Transport & Trucking issue 110

Transport FOR ROAD TRANSPORT & COMMERCIAL VEHICLE PROFESSIONALS

& Trucking Australia

www.truckandbus.net.au Issue 110 Aug/Sep 2016

$8.95 incl. GST

FLIGHT OF THE VALKYRIE NEW BENZ ACTROS TRIALLED ON AUSISIE ROAD AHEAD OF LAUNCH

ISSN 2206-1495

9 772206 149005 >

10

UPDATED ISUZU F SERIES DRIVEN

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Refrigerated Freight

Transport

CONTENTS

FOR ROAD TRANSPORT & COMMERCIAL VEHICLE PROFESSIONALS

& Trucking Australia

24 CONTACT DETAILS PO Box 35 Lindfield, NSW, 2070 www.truckandbus.net.au admin@transportandtruckingtoday.com.au

Enquiries 02 9938 6408 Follow us on Twitter #truckandbusnews Follow us on Facebook at Truck and Bus Australia

Publisher Jon Thomson admin@transportandtruckingtoday.com.au

Editor in Chief Allan Whiting nofibspublishing@bigpond.com Art Director Luke Melbourne luke@thekissagency.com Advertising Sales Lauryn McGuiness Mob: 0404 058 380 laurynm@email.com Editorial Contributors Barry Flanagan, David Meredith, Mark Bean, Howard Shanks, Glenn Torrens

FEATURES

16

FLIGHT OF THE VALKYRIE

24

FAMILY AFFAIR

30

TOP OF THE HEAP

36

LONG DRIVE HOME

The all-new Actros is a vital truck for Daimler and T&TA takes a close look at two advance models and the testing program they’ve been through ahead of the launch.

Isuzu has ruled the roost in the Australian truck market for the past three decades and if the new F Series is any indication it won’t be overtaken any time soon. T&TA went along to the F Series drive program

T&TA jumped at the chance to drive a fleet of Volvo and Mack trucks from Adelaide to Sydney and came away impressed.

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ARTFUL DAILY

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TO THE FOUR

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30

Family and loyalty have been the cornerstones of Brisbane based Ken Easter’s transport business over the past 40 years which now has a fleet of 70 trucks proving he is clearly no bunny!

After a long wait he new Iveco Daily 4x4 is available, Allan Whiting went along to the launch event to find out more

Quad-axle trailers can deliver clear productivity gains and as Allan Whiting reports the NTC is investigating extending quad-axle operation under PBS rules

iLOAD TO THE iMAX

We allowed the LCV crew out of the cupboard here in the T&TA global HQ to test the updated Hyundai’s iLoad and iMax and here their report.

ALL ROUND A BETTER DRIVE

SUVs are the flavor of the moment but after a week with the new Passat Alltrack Jon Thomson reckons the traditional wagon with all wheel drive may be a better option.

16 Transport & Trucking Australia is published under licence by Grayhaze Pty. Ltd. and is distributed to road transport professionals, fleets, business professionals and the industry throughout Australia.

All material contained herein including text, photography, design elements and format are copyright and cannot be reproduced by any means without the written permission of the publisher. Grayhaze Pty.Ltd. is a member of the Copyright Agency Limited (1800 066 844).

Editorial contributions are welcome for consideration. Contact the Editor or Publisher for guidelines, fees and level of interest.

All unsolicited manuscripts must be accompanied by a stamp, addressed envelope for their return. We will not be held responsible for material supplied electronically.

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Single copy price $8.95 incl. GST

DEPARTMENTS

04

BACK TRACKS Musings from the Editor

06

HIGHWAY 1

News and info from all over

64

MONEY

Paul’s latest advice on finances

AUSTRALIAN MADE. WORLD’S BEST. For road transport operators and businesses who keep the health, wealth and prosperity of this country moving every day.

kenworth.com.au

BACK TRACKS ALLAN WHITING AUTONOMOUS TRUCKS WON’T REPLACE DRIVERS - NOT JUST YET AT LEAST!

A

s certain as death and taxes is the fact that businesses will always seek ways to reduce costs. This is the principal attraction of autonomous trucks, but autonomy is sweetened by other claimed advantages that include reduced accident numbers and fatigue-related issues.

Those who believe that automation won’t come to the road transport scene are delusional, because it’s already here: computer-controlled combustion, gearshifting, braking and navigation are common, and adaptive cruise control that maintains vehicle spacing, with emergency autonomous braking, are fitted to the latest car and truck models.

In Europe, in mid-2016, a ‘platooning’ trial of a semi-trailer truck convoy proved that electronically interconnected vehicles could deliver significant safety and economy advantages, so that concept is bound to be developed further in the near future.

At the opposite end of the R&D scale there are automated taxis now operating in Singapore and Mercedes-Benz has just announced an experimental automated delivery van that could herald a new world of urban pickup and delivery operations.

‘Autonomous’ and ‘automated’ are different terms and really shouldn’t be interchangeable. An autonomous vehicle is one that needs no driver and outside input, where an automated one may need a driver

at times and certainly relies on outside input from GPS signals, for example.

Most current experimental self-driving vehicles are automated, not autonomous and research seems to be in three main areas: mine vehicles, line haul combinations and ‘last mile’ PU&D work.

Mine vehicle driving jobs are certainly under threat from automated haul trucks and the latest release from Volvo is an electric dumper that doesn’t even have a cab.

At this stage of development the fear that line haul drivers will be superfluous seems ill-founded, because a driver is needed to get a combination vehicle into a freeway-driving platoon and a driver is needed to exit the platoon prior to the delivery point.

However, we wouldn’t be surprised to see pressure for increased driving hours, based on the premise that drivers will be more relaxed during a platooning section of a trip, keeping them fitter for delivery work at the end.

A greater threat to line haul drivers’ jobs on the eastern seaboard is rail - the ultimate ‘platooning’ situation - where hundreds of ISO containers can string along behind one traction source. More efficient train operations must attract some focus soon.

The PU&D situation is quite different and it’s possible that automated ‘last mile’ vehicles are only a few years away.

The Mercedes-Benz future van shows

what is possible, with computer-controlled navigation and planned delivery loading, self-driving ability, plus the option of onboard drones to back up the van driver’s footwork.

However, the security of Internet-based and GPS-based communications is a major problem that must be overcome before automated vehicles will be accepted by the road transport industry and by the general public.

Hackers have demonstrated their ability to ‘crack’ supposedly secure networks and noone will trust a system that can be invaded.

From 10-14 October this year, 7000 intelligent transport systems leaders will join developers, policy makers and academics from around the world to discuss these and other issues at the ITS World Congress in Melbourne.

Back to the present and in this issue we look at Isuzu’s updated F Series and how Australia’s most popular medium duty trucks just got a whole lot better, we drive Mercedes soon to be released flagship Actros, there is a test of Iveco’s new and highly accomplished Daily 4x4, I take a look at quad axle trailers and the productivity gains they can deliver and we drive some Volvos and Macks from Adelaide to Melbourne. All that and a whole lot more in this month’s Transport & Trucking.

Stay safe and see you next issue.

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VOLKSWAGEN SHOWS ITS HAND - We were right - German giant buys into Navistar

AS TRANSPORT & TRUCKING forecast in issue 109, global automotive giant Volkswagen has made its move into the US heavy truck market by announcing that it has purchased a 16.6 per cent share in Navistar.

The announcement is being described as a strategic alliance and will see Volkswagen Truck and Bus will invest US$256 million in Navistar and

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will appoint two directors to its board.

The move makes VW the biggest shareholder in Navistar.

“We are very pleased to partner with a global leader who shares our view of the world, in an alliance that will deliver multiple benefits and is consistent with our open-integration strategy,” said Troy Clarke, president and CEO, Navistar.

“Starting in the near term, this alliance

will benefit our purchasing operations through global scope and scale. Over the longer term, it is intended to expand the technology options we are able to offer our customers.

“Volkswagen’s equity investment will strengthen our liquidity position and expand our financial flexibility, while aligning us with a valuable strategic partner.”

“Closer collaboration among our existing brands was a top priority for our commercial vehicles business and we are well on track in this context,” added Andreas Renschler, CEO of Volkswagen Truck & Bus and member Volkswagen board responsible for commercial vehicles.

“We are now taking the next step on our way to becoming a global champion

“Closer collaboration among our existing brands was a top priority ,” Andreas Renschler, Volkswagen Truck & Bus CEO

in the commercial vehicles industry.

The strategic alliance with Navistar is an important milestone and will be very beneficial for both sides.”

The two companies said adding global scale will deliver cost savings for both companies.

“We believe working collaboratively, the two companies can optimize the capital and engineering expenditures associated with next-generation truck and bus engine development, while providing both Navistar and Volkswagen with substantial procurement savings.

This alliance marks another step in Navistar’s journey to be a stronger, more profitable company,” said Walter Borst, executive vice-president and chief financial officer with Navistar.

The deal includes a procurement joint venture, which will allow the companies to source parts collectively.

The two truck makers will also share technologies and collaborate in the development of advanced driver assistance systems, connected vehicle solutions, platooning and autonomous technologies, electric vehicles and cab and chassis components.

Navistar expects significant synergies from both the technology collaboration and procurement. Navistar expects the

alliance to give it saving synergies for of at least $500 million over the first five years and generate annual synergies of at least $200 million for Navistar.

“We are very pleased to partner with a global leader who shares our view of the world, in an alliance that will deliver multiple benefits consistent with our strategy,” said Troy Clarke, “Short term this alliance will benefit our purchasing through global scope and scale. Over the longer term, it will expand the technology options we are able to offer by leveraging the best of both companies.

Volkswagen Truck & Bus’ equity investment will strengthen Navistar’s liquidity and give it financial flexibility, while aligning it with a valuable strategic partner.

“Closer collaboration among our existing brands was a top priority for our commercial vehicles business and we are well on track in this context,” said Andreas Renschler, CEO of Volkswagen Truck & Bus and member of the Board of Management of Volkswagen AG responsible for commercial vehicles.

“We are now taking the next step on our way to becoming a Global Champion in the commercial vehicles industry.

The strategic alliance with Navistar is

an important milestone and will be very beneficial for both sides.”

“We expect this alliance will create significant global scale, yielding considerable cost savings for both companies,” said Walter Borst, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Navistar. “We believe working collaboratively, the two companies can optimize the capital and engineering expenditures associated with next-generation engine development, while providing both with opportunities for substantial procurement savings.”

As part of the alliance, Volkswagen Truck & Bus has acquired 16.2 million newly issued shares in Navistar, representing 16.6% of undiluted common stock. Navistar will receive $256 million from the equity investment to be used for general corporate purposes.

It is expected the partnership will focus on powertrain technology solutions, as well as exploring collaboration in all aspects of commercial vehicle development, including advanced driver assistance systems.

Navistar products will benefit from Volkswagen Truck & Bus components

and technology through licensing and supply agreements entered into pursuant to the framework agreement for strategic technology and supply collaboration, which longer term will generate increased parts sales.

The first clear benefit to Navistar appears to be the announcement that the US maker’s trucks are set to get Volkswagen powertrains by 2019, presumably sourced from its European heavy vehicle brands, MAN and Scania.

The announcement that engines from VW’s heavy truck empire would be slotted into Navistar vehicles has posed the question of what will happen to Navistar’s current main engine supplier, Cummins. There is no immediate word on what it will mean for Cummins ongoing relationship with Navistar.

“Cummins is a great partner for us and the Cummins engine in our product is an outstanding product,” said Troy Clarke, CEO of Navistar.

“I anticipate we’ll continue to offer Cummins products for a period of time…we’re not speculating or making announcements in that regard today.”

We wait more news with much anticipation in what is one of the biggest moves in the global truck market in the past few years.

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HOW SWEDE IT IS New Scania debuts in Paris SWEDISH MANUFACTURER SCANIA has unveiled its next-generation truck range in Paris with a new cab design along with the latest integrated technology.

To put icing on the Swedish cake, the new Gen Scania was also crowned international Truck of the Year at the IAA Truck Show in Hannover just weeks after it was unveiled.

A decade in the making the new Scania heavy hitter is the result of a massive $3,13 billion investment by the VW owned truck maker. Scania engineers have put the new flagship through more than 10 million kilometres of testing and development and claim the new truck range will deliver ‘Five per cent lower fuel consumption on average’ and say it has a ‘strong focus on customer profitability’.

It says the fuel efficiency improvements come as a result of factors such as improved powertrains and better aerodynamics.

Scania president and CEO Henrik Henriksson unveiled the new generation models to 1,500 guests at the Sustainable Transport Forum in the French capital’s

Grand Palais, declaring that the new truck is “undoubtedly the biggest investment in Scania’s 125 year history.”

“Today we are not just launching a new truck range but also a unique, ingenious toolbox of sustainable solutions in the form of products and services that Scania is first in the industry to be able to deliver – and I feel I can claim this with confidence,” said Henriksson.

“We are focusing firmly on our main task: to give our customers the necessary tools for achieving profitability in the one business that really means something to them, namely their own.”

Scania claims the “unique modular system” in the new range means it can now “supply more performance stages, connectivity and a comprehensive palette of productivity-enhancing services as well as sustainable transportation solutions that are precisely customised for each type of customer in the highly competitive transportation industry.”

Connected Trucks is part of the strategy providing both the customer

and Scania with insights for improving efficiency and performance.

The Swedish maker says all new vehicles will come with the technology and that it is the future of advanced trucking.

As a total features package, Henriksson says the new “products and services redefine the term ‘premium’ within the truck industry.”

“The most noticeable features are of course the new cabs, but the real innovation is that we are now introducing new technologies, services and insights that will help our customers gain an overview of both their costs and their revenues,” he says.

“Our goal is for our customers to be able to achieve sustainable profitability, regardless of assignment type or the conditions in which they work.

“Our customers’ vehicles always constitute a link within the bigger picture; Scania embraces this through quality, accessibility and a range of physical or connected services.”

Scania is yet to announce specifications but says production has

NEW CRAFTER TURNS UP THE VOLUME VOLKSWAGEN HAS UNVEILED its next generation Crafter van in Hannover, German with a new maximum volume in excess of 18 cubic metres and a 5.5 tonne payload in its top of the range model.

The new model has been redeveloped from the ground up with 008 www.truckandbus.net.au electromechanical steering, more fuel-

efficient and reliable engine options, optimised for both long trips and urban traffic and a range of driver assistance systems.

According to chairman of the board of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, Dr Eckhard Scholz, the new Crafter calls on decades of involvement in the sector.

“The development of the new Crafter

was a unique opportunity to avoid all compromises while drawing upon our decades of experience in the market segment. The new Crafter represents a fusion of product focus and customer focus. In other words, we developed this vehicle from the customer’s perspective,” Scholz said.

The 2.0L TDI engine is being offered in

started for the long haul range while the media launch and customer roll out will be staged over coming weeks.

The company is launching the new range in phases, with a clear focus on various customer segments and according to a carefully planned schedule.

The introductions will continue with more customer options, before the entire process concludes with simultaneous launches on markets outside Europe.

The company’s goal is for at least 40,000 customers and prospective customers to have test driven the new vehicles themselves in connection with the launches and to have been introduced to Scania’s entire range, covering everything from sustainability optimisation to financing, insurance and maintenance.

Transport & Trucking magazine would like to give our readers a first hand insight into the new Scania however we were not been invited to Scania’s global Media launch in Europe next month. We will, it seems, have to wait until the truck is launched down under.

three power outputs, all meeting Euro 6 standards: 75kW, 103kW or a twin-turbo 130kW variant. Stop-start technology is also fitted as standard to give the new Crafter a claimed 15 per cent improvement in fuel efficiency.

The chassis, which has been redeveloped from the ground up and tuned in detail, has a comfortable McPherson front suspension and five different variants of a rigid rear axle, and parabolic springs that are progressive

springs in some derivatives.

The electromechanical steering that is being introduced for the first time in this segment provides for excellent handling, optimised maneuverability and safe driving properties in all load states. This improved steering precision and fine response also leads to a significant reduction in CO2 emissions due to adaptive energy consumption.

Moreover, the ergonomics of the driver’s workplace have been

optimised. It is possible to order three different variants of an optional ergonomic suspension sea with adjustable lumbar supports and massage function.

The new Crafter’s standard features include electric windows, central locking with wireless remote control and practical and ergonomically designed storage features for a mobile phone, laptop and tablet, folding rule, working gloves and much more.

The new Crafter also offers lane assist, park assist, adaptive cruise control, reversing camera, rear traffic alert, sensor based side protection, front assist emergency braking system and front, side and head airbags for the driver and passenger.

Integrated FMS Fleet Management Interface as a prepared telematic functional interface, which is compatible with existing telematics systems already on the market.

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BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY Mack pulls on the safety jacket MACK HAS ANNOUNCED a package of safety features designed to make its trucks the safest and most advanced conventional trucks on the Australian market according to the company.

Transport & Trucking was given an insight into the package of driver safety aids during a wet and treacherous day at Shepparton’s DECA driver education facility recently.

Mack has used the Knorr Bremse Bendix Wingman Fusion suite of electronic enhancements to deliver a safety package that matches the advance systems offered on the Volvo Group’s flagship Volvo brand and on other European cab over trucks including the soon to be released Mercedes Benz Actros.

As we said Mack and Bendix claim this is the most advanced electronic safety package to be offered on a US sourced conventional truck and certainly after trying some of the system’s advantages we came away extremely impressed with the ability to keep the rig stable and under control even in the most testing of

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conditions.

With torrential rain sweeping across Victoria all day the DECA skidpan looked more like a lake than a concrete hard stand. Despite this, Bendix engineer Brett Nicol initially showed how intuitive the Wingman Fusion system is by driving the Mack Granite prime mover hooked to a test trailer, a combination grossing around 40 tonnes, across the skidpan at a constant 50km/h on adaptive cruise control before hooking into a J-curve around witches’ hats without touching any of the pedals.

The result could have been disaster without the electronic stability and safety package, however the system which was monitoring a range of inputs, including yaw rate, wheel speed, steering angle and the trucks ECU, detected the pending situation applying braking, taking control of the transmission, downshifting and applying engine braking, totally of its own accord.

When we were given a chance to try the same maneuverer it was again

totally foolproof. The foot was hard on the throttle but the system was in control and went around the wet and slippery corner safely and without incident.

The adaptive cruise control and its emergency braking override component was also demonstrated by Brett Nicol on the DECA test loop using an inflatable ‘dummy’ car with a cardboard image of a car attached to one side to allow the combination of camera and radar to detect a stationery vehicle on the road ahead.

With the cruise control set to 45km/h and the rain continuing to stream down we charged down the road toward the imminent crash, alarms started to sound and when no action was being taken by the driver the system again took over applying the brakes hard and as if by some sort of miracle the 40 tonnes of potential battering ram was brought to a halt with barely a metre to spare, while ABS actuator valves could be heard frantically adjusting and re-adjusting deep within the Mack.

Bendix and Mack were at pains to point out the system is not touted as something that will keep the truck out of accidents in every situation but it will reduce the potential damage and in most cases help the driver avoid an accident in the first place.

The Wingman Fusion which is being engineered into the Mack range and is not just an add on package, as the Bendix and Mack people pointed out, is a predictive rather than reactive system and monitors a range of data from around the truck including sensors, a camera, radar and blindspot sensors monitoring the sides of the prime mover.

The Mack Safety pack will be available as an option on Granite, Trident and Superliner models but not on Metroliner largely because of the nature of its favoured vocation mostly in the concrete agitator market.

We are still awaiting a price tag for the Safety Pack and a few other details, which we will bring you in future editions of Transport & Trucking Australia.

ACHIEVE SIGNIFICANT FUEL REDUCTIONS.

GREG GOODCHILD

GREG’S MEAT TRANSPORT

“Scania driver training is excellent. A guy who’d been

working here for 26 years did the course and straight off his fuel economy was 10% better.”

So contact your local branch or authorised dealer to find out how a Scania Total Transport Solution can work for your business.

VICTORIA Scania Campbellfield Tel: (03) 9217 3300 Scania Dandenong Tel: (03) 9217 3600 Scania Laverton Tel: (03) 9369 8666 SOUTH AUSTRALIA Scania Wingfield Tel: (08) 8406 0200

NEW SOUTH WALES Scania Prestons Tel: (02) 9825 7900 Scania Newcastle Tel: (02) 9825 7940 K&J Trucks, Coffs Harbour Tel: (02) 6652 7218 NJ’s of Wagga Tel: (02) 6971 7214

QUEENSLAND Scania Richlands Tel: (07) 3712 8500 Scania Pinkenba Tel: (07) 3712 7900 Spann’s Trucks, Toowoomba Tel: (07) 4634 4400 RSC Diesels, Cairns Tel: (07) 4054 5440

WESTERN AUSTRALIA Scania Kewdale Tel: (08) 9360 8500 Scania Bunbury Tel: (08) 9724 6200

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MAKING SENSE OF HINO’S SUPERCARS SPEND Racing is a strategic relationship builder for truck maker HINO’S NATIONAL MARKETING manager Sarah Rosales has given some insight into the brand’s three-year sponsorship of Australia’s top-level motor sport category, V8 Supercars.

Hino committed to the series as the official light and medium duty truck sponsor, a move, which some people in the industry have questioned.

According to Ms Rosales, the deal is a strategic relationship building exercise, with the series creating an opportunity to engage directly with existing and potential owners on a national level.

“There is no disputing Supercars is one of the most popular sports among both existing and potential fleet customers and owner/drivers - unsurprisingly, 71 per cent of its audience are male,” Ms Rosales said.

“We are really pleased with the high brand awareness we have with our current and potential customers - having said that, our research shows we have an opportunity to increase ‘familiarity’ which includes knowledge of our high

quality, extensive range of products that are manufactured in Japan and our Hino Advantage customer care program.

“The 15 Supercar events also provide a great environment to engage with those customers through entertainment activities and behindthe-scenes experiences, to make the day memorable and give our people valuable time to build and strengthen relationships.

Supercars’ national footprint, virtual year-round competition and extensive television coverage were also key factors in the decision to invest, according Ms Rosales.

Another key attraction was the brand building opportunities for Hino, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in Australia in 2015.

“Brand is king and brand credibility is so important in the truck market.

Fleet buyers need the deal to make commercial sense but are equally aware of their driver’s emotional equity in what they drive.

“And it’s the same with owner/drivers.

They’re not going to drive a brand they’re not comfortable and familiar with,” Ms Rosales continued.

The company also unveiled its fan activation, the Hino Sports Bar, at the recent Sandown 500 – adding to its sponsorship, which includes hospitality, on track signage and branding over the ‘Hino Hub’ technical segments on the telecasts.

“It’s national, it’s flexible, it has many components that we can fine-tune as we need everyone at Hino understands the opportunities this program presents to share our brand in a way we’ve not be able to do before,” Ms Rosales concluded.

Hino is just one of several truck brands involved in the sport, joining the Penske owned entities MAN and Western Star, Kenworth, Iveco, Volvo Truck, Mack and Freightliner.

CHINESE TAKE AWAY JMC becomes the latest Chinese truck maker to have a crack down under ANOTHER CHINESE TRUCK maker has arrived in the highly competitive Australian market with Jiangling Motors or JMC announcing to the local media that its light duty range would be on sale in Australia from this month.

JMC’s announcement comes following the quiet and underwhelming launch of its Vigus ute in 2015 and the faltering efforts of other Chinese truck makers,

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JAC and Foton.

Foton has sold a total of 729 trucks since it launched here in 2011 while JAC sold less than 200 trucks mainly from a stock that was imported by then importer WMC in 2012 before a management shake up and reorganisation brought the brand to a grinding halt in this country.

So will JMC be any more successful

than its compatriots from China?

JMC says it will, but one would expect that sort of confidence from a new arrival.

The company will launch its new trucks with a starting price of $31,990 with four models with GVM ranging from 4.5 tonne to 7.5 tonne with a choice of either a 2.4 litre diesel or a more powerful three-litre diesel.

The JMC trucks reflect a one-time

collaboration between JMC and Isuzu several years ago with more than a passing resemblance to the NPR Series.

The company’s 2.4-litre high-pressure direct-injection turbo diesel produces out 120hp and 315Nm of torque while the larger models use the three-litre 150hp turbo diesel. Both are mated to a sixspeed Getrag manual gearbox while both use SCR AdBlue and comply with Euro 5

FREIGHTER’S T-LINER GROWS UP Time saving technology delivers greater efficiency for operators FREIGHTER HAS CONTINUED to focus on ergonomics with its newest trailer model, the T-Liner MARK II with a third less buckles along the common curtained side loader.

According to general manager Mario Colosimo, fewer buckles equates to less risk of injury and time savings of up to ten minutes per drop.

“Less buckles results in less time spent opening and closing curtains,” said Colosimo.

“Operators can save up to ten minutes per drop, which is a significant productivity gain without the need for an additional investment into automation.

“Decreasing the number of buckles to just six on a traditional T-Liner means the risk of repetitive strain injuries is greatly reduced, improving work health and safety.”

The T-Liner MARK II uses Freighter’s philosophy of creating affordable and

emissions standards.

JMC says it has plans afoot for tipper and pantec variants in the future.

The entry level car licence compliant short wheelbase 55-90 Conquer model will be available from $31,990 in cab chassis form, using the 2.4-litre turbodiesel and can be configured with either 4.5-tonne GVM or 5.5-tonne GVM load ratings.

The Conquer 60-90 medium wheelbase is the next step up the range, priced at $34,990 for cab/chassis with a GVM of six- and on a longer 3360mm wheelbase.

The medium wheelbase 67-110 Conquer uses the larger three-litre

turbo-diesel rated at 6.7 tonnes GVM and uses air brakes while the range topping Conquer long wheelbase 75-110 also uses the larger engine and comes with a 7.5-tonne GVM on a 3815mm wheelbase priced at $39,990.

The company claims to have 14 dealers signed on for the launch of the truck with the company saying it has plans to add more dealers and a stronger presence in Australia.

According to JMC national director Amos Yue the fledgling importer is not anticipating too much volume this year but hopes that will increase in the next year.

efficient trailers, and comes on the back of new gate systems designed to be more efficient and safer for operators.

“Previously it hasn’t been possible to reduce the number of buckles on a curtain without loss of vertical tension, which is vital to ensuring the curtains stay safely closed and don’t flap in the breeze when in transit,” Colosimo added.

“The use of Freighter’s proven ‘curtain arc technology’ spreads the

vertical tension out evenly over the width of the curtain, making what was previously impossible, possible.”

Freighter’s ‘curtain arc technology’ uses a high strength nylon rope running through a series of arcs at the bottom of the curtain to create vertical tension quickly, simply and reliably. A new high force buckle has also been developed for the T-Liner MARK II, which Freighter is looking to roll out as standard across the range by the end of the year.

“Australia is a very tough market for Chinese brands. At the moment we’re looking for more dealers to sell our trucks, which are a totally different channel to our utes,” said Mr. Yue. “We have full confidence in our quality and our price, which is about 30 per cent lower than most competitors.”

JMC is launching the Conquer range with a three-year, 100,000km warranty.

The interior is resplendent with ample cubbies and storage compartments, along with seating for three people.

No airbags, stability control, cruise control or rear differential lock functions are yet available.

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highway 1 ALL THE LATEST NEWS AND

VW BUYS INTO NAVISTAR

VIEWS FROM ACROSS THE

/ NEW SCANIA BREAKS COV ER / MACK SAFETY PACK

GLOBE

/ FREIGHTER'S T LINER GRO WS UP

VOLVO TRUCK SHATTERS WORLD SPEED RECORD Swedish HotRod burns up the tarmac VOLVO TRUCKS’ HAS claimed some major speed records for trucks in both the 500 and 1000 metre standing start categories, using a truck it calls the ‘Iron Knight’.

The Iron Knight claimed the records, you will be glad to know, on a closed test track in Sweden using a highly modified, mid-mounted2400 hp, 6000 Nm version of Volvo’s D13 diesel engine with a water cooled intercooler and four turbochargers. While highly modified the engine is based on the production unit used in Volvo’s FH line-up. The I-Shift Dual Clutch transmission was the same

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as that in Volvo road trucks, save for a reinforced clutch (the discs and pressure plates are made of a sintered material).

The truck weighed in at 4.5 tonnes giving it a power-to-weight ratio above 0.5 hp/kg.

The custom-built truck, with Volvo’s I-Shift Dual Clutch transmission, clocked 13.710 seconds over 500 metres with an average speed of 169kph and scorched down the 1,000 metres run in 21.29 seconds at an average of 131.29kph.

“Specialists from several Volvo Trucks departments worked together to develop

a truck with unsurpassed performance,” said Olof Johansson, a technician at Volvo Trucks.

“Apart from Volvo Trucks’ powertrain, we’ve hand-built the truck from the ground up. The fact that we succeeded in securing not just one record, but two is absolutely amazing.”

Claes Nilsson, President and CEO of Volvo Trucks, added, “This shows that our I-Shift Dual Clutch transmission has enormous potential and that it does not let you down under extreme conditions.

The fact that the world record-breaker

uses the very same gearbox that is found in our series-built FH trucks is something that we’re really proud of.”

Behind the wheel of The Iron Knight was Boije Ovebrink, an experienced car and truck racer. Ovebrink had previously beaten five speed records and was European Truck Racing Champion in 1994.

“Volvo Trucks’ The Iron Knight can be summarised in one single word: perfection. It’s breaking truck I’ve driven, and I can’t think of a better follow to Wild Viking and Mean Green,” he said.

PRODUCTS

RIMSHINE RUNNERS Give it a good polish!

Having your fleet look its best is a true reflection of your business and you only get one chance to make a first impression. Aussie Rimshine is the new standard in wheel maintenance. Aussie Rimshine is the original ‘on vehicle’ wheel polishing machine. Using custom shaped foam heads with various cutting and polishing fleece attached to the heads you are able

to cut back then polish a wheel on the vehicle in a matter on minuets.

Now you can have your wheels looking immaculate all year round whilst minimizing the cost to your business.

For further information: www.aussierimshine.com info@aussierimshine.com 0409 562 318

LIGHT FANTASTIC Narva bars up over LEDs If having a powerful, no compromise L.E.D driving light bar is a prime consideration, it’s difficult to go past Narva’s latest release which combines a powerful light output with renowned durability.

The latest additions to Narva’s L.E.D driving light bars range feature a double bank of ‘Cree’ L.E.Ds, significantly increasing visibility at night time for improved safety.

The two new models are 9-33V multi-volt and comprise a 200W bar producing 18,000 lumen of light output and a powerful 300W variant shining 27,000 lumen. a unique beam pattern projects a bright,

white light both to the sides and far down the road and bars are suitable as standalone lighting or to supplement traditional driving lamps.

They are encased in a tough, extruded aluminium housing and feature a virtually unbreakable polycarbonate lens and are sealed to IP68 standard.

Further information on the extensive Narva programme together with high resolution images for download can be found at www.autonews.net.au Visit the Narva website at www.narva. com.au or on Facebook at www. facebook.com/narvaaustralia

CLOBBER ‘EM

Iveco introduces its own apparel IVECO HAS LAUNCHED a range of apparel for purchase through its national Dealer Network including several warm winter jackets in a variety of styles, ‘Whistler’type vests, along with various peaked caps, beanies and ‘hoodies’.

This apparel is complemented by a variety of men’s and women’s polo shirts, business shirts, T-shirts, singlets and high visibility vests. The clothing features a modern styling and in a colour pallet of predominantly blue, black, grey and white .

Other branded items and accessories include a torch, backpack, cooler bag, travel and traditional mugs, a bar runner, a compendium, stationery including pens, ruler and USB drives and ever popular keyrings.

New items will be added to the merchandise range in the future.

Additional products will be added to the range in coming months and for full details and pricing on the existing goods, buyers should visit their local Iveco Dealership.

TOTAL CONTROL

French oil giant introduces high tech AdBlue TOTAL OIL HAS announce the addition what is claimed to be high tech AdBlue which they say ensures diesel vehicles remain compliant and are covered by OEM warranty.

Total says that one of the key benefits of its new AdBlue product is that it’s fully certified and licensed by the German/European Automotive Association (VDA) and that using an AdBluewithout this endoresement your fleet or customer’s vehicles may not covered by some OEM warranties.

“Total’s AdBlue provides peace of mind that your vehicles comply with emission regulations, retain OEM

warranty status and optimise their performance. Importantly, Total’s AdBlue plays an important role in looking after the environment, a core component of Total’s global strategy,” said Andrew Murchie, Managing Director of Total Oil Australia.

Total’s Adblue is available in a 15L jerrycan with spout, 210L drum and 1000L IBC cube. Total can also cater for larger bulk volumes for those larger AdBlue requirements.

For further information: www.totaloil.com.au au@total.com Toll Free: 1800 868 256

New Model

FLIGHT OF THE VALKYRIE Be under no illusion, the allnew Actros is a vital truck for Daimler in Australia and that fact is underlined by the almost military precision and detail the company has gone to in developing the new big ‘Benz for Down Under.

T&TA takes a close look at two advance models and the extensive testing and evaluation program they have been put through ahead of launch.

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W

hile the local car industry is about to shut down, local truck manufacturing seems to be going from strength to strength. We took a visit recently to Paccar’s Australian production facility in Melbourne to see the impressive operation and came away realising that as a nation we should not only value the returns these plants deliver to our economy but also that we should never take them for granted.

Wounded by slipping market share and mediocre sales performance of its brands in Australia, mainly at the hands of its Swedish rivals, Volvo and Scania, the German maker needs the new Actros to start kicking goals immediately, to win back some of the lustre the three-pointed star once had in this market.

Not that you’d expect anyone at Daimler HQ in Mulgrave to admit that. That is not to say they are deluding themselves, but more that they are not admitting the weakness externally, probably something to do with the art of war or some such business maxim.

If they are practicing the art of war and weaponry has anything to do with success, then the new Actros will be a pretty damn fine addition to the Daimler arsenal.

T&TA has had the opportunity for two

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drives in the new Actros over the past couple of months and has come away impressed with the efforts Daimler has made in putting its flagship on a level footing with its opponents from Sweden. That members of the fourth estate have been given such wide, early access to the new truck shows confidence by Daimler Australia in its testing and evaluation of the new truck over the past three years.

Our first encounter was on a particularly wet and foul day, even by Melbourne standards, taking an evaluation version of the Actros, hauling a single trailer grossing around 35 tonnes on a 100km loop down the Monash Freeway. The foulness of the conditions cannot be understated but the Actros performed superbly, taking everything the weather and crowded roads could throw at it. The rig could easily be described as the ‘Linfox’ spec as the trailer and its configuration could be exactly what the logistics giant or any of its rivals would be ordering to tow behind the Actros.

The 2643 6x4 next generation Actros was powered by the ‘Benz OM 470 10.7 litre i-six using both SCR and DPF emission technology and mated to a 12-speed direct drive AMT. A high performance engine

brake was fitted, as was Electronic Stability Program (ESP) along with a raft of safety acronyms including Active Brake Assist (ABA) Proximity Control Assist (PCA), Attention Assist and EBS. It also featured lower entry and a lower seating position to suit its ‘distribution oriented ’ prime mover spec that fulfils the need of that application. ‘Benz says that it will also be offered in some higher horsepower categories to expand its attractiveness to the market.

Disc brakes were fitted all around on the 6x4 prime mover, with air bag suspension on the rear and just under 900 litres of fuel capacity from two tanks, giving the truck reasonable range for an inter-urban distribution operation.

The abiding impression from the drive was of sure-footedness, confidence and safety in what were absolutely atrocious weather conditions that included sheeting rain, spray and high winds.

The second chance at sampling the new Actros was during a day long haul from Western Sydney to Melbourne, down the Hume, behind the wheel of a 2658 Actros hauling a B Double grossing around 61 tonnes. The weather was better and apart

2

1. The new Actros has tremendous presence on the road and the big cab is sure to be popular with customers 2. The matt black finish of the evaluation vehicle gave it an intimidating look, while the prominent Tri-Star in the centre of the grille leaves no one doubting the truck’s origins

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1 2

3

1. The trip down the Hume put the Actros squarely in the B Double environment where Daimler is aiming the new truck.

2. The sleeper provided plenty of room with a real innerspring mattress for a comfortable night’s sleep 3. The 1050 litre fuel tanks and large Ad Blue reservoir gives the Actros good fuel range

from early morning peak hour traffic on Sydney’s M7 ‘carpark’, the Hume was generally less crowded; however, it was just as much a test.

The peak hour running showed some of the technology gains, with adaptive cruise control, collision avoidance and lane assist allowing the truck to ‘flow’ along with the traffic at 10 or 20km/h with no input from the driver, apart from guiding the steering wheel. The cruise altered the vehicle speed and braking to adapt to the stop-start conditions, bringing the truck to a halt at times and then accelerating away when the traffic moved again If you wanted a demonstration of how feasible autonomous operation is then this was it. We don’t think autonomous trucks are far into the future.

Once out of the early morning gridlock, largely caused by an ugly 10-vehicle pile-up on the opposite carriageway - clearly the result of none of the victims having access to such advanced adaptive cruise - the drive became a relaxed affair. The 15.8-litre

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straight six supplied effortless power to tackle the undulating Hume freeway on the NSW side of the border and surprisingly frugal fuel economy on the generally flat running south of the Murray.

The new 15.8-litre was packing 580 horsepower with maximum torque of 2800Nm at 1100rpm and it offered superb performance and excellent fuel consumption, but more on that later.

In comparison with the ‘distribution’ spec Actros, this line haul spec truck had a long and high climb up from the pavement into the cab but the steps and grab handles were easy to use and abundant making it relatively easy to access and exit the cab area.

It is a big and roomy cab offering large bins on both sides of the cab, accessible from outside the truck.

Inside it is a comfortable environment with plenty of room and a bright and clean feel. Storage is very good, with two large pull-out bins under the bunk, both of which are easily accessed from the drivers seat, the one nearest the driver boasting a

good-sized fridge, while the vast area above the windscreen has a number of overhead lockers and shelving. There are more nooks and crannies under the centre of the dash for safely storing various items.

The cab’s major asset is the massive headroom and the flat floor that gives the driver and passenger plenty of room to stand up and stretch and get ready for bed if the bunk is being used. Speaking of which, the bed boasts a full inner-spring mattress, not just a nasty foam one, but this is a ‘Benz after all.

As you would expect from a ‘Benz, the switchgear and ergonomics are very good, simple, easy to read and well laid out. One interesting control is a foot-operated pedal under the left side of he dash giving the driver access to a wide range of steering wheel adjustments. There are wands on both sides of the steering column, giving easy control of indicators and wipers on the left, while the one on the right offers control of the multistage engine retardation and shift modes.

The 15.8-litre in the 2658 fed torque

The cockpit is very good in terms of ergonomics and usability

through Daimler’s PowerShift 12-speed automated manual to ‘Benz hypoid drive tandem axles with a highway-running 2.533:1 final drive.

Daimler airbag suspension was fitted to the rear axles and three-leaf spring packs suspended the front. Like the distribution spec truck we drove earlier, the big line haul unit used disc brakes all round, combined with ABS, ASR and all of the other relevant acronyms.

Braking is, as you would expect, extremely good, especially when combined with the excellent engine retardation.

As mentioned previously, fuel economy was a stand-out and, despite the fact that this writer had an ongoing economy contest with the other truck journo sharing the drive, it was easy to achieve.

At 61 tonnes GCM the best figure we recorded as we steamed on down the Hume was a remarkable 2.008km/litre (49.8litres/100km or 5.7 mpg). By any measure that is an impressive figure and one that would get better as the truck freed

“We could not fault the big new ‘Benz and the performance it delivered on the Hume: a road that sees so much overnight B Double traffic and where it will find its place“

up further. It is in fact a figure that any operator would be happy to achieve at this gross weight.

We could not fault the big new ‘Benz and the performance it delivered on the Hume: a road that sees so much overnight B Double traffic and where it will find its place once the truck is freely available to customers later in the year.

Can the new Actros take the fight up to Volvo? Most definitely. Can it redress the situation and take Daimler back into the sort of sales figures that it once achieved?

Quite possibly, but that depends also on the human elements of sales and support.

Certainly, given the extensive work Daimler has put in to test and evaluate the new Actros with fleets over the past three years in Australia there has probably been no better preparation for the launch of a heavy truck in this market, ever!

The answers to these questions will be revealed in due course, but from our perspective we believe Daimler is on a winner with the new Actros.

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LAYING THE GROUNDWORK Daimler’s head of the Mercedes-Benz truck brand Andrew Assimo has been sweating over the introduction of this new Actros for the past three years. That is how long the Australian arm of the German automotive giant has been preparing for the launch of the new Actros.

This new-gen Actros was actually first introduced in Europe way back in 2011 and the entire range was rolled out there over three years. It has been under test and evaluation here since late 2013. No one could accuse them of rushing the process.

In that time the company claims it has mounted the most extensive and complex evaluation and test program it has ever undertaken for a new model in this country.

That has involved placing advance models with approximately 30 customers, operating across a spectrum of operations from singletrailer, intra-state distribution work to full road train operations grossing 110 tonnes on a tough Perth to the Pilbara route.

It’s been hard work, but clearly Assimo’s enthusiasm demonstrates the returns he believes it has delivered for ‘Benz ahead of this most important launch for the company.

“It’s been an incredibly exciting journey, one that has been very rewarding and we are very passionate about this product, because we believe we have something special.

“We have never been able to do an evaluation program on a scale like this over a long period of time and it has allowed us to deepen the relationship with our headquarters in Germany,” he said.

Assimo says no other ‘Benz export market has been able to do anything like this before, but because Australia is a unique market, presenting the enticing trifecta of high weights, high speed and high temperatures, it has given the company the opportunity to prove the vehicle in a small but tough market and to then promote that in other parts of the world.

The testing and evaluation has been positive

for Daimler and allowed it to prove reliability and durability as well as fine tune the specs it could offer to the market. The program also allowed some adaptation of software and fuel tank packaging, feeding those adaptations back to the factory.

Assimo says the process won’t stop at the launch of the new Actros and will continue on with new rigid trucks and other configurations as they are rolled out over time.

“Things such as the cooling packages we needed to validate were tested overseas in hotter climates but not with the sort of weight and speed that we encounter in Australia,” said Andrew Assimo.

“The road train operating in WA has used our highest horsepower engine throughout the Australian summers with 110 tonnes, in incredible temperatures without problems,” he added.

“We have said to the customers that we would like them to trial this vehicle and give us feedback, we told them that we think this is the right truck for the task, with the right package, the right engine, horsepower, transmission and configuration package and then we monitored everything very closely.”

The main focus for Benz with the initial new Actros offering will be the main stream east coast line haul B Double and regional prime mover market, operating up to 90 tonnes.

However the road train market, while being a secondary focus, can be serviced with the optional 16-speed transmission that equips the Actros for that role, as it has proven on that daily road train grind from Perth to Onslow.

“We look at everyone in the market and we believe we have some good opportunities and we are particularly looking at the negative feedback because that is what we can react to,” Andrew added.

Assimo believes the uptake of safety innovations is growing, with the demand largely coming from major fleets eager to improve driver performance and to improve

safety overall. The technology-packed Actros easily satisfies these demands.

“It has all of the things that technology is meant to bring: better performance, better safety and easier operation - that is what Actros is delivering,” said Assimo.

It’s clear that many of the advances Daimler has been developing for its much-vaunted autonomous trucks are related to the technological advances in the new Actros.

Let’s face it: the autonomous era is racing down the highway toward us.

“It is important for us to ensure proper driver training and understanding of the technology when we hand over a vehicle, so that operators feel comfortable using it and we need to enhance driver familiarisation in the future to get the most out of the truck,” he added.

The rollout of this technology has been met with overwhelmingly positive feedback from the big fleets and the bottom line has seen improvement in insurance premiums, lower accident rates and a reduction in repair costs.

Even when an accident does happen the damage is not as great because the incident severity has been reduced by the technology, according to Assimo.

“It is also working to level-out the driver field, bringing the average up to a higher level by providing more adaptive systems and more autonomous systems and if that helps improve the truck and bring the average driver standard up then it has to be good for the industry and society,” he added.

The Actros is the next step in the development of Daimler’s mainstream on-highway offering and Assimo says there are more opportunities coming to take it to a new level.

“With our new portfolio we think we have more opportunity than ever to take our reach to a higher level, so primarily growing the B Double segment, growing the regional prime mover segment and then developing other opportunities with what we have got to offer,” he said.

The entire intent of having vehicles here so far ahead of the launch was so that Daimler could understand the vehicles better than it ever has before a launch.

“It mean that when a customer comes to us and says we need a truck for this particular application we can say with some certainty that this is the best truck because we have taken input from test customers, not to mention our own dealer group, ensuring we have the best possible specs for the application.

“We can then say with some degree of certainty that on this trip, on this road, in this area with these conditions we can expect this kind of performance.

“We have been monitoring all the tests on telematics in the background and that offers a fair insight into how the vehicle will perform in a certain operation - we have all that data to draw on,” he added.

Daimler has placed the fleet of nine Actros test vehicles around the country for the last 12 months and they have logged close to a one million kilometres, with four of the vehicles logging the majority of those, including three B doubles and that road train in WA. All have been operating exceptionally well.

Assimo says the long test program has also been an opportunity for Daimler to educate its dealer network and its own employees about what it needs to do to support the vehicles and to get people trained well ahead of time.

“Doing this under a test program means we better understand what we need: offering not just theoretical training but hands-on experience, so that our network is fully trained and ready to deliver the support needed to succeed in this market,” Andrew added.

“We want this to be the success it deserves to be because we believe we have an exceptional product,” Assimo concludes.

As we said earlier, no one can accuse Daimler of rushing things. If this truck doesn’t live up to sales expectations then it won’t be for a lack of preparation.  When the Actros launches it will be the product of a three year local evaluation program and comes with some very targeted development to ensure it is right for the Australian market and environment.

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Operator

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FAMILY AFFAIR OVER THE PAST 40 YEARS Family and loyalty HAVE BEEN the cornerstones of Brisbane based Ken Easter’s transport business and now with a fleet of 70 trucks and more than 100 staff it is clearly a strong strategy that proves this successful operator is no bunny!

F

or Ken Easter trucks were part of his family upbringing when he grew up in Newcastle. His Dad had trucks, his uncles owned trucks and as a young fella Ken bought one of his Dad’s hand me downs, a Volvo G88 and started subbing for his Old Man. Family is clearly an important focus for Ken Easter and 40 years down the track despite the fact that the single Volvo G88 he started with has grown to a fleet of 70 prime movers, 100 trailers and 110 employees it is still a very family operation.

K.S Easter Transport is based in Wacol in Brisbane’s industrial Western Suburbs and is still overseen by Ken Easter who says “I am the Managing Director, I still own the place and I intend to continue on in that role for some time to come , I get too much entertainment just being here every day” .

From that humble start back in the grimy industrial centre of Newcastle, carting sand and coal, K.S Easter Transport has gown into an impressive operation with a loyal staff that reflects the family friendly orientation.

When Easter started doing more line haul work in the early 1980s Ken decided to move the operation to Brisbane.

“After I moved on from initially doing tipper work with the Volvo G88 I got into a flat top for a while carting to Townsville before getting into refrigerated work and then snaring some work for Discount Freight Express about 34 years ago, a relationship has continued through various

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guises,” Ken explains.

“Most of that ended up being SydneyBrisbane work and it got to be a pain being in Newcastle, having to run back to home base from Sydney or Brisbane for maintenance or change over, so common sense meant we needed to move to one end or the other.”

“We had a about five trucks at the time and we could not afford to have the trucks not working all the time. I had a lot of resistance from my wife and kids but once we did it we never looked back. These days we only go to Newcastle for weddings and funerals,” said Ken with a smile It may be a family business but it is run very professionally using the latest technology to stay on top of the extensive compliance and regulatory requirements.

Easter is one of the most technologically savvy fleets around, employing the latest in vehicle tracking while paying particular attention to not only vehicle monitoring but also maintenance and fuel efficiency.

“Compliance and regulation are our friends, yes I know it has put a lot of extra cost in the business but it also helps us in so many ways and ensures we are recognised as a responsible transport operator that is doing the right thing and that wins us work,” said Ken. “Onboard cameras have also helped us in a number of dodgy claims from car drivers who claimed one of our trucks had hit their cars, we were able to prove that they had not come anywhere near them.

As a consequence Easter records all fuel consumption on the 70 prime movers in the fleet down to seven decimal places and has imposed a 98 km/h maximum speed on all his trucks, which are both monitored and speed limited.

“You can’t overrun coming off hills and there are no excuses for running outside those limits,” said Ken.” “It is tough, currently I wouldn’t work for me, it is hard, we belt our people all the time but with Chain of Responsibility we can’t afford not to, it is my arse on the line and I need to make sure it doesn’t get kicked,” quipped Ken. To ensure the compliance standards are met Easter spends a lot of time and money with telematics and truck configuration.

“We use telematics and we are working on it all the time. We have just fitted 70 on board telematics units from MT Data with full ECM interface and an Android device in the cab that has a huge amount of information in it, we have also just fitted

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100 telematics units for all of our trailers.

The combined units utilise four cameras, two back, one forward and one on the drive for total coverage and monitoring at all times,” said Ken. “We have trialled a lot of equipment with speed monitoring and generally been trying to get our heads around some of the inaccuracies in some systems, in fact we have taken all the other equipment out and put it in a box at some expense and we are now switching entirely over to the MT Data units.

“These MT Data units have enabled us to take two people out of compliance because of the more accurate information that we are getting out of them.

However Ken says the technology is changing so quickly it is hard to keep up, “I have no idea how you keep up with it, We try and buy the best equipment we can and while we are evaluating it the technology changes, it is just a little bit different to when I first started,” he observed.

There are now ten staff in operations devoted to monitoring and compliance, with four people on at any one time operating a 24 hour a day seven day a week monitoring room, underlining the importance it is given within Easter Transport The current Easter Fleet is split between bonneted Kenworths and Western Star with 10 Volvo FH16 Globetrotters taking a small but significant role in the line up.

“Mostly we have run American gear, obviously I’ve had a very US bent, but in fact my Dad always had European trucks and in fact my first truck was a Volvo G88.

However when Ken started to expand in the late 1970s he turned to the US conventionals, first with an International Transtar 4200 with an 871 C Detroit. From there it was a succession of American Iron including a Kenworth KL 100, a Mack Superliner, some R models, an Atkinson, some Ford Louisville LTLs with Caterpillars, then a number of Western Stars and Kenworths. Ken’s preference has always been for Detroit Diesel.

Currently the company runs 30 Western Stars with Detroit power and 30 Kenworths using Cummins. However some bad experiences with the Paccars during the EGR era has soured Easter’s relationship on that side of things.

It was around that time a need arose for some cab overs to cope with length requirements. After the issues with EGR Ken decided to look at Volvo despite his

Easter Looks after the majority of its own maintenance in house with its own workshops mechanics, tyre fitters and detailers

Ken Easter with the company logo that was adopted from a Steve Miller band album cover( above left) Volvo is a small but important part of the 70 truck Easter fleet ( above right) The Easter trucks feature a vivid and memorable red and blue colour scheme with its Pegasus logo featuring prominently (below)

personal preference for conventional bonneted trucks.

“Currently we have three brands in the yard, but my preference would be to only have two. We had mammoth problems with the EGRs in 408 and 409 Kenworths and then we had another cam failure and as a result I have then bought eight more Volvos and 21 Western Stars.

The oldest Volvo in the Easter Fleet is now five years old with close to one million kilometres on the clock. All are XXL with 600 HP and all the safety gear on board.

“One million kilometres is the turn over point for our Volvos, once upon a time we got out of our US trucks at five years because of the way we financed them. That changed a bit with the economic position as well as with the failures with the EGR and we have stretched our conventional models a lot more lately,” said Ken. “It was a testing time, I needed to keep some extra trucks to make sure we had vehicles available in case another failed.

We never intended to run the US trucks up to three million kilometres or run second engines in trucks but we now have some of the Western Stars with three million clicks on the clock,” he added.

Some of the company’s maintenance and precautions have changed to ensure reliability and longevity out of its vehicles.

“We now have auto greasers on every truck and they’re all equipped with automated gearboxes and we have done quite well, achieving greatly improved fuel economy, clutch life, drive line longevity, not to mention shackle pins and king pins etc,” Ken said.

However with the Volvos it is a still a strict one million-kilometre embargo when they are offered up for sale and replaced.

“Volvo has suggested we can run their trucks for a lot longer but as far as I am concerned they are still an unknown quantity and I am worried at the potential cost of a rebuild, so I am not prepared to take the risk just yet,” “However we have had a very good run out of them, they have performed very well and been very productive giving us a good return with excellent resale value.”

“We do need to replenish some of our fleet, I can’t afford to have aged trucks and it suits me, so at the moment I am happy to turn over the Volvos and get a good return on them,” he added.

While it still suits Easter to use bonneted trucks for most operations if they get into more A double work in the future then there

will be more Volvos in the fleet and that will change things according to Ken. Pride in the fleet and instilling pride in the drivers is also an important part of the Easter ethos.

1. Isuzu has gone for new four “I still take pride in what do and thatofisits F cylinderIengines in some pretty important, evenSeries aftermodels 40 years in the business, “ said Ken.2. Isuzu MD Mike Yoda at the launch fgudsfgudsy gfudsy “We take a lot of pride in our trucks and fgudsyg fudsy fgudsy we try to instil pride in the truck with the driver, lets face it good presentation and a bit of bling goes a long way to helping to win work, the plan is to have the trucks remembered for more good things than bad and that works most of the time, and it doesn’t do us any harm on the resale side of things when the trucks are put back into the market.”

The Easter trucks and trailers are all finished in a brilliant red and blue colour scheme that stands out on the road and features a distinctive Pegasus logo. The logo’s origin can be traced back to the early days when the business was based in Newcastle.

“A Kenworth we had just bought had been painted an incorrect colour and we were looking to dress the back of the truck with something to make it look better ,” said Ken. “The local sign writer had an LP record cover stuck on the wall from which they had copied the image for a recently air brushed show car and I reckoned that looked pretty good, it was a similar colour so we thought why not give it a go,” her added.

That album was the Steve Miller Band’s, Pegasus Horse and it has remained as the company logo to this day.

These days Ken Easter is backed up by a substantial 110 staff . It is a very long way from that single G88 in Newcastle.

The company does just about all its own maintenance in house with a workshop manager, five mechanics, three apprentices, four truck detailers and a tyre fitter in an extensive workshop operation that sits along the admin and operations base in Wacol.

“We do just about all our own maintenance in house from engines to gearboxes, diffs etc. we have our own shaker brake tester machine, we do own tyres fitting and balancing and we do our own trailer refurbishing , if we tear a curtain sider we can repair it in house. The only maintenance we don’t handle in house are the Volvos because they are on a contract maintenance program,” said Ken Ken’s eldest son Kenny is now the general

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“In addition to loyalty, Easters is an equal opportunity employer actively encouraging female workers with equal pay and opportunities“  Easter’s fleet is predominantly American trucks with Western Star and Kenworth (below) Ken Easter in the company operations and monitoring office (top right) The Easter workshop has its own shaker brake testing machine (bottom right)

manager of the business, his third son is paymaster and also looks after regos. etc, and Kenny’s wife works in compliance But it is not just the Easter clan making the company a family affair.

“We have a fella in operations with one son who started working here in the wash bay and is now our yard driver moving trailers around, his other son started as a truck detailer and is now working in compliance and looking after the paper work who is also doing a certificate in office management, while another son is at uni and works here in holidays and spare time.”

“We have another driver whose son does some casual work here and we like to encourage that, it is a very loyal and family environment,” he added.

Speaking of loyalty, Easter’s longest serving driver has been with the company 24 years, while another retired recently, however that only lasted about three or four weeks and he was back driving for the company.

In addition to loyalty, Easters is an equal opportunity employer actively encouraging female workers with equal pay and opportunities “We have some really good people, both male and female in fact our longest serving female, B Double driver has been with us

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18 years. It amuses me when some people talk about equal opportunity because it has always been like that here. We have had women working in the workshop, in the office, as drivers on line haul, in local, it doesn’t matter, we pay them the same wages as the fellas and give them equal opportunity,” said Ken. The company also puts a lot of effort into training staff, which is obvious with the apprentices it has recruited and also with the training program it is involved in with a local school.

“Two of our apprentices came here from the Generate training program which we are involved with the local high school in,” said Ken. “We have worked with the local school for the last few years with students coming in to spend time and see if they want to pursue a job in the transport industry, they have to meet certain criteria in school activity before they come in, and it has worked very well.”

“We have had students who have worked in administration, detailing and operations and as I say two of the current apprentices, as well as our tyre fitter came here through that program ‘Out tyre fitter is just so enthusiastic and happy to be here because he wants to be

here, the program it is very good and has helped us give some local people jobs they really want and introduced some great people into the company.”

Ken is open about the fact that the past 40 years has not all been plain sailing and there have been some tough patches.

“We have had fairly steady growth, but there have been some financial difficulties from time to time, they were sorted, any business strikes those patches, but growth has been pretty smooth, last year was exceptional and this year will be the same,” he added.

The company is very firmly focussed these days on time sensitive East coast freight with the majority being between Sydney and Brisbane along with some local work out of Brisbane. In recent times they have been doing a lot more Sydney Melbourne and Melbourne Brisbane freight.

“We are specialist in time sensitive freight and we’ve been working with Discount Freight Express for 34 years under different guises,” said Ken. “I still love coming in here every day and love the challenge, it’s a long way from Newcastle and that Volvo G88 but I wouldn’t change it for anything,” Ken Easter concluded.

\ Paul Jukes Victorian State Manager, Hertz Truck Rental

Efficiency for hire Australian Truck and 4WD Rentals, the Hertz Truck Rental franchisee for South Australia, NSW and Victoria, has decided to replace all of the manual trucks in its fleet with Allison fully automatic equipped trucks.

Paul Jukes, Victorian State Manager, Hertz Truck Rentals, reckons that since adding Allison equipped UD Trucks to the Hertz fleet they have delivered lower maintenance and repair costs as well as saving money when it comes to operating costs.

“Our Allison automatic trucks are easier on clutches and brakes and that means we save money, not to mention the reduced down time,” says Paul Jukes.

Hertz customers can now enjoy improved productivity through full powershifts, with faster acceleration and increase fuel efficiency in city, and suburban applications thanks to Allison.

Fully integrated, sophisticated electronic controls enable precise, smooth shifts and provide expanded prognostics and diagnostic capabilities which reduce driver fatigue, enhance safety and make the truck more reliable and efficient to operate.

Make the smart choice…. Allison automatics

www.truckandbus.net.au 027 © 2015 Allison Transmission Inc. All Rights Reserved.

New Models

TOP OF THE HEAP! Isuzu has ruled the roost in the Australian truck market for the past three decades and if the new F Series is any indication it won’t be overtaken any time soon. T&TA went along to the F Series drive program to see just how good the new line up is and how difficult it will be for Isuzu’s rivals to catch the dominant brand 030 www.truckandbus.net.au

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hen you are market leader and have dominated the truck scene for more than three decades some would say that the only way could be down.

However, Isuzu is doing everything it can to maintain that position atop the pile.

With the latest update to its revitalised F Series range featuring new engines, updated transmissions and a whole lot of other significant updates to technology and efficiency, Isuzu’s dominance is not going to end soon. Its new trucks are aimed and it seems are perfectly suited for that segment of the market which the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) says is now responsible

for 95 per cent of Australian road freight so you have to say Isuzu understands the market.

Its ‘consistent ability to read the needs of Australian businesses’ as Isuzu proclaimed in its press release has probably got a lot to do with that three decade dominance along with the Japanese ethos of Kaizen or continuous improvement which is apparent in this new crop of F Series trucks.

Isuzu took some time to underline the findings of the recent ABS survey on Australian Freight movement, the first such survey the government number crunchers have undertaken in 13 years. The survey showed that Japanese trucks shoulder the

lions share of the freight task with 95 per cent of road freight being piloted within the same state or territory. That means that Japanese trucks bear most of that load and with Isuzu, outselling its two Japanese rivals almost 2 to 1 it is the dominant force.

Isuzu sales boss Andrew Harbisson reckons the new F Series range deftly targets the findings of that ABS survey and he says the company keeps a close eye on these and other findings.

“They certainly help inform our engineering direction and overall sales approach,” Harbisson said.

“We’ve developed the new F Series range with business efficiency front of mind. Our

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trucks are famously reliable for those longer runs and nimble enough for urban delivery, with all the class-leading features customers have come to expect from Isuzu,“ Harbisson added.

Certainly the company has done a lot to raise the standard in the medium duty segment with fuel and operational efficiency being the clear focus.

It may seem counter intuitive but the arrival of a 5.2 litre four cylinder two stage turbo diesel engine in the F series delivers fuel efficiency and performance gains that the six cylinder diesel it replaces would struggle to match in the long term.

“The F Series range has the capacity to work hard while delivering a genuine lowcost operation,” Harbisson added.

Isuzu has split the F Series by offering two different driveline technologies available across both its 4x2 and 4x4 models.

Certainly the star of the show is the new high torque, small displacement 4HK1 turbocharged and intercooled four cylinder diesel, which Isuzu says should be considered the cleanest medium-duty Japanese diesel engine available in Australia today. It powers five models in the F series

 The Isuzu media drive took the fkleet around a testing course through suburban Brisbane

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line up.

Along with the new four cylinder power plant Isuzu has upgraded its own six-speed AMT automated manual transmissions by adding a torque converter to smooth take off and to deliver the torque multiplication that a torque converter supplies. Completing the package is Isuzu’s new torque converter equipped automated manual transmission.

Isuzu calls it the AMT-TC. It is available as an alternative to the traditional Isuzu six-speed manual, which is also still part of the line up So with the four cylinder and AMT-TC in the lower end of the F-Series range the upper end gets the new six-cylinder Isuzu 6HK1 engine featuring a Diesel Oxidation Catalyst (DOC) for low maintenance and better dependability.

Isuzu says the 4HK1 is available in two variants, the first delivering154 kW (210 PS) with 726 Nm of torque or the 177 kW (240) with PS 765 Nm of torque version.

They represent state-of- art diesel technology, which stretches across a swathe of the F Series range, including 11 brand new models.

The 240 PS models include the FRR at 11

tonnes GVM, and the FSR at 12-tonne and 14-tonne GVM respectively.

Buyers will get the 210 PS version when they buy the FRR and FRD 4x2 models and the FSS 4x4 with GVMs spanning 10.7-tonne to 14-tonne.

The two-stage turbo on the 4HK1 delivers a smooth and flat flow of power and torque across the range and both version of the 5.2 litre four potter are willing workers that deliver smooth performance. While a relatively short time was spent behind the wheel of each variant on offer during the one day drive program around the suburbs of Brisbane the willing nature of the new four cylinder was clearly apparent. Each of the test trucks was loaded to around 80 percent of GVM so the test was similar to the workload urban or intrastate distribution trucks would normally cope with.

An Idle Stop System has been added to the F Series using the 4HK1, except on PTO equipped variants, and while some are frustrated and annoyed by the engine ‘being rested’ when the truck stops at traffic lights etc. restarting when the throttle is pressed, the reality is that it provides a more fuel efficient performance and reduced

1. Isuzu’s all new 5.2 litre four cylinder turbo diesel.

2. The bigger F series still use a six cylinder albeit a far more efficient one.

3. A lone N Series trade pack was included for the Media drive 4. The trucks were tested in the urban environment, the epicentre of where these trucks will be used most of the time

emissions.

Speaking of emissions, the 4HK1 complies with Japan’s Post New Long Term (PNLT) emissions standard, which is similar to Euro VI, so the engine is ahead of the curve here in Australia and certainly amongst the cleanest medium duty offerings on the market at the moment.

The company has also been fitted with its least diesel particulate diffuser (DPD) system, which boasts a dedicated fuel injector in the manifold solely to take care of regenerations. The DPD works to remove particulate matter from exhaust gas emitted by the engine, while minimising fuel usage, giving it the highest green credentials in its range according to Isuzu.

IAL’s chief engineer Simon Humphries points to the global trend to reduce engine displacement and to increase efficiency as the rationale for the development of the four cylinder 4HK1.

“There is nothing like the 4HK1 in the medium duty market at the moment and it really marks the advent of a new generation of power plant,” said Humphries.

“What we’ve achieved is a clear leap forward in engine technology and is

undeniable evidence of the trend toward higher output and lower displacement power plants,” he added.

The latest third generation Isuzu automated manual transmission now equipped with a torque convertor is a big step up from the previous versions of the AMT, delivering significantly increased start up-ability and driveability giving it the take-off characteristics of a full automatic.

Isuzu has mated this driveline to trucks in the 10.7 to 14 tonne sector including the FRR and FRD models.

While the performance at take off was exceptional this writer still found the AMT to be a bit ponderous at times when needing the right gear, one instance was coming up hill into a roundabout when it ‘hunted’ around for a gear instead of instantly choosing the right one, it is good but clearly not perfect yet.

Moving up the scale into the upper GVM end of the F Series, the six cylinder 6HK1 DOC engine is the powerplant being offered with Isuzu claiming it is the only medium duty truck engine on the market that uses neither a diesel particulate filter nor SCR. It uses EGR with the Diesel

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Oxidation System instead of a particulate filter.

The technology is suited to vocational applications requiring high idle time, high PTO use and frequent stop-start duties.

The new 7.8 litre turbo six cylinder crosses over with its smaller four cylinder sibling on both the FRR, and FRD where both engines are available while the 260 PS six is the engine available on the FSR, FSD, FTR and FTS models using either the six-speed Isuzu manual transmission or the Allison LCT2500 six-speed automatic. It is also fitted to two new models, the FVR and FVD mated to either a ZF manual transmission or Allison’s bigger MD 3000 six-speed automatic.

The six is a really strong engine, smooth as silk, digging deep on even the steepest of climbs as we proved heading up Brisbane’s Mt Coot-tha where it just kept pulling. The Allison auto is an accomplished self shifter that is really the industry standard when it comes to autos and at no stage did it baulk or falter in choosing the right gear for the moment.

Both engines share the same bore and stroke and in fact the four is actually

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a shortened version of the six-cylinder and goes to Isuzu’s efforts to standardise and streamline parts and component requirements.

Isuzu has always had a spread of models to cover just about every sector of the medium (and for that matter the light duty sector as well). The updated line up does not deviate from this ethos offering additional models, wheelbases and model variants with more choice for medium-duty truck customers and the range tailored to suit more applications than ever before.

On the launch the trade press had the opportunity to sample nine trucks in all with a very well planned matrix to ensure everyone had a tilt at every truck on offer.

The nine trucks included eight new F series models and the latest N series trade pack.

The increasing uptake of self shifters across the market meant Isuzu clearly made a very deliberate move to fit each of the nine test trucks with either the AMT or auto options, its indicative of Isuzu’s finger on the pulse approach to the Australian market.

There were three four cylinder trucks in the drive program and five powered by the

Double up, a bigger six cylinder Isuzu FYJ tilt tray lugging a smaller N Series trade pack. Each of the test trucks carried around 80 per cent of GVM

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six cylinder with all fitted with the latest in Isuzu Telematics. The company used the system to report on the performance of each of the drivers on the media drive.

Telematics integrates real-time data with sophisticated vehicle monitoring and is already a vital part of the toolkit for many fleet managers across Australia. IAL director and COO, Phil Taylor, believes telematics is currently under-utilised as a safety and efficiency tool.

“Our research shows telematics is still being used primarily for vehicle tracking, and as market leaders we need to be getting the message out there that this technology has enormous capacity to positively impact road safety in Australia,” Mr Taylor said.

“It comes down to taking your responsibilities as a manufacturer seriously, and for Isuzu Trucks that means empowering our customers with the technology to keep their people as safe as possible on the road,” he added.

It offers two levels of telematics capability so you can choose the one that best meets requirements. Isuzu says both Isuzu Connect (which can be retrofitted to older models) and Isuzu Connect Plus offer

real-time reporting and a wealth of data on vehicle and driver performance.

Going to Phil Taylor’s point about safety the Isuzu Telematics does provide 24-7 reporting on driver speed, over-revving, heavy braking and adherence to geo-fenced areas, providing fleet managers with the on-road visibility demanded to develop targeted and effective driver safety training and performance incentive programs.

Isuzu Connect Plus also provides additional safety offerings with a panic button, collision alert and door-open monitor.

Transport & Trucking came away from the media drive of the F Series impressed by the evolution, lots of small constant improvements, the ethos of Kaizen if you like. It is not revolutionary but an extremely good example of evolution.

Charles Darwin would be proud, it goes to the core of the philosophy of survival of the fittest and improving the breed.

If Isuzu keeps improving the breed like this then it will continue to be the fittest and best equipped truck manufacturer in Australia and maintain its dominance and advantage well into a fourth decade.

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Road Test

THE LONG DRIVE HOME

Given the opportunity to drive a fleet of Volvo and Mack trucks from Adelaide to Sydney T&TA jumped at the chance to get some reasonable kilometres behind the wheel of the latest offerings from VGA and came away impressed.

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he task was a simple one and didn’t need a second thought when the Volvo marketing people mentioned there was an opportunity to drive a range of its vehicles from Adelaide to Sydney.

The chance to get extended wheel time in a good cross section of both Volvo and Mack products over a two day ‘ferry’ trip from the South Australian capital to Sydney was an opportunity we simply could not pass up. So many times truck tests are at test tracks or on relatively short drive programs, so this was a golden chance to spend some solid hours in the latest products, tackling a real world environment.

The chance came because of the Volvo Roadshow, a VGA initiative that followed

on from the similar Mack event run the previous year but this time covering product from all VGA brands.

An early start from Adelaide necessitated a flight in the evening before ahead of a pre dawn take off the next day.

With one other journalist from a rival publication along for the trip T&TA was fortunate to nab the flagship Volvo FH16 for the first leg up the Sturt Highway through the Riverland and on to Mildura.

By any measure the big Volvo Globetrotter with its 700 horsepower 16-litre engine and its extensive suite of safety and efficiency advances is a king of the road. It is easy to understand why Volvo has been making such substantial inroads on its American competitors in the top end of the heavy market. Looking back

30 years to another life when working as a PR for Volvo and the effort we applied to try to market the old F12 and N12 Volvos in the top end of line haul and even in road train markets, it is almost unimaginable that the brand has come so far. In those days we were dealing with 370 horsepower and a fraction of the torque, battling the scepticism of a market which had a clear affection and respect for US conventionals and cab overs.

These days with 700 horsepower and torque enough to easily cope with road train applications Volvo is a true contender particularly when you look at the ergonomic, safety and efficiency benefits that flow from the big Swede. As it was this particular Globetrotter had a B Double tagging along behind with the rig grossing

“These days with 700 horsepower and torque enough to easily

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Sitting back in the convoy crossing the Hay Plain at dawn

around 58 tonnes.

We were of course in a convoy with the other VGA vehicles from across its three brands, including a smaller FM540 Volvo hauling a single trailer with an excavator on board, a Mack Superliner with a 685 hp MP10 under the bonnet hauling a B Double rig, a smaller Mack Granite with a 500HP MP8 engine pulling a single semi trailer along with two UDs including a Condor PD24 rigid Pantech and a larger Quon GW26 tipper dog.

For this exercise we concentrated on the line haul trucks and also had a chance to drive the little FM Volvo, which proved, exceptionally nimble and comfortable to drive.

Aboard the flagship Volvo it was comfort and ease all the way as it marched up the

Sturt Highway through the undulating hill country north of Gawler before dropping down along the Riverland country for a rest break at Waikerie.

The adaptive Cruise Control of the Volvo was in use just about the entire way ensuring an efficient and safe speed as well as the ability for the truck to judge the distance to other vehicles in front of it on the road, adapting the speed to ensure the gap is maintained at a safe distance. When the truck gets too close to a vehicle in front the system can button off the throttle, activate the brakes, the exhaust and engine brakes and work through the trailer brakes if it is fitted with ESP. The FH also has a very effective blindspot monitor which can be selected or deselected manually, but if there is an object or person

in the blindspot beneath the passenger side door of the truck and it is turned on, it will sound an alarm in the cabin and a red alert light will illuminate on the passenger side A pillar.

Tied into the entire system is the truck’s lane keep system which can become annoying when a plethora of line markings are about on a roadway, but which most of the time is a handy reminder of wandering out of your lane and potentially an early indicator of fatigue or loss of concentration.

It is a handy system on the open road.

DAS or Driver Alert System which is integral to the system monitors your movements on the wheel as a driver and will inform you via a warning on the dash that apparently suggests you may need a rest, not that this writer received such

cope with road train applications Volvo is a true contender“ VGA’s suite of Roadshow trucks from the flagship Volvo Globetrotter to the UD Condor medium duty rigid

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1. The Mack Superliner B Double with MP10 685hp 2. The Mack Granite with single trailer and MP8 500hp 3. The Volvo FM540 hauling an excavator on a low loader

4. The UD Quon GW26 Tipper Dog 5. Volvo’s flagship Globetrotter FH16 B Double with 700hp 6. The tiddler of the convoy, UD’s PW24 rigid with curtainside pantech

“The Mack does not quite bristle with technological advances as much as its Swedish cousin, but its not too far behind“ a warning as we piloted the Volvo to the morning tea break.

Of course that massive 16 litre 700 hp power plant which throbs away under the cabin floor is both quiet and extremely efficient. It pulled the load with ease and was a pleasure to pilot.

Our time with the FH continued on to an overnight break at Hay where the group had the chance to discuss the drive and the various aspects of each of the trucks.

Having driven from Adelaide, albeit with quite a few breaks along the way we arrived in Hay still fresh and able and willing to drive on for several more hours.

Before dawn the next day the convoy hit the road in the hope of reaching Sydney before the peak hour rush and my good fortune was to be behind the wheel of the Mack Superliner for the early morning run across the remainder of the Hay Plain and into the forested and farm land around Narrandera for a breakfast break.

The Mack does not quite bristle with technological advances as much as its Swedish cousin, but its not too far behind.

Since we undertook this particular drive we have also attended a launch event with Mack and Bendix to unveil a new suite of electronic driver aids including adaptive cruise control and Electronic Stability

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Control that gives the US member for the Volvo family almost equal billing in technology terms.

The Mack gets looks and glances from other truck drivers and people on the street that you never get behind the wheel of the Volvo. It has presence that only a conventional bonneted truck can deliver.

In terms of ride conventionals deliver a much better feel, but that is a very subjective appraisal and others may prefer the way cab overs perform on Australia’s often bumpy and lumpy roads.

While only being down 15 horsepower on the FH16 and despite sharing the same basic engine the Mack Superliner didn’t feel like it had quite as much urge as the Volvo.

That may have been a load issue but it just seemed to be working a bit harder on the hills into and out of Wagga Wagga and into some of the big pulls up the Hume Freeway.

The interior of the Mack is not as clean or as easy to use, again a personal appraisal and one that may suit others more than this observer. However we just found the Mack cockpit more cluttered and more difficult to get to grips with in the time we had in the truck. Given time familiarity would make it easier but in the Volvo it was much easier to quickly identify controls.

By the time the convoy pulled into Yass for

a late lunch it was time for TT&A to have a try in the smaller Volvo FM540. This was loaded with an excavator on a low loader trailer and was grossing around 33 tonnes.

This was the real performance surprise amongst the trucks we sampled across the two days. The cab seems big and airy with plenty of room featuring a day bunk and plenty of room for all of the ‘stuff’ a driver needs in terms of paperwork, lunch boxes etc.

The really impressive part of the ‘little’ FM was the willingness and urge on the hills. It pulled magnificently and was easy and comfortable to steer. It has a nimbleness that would make it a truck that would fight fatigue over a long day at the wheel.

Coming into Sydney on the increasingly crowded freeway network is never a great thing but the FM performed well in traffic as well. Its suite of electronics worked well and helped get us to the Volvo Group dealership at Huntingwood near Eastern Creek without fuss or bother, the iShift AMT transmission coping superbly with the traffic.

We came away from this Long Drive Home understanding why Volvo is making such huge in roads into the sales domination of Paccar in the heavy duty market.

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First Drive

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ARTFUL DAILY Following many months of testing and ADR homologation the 2017 Iveco Daily 4x4 range is now available. It has twice the payload of a 4x4 ute and better comfort and off-road ability than Japanese 4x4 light trucks. Allan Whiting went along to the launch event to find out more. www.truckandbus.net.au 043

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he 4x4 light truck market is dominated by Japanese Isuzu NPS and Fuso Canters, but the Iveco Daily 4x4 has been making inroads since its 2013 release. The Daily 4x4 appeals to buyers who want utelike wheel track, single tyres front and rear and a semi-forward-control configuration.

Mercedes-Benz’ Sprinter 4x4 should also be a serious contender in this market, but M-B Australia offers only basic 4x4 equipment – no deep-reduction gearing or across-axle diff locks that other overseas markets get – so it’s not considered by many buyers.

Launched in Australia in 2013 and based on the award-winning Daily 4x2 light truck range, the 4x4 version is built around a highly turbocharged diesel engine, six-speed main transmission, three-speed transfer box, ladder-frame chassis, taperleaf springs and front and rear live axles fitted with across-axle diff locks. There’s an additional diff lock in the transfer case.

For 2017 the Daily 4x4 configuration is unchanged, but the new model is more

civilised. The cab exterior and interior are noticeably different.

The post-2013 Daily 4x4 is a much better than the company’s first Daily 4x4 effort in the 1990s, with which it has nothing in common. The original Daily 4WD 75PC had independent torsion bar front suspension, an asthmatic diesel engine and a final drive ratio that limited cruising speed to around 90km/h. As a result, most of the ones that Britz bought and used as rental campervans blew up. Some of the older models are still around, surviving in low-speed, rural council applications.

Bush-ready powertrain The 4x4 system is a full-time design, with a torque-proportioning transfer case that splits drive 32-percent to the front axle and 68-percent to the rear. It can locked into a 50:50 ratio by a dashboard switch.

The main transmission operates in either direct-drive (1.0:1.0) or under-drive, via a lever that selects a 1:1.24 reduction. When driving with the transfer case in high range

the truck can operate with highway gearing that drops cruising revs at 110km/h to a shade over 2500rpm. In this mode, fuel consumption worked out around 11.5-13.5L/100km, when we tested a partloaded 2013 model.

It’s as well that the fuel consumption is good, because the standard fuel tank capacity is only 90 litres: Iveco needs an auxiliary tank for this truck.

In under-drive the transmission is set up for dirt-road and track driving, with a lower-speed gearset. For example, in underdrive the road speed at 2500rpm is only 90km/h. The under-drive-direct shift can be done with the vehicle moving.

For serious off-road work the vehicle can be operated in deep-reduction low range, but must be stopped before the low-range lever is moved. As with high-range the transmission can operate in under-drive or direct in low range and the reduction ratios are 1:3.87 and 1:3.12, respectively.

In low-low the overall reduction is a class leading 100:1! Typical 4WD ute low-range reduction is in the 40:1 to 70:1 region.

“Daily 4x4 single-cab/chassis model tips the scales at 2.7 tonnes – about the same weight as a LandCruiser 200 Series station wagon!“ The Iveco off-road range starts with the Daily 4x4 and runs to the Astra 8x8.

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1. Motorcycle race star and tour operator Daryl Beattie has bought an Iveco Eurocargo 4x4 truck 2. ‘Camo’ paint looks the part.

3. Even unladen, traction wasn’t a problem.

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Back in the olden days a truck would be given deep-reduction gearing to mask a lack of torque, but not in the case of the Iveco Daily 4x4. Power comes from a three-litre diesel four with two turbochargers operating in series and helping the engine punch out 125kW (170hp) at 3000-35000rpm, with peak torque of 400Nm in the most-used 12503000rpm band.

The 2017 engine is Euro 6 complaint, although there’s no legal need in Australia for that level of emissions control. The Daily engine has a 25-litre AdBlue tank for its selective catalytic reduction (SCR) emissions control system.

With series turbocharging a three-litre engine obviously could produce more than 400Nm, but the torque curve has been capped to deliver peak torque across a very wide rev band – ideal for an off-road machine, where the driver doesn’t want a sudden, traction-busting wallop of torque as engine revs change.

Another, mechanical, reason for limiting the peak torque is the Daily 4x4’s considerable gearing reduction. With more engine torque the driveline and axles would have to be made larger – heavier – and that’s not in the interests of keeping tare weight to minimum.

Speaking of weights, the Daily 4x4 single-cab/chassis model tips the scales at 2.7 tonnes – about the same weight as a LandCruiser 200 Series station wagon!

Improved ergonomics The Iveco Daily 4x4 comes as a two- or three-seat short cab or a six- or sevenseat crew cab and all outboard seating positions have lap-sash seat belts. The standard driver’s seat in both models is an

ISRI air-suspended and heated chair and the standard passenger seat is a two-place bench. However, an air suspended, heated single-passenger seat is optional. The rear bench in the crew cab seats four.

SRS airbags will be available in the first quarter of 2017.

Equipment levels are carry-overs from the class-leading Iveco Daily 4x2 models and include ABS/EBD vacuum/ hydraulic, disc and drum braking (ABS is cancelled when the centre differential is locked for off-road driving); seat belt pretensioners; power windows; remote central locking; powered, heated main mirrors and manual-adjust spotters; trip computer; three DIN slots, including a CD player/radio; USB outlets; cruise control; climate-control air conditioning/heating; engine fan cut-off; engine immobiliser and headlight beam-height adjustment.

An obvious omission from the 2013 specification was Bluetooth connectivity, but that’s been remedied in the 2017 model.

Another inclusion is a battery isolation switch, to ensure the starting battery can’t be accidentally drained.

Also added is an ESP9 braking system that includes automatic skid reduction (ASR); trailer recognition with trailer sway mitigation; a hill holding feature; brake-fade pressure boost and roll-over intervention.

Both Daily 4x4 models are built on a 3400mm wheelbase, giving excellent approach, departure and ramp-over angles of 50, 30 and 150 degrees, respectively.

In the interests of car-licenced driver operation the standard gross mass rating is 4495kg, but for those with a light-truck licence the vehicle can be purchased with an increased 5500kg - previously 5200kg - GVM rating, without any modification

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The Daily 4x4 test vehicles were unloaded, making their lives even more difficult, but nothing in the Proving Ground proved too difficult for them.

“In off-road conditions the 2017 Daily 4x4 maintained the marque’s stature as one of the most capable machines I’ve driven.“ being necessary.

At the lower GVM rating the single cab has a body and payload capacity of 1795kg, and 2800kg at the higher rating. The crew cab has a standard payload of 1505kg and 2510kg at the higher GVM rating. All Daily 4x4s can pull a 3500kg trailer.

RRPs in August 2016 were $88,000 for the single-cab/chassis and $94,000 for the crewcab/chassis – up eight grand on the previous post-2013 models.

In-service issues No matter how much testing truck makers do, there are inevitable issues that develop with first-generation products in the Australian environment. The post-2013 Iveco Daily was no exception.

Several owners had braking issues, quoting situations where the front discs became red hot while the rear drums remained cool. The culprit was invariably a poorly-set-up load proportioning valve on the rear axle. That’s been eliminated from the 2017 model, Iveco says, by the fitment of

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an ESP9 braking system.

Another common complaint from owners of Dailys that travelled on corrugated roads was mangled transfer case mounting bushes. Iveco reckons the latest-generation bushes have solved that problem and they can be retro-fitted to post-2013 models.

On and off road The Daily 4x4 single- and crew-cab evaluation trucks had a definite presence, because the slightly modified Daily 4x2 cab sat up high on a purpose-built, box-section frame. Doing pre-trip checks under snubnosed bonnet meant standing on the new three-piece bumper.

Fortunately, getting in and out of the skyscraper cab was easy, thanks to an additional step bolted under each doorsill.

The crew cab gets rear-door entry steps as well.

Seat adjustment for reach, rake and driver’s weight was easy and the 2017 seats were lower than the previous perches. Also, the new steering column and smaller wheel

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were better positioned. The new cab had a taller windscreen, improving off-road, steep-country vision and pedal disposition was more central then previously, although the pedals are a tad close together for fatboot work.

The main transmission lever poked conveniently out of the dashboard and the two transfer case levers were close by the seat, allowing unfettered walk-through to the near-side door, or to the rear seat in crew-cabs.

The 2017-model launch didn’t include an on-road course, but the previous Daily 4x4 was a pleasure to drive on sealed roads and it had no trouble keeping up with traffic.

Ride quality was firm, but better than that in forward-control light trucks and fat sway bars front and rear did a good job of limiting body roll in corners.

On the open road the Daily was happy to cruise all day at legal speeds and noise was minimal.

Vision was excellent in all directions; the wiper/washers worked a treat and the standard headlights were OK for town work. However, the 2017 cab has changed headlight positions that suggest worse lighting, so auxiliaries would be high on our shopping list.

On dirt the Daily was in its element

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and the under-drive gear set was perfect for these conditions. The vehicle handled corrugations in its stride.

In off-road conditions the 2017 Daily 4x4 maintained the marque’s stature as one of the most capable machines I’ve driven.

Despite the Daily’s height the wheel track isn’t much different from that of smaller 4x4 machines, so it fitted comfortably on bush tracks.

The launch was held at the Melbourne 4x4 Proving and Training Ground. Robbie Emmins has done a great job of making this facility the ideal place for judging 4x4 capability, with a combination of chassistwist, side-slope, mud-hole, creek fording and very steep sections.

The Daily 4x4 test vehicles were unloaded, making their lives even more difficult, but nothing in the Proving Ground proved too difficult for them. All the ground-level challenges were done in first-stage low range and the deep-reduction gearing was needed only for the steepest sections.

The diff-locking procedure was logical and easily performed: at the base of a climb I pressed Button One on the dashboard, to lock the centre differential, then Button Two, to lock the rear diff. The Daily handled most obstacles without the

front diff needing to be locked, but when it was engaged a beeper reminded me that steering would be heavily compromised.

Diff lock engagement and disengagement was quick.

The diff locks operated faultlessly and if you forget to disengage them they do so automatically as road speed increases.

The new hill-hold function is a boon in steep country, allowing easy restarts without stress on the driver or machine.

The standard tyres – a mixture of 9.5R17.5 and 255/100R16 - were fine in these demanding conditions, but for sand work fatter rubber is available in the form of approved after-market 37x12.50R17 LTs from Federal and Hankook on steel-spoked wheels.

Although the Daily 4x4’s overall ground clearance is class-leading the front axle/ steering design puts the anti-sway bar and the tie rod in front of the axle, behind a protective grate that intrudes into the approach angle. We dinged the grate easily on a rock shelf. It’s a shame the anti-sway bar couldn’t have been designed as a higher installation, with rod connections down to the spring plates. The tie rod, ideally, should be behind the axle housing.

Minor issues apart, Iveco is on a winner with this most capable machine.

1. Iveco’s Joel Read loves the Daily 4x4!

2. Journos getting their Daily injection.

3. Daily 4x4, Astra 8x8 and Trakker 4x4 and 6x6 models at home in the mud.

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Industy

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TO THE

FOUR Quad-axle trailers may become more popular given the clear productivity gains they they will deliver under PBS rules and as Allan Whiting reports the National Transport Commission (NTC) is investigating the possibility of extending quad-axle operations beyond PBS.

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Q

uad trailer axle groups are currently permitted to carry 27 tonnes on certain routes and under strict Performance Based Standards (PBS) rules but chief executive of the NTC, Paul Retter, reckons certain heavy vehicle combinations are currently unable to be used to their full payload capacity.

“We’re investigating whether quad-axle group vehicles should be able to use higher mass limits without having to go through the performance based standards (PBS) application and approval process,” Mr Retter said.

“This could unlock significant productivity gains for many transport operators by cutting red tape and reducing fuel use.”

The NTC’s preferred option is to allow quad-axle vehicles to carry increased mass on routes previously assessed as adequate for PBS approved vehicles, without the need for vehicle operators to go through the PBS process.

Under this option, a Class Three notice would be developed to allow vehicles with quad-axle groups that are primarily used in B-Double and semi-trailer combinations to increase mass by four tonnes at general mass limits to 24 tonnes, and to operate at 27 tonnes under higher mass limits, without the need to obtain approval through the PBS scheme.

General mass limits determine the maximum weight an axle group or heavy vehicle combination can carry on the general road network. Higher mass limits are available on a restricted road network under a special permit or notice.

“The PBS scheme was always a platform where we could test innovative vehicle designs, with the intention that this would eventually lead to broader use of these vehicle designs, outside the scheme.

“After seven years operating safely under the PBS scheme, it is clear we have enough evidence to take these vehicles to the next stage,” Mr Retter said.

The NTC also proposes that twin steer

prime movers towing a semi-trailer be allowed to increase their mass by four tonnes to 46.5 tonnes at general mass limits under the Heavy Vehicle National Law, and to operate with a Class Three notice at 49.5 tonnes under higher mass limits.

Over the past seven years quad-axle semitrailers in Australia have predominantly been seen hauling containers on restricted routes, although there are some tippers and waste trailers using quad groups.

‘Super-B-Doubles’ with quad-quad axle groups have been successfully hauling two 40’ containers at around 110 tonnes GCM in various locations around the country.

The NTC proposal may see wider application of quad-axle groups.

More axles equal more weight The concept of multiple axles in groups is hardly new. Road authorities all around the world determine what axle weights they will permit, in the interests of pavement durability and bridge security.

“The concept of multiple axles in groups is hardly new.“  Factory-built quad trailer with state of the art technonogy.

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1. Mack prime movers combine grunt with vision.

2. Steerable axle preserves tri-axle trailer cut-in.

3. Flexible mudguard allows lowprofile skeletal frame clearance.

4. David takes the wheel occasionally to keep in touch with driver issues.

In Europe, for example, single drive axle loads up to 13 tonnes are permitted, while in the USA and Australia a drive tandem is needed to spread that much weight. Triaxle groups with single tyres can carry 20+ tonnes in Europe, but in Australia duals are required to spread that load over a larger contact patch.

Possibly the most bizarre application of the multi-axle rule is in Michigan, USA, where eight-axle combinations of single or double trailers behind three-axle prime movers can carry up to 74.5 tonnes (164,000lb).

Of course, such leviathans aren’t permitted on the federally-funded Interstate road network, where the GCM limit remains 36.4 tonnes (80,000lb) on five-axle semi-trailer combinations.

There’s method in this apparent madness, according to research conducted by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials and the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT). This research concluded that

pavement damage is directly related to axle loadings, not gross vehicle weight.

In comparison with the Federallyapproved, five-axle 36.5-tonner a Michigan eleven-axle, 74.5-tonner combo puts less load onto the pavement. The Interstater has typical dual-tyre-axle loads around 7.7 tonnes and the Michigan mobster imposes only a shade over six tonnes.

Most of the North American highway network is concrete, so the issue of tyre scrub as eleven axles make it around a corner is probably not so critical as it would be in a bitumen/substrate road environment!

We’re not likely to see eleven-axle nonroad-train combinations in Australia, but if quad-axle group regulations are relaxed we’ll certainly see more of them.

The need for quad-axle groups Container haulage was the initial impetus for quad axles, because of the

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internationally-approved weight of ISO containers. Many incoming boxes from overseas are too heavy to be carried legally on existing combinations, meaning that they have to be unpacked. With LCL shipments that’s maybe not such a big deal, but with sensitive, homogenous freight it’s a huge problem.

Such a situation was faced by David Tolson of Elf Mushrooms. “Why?” I hear you say: mushrooms weigh bugger all, don’t they?

“Mushrooms don’t weigh very much at all,’ David Tolson explained to me, patiently. “But the imported peat they grow in is damp and heavy.

“The best growing medium for our quality mushrooms is from Germany and with the price of freight it makes sense for us to bring in full containers that are legal to be hauled to the ports in Europe.

“However, that 20’ container often couldn’t be carried legally here on a sixaxle prime mover and skel combination.”

Part-unloading peat to lighten the

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boxes wasn’t an option, given the risk of contamination of this quality material and the costs that would be involved.

A few years ago Elf Mushrooms was using container haulage contractors and David Tolson became aware that sometimes these rigs were probably not complying with axle weight laws.

He became concerned from the public safety point of view and realised that the only way to guarantee legal haulage of the heaviest boxes was to have increased payload capacity. Expecting a part-time contractor to go down that expensive route was unrealistic, so Elf Mushrooms entered the container transport business.

David Tolson consulted with PBS certifying engineer, Ken Cowell, and chose the ‘Blueprint’ method as the simplest way to achieve the needed payload increase.

A quad-axle group semi-trailer can have a gross combination mass of up to 50.5 tonnes, with a quad-axle group load of 27 tonnes.

‘Blueprint’ designs for quad-axle semi-trailer and B-Double combinations were PBS-approved some years ago and operators can use them to specify

combinations that can have access on PBS networks. Going outside such a quad-axle group vehicle design, requires safety and performance to be assessed under the PBS scheme.

Vehicle requirements include: dual tyres on quad-axle groups; a steerable rear axle with at least +/- 12 degrees steering articulation and an effective centering mechanism; a load-sharing system at least as effective as for a tri-axle group and roadfriendly certified suspension. Lift axles complying with ADR 43/04 are optional.

The Elf Mushrooms quad side-loader skeletal trailers are made by Hammar and have Hammar parallel sliding sideloading arms. Each can legally carry a box weighing 30-32 tonnes and the arms move in unison to reposition a container for optimum weight distribution.

Blueprint compliant quad-group axles and suspensions are BPW, including steerable rear axles and lifting front axles.

The Blueprints go into great compliance detail for the prime mover and trailer, and in some areas, such as roll stability, are brand-specific. For example, the Elf Mushroom Mack Granite prime movers

 Container haulage was the initial impetus for quad axles, because of the internationally-approved weight of ISO Containers

had to have Primaax rear suspensions.

Also, to comply with the need for the container twist locks to be no higher off the ground than 1.4 metres, the suspensions had to be height-recalibrated.

The Blueprints show their age in some respects, dictating 11R22.5 drive tyres that have largely been supplanted in low-centreof-gravity applications by 75-profile rubber.

Even after gaining Blueprint certification operators need accreditation under the National Heavy Vehicle Accreditation Scheme (NHVAS) or equivalent mass and maintenance accreditation, and need to have the Intelligent Access Program (IAP) as a potential tool for route compliance.

Quad-axle group combinations can only operate where individual route assessments and an individual bridge assessment have been conducted by the relevant asset owner.

Some authorities may be prepared to accept assessment by a prequalified bridge engineer using the authorities’ bridge data.

The current move by the NTC may see easier compliance and increased route access that may encourage more operators to go down the quad-axle group path.

Watch this space.

 The NTC’s preferred option is to allow quad-axle vehicles to carry increased mass on PBS routes.

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We like GoGetta because they’re easy to deal with. Their staff are friendly and nothing seems too hard for them. They make the whole finance process really easy.

ERROL HIBBERD, AMK CONTAINER TRANSPORT

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LCV

iLOAD TO T 054 www.truckandbus.net.au

THE iMAX The chance to give the updated Hyundai iLoad and iMax a test was something that appealed to us hunkering down here in the LCV CUPBOARD within the Transport & Trucking global offices so that is what we did and here is our report.

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e had not sampled the popular Hyundai load luggers for some time so with the updated version came the chance to climb aboard again.

Hyundai has done a terrific job with the panel van iLoad and its passenger carrying iMax and while the update is an evolution not a revolution we have always enjoyed the vans because they are honest, hard working, do most things really well and just work hard.

The updates mainly revolve around safety improvements with new side airbags included along with the already standard dual front airbags, a new ‘big’ screenreversing camera that delivers better rear vision when backing up with images showing up on a larger and much clearer

7.0-inch touchscreen incorporated into the media system that also features Siri Eyes Free (iOS) and Google Now (Android) voice activation.

The updated iLoad we tested was the turbo-diesel automatic, which is increasingly in demand for fleets and is priced at $40,990 plus on roads. The petrol manual can be had at a lower entry price of just $31,990 while the manual diesel carries a price tag of $37,990.

Nothing has changed with the turbo-diesel, which is the same 2.5 litre turbo-diesel four available in the pre-revision models, which produces a healthy 125kW of power at 3600rpm and 441 Nm maximum torque between 2000 and 2500 rpm.

Same goes for the five-speed automatic and six-speed manual transmissions, but

the driveline is a really strong attraction for the iLoad and iMax. It provides plenty of oomph and the self-shifter we tested was smooth and did the job. Sure some of the Euros do a slightly better job with smoother transmissions but they are generally more expensive and one gets the impression that the Hyundai just might have better longevity and reliability in the long run.

Fuel consumption was reasonable but not exceptional, but it is always a trade off, given you have a 2.5litre engine as opposed to some of the smaller turbo boosted Euro opponents. The bigger engine might use a bit more fuel but the upside is a more flexible power plant that could come in handy when hauling heavier loads.

We had reasonable loads in both the iLoad and the iMax, with a big load of furniture

“Ride quality is not the strong suit of vans but we reckon the Hyundai is not too”

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lugged in the van and a full compliment of large adult males in the iMax mini bus along with camera equipment and accouterments. On both occasions the Hyundai’s performed with aplomb and did not lack when asked to pull up some pretty steep climbs.

Hyundai figures claimed economy of around 8.8 litres per 100km but the best we achieved was 9.2litres/100km during our time in the iMax. Ride quality is not the strong suit of vans but we reckon the Hyundai is not too bad. It is never going to be a limo, they are designed as workhorses and have to be considered in that light. It may not be the best handling van but it is pretty damn good and certainly better than most. After all it is designed to lug a load and when you have

one on board it comes into its own.

As you would expect the cargo area is a central focus for van buyers and the Hyundai does well for itself in this realm as well. Apart from anything else the iLoad/ iMax comes with the advantage of a sliding side access door on both the passenger and the driver’s side. Most other vans either option this or don’t have one available at all, so that is a big tick.

Of course you can also get a crew van version of the iLoad with a second row of seats, side glass in the sliding doors and a still extensive load area behind that.

As we mentioned earlier the iLoad can be optioned with barn doors for an additional $550, allowing you to forklift standard Australian pallets into the load area from the rear, however the sliding side doors

aren’t quite wide enough to allow loading from the sides.

The iLoad load space is not as big as some of the opponents particularly given the overall length of the van. It has an overall capacity of 4.4 cubic metres, which is less than the Toyota HiAce (6 cubic metres), Ford Transit Custom, (5.9m³) VW Transporter (5.8m³) and Renault Traffic (5.3m³).

These figures are reflected in the actual dimensions with an overall load area width of 1620mm, height of 1350mm and 2572 mm length.

It does come standard with eight floormounted tie down hooks for securing loads, which can be up to 1098kg in payload, which falls short of some of its main opposition.

The iTwins - iLoad (left) and iMax are practical, versatile, reliable and economical hard workers, which is why they are winning so many fans.

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Surprisingly it only boasts a braked towing capacity of just 1500kg, which again falls short of the best in the class at 2500kg and is generally pretty light on.

Inside the cockpit and the passenger cabin the revision has made the iLoad look and feel a whole lot better than the previous iteration.

The new big screen is certainly a drawcard and the centre of the operation and is easy and straightforward to use with simple touch points and the bonus of voice control, which works extremely well.

The iLoad offers three seats across the front with plenty of room for even burly workmen while the 2-spot passenger seat can be slid forward and back, adding a degree of flexibility that is not available in all similar vans which often only have two seats with the passenger side often fixed.

Folded down the middle seat turns into a small storage area and workspace with cupholders for that vital morning or workday cuppa. As well there is a plethora of storage nooks and hatches around the cabin to story the nicks and knacks needed in a working van.

A big attraction for the iLoad and iMax is Hyundai’s five-year/160,000 kilometre

warranty and lifetime capped-price service program which when equated with the fact that service is scheduled every 12 months or 15,000km means the cost of running is kept very low given an average service cost of $379. iLoad is the second best seller in the light van market, assuming the runner up spot behind Toyota’s venerable HiAce, so it clearly has plenty of market appeal.

However iLoad is better than the ageing HiAce so merit is not always a strong sales driver. Certainly it is outpointed by some of its more expensive Euro opponents from VW, and Renault, but they have limitations as well.

If you are looking for a strong performing, well priced, reliable and practical van with low cost of ownership, then the Hyundai is well worth a look.

“iLoad is the second best seller in the light van market, assuming the runner up spot behind Toyota’s venerable HiAce, so it clearly has plenty of market appeal.”

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If a large white van can be stylish then the Hyundai iLoad could be considered to be reasonably attractive

GRAVEL ROADS

AUSTRALIA COMING SOON!

AN ALL NEW MAGAZINE AIMED SQUARELY AT BUILDING AND MAINTAINING GRAVEL ROADS IN THIS COUNTRY

WELCOME TO GRAVEL ROADS AUSTRALIA AN ALL-NEW niche publication will be hitting your desk in early 2016 when Gravel Roads Australia arrives on the scene.

Gravel roads make up almost 66 per cent of the nation’s road network with close to 600,000 kms of unsealed thoroughfares across this wide brown land. Many have low traffic volumes while others are vital arteries providing access to some of our most valuable resource assets.

Building and maintaining our unsealed road network is a major industry in itself with Local Govt, Civil Contractors, Mining Companies, Forestry, Farmers and a myriad of others all

involved in ensuring these vital routes are available to industry and travellers alike.

successful transport website, www.truckandbus.net.au.

Now, for the first time, this sector will have its own journal featuring interesting stories about road construction practices, new equipment, case studies, planned projects and new techniques - in fact anything that involves the building and maintaining of gravel roads.

Gravel Roads Australia will feature great writers with features and news produced by some of the best journalists in Australia with high quality photography and design.

Gravel Roads Australia will be a high quality 64-page publication, produced four times a year by Grayhaze Publishing, publisher of Transport & Trucking Australia and Coach and Bus magazine as well as the highly

The first edition will be published in March 2016 and then in June, September and December each year. The magazine will be direct mailed to more than 3000 Local Govt Works Officers, Civil Contractors, Transport Operators, Machinery Dealers and Manufacturers as well as Mining Companies.

For advertising please contact: Grayhaze Publishing 02 9938 6408 admin@transportandtruckingtoday.com.au - ads@transportandtruckingtoday.com.au

GET ALL THE LATEST TRUCK AND BUS INDUSTRY NEWS AS IT HAPPENS AT THE TRANSPORT INDUSTRY’S BEST NEWS WEBSITE

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Company Car

PASSAT ALLTRACK – ALL ROUND A BETTER DRIVE SUVs are the flavor of the moment with many family car buyers but after a week with the new Passat Alltrack Jon Thomson reckons the traditional wagon with all wheel drive may be a better option.

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V

olkswagen hasn’t had a great time of things in the past year since the diesel emissions scandal in the USA, however it seems that while many are quick to criticise the German auto maker, there are still plenty of people willing to buy its products, as is reflected in the company’s global sales which are holding up well.

We keep hearing stories about poor resale value for second hand cars but one can’t help but feel that perhaps the used car sharks are using it as an excuse to buy low in an effort to sell high and make more money, if new car sales are holding up there is still clearly demand for VW vehicles.

So it was with some deal of anticipation that we picked up the latest Passat Alltrack for a weeklong road test. It was the first VW passenger car we had driven in some time and we were keen to sample this $49,290 all wheel drive version of the Passat.

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To our way of thinking the station wagon is a much underrated alternative to the cross over SUV and with all wheel drive you have the versatility and traction without the weight penalty and cumbersome nature of an SUV. Car based wagons often have more usable space inside as well and that is so with the Passat as well.

The other factor with SUVs is the added fuel usage and reduced handling and overall performance. Cars like the Passat are a much better compromise and we would look at one of these way ahead of any SUV. Of course VW sells a two wheel drive Passat wagon as well and for most that would probably suffice, when it all boils down few people actually ever use the AWD or 4WD capabilities in their SUVs .

The Alltrack is subtly different to its two wheel drive sibling with different bumpers, wheel arch flares and side skirts and it sits 27.5

mm higher to give it a teensy bit more ground clearance to go with its AWD traction. It also means you don’t feel like you are climbing into a truck which is often the case with an SUV. Inside it feels like a car and is little different to the plain 2WD version. Leather trim throughout and front seats that deliver great support and comfort are a good starting point. The driver’s seat gets power lumbar and backrest controls, but sliding the seat forward or back and up and down is a manual process.

In the back the 40:20:40-split back seat is excellent both for practicality and ease of use. However its comfort and support is good for the occupants on the outside but anyone sitting in the middle might find it a bit uncomfortable for a long trip. However if no one is in the centre seat then it has a terrific armrest with three cup-holders for all refreshment contingencies.

A power operated liftback door allows

access to the luggage compartment which is a capacious carpeted load area, boasting a low loading height, again particularly compared with SUVs, surely a plus when arms are full of shopping bags or when trying to load heavy luggage. The area features four handy luggage tie downs for better load security, quick-release handles for the rear seat in the sidewalls and a full-size alloy spare wheel under the floor.

Behind the steering wheel the instrument panel and dash are extremely well laid out and full of good information for the pilot.

An off-road information screen displays steering angle, a compass and an altitude indicator.

While some believe SUVs boast better all round vision because of their higher stance, often the clunker nature of their design means car based machines like the Passat offer better all round viewing.

The Passat is quiet, the 2.0litre turbo diesel

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1. Behind the wheel the instrument panel and dash are extremely well laid out and full of good information for the pilot.

2. On the dirt we liked the feel of the Alltrack, It was sure footed and still delivered a good and well-damped ride on gravel roads.

being smooth and nicely suppressed while delivering excellent response and performance when pushed. You can electronically select a Sport mode which delivers sharper shift points and a bit more performance. It pumps out 140kW and 400Nm giving it plenty of oomph to move even a heavy load while delivering an average of around 7.4 litres per 100 in our time with the car.

The six-speed DSG dual-clutch transmission is getting better all the time and this one is superb with sharp but smooth changes and not as much ponderous activity when slow speed maneuvering, although at times on a steep slope and with a load onboard they can still be a bit clunky.

Like all VWs and for that matter German cars in general the Passat has superb steering feel well weighted, sharp and well mated to the taught but supple suspension and ride quality.

On the dirt we liked the feel of the Alltrack.

It was sure footed and still delivered a good and well-damped ride on admittedly relatively smooth gravel roads. It takes any bumps in its stride and soaks up any judder and bangs with ease.

We reckon the Passat is the right compromise for everyday use on tarmac roads and for that occasional excursion on to the gravel, which so many Australians have to take from time to time.

Passat uses the Haldex all-wheel drive system and traction control which together ensure traction is rarely lost and so long as you respect its limits the Alltrack is a perfect compromise between a car and a full on SUV or 4WD. If you want civilised ride, handling, performance, economy and in our eyes better safety and predictability then the Alltrack may just be a better option than one of its SUV opponents in the car market.

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MONEY MATTERS PAUL CLITHEROE BE TRUTHFUL ABOUT YOUR INSURANCE – AND IF YOU HAVE TO DIVORCE BE PREPARED!

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recent industry survey found almost one in five smokers would fib about their habit if it meant saving money on life cover. That’s a big no-no. The golden rule with any type of insurance is to be honest, or risk having a claim knocked back. But telling a few porkies to avoid high premiums isn’t the only issue impacting Australians and their life cover.

A more noteworthy problem is widespread underinsurance that could be leaving many families exposed to financial stress.

By way of background, most workers have some level of life cover provided by their super fund. It’s a good start. But I suspect few people realise how inadequate this level of protection can be.

A 2015 report by actuaries Rice Warner found the average young family needs life

Then compare this to how much your family would need to manage the mortgage, pay other debts and still cope with regular household expenses without a significant drop in lifestyle. If it turns out there’s a sizeable gap it could be worth upgrading your life cover.

Super fund members can increase their life insurance simply by contacting their fund.

Or life cover can be arranged separately through an independent insurer.

Above all, please do check your cover inside or outside super. Too little could be catastrophic, equally you don’t want to be paying for insurance you just do not need.

This often applies to “older” workers like me!

Meantime on another subject not totally unrelated to insurance and super, It’s a fact of modern life that even with the best laid plans many long term relationships won’t be a ‘til

calculator’ can be very helpful to make informed choices and take practical steps.

That’s important because the decisions made following the breakdown of a relationship can impact your financial well-being for many years to come.

Research undertaken by the Australian Institute of Family Studies for instance, found women tend to be especially poorly affected, in some cases experiencing a fall in income of more than 20 per cent following a divorce.

Understandably, many people don’t know where to begin when it comes to something like a property settlement. Others want to get the whole thing sorted as quickly as possible to move on with their lives.

Nonetheless, it’s critical to think through your options carefully.

ASIC’s asset stocktake calculator provides

“As part of the process, important decisions need to be made about your finances” cover worth around $680,000. Yet the typical default level of cover provided by super funds is about $200,000. For many families that wouldn’t be enough to pay out a home loan let alone provide long term financial security.

The shortfall exists because super funds use proxies like age and general population averages to determine the life insurance needs of a broad cross-section of members.

Without knowing much about your personal circumstances it’s unlikely your fund’s default cover will reflect your family’s needs.

To be fair, most of the big super funds have online calculators to help members work out an appropriate level of cover. But according to Rice Warner they’re not widely used.

The thing is, it takes only a few minutes to work out whether your level of life insurance is sufficient to protect your family’s financial wellbeing.

First, look at the funds your family could access if you were to die. This can include money in super, savings, investments and existing insurance policies.

death do us part’ coupling. And sadly, the process of separation and divorce can be just as devastating financially as it is emotionally.

The most recent figures show that in 2014, 121,197 marriages took place in Australia, while on the flipside, 46,498 divorces were granted. This suggests around one in three marriages could hit the rocks. Add in the breakdown of de facto and same sex relationships, and it becomes clear that large numbers of Australians will go through the separation wringer each year.

As part of the process, important decisions need to be made about your finances - often at a time when emotions are running high.

Seeking the advice of a family law expert makes sense. However it’s an option some couples simply cannot afford. So it’s good to hear our money watchdog - the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), has developed some online resources to help people navigate the financial aspects of ending a long term relationship.

ASIC’s new ‘divorce and separation financial checklist’ and ‘asset stocktake

an easy way to list all your assets and liabilities and get an overview of your current financial position – a good starting point to work out a property settlement.

The divorce and separation checklist is especially useful as it sets out recommended steps across a range of money matters from managing your mortgage following separation, through to updating your will and life insurance as a newly single person.

These resources won’t ease the emotional distress of a relationship breakdown but they do provide sensible suggestions to move forward with your finances. You can find ASIC’s financial resources on divorce and separation at the government’s MoneySmart website.

Paul Clitheroe is a founding director of financial planning firm ipac, chairman of the Australian Government Financial Literacy Board and chief commentator for Money magazine. Visit www. paulsmoney.com.au for more information.

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