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THE OUTLOOK IS CERTAIN, THERE’S LOTS OF UNCERTAINTY IN THE FUTURE

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e have certainly been living through interesting times during 2020 and 2021. The pandemic has thrown everything into question, there are no hard and fast rules and nothing is sacrosanct. All bets are off and it is difficult to project into the future, apart from the incontrovertible fact that nothing is certain.

If the last 20 months have taught us anything, it is that the trucking industry does know how to cope in a crisis and, when the chips are down, the government does recognise road transport as an essential service.

We are not going to be passing into a post-Covid period anytime soon, there is no return to the ‘old normal’, we will not have any idea what the ‘new normal’ looks like for quite some time. 2022 will not be post-Covid, but hopefully it will be postCovid panic, post-Covid lockdown and post-Covid border closures.

It looks like some things we had never done before the pandemic may become something which feels like it has been here forever. There is a good chance mask wearing is just going to be something everyone does, much like it is in places like Japan and Korea.

Getting regular jabs to ward off the virus are also likely to be part of our long term future, as the virus mutates and we have to guard against new variants taking hold.

These are obvious results of the situation in the last 20 months, but there are a number of thing which have become the norm for the trucking industry in that time which we might keep even if they are not absolutely necessary, when the vast majority of the population is vaccinated.

Separating drivers from warehouse staff when loading and unloading and making the signing off on a consignment completely digital and contactless is something which may be with us for the long term. The systems have been developed and they seem to be working, so there seems little point in returning to the old ways of hanging around waiting for a signed consignment note to appear in the window.

So there will be changes in our day-to-day routine, but they are all going to be small behavioural changes which really don’t mean much in the greater scheme of things. The level of uncertainty and the feeling of insecurity are going to have a much bigger long term effect.

Two years ago we were all muddling along worrying about the little things and with very few cares in the world, apart from global warming and a few other things.

However, the pandemic has shaken our self-confidence to its roots and the effects are probably going to be like a mild form of PTSD, except we will all have it to a certain degree.

How this is going to play out in broader society is anyone’s guess, but as an industry we probably need to think about looking out for any warning signs in people who were living stressful lives before the pandemic came along, and reach out to them if they need us.

EDITOR

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ISSUE 125

Contents

38

GOOD FREIGHT AIN’T CHEAP

Mark Hall is a straight talking trucking operator based out of the Gunnedah Basin area in New South Wales, who says he works with the motto ‘good freight ain’t cheap and cheap freight ain’t good’.

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28 TALKING THE TORQUE, COULD 13 BE THE

MACK IN BLACK

The latest Mack range includes the enhanced Superliner, utilising the more advanced Anthem electronic architecture and also offered with a sleeper cab developed from the Anthem cabin design system, Tim Giles takes the ‘Mack in Black’ on a road test in the Western Queensland outback.

20 INTRODUCING ELECTRIC TRUCKS AND KEEPING THEM CHARGED With all of the hype around the development of electric and hydrogen fuel cell trucks becoming the norm in the future, the way trucks are refuelled/recharged is going to radically change and building the new infrastructure to support them will be a priority.

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LOOKING FOR A VERY SPECIFIC TRUCK

Gabriel Badea wanted a long wheelbase to handle a highly specified body on a truck with only one drive axle, he was looking for a very specific truck. Paul Matthei speaks with him about his operation’s different requirements.

LUCKY NUMBER? Volvo Group Australia is preparing to release its FH 500 I-Save which features a 13 litre turbo-compound engine producing a mountain munching 2,800Nm of peak torque.

42 SMART TRUCKS, FOR SMART TRUCKING At the same time as telematics systems are getting smarter, so are individual components on a truck, but the truck systems are now becoming powerful enough to stand on their own as a trucking operator’s telematics system.

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CARRYING ALL SHAPES AND SIZES

Managing a fleet carrying windows of all shapes and sizes over a large area presents a complex transport task with a number of challenges. Tim Giles talks to an operator who has got a handle on that task.

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Standard Issue 08 NEWS AND VIEWS Followmont growing, Michael Deegan welcomed as the new ATA CEO, electrification of the Australia Post fleet, personnel changes at Iveco HQ in Dandenong, Australia’s hydrogen industry and a major trucking technology event for Brisbane. All this and more in PowerTorque news.

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THE CHRISTMAS HAM IS UNDER THREAT

After a horror 2020, throughout which our truck drivers have been widely lauded as Australian heroes, who would have thought that in late 2021 state governments would be threatening to take away their livelihoods?

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INDUSTRY ISSUES

We need to look at just what is going on with toll roads in Australia, reckons Warren Clark, NatRoad CEO. NHVR supporting safety for all of industry and the ATA is celebrating Aussie trucking’s COVID efforts.

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FIRST DRIVE IN DAF’S NEW GENERATION XF

In his latest report from Europe, PowerTorque’s correspondent there, Will Shiers, travels to Spain for a first drive in DAF’s New Generation XF.

64 WESTERN STAR 47X BROADENS THE NEW X-SERIES RANGE Not only are the latest Western Star models heading our way from the US, but Australia is also likely to get a unique Australian model for B-double operations, according to PowerTorque’s US Correspondent, Steve Sturgess.

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TECHKNOW

In this issue, Tech Know, among other things, looks at choosing the right bearing grease lubricant for your trailer, inspection of the universal joints and driveline on a regular basis, backing the fleet with a service agreement and thermal efficiency in reefers.

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MATURE MEDIUM FROM HYUNDAI

There’s a new truck in town, with the arrival of the Hyundai Pavise, a new medium duty truck from the Korean truck maker, as it extends its range further into the Australian truck market.

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COLD CHAIN

Every company and every truck carrying cold produce must change their ways, writes Mark Mitchell, Chairman of the Australian Food Cold Chain Council.

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NEWS & VIEWS

FOLLOWMONT GROWS INTO TOOWOOMBA Followmont Transport expand its footprint in a growing logistics zone.

The opening of a new depot in the suburb of Torrington sees Followmont Transport expand its footprint in a growing logistics zone, as Followmont grows into Toowoomba. The new site has been purpose built by the company on a site with plenty of room for expansion and overlooking the fast-growing Charlton freight precinct.

“We’ve got this depot up to about 40

per cent, with 40 staff, but we can always extend, that’s how we always build a shed,” said Mark Tobin, Followmont CEO and Managing Director. “We have a motto, we build it once and we do it right.

“Our business at Followmont is all about people. We are not a transport company, we are actually a people business. We are not scared to lose margin for long term success. When you talk about a business,

it’s all about how we go forward and all about growth.

“After what we have been living with for the last eighteen months, I think relationships, friendship and people is what is going to get us through.”

Starting in 1984, Followmont is reckoned to be the State’s largest familyowned transport company, specialising in express delivery goods across Queensland and NSW, using its own fleet and a network of line-haul and local contractors. The business covers more than 100,000km, and moves over 3,000 tonnes, every day.

Followmont currently has over 850 staff, over 1,000 vehicles, and growing, plus a wide range of company-owned regional depots, and a network of local contractors.

Servicing more than 20,000 customers across Queensland and NSW, including Mitre 10, Repco, Australia Post and Dulux.

Mark Tobin has been working in the business since the age of 17. Spending his youth in Rockhampton and other branches, working in various operational and mechanical roles across the business.

NEW ATA CEO The Australian Trucking Association has welcomed Michael Deegan as the new ATA CEO. He replaces Andrew McKellar, who was appointed earlier this year and resigned in July. Long term ATA stalwart Bill McKinley has been functioning as Acting CEO in the interim.

Michael will be familiar to many in the trucking industry, as he has been involved in road freight transport policy for more than 20 years. He spent a period as the Chair of the National Transport Commission in the 2000s before moving on to a role as, National Infrastructure Coordinator at Infrastructure Australia.

In the intervening period, Michael has fulfilled roles as the CEO of the South Australian Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure, and as the CEO of Inner West Council in Sydney.

“Michael is an expert at developing and implementing visionary strategies, responsible for Australia’s first national transport plan and first national freight

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Michael Deegan, the new ATA CEO.

strategy,” said David Smith, ATA Chair.

“The ATA board believes Michael is the leader we need to push ahead with the extensive work the ATA and its members have done on our strategic plan.”

According to the ATA, as CEO, Michael will work with ATA members to refine and implement the plan, as well as improving member engagement and leading strategic lobbying activities.

“Michael will lead and implement

POWERTORQUE November/December 2021

our strategic direction and the projects we deliver, from the ATA’s role in the industry’s COVID-19 response through to infrastructure and productivity priorities,” said David.

NHVR CEO Sal Petroccitto said the NHVR staff looked forward to working with Michael to continue to support the delivery of a modern heavy vehicle reform agenda.

“Michael has decades of experience across infrastructure and transport in Australia and has delivered many positive and practical outcomes for industry,” said Sal. “He joins the ATA at a pivotal time, as we work towards delivering a forward-looking heavy vehicle law to support improved safety and enhanced productivity.

“I look forward to working alongside Michael, ATA Chairman David Smith and the ATA staff to ensure we deliver the best outcomes for the hundreds of thousands of workers that keep Australia moving every day.”

NEWS & VIEWS

ELECTRIFICATION OF THE AUSTRALIA POST FLEET GROWS With the first arrivals hitting the road in October the electrification of the Australia Post fleet grows. Currently, Australia Post is the largest operator of electric vehicles in Australia, with a fleet of more than 3000 electric vehicles currently in use.

Australia Post is the first local customer of the Fuso eCanter as part of a commitment to reducing its carbon footprint.

“With the significant growth in parcel volumes, more vehicles are required in our network,” said James Dixon, General Manager, Networks for Australia Post.

“It makes good sense to add electric vehicles as part of this requirement. Not only will these eCanters fit our needs in this delivery category, but they will also contribute to our science based target to reduce emissions by 15 per cent by 2025 from a FY19 baseline.”

The eCanters will operate across the Australia Post and StarTrack businesses in major capitals in two body configurations and will be supported by the Daimler Trucks network.

“Since working with Daimler Trucks on the pre-production eCanter, we have been

keen to have the truck in our fleet,” said James. “Daimler Trucks is a good choice for Australia Post in the fleet space with a large network and focus on safety.”

The eCanter is equipped with advanced pedestrian-sensing emergency braking technology, a collision mitigation system, lane departure warning and Electronic Stability Program for optimum safety.

Six liquid-cooled lithium ion batteries mounted in the eCanter frame store 82.8kW/h of electricity (with 66kW/h of usable power) and feed a permanent magnet synchronous motor. Power output is rated at 135kW and 390Nm of torque can be delivered the moment the accelerator pedal is pressed.

The eCanter, which has a Gross Vehicle Mass of 7.5 tonnes, became the world’s first small series electric production truck in 2017.

It has been the subject of a rigorous testing regime around the world, including a six-month Australian test running with a maximum load, in addition to real world driving in overseas markets.

PERSONNEL CHANGES AT IVECO HQ IN DANDENONG A number of organisational changes which are said to allow the company to further streamline operations and better respond to customer needs means a number of personnel changes at Iveco HQ in Dandenong have been announced.

These changes take effect immediately across sales, aftersales, product development and marketing, and are part of an initiative for Iveco to reposition itself in the lead-up to expected new model releases in the next 12 months.

Glen Dyer, current Head of Sales, Truck and Van, now also has responsibility for the Bus and Special Vehicles portfolio. Glen joined Iveco earlier this year after moving across from Daimler Trucks.

Margot Baker, who previously held the role of Legal Counsel at Iveco, now takes up the newly created position of Head of Customer Services. Margot began with Iveco in 2016.

Ella Letiagina, the current Iveco Head of Network Development has seen her role expanded to include Product and

Marketing. Ella joined Iveco in January after automotive and management experience in roles, both in Australia and internationally.

Marco Quaranta has assumed the position of Strategic Relations and Industry Relations Manager with a focus on propulsion, while Iveco Product Manager, Emiliano Foieri has been promoted to Product Management Lead.

“This is a unique time in Iveco’s history with many new opportunities on the horizon for our brand,” Mr May said Michael May, Iveco ANZ Managing Director. “Iveco is transitioning to offer an enhanced range of products and support solutions for our customers. These structural revisions will allow us to more efficiently meet our objectives and to reach the high expectations we’ve set for ourselves as a company.

“The changes also empower our team to react more nimbly to market conditions, and builds a new way forward for Iveco by providing further means to differentiate

Marco Quaranta has assumed the position of Strategic Relations and Industry Relations Manager with a focus on propulsion.

ourselves.”

The announcement also included the news that Iveco team members, Steve Heanes and Damon Paull, have moved on to pursue other career opportunities.

“Mr Heanes worked with Iveco for almost 30 years and contributed strongly to the company in the senior fleet sales roles he held, while Mr Paull also had a significant impact in the role of Marketing Manager during his tenure,” said Michael.

“I thank Steve and Damon for their service and wish them every success in their future endeavours.”

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LEFT

NEWS & VIEWS

AUSTRALIA’S HYDROGEN INDUSTRY

National Energy Resources Australia has launched HyCapability, connecting Australia’s hydrogen industry to a global market. It isAustralia’s first hydrogen capability platform Supporting the growth and development of Australia’s hydrogen equipment, technology and services (HETS) industry NERA has launched HyCapability as a hydrogen capability finder, connecting Australian hydrogen businesses with a domestic and global market through a free, online, searchable platform.

HyCapability is the latest development in the hydrogen sector from NERA and the Hydrogen Technology Cluster Australia (H2TCA), and has been created with the assistance of EconomX, the economic development and Supply Chain Management (SCM) platform which maps and promotes regional hydrogen HAND PAGE ecosystems and supply chain capability.

“HyCapability allows Australian companies with innovative technology, services and equipment for the hydrogen industry to cut through the noise and profile themselves,” said Miranda Taylor, NERA CEO. “All of NERA’s work in hydrogen is driven by one goal, to develop the industry so the country exports more than just hydrogen molecules.

“Australia is uniquely positioned to become a world leader in niche technologies and services that support the fast emerging hydrogen industry.

We just need to continue to seize every opportunity to showcase our capabilities, capability and experience to the global market.”

“I encourage any Australian business working within or having capabilities relevant to supporting the relevant to supporting the development of our

country’s hydrogen value chain to complete their company profile for free to start benefitting from this new shop window.”

“HyCapability offers an unparalleled shop window to companies working in the hydrogen sector,” said Susan Mercer, the CEO of H2Q, the organisation behind Queensland’s hydrogen industry cluster.

“As a key cluster within the H2TCA, we’re focussed on sustainably growing the hydrogen industry ecosystem in Queensland.

“We share a vision with NERA of building the skills, capacities and commercialisation opportunities necessary to unlock Australia’s enormous potential to create a globally competitive hydrogen industry. It’s exciting to see the capability mapping project which H2Q commenced in Queensland has now become a national platform with NERA.”

LIGHTER • FASTER • STRONGER NSW (02) 9677 1555 QLD (07) 3204 9166 VIC/TAS (03) 8787 8288 WA (08) 9302 4199 SA/NT (08) 8241 7111 NZ (09) 447 1007

NEWS & VIEWS

MAJOR TRUCKING TECHNOLOGY EVENT FOR BRISBANE On the eve of the 2023 Brisbane Truck Show there is set to be a major trucking technology event for Brisbane. The International Forum for Heavy Vehicle Transport and Technology will hold its HVTT-17 conference event in the city in May 2023.

The purpose of International Forum for HVTT is to promote and support the development of road freight transport technology, safety and policy. The event is a chance for experts in the field to exchange information with researchers, policy makers, regulators, road agencies and the transport industry.

This series of events was started in 1992 in Cambridge, UK, as the International Forum for Road Transport Technology and it has been held in Australia twice before, at Maroochydore

in 1998 and in Melbourne in 2010.

Australia has always been a major participant in these events as a result of our development of cutting edge truck combinations, like the B-double and other productivity innovations.

Brisbane has been announced as the venue for HVTT-17 at the closing ceremony of this year’s event held in Qingdao, China with delegates tuning in from around the world.

“We are excited to be announced as hosts of HVTT-17 in May of 2023,” said Todd Hacking, HVIA Chief Executive.

“The symposium brings together the very best in knowledge and education.

It is about sharing insights and ideas from world leading research and development, looking at best practice policy and connecting directly with

Brisbane has been announced as the venue for HVTT-17 at the closing ceremony of this year’s event held in Qingdao, China.

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industry at one of the world’s great road transport events.

“The conference will be held on the eve of the Brisbane Truck Show, creating a great opportunity for delegates to enjoy everything both events have to offer. For HVTT-17 we have selected the theme of Ecosystem Evolution.

“We believe it harnesses the challenges and opportunities that we all face as the industry progresses the transformation to zero emissions vehicles. That takes in vehicles, systems, energy and infrastructure.”

HVTT-17 will take place from Monday 15th to Wednesday 17th of May 2023 at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre. Then the Brisbane Truck Show will open on Thursday 18th May and runs through the weekend.

NEWS & VIEWS

JAPANESE BIG BANGER ANNOUNCED The return of a 13 litre engine to the Fuso heavy duty range sees a Japanese big banger announced at over 500hp. There had been a trend to use 11 litre engines, in recent years, at the top end of Japanese truck ranges from UD Trucks and Fuso.

The domestic truck market in Japan runs at much lower masses than here in Australia and, in recent years has found the 11 litre engine adequate to handle most transport tasks and improve fuel efficiency. Over the years, Australian truck buyers have sought more power from Japanese truck makers. The truck makers in Japan have become more outward looking in recent years and have spent more development dollars on product for export.

The announcement that Fuso will break through the 500hp barrier with a 13-litre Shogun set to arrive in Australia next month is further evidence of that changing paradigm. Earlier this year, Hino hinted that its newly redesigned 13 litre may become available with power

ratings above 500hp in the future.

Fuso Australia says the new model was developed by the Japanese company in response to requests from local customers for a true high-performance Japanese heavy duty B-Double capable truck and it has been several years in the planning.

The Fuso Shogun will be available with an engine rated at 510hp and with 2500Nm of torque on tap. According to Fuso in Australia, it will be the best performing Japanese truck in Australia with a big torque advantage.

The introduction of the Shogun 510 will increase the breadth of the Fuso Shogun prime mover and rigid model range that already includes 8-litre and 11-litre options.

The Daimler OM471 six-cylinder engine achieves maximum power at 1600rpm and its maximum torque from 1100rpm. The six-cylinder engine, features an asymmetric turbocharger, and meets Euro 6 emissions standards.

This is coupled to the Daimler 12-speed AMT used in the lower power Shogun models.

The announcement tells us that Fuso engineers have carried out extensive testing of the Shogun 510 since 2017, including an outback Australian test of an initial prototype, durability testing in South Africa and an additional production-ready test in Australia and New Zealand.

VELOCITY BUY ANOTHER DAIMLER DEALERSHIP

The US dealer Group Velocity Vehicle Group (VVG) is further extending its major move into the Australian truck market as Velocity buy another Daimler dealership. After picking up a number of Daimler Truck dealerships early this year the US company has now taken control of Daimler’s biggest NSW outlet, its Huntingwood dealership.

For Daimler Truck and Bus the sale of its only remaining company owned dealership represents its exit from the truck retail sector.

“Moving away from own retail allows for a singular focus on providing Daimler Truck and Bus customers the best truck and bus solutions across all segments,” said Daniel Whitehead, Daimler Truck and Bus Australia Pacific President and CEO. “Selling and servicing commercial

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vehicles is the speciality of our dedicated truck dealer partners, so it makes sense for them to provide our channel to market and to offer industry leading support for our customers.”

Earlier this year, Velocity, a major US truck dealership group, acquired all of the Daimler Truck dealerships, formerly owned by the Eagers Group in Australia.

This development has grown out of the strong relationship the group has developed in the US, as the owners of 36 Freightliner outlets across North America, and counting.

The VVG story started with the two partners, Brad Fauvre and Conan Barker acquiring Los Angeles Freightliner in 1998.

There were three stores at the time and the partners had no aspirations to grow the company as it is privately held and not driven by shareholders. However, as other opportunities presented themselves the various dealerships became part of the Velocity Vehicle Group in California, Nevada, Arizona and even down into northern Mexico.

Later, further opportunities resulted in dealership acquisitions on the other side

POWERTORQUE November/December 2021

of the country in Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama and North Carolina. In all the company has grown to 80 locations worldwide with over 3,000 employees and 2.5 billion US dollars in revenue and ranks as the 25th largest private company headquartered in Los Angeles. It offers sales and service parts and finance and leasing over multiple brands that include everything from pickup trucks and step vans to the toughest on- and off-highway trucks. It also has Great Dane trailer and Thomas Built bus franchises.

In an interview for Power Torque Magazine and speaking from his headquarters in Whittier, California, Brad Fauvre, Co-President said that the company is built on Speed, Value and Trust in dealing with customers and employees.

Both he and partner Barker came into the business from a transportation background and both wanted to get into their own business. They found they liked the trucking industry, its people and its partnerships. With the growing number of locations, the company has benefitted from the sharing of best practices and business systems, said Fauvre.

NEWS & VIEWS

TRANSPORT INDUSTRY REPORT PUBLISHED After a nationwide set of discussions the transport industry report published by the Rural Regional Affairs & Transport References Committee tabled its final report from the committee’s inquiry into the importance of a viable, safe, sustainable and efficient road transport industry.

The Chair of the Committee is Shadow Assistant Minister for Road Safety Senator, Glenn Sterle, and during the course of this inquiry, 150 witnesses appeared before the committee across 11 public hearings around the nation, including in AlburyWodonga, Brisbane, Canberra, Perth, Sydney, Melbourne and also via tele and videoconference from the Northern Territory, South Australia and Tasmania.

37 of the 150 witnesses appeared in their capacity as a truck driver. The committee received 128 submissions overall and 58 of those submissions came from truck drivers.

The inquiry came as a result of extensive consultation over many months, including at two Transport Industry Standards Forum’s, with state based and national transport associations, owner drivers, trainers, academics, transport companies and employers, industrial organisations and unions.

The Senate inquiry not only examined the many factors that confront the industry at a national level, but also produced recommendations as to how the industry could become more viable, safe, sustainable, efficient and profitable.

The Report has made comprehensive recommendations to Government which are based on extensive research and evidence taken from witnesses and submissions.

The committee recommends that the government establishes or empowers an independent body that will, in consultation with industry, set universal and binding standards (including binding standards with respect to pay), which ensure the safe performance of work and eliminate unsafe economic and contracting practices and apply to all road transport supply chain participants.

The government to work with state and territory governments to introduce a standardised, universal and compulsory safety induction unit for the road transport sector, with an industry skills passport for

Shadow Assistant Minister for Road Safety Senator, Glenn Sterle.

recording these and all other induction and training credentials.

Establish a robust investigatory, reporting and data collection system, while expanding the powers of the Australian Transport Safety Bureau to carry out independent, no-blame safety investigations of road crashes involving commercial heavy vehicles, ensuring all commercial vehicle crashes are recognised, treated and investigated as workplace accidents.

Develop road infrastructure and driver facilities, delivering a safe, sustainable and productive road transport sector, including a set of national guidelines for town planners regarding road envelopes, identify priority roads for dedicated and targeted road funding partnerships, adopt national guidelines for the design and placement of heavy vehicle rest areas, while mandating heavy vehicle only rest areas.

The committee recommends that the government funds an education and awareness campaign around the benefits

to small operators of the use of telematics devices, both in safety and efficiency and ensures that all such telematics and other technologies meet strict guidelines designed to protect drivers’ privacy.

Develop an industry wide market-based ratings system to incentivise best-practice in the industry, ensuring all current and future government contracts with a road transport component are only awarded to road transport operators with the highest standards.

Develop a plan and sustainable funding mechanism for establishing managed roadside livestock effluent disposal sites on key livestock freight routes in Australia.

Establish a Transport Advisory Group with members from the transport industry and unions to function as a consultative and advisory body for ministers responsible for the infrastructure, transport and road freight portfolios and meets regularly to facilitate ongoing dialogue and provide updates on matters of importance to the road transport sector.

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TRUCKS ON TEST

MACK IN BLACK The latest Mack range includes the enhanced Superliner, utilising the more advanced Anthem electronic architecture and also offered with a sleeper cab developed from the Anthem cabin design system, Tim Giles takes the ‘Mack in Black’ on a road test in the Western Queensland outback.

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POWERTORQUE November/December 2021

TRUCKS ON TEST

W

ith the arrival, this year of the Anthem from Mack, the more sophisticated electronic architecture which comes as part of the package is not just in the new Mack Anthem model itself, but is also modernising the rest of the Mack offering in Australia.

The Superliner has become a popular model in the conventional heavy prime mover market, finding favour with operators looking for the high power option of the 685hp MP10, driving through the M-Drive AMT. The model combines the stability advantages of a traditional conventional with a state-of-the-art transmission capable of handling the heavy stuff.

By moving the Mack designs forward to a more sophisticated electronic set-up, the trucks can utilise the latest iterations of the M-drive with a crawler gear option now available, the mDrive HD. This enhances startability and gradeability to enable these models to get rated at higher GCMs up towards 140 tonnes, without having to resort to fitting hub reduction drive axles.

Since their introduction, the MP10 engine and the mDrive have proved to be popular choices for the Mack faithful. This latest model takes that core driveline and introduces more flexibility and capability to the whole truck. The Anthem cab design also brings a genuine integrated cabin to the party, something which Mack buyers have needed for a long time.

After making an appearance at the Mount Isa Rodeo the Mack Superliner pulling a double road train, with two trailers branded up to publicise Mack’s sponsorship deal with the Driza-Bone clothing business, was ready for a trip around the roads of Western Queensland.

This is where PowerTorque picked up the truck for a quick two-day tour of the highways of the west of Queensland. The route headed south out of Mount Isa, down to Boulia on single track bitumen, though open dry country.

From here the truck turned North-East crossing the series of dry creek beds which feed water into the Diamantina Lakes during the summer floods, which make this area just viable enough to support agriculture. After a stopover in Winton, it was back along the Landsborough Highway to Cloncurry and then west, up and over the ranges, before dropping back down into Mount Isa.

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TRUCKS ON TEST

Mack Superliner pulling a double road train, with two trailers branded up to publicise Mack’s sponsorship deal with the Driza-Bone clothing business

In fact, this particular route is probably not one which would regularly be traversed by a Mack Superliner with this particular configuration, and local drivers, who we came across en route mentioned the size of the cabin as being smaller than the preferred options in Western Queensland.

This specification with an integrated 36inch sleeper is more suited to East Coast running with a B-double or A-double combination. It has the power to handle the heavy tasks, but the tighter dimensions to fit into the 26 and 30 metre dimension envelopes.

THE BASICS This truck on test is set up exactly as a Mack enthusiast would want it. On the bonnet it a gold bulldog (in this instance, replaced with a black dog to go with the paint job) and this denotes the full Mack proprietary driveline.

The MP10 engine in the the Superliner and Titan has delivered the kind of engine Mack buyers are looking for. Any initial

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skepticism about an engine coming from the Volvo Group stable has disappeared with a set-up which delivers good torque and power at the right rpm in the right amount.

The ability of the engine to hang on at relatively low revs and continuing to push through when needed, has got the engine over the line. When it first arrived in Australia, the mDrive was also met with a similar skepticism, much of which has dissipated in the last few years.

Any doubters may be brought into the AMT fold by the latest transmission fitted in this Superliner. By going to the latest version of its electronics, Mack can now access the HD mDrive AMT as well as the XHD, with the benefit of deep reduction gears. By introducing the crawler gears now available, the truck gets a much improved startability performance, for that low speed high mass work these kinds of trucks may well be used for. The communication between driveline components and the rest of the truck is much improved and much swifter.

The 685 hp (504kW) 16 litre engine may

POWERTORQUE November/December 2021

sometimes give the impression it may be a little bit lazy, but that impression is soon dismissed as it holds on at high masses while still relatively low on the tachometer.

Torque comes out at 3186Nm (2350 ft lb) of torque and feeds into the Volvo Group rear end, with 3.78:1 ratio final drive ratio, all sitting on the group’s eight bag rear air suspension.

This particular model is rated up to 90 tonnes GCM, and running out on the roads around Boulia and Winton, the engine deals with the undulations in this country pulling over 80 tonnes, in top gear at 90 km/h and at 1350rpm. There’s plenty left under the driver’s right foot when an injection of power and torque were needed to get up and over the undulations. without missing a beat and rarely dropping down a gear.

For higher mass rating, up to 140 tonnes, the truck would probably go out to a heavier rear end, but would still only need to use a single reduction transmission, avoiding the need to go to a hub reduction on the drives.

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TRUCKS ON TEST

THE ANTHEM SYSTEM There are two parts of the Anthem system which have been introduced with this particular Superliner. One is the 36inch sleeper and the other is the electronic architecture in the truck and resulting change evident on the dash board and truck interior.

The whole vehicle now speaks one digital language and, as a result ,the integration between things like the engine, transmission and active cruise control are not only seamless, but instantaneous, fully integrated into the electronic system and all of the data appears on a single screen.

All of the Bendix Wingman functionality is just an integral part of the truck’s electronic architecture.

The Anthem system gives us the new dash and multi-buttoned steering wheel, which has now been introduced throughout the Mack range in Australia. As has been mentioned before in the pages of PowerTorque this design brings the look and feel of the controls up to date, while retaining some of the traditional North American style.

The style is half analogue, half digital, there is enough that is familiar to cater for the very conservative tastes of the US truck driver and there are enough modern electronics and screen data to tell you this

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is a sophisticated system you are plugged into. The traditionalist can just watch the dials and hit the switches, like the old days, but the modernist can set up all of the automatic systems to get the best out of the computers on board to achieve the most relaxing and fuel efficient drive by knowing how and when to leave it to the truck and when to intervene manually.

Scrolling through the digital menu could be daunting for the uninitiated, but there is enough data monitoring and parameter setting available to the automation nerd, if they so desire.

This is the 36-inch integrated stand up sleeper, which came along with the introduction of the Anthem system into the range. This sleeper is a major change for the Mack brand here in Australia. The Anthem cabin allows for a higher roof over the driver’s seat. This means there is plenty of headroom for the driver, when standing between the two seats.

Mack sleepers have not traditionally been fully integrated and have suffered from quite a cramped feel, especially in the shorter BBC models. On the 60 inch sleeper which retains the day cab roof, the fact you cannot stand up next to the driver’s seat is not an issue, simply step back into the space between the bunk and the seats.

Not only does the higher roof make the

POWERTORQUE November/December 2021

cabin more spacious, it also means there is a good deal more storage available around the top of the cabin. 36 inch cabins are not particularly big, but are a necessary evil when running up against dimension issues in applications like B-double. This a pretty roomy cabin, for a conventional truck which can fit into the 26-metre envelope.

GETTING INTO ANOTHER GEAR This truck is another step in a process which has been going on for some time, where the Volvo Group is bringing all of its brands towards the state-of-the-art in modern truck design, but in a step-by-step way so that many of the traditionalists are gradually won over to the 21st century way of building and driving a truck.

Of course, there will be diehards who just want to drive a Superliner, circa 1990, but these days the technology has become so much smarter that most of the time the system will be more efficient without driver intervention. Many drivers find it difficult to give up control to an electronic system, some still distrust cruise control, but the pace of improvement in the reliability and effectiveness of the software has now reached a point where the driver can choose to let the computers make most of the decisions while they keep it pointed in the right direction and intervene when needed.

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*Approximate figures. Detailed power/torque curve available on spec sheet.

TRUCKS ON TEST

With the introduction of the HD mDrive, the driver now has modes to switch between, to adapt to the conditions at high masses, using things like the P+ mode.

The AMT responds to mode changes by altering the bias of the shift changes to suit conditions. In tough conditions this will increase the rpm at which any up-changes are made, but at other times will hang onto gears when the driveline needs protection. It all depends if horsepower or torque is more important in that situation.

Selecting the HD is the mode for off-road driving at high masses and is designed to get the best out of the situation. In this mode, the AMT will also sense the extra load on the drive line, which will occur in a situation like that of a triple when it is cornering, as a result it will not make any ratio changes to protect the rear-end.

We are beginning to get used to the displays which come along with these modern systems and across the brands there is a certain amount of commonality in the way some of the features are presented. The bars looking like a variable pedestrian crossing are used to denote the set following distance in the adaptive cruise control are one example of a common symbol.

There is some time needed for assimilation to the way each brand places the data on the driver’s screen, but the driver will soon know where the gear indicator is, which speed is set on the cruise control, etc.

Thought has gone into the ergonomics of the dash design by Mack. The light

18

controls are all to the right of the steering column, close to the A-pillar and visible to the driver, unlike the hidden controls of the past.

Overall the layout is more logical than it has been in the past. The really important stuff is right there in front of the driver. The occasional analogue gauges are off to the far left, with the AMT controls, radio and UHF closer to the driver’s left hand.

There is then the array on the steering wheel itself, another feature we are becoming used to on all modern trucks.

With just eight buttons, the driver can control the cruise control, phone, radio and central dash display with their thumbs while driving.

DRIVER INTERVENTION The option to take control is always there for the driver if and when it is needed.

Going into manual mode on the AMT can be used in a number of different situations.

When the gear is set, the driver can choose a half gear or full gear up or down by tapping the controller once or twice.

Going into manual mode the driver can keep dropping gears until the truck is in crawler gear and set up for slow manoeuvring. There are two reverse modes and the driver can pick whichever mode suits the conditions.

Like all of these sophisticated systems there are a lot of options available, for the driver. The breadth of options is too big to pick up in a casual test drive like the PowerTorque journey out of Mount Isa. However, a targeted round of training will be able to equip drivers with all of the available options to suit their particular

POWERTORQUE November/December 2021

applications. This truck is capable of handling all of the difficult situations a truck from the previous generations could handle, it’s simply a matter of what switch or button to press, as opposed to how to press the pedals and stir the gearstick to get the desired outcome.

In a lot of these cases, as the traditional North American-style trucks are being brought into the 2020s with all of the latest technology, there is a balance to be made between that old-style look and feel and the needs of the modern truck industry.

From the driver’s seat this truck does push the right buttons. I am looking out over the bonnet to the Bulldog’s back side, there are a pair of west coast mirrors mounted on the doors and the air cleaners sitting either side of the bonnet. There are also round analogue instruments along the top of the dashboard, red and yellow maxi-brakes and a split windscreen.

One thing it doesn’t have is suspect steering response. The new design sees a straight uninterrupted steering shaft all of the way from the steering wheel to the steering box at the front axle. The result is a smooth firm and highly responsive steering feel for the driver, with no surprises. Very useful on bumpy outback tracks with two trailers in tow.

Added to this, the overall package does also bring you much of the latest technology and a truck which behaves in a way which is up to the standards set by the market leaders. There is enough of the old style, but there is plenty of the modern world and the latest safety innovations to suit a modern trucking fleet in the 2020s.

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ALT-POWER

INTRODUCING ELECTRIC TRUCKS AND KEEPING THEM CHARGED With all of the hype around the development of electric and hydrogen fuel cell trucks becoming the norm in the future, the way trucks are refuelled/recharged is going to radically change and building the new infrastructure to support them will be a priority.

T

he refuelling infrastructure for the trucking industry has barely changed in the last fifty years.

Service stations have got bigger and are now more like small supermarkets, but the basic reason for their existence remains as it was when the transport industry moved from horsepower to internal combustion engine power, to get liquid fuel into the tank.

As the zero emissions policies move forward the emphasis will change. The front runners to replace diesel as the main source of energy are electric and hydrogen power. Both of these have different characteristics and different functions in the trucking industry.

Electric power is the most likely technology to be used in the city environments and on the vast majority of short range tasks. Small electric fast charging stations have been popping up

20

around our cities in the last few years to cater for the small but growing band of Tesla and other electric car buyers. These are often placed in small sites in difficult to get to car parks and dotted around in the inner city.

This may work for big city office workers and their small cars, but they are not going to work for the transport industry. Most of the electric vehicles working in the city are likely to be those which are back to base at the end of every shift. The fast or slow chargers back at the yard are the most likely methods of delivery for the basic electric powered option.

For the electric car companies, especially in markets like Europe and the US, the emphasis has been in setting up as many visible charging points as possible, in order to stimulate sales of electric cars.

When potential buyers regularly see charging points dotted around the city, they

POWERTORQUE November/December 2021

begin to feel secure about being able to recharge easily.

For electric truck manufacturers the problem is going to be more difficult. In order to sell an electric truck into a fleet any charging infrastructure will need to be in place before the truck begins to operate.

Early adopters are likely to be larger fleets where the number of trucks involved would justify the building of charging infrastructure to keep the trucks on the road. If the operation needs fast charging, the investment needed will be substantial and some innovative funding solutions may be needed to get electric truck sales over the line.

As the move towards electric power does take hold, diesel sales will decline correspondingly. This may stimulate service stations to develop charging infrastructure on their existing sites to keep up business revenue.

ALT-POWER

At this point in time it is difficult to predict just how fast this transition is likely to take. In the USA, where the process has been going on for some time, one of the suppliers of recharging systems, Tritium, predicts there will be 30 million electric trucks and buses in 2030. This will mean a fast transition will be required to keep up with fast growing demand.

WHAT IS NEEDED? There are a number of factors which will determine exactly how a truck battery will be charged. In order for the truck to be charged simply by plugging into a threephase electricity outlet, it will need to have an onboard AC/DC converter fitted. It is is the capacity of these converters which effects the speed of the charging process.

For faster turnaround times the truck will need the much quicker DC fast charging. This technology is the one which will be fitted at truck depots to handle charging. The industry also reckons this is the type of charging which will be available at retail charging (service) stations. This charging technology will probably also become available at truck destinations, like distribution centres,

container terminals etc.

The experience in the US is that some enterprises have found it is not necessary to invest in their own expensive charging facilities as long as there are compatible charging facilities on the routes they use.

The higher power chargers are rated up to around 350kW and these are the kinds of size which will be needed for truck fleets.

When connected, the vehicle tells the charger what kind battery it has and how much charge is required. Therefore, any vehicle, large or small, can use the same outlet. Most of the chargers currently being

fitted in the US and European market are of a lower rating as they are mainly aimed at the car market.

Those setting up charging stations are pricing relative to the cost of electricity from the grid, the investment in the site and equipment, and a profit margin on the top.

There are a number of different models being tried, at the moment. Basically, they revolve around the kilowatt hour (kWh) price and may vary based upon the level of demand, with prices rising when the charging facilities get crowded.

One of the more progressive states,

www.powertorque.com.au

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ALT-POWER

California, has a scheme which subsidises the building and operation of fast DC chargers around the state to the point where they can be built for a minimal price.

This is part of a policy to encourage the uptake of electric vehicles.

THE AUSTRALIAN EXPERIENCE Earlier this year, Volvo introduced two electric FL trucks into Linfox’s Bevchain fleet, as part of that company’s drive to head towards a zero emissions operation.

The two trucks are currently running around Melbourne delivering to bottle shops around the city.

The 4x2 Volvo FL Electric Volvo FL trucks are powered by a 600 Volt system on the trucks using 200 kWh battery packs to power a 200kW/425Nm motor. Power gets to the drive wheels via a two-speed I-Shift automated transmission. The trucks began trials with Linfox/BevChain earlier this year.

“The Linfox experience was pretty straightforward,” says Paul Ilmer, Volvo Vice President Sales Strategy and Support. “They

use a 22kW AC wall charger, there’s not too much to it. It is a three phase 320 amp set up, one on a pedestal and one mounted to a wall. The thing about these AC chargers is they are just a supply of AC current and then the truck’s own converter, on board, converts it to DC to recharge the batteries.”

There is a relatively. low level of knowledge in the trucking industry, (something PowerTorque is trying to address in this series of articles) and Volvo is finding there are a number of questions it needs to ask about the task the truck will be handling, which will determine what sort of truck might be suitable.

Not only are the daily kilometres, mass and size important, but also whether there is a charging window in which the truck can be recharged. This window could be while the truck is loading or unloading and when the driver takes a break, as well as getting a full recharge overnight.

“We use something called a ‘battery configuration tool’,” says Paul. “We get all of the data and put it into the tool so we can

determine, and get the characteristics of, the freight task itself. There’s a lot around this, trying to ensure you have the right charge at the right time. It’s also important

Paul Ilmer, Volvo Vice President Sales Strategy and Support.

to understand whether the payloads make sense, because the batteries do weigh quite a bit.

“It’s taken us by surprise how many people are asking about this. Customers are becoming more knowledgeable and are asking better questions. We’ve seen an uptick in enquiry from customers, but also from government and interested parties.

“One thing which needs to be cleared up is the perception from some that hydrogen will just displace electric. It’s not the case, you will probably have battery for everything up to 300km per day, and you wouldn’t put hydrogen into that application, because you don’t need it. At higher masses and over longer distances, then you move into hydrogen.”

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POWERTORQUE November/December 2021

ALT-POWER

TRYING TO

BREAK SOME TRUCKS There’s a saying among the trucking OEMs that if you want to break a truck, you send it to Australia. If we are to get serious about reducing emissions from the transport sector and doing it in a way that makes economic sense, we need to start trying to break some trucks.

A

nalysis by the Clean Energy Finance Corporation suggests that over their lifetime, hydrogen fuel cell trucks (FCEVs) will be cheaper to own and operate than equivalent diesel models for long haul applications. I have been pointing out this analysis to anyone who asks me about how hydrogen can play a role in in our future energy mix. Clearly hydrogen has a place in heavy trucking.

However, we still need to see how these vehicles work under Australian conditions for major fleet replacement.

And with vehicle purchasers lacking confidence in the total cost of ownership or return on investment (and lacking refuelling infrastructure) OEMs aren’t seeing the demand signals at any real scale.

The good news is that some businesses have been prepared to purchase FCEVs, and we are also seeing trucks coming to Australia. For example, AHC member Ark Energy has ordered five 154 tonne Hyzon trucks, which are expected to hit our shores in 2022. Ark Energy has also built its own hydrogen refuelling infrastructure.

The AHC has recently released a white paper, outlining how Australia can seize the opportunities that hydrogen

presents in terms of decarbonising our economy. Regarding transport, we outline what should be done to make to ensure that FCEVs are a reality for businesses seeking to reduce their emissions in the short term and to provide suitable alternatives to internal combustion powered vehicles when they are no longer being made by a number of manufacturers.

In developing this paper we have looked at what is being done overseas to prove hydrogen mobility solutions and have found that demonstration projects can be a key step towards providing industry with certainty around the total cost of ownership of hydrogen vehicles.

Based on overseas progress, AHC is recommending: • At least two heavy vehicle trials of large fleets, at a minimum amount of $200 million each, focussed on heavilytrafficked truck routes (e.g. SydneyMelbourne); • At least three larger trials for lighter trucks for logistics near hydrogen centres, at $25 million each; and • At least two larger trials for bus routes near hydrogen centres, at $45 million each for 40 buses (or a combination of smaller and larger, at $12 million per small trial for 10 buses.

While these look like big commitments from Government, we believe that initial public funding will unlock many times more value in private investment and, in the context of a broader transition to hydrogen in other sectors such as manufacturing, export and stationary energy, create huge economic benefits.

While other challenges to the uptake of FCEVs remain (our white paper has recommendations on these too!) we want to see truck trials and demonstrations happening as soon as possible.

We know that hydrogen stacks up against diesel in terms of fuel costs, but the only way we will really know whether these vehicles can stand up to everything that our country can throw at them is to see them in action. This will give us a picture of maintenance and other operating costs, and only then can fleet owners and other businesses who are reliant on heavy road transport can make informed decisions about how to reduce emissions.

The AHC’s White Paper can be found at https://h2council.com.au/ policy-regulation/ahc-papers-andsubmissions Joe Kremzer is the General Manager of Policy at the Australian Hydrogen Council.

www.powertorque.com.au

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OPERATOR PROFILE

LOOKING FOR A

VERY SPECI Gabriel Badea wanted a long wheelbase to handle a highly specified body on a truck with only one drive axle, he was looking for a very specific truck. Paul Matthei speaks with him about his operation’s different requirements.

W

hile the bulk of Gabriel Badea’s work involves delivering construction products such as timber and steel to building sites around the greater Melbourne area, he also does some longer runs to pick up timber from saw mills in the NSW and Victorian high country.

On those longer runs to pick up timber from saw mills in the NSW and Victorian high country it can be treacherous during the winter months.

In spite of the icy and slippery road conditions, he says electronic braking on both the truck and trailer, along with the traction control on the truck and a careful driving style, ensure safe operation at all times.

“When travelling up the mountains near Tumut in the wintertime when the roads are icy and slippery I have never felt unsafe, both the truck and trailer just stick to the road like glue,” says Gabriel.

He looked at several European brands prior to his latest purchase, eventually choosing Scania due to a number of factors. He also stresses that it is currently the only brand to offer the 8x2 configuration in Australia.

Another drawcard, according to Gabriel, is that the this truck offers the longest wheelbase of all the brands, at 7.1 metres, straight from the factory.

“I didn’t want to buy a truck then spend a lot of money to get the chassis lengthened to fit the body length that I wanted,” says Gabriel.

Part of the reason for such a long chassis is to accommodate the rearmounted Effer 315-8s (eight extension sections) crane with a massive 21.5 metre reach and 780kg lifting capacity at full extension.

This is a vital part of the outfit, given the bulk of Gabriel’s work involves delivering building products around

24

Melbourne and surrounds on a daily basis. He is a contractor for Vic Mesh, the manufacturer of Rebar steel reinforcing bar and mesh used in concrete slabs, and also delivers timber and steel trusses for housing and other large timber and fabricated steel construction components. He also at times uses the truck to transport heavy machinery.

As an owner-driver for some 28 years, early in the piece Gabriel worked for some of the bigger companies and then started in his current line of work delivering building materials and steel around 14 years ago.

“When I started doing this work I was using Japanese trucks and with the longer distance work I knew I needed a more comfortable truck, so that’s why I bought my first new Scania in 2009,” says Gabriel. “Scania is the only manufacturer that offers full air suspension on all axles, and that really makes a big difference to the ride comfort.”

This time around, Gabriel went straight to the top of the range and ordered the flagship S Series complete with a 500hp 13 litre six-cylinder engine mated with the Opticruise 12-speed AMT. Introduced in 2016, the S-series features a taller and all-round larger cab with the bonus of a completely flat floor.

This was achieved by elevating the cab further above the engine and while the driver needs to negotiate one extra step to gain access, once inside there is far more room to move around, including greater head room.

8X2 ABILITY While the 8x2 configuration is not a popular choice in Australia, Gabriel says he’s sold on it because it provides the best payload capacity along with remarkably good fuel economy. What’s more, he doesn’t buy the ‘conventional wisdom’ that suggests a bogie-drive

POWERTORQUE November/December 2021

truck is essential for his line of work.

“I didn’t want to buy an 8x4, even though most people said to me I needed a bogie-drive so I wouldn’t get stuck on job sites,” Gabriel says. “But I knew it was fine for the work I do because I have had the 8x2 R 420 for more than 10 years and I have never been stuck with it.”

Gabriel says the 8x2’s ability to transfer weight onto the drive axle by reducing pressure in the lazy axle’s airbags, along with some good oldfashioned common sense, have been sufficient to enable him to keep out of trouble in this respect.

In fact, he says he rarely needs to use the diff lock, so effective is the drivercontrolled airbag pressure transfer system in keeping sufficient weight on the drive wheels for traction.

While having 500hp in an eight-wheel rigid might seem like overkill to some, Gabriel also has a two-axle pig trailer that he pulls behind it, giving him a combined payload capacity of 27 tonnes.

Still, even running at the maximum gross combination mass of 45 tonnes, the S 500 barely raises a sweat.

Not one to follow convention for the sake of it, Gabriel has adopted a rather unusual method of hitching the trailer to the truck, a mini fifth-wheel supplied by D’Angelo Engineering that’s mounted under the body between the chassis rails.

“It’s a really good setup and tows beautifully,” says Gabriel. “With the power of the truck you don’t even feel like you have a trailer on behind.”

He goes on to say that he made sure the trailer was equipped with TEBS (Trailer Electronic Braking System) so it would complement the truck’s EBS, giving him confidence that the combination would pull up in a straight line in an emergency.

Both of Gabriel’s Scanias have the full air suspension which he says provides an

OPERATOR PROFILE

FIC TRUCK

Gabriel Badea’s work involves delivering construction products such as timber and steel to building sites around the greater Melbourne area.

The rear-mounted Effer 315-8s (eight extension sections) crane.

www.powertorque.com.au

25

OPERATOR PROFILE

Gabriel’s S Series complete with a 500hp 13 litre.

unmatched ride comfort.

As for fuel economy, Gabriel says while it’s still early days and he hasn’t done many kilometres in the new truck yet, he’s already seeing an impressive return of 2.7/2.8 km per litre (7.6/7.9mpg) in stop-start city traffic. He maintains he always drives in Economy mode because there’s simply no need to use Standard or Power modes.

“One of the best changes is the upgrading of the gearbox with the new layshaft brake,” he attests. “The shift quality is so smooth and fast it’s incredible how it changes gears for a truck of this size. I couldn’t imagine being able to change gears manually as smoothly or as quickly.”

The powerful Scania retarder is another standout feature for Gabriel; he prefers the strength and quietness of its operation to the louder engine brakes on other trucks.

Gabriel also heaps praise on Scania’s

26

designers for optimising the seating, A-pillar and mirror positioning to provide even better visibility than before.

“I would say with the changes to the driver’s seat position and these other changes it’s ten times better for the driver,” he says.

When it comes to servicing, Gabriel opted for the five-year/500,000 km service-included Scania repair and maintenance programme. As he says, he has enough on his plate and is happy to leave this vital work to the expert technicians at Scania’s Dandenong branch from where he bought the truck.

BUYING SOME BLING “I wanted a luxurious, big and comfortable European cab, and that’s exactly what I have with this new truck,” says Gabriel. “It’s really like spending my day in a mobile office, which is what I wanted.

“I’ve had people crossing the road

POWERTORQUE November/December 2021

in front of me, stop and take pictures. I think they like the chrome and the lights.

It certainly does look a lot different from the average run-of-the-mill truck.”

Gabriel scoured the internet in search of additional chrome trim to enhance the look of the big Scania cab, finding a supplier in Italy who could deliver high quality bespoke trimmings, such as the nifty light bar situated beneath the front bumper. Other parts came from another supplier, Metec, based in Estonia.

As for the mirror-finish stainlesssteel panel at the rear that prominently displays the tail-lights and ‘SCANEA’ number plate, Gabriel fabricated that himself and had the light slots laser-cut.

For Gabriel the customisation is a labour of love and he has gone to extraordinary lengths to ensure his pride‘n’joy well and truly stands out from the crowd.

“I love how it looks, especially at night with all the running lights illuminated,” says Gabriel.

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TRUCKS ON TEST

TALKING THE TORQUE, COULD 13 BE THE LUCKY NUMBER?

Torque it up. Volvo’s 500hp D13K500, TURBO-TC engine, as part of the I-Save package, produces an enviable 2800Nm of torque – just 80Nm less than its16-litre D16G600 big bore brother.

Volvo Group Australia is preparing to release its FH 500 I-Save which features a 13 litre turbo-compound engine producing a mountain munching 2,800Nm of peak torque.

Paul Matthei jumps at the offer to take a prototype version hitched to a B-double grossing 58 tonnes for a pedal up and down the infamous Toowoomba Range.

I

t is indeed fascinating to reflect on the dramatic changes over the last half century in the Average Joe’s perceptions of what kind of vehicle is required to handle a certain task. As technology has relentlessly marched forward, what was once deemed entirely unsuitable has now become the norm.

Over this period the transport industry has seen a steady increase in gross

28

combination masses (GCM), spearheaded by the likes of B-doubles and increasingly longer truck and dog combinations.

Performance-Based Standards (PBS) has also played an escalating role in encouraging the uptake of heavier, safer and more productive outfits.

This has had the effect of requiring more torque to be produced to effectively manage the extra weight, particularly

POWERTORQUE November/December 2021

during hill climbs, which has sustained the 15- and 16-litre engines at the top of the performance tree, particularly in the linehaul and heavy haulage categories.

Yet, while the big-bore 15 and 16 litre sixes and V8s have been the backbone of heavy-duty prime movers for the past three decades or more, the 13 litre brigade has been gradually creeping up in the power and torque departments to the extent

TRUCKS ON TEST

Volvo’s FH 500 I-Save.

that most are now suitable for full-weight B-double roles.

However, a critical factor that has driven the enduring popularity of bigbore engines is longevity. While a smaller capacity engine may be quite capable of doing the job, if it fails to endure for its projected lifespan then any cost benefits in fuel savings that have been gained along the way are blown right out the window.

This is the challenge facing manufacturers like Volvo that are seeking to convince operators that their 13 litre engines can cut the mustard in roles where the big bore engines have traditionally ruled. While these manufacturers do exhaustive testing of their products to ensure they are fit for purpose before sale, ultimately it is the real-world time and toil that these machines must endure to prove their durability and be accepted by the broader truck operating community.

Fortunately, there is usually a small percentage of early adopter types who are willing to give it a crack in the interests of verifying the manufacturers’ claims and

finding out for themselves whether or not the product is fit for purpose, therefore potentially paving the way for more broader uptake down the track.

As with all new developments, this can take a while, but it’s plausible that by 2030 several brands of 13 litre engine, such as the one in this test, could be powering a goodly number of prime movers hauling full-weight 26m B-doubles plying Australia’s regional and inter-capital routes.

I CAME, I DROVE… I-SAVE Launching into this brave new world, Volvo’s FH 500 I-Save fairly bristles with technology designed to enhance performance, fuel economy and convenience for the driver.

At the heart of the I-Save package is Volvo’s D13K500, TURBO-TC (TurboTurboCompound), an engine designed specifically for high mass, long-haul operations.

It is a 500hp 12.8 litre in-line six equipped with twin overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder and common rail fuel injection. Optimum combustion

efficiency is achieved by a wave-shaped piston crown which redirects the flame front to the centre of the combustion chamber.

The engine timing gear set is located at the rear and drives the servo pump, oil pump, fuel feed pump and air compressor.

Claimed benefits are lower weight, less vibration, more compact packaging and quieter operation. It’s also said to improve engine cooling because the flow of incoming cooling air is not obstructed by a timing cover at the front.

It also permits the optional fitting of a rear-mounted power take-off (PTO) designed for either prop-shaft operated or direct-mounted hydraulic pumps with torque requirements of up to 1,000Nm in continuous operation.

Further to quieter operation, the D13K TURBO-TC engine meets the relevant noise emission requirements thanks to crankshaft and camshaft hydraulic vibration dampers and pre-injection of fuel to further dampen noise at idle.

The engine meets Euro 6 exhaust emissions standards through the use of

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29

TRUCKS ON TEST

a sophisticated after-treatment system contained within the muffler. This comprises a Diesel Oxidation Catalyst (DOC), a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF), a Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) unit and an Ammonia Slip Catalyst (ASC). It is also equipped with cooled Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) to further reduce emissions.

The additional components in the aftertreatment system serve two main purposes: To improve gas flow and to make sure that the exhaust gases reach the aftertreatment system at optimum temperature, thus ensuring the emission level is not exceeded.

The cooled EGR recirculates a small portion of the exhaust gas back to the charge air in order to limit the production of nitrogen oxides (NOX) while the DOC reduces the nitrogen dioxide (NO2) necessary for the DPF to efficiently combust the particulates. In cold conditions, it also provides the heat needed for regeneration.

The standard 64 litre AdBlue tank is neatly tucked away behind the cab on

30

the driver’s side, with its own little door integrated with the cab extender fairing for easy filling. Optionally available is a 150 litre underbelly tank mounted between the chassis rails.

The engine can be equipped with VEB+ (Volvo Engine Brake) and EPG (Exhaust Pressure Governor) with the combined systems said to provide extremely high retardation, further improving safety and reducing wear on the wheel brakes.

A highlight of the engine is the turbo-compound (TC) unit, a second fixed geometry turbo downstream from the primary turbo, which converts the otherwise wasted energy of exhaust gases into torque that is then fed directly to the flywheel via a fluid coupling, thus providing additional torque to the drive wheels in the lower rev ranges.

This is an important factor to highlight because the TC enables the engine to produce an unprecedented (for a 13-litre engine) peak torque figure of 2,800Nm (2,065 ft lb) consistently delivered between 900 and 1,300rpm.

POWERTORQUE November/December 2021

At this stage it’s worth pointing out that this is 100Nm (73.75 ft lb) more than Volvo’s closest European competitor in the 13-litre class and a hefty 200Nm (147.5 ft lb) higher than two of its other Euro rivals in the same class.

Another interesting point is that the I-Save 13 litre engine delivers nearly the same torque output as Volvo’s big bore D16G600 engine (2800Nm versus 2880Nm), although the bigger engine produces its torque over a somewhat wider band between 1,000 and 1,500rpm.

Indeed, with their respective 13 litre engines, the four major Euro truck manufacturers are challenging the widely held view that 15 and 16 litre engines are mandatory for interstate haulage with full weight B-doubles.

Other features of the I-Save package include a medium chassis height that’s around 150mm lower than standard, energy tyres and I-SEE cruise control which allows a degree of ‘float’ around the set speed rather than a hard and fast on and off regime.

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HOME ON THE RANGE With all this in mind it’s time to see if theory correlates with on-road reality as I step up into the cab of the Volvo for a return run from Volvo Group Australia’s (VGA) Wacol head office to Toowoomba.

On the subject of stepping up, a welcome upgrade of the step tread design provides a supremely solid and non-slip foothold, whether wet or dry, to ensure safe entry/egress at all times.

The prime mover is hitched to a curtainsider B-double with the combination loaded to a GCM of 58 tonnes, a fairly typical weight for a line-haul runner.

Because this truck is a prototype unit fitted with the I-Save package, there are a few differences compared with the forthcoming production units. For example, production versions will have a push button gear selector rather than the traditional lever.

In addition, while the prototype’s transmission features a direct (1:1) top gear ratio, in line with all 13-litre models to date, word has it that an overdrive box will be used in production versions to provide the necessary down-speeding of the engine at highway cruising speed.

Initially VGA was planning to achieve this down-speeding by retaining the direct ‘box and fitting a European spec 2.83 ratio rear end. However, the company seemingly surmised that for our market the improved startability from the 3.09 diffs combined with the overdrive top gear was the way to go, effectively providing the best of both worlds.

Riding shotgun with me on the drive is Matt Wood, Strategic Projects and Communications Manager at VGA, who explains that the turbo-compounding on this vehicle is markedly different to that which Volvo introduced on its 12-litre engine more than 20 years ago.

Put plainly, there were a number of factors that adversely affected the longterm reliability of Volvo’s early 12 litre TC engines, including the propensity for trucks of that era to be driven somewhat above the legal 100km/h speed limit and the fact that most of them had manual transmissions fitted. Both of these factors, particularly in the hands of a ruthless driver, tended to put too much stress on the TC geartrain, leading to reliability and durability issues.

However, according to Matt Wood, those issues have now been well

and truly rectified.

“There are significant differences between the two versions and probably the greatest of these is intent,” says Matt.

“Back then TC was introduced to gain more horsepower and performance from the 12 litre engine, specifically for B-double duties, whereas today with the 13 litre it’s all about improving efficiency.

“In those days, many trucks were perhaps travelling a little faster than they should have been whereas today we have a largely compliant industry and I-Shift automated manual transmissions (AMT) are standard fare on all 13-litre Volvos.”

Matt goes on to emphasise that the greatest enemy of TC systems is overspeeding, which is why Volvo, this time around, is keen to promote the strengths of TC in terms of improved fuel efficiency and torque delivery at lower rpm.

“This engine produces peak torque between 900 and 1,300rpm so it needs to have a rear axle ratio that enables 100km/h cruising at or below 1,300rpm,” says Matt, asserting that the production version with the overdrive transmission should enable 100km/h cruising speed at around 1,250 to 1,300rpm.

Matt proceeds to explain that a number of other new features have enhanced Volvo’s latest TC unit over earlier versions the company produced.

“The housing is pressurised to reduce the likelihood of oil leaks and the turbine/ compressor wheel has been tested to 124,000rpm, while in operation it rarely reaches 73,000rpm,” says Matt. “There is also a Voith fluid coupling in the system, rather than the previous direct mechanical connection, which mitigates vibrations and prevents shock loading on the gear train between the turbo and flywheel.”

WESTWARD HO Threading the Volvo I-Save through the backstreets of Wacol immediately reinforces the smooth, comfortable and quiet cab environment typical of modern Volvo trucks.

Upon entering the highway, it swiftly reaches 100km/h with the tacho showing 1,350rpm and subsequently eats up the kilometres with consummate ease.

The prime mover is fitted with Volvo Dynamic Steering which enables lane keeping assist. It works well, gently tugging the steering wheel in the required

direction if the driver strays too close to the white lines. It also noticeably reduces steering effort at low speed which is a boon when hooking up trailers and negotiating tight yards.

Also effective is the I-Save cruise control which incorporates the I-SEE function using GPS mapping to reduce vehicle speed when approaching the crest of a hill to enable I-Roll to kick in on the descent without the risk of overspeed.

As the climb up the Toowoomba Range commences, I’m struck by the smooth power delivery and transmission changes that see the truck settle quickly into 8th gear at 1,300rpm with a road speed of 30km/h.

I could definitely feel the extra torque from the TC working to keep the speedo and tacho needles glued to 30km/h and 1,300rpm respectively. This was surely the sweet spot and it refused to budge from it. It certainly felt like this extra torque input, coming as it was from the consistent output of the TC, was actually smoothing out the power strokes of the engine and making it seem more like a rotary engine in terms of power and torque delivery.

On the return trip down the range an equally impressive combined performance from the VEB+ (Volvo Engine Brake) and EPG (Exhaust Pressure Governor) saw road speed held at 40km/h without foot brake intervention.

At the end of the trip, average fuel consumption, as measured by the onboard computer, was 1.9km/l (5.35mpg), a good result considering the relatively short duration of the trip and the long haul up the range. With the addition of the overdrive transmission, production versions should see this figure improve, particularly on longer interstate runs.

Summing up, this drive showed the I-Save Volvo FH 500 has the goods to capably manage line-haul B-double roles at gross weights between 55 and 62.5 tonnes.

With the TC unit doing its thing admirably, torque delivery is substantial and seamless, just the ticket for tackling steep climbs with a fully loaded B-double in tow.

If it can do this reliably, fuel efficiently and with similar longevity compared with the larger engines, there’s a good chance it will gain widespread acceptance among Australian B-double operators.

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TRUCKS ON TEST

MATURE MEDIUM FROM

HYUNDAI

There’s a new truck in town, with the arrival of the Hyundai Pavise, a new medium duty truck from the Korean truck maker, as it extends its range further into the Australian truck market.

P

owerTorque took the latest truck from Hyundai for a test drive around Brisbane to see if this truck will be a genuine contender in our truck market and be able to compete in one of the most competitive truck segments in the Australian market.

The introduction of a new medium duty truck model is always going to be news for the trucking industry. This segment of the truck market is not the most glamorous, but it is one in which a lot of the hard yakka is done in terms of day-to-day smaller deliveries.

Trucks doing this work are normally

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from the Japanese truck brands with a much smaller smattering of European and a couple of US brands. However, the first truck to compete in this market from Korea is the Hyundai Pavise (pronounced like Paris, but with a V instead of an R).

The truck tested was the model, which was on the Hyundai stand at the Brisbane Truck Show. On the test the truck was still carrying the Hyundai Mighty light duty truck as a load, just as it had been displayed in Brisbane.

At first glance, this truck has got a credible appearance. This looks like a well-designed truck which will handle

POWERTORQUE November/December 2021

the task, with a modern design style and functionality. The overall impression is of a truck which has been finished properly. Climbing up into the driver’s seat reinforces that initial impression, with the feel of a solid well-finished product.

In terms of style, the design looks very similar to one which the Japanese would come up with, modern, functional, no nonsense, but well thought out. Added to this is a hint of European styling, making it look a little different in a crowd.

The Koreans have learnt something it took the Japanese quite a long time to take on board, to add just that bit of style and

TRUCKS ON TEST

comfort to a truck to make it attractive to markets outside of its domestic home market. Simple ideas like the side lockers on both sides of the cabin show the truck maker is putting thought into the design.

The driver settles down into a comfortable and adjustable seat and is confronted with a useable and functional dashboard and set of controls. The steering wheel itself is one of those filled with buttons in four areas. There’s radio controls top left, phone controls bottom left, cruise controls top right and information screen controls bottom right. Plus an airbag in the middle.

There are three steering column stalks as well. On the left is the more familiar one for the indicators and the windscreen wiper.

On the right are two stalks, controlling the transmission and engine braking. One stalk the sets the transmission mode, standard or eco, on the 12-speed AMT. The other enables the driver to manually change up and down gears. This stalk is also home to the engine brake which has three positions and, when decent engine braking is needed, tells the AMT to down-change to get revs up to increase retardation.

On the AMT, there is also a manoeuvring mode available in both forward and reverse gears, another little bonus.

There is a manual option available on the Pavise as well, with nine speeds. Both options are from ZF, but this part of the truck market has just about gone over completely to autos of some kind, so we can expect the AMT from ZF to be the

The steering wheel itself is one of those filled with buttons in four areas.

“FOR HYUNDAI, THE WAY FORWARD IS CLEAR. THE BRAND HAS GOOD QUALITY PRODUCT IN THE MARKET WHICH IS CLOSE TO MATCHING THE BIG PLAYERS.” most popular option.

The engine providing the power to this drive train is a 5.9 litre Hyundai D6GA25A engine which produces 246hp (183kW) at 2500rpm and produces 853Nm of torque at 1400rpm. There is also a more powerful engine option available at 276hp, with 935Nm of torque.

The GVM on the model tested by PowerTorque, the lower powered model, is set at 15.5 tonnes GVM, and the more powerful model is rated out to 17.6 tonnes GVM. This heavier version of the model uses 22inch wheels while the lower powered model runs on 19inch wheels. It is also possible to get the lighter model downrated to a 12tonne GVM. Hyundai offer three wheelbase options on these models at 4.2m, 4.9m and the longest at 5.7m.

SAFETY SUITE The installation of a safety suite has become ‘de rigueur’, in the Australian truck market

and Hyundai have climbed on board of the multi-faceted electronic safety systems train, in this model.

As is often the case, there are a long list of abbreviations to be digested. In this case we have VSC, ABS, FCA, ESS, SRS, EBS, LDWS, TC and, finally, ES. Most of these have entered common parlance, but, of course, each truck maker uses a slightly different set of letters. Most of these safety systems are activated automatically when the driver turns on the ignition.

Suffice it say, we do have stability control, forward collision avoidance, autonomous emergency braking, and lane departure warning, as well as the basics.

This exhaustive list puts this truck in the same league as all of the major players in this space. The AMT option also includes an E-roll function which disengages the clutch when it is possible maintain speed by coasting.

The information screen directly in front of the driver in the middle of the dashboard, looks more like the type of design we see in European trucks, rather that the more ‘clunky’ style associated with the Japanese truck brands.

This is a surprising aspect of the entry of Hyundai into our truck market. the brand has not come in with a basic offering and then developed it into our market.

Instead the first trucks to arrive are a viable competitor to the state-of-the-art market leaders in medium duty. In terms of its truck specification, Hyundai is not messing around.

This cabin is relatively large, when compared to its competitors, and the space behind the seats is fitted with a substantial mattress. The cabin does remind one of earlier Japanese models, in terms of in-cab storage. Very small door pockets are not very useful. However, there are drink holders and some other storage option in the central binnacle.

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TRUCKS ON TEST

The large screen on the entertainment system will also take camera feeds from around the truck. There are plenty of outlets with USB and power supply sockets to keep the tech heads relatively happy as well.

DRIVING EXPERIENCE From behind the wheel the Pavise feels like a modern sophisticated truck. The performance of the ZF AMT further enhances this perception with the smooth changing appearing absolutely seamless from the driver’s seat.

The systems in the truck are very responsive and effective. On a slight downhill at cruising speed, the truck is looking for an opportunity to engage E-roll and to coast along using very little fuel. The design and well-adjusted control system in place on this truck make the most of effective strategies to improve performance or save fuel.

This thoughtful design is also evident in the relationship with the AMT. When

34

the driver pushes through the detent on the accelerator to get a kick-down, the AMT immediately changes down at least one gear and will hold that gear at high revs until the driver backs of, or the tachometer approaches 2500rpm.

Everything is set up to take direct inputs from the driver and react appropriately to that input. The tight turning circle is another aspect of the design which inspires confidence.

The overall feel of the truck is one of solidity and of being well-finished.

It has a comfortable and secure feel from the driver’s point of view. The way the truck has been designed and put together makes the driver feel secure and in control.

The design of the handles and buttons are not simply utilitarian, the designers have clearly thought about the way they look and designed them accordingly.

As a result, they have a distinctly European look about them.

One element of the cabin’s interior

POWERTORQUE November/December 2021

design which is ‘clunky’ is the parking brake. It is mounted high on the dashboard and seems bigger than it needs to be and out of place in such a good looking interior.

At the end of the day, and reflecting on the driving experience, this driver is left with little doubt this is a well made truck which performs the task very well while letting the driver get on with the job. The automatic and automated systems perform very well.

This truck feels well-designed, wellmade and well-finished. Now all it needs is to be well-driven.

For Hyundai, the way forward is clear.

The brand has good quality product in the market which is close to matching the big players. Getting the trucks out to the market must be the next priority.

At the moment the number of Hyundai dealerships is relatively modest, but the word will get out that there is a credible and cost-effective alternative to the Japanese manufacturers.

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RURAL TRUCKING MATTERS

THE CHRISTMAS HAM IS UNDER THREAT

A

fter a horror 2020, throughout which our truck drivers have been widely lauded as Australian heroes, who would have thought that in late 2021 state governments would be threatening to take away their livelihoods? This is the question being asked by the Australian Livestock and Rural Transporters Association.

It’s no secret that Australian road transport operators have carried the nation during drought, fires, floods and the COVID-19 pandemic. Conditions have been challenging. Personal safety is often at risk. Basic amenities have been withdrawn. The increased regulatory burden of border permits, COVID-safe plans, COVID testing, delayed test results, PPE and isolation requirements have pushed many to breaking point.

Throughout it all, our truck drivers have kept on delivering, and considering the tens of thousands of interstate truck movements occurring every single day, there have been comparatively few COVID events linked to truck drivers. Where these have occurred, regular testing has provided early detection while COVID safe plans have limited transmission and enabled rapid contract tracing.

Yet, right now, state governments are progressively introducing mandatory vaccination requirements for interstate truck drivers, in some cases giving just two weeks notice. No jab, no border pass.

Simple as that.

This course of action is completely unacceptable. What happens if your transport operation relies on interstate business and yourself or your staff are unable to meet these requirements? You go broke that’s what. And governments just don’t seem to care. Talk about short memories.

While ALRTA appreciates the efforts of certain governments to prioritise vaccination availability for freight workers over recent weeks, industry has been calling for this to occur since

36

vaccines were first available. After all, it makes sense to prioritise cohorts in respect of which governments have recognised a need to impose risk-based movement restrictions. As it stands, there remains a significant proportion of truck drivers who are either unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated.

Our association believes that more than 85 per cent of truck drivers will eventually volunteer for vaccination. However, many drivers living in regional areas have experienced long delays in availability.

In some cases, vaccine bookings have been cancelled with expected vaccine consignments re-directed to priority outbreak zones. Others report difficulty in accessing truck-friendly vaccination locations or in fitting a vaccination into an already busy schedule (given the time required to travel to/from a vaccination site, undergo the vaccination/ observation, and the possibility that even a mild adverse reaction might prevent professional driving for at least 24hrs).

There are also individual truck drivers who, for a range of reasons, will never be vaccinated. Some have medical conditions that preclude vaccination. Some will refuse particular vaccines. Some will simply exercise their right not to be vaccinated.

This may represent 5-15 per cent of all truck drivers.

A mandatory requirement for truck drivers to be vaccinated to obtain a valid border permit is a slap in the face to the road transport sector.

It is also widely known that there is an acute shortage of skilled truck drivers across Australia. ALRTA member operators report that a significant proportion of fleet vehicles remain ‘off the road’ at any one time because it is simply not possible to source qualified and appropriately skilled drivers.

The mandatory jab requirement will exacerbate the driver shortage, significantly reducing Australia’s interstate road freight capacity at a time when we

POWERTORQUE November/December 2021

should be doing everything possible to support a rapid economic recovery.

There are already warnings in the market that Australia will face a shortage of fresh produce in the lead up to Christmas. With some abattoirs operating at only 80% capacity, the red meat industry is predicting that 250,000 surplus spring lambs will not be processed this year. A lack of seasonal workers in horticulture will see fruit and vegetable shortages and skyrocketing prices. Crikey, even the Christmas ham is under threat!

This situation is occurring even when some meat processors have staff vaccination rates hovering around 80 – 90 per cent, plus stringent COVID-safe protocols in place. Placing increased pressure on the road transport supply chain is certainly not going to help this situation. ALRTA and our member associations are calling on governments to reject mandatory vaccinations for truck drivers in favour of improved vaccine rollout and appropriate incentives.

In this regard, our associations are recommending that: • Truck drivers be prioritised for vaccination in all jurisdictions; • Truck drivers be given free choice of vaccine type; • Truck friendly vaccination clinics be provided at suitable locations; • Vaccination validation be straightforward and nationally consistent; • Interstate border protocols be modified for vaccinated drivers commensurate with the expected level of risk reduction (e.g. Longer duration border permits, alternative use of rapid antigen tests, reduced requirement for isolation when not working etc); and • Separate COVID-safe protocols be established that enable unvaccinated interstate truck drivers to keep working.

Australian truck drivers have done their bit to support Australia. We now ask Ministers, Premiers and Chief Health Officers to support our truck drivers.

RURAL TRUCKING MATTERS

GOOD FREIGHT AIN’T CHEAP

Mark Hall is a straight talking trucking operator based out of the Gunnedah Basin are in New South Wales, who says he works with the motto ‘good freight ain’t cheap and cheap freight ain’t good’.

M

DH Haulage has found a niche for its bulk hauling business in a couple of areas of work, and maximises payload using an allowance requiring on board mass (OBM) units fitted to the trailers. Tim Giles talks to the company’s founder, Mark Hall.

“I’m the allocator, driver, truck washer, tyre fitter, grease monkey, I‘ve got a few titles in the business,” says Mark. “Our job is pretty easy to organise week-to-week.

There’s always a curve ball thrown in there around Wednesday, which changes it all around, but it’s just what we deal with.

“This week it was that we were all going to go and load fertiliser today, but the boat’s a day late. You get a fair bit of time to

38

think as you drive along and work what to do instead.”

Mark began in the trucking industry washing trucks for a removalist while he was still at school and caught the bug from there. Later, he served his time as a mechanic and, like a lot of young mechanics, drifted into truck driving. Then, there was a sidewards shift into coal mining for seven years, returning to the trucking world after that.

He worked for a few operators and learned the ropes before going into business for himself and the MHD Haulage business has been going for seven years.

Coming from the Gunnedah area, quite often means the basis of the business is

POWERTORQUE November/December 2021

in hauling coal, with trucks returning to rural New South Wales and Queensland with agricultural products like stockfeed and fertiliser.

The operation services over 20 customers with coal supplies and some of those customers use the coal in the production of products like ethanol and stockfeed. It is this stockfeed which the business moves from areas like the NSW South Coast, up to the large stockfeed consumers in NSW’s West and further up into Queensland.

“The work is consistent and we cart coal out of the Gunnedah Basin, and service an area from Grafton on the North Coast to Nowra on the South Coast,” says Mark.

RURAL TRUCKING MATTERS

“In between those two points we handle 23 customers. The coal is mainly used for boilers for furnaces.”

The drivers are all in the BFM program and the allowances built into the system gives the operation enough flexibility to get the tasks done. Most of the drivers manage to get to sleep at home some nights during the week, coming in and out of Gunnedah.

GETTING THE MASS RIGHT “One of the routes we regularly use goes down Mount Ousley and there’s a requirement that you have Onboard Mass fitted which lets you run down there at 74.5 tonnes,” says Mark. “You can only run down there at 68.5 tonnes without it.”

The fleet runs a number of different combinations, including truck and quad dog, B-double and A-double. The A-double set runs with the same number of axles as a B-double, with two bogey axle semi trailers and a bogey axle dolly, but can get the GCM of 74.5 tonnes, using OBM, and satellite tracking, on concessional mass limits, for both NSW and Queensland.

The A-double in the fleet was supplied

by Sloanebuilt Trailers as was one of the truck and dog combinations. The new trailers are fitted with the Loadmass on board mass system which ensures reliable record keeping and secures compliance with the requirements of Transport for NSW to run at higher masses over the

routes used by MHD Haulage.

“I went to Sloanebuilt and said I want a road train that I can tip like a truck and dog,” says Mark. “So that the A-double can be tipped off, the whole thing, without unhooking it. We played with lengths of drawbars and turning circles. We do tip it without unhooking, but sometimes it is just as easy to unhook.

Payload on the A-double gets up to 50 tonnes, while the B-double can get to 43.5 tonnes and the truck and dogs can get a 38.5 tonne payload on board. The only other special requirement the operation needs for its trailers is for the sides to be

slightly higher than is normally the case, at around 1.8-1.9m.

TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS “At the moment I am driving a truck all of the time,” admits Mark. “But I think I do need to get back out of it soon and get back in the office. I will still go for a drive on weekends, but need to be working in the office.

“Covid tests were a bit of a hassle in the beginning, but we were pretty influential in getting a centre set up at Gunnedah. It took a bit of work alongside our Mayor, Jamie Chaffey to set

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RURAL TRUCKING MATTERS

it up for transport industry needs.

“It hasn’t slowed us down too much.

It’s just a lot of hassle for the girls in the office, organising border passes, travel declarations and covid tests.”

The business does co-operate with a selection of similar operators in the area, all of whom run similar businesses.

When one of the larger customers has a big job on, they will all muck in and get it completed, knowing the favour will be returned when another operator needs some extra capacity.

“I think the future of our business could be some form of transfer depot in Gunnedah,” says Mark. “This would mean we could service Queensland better. We could bring loads into a holding yard and then load them up as road trains and take them north to Queensland. That’s our goal, where we probably need to go.

FLEET PREFERENCES The operation runs three Western Star 4800 models, two of which are prime movers and the other pulls a quad dog. There is also a

40

“IF YOU OWN A BIG TRUCK AND WORRY ABOUT FUEL ECONOMY, YOU MIGHT AS WELL SELL IT. FUEL ECONOMY IS A BIG THING, THERE ARE A LOT OF FACTORS INVOLVED, THERE ARE DIFFERENT DRIVING STYLES AND EVERY BLOKE DRIVES DIFFERENTLY. ” Kenworth T610 based in Sydney, also pulling a four axle dog. then there’s two Kenworth T409 SAR trucks, one with a three axle dog, plus the other pulling a quad dog. All of the transmissions are manual.

“No automatics here,” says Mark. “I think that with an automatic gearbox in a truck, you are not in control. If you can’t change gears, you can’t drive a truck. A lot of my drivers have been with me quite a long time.

“If you own a big truck and worry about fuel economy, you might as well sell it. Fuel economy is a big thing, there are a lot of factors involved, there are different driving styles and every bloke drives differently.

“We keep an eye on fuel economy, but

POWERTORQUE November/December 2021

when you are pulling 74.5 tonnes, you are not going to get 3km/l. You budget on 1.5km/l and then see how we go. The Western Stars are going OK. The one set up as a truck and dog is doing 2.1km/l, running at 57.5 tonnes. The A-double and B-doubles are getting up and around the 1.7km/l mark.

“We will hang on to the Western Stars for 1.5 million km. We rebuilt the two little ones, after we bought them second hand with high kilometres on them. The rest of the trucks all have X15 Cummins engines and I reckon they’ll be good for 1.5 million km as well.

“We do have a mechanic who works for us. We do a lot of in-house work, like suspension bushes and other

RURAL TRUCKING MATTERS

things. The only things we send out are when we put a new gear box or a new motor in a truck.”

WORKING PHILOSOPHY Mark runs his operation, as many in the industry on a handshake and operating with a level of trust. He has learnt lessons over the years and can handle customers on a person-to person basis.

“One of my customers, who had been with me for years, phoned up to tell me he had been offered haulage for $4 a tonne less that I charged,” says Mark. “So I told him that he should get the new operator to do his work, because I would not drop my price.

“A couple of weeks later he calls up and I ask how it’s going. He tells me he is about to run out of coal because the other operator hasn’t turned up. When he asked me to start doing his work for him at my old price, I said no, this is a new contract and it is going another $2 a tonne. He’s still using me five years later. Good freight ain’t cheap and cheap freight ain’t good.”

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CONVERGENCE

SMART TRUCKS, FOR SMART TRUCKING

At the same time as telematics systems are getting smarter, so are individual components on a truck, but the truck systems are now becoming powerful enough to stand on their own as a trucking operator’s telematics system.

I

n recent years Hino Australia has been upgrading its truck range and that renewal now includes HinoConnect, which is becoming ever more sophisticated. This is another aspect of the process of convergence in electronic architecture, which the trucking industry has been undergoing in recent times.

The latest version of Hino-Connect, was released this year as part of the 700 Series package. This new iteration offers customers the next generation of business telematics with real-time performance data tracking, remote diagnosis of vehicle faults 24/7 and dedicated Hino-Connect specialist support.

This new system will be available as standard fitment on the all-new Hino

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700 Series. The Hino-Connect is an Australian-built and designed system that communicates directly with the driver via the truck’s Multimedia unit, and delivers comprehensive levels of data to business managers through an online portal and app. ‘’More than just a mapping or tracking tool, Hino-Connect delivers 700 Series customers real-time insights into the operation of their fleets,” says Gus Belanszky, General Manager, Service and Customer Support for Hino Australia. “In an Australian-first, Hino-Connect will allow direct communications with drivers through the intelligent multimedia unit.

“This is the next iteration of the intelligent Multimedia unit that is standard on all Hino trucks, while Hino-Connect is

POWERTORQUE November/December 2021

currently only available on all-new 700 Series, this is an exciting indication of what the future holds for Hino customers.”

BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE IN REAL-TIME Using real-time data and insights, HinoConnect will automatically analyse the cause and effect of driver performance, safety and vehicle utilisation using simple dashboards in the portal.

Hino-Connect also gathers live vehicle performance data to provide full operational visibility to business managers including brake count, gear change numbers and even the amount of times a vehicle is operating within its optimum rpm band.

CONVERGENCE

Hino-Connect uses Driver Score Reporting to monitor key indicators like harsh braking or acceleration, over revving or speeding to identify poor performance that can then be addressed through coaching to enhance driving techniques.

“Business managers can also track current fuel usage of individual trucks, and use the forecasting tool to estimate future fuel costs,” says Gus. Live GPS tracking and detailed trip reports allow fleets to update their customers with accurate delivery times while also identifying inefficient routes.

For increased fleet security, there are useful tools such as ‘movement without ignition’ alerts while geo-fencing ensures operators will be notified if a vehicle leaves a designated area. Automated email notifications provide full visibility of the Active Safety System with Pre-Collision System alerts to provide another level of fleet safety.

Hino-Connect monitors data from the PCS, the pre-crash emergency alert, and looks at its activation. When it reaches the last resort emergency activation, that event will be flagged back at base on the operator’s portal into Hino-Connect, as part of the driver’s score card.

Hino-Connect also proactively monitors maintenance reminders so customers can schedule ahead and minimise downtime.

Depending on the way the system rolls out in the Hino 700, Hino will examine the feasibility of making the system standard in the smaller 500 and 300 Series models. The new unit represents a step-change in the technology available.

MORE DATA, MEANS MORE FUNCTIONALITY “This time around we were able to work very closely with the Japanese engineers,” says Gus. “Previously, there had been a bit of back engineering and trying to read the signals on the truck, but this time we were able to get direct access and know how to read the data out of the vehicle.

“One of the really big features is the ability to read the fault codes, how to get fuel consumption data, we get all of the information directly out of the ECU. It also means we can send messages to the driver. in the past there was just a fault on the dash, but now the telematics will look at what the fault is, determine whether its severe, and if it is, a message will pop up to tell the driver the fault is severe and give them

“MORE THAN JUST A MAPPING OR TRACKING TOOL, HINO-CONNECT DELIVERS 700 SERIES CUSTOMERS REALTIME INSIGHTS INTO THE OPERATION OF THEIR FLEETS.” a call to action, to contact our roadside assistance team.”

The messages will only be used if the fault is one which will lead to the system derating the truck.

The operator can set up geo-fencing via the portal to get an alert when a vehicle enters or leaves a particular location. There is also an asset trail available where the operator can see where all of their assets went on the previous day. This can aid them in future route planning and load allocation, avoiding replication of locations.

There is an analytics section of the operator’s portal which Hino is working on opening up further, when it gets feedback from the market, about what information operators need to have on display following this first release.

There will also be developments in the way the data can be fed back to the operator and integrated with their existing management systems.

“We do offer an API (application programming interface) feed out of HinoConnect,” says Gus. “It does need some customisation to integrate the data with the

customer’s existing business systems.”

There are two parts to the hardware in the truck. There is the multimedia unit which has been fitted in Hinos in recent years. Then there is the Hino-Connect unit pulling down the data and interpreting it for the driver and the operator. The whole system has been developed for Hino in Australia, giving the company flexibility and the ability to customise as and when needed.

This hardware has the capacity to handle later iterations of the system and will be able to adapt over time to new requirements from truck buyers. HinoConnect can be updated over-the-air as time goes on, enabling updates and improvements to develop over the life of the vehicle.

The release of the Hino-Connect system is an illustration of the continuing convergence of systems from the point of view of the truck manufacturers towards those historically offered by third party manufacturers and retrofitted into vehicles.

Both have been isolated stand-alone systems, and completely self sufficient and pulling data down from cameras, sensors and the CANbus on the truck.

Now the new systems being built are becoming more able to communicate with other systems. This means there is no need for two or three sets of computing power to be in a truck, one from the manufacturer, one from a third party. Now we can look forward to a time when any component, whether in be an onboard mass monitor, the EBS, or a camera watching the driver, will all be able to communicate via one core unit.

www.powertorque.com.au

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CONVERGENCE

PRIMARY PRODUCER CONCESSION INFORMATION ADDED TO REGISTRATION CHECKER APP The issue of inappropriate use of primary producer registered vehicles is being addresses by the latest change to the Registration Checker ap.

U

sers of the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator’s (NHVR) Registration Checker app can now check for primary producer concessions across all eastern states and South Australia.

NHVR CEO Sal Petroccitto said the free service would allow loaders, packers and other supply chain parties to ensure vehicles were operating under the correct registration.

“We’ve responded to feedback from industry groups and businesses that regularly raise concerns about some operators using primary producer discounts to operate on a commercial basis,” said Sal. “Including concession information will help industry and governments address, and hopefully begin to reduce concession misuse across the industry in a more collective way.”

Sal said the NHVR had worked with states and territories (that hold responsibility for registration laws and concessions) to address industry concerns. He thanked participating jurisdictions for agreeing to include registration concession information in the Registration Checker app.

The Registration Checker app is an easy-to-use system that establishes the status of a heavy vehicle’s registration by keying in or taking a photo of a license plate’s details.

Australian Livestock and Rural Transporters Association National President Scott McDonald said making the concessional information available was a step in the right direction.

“Our member operators often report vehicles registered under primary producer schemes that are operating on a commercial basis, up to 10 per cent of vehicles in some areas,” said Scott.

“Allowing authorised officers and

44

other parties in the supply chain access to this information is an important step in stopping this behaviour.”

NatRoad CEO Warren Clark welcomed the information being available publicly.

“This is a good step to better identifying where unfair competition is taking place and I thank the states involved for making the information available,” said Warren.

The app will also incorporate information on the dangerous goods licence details of vehicles registered in NSW and Western Australia on their mobile devices.

“We’ve worked collaboratively with Western Australia’s Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety and the New South Wales Environment Protection Authority (EPA) to include dangerous goods vehicle licence information in the app,” said Sal. “The app now makes it easy to establish the dangerous goods status of a vehicle in Western Australia and New South Wales at the same time as undertaking other registration checks.”

POWERTORQUE November/December 2021

The NHVR will continue discussions with dangerous goods regulators in other states and territories regarding possible inclusion of their information in the future.

New South Wales EPA Executive Director Regulatory Practice and Environmental Solutions, David Fowler said the app would streamline routine compliance checks.

“Being able to carry out digital checks will help users verify vehicles are appropriately licensed quickly and accurately,” said David.

To use the app to check a vehicle’s dangerous good status, users simply enter the vehicle’s registration or take a picture of the number plate.

The NHVR Registration Checker app can be downloaded from the iTunes App Store or Google Play and is compatible with Android and IOS. For more details, visit www.nhvr.gov.au/ regocheck Payments and queries regarding heavy vehicle registration and licensing should be directed to the relevant state or territory road transport authority.

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CONVERGENCE

WHY DRIVER SCORECARDS IS THE BEST SAFETY AND EFFICIENCY TOOL FOR YOUR BUSINESS Chris L’Ecluse, Customer Success Specialist, Teletrac Navman talks driver scorecards.

W

hen our customers want advice on how to improve safety in their company fleet, I always begin with driver behaviour as the first step.

While every driver is as different as your fingerprints, if we all became aware of our own behaviour on the road, we would come to realise that many of our habits could use some improvement from a safety perspective.

According to Safe Work Australia, over a five year period from 2015 to 2019, 62 per cent of worker fatalities involved vehicles.

The majority of these worker fatalities (85 per cent) involving vehicles on public roads were the result of a vehicle collision.

This means that if your company has a fleet of vehicles, focusing on driver safety is an incredibly important part of keeping your employees, and your business, safe. At the same time, you have a whole lot of other goals to manage, keeping costs down is always on the top of the list, as unnecessary fuel use and inefficient equipment use eat away at budgets.

Thankfully, driver scorecards let you stay on top of drivers’ habits while tackling behaviours that are impacting your bottom line. And they can help to significantly increase safety.

REAL-TIME INSIGHTS Unless you happen to be sitting behind the wheel 24/7 across all your vehicles, knowing how your vehicles are being

46

used on the road is difficult.

Driver scorecard solutions collect data from in-vehicle telematics to provide a high-level overview of how each driver is performing within the fleet management system. For example, you can keep an eye on individual metrics to see where each driver excels and create personalised coaching for areas that need improvement.

If you discover that most of your team are driving at unsafe speeds, you can use real information to inform and update your training initiatives for the whole business, including during induction to ensure new staff don’t fall into bad habits.

DRIVING DOWN COSTS Better driving leads to better returns.

When drivers show poor driving behaviour behind the wheel of their vehicles it doesn’t just put safety in jeopardy, it also leads to unnecessary fuel use, more unplanned maintenance, and slower return on investment on expensive assets – as vehicles and machinery aren’t cheap!

By identifying trends that lead to excessive fuel use and stopping them as they arise, you’ll save your business thousands of dollars each year. Our 2019 benchmark report found that on average, 9.5 per cent of businesses saw a reduction in fuel costs after monitoring usage since installing telematics. Depending on the size of the fleet, that can be in the tens, and even hundreds, of thousands of dollars.

Driver scorecards also give you an

POWERTORQUE November/December 2021

easy visualisation of how vehicles are used, offering insights about the physical condition of your fleet. If one or two trucks get used harshly, it makes sense to service these vehicles more frequently than other trucks. By monitoring each truck’s performance, you can keep a close eye on upkeep to ensure optimal performance and get the best ROI from your fleet.

CREATING HEALTHY COMPETITION The concept of gamification – taking elements of games like competition and point scoring, is nothing new, but it can do wonders for your drivers’ motivation to tackle fleet-wide challenges. You can decide which behaviours positively or negatively impact a driver’s scorecard, or which metric is a strategic target to improve in the business. If speeding is a recurring issue, you may put more of an emphasis on this than other behaviours.

By setting a timeframe and rewarding the driver with the highest score with a gift card, or a week of paid leave, or even allowing them to drive their favourite vehicle – this will most likely lead to both improved driver behaviour and increased enthusiasm. Be sure to regularly share results with the team to create and sustain their motivation to kick bad habits.

By using driver data to inform your safety training initiative and individual targets, I’m confident you’ll create an on-going culture of safety while driving down costs.

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OPERATOR PROFILE

CARRYING ALL

SHAPES AND

SIZES

Managing a fleet carrying windows of all shapes and sizes over a large area presents a complex transport task with a number of challenges. Tim Giles talks to an operator who has got a handle on that task.

E

very transport task has its own particular associated problems.

Anything involving glass adds an extra dimension to those problems. Mistakes will often lead to broken glass, and that is the end of the story. A great deal of care and expertise is involved in loading and securing freight like windows.

Not only do the windows have to be secure, they also have to be protected from any movement and excessive

48

vibration, both of which can lead to disaster, especially on our notorious roads. Mid Coast Windows has had to learn to deal with the issues around transporting its product.

The issue is not just getting the product to the customer undamaged and intact. For Mid Coast Windows, it is also important to develop an efficient system for the distribution of the product across a large area of the East Coast “We make windows, and they are

POWERTORQUE November/December 2021

all made in Port Macquarie, and they are transported all over Northern New South Wales and up into the Gold Coast and Brisbane,” says Gary Watson, the owner and operator of Mid Coast Windows. “We also go south from here through Newcastle, Sydney and as far as Wollongong.”

The trucks are delivering aluminium Vantage windows across this wide area to building companies which are fitting the windows as they build new houses.

OPERATOR PROFILE

The windows are delivered direct to job sites at the right time, and in the right condition, for them to be fitted as and when needed.

“All of the windows are loaded onto A-frames and then strapped down,” says Gary. “Then those A-frames are lifted onto the back of the trucks in preparation for delivery.”

The system of delivery involves larger trucks heading out with full loads which are then dropped off at smaller facilities, in areas up and down the coast, where the smaller trucks load windows for individual customers in order to deliver to specific sites.

THE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM The flatbed truck bodies have pins set in the floor and the A-frame is lowered down onto those pins to stop any lateral movement, before the entire frame is strapped down onto the flat bed floor of the truck.

The trucks hauling the larger loads have a long flatbed body and pull a pig trailer to maximise floor space for the selection of A-frames loaded onto the truck. The trucks have a GVM of 12 tonnes, but the issue here is not mass, but adequate floor space on which to load

Gary Watson, the owner and operator of Mid Coast Windows.

A-frames, to maximise the number of windows on each load.

The larger truck will arrive at each satellite depot, unload the full A-frames and then replace them with the ‘dry’ A-frames, for return to the Port Macquarie headquarters. The newly arrived, and full, A-frames are then loaded onto the smaller trucks for onward delivery direct to

building sites in the area.

Gary has been involved in the business for 22 years. It is a family business and his sister and Gary now run it, having taken over from their parents. The business currently employs around 100 staff, all up.

They are made up of manufacturing, sales people, as well as the team of distribution staff.

The entire A-frame is strapped down onto the flat bed floor of the truck.

www.powertorque.com.au

49

OPERATOR PROFILE

The operation has six trucks, with Hino trucks handling the lighter local delivery tasks and and a selection of brands handling the larger runs of the full loads out to the delivery hubs. The trucks are built with large flatbed custom designed bodies to the same specifications, to ensure compatibility with the A-frames used to carry the windows.

“THE WORK IS NOT EASY AND THE DRIVERS HAVE TO HAVE THE EXPERIENCE TO DEAL WITH ISSUES. SOME SITES ARE VERY STEEP, SOME DAYS IT IS VERY WINDY AND ON OTHER DAYS IT RAINS, IT’S NEVER EASY. SOME SITES ARE HELPFUL, BUT WITH OTHERS IT CAN BE REALLY HARD.”

GETTING THE RIGHT STAFF

have to have the experience to deal with issues. Some sites are very steep, some days it is very windy and on other days it rains, it’s never easy. Some sites are helpful, but with others it can be really hard. On the whole, however, we have a pretty good relationship with our delivery sites.”

“It’s not easy to find the right drivers for our trucks,” says Gary. “The people are very important in our business.

The drivers delivering direct to site are our front line and point of contact with customers.

“The work is not easy and the drivers

The business currently employs around 100 staff.

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POWERTORQUE November/December 2021

In this kind of business the truck fleet are just one aspect of the operation, one of the tools of the trade. Gary characterises this saying the trucks are ‘a screwdriver’, just one of the tools need to make the whole process work. Of course, it’s a screwdriver you have got to have, the product has to get to the customer, where it is needed.

“It’s not rocket science, you buy trucks and then you keep them for four or five years, and then you move on,” says Gary. “The trucks probably do around 100,000km per year. We are not running 24 hour shifts.

“There are no bad trucks these days, looking around the market. When I look at the Hino truck we buy, I look at the competing brands and they have just about the same specification. They are that close.

“The choice then comes down to the person you are dealing with, the service and back-up is very important. You build relationships with your supplier. I deal with the Mavin Truck Centre in Kempsey and they are nice people.”

INDUSTRY ISSUE

THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A BETTER TIMETO

UPGRADE

I

f your business is eligible for the current government tax incentives, there has never been a better time to upgrade.

A positive cash flow within your transport business is important to maintain healthy growth. This can be rather tricky because you need to purchase large essential assets and equipment for your business.

However, buying a new or used truck has never been less taxing with the Federal Government’s Economic Stimulus Packages.

The temporary full expensing plan will apply to new depreciable assets and the cost of improvements to existing eligible assets, allowing businesses to claim an immediate deduction of the full value of all new, eligible, depreciable assets of any value that are first used or installed before June 30, 2023.

The scheme is essentially a greatly expanded accelerated depreciation program that allows businesses to claim a tax deduction for the full value of the purchase after its use, rather than claim depreciation amounts over several years.

“AUSTRALIAN OWNED AND WITH OVER 23 YEARS INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE THE COMPANY HAS A PROVEN TRACK RECORD IN ASSET AND EQUIPMENT FINANCE COMPRISING OF A PASSIONATE TEAM OF EXPERIENCED PROFESSIONALS.” Morris Finance have outlined this example to illustrate just how useful the scheme can be to transport operators: Greg owns a transport company, Greg’s Transport Pty Ltd, which has an aggregated annual turnover of $20 million for the 2021-22 income year.

Greg’s Transport Pty Ltd purchases a second-hand Kenworth prime mover for $150,000 exclusive of GST on 1 July 2021.

Under temporary full expensing, Greg’s Transport Pty Ltd will be able to claim a deduction of $150,000 for the full cost of the Prime Mover in 2021–22.

Paying less tax will improve the company’s cash flow and help Greg reinvest and grow his business.

Being able to write-off assets purchased is all well and good, but if you don’t have access to the funds to

Speak to Morris about your asset finance solutions today.

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purchase them, then the scheme won’t be of much use to your business.

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Australian owned and with over 23 years industry experience the company has a proven track record in asset and equipment finance comprising of a passionate team of experienced professionals.

To speak to one of our Finance Specialists or email info@morrisfinance. com.au, and the team will be able to assist you in finding the best facility for your needs and budget.

For more information call: 1300 4 Morris

Financing Australian Businesses Since 1998.

INDUSTRY ISSUE

FAIR COP!

LET’S LIFT THE LID ON SECRET DEALS AND MAKE TOLL ROADS ATTRACTIVE We need to look at just what is going on with toll roads in Australia, reckons Warren Clark, NatRoad CEO.

C

OVID-19 has disrupted every facet of our lives and the corridors of power have not been exempt.

A Parliamentary inquiry into how New South Wales runs its toll roads was shut down by the pandemic before it started in July and NatRoad finally got to have its virtual day in front of the committee late last month, via videoconference.

Even if you don’t drive in NSW you probably know that all but two tolled roads in Sydney are owned and operated by Transurban. They have a similarly dominant position in Brisbane.

In Melbourne, Transurban runs City Link and West Gate with ConnectEast operating East Link.

Last month, NSW announced a Transurban-led consortium had won the bid to own the government’s own share of WestConnex.

If that’s not a monopoly, it’s the next best thing to it. ACCC competition watchdog boss Rod Sims was moved to warn that this will entrench the toll road operator’s dominance and road users will pay the price.

NatRoad told the NSW Inquiry that there is a lack of transparency and fairness in tolls for heavy vehicles in that state and described it as gold standard highway robbery.

IT’S THE SAME ELSEWHERE Trucks attract tolls that are generally three times greater than those for cars, and up to 11 times more than a motorist pays in registration charges. Annual toll bills of up to $100,000 are not unknown in Sydney.

That’s an unacceptable burden for drivers who are mostly small businesspeople and working on an

52

LSO image of truck on toll road added to folder.

average profit margin of less than three percent.

One of my members now shells out more in tolls for a four-hour round trip from the Western Suburbs to the Northern Beaches than he pays a driver in wages.

The tolls constantly rise using a multiplier formula imposed by the operator that bears no relation to the real cost of road maintenance.

Tolling concessions are wrapped up in commercially-in-confidence contracts that have been negotiated in secret.

THERE ARE SOLUTIONS NatRoad told the NSW inquiry that the state needs an independent regulator to control tollway prices and look at the unwinding of unfair contracts.

Tolling companies would be banned from hiking charges for better quality tollways unless they can prove they’re delivering improvements.

Similar watchdogs could manage tolling regimes in Queensland and Victoria.

They would evaluate pricing and make

POWERTORQUE November/December 2021

sure it is line with evidence and not back of the envelope calculations.

This regulator’s decisions would not be subject to Ministerial approval or Parliamentary disallowance. Its powers would be wide-ranging but they’d restore fairness that simply no longer exists.

Secondly, let’s make toll roads attractive to use.

If Governments and operators want to get trucks back onto tollways, they need to provide some relief.

Variable toll rates for off-peak journeys are an option. So are discounts for multiple journeys.

Toll roads are invariably the shortest route between A and B. They’re wellconstructed and safe.

They take heavy vehicles off suburban streets, lower emissions, reduce noise and relieve congestion.

Using them more frequently makes sense.

If only every driver could afford to do so.

Expertise is not gained in months, it takes years.

Trust NatRoad with your business advice.

We’ve been doing this for over 70 years.

Call us on 1800 272 144 or visit www.natroad.com.au

INDUSTRY ISSUE

SUPPORTING SAFETY FOR ALL OF INDUSTRY In this article, Sal Petroccitto, National Heavy Vehicle Regulator CEO, looks at how safety solutions can be achieved in the trucking industry.

T

he dangers of speeding are well-known. It leaves drivers with less time to react to avoid a crash and there is a higher likelihood of severe injuries or tragically, fatalities.

One life lost on our roads is one too many. This is why the NHVR has focused on the dangers of speeding and speed limiter tampering as part of our engine remapping information campaign.

The recent Bureau of Infrastructure and Transport Research Economics report shows about 70 per cent of fatalities involving articulated trucks occurred in speed zones of 100km/h or above.

So, our message is simple, tampering with the speed limiter in a heavy vehicle is illegal and can be deadly.

While it is a marginal group that participate in this illegal activity, there can be implications across the supply chain.

Heavy vehicle drivers, mechanics, owner operators and manufacturers each have responsibilities under the HVNL to ensure a vehicle is safe and compliant.

It’s also important all parties take responsibility for reporting any suspected illegal activity, and don’t pressure drivers to meet unrealistic deadlines.

I encourage anyone who suspects a heavy vehicle has had its speed limiter tampered with to contact the NHVR’s Heavy Vehicle Confidential Reporting Line on 1800 931 785.

By drawing attention to this illegal activity, we can better protect the

54

POWERTORQUE November/December 2021

INDUSTRY ISSUE

health and safety of truck drivers, the supply chain, and all road users.

IMPROVING SAFETY WITH AN SMS Implementing a Safety Management System (SMS) can be one of the most effective ways of protecting and futureproofing your organisation against the risks of illegal tampering and meeting your organisation’s safety obligations.

An SMS provides a framework for safer operations, with more of the workforce engaged and taking responsibility for their own behaviour, actions and safety.

Our recently published 9 Step SMS Roadmap is a tool that’s available for all companies that make up the heavy vehicle supply chain to better manage their safety requirements.

It’s a free, practical, and scalable resource available to help any company manage risk, workplace health and safety, and training materials – all in the one place.

It also provides resources based on where a company is positioned in

“ONE LIFE LOST ON OUR ROADS IS ONE TOO MANY. THIS IS WHY THE NHVR HAS FOCUSED ON THE DANGERS OF SPEEDING AND SPEED LIMITER TAMPERING AS PART OF OUR ENGINE REMAPPING INFORMATION CAMPAIGN.” their SMS journey – whether they are starting out, improving on, or wanting to continuously improve their safety systems.

I understand that business needs are different, which is why businesses have the option to tailor comprehensive safety management systems or opt for a more ‘off-the-shelf’ solution.

Last year, we surveyed almost 4000 people with an SMS and found three quarters of respondents felt they received relevant safety training through their organisation’s SMS. However, the results also showed that only around half of the heavy vehicle industry has a basic SMS in place. I’d like to see this number rise significantly, so

that everyone in the industry can reap the benefits of safety-first culture.

We’ll continue to support businesses by refining our safety and compliance materials and making them available without any unnecessary cost or auditing burden.

After all, we know that arming industry with resources, tools and education will go a long way in helping improve safety for the whole supply chain.

Safety is the NHVR’s key priority, and we’ll continue to work with the industry to make Australia’s roads safe for everyone.

Please visit the NHVR website to see how an SMS can support you - www. nhvr.gov.au/sms

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55

INDUSTRY ISSUE

CELEBRATING AUSSIE TRUCKING’S

COVID EFFORTS The transport industry has done an amazing job over the last 18 months, a true credit to everyone in this industry, writes David Smith, Australian Trucking Association Chair.

W

e’ve kept working right through this pandemic and, as essential workers, kept Weetbix on the shelves, and the country going.

We’ve come across many hurdles along this journey, from changing border requirements to extensive COVID tests and now new vaccination requirements.

For this, the ATA and the Australian Government have come together to celebrate the efforts of our essential industry during the COVID pandemic.

To those drivers, mechanics, schedulers, managers, and admin staff who are working on the frontline to keep our country supplied, thank you.

Assistant Minister for Road Safety and Freight Transport and longtime industry supporter, Scott Buchholz, has emphasised the tremendous effort we have made.

“Let me thank all of those drivers, transport operators, freight and logistics workers who throughout this pandemic have risen to the challenge and kept our shelves stocked and critical supplies moving,” said Mr Buchholz. “The work you do is important, and you have the absolute respect and appreciation of the entire country.

“Thank you to all of those who have made the choice to get vaccinated and those businesses big and small who have supported their teams

56

“LET ME THANK ALL OF THOSE DRIVERS, TRANSPORT OPERATORS, FREIGHT AND LOGISTICS WORKERS WHO THROUGHOUT THIS PANDEMIC HAVE RISEN TO THE CHALLENGE AND KEPT OUR SHELVES STOCKED AND CRITICAL SUPPLIES MOVING...THE WORK YOU DO IS IMPORTANT, AND YOU HAVE THE ABSOLUTE RESPECT AND APPRECIATION OF THE ENTIRE COUNTRY.” to get vaccinated.”

Despite the challenging restrictions and requirements, our industry has done the right thing.

In all the tens of thousands of border crossings that occur every night of the week we have only had a handful of cases in the transport industry.

One of my fully vaccinated drivers has had more than 65 COVID tests carried out on him.

This is physically and emotionally exhausting but demonstrates the commitment and dedication drivers and their families around the country are displaying.

With many operators and business owners in low spirits, it’s important the wider community recognises and celebrates the essential role they play.

Trucks are responsible for putting food in the supermarket, medicines in the pharmacy and fuel in the service

POWERTORQUE November/December 2021

station. Everything we consume is brought to us on a truck, and our drivers should be proud.

Moving forward, Minister Buchholz says the most important thing industry can do is to get vaccinated.

“It is so important we all get vaccinated; I have had two doses of AstraZeneca and am now fully vaccinated,” said Mr Buchholz. “GP’s, pharmacies and vaccination hubs are supplied and ready to put jabs in arms and I ask you to join me in getting vaccinated.”

As borders continue to tighten, I urge the transport industry to move towards getting vaccinated. We are moving into a world that is going to have to learn to live with COVID. We need to keep up the fantastic work that has already been done to keep this momentum going.

We need to demonstrate that we can get on with the job and keep this country moving.

We know what it takes to keep Australia moving.

NTI is Australia’s leading specialist insurer for trucks, big and small; mobile plant and equipment; marine, cargo and parcels; plus Roadside Assistance for trucks. For decades, we’ve provided businesses with expert knowledge, first class repair networks, and superior claims service. With a vision to keep Australian industry working towards a safer and more sustainable future, we’re here to help keep you moving.

nti.com.au Terms and Conditions apply. You should read the PDS when choosing whether or not to acquire or continue holding a policy. Insurance products are provided by National Transport Insurance, a joint venture of the insurers Insurance Australia Limited trading as CGU Insurance ABN 11 000 016 722 AFSL 227681 and AAI Limited Trading as Vero Insurance ABN 48 005 297 807 AFSL 230859 each holding a 50% share. National Transport Insurance is administered on behalf of the insurers by its manager NTI Limited ABN 84 000 746 109 AFSL 237246. NTI.M015.1.29062021

TRUCK DEVELOPMENT

HALF A CENTURY OF

CANTER One owner decided to use a single axle Canter to tow an enormous boat all the way from Perth to Sydney.

The first Canter appears basic, even though the ads boasted of ‘extra’ features such as “flow-through ventilation” and “safety glass all-round.”

Canter launched in 1971 with a petrol engine only, but was joined by a diesel our years later and it soon became the preferred engine. In Australia, the petrol unit was dropped in 1991, but the Canter is still available in the United States with a petrol engine, a 6.0-litre GM V8.

Back in 1971, the first Canter actually wore a Dodge badge due to the tie up with Chrysler, which saw many Mitsubishi products sold as hrysler and Dodge products. It had a rating of 3.5-tonnes, 95hp engine and a price of $3287.

In 1978, three ‘Japanese Sumos’ climbed into a Canter truck, before one declared that it was “Not so squeezy!” The effect of the ad, which aired across the country, was immediate and the Canter name, as well as the term “Not so squeezy,” would soon be etched in the minds of everyday Australians.

This year sees the Fuso Canter (formerly Mitsubishi Canter, and formerly Dodge Canter) notch up 50 years on the Australian truck market and the Fuso brand is celebrating the longevity of the model and its place in the Australian psyche.

T

he first ever shipment of Canters in Australia drove off the wharf and straight to work in 1971. Since then more than 72,700 Canters have been sold here. Now Fuso is celebrating

58

the 50th anniversary of the ubiquitous Canter, the only truck with a household name in Australia.

From the perspective of the truck’s arrival in Australia back in 1971, the current Canter’s radar-based Advanced

POWERTORQUE November/December 2021

Emergency Braking System, dual airbags, Lane Departure Warning System, common rail turbo diesel engine, dual-clutch auto and many other features would have seemed like the stuff of a science fiction movie.

GOING GLOBAL

FIRST DRIVE IN DAF’S NEW GENERATION XF In his latest report from Europe, our correspondent there, Will Shiers, travels to Spain for a first drive in DAF’s New Generation XF.

I

’ve given DAF a ribbing in recent years for having the oldest cab on the market. After all, the current one, which was jointly developed with now defunct Spanish truck maker Pegaso (appearing on both the Pegaso Troner and Seddon Atkinson Stratocruiser), first saw the light of day in 1987 when I was still in school!

But in DAF’s defence, it has done an incredible job of disguising its heritage, and the latest Euro-6 version is undoubtedly a great truck. In fact, it’s the clear market leader in the UK, and has been for some time. But now the writing is on the wall, in Europe at least. Although it will soldier on for a while longer, it has suddenly been eclipsed by the New Generation trucks.

In its defence, DAF’s decision to eke out the current XF design for so long has been well and truly vindicated. Let me explain.

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Last September the European Union introduced new mass and dimension regulations, giving truck makers more freedom in terms of cab length, and thus encouraging them to push the boundaries with aerodynamics, safety and driver comfort. A decade ago, most of the manufacturers were lobbying for exactly these changes, but funnily enough they fell silent more recently, after rolling out their (current length) new models.

DAF however, bided its time and waited for the new regulations to come into force.

And then, earlier this year, it unleashed the new XF/XG/XG+ range, having embraced the longer dimensions.

Ron Borsboom, director of product development at DAF Trucks, explained that the design process started seven years ago, with a completely clean sheet of paper. In the early days almost nothing

POWERTORQUE November/December 2021

was ruled out, and the Dutch truck maker even built a working prototype of a truck with a protruding nose, which wouldn’t have looked out of place on the front of a Japanese Bullet train.

But this was quickly dismissed when tests revealed that the aerodynamic gains were barely any better than when using a subtle bulge. Other drawbacks included worse manoeuvrability, a higher production cost and a significant weight penalty.

The final design, which is used on the front of all three New Generation trucks, consists of a 160mm tapered protrusion. In addition to being more pedestrian friendly than a flat front, it boosts aerodynamics to the tune of 19 per cent, equating to a 6.3 per cent improvement in fuel economy compared with the current XF. Meanwhile, the XG and XG+ both get an additional 330mm of length at the back of

GOING GLOBAL

the cab, while the flagship XG+ has 200mm of extra roof height too (see diagrams).

Although the headline grabber has been the XG+ with its 12.5cu m of cab volume (which is palatial by European standards), the real story is arguably the new XF, which looks set to become the volume seller.

GETTING THE INSIDE STORY I recently had the chance to drive an MX-11-powered XF 450 FT 4x2 prime mover with 3-axle tanker trailer in Malaga, in the south of Spain.

Finished in the Tuscan Yellow launch colour, the truck’s exterior really does look spectacular. The new XF shares no obvious styling cues with its predecessor, which in my view is no bad thing. After 34 years of revamping the same cab, it was definitely time for a fresh start.

Inside however, while everything is

completely new, it’s still unmistakably DAF. That said, it all feels a little better built, helped by the use of more softtouch plastics.

Although the current four-spoke steering wheel is carried over, the button groupings have changed, with all speed controls moving to the left, and infotainment buttons on the right. This is all part of DAF’s ‘hands on the wheel, eyes on the road’ philosophy.

It’s out with the old analogue dashboard, and in with a new 30cm digital version.

It can be configured to either ‘modern’ or ‘classic’ modes, and provides drivers with as little or as much information as they require.

To the right of the driver (in left-handdrive trucks) is a new 26cm infotainment screen, standard on all but poverty-spec vehicles. Although it is touchscreen, there’s a voice activation control, which DAF

actively encourages the use of. From the driver’s seat, everything looks sleek and modern, the one exception being a pair of thick steering column-mounted stalks, which appear chunky and cumbersome in comparison.

DAF’s designers have put a huge amount of effort into improving visibility, and have definitely succeeded. I’ve never been in a long-haul truck with such a clear view of the road, both ahead and to the sides. The front wrap-around windscreen is 33 per cent larger than on current XF, and thanks to an impressively flat dashboard, you can see through most of it. The side windows are 15 per cent bigger, and the passenger windowsill is particularly low, providing a superb view towards the pavement.

Apparently DAF toyed with the idea of doing the same on the driver’s side, but then thought better of it. The decision was

www.powertorque.com.au

61

GOING GLOBAL

made to raise this side’s windowsill to a ‘normal’ level, providing drivers with added privacy, and a comfortable place to rest their arm (in addition to the seat-mounted armrest). A lower windowsill on this side wouldn’t have improved visibility anyway.

This truck I drove had also been fitted with DAF’s new Digital Vision System, which sees conventional mirrors replaced by cameras located high up on the sides of the cab, with images projected onto screens mounted on the A-pillars. Like MercedesBenz’s MirrorCam system, the camera pans while cornering, always keeping the rear of the trailer in the centre. Lines appear on the screens, identifying the rear of the trailer (to aid manoeuvring), and informing

the driver when it’s safe to pull in after overtaking another vehicle.

The cameras are fully retractable, and the lenses are heated to prevent snow or ice from fouling the view. The screens take very little time to get used to, and with no external mirrors blocking your view on the approach to roundabouts and junctions, visibility is vastly better.

That said, I can’t help but think that DAF (like Mercedes before it) has solved a problem that never actually existed! But with a claimed 1.4 per cent fuel economy saving achieved by switching to cameras, I’d be very surprised if conventional mirrors aren’t confined to the history books within a few years in Europe.

The 10.8 litre 449hp MX-11 engine.

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POWERTORQUE November/December 2021

One camera I do have considerably more time for is the one mounted to the front offside corner, just beneath the windscreen. Christened Corner View, it replaces the kerb and front view mirrors, and greatly exceeds the field of vision of conventional glass. There’s a second screen mounted on the passenger side A-pillar. It really works a treat, and has clear safety benefits.

Last year London introduced the Direct Vision Standard, a safety permit for heavy goods vehicles over 12 tonnes. Trucks are given a star rating, based purely on how much the driver can see through their cab windows. While the current XF failed to score any stars, this latest version is capable of achieving a 3-star rating, which is a first for a long-haul prime mover.

But to be awarded this, operators must specify both the camera system and the kerbside window fitted into the lower part of the door in this truck. In all honesty I don’t rate these windows, which are difficult to see out of at the best of times, especially when there’s a passenger seat/passenger’s legs/junk on the floor obstructing the view.

However, this cab was equipped with DAF’s new cinema-type passenger seat, which can be folded out of the way, giving a clear view through the window.

On the road I was immediately impressed with the new XF’s driving characteristics. The chassis, cab suspension and rear suspension geometry have all been redesigned, resulting in far superior ride and handling. Also helping with the

GOING GLOBAL

SPECIFICATIONS: Model: XF 450 FT 4x2 Engine: MX-11 10.8 litres Max power: 449hp at 1,600rpm Max torque: 2,350Nm at 9001,125rpm (Multi-Torque), 2,200Nm at 900-1,400rpm Gearbox: ZF TraXon 12TX2210 Front axle: 163N 8 tonnes parabolic suspension Rear axle: SR1344 13 tonnes, 4 bellow air suspension Wheelbase: 3,800mm Tyres: 315/70R22

feeling of stability and responsiveness, is the fact that you sit 75mm lower than in current XF. We were running at 30 tonnes, which as you’d expect, proved little in the way of a challenge for the 449hp MX-11 engine.

Helping to tackle some of the challenging hills in this area was the ZF TraXon 2-pedal transmission, with its impressively quick up-changes. DAF has taken this opportunity to delete the manual transmission from the options list, a decision which will apparently disappoint only three per cent of European XF buyers.

The truck coped equally well while descending hills too, thanks to the uprated MX engine brake, which now delivers 20 per cent more torque at lower revs. I found it kept the speed in check, when used in conjunction with the Predictive Cruise

Control, on all but the steepest gradients.

Incidentally, horsepower remains the same, and the top power rating from the range-topping 12.9-litre MX-13 is still 530hp. It does however now have an additional 100Nm of torque in top gear (2,500Nm).

While the new range has been launched with a mechanical handbrake, an optional electronic version will be offered as an option early next year.

The Predictive Cruise Control and EcoRoll functions have been modified.

These changes, along with other engine

and driveline enhancements, have resulted in a further 3.9 per cent improvement in fuel economy. So, when combined with aerodynamics, the new trucks are up to 10.2 per cent more efficient than the current XF. All in all, I’m hugely impressed with the New Generation XF, which has an abundance of driver and operator appeal.

So DAF, please accept my apologies for all the mick-taking over the last decade or so. I now fully admit that it’s been well worth the wait. Of course Australian buyers will have to be a little more patient, but trust me, it’ll be worth it.

www.powertorque.com.au

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GOING GLOBAL 47X backed up to a paving machine, the sort of application the new models is targeted towards.

WESTERN STAR 47X BROADENS THE NEW X-SERIES RANGE Both the 49X and the new 47X from Western Star are headed for Australia in right-hand-drive in around a year, reckons PowerTorque’s US Correspondent, Steve Sturgess. He checks the new models out.

N

ot only are the latest Western Star models heading our way from the US, but Australia is also likely to get a unique Australian model for B-double operations, featuring snorkels for dusty on and offhighway operations and top power from the Detroit DD16.

In the US, Western Star has introduced a slightly, smaller new model for its X-line that kicked off a year ago with the bigbore powered 49X highway truck and prime mover. The new introduction is the 47X and is targeted at vocational markets such as super-dumps with multiple lift axles, mixers, bulk haulers and other construction markets.

For the North American markets, the 47X is 90kg lighter spec-for-spec than a 49X, it also has a shorter bumper-toback-of-cab with a standard 2.83m BBC and a 2.61m option. With the shorter hood and a wheel cut up to 50 degrees, the 47X optimises manoeuvrability for work on construction sites or operation in congested urban environments, said Western Star in the launch release.

“With the 47X and the 49X, we can offer our vocational customers different options that will give them the right tool for their specific job needs,” said David Carson, Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA), the parent company for the Western Star brand. They are customisable to different markets, so there are twin-steer models for

64

Canada and maybe Australia, too.

Single frame rails are lighter but involve no compromise in the legendary Western Star durability or reliability, said the company.

Interestingly, while Western Star is something of a niche brand, the X series has unique cabs that draw from corporate cab experience that includes the Unimog, Mercedes-Benz and Freightliner Cascadia.

It features steel-reinforcement for the aluminium cab that reduces mass by up to eight per cent while offering greater driver comfort with a claimed 13 percent more space than competitors. An optional two-person bench seat is available for applications demanding a larger on-site crew, and a new in-cab battery box affords additional legroom to the operator.

All X-Series models come standard with operator features such as a wraparound dash that provides easy access to the driver command centre and B-panel.

On the B-panel, a flex panel can be prepped for a tablet or configured for an additional 12 switches or 10 gauges.

At the virtual launch, video showed this panel equipped with what appears to be a PTO command lever. As such, all the PTO controls that normally require a box between the seat have been consolidated to the dash leaving added space in the cab between the seats.

Under the hood, Detroit’s DD13 is standard and for weight-sensitive applications, the Cummins L9 and X12

POWERTORQUE November/December 2021

engines are available. The 47X is also offered with the all-new DT12-V automated transmission, which is built on the DT12 and has more than 56 million km of vocationalspecific testing, says Western Star.

The new model goes on sale in North America in 2022, but it will take longer to get it engineered for Australia as it will require a right-hand steering position, changes to the brake system to conform to Australian requirements and other detail changes. But the DTNA folks were adamant that the 47X, 49X and this mysterious unique addition to the range will be available there.

MEANWHILE IN AUSTRALIA… “It’s very exciting to see the 47X unveiled in the United States following on from the launch of the 49X last year,” said Craig Lee, General Manager On-Highway, Penske Australia. “We are thrilled to be launching the new Western Star range in late 2022 in Australia, and shortly after that in New Zealand.

“Our local teams here in Australia and New Zealand have worked closely with the Western Star team in the US on the development of the new trucks to tailor them for our local markets in both Australia and New Zealand and will continue to do so.

“Boasting lighter yet tougher cabin frames and steel-reinforced cabins, and with features including wrap-around dashboards, our customers will surely be impressed when they see the trucks in person and step foot into the cabin.”

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TECH KNOW

CHOOSING THE RIGHT

WHEEL BEARING GREASE Choosing the right bearing grease lubricant for your trailer has never been more complicated. The range of lubricants now available makes choosing the right one for your application like solving an ever-growing puzzle.

I

f you have been in the industry for a while, you might fondly look back at a time when one wheel bearing grease would cover everything that ever came into your workshop.

With the advance of vehicle technology, lubrication has become much more sophisticated. It might be more complicated, but in return we have much greater reliability and performance than ever. Trailers are no exception to this advance in technology, bringing with it an increase in choices but also greatly improved performance.

“SPENDING A LITTLE EXTRA TIME UP FRONT TO DETERMINE THE BEST LUBRICANT FOR THE TRUCK OR TRAILER APPLICATION CAN PREVENT UNFORESEEN PROBLEMS, REDUCE VEHICLE DOWN TIME AND GREATLY IMPROVE FLEET PRODUCTIVITY.” NLGI consistency standard was developed by the USA based National Lubricating Grease Institute. It is an evaluation of the relative hardness of lubricating grease.

NLGI NUMBER The first item that needs to be clarified is the NLGI number. This is a measure of grease consistency or relative hardness.

(See table.) It does not refer to any other properties of the grease that would help you decide its suitability. For example, two greases could be identified as NLGI 2, one may be suitable for wheel ends and the other may be suitable for food manufacturing equipment. Just because it has the same NLGI number does not mean that it has the same properties or service life as the one you are replacing. Therefore, you can’t choose the correct grease simply from the NGLI number.

NLGI NUMBER

APPEARANCE

000

Fluid

00

Semi-Fluid

0

Very Soft

1

Soft

2

Medium

3

Firm

4

Very Firm

5

Hard

6

Very Hard

66

WHEEL BEARING GREASE At one point, only one high temperature bearing grease was used for all wheel bearings, but this has been replaced by a variety of greases. The wheel bearing grease for standard Hendrickson wheel ends is heavy duty NLGI 2 lithium complex grease classified as GB or GC. While there are many lithium soap based greases, those with lithium complex thickeners have higher dropping points that allow them to be used at higher temperatures.

Which is why it is important to look for lithium complex grease for wheel bearings. This type of wheel bearing grease is inexpensive and suitable for standard wheel bearings that are cleaned, inspected and repacked at regular annual intervals.

As wheel end systems become more sophisticated, a higher quality grease is required for premium long-life wheel bearings, such as Hendrickson HXL7, which are expected to go up to 5 years without rebuilding. These wheel ends need a grease that continues to lubricate throughout thousands of kilometres. The only grease available in Australia and approved for use by Hendrickson is Mobil’s semi-fluid Mobilith SHC 007. This

POWERTORQUE November/December 2021

is an NGLI 00 semi-fluid lithium complex grease that uses stable synthetic base oils.

It provides thermal stability and oxidation resistance along with protection against wear, rust and corrosion. Additionally, it is compatible with other wheel end components, such as TIREMAAX PRO tyre pressure control systems. Therefore, this is an essential grease to have when working on Hendrickson HXL extended long life wheel ends.

Note: Never mix grease types. Bases, thickeners and additives of various greases will differ and may not be compatible. Always carefully clean out any old grease before applying any new grease.

PUZZLE SOLVING Selecting the right grease can seem like a real puzzle and a waste of your time.

Often the vehicle manufacturer might specify a lubricant rating or specification but the products you are looking at don’t list whether they meet those standards.

Unfortunately, saying ‘This will do’ no longer meets the fine tolerance components of modern trucks and trailers now have. So, spending a little extra time up front to determine the best lubricant for the truck or trailer application can prevent unforeseen problems, reduce vehicle down time and greatly improve fleet productivity.

For further information contact: Hendrickson at https://aus.hendricksonintl.com

Anything & everything.

Brought to you

by Isuzu.

There’s a simple reason that around one in four trucks on Australia’s roads is an Isuzu*.

It’s because they deliver legendary reliability. And that’s why so many businesses trust them to deliver their cargo day-in, day-out, every day of the year. To find the right Isuzu for you, visit isuzu.com.au

*According to T-Mark industry statistics. FSA/ISZ12979

TECH KNOW

UNIVERSAL JOINT INSPECTION Keep an eye on your joints, to get the best out of your driveline.

A

lthough periodic lubrication is not necessary, inspection of the universal joints and driveline on a regular basis is still required.

Meritor fills each universal joint with sufficient grease at assembly to last the life of the driveline. During vehicle operation, some of this grease may purge out at one or more of the universal joint seals. Under 6 months of service or 80,000km, it is common for some grease to purge out. FIGURE 1

Figure 1.

on the procedures outlined below to detect worn components.

INITIAL INSPECTION AT NO MORE THAN 3,200 KM Verify that all bolts are tightened as follows: • Universal joint-to-end yoke bolts to 155-183 Nm • Flange-to-flange bolts to 180-220 Nm

EVERY 40,000 KM If you observe any of the following conditions, remove and replace components as needed. Refer to Maintenance Manual MM-96147, Drivelines, for procedures. To obtain this publication, visit Literature on Demand at meritor.com.

1. I nspect all universal joints for grease purging. If a universal joint shows normal grease purging: Do not replace the universal joint (see above).

2. C heck for excessive looseness across the ends of the universal joint bearing cup assemblies and trunnions.

Eventually the grease will stop purging, and the universal joint seals may have a ‘crusted’ look. FIGURE 2 The “crusted” appearance is normal and DOES NOT indicate the need to replace the universal joint.

Loose bolts, missing balance weights, damaged tubing, excessive slip spline wear or excessive looseness across the ends of universal joint bearing cup assemblies can cause imbalance or vibration in the driveline assembly.

Imbalance and vibration can cause component wear, which can result in separation of the driveline from the vehicle. A separated driveline can result in property damage and serious personal injury. Inspect the driveline at regular intervals based

68

POWERTORQUE November/December 2021

Check the universal joint for looseness every 25,000 miles (40,000 km).

• Grip driveline near the INBOARD yoke with both hands.

• Try to move the yoke VERTICALLY and HORIZONTALLY. Movement in the universal joint relative to the INBOARD or OUTBOARD yokes must not exceed 0.152 mm.

3. I nspect the slip yoke spline seal for grease leakage or seal damage.

4. I nspect for missing balance weights, damaged tubing, or a missing welch plug at the slip yoke.

EVERY 240,000 KM

Figure 2.

In addition to the 40,000 km requirements: • Use the following steps to inspect the slip splines for wear (backlash) and for radial looseness between the slip yoke and the tube shaft.

• Ensure that the vehicle is on a level surface with its wheels on the ground.

For single driveline systems, check the slip yoke for movement with the driveline installed. For multiple driveline systems, remove the slip yoke assembly from the vehicle and check for movement.

• Firmly mount a dial indicator with a magnetic base onto the slip yoke barrel next to the dust seal.

• You do not want the dial indicator to

DIESEL WORKSHOP

Figure 4.

Extend the dial indicator arm from the base, so that it contacts the neck of the spline plug within 19.05 mm from the dust seal.

move when you check the slip yoke for looseness, or the measurement will not be correct.

• Extend the dial indicator arm from the base, so that it contacts the neck of the spline plug within 19.05 mm from the dust seal. FIGURE 4 • With your hands near the centre of the

Figure 5.

Movement between the spline plug and slip yoke must not exceed 0.432 mm.

driveline, move the slip yoke UP-ANDDOWN. Check the dial indicator measurement. Movement between the spline plug and slip yoke must not exceed 0.432 mm. FIGURE 5 • If movement exceeds 0.432 mm: Components are worn or damaged.

Replace as required.

IKON-card-FRONT.pdf 1 12/05/2021 3:24:48 PM PM IKONPCARD-FRONT1.pdf 3 12/05/2021 2:51:16

IKON

• Use a dial indicator to examine the slip yoke spline for excessive radial movement. Radial movement between the slip yoke and the tube shaft must not exceed 0.432 mm.

• If the radial movement exceeds 0.432 mm: Replace the slip yoke and the tube shaft.

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TECH KNOW

NOT A DOLLAR TO WASTE:

BACKING THE FLEET WITH A SERVICE AGREEMENT

A

ustralian road transport businesses have a lot on their plate when it comes to compliance; from Chain of Responsibility (CoR) requirements to workplace OH&S, and making sure everyone comes home at the end of the day.

However, recent research shows that one in three small fleets (1-5 trucks) are unprepared or unaware of their CoR obligations.

With the regulatory burden only likely to increase for those in road transport, lightening the load wherever possible makes good sense to ensure the safety of staff and other road users.

Melbourne waste and recycling collectors, Budget Waste Services, have discovered multiple benefits to letting their Isuzu dealership take care of fleet maintenance with a service agreement: Isuzu Essentials Plus (formerly Isuzu Priority One).

With a service agreement covering critical parts and componentry and all work conducted by an authorised Isuzu technician using genuine parts, Budget Waste has all bases covered, helping them meet CoR responsibilities and with the added bonus of smoothing out monthly costs.

ON THE FRONT FOOT During the first critical years of business and with new clients to impress, Budget Waste CEO, Les Osman, knew keeping downtime to a minimum was a top priority.

The business was quickly picking up a book of clients in the industrial, commercial and retail sectors. Without a spare truck on hand, Les wanted their fleet maintenance to be a well-oiled process from the very beginning.

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He signed up to Isuzu Essentials Plus at point of purchase, meaning all Budget’s new trucks’ scheduled services are covered for the first 60 months of ownership for a known, fixed price per month, with roadside assist and priority after-hours servicing included (and additional high-wear parts such as fuses, fan belts and filter replacements).

He’s expecting their seventh Isuzu truck, an FYJ 300-350 with Superior Pak front-hook body, to hit the road by December this year.

COST ANALYSIS Before founding Budget Waste in 2017, Les spent 13 years and change working for waste giant Veolia.

Having access to some of the best performance and cost analytics systems in the industry from this previous role, Lev knew Isuzu wouldn’t let him down when it was time to outfit his own venture at Budget Waste.

“I’ve been very fortunate with a 13-year apprenticeship of sorts with Veolia,” says Les. “We had every truck under the sun working for us, hundreds of trucks, and during my last two years there as the general manager for Queensland, I was only buying Isuzu.

“When we looked at value for money and all the indicators within that such as cost, performance, longevity and maintenance, Isuzu always comes out on top. Isuzu offered a solution at $50,000 less than similar competitors, including their Priority service agreement.”

FLEET PLANNING MADE SIMPLE While taking care of the fleet’s on-road performance, from a planning perspective Lev said having an Isuzu Essentials Plus service agreement in place is invaluable,

POWERTORQUE November/December 2021

assisting him to manage the company’s balance sheet, and for his own peace of mind.

“We pay roughly one to two per cent out of our revenue per month to cover maintenance for the whole fleet,”says Les. “Without a workshop or service staff on site it makes a lot of sense to outsource the work and it means I have someone to take on the stress of servicing the fleet, so I can focus on the business.

“A service agreement can really help you manage the financials, so you know exactly where you stand. Ben Jinnette, our Leading Hand, ensures our trucks align with Isuzu’s service programs without impacting the daily flow of operations with our drivers.”

COMPLIANCE MATTERS Lev notes that in concert with their own records, having a pre-planned maintenance schedule handled by OEM-trained technicians helps Budget Waste stay on top of compliance with less hassle.

This makes them one of the approximately 37 per cent of road transport businesses in Victoria who have developed policies to ensure compliance with CoR. “You can always find ways to cut corners, do things at a lower cost, but in the long run it’s going to backfire… you put the care into the truck and it’ll pay you back,” says Les. “Driving an eight-tonne truck, any incidents can be catastrophic, so CoR is a very, very important component for our business and a big issue for any fleet owner.

“Without a doubt in our waste application, Isuzu offers us the best vehicle and care combination.”

For more information on Isuzu’s comprehensive range of service agreements visit isuzu.com.au.

MERITOR® RPL SERIES

MERITOR RPL SERIES RUN WITH RELIABILITY. Meritor Permalube™ RPL Series drivelines were the first in the North American heavy-duty commercial vehicle industry to be permanently lubricated and sealed for life. Experience the advantage of reduced operating and maintenance costs, industry-leading warranties, easy serviceability and extended U-Joint life, particularly on gear-fast or run-slow drivetrains and higher torque applications.

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TECH KNOW

THERMAL EFFICIENCY FOR REFRIGERATED TRUCKS Greg Brown, MaxiPARTS and Bob Woodward, Australian Trucking Association talk about thermal efficiency in reefers.

D

oes the wall colour or thickness of a refrigerated truck effect its thermal efficiency?

You may be surprised at the significant impact these factors, and others, have on a unit’s efficiency and fridge plant fuel consumption.

To get the hard data, Greg conducted a series of experiments by measuring the skin temperature of a white unit and a dark coloured unit placed in the sun, each with 25mm foam walls.

“At its peak temperature, the white unit reached just under 30 degrees Celsius, while the dark unit got up to nearly 70 degrees Celsius,” said Greg. “With a temperature difference of 38 degrees Celsius, we can expect an extra heat leak of approximately 1200 watts. Even when the temperature difference is lower at 23 degrees Celsius, the calculated extra heat leak is 965 watts.”

Greg also points out that the darkness of a unit is not just about what colour it is painted.

“Dirt and grime can impact temperature, the dirtier a truck, the darker it is. This is especially the case for a truck’s roof which is less noticeable when dirty,” said Greg.

“This tells us that whether exposed to the sun or not, there is a big temperature difference between dark, dirty, and light units. But it is not the only factor that contributes to thermal efficiency.”

The thicker the foam in the walls, the better the insulation and heat leak. When we increase the foam from 40mm to 65mm,

72

“THE K FACTOR OF THE COMPLETE UNIT CAN BE MISLEADING AS, THE LARGER THE UNIT THE LOWER THE K FACTOR, WHICH DOES NOT EQUATE TO LOWER ENERGY TRANSFER, IN FACT, IT IS LARGER.” there is a heat leakage reduction of 460 watts. If we go even further and increase the foam thickness to 90mm, we can see a further reduction of 200 watts.

When talking about refrigerated units, you may have heard the term ‘K-factor’.

“K-factor is the material’s thermal conductivity or ability to conduct heat,” said Greg. “The unit of measurement for thermal conductivity is W/(m²k), and the lower the number the better.”

When comparing the complete trailer, the ‘K’ is of the complete body and the unit is W/m²K. This is the average energy in watts per square meter of body that will leak per degree Kelvin or degree C temperature difference between the inside and the outside.

When comparing two trailers of the same specs but different lengths (10 metres and 14 metres), Greg noted that the longer trailer had a lower K (0.53) but leaked more (2525 watts), while the shorter trailer leaked less (2006 watts) but had a higher K (0.57).

“This is because as the size of the unit increases there is more surface area so it will leak or transfer more energy. This leaked energy is the energy that the fridge plant needs to remove to maintain the required

POWERTORQUE November/December 2021

internal temperature,” said Greg.

The K factor of the complete unit can be misleading as, the larger the unit the lower the K factor, which does not equate to lower energy transfer, in fact, it is larger.

The K factor reduces as the size of the body increases because the panels, walls and roof get proportionally bigger faster than the joins and corners which are a bigger leaks for their size.

The final factor that impacts thermal efficiency and fuel consumption is circulation and multiple temperature zones.

“It’s quite common to have multiple temperature zones in one trailer,” said Greg. “Because of customer requirements, they are not often in the logical sequence in the unit. Circulation is particularly important for maintaining temperature, and an effective way to manage this is by utilising recessed tracks.

“Recessed tracks maintain the same internal width but increase the insulation thickness for substantial percentage of wall.”

A full overview and visual examples of Greg’s findings can be found on the ATA YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/ watch?v=GRe_sISQpxA

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COLD CHAIN

EVERY COMPANY AND EVERY TRUCK CARRYING COLD PRODUCE MUST CHANGE THEIR WAYS Up until a couple of months ago, many organisations involved in moving chilled food from farm or manufacturing facility to consumers were happy in their isolation, giving lip service to calls for greater effort to limit this country’s horrendous food wastage by applying quality management systems to their whole process writes Mark Mitchell, Chairman of the Australian Food Cold Chain Council (AFCCC).

I

t’s only now, following significant intervention by the federal government and the release of the National Food Waste Strategy Feasibility Study, that many of our major enterprises have begun to change the long-established culture which has contributed to the high waste numbers.

In our many dealings with industry, the AFCCC has noted that most participants in the cold chain, hand on heart, will welcome any move to stop wastage, but don’t believe they are actually part of the problem. This attitude is particularly prevalent in the food transport industry.

The AFCCC is no longer one of a small number of voices that understand the problem but battling inbred attitudes to get industry at large to institute the process changes necessary to stop truckloads of food being taken to landfill weekly.

The food waste study mentioned earlier sounds daunting, but it’s really quite simple. With government backing, a feasible program has been released which has a very good chance of achieving a halving of Australia’s food waste before the end of this decade.

The study should be read by everybody with a stake in the cold chain, because at the end of the day, they will be the ones who will benefit most from the changes this study is asking every participant to implement.

Certainly there is a cost involved

74

up front, but the steps recommended will deliver significant benefits to those involved in the cold chain industry.

For example, for every $1 invested, $7 will be delivered back to the economy.

In other words, the financial benefits significantly outweigh the final cost.

The food sector, from farm to retail, is where the vast majority of actual changes will need to be made and that includes all the players in the cold chain, the producers, the transporters, the operators of refrigeration assets, the wholesalers and the supermarkets.

Echoing the AFCCC’s plea for those in the cold chain to change their process culture, the study said that achieving the target will only be possible if industries change the way they do business, for the long term, embedding new processes and practices ranging from new and innovative technologies to simple process and behavioural changes.

There’s a lot more than money involved. The whole industry will ultimately benefit because the steps that companies will need to take will deliver a more efficient and collaborative industry, as well as a more just and equitable society. Those involved in cold chain transport will soon realise that there is another and bigger layer of responsibility on top of any number of refrigerated spaces, data acquisition technologies and intelligent refrigeration controls.

POWERTORQUE November/December 2021

The transport sector is being targeted because a fair quantity of food waste can be avoided by better refrigeration practices. Food damage is also more likely to occur in the transport and handling of refrigerated product than at stationary points in the cold food chain. If food is poorly handled during transport and handling, the losses at the consumer end are compounded.

Food already suffering temperature abuse will have a shorter shelf life in the domestic refrigerator.

As a reminder to cold chain transport participants, I repeat the findings of an AFCCC study of common observed failures, there were 26 of them. Some were obvious, such as overloading the trailer, incompatible mixed loads, incorrect or absence of pre-chilling, poor packing/stacking/wrapping, badly designed loading docks and weather/ temperature exposure. But by far the biggest failures related to the product handling process itself and the need to ensure that those working in the cold chain understand the process. Having effective and consistent processes adopted throughout the supply chain was considered the biggest issue and that ‘people’ were an integral part of any process. Training and education were listed prominently as being the key to achieving real improvements in the cold food chain to limit food loss and wastage.

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