did get it right.

Surprisingly, the safety pack, which includes all of the safety systems, is an optional extra. This pack includes Lane Keep Assist, Attention Assist, Active Brake Assist 5, Proximity Control Assist and Automatic Main/Dipped Beam and Cornering Light. In these very safety conscious times including this set of equipment in your options list would seem to be a no brainer, as long as the operator can be certain that their drivers will not simply switch all of the automated systems off as soon as they sit down in the driver’s seat.

CLIMB ON UP Climbing up into the cab is literally that, climbing up four steps and then up again onto the flat cabin floor. It is quite a way up there, but all of the handles are well designed and the steps themselves are easy to negotiate.

While settling into the driver’s seat the full array of electronics available in this truck becomes obvious with two large screens, one directly in front of the driver and one to the left, on firing up the truck they light up in all their glory.

This is clearly the way that the truck interior design is going to be in the future, even the new Kenworth has an LCD screen on the dashboard with an option to show analog instruments. In this brave new world, most drivers will still choose conservatively and configure the screen directly in front of them with the usual tachometer and speedometer left and right, plus fuel gauge, with indicators of gear selected, trip and odometer in the middle.

The screen also shows which automated systems the driver has activated and how they have been set. This will show whether the active cruise control is activated and what distance the driver has set as the closest it can get to the vehicle in front.

There is a lot to learn about all of these systems which are available in the Actros.

A certain amount of training on handover

The side wall of the cabin is cushioned so that there is a, sort of armchair in the corner of the cabin.

column. Most of the time the driver will need simply to leave it in the drive position and let the computer technology do most of the work.

This G330 12 speed PowerShift transmission is well proven and this basic technology is now used throughout the Daimler heavy truck range. At the beginning, the early Actros models struggled with automated manual transmissions, but when the

DRIVING EXPERIENCE What we are examining in this test is the driving experience in the Actros using as much of the automated, automatic and other safety systems as possible. This may not be the choice of all of the drivers who end up in this driving seat, but all of these systems are on offer. We are trying to examine exactly how all of them can work together, they’re all turned on and this driver will note how the systems react to

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TRUCKS ON TEST

The introduction of the mirrorcam option is an Australian first.

effective than they were when they first came out. Now, you can expect the system to take advantage of any situation where there is a slight incline and disengage the clutch allowing the rpm levels to drop to around 600.

VIRTUALLY SEAMLESS

different driving conditions.

The basic active cruise control which Mercedes-Benz call proximity control has been with us for some time. In fact, this driver drove an early version of the system in Mercedes-Benz Actros on the autobahns of Germany over 16 years ago.

This system is much smoother now than it was at that time and the mix of camera and radar produces great results.

In urban conditions the driver simply pushes the accelerator to go and hits the brake to slow. Once out on the open highway it’s a simple matter of setting the maximum speed, for the section of road and ensuring that the following distance is set at a reasonable number of seconds and any over run is limited to two or three km/h.

Drivers can configure the screen directly in front of them with the usual tachometer and speedometer.

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DIESEL November/December 2020

This model is fitted with the optional Predictive Powertrain Control, which means that the system is loaded with topographic maps of the main highways of Australia and this will inform the cruise control about the road ahead. This means that the AMT may select a lower gear just at the foot of a climb, or cruise control will cut torque just before the crest of the hill to allow the forward momentum of the truck to take the combination over the top of the rise and use the downward grade to pick up speed again.

Also available is the eco-roll system, which will disengage the clutch when the system recognises that the current speed can be maintained without any input from the power train. Recent examples of these types of systems have begun to be more

The way all of these systems work together is virtually seamless in the Actros. This is the trick to getting a state-of-the-art truck right. A lot of these automatic driving systems are generic and they come from different suppliers, but it is in the way that they are integrated into one system, which makes them more effective and also more useful to the driver, ensuring they are more likely to use most of these automatic systems in their normal daily driving.

This appears to be the essence of what we are looking for in a modern topend highway prime mover. Many of the systems are very similar across different brands, but the brand which can make all of these different components work together holisticly is the one which will be more attractive to drivers and operators.

In terms of integration, Mercedes-Benz have got a lot of things right. Some of the electronic safety or driving systems may not be perfect, and we may see them disappear in the next few years.

However, altogether and over time Benz seem to have got quite a lot of this integration correct.

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TRUCKS ON TEST

Take One North American Truck

The Freightliner Cascadia is a totally new truck on the Australian market and sees the first appearance of the full Daimler suite of systems, and their utilisation, from a US point of view. The core components are the same as they are in Europe and Japan, but this is how Freightliner take an ultra-modern North American truck to market.

T

he Freightliner Cascadia has been an enigma for some time.

In the past, Freightliner would develop a truck for the US truck market and then make some adaptations to suit Australia, meaning it would end up being launched here a couple of years later.

On the other hand, the first Cascadia came out in the US in 2007, but didn’t make it to Australia until late 2019. This is clearly a very different truck both for Freightliner and for Australia. This is the model which helped Freightliner regain number one

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DIESEL November/December 2020

status in the US heavy duty market, and bring the brand to the point where it completely dominates heavy duty truck sales Stateside.

It is clearly something different. It was said to be too wide and too difficult to change to right hand drive in the early years. At the same time as it was cleaning up in the US, with consistent low fuel consumption results, from excellent aerodynamic styling, driving sales.

The concept had been simple, Daimler had decided to design all of its major components at a global level and then

adapt to the various market into which it sold around the world. The Cascadia would have the DD series of Detroit engines fitted, with the AMT which had been so successful for Mercedes Benz in Europe behind it.

Drive and steer axles also came out of the Detroit plant, although they were also similar to those in the Benz.

Daimler was also developing a sophisticated electronic platform with all of the latest safety bells and whistles, alongside diagnostics and other functions connected back to base at all times. The concept saw Daimler develop

TRUCKS ON TEST

global solutions to be packaged and sold regionally.

The truck we now have on sale in Australia is the third iteration of the Cascadia, released in the US a couple of years ago, but the first to be developed with right hand drive in mind. This aspect of the design is obvious when climbing up into the truck – the expected lack of space in the foot well for the driver’s left foot is not an issue here.

It is good to see a truck coming out of North America which is had some genuine design input. The sophistication of design is obvious on the production line where these trucks are made in North Carolina. The complex panels are placed together by a set of robots and automatically welded into place to form a strong and complete whole.

This is very different to the way cabins

were built on US production lines in the past, with teams of workers riveting sheets of aluminium into place on a frame over a much longer period of time.

Walking up to the new Cascadia, the eye is drawn to the clean lines of the aerodynamic design. Within the typical US prime mover silhouette there is a smoothness to the shape, indicating how much work has gone into this design in the wind tunnel at the Freightliner headquarters in Portland, Oregon.

The level of sophistication and complexity of design which goes into this truck is not particularly obvious from the driver’s seat after you climb in. The layout looks similar to what one would expect from any North American prime mover.

There is a clue in the LCD screen on the dashboard which provides all the driver information required. The driver also has the steering wheel with plenty of buttons on either side, which is now used across the Daimler truck range.

The information screen directly in front of the driver, between the tachometer and speedometer is relatively small, but has been very well designed. Using the buttons on the steering wheel, the driver can scroll through a number of different pages and get the kind of information they require, and also adjust the settings for more automated driving.

In fact, behind this dashboard this is a fully multiplexed computer controlled electronic system, but it does not show off its sophistication. Instead, it looks like it has been designed for the more conservative US truck driver, there are no surprises in layout or feel.

The appearance of this interior does suggest that this is a truck which can be driven completely conventionally, but at the same time, there is a high level of automation and automated systems available to the driver if they wish to use them. On this test Diesel decided to turn all of them on.

ROAD TRANSPORT WORKHORSE The example of the Cascadia driven in this test is the truck which will be used by many fleets as the road transport workhorse, as it plies its trade on Australia’s highways. This is the day cab Cascadia 116, fitted with the Detroit DD13 engine rated at 505 hp (377 kW) and putting out 2508Nm (1850 ft lb) of torque. The transmission is the Detroit

DT12 AMT, although traditionalists can opt for a manual RoadRanger gearbox if they so desire.

Unlike their counterparts in North America, Freightliner here in Australia have decided to retain the front and rear axle options with which Australians are more familiar, supplied by Meritor. The suspension is the familiar Freightliner Airliner.

These specification choices demonstrate the North American philosophy of truck design. This truck is highly sophisticated and state-of-the-art in certain places, but, at the same time, enables truck buyers to make choices which they are more comfortable about.

Where the Daimler trucks in Europe leave the driver in no doubt that this is a highly sophisticated modern 21st-century truck, the output from the same company in the US is designed to make the driver comfortable with plenty of familiar aspects to the design and specification. This is essentially where the difference between the two ways of looking at truck design can be seen at their most obvious.

It is almost possible to forget that this truck has all of these highly sophisticated systems, as it looks so similar to its predecessors and one small screen on the dashboard does not suggest a state-of-theart 21st-century truck.

The fact of the matter is, however, that the systems do work really well and are effective doing what they’re supposed to. It is possible to drive his truck, pretty much, semi autonomously all of the time. Click it into drive on the transmission controller, release the 20th century maxi brakes and you are off on a smooth and effective drive.

The combination of a fully loaded B-double and a 13L engine means that the transmission really has to do the hard yards to keep progress going out on the road.

This is a very responsive transmission, which is receiving enough data for it to make intelligent decisions at the right time and in the right way.

On the Cascadia, the system using topographical maps to inform the engine and transmission about the road ahead is called Intelligent Powertrain Management. This system relies upon the correct mapping being available for the highway on which the truck is driving and for the truck to know exactly where it is.

Sometimes, this relatively new concept

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TRUCKS ON TEST

Side Guard Assist watches back towards the rear of the truck to see if there is any object which the driver should be made aware of.

does not get all of its data, but when it does it does make the correct decision at the foot of an incline, ready for climbing or just before a down grade.

SAFETY SYSTEMS The safety systems in the Freightliner come grouped together under the appellation of Detroit Assurance 5.0. This includes all of the usual fruit we have come to expect out of the top of the range Daimler trucks, there is Active Brake Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Departure Warning, Intelligent high beam et al.

There is one system which is available

on the Freightliner trucks, which you will not find in Mercedes-Benz or Fuso. This is the Side Guard Assist, which uses a radar which is fitted to the passenger side fuel tank on the prime mover and watches back towards the rear of the truck to see if there is any object there which the driver should be made aware of.

The area covered by the system is quite substantial, from five metres behind the rear of the trailer to a few metres in front of the prime mover. If there is a vehicle or any object in that area, and the system calculates that it may be an issue for the truck, it will issue a warning.

This warning consists of a buzzer, coupled with a triangle on the passenger side B pillar which illuminates if something is detected in the danger zone. This system works well, the initial buzzer alerts the driver, making them look towards the passenger side of the vehicle and the illuminated triangle will confirm there is an issue. The driver can then look slightly to the left to check in the mirror if there is anything wrong.

On this test drive the alarm did go off a couple of times with cars sneaking up on the inside at road junctions. On another occasion it warned the driver when the rear trailer got close to a signpost.

Even though the mirrorcam system is

The warning consists of a buzzer, coupled with a triangle on the passenger side B pillar.

available in other Daimler trucks, it has not arrived in the Freightliner product just yet.

The original design of the screens were for them to be mounted on the upright A-pillar on the Actros. However, the angled A-pillar on the Cascadia is proving a little more difficult for the engineers to get just right. Perhaps the next iteration of the Cascadia will arrive with this system, if the technology proves to be useful in a North American truck.

OVERALL IMPRESSION There is no doubt that the Cascadia is a truck which has created a lot of interest.

The reasons for this interest become even more obvious after some time behind the wheel of the new truck. There are so many things that Freightliner (or should that be Daimler) have got right. The integration of the various systems is nearly as seamless as it is in the truck’s sister, the Actros.

The distinction between how modern truck systems work, and the actual design of the truck, is very different in a North American truck. In terms of climbing into the cabin and getting a look and feel of what’s going on, the Cascadia is similar to any other US truck of the last twenty years.

The modern sophisticated, state-ofthe-art stuff is all under the skin. The only giveaway is a modern steering wheel with a wide array of buttons and a modest LCD screen in front of the driver. Where the European truck designers seem to prefer to flaunt the modernity of their trucks, for the Americans it seems that modernity is screened off behind a very traditional interior design.

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DIESEL November/December 2020

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TRUCK DEVELOPMENT

A NEW

STAR RISING

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DIESEL November/December 2020

TRUCK DEVELOPMENT

With the announcement of a new set of models from Western Star, Diesel looks at the X-factor which is now part of a new Star rising.

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he release of the Western Star 49X sees the brand in the US bring all of the latest technology from the Daimler group into the design of this one truck.

The announcement took place, virtually, launching the truck onto the US market, with a new look and a new model classification. Immediately after this global launch, Diesel got an exclusive interview with David Carson, Senior Vice President Vocational Segment Western Star to get the latest on this new model and when it’s likely to arrive here in Australia.

The 49X is a radical overhaul of the Western Star platform and sees all of the major components either replaced or upgraded significantly throughout the truck. The 49X has a new, stronger, but lighter, chassis design and also includes a new modular cabin design, which is likely to be included in the upgrades of other Western Star models down the track.

Another radical change is the inclusion in the new models of the Detroit DT 12 automatic manual transmission. This is the US development based on the Daimler group’s AMT, which is also used in the Mercedes-Benz Actros and the Freightliner Cascadia. This means that the Western Star will be coming into line with the Daimler policy elsewhere in the group of having a driveline available, which is sourced from within the group itself.

The DT12 Vocational series of transmissions include side PTO capabilities that allow for added

flexibility, and application modes and shift map strategies for all types of terrain.

There is a Rock-Free Mode allowing the 49X to free itself from wheel stuck situations, an Off-Road Mode enables smooth driving on extreme terrain, Power Launch provides powerful takeoffs while protecting the clutch and driveline, and a Paver Mode which allows the truck to shift from Neutral to Drive without depressing the brake pedal when pulling away.

The new model also includes the latest iteration of what is known as Detroit Assurance, the complete electronic safety package, which has been developed by Daimler to be offered in all of its trucks.

This system included features new to the brand like Side Guard Assist (SGA), Active Brake Assist 5 (ABA5), Tailgate Warning, Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) to zero km/h, Lane Departure Warning, Video Capture, Intelligent High-Beam and Automatic Wipers and Headlamps.

The main engines on offer are the DD16 and DD15, which have had a successful run in both the Freightliner Cascadia, and also, in a European guise, in the OM473, which is fitted in the high power Actros models. This engine is renowned for its fuel economy and smooth application of power, especially when coupled with the group’s AMT. “We’ll offer multiple options in transmissions, where we have invested $100 million in development of our DT12 vocational transmission,” says David Carson. “We will also offer other engine options which come from outside of the Daimler family. There will be other engine

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TRUCK DEVELOPMENT

and transmission options like Cummins, Allison and also different features which the market in Australia is accustomed to using.”

However, the test trucks which are going to be brought to Australia to test out the functionality of the new models in our conditions, will all have Detroit engines and the Detroit transmission, although some may use the Allison auto box. Currently, there is quite a large proportion of Western Stars being sold with Cummins engines on board, but the Penske organisation in Australia expects the DD16’s performance to sway a number of those Cummins loyalists across to the engine.

ASSURANCE “The way we sell the Detroit Assurance 5.0 in the US and in Canada is as an optional extra,” says David.” All of the new trucks which we are building for our dealers in North America as part of training and demonstration processes, will all have the full Detroit Assurance suite fitted as standard. We believe we are going to be successful in having customers who see the system as a value proposition when purchasing the truck.

“With the current models, we built them both in Portland, Oregon and in Cleveland. We will start production of the trucks in Cleveland and then we will industrialise our facility in Portland, but not start building them there immediately.

We want to be sure, as we introduce a new product that we have our processes and our supply chain solidified.

“We have an extremely flexible production system here in the US, but we believe that both Cleveland and Portland will continue to be production locations for our trucks. With our flexible production system we are able to build current Western Star, new Western Star and new Freightliner in the Cleveland plant. In Portland, not

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DIESEL November/December 2020

only will we be building the Western Star product, but also electric trucks. It’s a flexible production network with multiple product and multiple brands.”

One of the things which differentiates the Australian market from the US market is the level of customisation to meet individual customer needs that Australian operators are looking for. The plan is for the new production processes to be able to handle a larger amount of the kind of customisation Australians are looking for, actually on the production line in the US, with the rest of any customisation required to be done on its arrival in Australia.

With the introduction of the Detroit Assurance suite of safety systems in the new models, Western Star are picking up on the trend to increase the level of on-board safety electronic systems to safeguard and improve the comfort of the driver.

There is a balance to be had for Western Star, one of the important aspects of these new models is that the brand has to persuade potential customers that the unique appeal of the Western Star brand, which has served them well in the Australian market, is not diluted by its association with all of the componentry being introduced from elsewhere in the Daimler group.

“We are not unlike other global transportation companies,” says David.

“It doesn’t make sense to have mutually exclusive capital investment on features and components which are more modular types. For safety technology, you don’t create safety technology for one brand that’s completely different from the same type of technology for another brand, it doesn’t make sense, or value for us as a company.

“What’s really great about the new 49X is that we get to utilise components and technology from the Daimler

capability that exists for our trucks. We utilise all of this in such a way to create value for our dealers and our customers.

Everything else is really brand specific.

In developing this new truck our ‘true north’ heading was all about Western Star, but using best in class technology.

“When you look at the new dual stage LED headlights that we are introducing on these trucks. First, they look fantastic, but secondly they have this incredible functionality which is unique to this truck.

It does not exist anywhere else in the Daimler suite of products and it is very specific to the 49X.” David Carson was unwilling to go into detail about the timeline for the introduction of other models within the Western Star range, which will be developed in a similar way to the 49X. The future development of any other models, which are likely to make their way to Australia will have to go through the same process as has happened for the 49X, while, at the same time, keeping that balance between the traditional ruggedness of the Western Star brand with the realities of modern technology and the requirements of customers into the future.

“We’ll have trucks here next year for testing,” says Craig Lee, General Manager On-Highway Penske Australia. “We will begin testing trucks, suited well to Australian conditions. Then we will have trucks in Australia for delivery, either late 2022 or very early in 2023. We are very confident that this truck will be ideal for tasks like B-double prime mover as well as in rugged heavy duty and vocational work.

“The new truck, with its safety and all of the new technology, is going to allow us to be far more competitive in the general on highway long haul segment of the market, than what we are today.”

RURAL TRUCKING MATTERS RURAL TRUCKING MATTERS

IT’S A DIRTY JOB, BUT SOMEONE’S GOT TO DO IT

L

ivestock transport has been a part of Australian farming since 1788. Livestock must be moved throughout their lifecycle for breeding, fattening, sale and slaughter.

While moving herds through country towns with drovers is largely a thing of the past, more animals than ever before are travelling around Australia on the back of a truck.

There is one thing that hasn’t changed and never will, food and water goes in one end and effluent comes out the other. This happens whether the animal is standing in a paddock, being walked through town or being carried on wheels.

Livestock can lose up to 5 per cent of their weight as effluent during transit.

And because livestock trailers must be designed to provide ventilation, it is simply not possible to contain 100 per cent of the effluent that is produced.

Modern trailers do however include internal drainage systems which may include an effluent capture tank.

So, you’ve hit the road with a full B-double load of cattle. You are heading out of a regional feedlot towards a processor in the big smoke 400km away. Just like people on a ride at the fairground, those tummies are not taking it well and within the first 100km you’ve got yourself a full effluent tank, with plenty more still to come.

Up ahead, there is a steep hill where uncontained effluent may escape onto the roadway. You also need to take two 90 degree turns through a major regional centre before you arrive at your final destination. The copper there is pretty tough and you’ve already worn a couple of $350 blisters for breaching load restraint laws in the last six months.

Every time that happens you’ve lost your

wages for the trip.

In Australia, livestock processing facilities are not required to provide disposal areas for captured effluent and primary producers will not accept it onto their property due to biosecurity concerns. Nervously, you decide to pull into an unofficial rest area outside of town to check your load and empty your tank.

Today you were lucky. Last month, a mate of yours was busted by the EPA for illegal dumping and fined $3,000.

Every year there are more feedlots opening in the area, more livestock trucks on the road and more residential and business development along this important stock route. It’s an unsustainable situation that is not going to magically resolve itself.

Good preparation of the livestock before they are loaded onto the truck can help reduce the problem. But you don’t have control over that, and many livestock producers do not support the application of pre-transit feed and water restrictions due to concerns about negative impacts on weight and meat quality.

In New Zealand, national and regional governments are jointly funding, building and operating a network of purpose-built livestock effluent disposal facilities on public roads. Road transport laws have also been changed so you cannot be booked for effluent loss while you are loaded.

This common-sense approach is exactly what is needed for the Australian livestock supply chain to co-exist and grow alongside expanding urban populations where livestock sale and processing facilities (and the hundreds of thousands of jobs they support) are typically concentrated.

So why is it so hard to fix in Australia?

Well, unlike NZ we have a third layer of government, the states. The states own most of the important livestock roads and make the laws applicable to heavy vehicles, environment, animal welfare and domestic biosecurity. But they are not at the coalface like regional councils who depend on livestock industries and manage local effluent complaints. States are also apparently not attuned to the bigger picture ‘national interest’ either.

The states exist in a ‘no man’s land’ regulatory zone, not willing to accept responsibility or fund solutions. They just do not understand that simply fining drivers will never ever make the problem go away.

To their credit, the Australian Government has committed $400,000 to establish a pilot roadside effluent disposal facility, provided $50,000 to develop an effluent code of practice and, via the NTC, proposed to change the Heavy Vehicle National Law to encourage improved livestock preparation. Several regional councils have identified preferred locations for disposal facilities to be established and written to their state government demanding action on the issue.

ALRTA is continuing to work with all levels of government to proactively find solutions. We have travelled to NZ to inspect their effluent management system. We have funded the construction of free disposal facility in Horsham Victoria. We have worked with the supply chain to develop a code of practice. We are seeking regulatory solutions via the HVNL review. And we are continuing to invite state governments to the table, because, whether they recognise it or not, they are a necessary part of a longterm holistic solution.

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RURAL TRUCKING MATTERS

GETTING ANIMAL WELFARE RIGHT There have been many initiatives in recent years aimed at improving animal welfare in the livestock transport industry. Tim Giles visits a groundbreaking training course which is getting the message out to people working in this sector.

T

he entire supply chain for the livestock industry has a responsibility to ensure animals suffer minimal stress throughout – from handover from the stock owner to the transport operator and then to the saleyards manager, livestock agents, stock persons and abattoir personnel.

Goodiwindi Regional Council were hosts to a new initiative’s pilot program, alongside Frasers Livestock Transport and the Queensland Trucking Association, with the aim of improving transport practice.

Not only has there been increased emphasis on animal welfare from authorities over time, but the livestock industry is realising that poor practice in handling live animals results in a lower performance by those animals, when being prepared for the abattoir. Improving the practice is in overall interest to the livestock transport industry, as it will eventuate in a win-win situation. The animal welfare

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DIESEL November/December 2020

advocates will see an improvement and the livestock industry will see improved productivity per animal.

Surveys have shown that poor practice in handling animals results in increased health issues, such as injuries, feet issues, bruising and animals not feeding properly.

Increased mortality rates have also been identified in groups of animals which have not been treated in the best manner. Plus, at the end of the long supply chain, poor animal handling practice leads to a lower quality meat on the table of the consumer.

A series of livestock transport workshops were held at the Frasers facility in Goondiwindi recently and drew a number of personnel who work with animals in the supply chain to learn from the experts about efficient handling of stock.

The mentor brought in by the workshop was Tom Shephard, a well -known stock handling expert, whose life’s work has been in improving the human to livestock

The mentor brought in by the workshop was Tom Shephard, a well -known stock handling expert.

interface.

Those attending were reminded that producers will use livestock transport companies that they trust to handle their livestock in the best way. Poor animal welfare practices may well result in a loss of business for the livestock transporter who does not keep up to speed with the latest animal welfare guidelines and protocols.

On average, livestock will travel over 500 km from the farm gate to the eventual processor. This journey can involve numerous stops and transfers between feedlot, saleyards and vehicles, especially when there are different livestock loading regulations across state borders.

RURAL TRUCKING MATTERS

Demand for beef continues to rise and industry has to work hard to keep its efficiency up to the levels which will enable it to handle the task as it grows. This has led to the increasing use of high productivity combinations to haul animals around the country. These larger combinations present challenges for the saleyards, abattoirs, feed-lots and livestock transporters when the task of loading a number of trailers is taking place.

Precise rules around animal welfare can be hard to define as there are different perspectives in the food supply chain.

However, most of the rules can be boiled down to the fact that those who are handling the animals have a responsibility for their care and must insure they are free from distress and are content.

The globally recognised standard for animal welfare is often talked about in terms of five freedoms. These include freedom from hunger and thirst, freedom from discomfort, freedom from pain, injury or disease, freedom to express normal behaviour and freedom from fear and distress.

Apart from the ethical considerations and legal requirements, the customer expectations on the issue of product quality is also very important when talking about animal welfare. This was the message which was brought home by Tom Shephard when talking to livestock handlers during the course.

Setting out all of the details of how to handle animals in a book of rules is not the best way to get the message across to those working with animals on a day-to-day basis.

This is why the series of courses have been organised around this issue.

The important part of the training involves some hands-on experience while being mentored by Tom Shephard. There is a mob of cattle in the yard for trainees to work with as Tom guides them through the process of minimising stress and worry for animals being shifted.

During the day, Tom goes deeper into the psychology of the cow and the psychology of the relationship between livestock and human beings, instinctively perceived by cows as predators. He outlines technical information about the eye line and vision of the animals and how moving into different parts of the cattle’s vision will induce different behaviour on the part of the animal.

Many of these factors are well known

to people who handle cattle in their line of work, but his explanations give an empirical value to some things which people working with cows already know by instinct. He goes into detail about how herding animals have evolved as prey and that the basic instinct driving most of their behaviour is to escape.

There was also a discussion about the social order within a group of cows.

He discussed how when animals are being moved about they end up forming into groups and those groups have to re-establish their social order before they can function normally.

Throughout his talk, Tom constantly goes

clearly at the eye and learning how to read the animals expected behaviour from that eye to eye contact.

Talking to the participants, many of whom have been work handling cattle for some time, they appear to be getting reassurance from the material they were being given. In some ways it showed them that what they have been doing, in the main, is right. It also gave them an explanation about how some of the things that they are doing actually work from the animal’s point of view.

Furthermore, the session showed some of the mistakes they can make in a situation and explained to them, simply, how they

The important part of the training involves hands-on experience with a mob of cattle.

back to the assertion that the calmer an animal is then the more responsive it is to handling, if that handling is done correctly.

Cattle are also very aware of their personal space and different types of cattle have different personal spaces, this area can also vary with the number of cattle in the group.

He also goes into the point of balance, which is somewhere just behind the animal’s shoulder. If a human being is at that point of balance, the cattle will remain calm and be easier to control. Move in front of the point and the cow will slow, go behind and it will speed up.

One of the most important aspects of this point is the distance away from the animal. Come too close and the cow will feel pressured, closer and it will want to run away, and closer still, it will turn and fight.

Getting into the subtleties of working with animals, Tom discusses how people can develop their relationship in a situation which can often be fraught for the animals. He recommends looking

can improve their performance, as well as how to get better behaviour from the animals that they are handling on a day-today basis.

This masterclass in the moving of a mob of cattle from one yard to another, or onto a vehicle with minimal stress occurring for both the cattle and for the handlers ,seemed to give those taking part a much better understanding of why they do the things they do and what things they should avoid doing.

It is events like this one in Gondiwindi which will help in the cultural change which is needed throughout the livestock industry.

The excuse that, “This is the way we always used to do it,” is no longer applicable. The knowledge is there to help improve welfare and the overall productivity of the livestock industry. More initiatives like this and more government funding, which helped set the workshop up, will not only improve welfare outcomes but also business outcomes for those involved in transporting cattle.

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35

TRUCKS ON TEST

TAKING THE HYUNDAI MIGHTY TO THE NEXT LEVEL The introduction of an Allison automatic transmission has taken the Hyundai Mighty to new heights, with the truck now able to compete toe-to-toe with its strong Japanese competition.

T

he light duty truck market in Australia is completely dominated by the big three Japanese truck makers, Isuzu, Hino and Fuso. These three brands set a very high standard to which any serious contender in this market sector must aspire and, to a certain extent, exceed.

This is the task that Hyundai trucks has decided to take on. Examples of the light duty trucks from South Korea have been around for some time, but numbers and market penetration have been limited.

Hyundai declared its intentions to become a more important voice in the truck industry when it introduced the heavy duty Xcient last year. This was not the action of a fly-bynight truck importer, but instead, a brand making a serious attempt at credibility.

Now, Hyundai have overcome one of the problems which was holding the brand back from selling large numbers in the Australian light duty market, namely, the lack of an automatic transmission with credibility. By introducing an option for the Hyundai Mighty to be fitted with an Allison automatic transmission, the market should become much more open to suggestions from the Hyundai brand.

The Hyundai Mighty does come in four separate models. There is the EX4 with a GVM of 4.5 tonnes, the EX6 with a GVM of 6.5 tonnes, the EX8 with a GVM 7.8 tonnes and the EX9 with a GVM of 8.5 tonnes.

This selection of models fit into the four main categories of the light duty segment, without offering a complete range across all of the options at this size and weight.

The Mighty range is powered by the 3.9 L Hyundai engine which comes in two

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DIESEL November/December 2020

power options. One is the 140 hp(103 kW) engine with maximum power available at 2700 rpm, and the other is available at 170 hp (127 kW) with maximum power at 2500 rpm. Maximum torque of 392Nm (289 ft lb) is available at 1400 rpm on the lower power rating, whereas it is available at 608 Nm (448 ft lb) on the higher horsepower engine.

When it comes to transmissions, there is a five speed synchromesh manual gearbox at the lower hp rating and a six speed synchromesh box at the higher power.

The important factor behind this test drive, however, is the use of the 1000 Series Allison automatic transmission in these trucks. When an Allison auto is fitted the engine will always be the more powerful of the two options.

Previous experience with these Hyundai trucks has shown that the basic design, driveline and finish of the Hyundai product is a match for its competitors in the market. This test, which was conducted in and around the suburbs of Brisbane was essentially to assess how well the installation of a fully automatic Allison has been done, and how much it improves the performance of this truck.

Trucks in the light duty segment 15 years ago only ever offered a basic manual gearbox. But times have changed, and the fact that trucks are generally working in metro areas in very busy traffic, combined with a lowered skill level of drivers, has led to the growing preference for a fully automatic transmission in this sector.

In fact, the Allison has grown in popularity all the way across the light duty and medium duty sector of the truck

TRUCKS ON TEST

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37

TRUCKS ON TEST

market. There is still a part of the market, which is extremely price sensitive and will always choose the cheaper manual option, but the improved performance of the latest generation of Allison autos and the reduced maintenance costs associated with an automatic gearbox protecting the driveline has won many truck buyers over.

Chosen for this particular test was the Mighty EX6, fitted with the refrigerated body which is also a Hyundai product. The complete vehicle is imported directly from Korea with a Hyundai refrigerated body already fitted.

The truck was fully loaded and taken through a particularly hilly route in order to test the mettle of the Allison and its installation. When looking at a truck which will be doing this kind of work, the ease of use and the ability to handle all of the situations which may arise in a day’s work have to be assessed. This truck has to be easily driveable for someone who’s only previous experience will have been driving a car.

This is where the Allison comes in, it is a transmission designed to cope with the stresses and strains of hauling a reasonably heavy mass around, but also to be simple to use for the driver. They need simply to be able to get into the truck, hit the accelerator and go, and then press the brake in order to slow down and stop, and that’s it.

Climbing into the truck, it does feel quite familiar. This looks like a welldesigned interior with a modern looking dashboard and up-to-date controls. The steering wheel does feel quite small but is extremely modern with a vast array of buttons available. This is the latest trend from the heaviest trucks down to the

The steering wheel does feel quite small but is extremely modern with a vast array of buttons available.

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DIESEL November/December 2020

The quality of the fridge body fitted was good, with the Hyundai badge stamped into the metal on the top corners of the box.

lightest, a confusing array of switches available to the drivers thumbs as they rest their hands on the steering wheel.

The experience of starting up the truck and setting off down the road is reassuring.

This truck has a solid well-finished feel. The steering is positive and accurate, the pedals are well positioned, with a responsive feel.

In recent years, we have become used to the Allison transmission hitting all the right notes in its installation, and it is no different here. The truck is always in the right gear and able to cope with everything thrown at it. Some of the road junctions in the Western Brisbane suburb of Bardon can be quite tricky, especially in a manual truck.

A T-junction on a steep climb with a stop sign requires good handbrake and clutch control, when the truck is fully loaded.

This truck sailed up and around the corner without missing a beat, we expect no less from the Allison 1000 Series, these days.

The communication with the rest of the truck works well. The driver simply

activates the engine brake and the Allison immediately goes down one or two gears to get the rpm levels up to the point where the engine brake can actually be effective, and not just make a different engine note.

In terms of manoeuvrability, the trucks scores well, with a neat turning circle, comparable to anything else in the market and vital for a truck like this to get into tricky loading and unloading situations.

The price premium which has to be paid for the Allison transmission option will be a disincentive for some buyers.

Sharper pricing would up the percentage of operators who opt for the auto transmission.

The more the merrier in this case, the more customers who are impressed by the Allison fitment, the more word of mouth will get around about the overall quality of the Hyundai Mighty.

Looking at the truck driven on this test, it comes over as an altogether effective package. The fit and finish of the truck is excellent. The performance of all of the systems is a match for any of the opposition.

The quality of the fridge body fitted was good, with the Hyundai badge stamped into the metal on the top corners of the box.

Hyundai seem to have got the product right. Someone looking to buy a light duty truck and testing this Mighty side by side with a N Series, 300 Series or a Canter would be able to put this truck into the same category.

The difference would be in the next step the Japanese truck makers are currently making, as they up the ante on state-ofthe-art safety and electronic systems. This, of course, comes at a price and maybe Hyundai can exploit the gap in costs with this truck. Or, we might see just how sophisticated the Koreans can get?

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BY HAND TO PERFORM TOUGH TO MY SPEC FOR BUSINESS IN AUSTRALIA

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It means you get the truck you really need to get the job done. You get every Application and PBS requirement built for optimal productivity and efficiency.

But it doesn’t stop there. Each truck is supported by Australia and New Zealand’s largest dealer network, offering complete transport solutions to help drive the success of your business.

Talk to your local dealer about a purpose built solution for your business or visit macktrucks.com.au/australianmade

OPERATOR PROFILE

Able to Carry a

WIDE VARIETY OF LOADS

As a single float operator, Mount Gambier based Winterfields Float Hire needs a heavy haulage unit that is sufficiently versatile to be able to carry a wide variety of loads. Paul Matthei speaks with the company’s owner, Matty Winterfield.

A

Mount Gambier native, Matty Winterfield has been driving trucks for around 25 years, having previously been a diesel mechanic after completing an apprenticeship in the trade. He has been

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DIESEL November/December 2020

running his own show for the past 11 years.

His first driving job in the mid ‘90s was with forestry company K.C & M.R. Boult, initially hauling B-double loads of woodchips and logs, then later

transitioning to float work after the company bought a Drake tri-axle Deck widener to shift its woodchippers and log harvesting equipment.

Matty soon settled into the role and started organising extra work with other

OPERATOR PROFILE

400 Cummins and was instantly flat out servicing the customer base he’d built up with his erstwhile employer.

As time went by, machinery got bigger and he took on more customers, necessitating the replacement of the trusty LTL with another ex-K&S unit, a considerably more powerful Kenworth T904 that had been hauling road trains in WA. “That was a really good truck too but we were still getting busier so I started talking to Drake and we were soon the proud owners of our first new Drake Hybrid 4x4 float, and a second-hand K104B to pull it,” says Matty.

He employed driver Peter ‘Darky’ O’Dea, who is still a highly valued employee today, to drive the cab-over while he continued driving the T904, eventually replacing the original full widener with another hybrid trailer, a unit pretty much identical to the original one. Sometime later the Kenworths were progressively supplanted by a pair of Scania R 730s and the business continued to flourish, but unbeknownst to Matty dark storm clouds were brewing on the horizon.

KEEPING A FLOAT

companies to keep the float busy; then after about 15 years with this company the forestry industry experienced a step change, forcing him to weigh up his options.

“The bluegum plantation timber was starting to come online and the boss secured a contract hauling the logs and needed me to do this instead of the float work,” says Matty. “But I was really happy doing the float work for him and

had built up a loyal customer base that I didn’t want to lose.”

The upshot was that after much amicable discussion to and fro, neither party was prepared to budge, so with his former boss’s blessing Matty headed off into the realm of the heavy haulage owner operator.

He purchased a second-hand tri-axle full widener and dolly and an ex-K&S Freighters Ford LTL9000 powered by a

In the fickle game of road transport it doesn’t take much for things to go sour, which is what Matty experienced several years ago when two of his major clients went under in quick succession, both owing him a lot of money.

“We were in a lot of trouble and at the time I couldn’t see a way out so I started preparing to sell up and cut our losses,” says Matty. “I approached a good client who agreed to buy one of the combinations and organised for the other to be sold to someone else.

“As it happened, the good client paid us straight away for the gear then dayhired it back to us so we could continue to do their work for a couple of months.

Meanwhile, the prospective buyer of the other truck and float eventually pulled out of the sale which meant we were able to keep operating that unit also.

“It was touch and go for a few months, but we managed to keep our heads above water and get back on our feet again, which I was really happy about because I love doing this sort of work,” recalls Matty.

One of the keys to the subsequent

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41

OPERATOR PROFILE

success of Winterfields Float Hire is diversity, with Matty describing the company’s mantra as ‘you name it, we haul it’. This includes everything from grape harvesters to rock crushing plants, wood-chippers, tree harvesters, dozers, earthmoving machinery and agricultural equipment.

“We have some really good clients around the Mount who are very loyal to us,” says Matty. “We do a fair bit of truck recovery work for the likes of Cummins, Daimler Trucks and O. G. Roberts, it’s probably easier to tell you who we don’t work for.”

Matty Winterfield, who has owned and operated Winterfields Float Hire for the last 11 years.

HYBRID OF A DIFFERENT KIND When you own a heavy haulage business, being able to quickly and efficiently adapt to a wide variety of haulage tasks is definitely the key to success. This is a prime reason Matty reckons the hybrid 4x4 float is the best thing since sliced bread.

So much so that this is actually his third hybrid steering widener, featuring a uniquely designed and engineered platform that Matty says combines the stability of a full widener with the manoeuvrability and reduced tyre wear, thanks to twin steerable BPW axles, of a deck widener.

According to Matty, after owning three of these revolutionary units there’s no way he’d go back to either a full widener or a deck widener, such is his belief in having the best features of both.

For example, the well-documented ‘Achilles Heel’ of full wideners in

The Drake Hybrid 4x4 float.

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DIESEL November/December 2020

applications like Matty’s is some scrubbing of the tyres on turns when the unit is fully widened. However, the upside is that the wide track of the wheels provides ultimate stability of the trailer when carrying wide and heavy loads.

On the other hand, the deck widener has a standard wheel track width which means when the deck is widened, the outer extremities of the deck protrude well beyond the wheel track, making the unit less stable compared with the full widener.

Enter the hybrid steering widener, a design that reduces the drawbacks in Matty’s business of each design by combining the positive attributes of both.

In short, the best of both worlds.

The hybrid, for stability, has the

forward two axles that widen with the deck as per a full widener, while the rear pair of axles remain fixed in deck widener fashion.

However, the real secret weapon with the rear tandem set is its steerability, with all four duals either self-tracking when travelling forwards or commandsteerable when reversing into tight confines.

According to Matty, the innovative arrangement works a treat and he reckons it saves him through reduced tyre wear; achieving increased tyre mileage compared with his original full widener.

“This is the third hybrid quad float I’ve owned, and I’ve found it to be a really good option, the best of both worlds,” he says. “You get the stability benefit of a full widener without the tyre scrub.

“It’s also very useful when you’re travelling on a skinny road and have to pull over to pass an oncoming vehicle or to let following traffic pass. That’s because the left sets of wheels on the rear two axles can remain on the tarmac which helps maintain stability, with only the forward left wheels having to run off onto the gravel.”

If there is a downside to the hybrid it is this, the onlyway to achieve improved rubber longevity, is to run through a program of timely tyre rotations including turning of the steering axle tyres on the rims.

“It’s necessary to move the tyres from the steering axles to the forward fixed axles because the steering action tends

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OPERATOR PROFILE

to wear the inside shoulders after a while,” says Matty. “We turn the tyres on the rims initially and then we move them to the forward axles to ensure we get the maximum life from them.

“We don’t do big kilometres, we average around 120,000km per year, a lot of which is around town in tight subdivisions, and a lot of forestry work where narrow tracks make access for full wideners very difficult. The hybrid is definitely the best option in these situations.”

Matty adds that he likes the fact that the rear steer axles are BPW because of the simplicity and reliability, with spare parts readily available off the shelf. He says that the direct mechanical link between the wheels is far less complicated compared with the plethora of valves and hoses that hydraulic steering systems on full wideners require.

The most important thing, Matty says, is to keep the grease up to the kingpins.

“In our experience, if you grease them regularly, they have a very long service life,” says Matty.

COMMAND STEERED IN REVERSE Matty goes on to explain that this latest hybrid unit has an added advantage over the earlier two in that in addition to self-steering going forwards it can be command steered in reverse.

“The difference with this new hybrid over the previous two we owned is that we have wireless remote-controlled command steering so we can steer it in reverse which is another key benefit when negotiating tight access locations,” says Matty.

The locking mechanism for the steer

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DIESEL November/December 2020

axles and also the command-steerability is operated via remote control from inside the prime mover cab or by a switch at the rear of the trailer. Matty says he locks the axles in the straight-ahead position at speeds over 60km/h which means the trailer tracks well at highway speeds.

Other features of the hybrid that he appreciates are the 13-metre deck length and bi-fold ramps, both of which assist in the loading and carrying of plant and quarry equipment including crushing and screening machines that are long and have low ground clearance.

“The bi-fold ramps are longer with less ramp-over angle which is handy when loading long gear with low ground clearance; and the longer deck enables us to position the loads better for ideal weight distribution over the axle groups,” says Matty, adding that a new 2x8 Drake dolly was also purchased to replace a 2x4 unit, raising the payload capacity from 50 to 60 tonnes.

“We carry some machinery that bumps over the 50-tonne mark so it’s necessary to have the extra capacity of the 2x8 dolly,” says Matty. “With the extra metre of deck length over the previous unit, we are able to position heavy equipment to ensure all our axle weights are spot on.”

The hybrid float widens to 3.7 metres and Matty also specified extra tie-down points on the deck s because in his words, “you can never have enough tiedown points.”

He also had extra toolboxes fitted along with three-way container pins which add versatility to what can be carried. There’s also a hydraulic winch mounted at the front which is vital for the

truck breakdown and recovery work that the company does.

Chrome plated steel rims of 19.5 inch diameter finish off the look of the float nicely, and it also has wind-down landing legs and hydraulics that operate from a pump mounted on the truck’s engine rather than a power pack on the trailer.

SCANIA SUPERPOWER When it came to performance to pull up to 60 tonnes of payload, Matty went right to the top of the Scania totem pole, ordering the R 730 about four years ago which he says is ideal when up on the weight and in heavy going up hills and in off-road forest work.

The Scania has notched up 500,000km in the four years since it was bought new and Matty says the Scania Repair and Maintenance package works well for his business.

“It’s a fixed cost so you don’t have to worry about fluctuating servicing costs which is a big bonus in my book,” says Matty. “I’d sooner pay the fixed cost every month because you can factor that into the business much easier than unpredictable expenses.

“With both the truck and float I need to know that I can hook up and head off to Perth or Brisbane or anywhere in between at a moment’s notice without the worry of something going awry.”

All up, for Matty Winterfield there is no substitute for high quality equipment that enables him to do his job with the utmost confidence, thereby enabling him to get the work done in the most efficient, safe, comfortable and cost-effective manner possible. With the Scania R 730 prime mover and Drake 4x4 Hybrid float he truly believes he has the best of both worlds.

INDUSTRY ISSUE

SERIOUS SAFETY CHALLENGES Fatigue and distraction are serious safety challenges for heavy vehicle drivers and operators.

E

xperts tell us that if you’ve had less than seven hours of sleep in the last 24 hours, it’s likely that you’re suffering from fatigue. If you’ve had less than twelve hours of sleep in the last 48 hours, it’s also likely that you’re impaired by fatigue.

Apart from potential health problems, a lack of sleep can often lead to poor judgement, slower reaction times, errors, and micro-sleeps, among other outcomes.

Fatigue is the most common cause of crashes involving a single heavy vehicle, especially concerning when you consider that any vehicle driven at 100km/h will travel over 80 metres in just three seconds.

The Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL) outlines a shared responsibility for safety which means that both operators and drivers have responsibilities for ensuring fitness for duty with regards to managing fatigue.

Drivers are responsible for making

In-cab alerts prompt drivers to pull over and take a rest.

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DIESEL November/December 2020

“FATIGUE IS THE MOST COMMON CAUSE OF CRASHES INVOLVING A SINGLE HEAVY VEHICLE, ESPECIALLY CONCERNING WHEN YOU CONSIDER THAT ANY VEHICLE DRIVEN AT 100KM/H WILL TRAVEL OVER 80 METRES IN JUST THREE SECONDS.” sure that they present fit for duty, and that they follow the company’s safety policies and procedures.

Meanwhile, it is the company’s responsibility to make sure their systems are safe – including realistic rosters, policies and procedures.

An understanding of this shared responsibility, led to both drivers and operators highlighting the benefits of fatigue and distraction detection technology, or FDDT at an NHVR Fatigue Safety Summit. They told us it was helping to identify when drivers might be fatigued, potentially preventing incidents before they occur.

We made a commitment to undertake some research and trials, and engaged experts, including Dr Drew Dawson from CQ University, for their advice on what potential there is for this sort of technology to impact fatigue.

This work involved interviews with 80 transport and bus company employees – including drivers, owners, schedulers and safety staff – from 12 road freight and bus companies. Feedback from industry saw the technology as a potential game changer for heavy vehicle safety.

Most FDDTs provide an in-cab alert to the driver – either a sound or seat vibration to indicate a fatigue or

INDUSTRY ISSUE

near misses and crashes.

Two comprehensive studies and some excellent feedback from a dedicated working group means we’re ready to move forward with a series of best practice guides for drivers and operators. We will also progress a pilot later in the year to better understand the effectiveness of the technology and refine the regulatory framework to maximise the safety benefits.

In June, the NHVR released our Vehicle Safety and Environmental Technology Uptake Plan which outlined the work we will undertake to accelerate the introduction of new safety and environmental technologies into the Australian heavy vehicle market.

Through this plan we want to provide certainty and consistency and promote safer and more productive heavy vehicles.

I’m pleased to say that one of the first areas we will see this emerge will be incentives to use fatigue and distraction detection technology.

The Australian heavy vehicle industry has shown an enormous capacity over many years to invent, trial and embrace new technologies, particularly when it leads to greater safety or productivity benefits.

The positive response and encouraging results from this trial are testament to that. distraction event is happening. The distraction alerts occur when the driver has their eyes away from the road for too long. The driver is immediately alerted and they can then decide to stop and have a rest when it is safe to do so, or do something else to make sure they don’t fall asleep at the wheel.

Distraction and fatigue can sometimes be linked. If a driver is fatigued, they might start looking around more to try and keep themselves awake. Sometimes fatigue can lead to a driver having “highway hypnosis” – looking at the road, but not being fully aware of their surroundings.

Most technologies can also send an alert to someone within your company or to a nominated third party that can call and check in, or have a chat.

The studies conducted for the NHVR showed that FDDTs led to fewer

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47

CONVERGENCE

TAKING TECHNOLOGY TO THE

NEXT LEVEL

As the amount of technology involved with every interaction in the supply chain continues to increase, the need for all of the data to converge into a useful tool for road transport businesses becomes even more important. This is the smart way for trucking businesses for the future.

Y

ou do not need to be a tech freak or a computer genius anymore to get the best out of technology. The most important aspect to the issue is to distill down data, flowing through multiple systems, to the information needed to run whatever you

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DIESEL November/December 2020

are doing safely and efficiently.

The latest developments in the kind of electronics used on board trucks, in warehouses, in scheduling, in delivery and receival, in invoicing, in compliance, in HR and maintenance, are creating massive data flows in and around the

freight being transported.

Not only are individual consignments tracked every step of the way, but the behaviour of the driver and other road users is also included in the data stream.

The consignor can watch goods make their way to the required destination, receiving alerts at important check points simply by looking at a dashboard of all their activity.

The industry is moving away from systems that comprise of individual or separate technologies. The days are going to pass, where a truck has a GPS tracker, which appears on one screen in the scheduling office, while another person in another office will invoice for the work done after a message is sent to them on completion, and the maintenance department will phone scheduling to find out when a truck is going to be available for servicing.

There is now enough data flowing in and out of the truck cabin, the scheduling office, accounts, the consignor and consignees systems and much, much more, for the issue for all of these technologies to be about interpreting data and using it to oil the wheels of

CONVERGENCE

every procedure in the supply chain.

We may soon have all of the black boxes, distraction monitoring, freight tracking and customer information that we need. The newer, forward-looking systems also include machine vision and artificial intelligence capabilities.

What we are looking for now is for convergence of these technologies.

Convergence that will provide long -term efficiency savings and safety improvements that make the investment worthwhile.

As more and more of this technology comes on board, operators will need to start thinking in terms of change management. Essentially, this is utilising the data to drive business decisions.

“The question needs to be raised, what are you doing with that data?” says Craig Forbes, Driverisk CEO. “That data needs to be wrapped and stacked, based on a critical occurrence, based on all of the information that you are getting from all of these data sources. Apart from

pointing out what is going on now, these sorts of systems should be able to start to identify ongoing issues and ask the question as to what is being done around

these issues.”

These kinds of considerations are particularly poignant when dealing with data around safety systems, both within

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CONVERGENCE

the cabin and in loading and unloading situations. Businesses are looking for transparency about the way they handle these kind of problems, especially when thinking about this through the prism of chain of responsibility legislation and obligations.

As convergence of technology increases, the way of collecting all of the data streams will probably change.

Over the longer term, current technology that is being procured and installed as a separate solution will likely become a plug-in within an overall data-processing system used throughout the business and supply chain.

A CROWDED MARKETPLACE The trucking industry has become a crowded marketplace for competing technologies vying for space within the truck cabin, the operations office and elsewhere in trucking business. This makes it difficult to look at solutions holistically. Especially when individual components within a convergent system may come from different suppliers.

In the case of a truck with all of the ancillary equipment fitted, there is plenty of data coming from items like dash cameras, driver facing cameras, fatigue detection devices, distraction detection

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DIESEL November/December 2020

devices, accelerometers monitoring harsh braking and hard acceleration, plus all of the data coming out of the vehicle’s CANbus.

“Our objective was to have one black box, and with that have the individual capability to interface at any given time

with any data and bring it all together in the best way possible way for the client in order to save time and to save lives,” says Craig Forbes. “The in-cab convergence is not just about wanting all of the systems to talk to each other, it’s a little deeper than that. From a capability

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CONVERGENCE

perspective, if there is an output on any device within the vehicle, can we make it talk to our unit.”

Quality, not quantity is needed, when it comes to the data streaming out of the truck and through a transport business’ systems. Where convergence can be very powerful is in the situation where something like artificial intelligence can monitor the streams and pull out some real strategic information which will be vital to the productive and safe running of an operation.

Systems are constantly producing a wealth of data and one of the challenges for developers is to create a system that suits trucking operators – who are looking for exceptions. They don’t need all of the data which has been streaming out of the truck, they only need information which will demonstrate whether a driver or a truck has been fully compliant and to keep a record of

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DIESEL November/December 2020

“INDUSTRY HAS BEEN WAITING FOR DEVELOPMENTS LIKE THIS TO HAPPEN FOR SOME TIME. THE TECHNOLOGY IS, IN FACT, WAY AHEAD OF THE LEGISLATION AND THE WAY THAT THE REGULATIONS ARE ENFORCED. ” exceptions when required.

In the past, the emphasis has been on just getting the information out of the truck, but, in fact, the real strength of all of this data is not that it is there and available. It becomes more useful when it is interpreted within a system and made to improve the function of the entire operation.

It will be important to focus on a small segment of the data which relates to issues, interactions and transactions. The problem is wading through a mountain

of data to find the important nuggets of information. Data not only needs to filtered it also needs to be interpreted so that anyone managing an operation will only need to be involved when an organic decision needs to be made.

The task of the telematics provider it’s not necessarily about the quality of the equipment provided and the ability to extract a lot of data out of a truck and other parts of the business. The most important task is to ensure it presents the information in a usable way to the

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CONVERGENCE

operator to help them make their business more efficient, safer or simply better.

“Extracting the gold and presenting it to the operator helps give them the nuggets of information which they will need in order to address any issues that they may be in the operation,” says Craig.

In terms of convergence, this data can be pulled together and each set of data can be integrated with others to which it relates. For instance, if the accelerometer registers a hard braking event, this data can be compared to what is happening on the CANbus of the vehicle plus any distraction detection devices and the data from the driver facing camera. This convergence of information should help the system decide whether someone back at base needs to be informed.

Parameters need to be developed to categorise events and then to rank them in order of importance, and then decide to whom and when any details need to be presented in a dash board.

DUMB DATA The fact of the matter is that the basic data pouring out of all of this equipment is dumb, it doesn’t know whether it is important or not. The convergence systems should enable operators to make sense of all of the information as it is coming through and only be notified whenever something to which their

attention needs to be drawn has occurred.

Industry has been waiting for developments like this to happen for some time. The technology is, in fact, way ahead of the legislation and the way that the regulations are enforced. Hopefully, the new Heavy Vehicle National Law, which is currently being drafted by the National Transport Commission, will write the new regulations in such a way that it inherently has built-in flexibility to move with the times.

One of the problems is the fact that there are a lot of new technologies out there and all of them can claim to be able to handle specific jobs in the monitoring and compliance run realm. The issue that the industry is now starting to grapple with is not what kind of black box to fit in a cabin, but, instead, how to make all of those black boxes and business systems talk to each other in a focused way that has practical implications.

As with any new technology, there can be issues on the part of many selling to the industry about grand claims made about many of these new technologies.

Many operators are willing to wait and see exactly how the land lies after the first flush of these technologies come through the system.

Once there is anecdotal evidence that an operation can get valuable safety outcomes or improve productivity or

costs elsewhere in the business, the market will accept the new technology.

So far, progress has been made on the part of individual technologies as they have been fitted into trucks, and the value of these particular technologies has been seen, meaning they’ve been generally accepted in the industry.

MOVE FORWARD The next step is for operators to change their buying behaviour. They won’t be asking the question as to whether this particular piece of technology works or not, but instead, whether this piece of technology will work with all of the other technologies on board and whether the convergence of the data will significantly improve their operations.

Operators should not be looking to use telematics to deal with exceptions, but instead analyse whole journeys and examine overall behaviours. Operators are asking systems to make judgements of the overall behaviour of the driver and to come up with what coaching would be effective to ensure a safer and more effective operation.

Technical integration, product integration and then data integration.

This type of in-cab convergence is getting closer all of the time, but not available just yet.

V-DAQ INTRODUCTION CONVERGENCE

W

ith the expectation of tens of thousands more heavy vehicles requiring telematics for compliance with National or State Notices, the amount of mobility data that is going to be collected has phenomenal value to all transport stakeholders. The ability for operators to collect, manage ownership, and manage the sharing of this data is a fundamental.

V-DAQ has worked with road managers, government, and industry to design a simple plug-and-play telematics

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DIESEL November/December 2020

solution enabling heavy vehicle transport operators to quickly comply with new regulatory measures without disruptions to normal business operations.

It takes about 30 seconds to install the DRIVE EASY Tag into any vehicle, and only a few minutes to setup a vehicle and start sharing data with other software, or applications for compliance through Transport Certification Australia.

Operators own all their data and have the ability to manage what software and who they share it with and for what they choose to use it, in return.

The DRIVE EASY Tag collects telematics data every second and reports this data in real-time. This includes high precision in-lane location and speed data. V-DAQ has pushed the boundaries and introduced a new standard of data quality and precision to advance the safety and productivity gains across the industry that data brings. With the ability for operators to simply choose what data they share, to whom, and for what in return, V-DAQ aims to bring a new level of transparency, trust, and understanding to the industry regarding telematics.

CONVERGENCE

TRANSFORMING SAFETY WITH FLEET MANAGEMENT PLATFORMS

Unfortunately, the transport industry remains one of Australia’s deadliest workplaces.

As a result, safety is a critical, ongoing focus for transport operators.

T

he stress of tight deadlines and long distances adversely influence driver behaviour. With the pressure on to deliver their loads, drivers feel they must push safety boundaries to meet obligations.

For their sakes, and the safety of other motorists, transport operators are leaning on next-generation AI-powered telematics platforms equipped with a range of safety technologies.

KNOW WHERE THE ISSUES ARE You can’t fix the problem if you don’t know it’s there. AI-enabled engine and vehicle performance data provides fleet managers with insight into driver behaviour. They show examples of dangerous practices such as hard cornering, harsh braking, and speeding.

Bringing trends to the forefront, they give fleet operators the opportunity to educate drivers on the effects that their actions have on them and other motorists. With evidence of certain activities, operators can demonstrate to drivers where and when they’ve done the wrong thing.

Operators have a duty of care to ensure that high standards of driver safety are met, vehicles are at optimal conditions, and drivers are a part of the solution.

SAFETY THROUGH REAL-TIME VISION Artificial Intelligence and telematics offer integrated services to keep drivers safer.

Integration is useful because it collects all the information you need into one platform.

AI-enabled cameras can now be fully integrated, providing a real-time 360-degree view of each vehicle, giving businesses the ability to see what drivers

see. Now you can see the traffic issues, pedestrians, and road condition to help alert drivers to potential safety hazards on the road and inside the cabin in future trips.

Furthermore, it helps provide insight into corroborating the driver’s story in fraudulent insurance claims or false accusations.

MONITORING IN REAL-TIME Uncovering dangerous behaviour after the facts only helps in the instances where something hasn’t gone wrong.

The ability of telematics to capture and process vast amounts of data in real time that is then overlayed instantly over maps provides more than just vehicle locations. For example, real-time drone view gives operators insight into any vehicle’s exact position as it’s moving in its surroundings, not vehicle replays of events that happened in the past.

At the same time, with the addition of instant insights into speed monitoring and dangerous driving along with alerts, businesses are empowered to promote

a safety conscious workplace and proactively manage risks before they become incidents.

ACTIONING INSIGHTS AND ANALYTICS While real time alerts and instant driver-to-back-office communication help deal with bad habits at the time, operators must use the data provided by AI-powered fleet management software and telematics to develop training responses to driver safety issues in the medium to long term.

Uncovering important insights is easy thanks to natural language search features. Guided search makes understanding your data easier and visualisation functionality quickly and seamlessly displays the data in an easily understandable way.

Thanks to the 360-degree view of drivers that multi-camera solutions and other integrated safety technology, nextgen AI-equipped fleet management platforms are helping transport operators keep drivers and motorists safe.

www.dieselnews.com.au

55

CONVERGENCE

NEW NAVIGATION TOOLS FOR TRUCK DRIVERS

The announcement of an expanded partnership between HERE and EROAD, will lead to the launch new navigation tools for truck drivers.

A

new partnership enables EROAD to bolster its focus on driver safety and productivity by partnering with HERE to enable truck-friendly routing and navigation in its solutions for trucking fleets.

HERE Technologies is one of the leading location data and platform companies. EROAD specialises in global transportation technology services. The expanded partnership will enable the two entities to collaborate on commercial vehicle routing and navigation solutions for New Zealand, Australia and North America.

HERE and EROAD jointly designed the navigation application that is integrated into EROAD Go+, a new solution in North America for enhanced pickup and delivery workflow. EROAD Go+ connects to a truck fleet’s transportation management system to mobilise dispatch and capture proof of delivery data digitally, yielding better visibility, less paperwork and safer, more productive drivers.

The tool also optimises routes based on

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DIESEL November/December 2020

“OUR EXPANDED PARTNERSHIP WITH EROAD WILL BRING NEW INNOVATIONS IN FLEET MANAGEMENT AND MOST IMPORTANTLY DRIVER SAFETY, WHICH IN TURN ENHANCES DRIVER SATISFACTION.” road attributes and conditions including truck restrictions, bridge heights, hazardous material restrictions and traffic. The app features live turn-by-turn navigation with lane assist, and audible guidance on upcoming turns, so drivers can safely stay focused on the road and traffic conditions around them.

Drivers in New Zealand, Australia and North America use EROAD solutions as part of their day for logging distance

travelled, shift hours, managing their work and staying safe on the roads.

“We place an incredible focus on ease of use and reliability because that enables drivers to operate their vehicles safely,” said Steven Newman, EROAD CEO. “Our partnership with HERE made it easy to design and launch routing and navigation solutions that support our vision of safe and productive roads.”

“Our expanded partnership with EROAD will bring new innovations in fleet management and most importantly driver safety, which in turn enhances driver satisfaction,” said Stanmira Koleva, SVP and General Manager APAC at HERE Technologies. “We are really excited to be able to partner on EROAD Go as this solution will empower both business and drivers with real-time feedback such as alerts and traffic conditions and ensure truck drivers have the most optimised routes to travel on. With our complementary strengths in fleet management and location technology, a partnership between HERE and EROAD is a natural fit.”

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GOING GLOBAL

YOU DON’T NEED 16 LITRES TO GET THE JOB DONE

Will Shiers meets with UK family-run heavy haulier Kings Heavy Haulage, to discover that number 13 is lucky for some!

W

ithin minutes of arriving at Kings Heavy Haulage’s yard, located in Avonmouth, just outside of Bristol in the south west of England, I’m boring MD Steve King with my Australian stories. And why not, after all, thanks to my few days in a Volvo FH16 road train in 2019, I’ve got something in common with him. I too know something about running over-length and over-weight.

“And here’s us at 52m and 110 tonnes,” I say, proudly scrolling through dozens of photos of the FH16 600 heading into the Outback. “Of course ideally we would have been in a FH16 750, but incredibly they don’t sell them down there.”

I can immediately tell, from the look on his face, that I’ve said something

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DIESEL November/December 2020

wrong. Don’t tell me Kings doesn’t bother with the top horsepower Volvo either?

Surely not! I mean one of its regular jobs is moving Airbus wings over 1,000km from England to Toulouse in the South of France. Surely you need 750 horses for that right? Wrong!

“You don’t need 16 litres to get the job done,” explains Steve. “To get the extra power you are just chucking fuel at it, and you don’t get there any quicker anyway. If you’re pulling a low-loader with X amount of weight on it, you have to slow down because of what it is anyway.

A big engine just isn’t needed.”

As he’s talking I discreetly glance behind him at the trucks parked-up in the yard. There’s not a single FH16 in sight!

In fact, as I’m about to learn, Kings runs a 29-strong fleet of 13-litre FHs, and

swears by the smaller engine. In addition to being more fuel efficient than its 16-litre sibling, Steve claims that it’s more reliable too.

“So much development has gone into that engine, and I don’t think we have ever worn one out, says Steve.

“In fact, it’s been over 20 years since we last replaced a crankshaft. I do fully understand the psychology behind buying FH16s, as some people just want the biggest truck, but I don’t know how they can afford the fuel.”

Kings moved to an all-Volvo fleet in the late 1990s, the last truck not to sport an iron mark on its grille being a 1997 Iveco.

“It’s an extremely durable and rugged product that totally meets our requirements,” says Steve.

These are sentiments echoed by his

GOING GLOBAL

father Richard King, who founded the company 51 years ago, and who praises both the reliability and the back-up from the local Volvo dealer.

While the 44-tonners on the fleet get the I-Shift transmission, all heavy haulers are specified with a manual gearbox.

“We have tried autos, but our drivers prefer manuals when they’re running heavy,” explains Steve’s 21-year old son Harry King, who both drives and works in the transport office. “The autos are all about fuel economy, so they try to change gear when you might not want them to.

With that much weight on, fuel economy isn’t always top of the agenda. The safest thing is to climb a hill and worry about the gears when you get to the top.”

Trucks are purchased new, and on average run for between 500,000km and 800,000km. The 6x2 prime movers are normally moved on after five years, while 6x4s and 8x4s are generally kept for about a decade.

“In those 10 years they’ll probably get through a couple of turbos and a couple of clutches, but that’s all,” explains Steve.

Most of the tandem-drive prime movers are either exported to right-hand-drive African markets, or find second lives with fairgrounds, moving dodgems around the UK. Both scenarios suit Kings perfectly, as it means their trucks don’t end up in the hands of competitors.

Richard King, Kings Heavy Haulage.

Kings runs 45 trailers, ranging in size from tri-axle Montracon curtainsiders to a 2-bed-5 Noteboom. “Generally speaking we run Noteboom lowloaders, Noteboom and Broshuis semidecks, Broshuis steering flat-beds, and Montracon flats,” says Steve.

Like the prime-movers, all of the trailers are purchased new and maintained in-house, and to an incredibly high standard. This allows Kings to keep them for up to 20 years. “You have to remember that they don’t cover a high mileage, and may only go out once a week,” explains Steve. “In comparison a plant hire company’s low-loader might be out every day, so will probably be wrecked within five to 10 years.”

Steve King, MD Kings Heavy Haulage.

Kings has always done its own maintenance, and prides itself on the high standard of workmanship carried out by fleet manager Jerry Williams and his team.

“I would welcome the authorities to pull over any of Kings’ lorries at any time and go around it in an attempt to find anything wrong,” says a proud Steve.

“I don’t think you could run a business like this without having your own workshop, as you need to be on top of your maintenance. If someone else was looking after it, you wouldn’t know where you were.

“The attention is in the detail in this job, and if you get one little detail wrong in terms of operation and equipment,

www.dieselnews.com.au

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GOING GLOBAL

it will throw everything out, and you’re only as good as your last job. Don’t get us wrong, we do still get our problems. After all, they’re big heavy pieces of kit, and there are a lot of things that can go wrong.

But our preventative maintenance is what enables us to offer the service we do.”

Kings Heavy Haulage does everything by the book, and the senior management

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DIESEL November/December 2020

team get frustrated when competitors flout the rules. “These days it’s just normal to see people running bent,” exclaims an infuriated Steve. “I don’t know how they can sleep at night.

Personally, I’d hate to be looking over my shoulder all the time.”

It’s the knowledge that every aspect of Kings operation is squeaky clean, that

gave the company the confidence to star in Discovery Channel’s Supertruckers (see box item).

In the UK, regular trucks are limited to a maximum GVM of 44 tonnes. The maximum length for a semi is 16.5m and for a drawbar combination, 18.75m.

Width is limited to 2.55m, and although we don’t have any legal height limit, you need to be 4.9m or less to fit under a motorway bridge.

Running over these dimensions with an indivisible load requires an STGO (Special Types General Order) plate on the truck, and all sorts of hoops for the operator to jump through. As a result, King’s team of seven route planners, are busy people.

“Some intricate jobs can take five minutes to plan,” says Richard. “But other jobs, which in theory are far simpler, could take weeks of planning. You need to notify the police and county councils for weight, width, height and length.”

One job that took even longer than usual to prepare for, was moving one of British Airways’ retired Concorde supersonic aeroplanes just a short distance to a new hangar on Filton Airfield, north of Bristol.

“That job took one day, but was three years in the planning,” explains Harry.

“We did everything, from removing the stairs, to putting track down over the grass, and even filling the tyres with concrete in case they blew. We even

borrowed a Douglas tug. Full credit to my dad, because the move went off without any problems.”

But incredibly, this wasn’t Kings’ most unusual load. That accolade goes to a trailer full of 1.5m high Gromits (of the Wallace and Gromit variety). The 80 plastic statues had to be delivered to various celebrities, who then decorated them. Then they had to be collected, and distributed throughout Bristol where they were displayed.

Finally, they were delivered to auction, where they raised a great deal of money for a childrens’ hospital. Not only did the Kings team have the challenge of moving

such a delicate cargo, some of which were worth tens of thousands of dollars, but until they arrived at an address they didn’t quite know what they were collecting.

“There was one that had been covered with £1 coins. That took four of us to lift,” remembers Steve.

We put it to Steve that the load of Gromits doesn’t sound half as challenging as moving a multi-million-pound Airbus wing to France. “The difference is you can plan ahead when you’re moving a wing. Securing a glass-encrusted £50,000 ($90,000) Gromit to a flatbed trailer is a whole different challenge.”

SUPERTRUCKERS If the Kings Heavy Haulage trucks look familiar to you, that’s probably because you’ve seen them on Discovery Channel’s Supertruckers. The show certainly aired in Australia, because Richard’s daughter Sarah King, administration director, was suddenly inundated with requests for memorabilia from Down Under. “We even had some Australians asking if they could come and visit the depot,” she says.

“They [Discovery Channel] had done a series on Eddie Stobart [the UK’s most famous haulier], but wanted to divert into something more unusual – heavy haulage,” explains Steve. “When we were approached, I told them ‘I’m not interested in stories about drivers getting in trouble with their wives for being late home from work’. The TV production company agreed, and said they were more interested in the geeky side of heavy haulage. And they were true to their word.”

The show was an immediate success, and for two seasons (2015-2016) the public tunedin to watch Sully, Sergeant Major et al, doing their daily jobs. By the end of the second series, Steve was getting concerned that the TV show was getting bigger than the firm, which led him to pull the plug.

Looking back, he acknowledges that the venture was a big gamble, but one that paid off. While it didn’t bring in any additional work (which isn’t surprising considering that your average viewer will never need the services of a heavy haulage operator), it did help to raise awareness of the industry.

“Five years later people are still talking about it, so we must have done something right,” he says.

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LEFT

GOING GLOBAL

MACK MD IN PRODUCTION

The all-new MD Series was due for production in July, but the pandemic pushed it back eight weeks.

I

n a virtual press conference Mack announced the production start-up of the medium duty MD, its first medium since the end of production of the Mack Freedom in 2002. Unlike the previous Freedom, which was a medium cabover based on the Club of Four cab used by Renault, Magirus-Deutz, DAF and Volvo in other markets in the ‘70s, the MD is a shortbonnet conventional HAND PAGE that uses the heavy duty cab from the Anthem/Granite trucks.

The new products are targeted at twoaxle trucking applications requiring dry van/refrigerated, stake/flatbed, dump and tank truck vocations. The MD6 at under 26,000 pounds (12 tonnes) does not require a North American Commercial Driver’s License to operate for nonhazardous payloads. The MD7 will run up to a GVM of 15 tonnes.

Both MD models are equipped with an inline six-cylinder Cummins B6.7 engine,

with up to 300 hp and 660 lb.-ft torque.

Introduced last year, B6.7 got a five per cent power boost and a 31 per cent increase in peak torque than prior EGRequipped models.

The engine is mated to an Allison 2500HS six-speed transmission and Meritor axles. This transmission is standard in the MD with no manual option. A heavierduty Allison 2500RDS is available for applications needing a PTO.

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GOING GLOBAL

All employees are socially distanced and wear protective equipment to Center for Disease Control protocols.

Base models get a steel spring suspension but Mack’s Maxlite air suspension is available and also available is Mack’s Maxlite cab air suspension. The wheels are a standard 22.5-inches but 19.5-inch wheels are

RIGHT HAND PAGE

available for applications that need additional body height. With the 22.5inch wheels the MD can back onto any standard-height loading dock.

The trucks’ chassis are durable, yet lightweight (7mm thickness for the MD6

Interior is comfortable with many carry-over features from the recently introduced class 8 Mack Anthem.

New Alemlube Automatic Lubrication System

and 8mm thickness for the MD7) and are constructed to an industry standard 34-inch frame width using 120,000 psi steel rails, significantly higher than the more usual 80,000 psi.

The cab is aimed at drivers and includes reduced step-up height for ease of entry suitable for pick-up-anddelivery vehicles and a short bonnet for better forward visibility. Inside, an ergonomic wraparound dash, the tilt/ telescopic steering column and the flat-bottomed wheel first seen on the Anthem, and driver air-ride seat. Despite the short BBC, there’s sufficient legroom to be able to fit three-across seating.

The MD Series is available in 4x2 configurations, the MD6 and MD7 models are claimed to feature a sharp wheel cut of 53 degrees for enhanced manoeuvrability for tough urban settings.

In its styling, the MD has followed the theme established with the introduction of the latest highway and heavy Anthem model as a basis for the grille and hood design.

Because the cab structure is from the Class 8, there is ample width. Plus there is legroom for three across seating.

GOING GLOBAL

JACOBS FINDS USE FOR LOST MOTION Diesel’s US Correspondent, Steve Sturgess looks at new developments in the engine brake world.

A

round the end of the ‘90s, as Cummins readied its unique dual overhead camshaft Signature 600, now the ISX, and Sturman with International Engine showcased an entirely camless engine design, the other poppet-valve expert organisation, Jacobs, was working on ‘lost motion’ valve trains that would enable variable valve timing and cylinder cutout.

Jacobs, of course, is the long-time manufacturer of the diesel engine compression brake that was in-vented

by Clessie Cummins, founder of the eponymous engine company. He was part of the crew that piloted the first Cummins-powered truck, an Indiana from Cummins’ home state, on a North American crossing in 1931 to demonstrate the fuel efficiency and reliability of the Cummins U-model diesel engine.

On the last leg to Los Angeles, Cummins had been warned about the steep downgrade of the ‘Cahone’ Pass.

He sailed past the sign announcing the Cajon Pass without recognising its unique Spanish pro-nunciation and ran away down the grade, trying to slow the truck by gearing down and only just missing the caboose of a freight train crossing the highway as they did back then.

After that frightening experience, Clessie Cummins vowed to design a retarding device for the diesel, which he did after Cummins removed him from the company. And the Jacobs Chuck Manufacturing Company became the manufacturer.

In the years since, Jacobs has grown to understand a lot about poppet valves and their actuation, part-nering and sharing its technology with many engine introductions like the ISX and the Daimler Heavy Duty Engine Platforms

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Jacobs variable valve control makes its debut as a cylinder deactivation technology, likely to make its commercial debut in 2014.

that currently power Freightliner, Western Star, Mercedes-Benz and Fuso trucks around the world.

The lost motion that I saw on a special visit to the Connecticut-based Jacobs nearly 30 years ago has now reached fruition with technology that may prove essential to meet the next round of North Amer-ican heavy-duty diesel emissions and fuel-economy mandates. It includes cylinder cutout for light loaded, steadystate cruise with up to 20 per cent fuel savings.

Lost motion enables modification of the valve movement from the strict motion of the cam profile. Normally, the valve-train follows the cam profile, but by involving lost motion by way of an electro-hydraulic actuation, the lift of the valve, duration of opening and actual time within the limits of the cam profile can all be modified. Honda has been a big proponent of the technology in its VVT en-gines, which are outstanding for their power and frugality.

Jacobs first lost-motion product, which launched at the last IAA show in Hannover, Germany, is the CDA or

cylinder deactivation. This technology disables engine valves in selected cylinders which al-lows a large engine to have the fuel economy of a smaller engine. Also, higher exhaust temperatures in the still operating cylinders maintain after-treatment temperatures at low load conditions and start-up, resulting in faster engine and after-treatment system warm-up.

Other benefits from the control for the CDA include Improved combustion and fuel consumption in the firing cylinders. It minimises cooling of the after-treatment during coasting.

The actuation is through a hydraulic mechanism integrated into pushrod or valve bridge and is modu-lar with Jacobs High Power Density engine brake technology. Interestingly, the exhaust valve can be timed to give a two-cycle braking mode for additional retardation.

An interesting option that can be integrated is a lifting of the exhaust valve as the engine shuts down. This eliminates the distinctive shake of the big diesel as it rapidly comes to a stop and can prove tire-some to a driver who is trying to sleep through a stop-start heating/ battery regeneration series of cy-cles.

Jacobs is working with a number of engine makers on upcoming designs, said Robb Janak, director of new technology for Jacobs Vehicle Systems in a recent exclusive interview. The CDA will inte-grate into the valvetrains of future engines, the first of which may appear as early as 2024. And while the technology can work on any individual cylinder, Janak says most work is being done on six-cylinder engines with three cylinders equipped with the deactivation and the whole six featuring im-proved engine braking and the ‘no-shake’ option.

RUN WITH THE LEADER. The Meritor MT-14X™ tandem drive axle is built to handle the demands of tough vocational applications such as concrete agitators and rigid tippers and represents the next evolution of our successful 145 series. With a 20% larger inter-axle differential and optional driver controlled diff lock, the MT-14X has the capability to handle higher torque loads of up to 2050 ft/lbs. Other features such as a rugged, one piece carrier for precise gear alignment and high torque capable gears deliver an axle that is not only stronger but light. In fact, more 14X axles are fitted to Class 8 trucks in North America than all other competitors combined. So if you need an axle that’s as tough as the conditions your trucks work in, run with the MT-14X axle family.

Run with the leader. Run with the Bull.

©2020 Meritor, Inc.

TECH KNOW

The Next Generation Battery Master Isolation Switch REDARC says it is proud to announce the release of the next generation Battery Master Isolation Switch that fulfils the requirements of the new Australian Dangerous Goods Standard.

S

ince its launch in 2016, the Proudly Australian Made BMIS (Battery Master Isolation Switch) has been trusted by Original Equipment (OE) truck manufacturers like Kenworth to safely isolate vehicle batteries when required and ensure a reliable performance while the vehicle is operating.

During the development of the BMIS, it underwent extensive independent testing and validation including rugged field trials to ensure the unit could be fitted as an OE component.

Now with the recent release of the new Australian Dangerous Goods Standard AS2809:2020, REDARC is proud to release the next generation BMIS (V2) fulfilling the requirement for a Master Isolation Switch under that standard.

The new Australian standard is referred to within the Australian Code for the Transport of Dangerous Goods by Road and Rail (ADG Code) which sets out the requirements for transporting dangerous goods by road or rail. The Heavy Vehicle Industry Association affirms that compliance to the Australian standard is required to make road tank vehicles conform with the legislated standards. Owners and operators of Road Tank vehicles rely upon the manufacturers of the safety components like REDARC to assure compliance and reliable safety.

REDARC’s Managing Director, Anthony Kittel explained that isolation switches are assessed as part of the full vehicle safety system under these standards, and this is why REDARC have ensured that the BMIS meets the criteria and enables the vehicles to operate safely in those conditions.

“We have been working for over 30 years (since 1989) with the truck original equipment manufacturers, supplying products they can rely upon. We continue to work closely with our customers to provide

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products that meet their needs as well as industry standards,” said Kittel.

“The upgraded compliance of the BMIS is another example of how our design engineers strive to set the industry benchmark for innovation in electronic vehicle technology.”

Two BMIS models are now available in Australia to comply with AS2809:2020 and in New Zealand where vehicles are required to meet the DG Tank wagons requirements. The 4PN (positive, negative isolation) part number BMIS4PNV2KIT and the 4PP (positive, positive isolation) part number BMIS4PPV2KIT. Designed and tested to meet stringent industry standards, the BMIS reassuringly exceeds the requirements of large diesel engines in 12V and 24V systems and features an ISO 26262 rated dual redundancy system to avoid false triggering that can cause unnecessary electric shutdowns.

There are also supporting accessories in the BMIS-AP Adaptor plate and BMISCK connector kit.

Features: • Meets requirements of the new AS2809:2020 Dangerous Goods Standard • Durable, UV resistant housing which is resistant to rocks and fluids • Dual redundancy feature to avoid false triggering • Continuous self-checking function with an in-built LED diagnosis tool • Lockable in the off position for improved safety and theft prevention • Easy to install from new or as a retrofit • Compatible with existing roll-over sensors • Reviewed by independent safety experts • Pair with a Roll Over Sensor (ROS1224) for an enhanced safety solution For more information about the Australian made BMIS, redarc.com.au/ HeavyVehicle

DIESEL WORKSHOP

DISC BRAKE CHAMBERS In this continuing series of articles, Hendrickson bring Tech Know readers the lowdown on how to get the best out of the basic technology in trucks.

D

isc brake chambers are a vital but often neglected part of the braking system. This is because they are reliable and usually replaced as a unit if there are any problems.

However, there are things that technicians can do to ensure that customers get the most out of their brake chambers and that repair work maximises brake life. In this article we discuss air disc brake chambers fitted to Hendrickson suspensions; similar principles apply to other manufacturer’s brakes, but details may vary.

Brake chambers can be affected by dirt and corrosion if exposed to water and mud. They can also be damaged from debris and going over rough offroad surfaces. Carefully inspect brake chambers for corrosion and damage.

Damage at the joins between chamber segments are the main cause for concern.

So, pay particular attention to these joins. If you need to remove or replace a chamber, keeping an eye on the following points will help complete the job successfully and ensure maximum life from the braking system.

NOTE: If not previously caged, manually cage the brake chamber

according to brake chamber manufacturer’s procedures before removing the chamber from the calliper. And then remember to remove the caging bolt before sending the vehicle back into service.

Ensure that only the lowest drain hole in the brake chamber has the rubber plug removed to minimise ingress of any contaminants. On installation, remove the lower housing plug from each chamber.

This means that if it is a dual park/ emergency brake chamber then two plugs will need to be removed. Failure to remove these plugs will make the calliper release slowly, which will cause brake drag and excessive pad wear.

Lubricate the brake lever ball cup with a white lithium-based grease before installing the brake chamber.

Ensure the brake chamber to calliper seal is in good condition. Apply a smear of grease to this seal, before fitting chamber, to help protect calliper against contaminants.

Clean the brake calliper flange area to ensure a good seal to the brake chamber.

Torque the brake chamber nuts evenly and in steps to ensure correct mounting and engagement of piston rod and ball cup.

NOTE: Damage to the brake lines can occur if they are installed incorrectly or allowed to rub against other parts.

Ensure brake lines are be free of twists and chaffing or rubbing against any other components. Brake air lines must also have sufficient freedom of movement that they do not restrict calliper movement.

This problem can become evident as the calliper changes position when the brake pads wear.

Check brake chambers, air lines and connections for air leaks. Ensure that there is at least 620 kPa (90 psi) of pressure available and that the trailer is either raised off the ground or the wheels are chocked to prevent movement.

Apply service brakes. Check for any leaks from air lines, connections or from the service brake diaphragm.

Apply park brakes and check for any leaks from air lines, connections or from the emergency brake chamber diaphragm. Leaks of any nature are unacceptable. If necessary, use soapy water to confirm components are leak free.

For more info www.hendrickson.com.au

www.dieselnews.com.au

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TECH KNOW

USING YOUR HEAD WHEN REPLACING A

DRIVE HEAD Like all of the major components in a truck the rear axle is under a lot of pressure throughout its working life and Meritor recommend using your head when replacing a drive head.

U

nder the Meritor GeNEWine Carrier Program replacement drive heads (carriers) supplied by Meritor Australia are manufactured in the same factory as the original equipment using 100 per cent genuine parts and come with the latest design updates. For added peace of mind they’re also covered by a full, 12 month, unlimited km nationwide warranty.

For over 50 years Meritor Australia have been keeping vehicles on the road by offering a full range of replacement drive head ratios to the market. Their range covers many European, Australianbuilt and American heavy duty trucks and if the ratio a customer wants is not in stock a free ratio change will be offered.

The actual replacement procedure will depend on the axle and drive head in question, but when the replacement is complete there are a number of checks which are vital before operating the vehicle. This checklist must be followed, otherwise there is a risk of an early failure of the drive head when it is returned to operation.

It is vital to completely clean the inside of the axle housing cavity. The person carrying out the replacement will need to check and clean wheel end equipment for any metal debris and also check the output shaft assembly and bearings for any metal debris.

At this point the technician will need to check both forward and rear axle ratios to ensure that they do actually match.

Next, the technician should tighten

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DIESEL November/December 2020

the yoke/flange nuts and all fasteners to the correct torque values. Check for any end play within the pinion bearings at the yoke/flange area on the rear drive head of a tandem or on the yoke/ flange area of a single drive axle carrier.

The technician will need to refer to the maintenance manual for precise settings.

When these tasks have been completed it is time to fill the axle with the correct amount and type of lubricant. For the correct lubricant, again, refer to the maintenance manual of the particular axle.

If the new drive that has been fitted has a differential with a diff lock, it is important that the manual lock bolt is removed from the cylinder and stowed in its correct position. For

this correct positioning refer to the maintenance manual for this axle.

The next stage is to follow the 5km/40km/h break-in procedure. For this the vehicle needs to be tested in an unloaded condition. After completing the procedure, re-check lubricant levels, fasteners and for any oil leakage.

After the new drive head has completed 5000 km in operation it is important to drain and replace the oil and also the oil filter.

For more information on Meritor drive heads please contact your local Meritor Driveforce representative or the customer service team on (+613) 8358 6050 or visit www. meritorpartsonline.com.au

DIESEL WORKSHOP

PIUSI B.SMART Introducing a Flexible and Modern Bluetooth Smart Fuel Management Solution.

P

iusi B.SMART is an intuitive and simple Smart Fuel Management System comprising hardware and software driven by Bluetooth technology to easily monitor and manage diesel fuel usage in a fleet of any size.

Utilising a smart device App for drivers and a Web App on the Cloud for fleet managers, the new Piusi Smart Fuel Management System with its integrated software is fully managed in the Cloud meaning that no complicated PC installation is required to get you up and running.

B.SMART allows you to manage your

fleet from anywhere and to monitor all fuel transactions in real-time.

Benefits include: • Once the user opens the B.SMART App the Android or iOS mobile device automatically connects to the fuel station to allow the driver to refuel • During fuel delivery, the driver can monitor the quantity dispensed directly on the mobile device and once completed can view the virtual receipt which will be sent in real-time to the Web App • The Fleet Manager will be able to monitor in real-time all the deliveries made through the simple and immediate graphic interface of the Cloud software • Suitable for any fleet size, single and multi-site • Simply open the App on any Android or iOS smart device which immediately connects to the dispenser to start the refuelling operation • Once refuelling is stopped, a receipt is displayed on the smart device, and in real-time on the manager’s Web App • The App is connected via Bluetooth and

NEXT N ATIO N E G ER W NO BLE AVAILA

works even if no network is available • Quick and easy to use, saves time and money • Integrates with Piusi Cube bowsers and Piusi MCBox • Suitable for diesel dispensing in agriculture, automotive, mining, construction, transport, logistics and industrial sectors

TECH KNOW

CHANGES NEEDED TO DRAFT RULES FOR

ADVANCED BRAKING Bob Woodward, Chief Engineer Australian Trucking Association, looks at the issues around autonomous emergency braking.

A

utonomous emergency braking, or AEBS, is a technology that provides truck drivers with a warning and then applies emergency braking if it detects an impending collision with a car, bus, truck or trailer in the same lane.

AEBS is available on many new truck models but is not mandatory.

The Australian Government released figures last year suggesting that mandating AEBS for new trucks, together with the extension of mandatory stability control to new rigid trucks, would save 102 lives, prevent 2,564 serious injuries and prevent 7,017 minor injuries.

Those figures confirm the importance of the ATA’s long campaign for the technology. There is no substitute for an experienced and competent driver behind the wheel, but this sort of technology can mean the difference between life and death, or life and serious injury.

But there’s a problem. The details of the requirements must be right.

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Unfortunately, the ATA and its members have concerns with the exposure drafts of the design rules that the Government published.

To develop our response to the exposure drafts, the ATA obtained independent engineering advice from Smedley’s Engineers and held member video conferences on Monday 21 September and Friday 25 September 2020.

I was delighted that so many ATA members were able to participate in the meetings. I was especially pleased that we got so much input from drivers with vast on the road experience.

Our members concluded that the draft design rules applying to rigid trucks did not need to be changed.

They concluded, however, that the draft rules for new prime movers needed to be amended to add specific requirements about how the braking systems handle older trailers that are not fitted with ABS. AEB systems from different manufacturers handle applying trailer service brakes through the air lines differently.

Some products apply full braking.

Others signal pulse the air lines. Still others only activate the engine brakes.

Our members warned us that these different approaches were creating confusion on the road.

It’s a problem that requires an Australian-specific solution. We base our design rules on Europe, but their trailer fleet is more modern than ours. Also, they don’t operate multicombination vehicles.

We need a performance standard in our rules, so that all the AEB systems used in Australia do the same thing when a prime mover is towing older trailers.

The ATA would seek to work with manufacturers, our members and drivers to provide a standard for Government consideration.

We also told the Government that it needs to communicate much better with industry about how AEBS works.

It’s one of the least understood heavy vehicle safety technologies. 38 per cent of the respondents to the NHVR’s 2020 heavy vehicle industry safety survey said they did not understand it. I find out something new every time I look at it.

The Wodonga Institute of TAFE, an ATA member through its DECA Training division, is already working with the Truck Industry Council to develop information material about advanced braking, with funding support from the NHVR. They will do a great job, but the Government needs to expand its efforts to provide more information to both industry and enforcement agencies.

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© 2020 Hendrickson USA, L.L.C. All Rights Reserved. All trademarks shown are owned by Hendrickson USA, L.L.C., or one of its affiliates, in one or more countries.

BUILT FOR SAFETY. READY FOR ANYTHING. THAT’S ANOTHER HINO

NEW HINO 300 SERIES WITH HINO SMARTSAFE. THE SAFEST JAPANESE TRUCK IN ITS CLASS.

It’s the truck you’ve been waiting for. Australian class leader in safety, power and efficiency. The new Hino 300 Series features Hino SmartSafe, a comprehensive safety package with advanced driver-assist technology that takes an active

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focus in protecting the lives of drivers, passengers and other road users. Hino SmartSafe includes Pedestrian Detection.

If it detects a pedestrian in front and if its senses the possibility of a collision, it will warn you. If you don’t respond, the truck can brake autonomously. Additional safety features include a Pre-Collision System with Autonomous Emergency Braking, Vehicle Stability Control and Lane Departure Warning all standard, it’s ready and waiting for you. Find out more at hino.com.au. *Active safety systems are an aid to assist the driver and have performance limitations. The image used is for representation purposes only and actual product may vary. Please refer to owner’s manual for system operations and functionality.