NZT Jun25

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Margaret Murphy

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

Dave McCoid

027 492 5601 dave@nztrucking.com

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Gavin Myers 027 660 6608 gavin@nztrucking.com

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Pav Warren 027 201 4001 pav@nztrucking.co.nz

Mike

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SHOW STOPPERS

Iwrite this sitting in the airconditioned comfort of a coffee shop in a somewhat muggy Brisbane on the afternoon of the last day of the Brisbane Truck Show – the event having just closed after four days of what was a very interesting show and a week of all things trucks taking over the city.

We’ll have a full show report in the July issue, but I thought I’d share some observations on BTS 2025 and truck shows in general. This year, Dave and I have written a fair bit about New Zealand truck shows in our editorials – and for good reason, as it’s mostly been a really good season.

Almost all the shows we’ve attended nationwide in summer 2024/25 have blown us away with their organisation, industry representation and visitor participation. By the time you read this, the Gore Truck Show will have happened (31 May), the last before winter settles in and things kick off again in spring. We have no doubt it will be another cracker of a show, and look forward to bringing you all the highlights.

Speaking of highlights, starting on page 34, we have eight pages on Wheels at

Wānaka 2025. And, truly, we have merely brought you highlights, such was the greatness of the show this year. Full details are in the report, but I must pass on the New Zealand Trucking Media team’s compliments and gratitude to Allan Dippie, Annabel Roy and the entire organising team for what was undoubtedly the biggest and best Wheels at Wānaka. And more so, a sincere thanks for the event they created, something wholeheartedly unique that could only come to life and reach the heights it did with such a passionate and dedicated team driving it. Each one was better than the last, and it’s sad to see it end.

What a high to end on, though. To say there was something for everyone borders on understatement. The trucking industry’s representation was resplendent, and it was great for the team to catch up with friends, readers, viewers and listeners over the weekend. Sure, the weather was less than ideal, and though we were saturated to the skin by the time we’d packed up on the Sunday, we left Three Parks on a high. It’s hard to convey what a great show it was this year to

those who couldn’t be there to soak it all in.

And so, back to BTS 2025. A repeated observation was that it really is now the trade show for the region. There’s nothing like it anywhere near the same scale in New Zealand, and of course, that makes sense when you consider market size, visitor numbers and the fact that what seems like at least half of the New Zealand trucking industry is there anyway. What an opportunity to catch up with Kiwi and Aussie operators, suppliers and OEMs.

It’s a grand week on a grand scale that could never be replicated in New Zealand. “Do you think there’s any town in New Zealand that would close a street for a truck show?” asked contributor Craig McCauley, referring to the Silverback Show N Shine National Championship that took over Little Stanley Street, a block from the convention centre. Nah, that’s quite unlikely – certainly not for five days…

Though there wasn’t a huge amount of new and exciting products to talk about displayed in the actual truck show exhibition, the halls were still absolutely heaving, and being there would’ve been worth

their while for any OEM and their distributors. Happily, a few tasty nuggets did debut and will come our way in the future (full details next month).

And perhaps, though, there’s little need for a similar show in New Zealand. It’s fine congregating in Brisbane every couple of years. Kiwi shows are done well, allowing the industry to celebrate and promote itself perfectly while giving space to those vendors who are either market-specific or want to use the opportunity to get directly in front of the Kiwi industry anyway.

So, to all the show organisers around the country and the awesome members of the New Zealand trucking industry, kudos for the time, effort and passion you put into making each show a success in its own right. It may not be Brizzy – or Wānaka, for that matter – but the inherent value is at least as great.

Gavin Myers

ARATERE RETIRED

Interislander’s only rail-enabled ferry, the Aratere, will be retired by 30 August.

The withdrawal of the ship means just four ferries will be operated by the Interislander and Bluebridge companies for nearly four years until new vessels are scheduled to go into service in December 2029.

KiwiRail says freight will shift onto the Kaitaki and Kaiārahi, using coastal shipping for heavy freight such as grain, and it will adapt its rail and ferry schedules to best suit the market.

The Aratere berth in Picton will be demolished, and a new, double-lane linkspan built to serve road and rail for the next 60 years.

Minister for Rail Winston Peters says the decision by the KiwiRail board to retire the Aratere from service is “about the next 60 years of rail on the Cook Strait”. Ferry Holdings supports the move.

Peters said it would have cost $120 million to keep the Aratere in service.

“We will not waste one tax dollar on shuffling infrastructure to keep the vessel in service for the sake of it or add any infrastructure risk to our objective of completion in 2029.”

VOLVO FH16 780 IS AUSTRALASIA TRUCK OF THE YEAR

The Volvo FH16 780 was crowned Truck of the Year Australasia (ToYA) 2025 at the opening morning of the Brisbane Truck Show in May.

The prestigious award is affiliated with the global International Truck of the Year Award.

The trophy was presented to Roger Alm, president of Volvo

Trucks globally. This comes after a selection process where the ToYA jury whittled the four nominated trucks down to a final winner.

Making the presentation were International Truck of the Year jury associate members Tim Giles, technical editor of PowerTorque magazine, and Dave McCoid, editorial director

for New Zealand Trucking Media. “I’m delighted to be here in Australia to see our flagship truck receive this award,” said Alm. “Our new FH16 780 is a fantastic truck to drive; it really is a driver’s dream come true. The new D17 engine gives operators the flexibility to gear for efficiency or for heavy haulage while still delivering outstanding

durability,” he said.

“I’d like to thank the Truck of the Year jury for the award and their recognition of just how significant this vehicle is for both our customers and their drivers.”

The contenders this year were the Scania Super 500P, the Mercedes-Benz eActros prime mover, the Volvo FH16 780 and the FAW JH6 550, all of which have brought innovative design and contributed to productivity in the trucking industry. After a rigorous judging process, the top-power Volvo came out as the eventual winner.

To be considered for Truck of the Year Australasia, a truck must tackle challenges unique to this part of the world. The Australasian trucking environment differs significantly from that of many trucks’ countries of origin, demanding smart, regionspecific adaptations. Often, the most successful models are those that have been most effectively re-engineered for

local conditions.

The ToYA jury of five includes Tim Giles, Dave McCoid, along with Charleen Clarke, editorial director of FOCUS on Transport & Logistics and jury member of the International Truck of the Year Innovation Award, Randolph Covich, Deals on Wheels NZ editor, and Bob Woodward, road transport engineering consultant.

The jury carefully assessed the attributes of the four contenders before concluding that the FH16 780 embodied the original qualities that have guided ToYA decisions since the awards’ inception in 1977.

The FH16 780 by Volvo was a headline-maker from its launch, with Volvo leap-frogging fierce rival Scania to claim the kudos of producing the world’s highestpowered highway production truck. According to the jury, the FH16 780 brings a higher level of sophisticated engineering and electronics to Australasia’s toughest road transport tasks.

The power output is generated by the Volvo D17 engine, which is based on the current D16 engine with a number of modifications, including thinner and low drag cylinder liners as well as ‘wavetop’ pistons, which are in the process of being introduced across all of the Volvo truck engines.

The amendments to the engine design enabling the growth up to 780hp saw an increase in the engine’s cylinder bore by 5mm to 149mm. This increased cubic capacity by over a litre, from 16.1L to 17.3L. As a result , the engine is achieving over 600hp all of the way from just over 1000rpm to 1950rpm, with the maximum at 780hp achieved at 1700rpm.

“These numbers become real when the driver puts the truck to work,” said Tim Giles after driving the FH16 780. “This level of power and torque make tough freight tasks a relative breeze and the driver can always

feel confident the driveline can handle high masses in difficult conditions.

“This extra power is coupled with the excellent driver experience which Volvo have developed over the years. There’s a quiet effortlessness which the driver feels as they get into a climb at high masses, and the way the driveline copes in an unfussy way with varying gradients is impressive.”

This driveline includes the latest version of the I-shift, which sees even more integration, electronically, between the engine and the transmission. The changes are imperceptible and very quick. The time taken to move from one gear to the next was pretty quick when these transmissions first appeared, but Volvo still seems to be able to make them slightly, but perceptibly, quicker with each new iteration.

We’ll have a full report on the Volvo’s win in the July 2025 issue.

OHAKEA COMMERCIAL VEHICLE SAFETY CENTRE OPENS

The Ohakea Commercial Vehicle Safety Centre (CVSC) became operational on Wednesday 7 May 2025.

Heavy vehicles will be screened by static cameras and in-road weigh-in-motion (WIM) scales on SH1 and SH3 between Bulls and Sanson. The Police Commercial Vehicle Safety Team (CVST) will be onsite and enforcing as required.

The centre is located on Pukenui Road outside the RNZAF Base Ohakea in Manawatū between Bulls and Sanson.

The Ohakea CVSC replaces the police weigh station on SH1

and SH3 near Bulls.

Drivers can use the new roundabout to enter Pukenui Road from either direction, then make a right turn to enter the CVSC.

About 2km before the centre on SH1/3 in both directions, there are in-road weigh-inmotion scales and number plate recognition cameras. These screen heavy vehicles for compliance and risk.

If a truck is flagged, the variable message signage (VMS) further down the road will display the licence plate, signalling the driver to pull into the centre.

The VMS may also say ‘All

Heavy Vehicles Stop’. If this message is displayed, all heavy vehicles are required to pull into the centre.

While onsite, CVST might also carry out more compliance checks, such as checking for RUC, certificate of fitness,

logbooks and worktime, drug and alcohol impairment, or completing a vehicle inspection. If a driver is signalled to pull into the centre, they must do so. If they don’t pull into the centre, they could face a $1000 fine.

• Truck & Trailer Wheel Alignments

• Long wheel base vans / heavy vans and motorhome wheel alignments

• Tyre sales and fitting

• Induction heating and straightening of bent trailer axles and diff housings

• On & off truck wheel balancing

• Axle Camber Corrections

• Onsite alignments

• Specialist Vehicles

SCOTT HOLT NEW GM OF MTD

Volvo Trucks and Bus and Mack Trucks has appointed Scott Holt as the new general manager for Motor Truck Distributors.

Motor Truck Distributors is the authorised importer and distributor for Volvo Truck & Bus in New Zealand and part of the Sime Darby Motors group of companies. Used Trucks NZ is a part of the same group.

Holt has a successful track record in the transport and marine sectors, spanning 17 years. He was also the first general manager of another Sime Motors NZ business, TWL/ Transpecs, when the two firms merged into a single operating entity while under Gough Group ownership, before Sime acquisition in 2019.

“I look to bring to the business a renewed focus on the fundamentals that have made

these brands what they already are in NZ, and we will be focusing on forging even closer partnerships than already exist with key transport market leaders and small fleets alike,” said Holt.

“Volvo and Mack have a very strong product offering,

which we continue to utilise and develop to ensure that our customers have the very best end-to-end experience possible, right from pre-sales and purchase through to servicing and the full vehicle life cycle.

“It’s not often that the

opportunity comes up to be associated with iconic brands like Mack and Volvo, and it’s a bonus to be joining a multinational group like Sime Motors, with the scale and scope to operate across the whole transport ecosystem,” said Holt.

LEADING INNOVATION IN TRANSPORT

LIGHT TRUCK BESTSELLERS ASSESSED FOR SAFETY IN AUSTRALIAN FIRST

The Australasian New Car Assessment Program has examined some of Australia’s top-selling light trucks as part of an initiative to boost safety standards and assist business operators and private

consumers in making informed purchasing decisions.

ANCAP’s Light Truck ADAS Safety Comparison seeks to bring greater accountability and safety standards to the light truck segment through

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a new assessment regime. The comparison has been undertaken to identify a baseline level of safety performance.

Australia’s three top-selling light trucks, the Isuzu N-Series, Fuso Canter and Hino 300 Series, together with the highest-selling battery-electric (EV) light truck, the Foton T5, were selected for this inaugural comparison.

Each of the four trucks was independently purchased from dealers and assessed at the Transport for NSW Future Mobility Testing & Research Centre – a National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA) accredited laboratory. Their performance was examined against criteria and procedures refined with input from truck manufacturers and industry representatives.

The features examined included the fitment and performance of low- and highspeed autonomous emergency braking, lane support systems, speed assistance systems and occupant detection. Airbag

and seatbelt fitment was also examined, with all four trucks lacking these features for the centre passenger seating position.

Considering the potential weight of goods being transported, assessments were undertaken with each truck laden to 50% of its goodscarrying capacity. Additional assessments were carried out with differing load conditions to examine any variance in performance.

Findings from the comparison show that advanced safety technologies are available for and can be fitted to light trucks, yet current generation systems are limited in functionality. With new and updated models expected to be introduced, the opportunity exists for manufacturers to go beyond regulatory basics and provide their customers with the best products possible. Safety improvements are expected in new generations set for late 2025 and beyond.

The findings from this comparison have been used to determine baseline performance benchmarks with performance gradings to be introduced from 2026.

“We call on the entire industry to embrace this as an opportunity to prioritise improving the safety features in their vehicles and recognise

the positive role they can play in making our roads safer,” said ANCAP CEO Carla Hoorweg.

“It’s not just about having the technology on board; we want to understand how well it works and where there can be areas of improvement. We are aiming to drive positive change among the truck industry, fleet operators and small business owners.”

Transport Well New Zealand launches

Transport Well New Zealand, a new charitable trust, has been launched to support health, safety and professionalism in New Zealand’s transport and logistics sectors.

The new trust will take over several long-running initiatives previously managed by the New Zealand Trucking Association, including education programmes, events and community outreach, offering sector-wide solutions and resources to support operators.

“To ensure the sustainability, neutrality and long-term impact of these efforts, it was decided that the initiatives would be transitioned to an independent charitable trust. This move safeguards the integrity of these programmes, allowing them to grow free from industry politics, and ensures their governance is inclusive, transparent, and grounded in charitable purpose,” the trust said in a statement.

Dave Boyce, CEO, New Zealand Trucking Association and Transport Well governance board member, said the trust would protect the integrity of important health, safety and wellbeing initiatives and ensure they grew sustainably and free from industry politics.

Transport Well provides a neutral, inclusive platform for sector-wide collaboration. To support this vision, independent governance board members

are now being sought, bringing diverse expertise to ensure the initiative remains a truly industry-wide effort that is sustainable and effective.

Transport Well is committed to tackling fundamental challenges such as mental health, driver fatigue, worker competency, fitness for duty and vehicle safety – key factors that often contribute to high-risk incidents and costly disruptions.

One of the key pillars of Transport Well is the TruckSafe New Zealand Safety Management System, an industry-led initiative launched recently to improve the safety and professionalism of heavyvehicle operators nationwide. By raising operational standards, the programme contributes to productivity, business growth and the overall wellbeing of New Zealanders. It empowers businesses to innovate and expand while providing employers with clear guidance on creating a strong safety culture and embedding best practices.

“With the establishment of the Transport Well Charitable Trust, the transport and logistics sector now has a powerful mechanism to drive meaningful, long-term change.

Transport Well is paving the way for a safer, healthier and more sustainable future for the transport and logistics sector in New Zealand,” Boyce said.

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ISUZU TRUCKS CELEBRATES GRANDMASTERS WINNERS

Isuzu Trucks’ top-performing dealerships across New Zealand have been recognised. The 2024 Isuzu Grandmasters recognised the best-performing dealership in two categories – Metropolitan Dealer group winner and Regional Dealer group winner.

CAL Isuzu Hamilton branch, led by dealer principal Alex Boles, claimed metro dealer honours. A member of the broader CAL group of dealerships, it was the first of the group to gain an Isuzu franchise operation in 2008. Its success soon led to CAL Isuzu dealerships in Auckland, Tauranga and Whangārei.

Robertson Isuzu, led by dealer principal Terry Kurvink, won regional honours. The Palmerston North-based dealership has been an Isuzu dealer since 1990, enabling its team to draw on a deep well of brand and product experience in serving their customers.

Both locations also show a continued commitment to success, with both dealers also previous Grandmasters winners.

The Isuzu Trucks Grandmasters dealership awards recognise more than just sales performance, with service, customer satisfaction, facility standards, administration performance and technical

training all given important weighting in the judging process.

As a result, a Grandmasters accolade recognises the best of the best across every facet of the dealership experience.

“Isuzu Trucks again claimed the No.1 position in New Zealand’s truck market across 2024, an achievement we’re incredibly proud of and grateful for, and that is thanks in no

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small part to the commitment our entire dealer network shows to our customers, our brand and our product,” said Dave Ballantyne, general manager Isuzu New Zealand.

“Our dealers and their incredible staff are often the first and only contact our customers have with our brand, and I’m so proud to have CAL Isuzu Hamilton and Roberston Isuzu leading the way.”

Do you even lift?

The tiny house industry has exploded in New Zealand over the past five years or so, with compact, transportable homes popping up in weird and wonderful spots nationwide. Naturally, they need to be moved to site and into position, and a handful of specialist movers have entered the scene –although we’re not sure any of the others have the same level of on-road equipment as Te Aroha’s Tiny Towing Solutions. The homes may be tiny, but if the latest addition to the company’s fleet is anything to go by, being a specialist tiny house transporter is serious business.

Great Barrier Island, Waiheke, the Catlins, Milford Sound, Matakana, Invercargill, Kerikeri, Christchurch, Ahipara, Rotorua, Bluff, Greymouth, Puatāruru … Name a place in New Zealand and there’s a high probability you’ll find a tiny house there. And the chances are that if it’s in one of these or any number of other places around the country, Tiny Towing Solutions may have moved it there.

“Yeah, we’ve done three or four to Great Barrier, about a dozen to Waiheke … Milford Sound, that was interesting – we weren’t going to fit through the Homer tunnel with the house on the trailer, so we had to unload it and use the ute to drag it through the tunnel on some little custom-fitted wheelbarrow wheels. Then we had to get the transporter through and load it back up. Yeah, it was tight,” says company director Angus Hamilton.

“I’m big on ‘We’ll make it work’,” he adds.

After three days with Angus, driver Rob Pettifer and the Tiny Towing team, a culture of not letting anything get in the way of completing the job is clear. To be fair, they really couldn’t have any other attitude when you consider the hideous locations of some tiny houses (from an over-dimensional truckdriving and hiab-operating perspective, that is – many places are scenically quite stunning, actually). There’s a lot of due diligence ahead of the fact, but a fair bit of thinking on your feet in the heat of the moment. This is not a typical trucking job, nor is it just a job you need a truck for. No load or destination site is the same. Having the right tools at your disposal and the right team on the job is critical.

Indeed, for a company that is not even a full five years old yet (see sidebar Seizing opportunity), what Angus has managed

to build in such a short timespan is commendable. And it’s all culminated in the latest, most specialised unit yet in the fleet, this Scania 560R 8x4 crane truck and twoaxle SEC step-deck trombone semi-trailer combination.

A process of evolution

In little more than a couple of months on the road, the 560R has already done multiple South Island trips and clocked up upwards of 15,000km. Timing being what it was, we met Rob and the big Scania in the weeks between a couple of jaunts to exotic, faraway, inter-island locations. That was okay, though, because, as much as we’re still hankering for that elusive inter-island feature, what we got were a trio of scenarios that gave some insight into how varied the truck’s operation is and what the Tiny Towing team may encounter in a day’s work.

But, before we fire up the PTO and extend the mightily impressive HMF 9520OK-RCS knuckle-boom crane, let’s first get to know what we’re working with … there’s a lot to unpack in the 19m between the Scania’s front bumper and the 500mm hydraulic extension tucked neatly in the back of the SEC semi. Everything down to the positioning of the lockers and the custom spreader bar for the crane has been thought about.

The Tiny Towing fleet consists of four trucks – an Iveco Eurocargo ML150E28 4x4, a Sinotruk G7 6x4 (incidentally, a great truck, says Angus), a Scania P450 XT 4x4, and the new 560R 8x4 crane truck. All are tractor units so that each can tow any of the company’s three semi-trailers and be deployed in whatever combination best meets the unique scenario of each job.

“I bought two Ivecos through Robbie Greenhalgh, and when he moved to Scania,

he tried to on-sell me to Scania. I’d wanted a Scania for ages, but at the time, there was a two-year wait, and I couldn’t do it. He happened to ring me one day to say spots had opened up, and it was now a four-month lead, so that’s when I ordered the XT. It went on the road about a year ago now. It’s pretty much a fertspec truck, but they’re a day cab on spring suspension and we specced airbags and a sleeper cab, as well as bigger tanks for on-road use,” explains Angus.

It was always clear that having a crane truck would be a huge advantage for the business. “We were spending thousands a month hiring local hiabs around the country,” Angus says. “And, with the new 70m2 granny flat rule coming in later this year, I expect that will increase the amount of lifting onto piles we’ll be doing.”

In June 2024, Angus started investigating his options, looking at an Iveco S-Way in stock, but it did not offer enough lift on the airbags. However, a cancelled order had availed itself at Scania …

“I had a look at it with Robbie, and it was the perfect spec; the right wheelbase, big fuel tanks, and airbags with 150mm lift all round – that was one deciding factor. The other was the Scania’s load transfer. It allows you to shorten the forward distance and makes the truck turn on a dime – say, if you’re getting into a tight driveway,” Angus says. Why not another XT? That’s all a matter of accommodating the weight of the big HMF. “The XT adds 180kg to the front axle. As it is, we’re kilogramme perfect on the front axles. And if we went with an XT with a sleeper cab, that would add another 150kg. Every 100kg would push the crane back 50mm. At the moment, all our trailers clear the crane by 100mm with the fifth wheel right forward, so I didn’t want to push the crane further back. Even if we were to

custom order an XT, we would’ve had to be mindful of weight issues.”

Fitting a crane of this size to a tractor unit was always going to be a challenge. Ideally, the truck should’ve been a 10x4 – but that would never offer the level of manoeuvrability Tiny Towing needed. And, obviously, a rear-mounted rigid unit was never an option.

“It’s a bit more difficult getting your lift compared to a rear-mount crane, where you can back right up to the building. It meant we had to fit a much bigger crane. We went through every crane option and ended on the HMF, supplied by Ben Prowse at Crane Sales NZ, Matamata. Yes, it lifts a little more than the equivalent competitors, but the big benefit was its width being about 400mm narrower, which meant we wouldn’t have to modify any of our trailers to clear it,” Angus says.

“It’s very compact for what it is, and it lifts well. Some of the heavy buildings are 10 or 11 tonne, and most of the time, we’re only sitting at 80% capacity lifting them onto the trailer. Stability is good too.”

A build like this was always going to attract a certain amount of attention, and Angus says there was “a bit of backlash” about the design. “It’s a big crane to put on an eight-wheeler. We’re pushing close to the weight limits. There were a few nervous faces when it went through the stability test, but it passed everything with flying colours, and it’s all come in legal – and it works well. The only limitation is we can lift only 30% over the front legs when its truck-only.”

The task of making it all work fell to Mike Gurnett and the team at Truck Mounted in Waipawa, Hawke’s Bay. “We were tasked with building something that would give Tiny Towing the lifting and towing capacity they needed. The challenge was to mount the biggest crane we can while maintaining

1-3) The SEC two-axle trombone semi-trailer is the latest in an evolving design made for Tiny Towing’s needs, including lockers placed under the step deck and a 500mm rear extension. 4) Green buttons on each side need to be activated before legs can be operated … Warning label is the loudest and clearest health and safety warning we’ve seen yet. 5-7) Locker positions were critical to getting the weight balance right but positioned for easy access. There’s no shortage of space, including handy rollout chain drawers and an upright raincoat locker.

approximately 3.5-tonne payload on the fifth wheel without permits. This build pushed the limits of what we can do on New Zealand roads and a lot deemed it a failure before we started,” says Mike.

“We designed a complete 3D truck, crane and subframe model down to every little detail. From this, we were able to do all the calculations to make the build work with the right material to withstand the stress. Placing the crane and everything around it in the right place was critical to ensuring this build would work before we started.”

That’s the truck, but what about the trailer? Angus has had a strong relationship with Grant Colbran at SEC Group Invercargill since his early days in business, SEC having built Angus’ first trailer for the Ford F350 he operated (see sidebar Seizing opportunity). All subsequent custom builds have essentially been an evolution of it.

“That first trailer was mint and did everything we needed it to. Then, as we began moving longer buildings, we started looking at trombone trailers and built our first two-axle non-steerer (both sold). I’d also bought a triple-axle ‘grunt trailer’, an ex-container skele, which I got SEC to chop

“It’s a big crane to put on an eight-wheeler. but it passed everything with flying colours, and it’s all come in legal – and it works well.”

and modify to suit our long-distance work. It can cart a bit of weight so we can back-load some over-dimensional stuff with that if needed,” Angus explains.

“By then, I’d done a lot of research and followed the shed trailers they build in America; there’s some cool stuff over there. So the latest semi has a 9m deck and 800mm deck height. It trombones out to 12.5m, and we added a half-metre hydraulic extension, the electronic steering, Hyway Manufacturing ramps, flashing lights, pullout hazard panels and oversize signs on the back …” says Angus.

“Grant’s really good. Whatever I ask, he says, ‘Yup, I’ll find a way.’ You get great feedback from him – Invercargill is a long way away, but I’ve got no reason to change from SEC. Every trailer they do is better and better.”

Reaching for the sky and ready to go; it’s an exquisite build by Truck Mounted in Waipawa.

The semi runs a 15-tonne axle set rating and is permitted to go to 18-tonne if needed. The combination runs at 41 tonne GCW but is again permitted to 44.8 tonne with the two-axle trailer. For those counting, the third trailer in the fleet is an old, refurbished, narrow-deck MTE house trailer.

And, apparently, Angus isn’t done yet

… There’s a hybrid pull-type/mini house trailer currently in build for the big Scania, as there’s an upper limit to the weight that can be put on the fifth wheel when it comes to the biggest tiny homes. By the sounds of things, it’ll be a real nifty piece of kit: a pull trailer with a single-axle dolly, it will trombone and feature the rear extension and steering rear-axle set like the semis, all riding on airbag suspension. The interesting part is the separate subframe on hydraulic rams that’ll lift the whole job half a metre to clear fence posts and the like.

Oh, and by the time you read this, the Scania will have had its spreader-bar bracket fitted so it can operate as a tractor-only crane. “I didn’t intend for it to do more than bounce around between our jobs, but now it’s on the road, people are ringing up for us to come in and help them with lifting. For that sort of thing, it makes sense for it to run truck only. That wasn’t a market we were chasing, but it helps pay the bills.”

Talk about a tool for every job!

Waitākere weightlifting

So, then, back to the jobs at hand, the first of which was collecting a double-storey tiny house 12.8m long, 3.3m wide, 4.1m high and weighing about nine tonnes, from a section in the Waitākere Ranges west of Auckland, destined for repairs at Katikati-based tiny home builder Cocoon. The fully off-grid home had been emptied and secured, disconnected from its services, and released from its ground screws the day before.

“We can’t wrap it to repair it onsite due to space constraints; it’s way easier to take it back to the factory in Katikati, which is purpose-built for work on tiny homes,”

commented Cocoon owner Tom Farr, who was on-site to aid Rob and 29-year-old pilot Nick Smilde and 26-year-old offsider Charlotte Maree.

With the house ready to lift, Rob assesses the conditions. There had been some significant rainfall in the preceding days, and while it was holding off, the ground was still very soft. The decision was made to park the trailer on the far side of the section and disconnect it from the Scania, which would be positioned between it and the house. Slightly easier said than done, Rob would have to deploy everything at his disposal to get the Scania on site and manoeuvred on the very soft, wet ground.

With a fairly narrow street and gate to the section, Rob engages the load transfer to more easily make the tight turn.

Manoeuvring on-site, he locks the diffs and puts the TRT TractionAir CTI down to 30psi to maximise traction.

Even with the airbags raised right up, the ground is still soft enough to catch the Scania’s front bumper. With the deployment of a set of traction mats and some serious manoeuvring, he’s in place. The team works to position the lifting straps while Rob extends the stabilising legs, fires up the HMF and connects the spreader bar.

Before long, Rob has the crane overhead and straps connected and then very gently begins to take the weight of the building. With it a few feet up and stable, Rob and the team lift and guide it around the back of the Scania and over to the trailer. Easy does it, and in all, it takes about 30 minutes to lift, load and secure the home for transit.

Getting out of site is the next challenge, made more difficult by the extra length of the trombone trailer. At least it offers roughly 150mm lift on its airbags, aiding ground clearance. Rob’s only option is to back out of the drive and into the street. He reconnects to the trailer and slowly pulls forward into the drive. There’s much back and forth as Nick helps with steering the trailer. But there’s another problem: the mānuka trees alongside catch on the top of the house and the cab of the truck as Rob begins to back up, so Nick gets to work pruning a few branches with the handy Makita 18V pole saw. With Charlotte and Tom holding traffic, Rob backs out

with Nick helping to steer the trailer, being mindful of the deep culvert that could so easily catch a trailer axle. Bit by bit, they work the combination out into the road, with the advantage of the trailer steering immediately apparent. “It’s a game-changer,” Rob reckons.

The Scania clearly had a bit of a workout while backing and Rob reckons it would be good to have a clutch pedal for some added control. “The automatic clutch takes some punishment on this job. We have to do a lot of hill starting and pushing up hill, only moving three or four feet at a time. Even though it was in low range, it’s still not easy on it.”

A Super engine … and gearbox

In just under three hours on site, the team is ready to tackle the Auckland over-dimensional route and make for Katikati. Moving through Auckland is another challenge in itself, and the team is aiming to ‘get outta dodge’ before the 4pm curfew on over-dimension loads, meaning they’d have to park up until 6pm. Spoiler alert … three hours after setting off, we have to pull over in Manukau, which means the team will only make Katikati well after dark.

Nonetheless, the drive through Auckland gives us plenty of time to chat with Rob about the 560R, fitted with the new 13L Super engine

and G33 Opticruise overdrive transmission. The 560 is top of the 13L Super range – at 412kW (560hp) at 1800rpm and 2800Nm at 900-1400rpm, it offers an incredibly accessible power band – more so, considering the power begins to peak at 1400rpm. Those figures are also stepping into Scania’s 16L V8 territory, with a 395kW (530hp)/2800Nm unit at its lower limit, while bettering the standard 13L’s range-topping 402kW (540hp)/2700Nm outputs. The Super also scores top trumps over its siblings, offering an engine-driven PTO of up to 1000Nm, and claimed fuel savings of up to 8%.

Scania says this is achieved by an industry-leading brake

thermal-efficiency level of 50% (seriously impressive for an internal combustion engine) and an integrated powertrain management system, while Twin SCR (dual AdBlue injection) “ensures a continuously higher reduction of exhaust emissions across a wide range of operations”.

The 13L Super also boasts a 350kW engine-integrated compression release brake (CRB), and Rob has at his disposal the trusty R4700D retarder for 4700Nm of ultimate hold-back.

The G33 Opticruise is the second half of the Super equation. Rated to 3300Nm, Scania says it’s 60kg lighter than its predecessor and offers numerous benefits such as 10% reduced internal losses due to improved oil-flow distribution, super crawler and overdrive gears, and four automated-shift reverse gears, with the option of eight reverse gears in total.

What all this means is that while the Scania is virtually fresh out of the box, it’s returning a 2.4km/L fuel consumption – incidentally identical to the P450 XT with 50,000km on its clock and a much smaller engine. And, while we didn’t get to experience the 560R under load on the open road, Angus says there’s nothing between it and the ‘lightweight’ XT when climbing despite the vast differences in tare weight.

“I love the 560; nothing wrong

1) A power inverter and bank of Makita 18V batteries on charge are easily reachable from the cab lockers or under the bunk. 2-3) Full cab air suspension makes for a cushioned ride, while air suspension on all axles gives 150mm extra ground clearance. 4) Torquey and intelligent, the 13L Super and G33 Opticruise combination is one of Scania’s best yet.

with it,” says Rob. “It offers ample horsepower for what we cart, which is never heavier than 12 tonne at the best of times. I’m more than happy with the truck. And it’s incredibly economical especially once you’re out on the open road.”

As we make our way through Auckland traffic, the Super pulls with a throatiness that would make its larger V8 siblings proud, and the G33 offers up some of the quickest, smoothest

shifts we’ve experienced. Behind us, the SEC trailer tracks along well despite not being a selfsteerer.

“It does a good job manoeuvring through Auckland … but I do have to go wide when tromboned out because the wheels are far back on the trailer,” says Rob. “That’s fine, though. It’s a magic unit being able to angle the axles on-site and not rip up the ground when you’re confined with space.”

Pukehina push-ups

It’s true each site throws up its own challenges. Our second job is to move a small cabin from Pukehina in the Bay of Plenty to Putāruru – but while the load may be small at 5.6m long x 2.4m wide and roughly two tonnes, collecting and delivering it poses their own sets of challenges, requiring Rob to think on his feet. Sure, site inspections are done, but often, the reality can be very different

1) Thinking on your feet to get the job done: Rob gently pushes the cabin through the gate under the powerlines. 2) HMF remote controller gives the operator a large amount of live info. 3) Rob guides the crane out. 4) Craning the cabin over the Putāruru house –almost home!

once the truck is at the scene.

“There’s a lot of thinking outside the square in this job – a lot. I need to look at the situation and think, ‘I’d do this, this, this, and this’, and then go and do it. I’m here to be a professional at my job and get it done to the best of my ability,” he says.

Today, Rob’s got the triple challenge of overhead power lines, soft ground and an even narrower gateway off a single-lane dirt road. He attempts backing the trailer in, but neither the gate nor the road offer enough space to turn the Scania and straighten out the trailer, even with its steering ability, while the soft, uneven ground is also causing traction issues. The decision is made to decouple the trailer, drive the tractor unit in, and use the crane to move the cabin to the gate and then nudge it out under the

powerlines on some roundwood poles that are handily on site.

“Can you imagine us trying to get in here with a 10-wheeler?” Rob quips as he begins setting up the crane.

He has the truck’s air suspension set to raise when he engages the PTO. He then extends the legs and dumps the air from the suspension, so the truck settles on the legs. “The airbags try to compensate for the weight on the crane, and because they’re trying to equalise, you can think the truck’s going to tip over. So, once I’ve dumped the air, it should not put anymore in even though the bags are expanding [when the legs raise and level out the truck]. That gives you the greatest stability,” he explains.

Rob reckons the HMF is one of the best cranes he’s used. “This is a step ahead,” he says. “We’ve got a clear boom on this crane, which is a great thing when you have to get it up against something,” he points out as he nudges the cabin along.

Another handy feature is the remote with 4.3in colour screen, which shows the current crane situation in real-time across six different displays. “It’s a bit different to the old days when you were stood beside your truck and worked by feel. With the remote, I can see what’s going on and can wander around, but you can’t feel if the truck is starting to lift,” says Rob. It’s this sort of job where smarts and experience enable the operator to look at the situation and assess the best way of managing it.

“The main thing is to not panic if things start to go wrong – always know where your down button is. I haven’t had to run yet, and I don’t intend to be that guy … I’d rather not wing it and keep going until something happens that ends up in a costly mistake.”

Before long, the cabin is bound to the trailer and headed for its new home in Putāruru – a suburban backyard. Despite more of an audience, with camera phones poised and neighbours enjoying the show,

moving it in is a much simpler operation. Rob drives in straight to the end of the drive, cranes the cabin over the house onto the ground, decouples and repositions alongside the cabin’s site, and then lifts it into position – the limitations of the tractor-mounted crane necessitating two lifts in this instance, as craning forward of the unit could lift the rear of the truck.

Morrinsville muscle

Some moves are a two-truck job, as with our final outing with the Tiny Towing team. A local move from rural Morrinsville just into town, Rob, Nick and Charlotte were joined by contract driver Grant Gibb in the P450 XT. This home is on the large end, needing to be split into two loads of 11.7m x 4m and 14m x 4m. The size, combined with a driveway at the delivery site that’s tight in every dimension from start to end and requires as much manoeuvrability as possible, means the XT and MTE house trailer are on the job

1) The right tools for the job: They’re both Scanias, but that’s where the similarities end. 2-3) Inching back up an obstacle-laden suburban drive, as much of a challenge as the boggiest rural paddock. 4) Grant and Nick help position the straps for the ideal lifting point. 5) Rob and Charlotte prepare for liftoff.

with Rob purely on hand to do the lifting. Rob has the spreader bar extended to 4.5m. Another tool made for the job, the spreader bar is built from a 100mm box section, extends from 3.1m to 5.5m and is 10-tonne rated. There’s also an additional 2m extension for additional versatility. “That’s also based on learnings from watching everyone else,” Angus explains. “Most

spreader bars go to 4.1m, but some of the houses we carry are 4.5m wide. I wanted one that could do everything.”

The lift is a simple affair – just a couple of metres off the ground for Grant to back the trailer in underneath without the need for jacks. The delivery is another story, though. Backing up the drive is the main challenge; an overgrown hedge on one side, branches

of the neighbour’s prized yucca trees and garage roof sticking out on the other, and a utilities pole at the top of the drive must all be navigated.

With about 2.1m of lift, the MTE offers the lifting flexibility and steering capability needed for awkward or larger shifts. While it’s an old girl, it’s been given a birthday to ensure it fits the company image and

SEIZING OPPORTUNITY

It’s been a while since we ran a Driven to Succeed feature – where we profile a young professional giving it their all to make their mark on the future of New Zealand’s transport industry. Well, this cover feature should certainly make up for that because the story of Tiny Towing is really the story of the man behind it, 26-year-old Angus Hamilton.

What started in November 2020 as a man with a tow truck to cart his own four-wheel drives around, who bought a tiny house and was let down by the company contracted to move it, Tiny Towing has emerged and gone through a few iterations to become what it is today. Through the journey, Angus has found his place in the Kiwi trucking scene.

“None of my family has ever been in towing or trucks. Diggers and tractors yes, because our family background was dairy farming. I worked the holidays on farms, so I’ve always been around machinery, but never had a passion for trucks – six or seven years ago, I’d have barely known the difference between a Scania and a Volvo,” Angus freely admits.

Having graduated from Te Aroha College, Angus went farming at Te Aroha West before moving up to Whangārei to do contract milking. “I got sick of dairy farming, so went and did an engineering apprenticeship for a few years. But when I was done with that, I didn’t know what I wanted to do, so I went driving machinery in the forestry sector for a year. At the time, my dad Andy was killed in a motorbike accident, so after his funeral, I went over to the United Kingdom for a few months and visited Scotland, where our family bloodline is from,” he explains.

He returned with little idea of what to do with himself, but then a mate working at J Swap called, offering Angus work driving loaders at the company’s yard in Matamata. A four-wheel drive enthusiast since a young age, Angus had at this stage bought himself an old Hino Ranger slide deck to cart his four-wheel drives around.

“One thing led to another, and I started doing little jobs on the side with it. I ended up leaving Swaps and began operating as Matamata Piako Towing, doing local breakdowns. I’d contract back to Swaps when I didn’t have any work, but I got sick of having to wait for the phone to ring for the breakdown work.” At this stage, Angus replaced the Hino with a few utes and a fifth wheel-equipped Ford F350 and started doing long-distance boat and caravan transport.

“I started doing my licences when I bought the F350 as I needed a class 3 to drive that with a fifth-wheel trailer, but there’s no point having a class 3, so I went through my class 5. Of course, once I had that I ended up driving here and there, a bit for J Swap now and again, but nothing full time.

“The biggest mistake I made was getting my truck licences!” Angus says, tongue firmly in cheek.

With the business ticking along for a few months by now, Angus bought himself a tiny house out of Nelson. “I booked another company to move it for me because tiny houses weren’t my thing – I had barely driven big trucks, never mind oversize! But he had to cancel the job, so I was of the mind, ‘How hard can it be? I want my house.’ I borrowed a trailer off a friend that I could hook up to my F350, and off I went to pick up the house. It was the first time I’d gone oversize, and we brought the house all the way back up to Te Aroha. I’d never sweated

succeed.

Team mascot Ella is always down for a ride. “She’s probably crossed the Cook Strait more than most Kiwis,” jokes Angus.

so much in my life!” he says with a laugh.

Of course, that was only half the challenge … getting the house located at its new site was another case of ‘get into it and figure out how’, involving a tractor to tow it up the drive and a digger to drag it in place.

“I put a few pics on Facebook, and people came back with ‘While you’ve got that trailer can you move this?’ … So, we ended up building a trailer for the F350 because there was enough work for it,” Angus says.

Nonetheless, transporting the boats and caravans remained the main line of work, with tiny houses “a side burner”.

“It grew from there, and in late 2022, we got serious about the tiny houses,” says Angus. “That’s when I changed the name to Tiny Towing Solutions.”

Today, the business operates four trucks with a fleet of specialist trailers and is well on its way to its 2000th tiny house move. If that’s not an example of being driven to succeed, we don’t know what is.

operates on the button. “You hardly see these old narrowdeck house trailers anymore, and those who have them never sell them,” comments Grant as Nick raises the deck. Though the house is sat on deck stands to raise it a further 450mm, the space is still too narrow, so out come the chainsaws to lop off some yucca branches and give the hedge a haircut. With Nick managing proceedings at the rear of the unit – raising, lowering, angling and steering the trailer as needed – and Charlotte acting as an extra pair of eyes up front, Grant manages to creep the house up the drive, around the utilities pole and up to Rob, who has the crane poised and ready. It was a case of clear communication between the team and easydoes-it every step of the way, with the XT’s short chassis and manoeuvrability clearly its trump card in this instance.

The team gets to work strapping the house for its lift and helps Rob guide it onto its piles, before packing up and heading back for part two of the move.

“The beauty of this job is we have these guys [Nick and Charlotte] along with us, and we can rely on them as part of the team – they’re not just contracted pilots. It makes the job quicker; they have the tools when we need them, they get hands-on to get the job done,” says Rob. “It’s a hard job, rough on your body, and the hours are harsh. You can’t rush these jobs, and there will often be delays or obstacles to work around. You can spend hours on-site. You’re buggered after a long, hot summer’s day. But we pitch in and give each other a hand to get the job done.”

Great strides

For a business started purely by chance, and relatively recently, too, Angus seems to be onto a winner with Tiny Towing Solutions. Rob probably sums it up best when he says: “I have to give a lot of credit to Angus, as a young fella, to be able to pull off what he has. He’s taken a

CRANING ABILITY

Those big arches were my first-ever wide load,” Rob Pettifer points out as we drive past the entrance to Papatoetoe’s Hunters Plaza on Great South Road in Auckland.

“Me and old ‘Curtainside Pete’ [Peter Wilson] had one each, driving for JE Adams Carriers. That was the early 1990s, back in the days when we had police escorts. I would’ve been about 24 years old.”

Now 57, Rob has had a career interspersed with oversize transport and predominated by truckmounted crane work – and where and how he got his start is interesting.

“I was born in Ahuroa and grew up in Wellsford. Then, when I was 13 years old, the old man went into partnership with his brother on a pig farm in Ramarama. I got my HT on the farm when I turned 18,” Rob begins. “Then – I don’t know how I did it – I went from being a farm kid to a glazier on high-rise buildings…”

Well, colour us intrigued!

“My brother worked for an aluminium factory, Cossey and Roberts in Pukekohe, and said, ‘Come help us for a bit’ … that became nearly 20 years of glazing and driving glass trucks. I carted all the windows down to Wellington for the Museum of New Zealand for

Thermosash and Woods Glass. That was two-and-a-half years of three trips back and forth per week,” Rob says.

“We used to hire a Hino hiab from JE Adams Carriers in Penrose for carting the glass. The boss’ son there had a bad case of Mondayitis, so I ended up there taking on the truck, and that’s where I started crane operating.”

Rob comments that he’s worked “for two Adams’ and two Pascoes’”; the first being JE Adams Carriers, which consisted of a lot of flat-deck and crane work on a Palfingerequipped D-series Ford. He then went to work for Robert Pascoe at RPC Logistics for a few years on cranes and curtainsiders. “He was a hard boss, but I enjoyed my time there. The business was tiny then, nothing like it is now.”

Following that, it was back to the glass company for a couple of years to cart the glass to Wellington before he left driving for a stint at Euro Trucks in Mount Wellington as a Scania workshop labourer. “Euro Trucks had a lease department, so I’d also do trailer swaps to Te Puke for them at night,” Rob comments.

The second Pascoe was next, P & I Pascoe earthmoving contractors of Papakura, while the second Adams was Adams

Rob’s a type 1 diabetic with a sense of humour about it.

Landscapes from 1999 to 2001. In 2001, and with a young family, Rob had had a gutsful of Auckland and decided to pack up and move to Kerepehi in the Hauraki District. “That was an easy decision … and I still live there now,” he says. The move led Rob to Alan Tanner’s Tanners Timber World, circling the Coromandel with timber deliveries in his sixwheeler Volvo FL10 with a Cormack crane and four-axle trailer.

Two years later, he found himself at the gates of Kerepehi Transport, where a lot of the work consisted of craning fert bags. “Robert Pascoe was good friends with Noel Challis, one of the owners at Kerepehi Transport. As soon as has he found out I was working for Noel, he was ringing up asking if I’d come back – but I moved out of Auckland for a reason!” Rob says with a laugh. “I did 15 years there and was fortunate to drive three new diggers and two new tip trucks in that time.”

Most recently, he’s spent six years on a Scania crane truck for Kelvin Fitzpatrick at KT Cartage in Kerepehi. While Rob had already known Angus since he was young through their interest in the four-wheel-drive scene, the

crossover with Tiny Towing came through KT being contracted as a crane truck supplier before Angus commissioned his latest Scania.

“Kelvin’s a young fella; so is Angus. I have a lot of time for the young fellas that want to have a go at this stuff,” says Rob. With decades of experience, an analytical mind and an

incredibly happy disposition, it’s clear Rob enjoys sharing his knowledge and expertise with the younger generation. His son, Corey Pettifer, has enjoyed a successful career with Graeme Wright Transport of Pūriri – which he represented in the 2022 TR Group Driving Competition, taking out the truck and trailer category and

overall champion awards – as well as time with Ryal Bush and now Road Metals.

“I learned from listening to a lot of wise older fellas, giving them the respect they deserved. You took their knowledge and used it to make your own abilities better,” he says. “We’re all here to get the job done and get home, so I’m happy when

the team shares ideas. We’ll talk to one another about how to approach a job, and I’ll never knock someone’s opinion – they may have a different perspective I haven’t thought of,” he says. With nearly four decades of experience and that sort of attitude, who else would you want moving your tiny house to site and into position?

business opportunity and made it work. I have a lot for respect for him and what he’s done.”

Sure, the company’s arrival on the scene coincided with the tiny house boom, allowing it to take advantage of consistent work and quickly build up to some big numbers for a small operation – moving 90 tiny houses in its busiest month. There’s no doubt, though, that it’s been a steep learning curve.

“It was a hard industry to get into, especially the overdimensional side of it. It’s good having clean, decent, new gear and pro drivers on it. That’s gone a long way and allowed us to grow in the industry,” Angus says.

His approach of starting small and progressively building up with bigger and better equipment – and ensuring that

equipment is the right stuff for the job as he’s learnt what works best over the years – has clearly paid off. And that goes for putting the 560R on the road, too – knowing what his operation needs and observing what does and doesn’t work for others.

Finding the right suppliers in Scania and Crane Sales NZ, the right equipment in the 560R and the HMF 9520, and the right engineer to build it in Truck Mounted, has resulted in a build that covers all bases to the finest detail. Combined with the neat job by SEC on the trailer, it’s an impressive combination built for the job at hand.

“Nothing’s impossible, it’s all doable,” Angus comments.

Tiny? Nah. After three days with this team, we think they’re big-as!

SPECIFICATIONS

Scania 560R B8x4NB

Tare: 22,670kg (load cert.)

GVM: 35,200kg (load cert.)

GCM: 60,000kg (load cert.)

Wheelbase: 5620mm

Engine: Scania DC13 173 L01

Capacity: 13L

Power: 412kW (560hp) at 1800rpm

Torque: 2800Nm (2065lb/ft) at 900-1400rpm

Emissions: Euro-6 via Twin SCR

Transmission: Scania G33CM1 14-speed Opticruise

Clutch: Automatic

Chassis: F957 – 9.5mm outside, 7mm inside

Front axle: Scania AM640S

Front-axle rating: 14,200kg (load cert.)

Front suspension: Scania air

Rear axle: Scania AD400SA, RB662/RB660, 3.07:1

Rear-axle rating: 21,000kg (load cert.)

Rear suspension: Scania air

Brakes: Disc. ABS/EBS

Auxiliary braking: Scania engine brake, R4700D retarder

Additional safety: Advanced emergency braking, lanedeparture warning, hill hold, blindspot warning, adaptive cruise control, pedestrian detection, side detection, driver and side curtain airbag.

Fuel: 570L

DEF tank: 80L

Wheels: Alcoa Dura-Bright

Tyres: 275/70 R22.5

Electrical: 24V

Cab exterior: LED headlamps (automatic), fog lights and daytime running lights, full cab air suspension, rearview mirror heating.

Cab interior: Standard roof height, automatic wipers, automatic climate control, airsuspended driver’s seat, velour black seat upholstery, Scania infotainment premium with USB and Bluetooth connectivity, refrigerator.

Special thanks

Our thanks to Angus Hamilton for telling us the story behind the Scania’s build and Tiny Towing’s journey. You’re onto a good thing; keep it up!

Thanks to Charlotte, Nick, Grant and especially Rob for accommodating us on three separate jobs and detailing everything along the way. You guys are great; loved the banter! Thanks to Robbie Greenhalgh and the team at Scania New Zealand for their unfailing support of New Zealand Trucking magazine.

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2015 THE OF RIGS

Continuing a Legacy Kenworth T909 6x4

Every cover truck holds a special place in the history of New Zealand Trucking magazine. We love to see where their road has taken them.

JUNE

Simon Buckeridge drove the truck for the first few years of its life and says the T909 “still looks a million dollars and has been a good truck”.

Transport.

Currently owned by: Buckeridge Transport

Current odo reading: 1,400,000km

Mechanical work: None

Current work profile: Bulk chip, North Island

Currently driven by: Aaron Edge

Interesting facts: Converted from a tractor unit to a rigid chip liner following an accident in 2019. Basic original spec: Cummins ISXe5 at 447kW (600hp), Eaton Roadranger RTLO20918B 18-speed, Meritor RT46-160GP, 4.3:1.

What we said in 2015: “In many ways, the T909 doesn’t feel like the heavy-duty truck it is. Its smooth ride and comfort combined with responsive engine performance and steering achieve the on-road agility of a smaller truck.”

In 2015, the only T909 with a 50in sleeper in the country ... certainly, it was a truck that turned heads.

NO CATCHES, NO EXTRA COST. JUST A BIT OF EXTRA PEACE OF MIND WHEN YOU BUY.

THE LONGEST BACKING. THE STRONGEST WARRANTY.

ALL GOOD THINGS

PART 1

Story by Gavin Myers Photos by Gavin Myers and as credited

After four exceptional shows, each setting new records, Wheels at Wa¯naka made its final bow over Easter Weekend. Whether your thing was two wheels, four, eight, tracks or rollers, the show became a pilgrimage for the vehicle and machine faithful – local and global. The 2025 show was a case of ‘all good things’ in every meaning of the phrase.

We always knew Wheels at Wānaka 2025 would be big, busy and bloody brilliant – but we could never have imagined just how.

Not long after the 2023 show ended, it was announced there would be one more in 2025 before the curtain closed for the final time on the grand 25-hectare stage that is Three Parks Wānaka. Everyone knew if there were one show to attend, this would be it. There had been murmurings and whispers for months leading up to the show about special machinery in sheds nationwide undergoing some serious work for a debut at Wānaka 2025.

And, boy, we were not disappointed. More than 5000 vehicles of all types filled almost every centimetre of the grounds – with a few coming in from Australia and even England. The trucks were parked in tighter than at shows past, with some spilling into an overflow park, much to the chagrin of the myriad photographers wandering the grounds.

But, this was Wheels at Wānaka, the live vehicle show … and that meant the Three Parks parade ground was a constant hive of activity. With 27 parades and vehicle demonstrations running each day, the moving showcase was on another level.

The headline celebration was Caterpillar’s centenary, while Mack’s 125th anniversary was also honoured. The parades, therefore, included the celebratory 125 years of Mack Trucks and the big 100 Years of Caterpillar world record attempt for the most Caterpillar machines in a parade. The world record was achieved with 242 Caterpillar and Caterpillar-powered machines of all kinds, ages, shapes and sizes participating in the Saturday afternoon procession. What a sight, what a sound.

Over at the Terra Cat Earthmoving Extravaganza Pit, the crowds lined the banks as vintage, classic and modern construction machines were let loose in two arenas to move dirt as they did in their glory days. There was also a rockcrusher demonstration that was more

fascinating to watch than anyone new to it would expect. (See Part 2 for more!)

The tractor pull competition was a crowd-pleaser in 2023, and this year, it was joined by snowmobile drag racing between the rounds because … well, why not?

In the week leading up to Easter Weekend, all eyes were on the weather forecast. Each of the preceding shows had glorious Central Otago autumn weather – would this be the first washout? The Friday set-up and earthmoving practice day was wet, but the forecast for Saturday was promising, and the day drew in truly massive crowds. While the Sunday was again wet, this didn’t deter visitors either –the numbers were down on the day before, but there was still a good buzz. In all, a staggering 65,000 attendees descended on the grounds over the three days, making it Australasia’s biggest all-vehicle show. We think it’ll be a while before Wānaka again experiences the level of traffic that flooded into the town for Wheels at Wānaka 2025.

This year, Wheels at Wānaka supported

Cure Our Ovarian Cancer, Heart Kids NZ (via the Heartlands Tractor Trek) and the Wānaka Coast Guard. While the exact donations raised were not available at the time of writing, the number is expected to be in the tens of thousands of dollars. An incredible effort.

General manager Allan Dippie expressed pride in the event’s success and gratitude to all who participated. “This year’s event felt successful in every way. The volunteers and vehicle enthusiasts’ contributions were exceptional … we had record numbers

through the gate, and everyone had a wonderful time.”

While we knew this show would be spectacular, we could never have predicted the sheer numbers of people and vehicles or the absolute excitement, passion and enthusiasm by everyone there – a determination to have a bloody good time, come rain or shine. It came and went in a blur of steam-power smoke, diesel-engine clatter, twostroke tricks and alternatepropulsion technology. Wheels at Wānaka 2025. What a bloody good thing.

ARRIVALS

Heavies from all parts of the country making an entrance: 1) Western Star 4964FX of Smith Crane and Construction, Christchurch; 2) Kenworth T909 of Porter Haulage, Hamilton; 3) Kenworth C501 of B. R. Satherley Transport, Napier; 4) Mack Super-Liner of IK & SM Newey Transport, Ruakākā; and 5) Kenworth C500 of McNeilly Heavy Haulage, Mosgiel. Photos: Mike Beesley.

Best In Show Veteran Ryan Dewes – 1913 International Harvester Auto Buggy

Best In Show Pre-War Solly’s Transport – Chevrolet

Best In Show Classic Pace Contracting NZ – Mack; V.E. Walsh –ERF; and Alan Harrington – 1955 J Bedford

Best In Show Japanese John Baillie – Foodstuffs Ford N-series

Best In Show British

Little – Transpac Foden

Best In Show American

Best In Show International

Best In Show Kenworth Tahmac Haulage

Best In Show Mack Steve Murphy – Ultra-Liner

FLEETS

1) A proud line-up of trucks from King House Removals, the icon of home relocation in Southland. 2) Marshall Transport of Timaru brightening up a gloomy day. 3) Summit Civil with a generational line-up of Kenworths. 4) Wānaka regulars Jones Contracting and Road Metals were out in force with a mix of modern and classic machinery. 5) McEwan Haulage of Dunedin was a highlighted fleet on the Southpac stand.

or

PARADES

1) Bryce O’Sullivan Contracting’s new K220 looking sharp in the Kenworth Parade. 2) An outstanding line-up of classic Scanias. 3) There’s just something about bonneted Inters … MG & EM Sullivan’s 2010A Fleetstar leads a procession in the Binders Down Under parade. 4) A procession of Goodman’s heavy haulers represented the company truck fleet, here in the 125 Years of Mack parade. 5) Proud, patinated and perfect for Wānaka; Redmonds of Kimberley K121CR tractor unit from 1980.

EXHIBITS

1) A truck of honour at the show: Jon Kelly and his famous Mack Super-Liner, Gold Digger, made the trip across the ditch just to be there. 2) Vinnie Walsh’s ERF EC was a Best in Show Classic winner.

3) Ford D-series owned by the Wright family, still in original condition. 4) Shane Gray’s Pacific P510 in the late Milton Durham’s colours. 5) As rare as hens’ teeth; the 1987 Nissan Diesel TWA of Otakia Ltd.

THE TERRA CAT EARTHMOVING EXTRAVAGANZA

Story and photos by Craig McCauley

One of Wheels at Wa¯naka’s prime attractions, the Terra Cat-sponsored Earthmoving Extravaganza, again proved a raging success. Just one comment heard on the spectator embankment was, “It looks like they saved the best for last.”

T‘he show must go on’ appeared to be the organisers’ mantra this year.

Periods of showery weather failed to bring any equipment to a halt, nor did it dampen the enthusiasm of those who lined the spectator embankment over the weekend.

Crowd-favourite machines from previous events, including Paul Clarke’s Caterpillar D10 tractor and 660 motor-scraper, worked in the pit alongside many new exhibits that made their first public appearance.

During the week leading up to the event, a steady stream of trucks could be seen making their way towards Wānaka with every size of machine imaginable on board.

One hundred years of Caterpillar machinery in New Zealand was the theme for this year’s event and a world record attempt took place to have the most Caterpillar machines in a parade. Some 242 machines ranging in size from a hoard of D2 tractors to D10s, large scrapers and almost every other machine imaginable to wear the iconic yellow paint combined to ensure the record belonged to Wānaka.

MACHINE RESULTS

Best In Show Vintage Earthmoving

Best In Show Classic Earthmover

Best In Show Motor Scraper

Best In Show Bulldozer

Best In Show Loader

Best In Show Grader

Best In Show 100 Years of Caterpillar

PART 2

Allan Dippie – Russell Fifteen Motor Grader

Goodmans – Le Tourneau C-Pull

Goodmans – D-Pull Scraper

Robin Porter – Cat D6C with scoop winch

Swap Contractors – Cat 966C

Paul Clarke – Cat 16

Paul and Steve McNae – Cat 60; Mike Edridge – Cat D2; Glenn Bullock – Cat D4 7U; Graeme Bagrie – Cat D6 9U; C&R Developments – Cat D8K; OceanaGold – Cat D10

Best In Show Best Earthmoving Operator Jake Diedrich

What a scene ... You hear them just looking at this picture!

EARTHMOVERS

1) A scene looking like it could have been captured in the Mackenzie Country several decades ago: a trio of International machines wearing the Baker Construction livery. 2) Baxter Quarries brought its Caterpillar D8H to the show all the way from Kerikeri. 3) Caterpillar machines small and large combined to set the world record for the most Caterpillar machines in a parade. 4) J Swap Contractors’ Euclid R15 dumper hails from the late 1940s. 5) Goodman Contractors travelled south with four machines, including this Le Tourneau C-Pull.

1) A Terex TS-18 in the livery of late Queenstown contractor Darrell McGregor lays its load down. 2) New machines to emerge from the Clarke workshops for the grand finale included this Terex 82-50 bulldozer and S24 scraper. 3) A sight that may never be seen again anywhere, a Caterpillar 651B and 641 working alongside one another.

SPECIAL THANKS

To Allan Dippie, Annabel Roy and the Wheels at Wa¯naka crew, as well as all the exhibitors and visitors who came to celebrate and enjoy the show. All we can say is, thank you. What an incredible Easter Weekend it was. We’ll continue to see out the year with our regular Wa¯naka memory in each issue of 2025. You can also scan the QR code to see more photo highlights from the show. Enjoy!

The Team at Roadmaster would like to Congratulate GSR transport Limited On their recent build

Roadmaster Where Quality Meets The Road

Starting this month, we alternate ‘Where’s that road?’ with ‘What truck is that?’, a competition we ran a few years back and were asked about by a couple of people in the crowds who came to visit us at Wānaka. Why not alternate it with ‘Where’s that road?’ then?

WHAT TRUCK IS THAT?

Right-oh, you think you’re good? Let’s start with one back down the road a-ways. What truck is this then?

TO ENTER

To enter, flick us an email at editor@nztrucking.co.nz

Subject line: What truck is that? July 2025

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

Note: Please include the subject line above, or your entry might get lost in the pile.

We’ll randomly pick a winner from the correct entries and see what’s in the prize basket. Shut-off will be midnight on 30 June 2025

Where’s that road? April 2025 – where was it?

Score another point to us! Maybe it was the excitement of Wānaka fogging the brains, but no one picked SH8 between Lawrence and Beaumont. It’s funny; it’s the ones we think will be easy that seem to get you – Moa Flat Road was nailed, yet this one was missed. Maybe you think ‘I don’t stand a chance’, but, really, you do.

“Intertruck provided us with a cost-effective, competitive alternative for our fleet that has a proven track record overseas, and will give its European equivalents a run for their money.

Intertruck’s expertise and service allowed a seamless integration of a model that was the first of its kind on-road in NZ”

Bill Bamber

General Manager

Fleet Size: 65 Trucks

Engine: FAW 7.7L 320PS/1250Nm

Trans: 8 Spd ATM

Axles: 6.5t Front | 23T Rear

Traction: Crosslocks both axles

Braking: Trans Intarder 5 stage

Ft Susp: 10 Leaf

Rr Susp: Multi-leaf Rod & Trunnion

Safety: AEBS, LDW, ESC, FCW, EBS

Body: K450 Steel, 4500L x 1400H

Hoist: HYVA (Swedish) F.O.B

JUST TRUCKING AROUND

Andrew Sue

Spotting an unusual trailer after conducting an interview in Levin, Faye Lougher immediately turned around and went back to talk to the driver.

Market garden owner Andrew Sue had a trailer full of fresh produce ready to transport to the fruit and vegetable shop he owns in Paraparaumu. His 2010 Hino Ranger was tidy, but the Japanese Fruehauf gullwing body was the star attraction.

Andrew says it makes loading and unloading very easy because the wings lifted up and out of the way, with each side being operated separately. He demonstrated how simple it was to fold up the bottom edge of the trailer and then press a button on the hydraulic unit to lower and close the top and side.

“It’s so easy, nice and light, and you just press a button, and it does the rest.”

Andrew has been in the market garden business for 30 years and has a fleet of mostly Japanese trucks.

“I have a couple of European trucks, but I really like the Japanese ones. They are very good. Everything is comfortable, and I enjoy driving them.”

Andrew chose lucky No.8 for his vexing question and got: cruise ship or airliner? He said he’d never been on a cruise, always flying when he went on holiday, so maybe he’d pick the cruise.

kiwi favourites (AGAIN)

For the second year running the results are in and we couldn’t be happier. Scania has once again been voted the number one* truck brand in the country by the people whose opinion we value the most - New Zealand truckies.

We’re chuffed to have rated highest on all measures, including most preferred, comfort, safety, sustainability, performance, efficiency, service and parts. Thanks again New Zealand. It means a lot.

ONE OF THE CLAN

When Intertruck Distributors launched the International RH in mid-2023, among the first early models on the road was McWatt Group’s nine-axle tipping unit. It appeared in our February 2024 New Rigs section and immediately found itself a spot on our Top Truck radar. Well, all good things are worth waiting for …

Story and photos by Gavin Myers

It’s nearly two years since the “McWatt Inter”– as we’ve come to call it – went on the road, and the unit is still as clean, tidy and straight as an arrow as it was the day it entered the fleet.

Gleaming in its McWatt green and tartan livery with grey Transfleet Roc-Tuff bins, its condition is an absolute credit to its driver, Kevin Phillips. It may look simple at first glance, but the design has a rather intricate detail, with subtle pinstriping and scroll work highlighting the RH’s

flowing lines. These were applied by the team at iSign-it, East Tāmaki, along with that green and yellow tartan pattern – a nod to the McWatt family’s Scottish heritage.

“That was the idea of my late dad, Murray,” says McWatt Group director Shane McWatt. “Our family has been in trucking and earthmoving for three generations. In the early 1960s Dad’s old man Alvin ‘Mac’ McWatt operated out of Howick. Dad was always into trucking over the years.

“I’ve always loved diggers

and operated Shane McWatt Earthmovers. After the crash of 2008, we noticed then that Auckland was starting to grow again, and for us to grow with the amount of work coming our way, it was best to combine,” Shane says.

McWatt Group therefore kicked off in 2013. Today, it serves Auckland’s residential construction industry, with 29 staff and a fleet of 18 trucks, mostly Japanese six-wheelers. It also had an older International Workstar, but the RH was the first new International to the

fleet and the first nine-axle unit. Kevin has a set run, taking all the spoil out to Miranda, which the smaller trucks bring back to the company’s East Tāmaki yard from job sites. From there, he heads to Taupō for a load of scoria to return to stock at the yard. He also collects supplies from Smyths Quarry in Waitakaruru.

“It’s been a good truck,” says Kevin. “I love driving it. It’s comfortable with the IROS [International Ride-Optimised Suspension] suspension.”

That’s a feather in the RH’s

cap, as Kevin was used to the comfort of the Mercedes-Benz Actros 8x4 he was in before.

A seasoned truckie, he joined McWatt five years ago. His driving CV also includes a two-year stint with Pyramid Trucking, moving offal from the meat works, and time with RFH doing stems in the bush, as well as driving for NZ Post.

The RH was specced by Murray – who passed away in February 2024 – and former McWatt Group dispatch and transport manager Jason Rose and supplied by Rob Byers at Prestige International.

“It was purpose-built for the run it’s doing. I pushed for it because of the nature of the

job we wanted it to do and what we were intending to get out of it,” says Jason. “We looked at Kenworths, but their price and availability were too far out. The International ticked all our boxes for price, tare weight, options, everything we wanted. It was definitely the right truck for the job.”

As expected, under the bonnet sits a Cummins X-15. It deploys its 459kW (615hp) and 2779Nm (2050lb/ft) through an Eaton Roadranger RTLO20918B 18-speed manual. Meritor RT46160GP axles do duty at the rear. The unit is permitted at 54 tonne.

The truck is fitted with Alcoa Dura-Bright alloys, with the

We

steerers running offset rims and 275/70 R22.5 tyres. These combine with the stainlesssteel drop visor and bug deflector, Ali Arc front bumper and twin straight-cut exhaust stacks to contrast nicely with the dark colour scheme.

McWatt already had a good working relationship with Transfleet, so it was natural the two companies would work together on the body and trailer build. The Transfleet five-axle trailer is underpinned by Hendrickson axles and suspension, while the Roc-Tuff bins are topped by matching green Kiwitarp retractable covers.

“We spoke a lot with Matt

Gillies at Transfleet about the best way to go about achieving what we wanted from the truck. Our calculations ended up bang on – it cubes out perfectly with the lightweight scoria on it, right on the tonnage, which is excellent,” Jason says. It all comes together to make a classy, striking unit that is both a testament to its operator and a New Zealand Trucking Top Truck worth waiting for.

New Zealand Trucking and the McWatt Group extend gratitude to Mohammed Don at Brookby Quarry for a fabulous photographic location.

MORE PAYLOAD, BIGGER PROFITS, we DON'T COMPETE, we DOMINATE

KINGS LOG TRANSPORT: TESTIMONIAL

For the past 4 to 5 years we have been re-introducing International trucks into our fleet, starting with a couple of 9870's and more recently introducing several of the RH's into our logging fleet.

We have found Shaun and the team at Intertruck great to deal with, the truck builds are completed in a timely fashion and the delivery handover process is always professionally managed.

The gear itself is competitively priced and although our oldest trucks are only hitting 400,000 kms, we have found their reliability to date, better than most. The trucks have features that matter, and not ones that don't, like those that just end up causing problems and downtime. They are also significantly lighter in tare weight than some other manufacturers which is a positive addition to the overall economic performance.

We would certainly recommend anyone looking for new gear, particularly in the log truck industry, to seriously consider Intertruck.

Grant Loader: Director | Fleet Size: 85 Trucks, 100 Staff

Beat the price and tare increase with Euro 5 stock!!

Combined Tare: 16.5T delivering 41.5T Payload @ 58T HPMV (Modern Transport Trailers Gear-Invercargill)

STOCK NOW AVAILABLE OR DESIGN / BUILD TO YOUR OWN SPEC

TIME WARP TIME WARP

Not one to conform to trucking trends, Mark Amer pedals his own path when it comes to building a new rig. His new Legend SAR Kenworth certainly affirms this, with many personal touches, including design cues from a bygone Aussie era.

Talking to Mark ‘Magpie’ Amer about his latest ride, his opening comment sums up the build perfectly: “I was looking to make it look old, like they did when they were new in the 1970s and 1980s. I have actually taken more shiny shit off it than I have added to it. It’s a Legend-series truck; it needs to look like a legend.”

Magpie’s approach to the build is a bold stand against what has become the norm – screeds of fabricated stainless steel festooned with a plethora of LED lighting and under-glow. Instead, you will find a considered and well-executed list of modifications, additions and alterations. The first and probably most notable feature is retaining the OEM sun visor, and covering it in the same dark green vinyl used for the stripes. The addition of a light green pinstripe on the visor’s leading edge finishes it perfectly.

“It would have been easy to pop on an aftermarket stainless-steel drop visor, but they never had them back then. It just looks out of place when you are trying to achieve a period-correct look.”

On the subject of stripes and lines, these were applied by Andrew Geddes at Timaru Signs Graphix. “I handed it over to Andrew to look after the signwriting. We discussed using the old stripe layout of Australian-based Refrigerated Roadways as a guide. They ran a lot of SARs in their fleet back in the day, and that layout always looked tidy and not overcooked on their fleet.

“I gave it the name The Bloodhound Gang, because I reckon that the SARs with their droopy noses look a bit like a bloodhound, getting around all day with their noses stuck to the ground sniffing out trails. And that’s also the reference in the artwork on the sleeper that Andrew rustled up for us.”

As with the stripes and pinstripes tipping the hat to the SAR’s Australian heritage, so are the extra fuel tanks on each side, filling in the empty chassis gaps to the first drive axle. “Yeah, again it really is about the old Aussie look; it had the standard single tanks and it just looked incomplete and unfinished. I also went with white plastic guards over the drivers, again for the old-skool look, and same reason again for the decision to use alloy chequer plate as the

chassis covers and trailer connection block. The trend now is smooth pressed steel plates with mirror finish paint, with a bunch of artwork and scrolls and shit, but again, they never had that, so it was alloy chequer plate all the way, and the bonus is it’s harder-wearing and you can walk on it without having to put ya slippers on.”

Another area where Magpie has worked his magic is the air cleaners. The Donaldson Cyclopac canisters are paint finished; again no shiny chrome here. At the top of the extension tubes, you will find a pair of the 6in black plastic Donaldson Air Rams, again period-correct. Adding to the overall impact of the air cleaners is the lack of polished stainlesssteel elephant ears, pretty much standard fitment these days to any bonneted Kenworth. Instead, you will find proudly in full view the black outlet pipes heading through the cowling of the hood – so cool. The icing on the cake, however, would have to be the green-tinted Perspex stone guards on the leading faces of the canisters. So, so right. Sometimes it really is the simple things that have the biggest impact.

The show does not stop when the sun goes down either; the marker lighting from bumper to bumper has all been addressed as well. First, you will find a row of five bullet lights on the roof of the Aerodyne sleeper to match the five on the cab roof. None of that modern trend for wall-to-wall cab lights will be found here; once again less is more. Original glass bulb marker lighting has been sourced and fitted as well. “Some might say it’s a sickness, but yeah, it had to be right. So I got on the internet, did some searching and found the old-skool Hella markers for the mirrors, as well as the five bubble lens-style units that we’ve mounted to the bottom of the bumper –three in the centre and one at each outer edge, just how it should be.”

Magpie has also sourced and installed chrome Stemco hub covers to the front axles. Rather than covering them up with a set of cheap chrome hubcaps, again for that classic look. On that note, those with a good memory for trucking in the 1970s and 1980s might remember a trend to modify a set of old Hillman Imp car hubcaps and fit them to your

1&2) Coming together, the SAR seen here fresh out of Timaru Signs Graphix, adorned with stripes and lines inspired by wellknown Australian transport operator throughout the SAR’s heydays, Refrigerated Roadways. 3-5) ‘Old-skool cool’ – Hella marker lights on the mirrors, T-Line Inter roof lamps on the guards, and five bubble lens lamps on the underside of the bumper; it’s all in the detail. 6) The perfect match, five bullet lights on the Aerodyne sleeper cab to match those on the cab’s roof pod. 7) Alloy chequer plate abounds, keeping it in its era; not only that, it’s practical as well. 8) No leaf unturned, right down to chrome-plated Stemco front axle hubcaps. 9) Topping off the Roadranger gear lever is a retro No.9 ball gear knob.

drive-axle hubs. Well, watch this space, Magpie has managed to acquire a set of four out of England and they are to be fitted soon.

For Magpie, purchasing the SAR has given him the opportunity to build and drive a truck from a bygone era, a truck he remembers well growing up as a young fella. “I always liked the SAR, so now that I have this one, I wanted to make it look the part, make it look like the SARs that I used to see in Truckin’ Life when I was a kid. The windscreen is quite a bit bigger and the bonnet a bit droopier than the originals were, so I never set out to do a period-correct 1980s SAR. But, I thought I can build a truck here that can remind people of the good old days and simpler times. Ya know, simpler times when logbooks were paper not the electronic crap we have now, a bun was something you ate at smoko, not a f@#king male hairstyle, and dirty movies featured a lot more body hair than they do nowadays.”

The SAR Kenworth is a true Aussie classic, with a career bristling full of accolades and respect from operators and drivers alike. It is a truck that had a look all of its own, and the release of the Legend SAR certainly celebrates all of this. But when you look over The Bloodhound Gang, the finishing touches Magpie has applied takes the celebration to a whole other level.

Hyundai hits the road with smarter rubbish trucks

At Hyundai New Zealand we offer a diverse range of rubbish trucks tailored for various waste collection needs, from compact urban environments to large-scale municipal operations.

Available in plate compactor and roll pack from 4.5 cubic metre to 21 cubic metre. Push or tip to empty. Bodies mounted on our Hyundai Mighty chassis or larger Pavise chassis. Both with fully automatic transmissions.

Hyundai Trucks New Zealand are supported by a national network of 18 parts and service dealers, ensuring expert support, maintenance, and customer service are readily available across the country. Call

HEALTH ON THE MOVE

Story by Faye Lougher Photos by Faye Lougher and Andrew Panckhurst, Mobile Health Group

Each week for more than two decades, the Mobile Health Group has been taking mobile health and surgical services to communities around New Zealand. We meet the people behind it all and the incredible units they operate.

If you need minor surgery, a scan, or even your kidney stones blasted, you may be treated on one of Mobile Health Group’s specialised units towed around the country by a fleet of Mercedes-Benz trucks. The group has mobile surgical, lithotripsy and PET-CT (Positron Emission Tomography for accurately diagnosing cancer) units. In early 2025, the service reached the milestone

of 50,000 patients treated across all three services.

Mobile Health Group was founded by urologists Dr Stuart Gowland and Dr Jon Cadwallader, who initially trained as a veterinarian and later a doctor specialising in urology.

“It was because of the closure of hospitals in some rural areas,” says Mobile Health Group chief executive Mark Eager. “There was a need to continue offering

services to areas where it couldn’t be justified to maintain a permanent operating theatre base. This was an attempt to not just offer the services locally, but also maintain the skill level of local medical staff.”

The founders recognised the need for a mobile lithotripsy unit shared by several regions because the machine to blast kidney stones was expensive equipment that wasn’t available everywhere.

“It’s a million-dollar machine. The ethos was to share it, but share it mobile, which is all about taking it around the country so all of their colleagues would get to use this piece of equipment rather than it sitting idle most of the time.”

A surgical unit was then proposed, which has been hugely successful, and finally, the mobile PET-CT scanner.

The surgical unit travels throughout New Zealand, regularly crossing between islands on the Interislander Cook Strait ferry. It is a category one over-dimension vehicle with a particularly long forward distance and overall length. It is also the most rural-focused service, visiting 25 remote locations. Despite its size, the unit only requires a pilot vehicle on a few sections of road, such as Tākaka Hill, Mt Messenger and Remutaka Hill. Accessing

tight hospital car parks is achievable due to steering assistance on the trailer, which enables the wheels on the three axles to be steered up to 30°.

“It’s a big unit, so getting around places like Hawks Crag [Buller Gorge] to get over to the West Coast is very tight.”

The PET-CT unit is the first in Australasia focused on delivering these services to patients in their local community. It operates on a fortnightly rotation, spending one week in the North Island and one week in the south.

Mark says five drivers work on the three vehicles: Gavin Hurring, Jim Wilson, Doug Grant (Sausage), Rodney Turkington and Greg Wood (Woody). The first three are based in Christchurch, Woody near Levin and Rodney at Papamoa.

“We refer to them as ‘steerologists’ because the driving is only a small part of the job, maybe 10%, and the drivers are an integral part of the team. Sometimes, they’re doing the catering, and there’s the health and safety stuff that they’re dealing with as well. There are a whole lot of things to think of in the whole process, and they’re dealing with surgeons all day, every day as well. It’s not your typical driver’s wheelhouse, really, is it?”

Mark says the drivers write regular reports, and he

quotes one Woody provided when he was at Ropata Health in Lower Hutt.

“‘While a reasonably quiet day as far as patients go … once in a while, we get a patient who’s not dealing with the news that he’s had … We don’t always get the best news in life, and it’s up to the individual how they deal with it. This man was scared, hurt and angry. It impresses me how professional the team is, that they didn’t bite or react, were not rude, just carried out their job. We can only imagine the fear that this man had. Just happy to be on the unit, just as the driver, anyway.’

“But he’s not just the driver. I think that’s why we employ these people, the fact that a driver, as part of the team, could have the empathy for patients like that. I’m very proud to employ people like that.”

Operations manager Dave Withell says the tractor units are kept for as long as possible because of the high level of customisation for the steering. Although the original truck towing the surgical unit went through three engines in its lifetime, the futuristiclooking 2001 Freightliner Argosy (featured in New Zealand Trucking in November 2017) did an impressive 20-year stint. Five years ago, it was replaced with a 2020 Mercedes-Benz Actros 5 6x4.

“We only do about 50,000km per year on each vehicle. In trucking terms, that’s low, but we need that longevity because of the customised gear, which can add another $100,000 to the cost.”

Mercedes-Benz was also the choice for the other two units: the lithotripsy unit has a 2022 Mercedes-Benz Actros 5 4x2 and the PET-CT unit a 2023 Mercedes-Benz Actros 5 6x4.

“Because our drivers go between the multiple vehicles, we wanted to have the same unit. It’s pretty unusual to have a 4x2 European over here, but we wanted to offer our drivers the same experience as in the larger tractor units. There’s a limit to how much we can adapt

some of these European ones, unfortunately. The one on the surgical unit has got a live-drive hydraulic system and a touch screen for controlling trailer steering when getting into some sites, and that was quite a complex customisation as well.

“The original surgical unit trailer was built by Mills-Tui in Rotorua in 2001. When the tractor unit was replaced, it was all done in-house or with some of our suppliers. We’ve got a wireless network connection through to the trailer, and a PLC unit computer running on the trailer so it can be steered.”

A new surgical unit has been ordered, with the build expected to get under way by the end of 2025 and will take about 12 months. It will replace the current surgical unit, but that won’t be retired. Instead, it will do a different run that won’t involve as much travel.

“There are some Dutch offthe-shelf steering systems that we’re looking at for our new unit because they’ve developed it another level again.”

Green alternatives are being considered for the future, but Dave says at this stage, they don’t offer the weight capacity the service needs.

“We’re certainly open to new technologies – looking at possibilities for the future – but our semi-trailers are heavy; we’re on overweight permits. The electric ones would mean we’d be heavier again, and that would be costly and difficult, and possibly not even allowable.”

Mobile air-conditioning firm Forestaire Automotive Climate Specialists built the lithotripsy unit in Rotorua.

“These guys have been amazing over the past 25 years or so maintaining our units,” says Mark. “And when we have anything major happen, they just drop everything and run around the country to help us out.”

Dave says the scanner unit was built overseas purely because it had very specialised requirements for a mobile PETCT scanner, and it was easier to use a company that had built many of them before.

“We refer to them as ‘steerologists’ because the driving is only a small part of the job.”

as possible,” says Mark. “We get audited to the same standard as what a hospital does, so in effect, when we’re on the road we’re a truck, and when we’re parked up, we’re a medical facility, like a building. The air quality, the plumbing, the sterility; it’s got to be same as what a hospital is.”

“you can’t just go to TR Group and say, ‘Give us another mobile unit’.”

“It’s a Dutch company called Lamboo, and they specialise in building mobile units similar to ours, mainly mobile CT, mobile MRI and PET-CT. They’ve got a state-of-the-art factory, one of these comes off their production line every week. They are used extensively around the world, but this is the first one they’ve built for the southern hemisphere.

“Building that was quite a project as well. It’s heavy –despite not being very long – because it’s lead-lined. The weight combination for that one is 44 tonne – 34 in the trailer and 10 for the tractor unit. It’s our heaviest unit – but not our longest – because of the lead shielding. What’s interesting is that it’s a tri-axle semi-trailer, but the third axle is automatically steered with the kingpin position. When they turn the corner, the third axle will steer

accordingly. And that makes quite a difference to getting into sites and reducing tyre scrub and all sorts of things.

“But the mobile surgical unit’s ability to manually control all three axles is still by far the best that we’ve got because we can crab into sites. We can do whatever it takes because it almost goes sideways.”

The surgical unit does a five-week cycle – three weeks in the North Island and two in the south. The lithotripsy unit does a four-week cycle, typically three in the north and one in the south. The PET-CT unit is on a fortnightly cycle, one week in each island.

Mark and Dave say the logistics of getting the units between the islands can be challenging.

“The surgical unit is limited to which ferries it can go on

because it is over-dimension and it’s pushing the boundaries of clearances and such. It’s very difficult to get on several ferries. The lithotripsy unit is fine because it’s a fairly conventional configuration,” says Dave.

“The PET-CT unit has the additional challenge because it carries some radioactive sources that are used for calibration, and as a result, is limited to only the Aratere and only particular sailings because it has a restriction as a dangerous goods vehicle. The ferries are just part of the challenge of operating the service.”

Upon arriving at each site, the driver has the task of parking the unit with precision to maintain ease of access to the unit, to not obscure traffic or access to surrounding buildings, and to be within reach of the cables required to provide electricity to power it during surgery.

“Everything we try and do is to make it as much like a bricksand-mortar hospital experience

Depending on the unit, between eight and 12 patients a day are treated. The types of procedures carried out on the surgical unit are classed as low-risk day surgery.

“We do a lot of paediatric or children’s general anaesthetic dental, as well as things such as a colonoscopy. The terminology we use is it’s simple surgery in complex places,” says Mark.

Health New Zealand funds the service and utilises local and regional medical staff when the units are in town.

“For the surgical unit, we use four local staff in every town we go to. We bring in a charge nurse, a recovery nurse, an anaesthetic tech, and then on top of that, there is a different surgeon and different anaesthetist every day,” says Mark.

Driving with Greg

Greg Wood has been driving trucks for 33 years and has worked for companies such as Regal Haulage, Hall’s and McCarthy Transport. He also had periods of self-employment, including running his own business with his wife Helen as a relief driver. At McCarthy’s, he held various roles, from driving a chip liner and relieving on logs and timber decks to working as a manager in Whanganui.

Woody says Helen has been working for Mobile Health Group as a dentist for about 20 years. When a driver was being sought for the scanner unit, a nurse who works with her suggested Woody.

“So that’s where it started. I’ve been here about three years now. They are very good employers; they look after all their staff really well.”

Woody shares the role with Rodney Turkington,

who is based at Papamoa.

When he arrives at Crest Hospital in Palmerston North on a Tuesday, Woody has to back the unit into a car park off a narrow street.

“It has to be backed into the same place every single time because it’s been measured by a nuclear physicist, and it has to be five metres away from the next building. We have the same site plan every time, and once I’ve backed in, levelled the unit and set it up, I’ll turn the camera on. The techs come in that night and check the camera and do all their pre-checks. We start scanning patients at about 7.30am Wednesday, and we scan all day Thursday, too.

“On Thursday night, I head to Wellington, and I set it up at Ropata Health in Lower Hutt. We scan Friday, and that afternoon I pack it up. I get on the ferry and take the unit to Christchurch on Saturday morning and fly home Sunday. Rodney picks the unit up on Monday and takes it to Dunedin, where they scan Tuesday and Wednesday. On Wednesday night, he packs up and starts his journey north. He overnights on the way home but heads direct to the ferry in Picton. After a 10-hour break in Wellington, he drives the unit to Palmerston North on Saturday, plugs it into power at the yard the unit is stored at, and then flies home.”

The other three drivers do a week on the surgical unit, a week on the lithotripsy and a week off, whereas Woody and Rodney do a week on and a week off.

Woody says driving the mobile units is very different from driving a standard truck.

“You worry about damaging the unit, because it’s not something you can just go to TR Group and say, ‘Give us another mobile unit’. So we’re always conscious of that; it weighs on you quite a bit with how you drive as well.”

Woody says the scanner unit drives differently to the other units because of the weight of the lead-lining.

“It’s a shorter unit than the others, but because it’s

lead-lined, it’s quite sort of sway-ey. So, once again, it changes your driving style, and we’re both well aware of it.”

Because the tractor sits so far back with the turntable, the front of the unit is quite a way out when turning in the bulkhead of the ferry, he says.

“We’ve got to back off twice, but a lot of guys do have to back off a couple of times. It does push our units right out, so when you straighten up, you come in quite close to the wall. But that’s where that rear-axle steer comes in handy. It does help out with that, but we have no more trouble than anyone else getting on there.”

Once the unit is operating, Woody assumes the role of an orderly.

“We go from setting it up and checking the generator and making sure everything’s all right to getting the staff lunch and acting as orderlies. In the morning, we’ll have a list of people with their scan times. The patients are cannulated in a sectionedoff room in the hospital.”

Woody says this is done because of the radioactive nature of the dye the patients are injected with.

“We don’t want everyone coming near it. We have to wear little Geiger counters and if they start going off, we’ve got to make some noise and let someone know. They basically said, ‘Keep punching distance away from people.’ But when it’s an old lady you’re helping up the steps, it’s a little hard!”

The Trucks

Woody enjoys his job, but says the reality of what the patients are dealing with is sobering.

“The hardest part about this job is – and my wife hates it when I say this – but when anyone goes on that blue [surgical] unit to get a tooth fixed or a minor surgical procedure, they’re coming out with that issue fixed. Anyone who comes on here has been sent here by specialists, so they’re in a bad way. That’s not wasted on us; it’s probably the hardest part about the job actually.”

THE8R1 – the surgical unit – is a 2020 Mercedes-Benz Actros 5 2663 6x4 and Mills-Tui trailer. It weighs 42 tonnes and is 2.5m wide by 20m long and 4.3m high on the road. This unit expands to 4.8m-wide when in use, offering a full-size operating theatre, complete with operating table and theatre lights, anaesthetic services and a full theatre airquality system. There is also an onboard first-stage recovery room, along with instrument reprocessing facilities. The unit has been operating for 23 years and carries all the equipment and instruments required to perform lowrisk day-stay procedures.

BBBANG – the lithotripsy unit – is a 2022 MercedesBenz Actros 5 1846 4x2 and Roadmaster trailer. It weighs 27 tonnes and is 2.5m wide by 15m long and 4.1m-high on the road. This unit expands to 4.8m-wide when in use. It carries a machine for breaking up kidney stones using shock waves – a Storz Medical SLX-F2 Lithotripter. Full anaesthetic services are available onboard, along with X-ray and ultrasound imaging to target the stones. The lithotripsy unit was operated out of a four-axle bus for the first 25 years, being replaced in 2020 with a truck and semi-trailer.

SCANR1 – the PET-CT unit – is a 2023 Mercedes-Benz Actros 5 2663 6x4 and Lamboo trailer. It weighs 44 tonnes and is 2.55m wide by 17.5m long and 4.1m high on the road. This unit expands to 4.3m-wide when in use. It carries a United Imaging uMI550 Scanner, which can perform scans on patients using a radioactive tracer. There are two patient uptake rooms onboard, and this semi-trailer is particularly heavy due to lead shielding requirements. Launched in early 2024, this is the latest unit to go into service.

Mike Beesley is a veteran of the trucking industry in the North Island and a well-known truck photographer. He has amassed a collection of thousands of truck photos taken during a career of more than 50 years and is kindly sharing some of his favourites.

A 1977 Oshkosh E1244/18 from the Freightways fleet unloading sheep at a freezing works in Hawke’s Bay, 1981.

BEST OF BOTH

WORLDS

Completing qualifications while working on the job offers transport employees the best of both worlds by advancing formal education and skill set while gaining the practical, hands-on experience needed to do the job.

That’s according to Brooke Gerke of C3 Ltd, who is currently completing MITO’s commercial road transport heavy-vehicle operator qualification.

Brooke says completing training while working – she has been in the transport sector for about five or six years – not only provides structured learning opportunities so she canapply what she learns in her training to everyday tasks but reinforces her understanding and deepens her knowledge through practical application.

Last year, MITO teamed up with the “Road to Success” consortium of Transporting New Zealand, National Road Carriers, New Zealand Trucking Association, Log Transport Safety Council and in partnership with the Inspiring Futures Foundation to provide scholarships for 80 truck drivers to gain a formal qualification.

Brooke was one of the lucky scholarship recipients.

These scholarships represent an exceptional opportunity to empower the workforce and enhance employee professional development within the road transport industry. Brooke says many things can be learned on the job, but you don’t always learn the in-depth knowledge of why things are done in a certain way.

“Having that extra knowledge gives me an advantage of actually knowing the correct way to do things. It gives me more opportunity to learn the theory behind why we do what we do in our job,” she says.

“For example, there were times when truck drivers came to me with their concerns, and I didn’t fully understand where they were coming from. But now, I have a much clearer understanding of the issues they face and why those concerns are important.”

Brook says juggling working and studying hasn’t been too difficult.

“I’m quite lucky in that area because I have the time to do both. Any spare time I have

during the week, or for just a couple hours on the weekend, I’ll just log into the portal and just work away on it.”

Brooke says both C3 and MITO have been supportive in her journey.

“If I need help with anything, even though my supervisor or manager haven’t done the course, they’re very good at sitting down and trying to help. And then if they can’t help, they’re good at getting a hold of our instructor,” she says.

Brook encourages other people in the

industry to pursue qualifications, especially young people who want to get into the industry and don’t know a lot about it.

“But also those who want to upskill or reconfirm what they already know, these certifications are ideal – people who have been driving for years because so many things have changed over the years in the trucking industry.”

Brooke finishes her commercial road transport heavy-vehicle operator qualification this October.

WANT TO WIN A

SMOKO SHOUT?

To go in the draw, answer a couple of survey questions telling us why you think it’s important for businesses and the wider automotive industry to hire and train apprentices.

And if you already have a MITO apprentice, you could also win an advertising billboard! Terms and conditions apply.

To enter the competition, scan the QR code or head to mito.nz

RH ON THE COAST

OPERATOR: Aratuna Freighters, Greymouth

ENGINE: Cummins X-15 e5 15L 410kW (550hp) 2508Nm (1850lb/ft)

TRANSMISSION: Roadranger

RTLO20918B 18-speed manual

REAR AXLES: Meritor RT46-

160GP with full cross locks

REAR SUSPENSION: IROS

BRAKES: Drums. ABS, EBS

SAFETY: ABS, EBS

BODY/TRAILER: Low-tare fiveaxle bathtub tipping trailer and matching truck body by Lusk Engineering

HX HARD HITTER

International HX520 6x4 rigid – day cab

OPERATOR: Galbraith Transport, Napier

ENGINE: Cummins X-15 15L 459kW (615hp) 2779Nm (2050lb/ft)

TRANSMISSION: Roadranger RTLO20918B 18-speed manual

REAR AXLES: Meritor RT46-160GP with full cross locks

REAR SUSPENSION: IROS

BRAKES: Drums. ABS, EBS

SAFETY: ABS, EBS

BODY/TRAILER: Bin fitout by Transport Trailers

FEATURES/EXTRAS: Twin exhaust stacks, Texan bumper, premium-plus interior, stainless-steel drop visor and bug deflector, CTI

PAINT: Factory

SIGNAGE: Sign It Up, Napier

OPERATION: Aggregate distribution throughout the greater Hawke’s Bay

DRIVER: Rochelle Christiansen

SALES: Hugh Green

International RH-R8 8x4 rigid –

day cab

FEATURES/EXTRAS: Ali Arc

polished bumper, guard flares, LoneStar 13in stainless-steel drop visor, premium-plus interior, tinted windows, centre console

PAINT: Factory

SIGNAGE: Sign Link, Greymouth

OPERATION: Bulk distribution

duties throughout the upper South Island

DRIVER: Murray

SALES: Shaun Jury

SIMPLY THE BEST

OPERATOR: Dennis Brown Transport, Eltham

ENGINE: Cummins X-15 15L 459kW (615hp) 2779Nm (2050lb/ft)

TRANSMISSION: Roadranger RTLO20918B 18-speed manual

REAR AXLES: Meritor RT46-160GP with full cross locks

REAR SUSPENSION: Kenworth Airglide 460

BRAKES: Disc. ABS, EBS

SAFETY: ABS, EBS

Kenworth K220 8x4 rigid – 2.3m Aero Roof sleeper

BODY/TRAILER: Five-axle curtainsider trailer and matching curtainsider truck body by Fruehauf

FEATURES/EXTRAS: Stainless-steel drop visor, classic grille bars, Southpac slimline air intakes, factory aero kit, front quarter guards

MATAWHERO EAGLE

International 9870 8x4 rigid – Sky Roof sleeper cab

OPERATOR: Harvest/Matawhero Transport, Gisborne

ENGINE: Cummins X-15 15L 459kW (615hp) 2779Nm (2050lb/ft)

TRANSMISSION: Roadranger RTLO20918B 18-speed manual

REAR AXLES: Meritor RT46-160GP with full cross locks

REAR SUSPENSION: IROS

BRAKES: Drum. ABS, EBS

SAFETY: ABS, EBS

BODY/TRAILER: Stock deck by Rick Leonard Ltd with Nationwide stock crate

FEATURES/EXTRAS: Cab fridge, stainless-steel drop visor, stoneguard, tinted windows

PAINT: Factory

OPERATION: Livestock movements throughout the country

DRIVER: Mick Gardner

SALES: Hugh Green

PAINT: Factory

SIGNAGE: Truck Signs, Mt Maunganui

OPERATION: Predominantly Taranaki–Auckland, but covers entire North Island

DRIVER: Ike Brown

SALES: Adam McIntosh

DYNAMIC DAF

OPERATOR: DS Edwards

Contracting, Hastings

ENGINE: Paccar MX-13 13L

REAR AXLES: DAF SR1360T with full locks

REAR SUSPENSION: Paccar

DAF CF 530 FAT 6x4 rigid – sleeper cab

steel tipping body and fit-out by CNC Profile Cutting Services of Hastings

Graphics, Rotorua

OPERATION: Bulk aggregate and rock cartage in and around

GREENER GRASS

OPERATOR: Miers Contractors, Reporoa

ENGINE: Scania DC16 16L Euro-6

485kW (660hp) 3300Nm (2434lb/ft)

TRANSMISSION: Scania Opticruise G33CM 14-speed AMT with 4700D retarder

REAR AXLES: Scania RB735 hub reduction with full cross and diff locks

REAR SUSPENSION: Scania air suspension

BRAKES: Disc. ABS, EBS

SAFETY: ESP, AEB, ACC BODY/TRAILER: Tipping

Scania R660XT 8x4 – sleeper cab

deck refurbished and fitted by Damon Collins Engineering, with refurbished four-axle trailer

FEATURES/EXTRAS: Cab fridge, Alcoa Dura-Bright alloy rims, custom tool lockers, custom LED lighting by Buckton Auto Electrical

PAINT: Haddock Spraypainters, Whakatane

SIGNAGE: Signs Direct, Whakatane

OPERATION: Ag cartage in and around the Central Plateau

DRIVER: Scotty

SALES: Callan Short

50 YEARS SOLID

Kenworth K220 8x4 rigid – 2.3m Aero roof sleeper cab

LIQUID GOLD

OPERATOR: Golden Contracting, Silverdale

ENGINE: Volvo D13C 397kW (540hp) 2600Nm (1929lb/ft)

TRANSMISSION: Volvo I-Shift 12-speed AMT

REAR AXLES: Volvo RTS2370B

REAR SUSPENSION: Volvo eight-bag air suspension

BRAKES: Disc. ABS EBS

SAFETY: LCS, LKA, DAS, ACC, EBA

BODY/TRAILER: Mills-Tui

refurbished and fitted Transfleet body and matching four-axle

Volvo FM540 6x4 rigid – sleeper cab

trailer FEATURES/EXTRAS: Stoneguard, cab side skirts

PAINT: Factory

SIGNAGE: Truck Signs, Mt Maunganui

OPERATION: Bulk aggregate

distribution duties based out of its Silverdale base

DRIVER: Ricki

SALES: Nick Kale

ON THE ROAD NEW RIGS

Have you recently registered a new rig on the road? Would you like it immortalised within the pages of New Zealand Trucking magazine? Then feel free to send a photograph and specification information to carl@nztrucking.co.nz and we will make that happen for you.

SAFETY KEY – ACRONYM BY ALPHA

AB – Air Bag

ABS – Antilock Braking System

ACC – Adaptive Cruise Control

ABA – Active Brake Assist

AEB – Autonomous/Active Emergency Braking

AEBS – Advanced Emergency Braking System

ALA – Active Lane Assist

ASR – Anti Slip Regulation / Auto Slip Regulation

ATC – Automatic Traction Control

BAS – Brake Assistant System

BB – Brake Blending CAB – Curtain Air Bag DA – Driver Alert DAS – Driver Assistant Support DM – Driver Monitoring DS – Driver Support DTC – Drag Torque Control EBA - Emergency Brake Assist EBS – Electronic Braking System EBSS – Electronic Braking

System

– Electronically Stability

– Front Under-run

– Vehicle Stability Control

New Bodies & Trailers

New Zealand has a rich heritage of body and trailer building, and we’re proud to showcase recent examples of Kiwi craftsmanship every month. To feature on these pages, send a photo, features and the manufacturer’s name to carl@nztrucking.co.nz.

The binwood specialists

A design collaboration between Rob Dahm Ltd and Mills-Tui of Rotorua has seen this new 50MAX HPMV binwood unit emerge from their workshops. With the design based around longevity and ease of use, the end result has been built with Real Steel product to ensure its ability to stand the rigours of collecting billet wood.

Under the trailer, ROR axle sets and Wabco EBS ensures proceedings remain stable as well as holding perfect track.

FEATURES: Real Steel Hardox, Hella LED lighting package, ROR axle sets, Wabco EBS, SI Lodec, Bigfoot CTI.

Metro magic

Hitting the road in Mainfreight livery is this new curtainsided metro distribution pull-trailer built by the team at Dream Booster Engineering of Hamilton.

Fitted with disc-braked ROR axle sets with Knorr Bremse EBS, the trailer is a dream to tow. Weight Cheetah-forged 19.5in alloy rims keep things looking crisp running down the road, and twin alloy tool lockers, one each side, ensure that there is plenty of easy-to-reach load restraint storage on either side of the trailer.

FEATURES: Hella LED lighting package, ROR disc-braked axle sets, Knorr Bremse EBS, Weight Cheetah alloy rims. Dream Booster Engineering, Hamilton

Since 1953

Pots of gold

A new 60-tonne-capable HPMV B-train milk tanker for Westland Milk Products has just rolled out of the Invercargill-based Transport Engineering Southland (TES) workshops.

FEATURES: Hella lighting package, Beka greasing system, SAF Intradisc axle sets, Knorr Bremse EBS. Transport Engineering Southland (TES), Invercargill

The seven-axle TES B-train trailer set runs 19.5in SAF Intradisc axle sets with modular suspension design. The installation of Knorr Bremse EBS throughout keeps the Alcoa Dura-Bright alloy rims in check.

The impressive combination comes in under 23m, with the Tira stainless steel tanks capable of a 40,900L combined volume between the pair.

Mass moover

FEATURES: Wabco EBS, SAF super single axle sets, Alcoa polished alloy rims.

M D Engineering, Balclutha

Open Country’s requirement for a specialist B-train trailer set to transport maximum milk powder had it talking to the team at M D Engineering of Balclutha.

Built with payload in mind, the complete trailer set comes in at an extremely skinny 9500kg, including curtains. Assisting with overall weight-saving exercise is the fitment of SAF super-single axle sets complete with Alcoa alloy rims.

The premier name in the world of truck and trailer wheels

Delivering the great professional look of a wheel in combination with significant weight saving benefits and the strength of a quality forged aluminium wheel makes ALCOA Wheels stand above the rest.

The Kenworth T404S, a rock star of the transport industry, renowned for versatility and found in all manner of applications. Inset: New to Halls, MAD KW was part of a large fleet order, starting its working life in Dunedin.

ROCK STAR

MADKW – 2007 Kenworth T404S

The T404S Kenworth is a model that has proven to be a fantastic all-rounder for a multitude of applications. This month’s inductee to the Million Mile Club is testament to this, being well into its third time around the clock, and still at the rock face.

As part of a fleet order for Kenworth product, MAD KW (formerly ECN914) entered the Halls Refrigerated Transport fleet in 2007 as No.663. Built with a Cummins ISX and mated to an Eaton Autoshift 18-speed AMT, the rig went to work out of the company’s Dunedin depot with Dave Cook at the helm.

In 2012, and with a touch over 500,000km on the clock, current owner Dwight Anderson purchased the T404S from Halls. Dwight put it to work as a contractor back with Halls, double-shifted out of the Invercargill depot. “We ran it out to 1,000,000km when the engine received a full rebuild by Cummins because of excessive oil usage; it was a problem with them at that time. From there, we put another 100,000km on the clock, and with oil use still on the high side, another set of liners was fitted,” said Dwight.

At 1,600,000km on the drivetrain, Dwight decided it was time to sort it out once and for all. “I purchased a fresh Signature 520 Cummins and manual 18-speed Roadranger gearbox, and dropped those into it. We also used the opportunity to rebuild the diffs and, since then, we have not looked back. It has absolutely transformed it.”

Dwight worked the truck with Halls for about another 18 months, and in late 2018, he shifted the unit across to his own work. “I used the opportunity to spruce it up, having it repainted in my fleet colours and adding some fresh shiny bits and pieces.”

Since then, the 404 has continued to be a solid performer within the fleet, and today still puts in the hard yards every hour of the working week, running in and out of a local quarry, pulling out boxes of dunite rock. You have to give credit where it’s due, and it’s a

MILES (1.6M KILOMETRES)

Each month, New Zealand Trucking Media recognises the trucks that have achieved this milestone in the act of carrying the nation on their backs. We'd like to recognise yours too!

Quality image of the truck • Name of owner and driver • Basic spec (model, engine, trans, rear end) • Contact details

• Only owners can submit

superb effort for a truck that is now the best part of 18 years old with just on 2,200,000km on the clock. We say, "Well done MAD KW, welcome to the club."

The Golden Standard

Engineered a better way FOR McWATTS

Customised High Strength, High Wear Resistant Steel Bodies

78 McLaughlins Rd, Manukau City, PO Box 76065, Auckland, New Zealand

78 McLaughlins Rd, Manukau City, PO Box 76065, Auckland, New Zealand

78 McLaughlins Rd, Manukau City, PO Box 76065, Auckland, New Zealand

AUSTRALIA’S NORTHERN DEFENCE

Story

and

photos by Bruce Honeywill, Truckin’ Life

Legendary Australian truck writer Bruce Honeywill recalls the days carting for Bellway during the construction of RAAF Base Curtin as part of Australia’s Cold War defence strategy.

Bellway was one of the many contractors to help build the RAAF Base Curtin.

dust shortened the life of a cassette tape to months. But the ‘dead’ tapes gave small amusements like cracking the plastic casing and letting the broken tape get caught by the wind. If you held the casing, the tape would run out straight back, straight as an arrow, along the side of three trailers and at the back end, it would start to whip around like a run-over snake. Yeah, well … you amused yourself as best you could.

magazine

In the 1970s and 1980s, communication was nothing like today when driving trucks on long outback runs. There was more time to catch up with other truckies in roadhouses, and find out news of the road. No mobile phones that give regular ‘stay awake’ conversations with mates and family. We had music from cassette tapes and perhaps the occasional radio news passing through a town. The heat and the

Those snippets of news were no more optimistic than they are today. The world lived under the clouds of the Cold War, and the news was about the latest possibility of nuclear war, what the Soviets most recently threatened and what the Yanks and Brits reckoned they would do in return. On the global scale, it was like two mongrel dogs circling each other in a dusty street, sniffing, snarling and growling and never quite with balls enough to start the fight. That Cold War threatened Australia. We were caught with our national pants down in World War II, with our northern coastline

“at the time, the biggest road-registered outfits in the nation ... 40m overall length and a 142-tonne GVM.”

largely unprotected when there was a real threat of invasion. It wasn’t going to happen again, according to the heads in Canberra.

It was that Canberra ‘decision making’ that had me driving through the Kimberley town of Derby in 1986 after a couple of years writing for Truckin’ Life. I was heading for a big contract site that would become a defence airstrip if the worst ever happened.

The RAAF Base Curtin, about 30km from Derby, was being built as part of Australia’s Cold War defence strategy. It was intended as a ‘bare base’, a facility that could be activated in times of a national security crisis. The logistics behind this base were clear. A nuclear-proof airstrip, proximity to Southeast Asia and its strategic significance were interesting enough. But for my trip, the story lay in the trucks and the men who drove them, hauling literally mountains of crushed material needed to make that airstrip a reality.

To create this airstrip with a landing zone with a nuclear-proof depth of more than 30m of reinforced concrete in such a remote part of the country required an incredible amount of material and manpower – not to mention the coordination between contractors like Leighton Engineering,

Readymix, and Bellways. And making it all happen were the roadtrains.

As you drove into the Bellways camp, dust storms fogged the place as roadtrains rolled in for refuelling, checking and maintenance. The camp was central, midway between the airstrip site and the Oscar Ranges that provided the limestone needed for construction.

The Bellways camp was a cluster of demountable buildings and a drive-through shed where the trucks were serviced. The haul cycle from site to range and back was a run of 340km, the trucks working 24/7 in two driver shifts of 12 hours, day shift and night shift.

The Bellways contract was to haul over half a million tonnes of aggregate from the Oscars to the delivery site. An assortment of trucks filled the various requirements of the contract, Kenworth, Mercedes-Benz and Scania. The kings of the run were the high-rise Mack UltraLiners, eight-wheeler body trucks hauling three trailers – at the time, the biggest roadregistered outfits in the nation, the Western Australian regulations allowing for 40m overall length and a 142-tonne GVM. With the trucks taring in at just over 40 tonnes, it left a neat 100 tonnes of payload to be hauled.

I met the bosses at the Bellways camp and climbed into an Ultra-Liner cab with driver Wayne “Wally” Gater. Wally had been steering Bellways trucks for six years and knew the job like the back of his hand. We set out from the camp at daylight, the start of the day shift, with the deep grumble of the Mack V8 – back in the days when Macks had the personality and power of Yankee steel.

“Takes a couple of clicks to hit top gear,” Wally reckons, glancing over with a grin, “but once you’re there, she’ll keep going.” He wasn’t kidding. Wally let the engine lug down to 1400rpm on the climbs, allowing the raw torque to pull us over the top before it surged forward again, hitting 80km/h on the flats. Occasionally, he’d drop a gear to keep the momentum, but for the most part, the Ultra-Liner handled the load with steady confidence.

The Oscar Ranges, where the aggregate was quarried, looked like something out of another world, with jagged rocks and twisted boab trees set against a backdrop of endless Kimberley sky. These rocks were once part of a vast coral reef submerged under an ancient sea.

The quarry was a hive of activity, the dusty roar of crushers turning raw rock into the correct aggregate for the airstrip, loaders working around the clock to keep the trucks moving. Bellways’ big blue Cat loader worked non-stop, loading each truck with a weight accuracy that ensured the conditions of the WA permits were met and maintained. In less than 20 minutes, Wally’s truck was loaded and ready to go. We pulled out of the quarry. I could feel the truck straining under the weight of the load, the big engine biting hard at the job in hand. Approaching the Great Northern Highway, the climb became steeper, the truck groaning under the effort. Wally dropped through the gears to make it through the gap in the Oscars, his hands steady on the wheel as the engine growled in response.

Large-spec, multi-trailer outfits were pioneered in the West.

“Other drivers would give them the road, knowing full well the weight and the challenge posed to keep the rig moving smoothly.”

The trailers snaked behind us, disappearing into the dust, and the road ahead seemed to go on forever through the picturepostcard landscape of the Kimberley.

At night, the challenges were different; the darkness absolute, broken only by the truck’s halogen lights cutting through the blackness ahead. The road seemed to stretch on forever, and the isolation became very real. Occasionally, another truck would appear on the horizon, its lights glowing like a distant beacon. The CB radio would crackle to life, a brief exchange of words between drivers. Respect was given to the

Bellways roadtrains. Other drivers would give them the road, knowing full well the weight we were carrying and the challenge posed to keep the rig moving smoothly.

Through it all, the land remained an unforgiving constant. The dust was relentless, coating everything red. The sun beat down during the day, while the night brought a bone-chilling cold that seeped into the cab. But the job continued, shift after shift, the trucks rumbling along the highway, pushing through the challenges thrown at them by the Kimberley.

The RAAF Base Curtin lies quietly in the Kimberley landscape today, still ready for use if we ever face times of national emergency. Its role in Australia’s defence strategy is as critical today as it was during the Cold War. Things may have changed, but we still live in an uncertain geopolitical landscape. But the legacy of that time is not just in the base itself; it’s in the people who worked to build it, the towns like Derby that supported them, and the land that they moved through.

Looking back, sitting at a computer,

the change in the outback and the types of contracts that built these remote parts of a beautiful country comes home to roost. Tourists, caravans, the distances, communication, trucks. How things have changed. Today, across Northern Australia, 55m, 130-tonne, four-trailer highway-legal outfits are common; 600plus horsepower donks, even those automated transmissions – all a part of life. You no longer seeing a mate coming towards you, pulling up. Two roadtrains stopped, taking up the road, sharing a couple of coldies from the Engel, swapping news and road conditions is unimaginable today with the restrictions placed on drivers and companies.

Those early bold moves by WA, in particular, introduced the large-spec multitrailer outfits we take for granted today. They were pioneered in the West. Jobs like the construction of RAAF Base Curtin were the proving ground for the efficient roadtrain industry of today, an industry that keeps the remote northern half of Australia alive.

Story by Carl Kirkbeck

Correct

PERSPECTIVE

When assembling a model truck, you dedicate considerable effort to ensure accuracy and detail. Similarly, the same level of care and attention should be applied when photographing your model. This approach will help you capture a more realistic and impressive image.

Displaying Torquing Bulldog at the Wheels at Wānaka show at Easter, I had a chap ask me how I managed to get the realistic-looking photos of the completed model. He was convinced that we had applied some Photoshop magic to the images we printed in the Mini Big Rigs article, published in the March 2025 issue of New Zealand Trucking. I assured him that no, they were 100% raw

images, with just a little time and effort placed on setting out the layout of the frame before opening the shutter on the camera.

With this conversation fresh in my mind, I thought it might be beneficial to discuss how I go about taking my photos, as well as show a couple of behindthe-scenes images that give perspective to my approach. And that, in one word, really is the secret: perspective.

The most common mistake is where perspective has not been considered. It generally leaves the model truck looking as though it has been teleported to the land of giants in the story of Jack and the Beanstalk. Everything looks oversized and out of scale. Oversized flowers, foliage and landscaping materials are frequent offenders, all dwarfing the model truck and ruining the impact of the image. I find artificially raising the

model truck onto a surface where you can correctly place and align distant scenery within the frame is the first step. This also allows you to align the lens of the camera at the correct capture height; the height that you would effectively hold the camera at if the model truck was enlarged to life-size scale, and you were standing alongside it. With this perspective in place, you can then start trialling a few test shots. Look for those giveaway items that can either detract or enhance your image – the likes of power poles, buildings and trees. Move your location as needed as well as the camera’s lens height to perfect the perspective and reap the rewards. Give it a go and see how you get on. And please, send in your best images of your efforts and we just might print them here for the readers to enjoy.

In the first image, the Ken Kirk Mercedes-Benz we built looks like it is lost in the Land of the Giants, oversized concrete aggregate and plant foliage all detrimental to the impact of the image. In the second image, you can see the roof of a parked car in the driveway, along with a simple grey towel. First lay the towel across the roof, then place the model truck onto this surface. Finally, fine-tune the lens height of the camera to acquire the most realistic perspective. Remember to look for out of proportion items in the background that might detract from the sense of realism.

Again in the first image, I have purposely positioned Torquing Bulldog on the ground, replicating a novice angle of approach to taking a photo of a model truck. All the no-nos are in this shot, from an oversized sedge grass to the bottom of the Kiwi picket fence – not to mention the crack in the exposed aggregate concrete path complete with moss, not a good look. To correct this, I ventured out into the local countryside and tracked down a natural habitat for the truck. Once again, it’s using the roof of the family car and a grey towel to gain perspective, and hey presto, suddenly we have gone from novice model truck photographer straight to expert. We now have an image that resembles the real truck at work on a gravel road, complete with power poles running out to the vanishing point in the distance.

As they say, there is more than one way to skin a cat. Here we are applying the exact same perspective rules as before. However, this time we are using an artificial backdrop. The painting is a lifelike representation of typical farming countryside from the 1960s, making the perfect backdrop to photograph the Ford V8 logger against. Using household items, I have raised the model into the lower third of the painting, then added the trusty towel to simulate the surface of raw earth. Another trick you can use when trying to replicate an older image is to use the editing features within your computer’s photo management software. Most computers these days have simple controls to adjust the likes of colour saturation. By lowering some of these levels within the software, you will achieve a more realistic finish, as seen here when you look at the second and third images.

WHAT’S ON

Show organisers

Please send your event details, at least eight weeks in advance, to: editor@nztrucking.co.nz for a free listing on this page.

Transporting New Zealand 2025 South Island Road Freight Seminar

28 June 2025

Chateau on the Park, Christchurch

Contact: transporting.nz/2025-south-island-road-freightseminar

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EROAD Fleet Day

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30 July 2025

Mystery Creek, Hamilton

Contact: eroad.co.nz/fleet-managers-day

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GCA7

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GCA3

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GCA8

Superior sidewall cut resistance. ceptional casing durability.

GCA8

Enhanced stability and riding comfort. The extra-deep tread pattern is specially designed for loaders.

• Superior sidewall cut resistance.

• Long tread life, exceptional casing durability.

Excellent performance on extremely rocky surfaces, in open pits, quarries, and underground mines.

• Enhanced stability and riding comfort.

Non-directional deep tread pattern designed for muddy and soft surfaces.

Excellent traction and floatation offer comfortable handling.

Superior long tread life and excellent puncture resistance.

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pattern design.

• Excellent performance resistant compounds.

• Primarily designed for and muddy surfaces.

• Unique non-directional traction patterns ensure optimum traction and prolongs tread life.

• Superior sidewall cut resistance.

• Good self-cleaning with groove stone ejector.

• The extra-deep tread pattern is specially designed for loaders.

GCA3

GCB5

Low rolling resistance and fuel economy.

• Articulated dumpers, rigid dumpers, loaders, graders.

• With excellent traction and buoyancy performance.

• Outstanding stability and operating comfort, with large pattern plate and long service life.

• Applications: Articulated dumper, dozer, loader, and graders.

• This deep tread is particularly suitable for loaders and dump trucks operating in quarries or mining.

• Non-directional traction and standard tread depth pattern design.

• Excellent performance on extremely rocky surfaces, in open pits, quarries, and underground mines. GCA2

• Applications: Articulated dumper, dozer, loader, and graders.

• Excellent performance supported with heat resistant compounds.

• Non-directional traction and standard tread depth pattern design.

• Primarily designed for mining, off the road, and muddy surfaces.

• Primarily designed for mining, off the road, and muddy surfaces. GCA7

• Excellent performance supported with heat resistant compounds.

• Non-directional deep tread pattern designed for muddy and soft surfaces.

• Excellent traction and floatation offer comfortable handling.

• Superior long tread life and excellent puncture resistance.

• Low rolling resistance and fuel economy. GCA3

2018 KENWORTH K200 8X4 AERODYNE SLEEPER

MOVING METRICS

THE SALES NUMBERS

Summary

of heavy trucks and trailers first registered in April 2025

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

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

Vehicle type

This summary includes data from two heavy-truck classes and one heavytrailer class.

A goods vehicle is a motor vehicle that:

(a) is constructed primarily for the carriage of goods; and

(b) either: (i) has at least four wheels; or (ii) has three wheels and a gross vehicle mass exceeding one tonne. Note: Vehicle classes are not the same as RUC vehicle types or driver licence classes.

A table of all vehicle classes is in Table A of the Land Transport Rule Vehicle Dimensions and Mass 2016 Rule 41001/2016 https://www.nzta.govt.nz/ assets/resources/rules/ docs/vehicle-dimensionsand-mass-2016-as-at-1November-2019.pdf

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

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

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

Vehicle

(medium-goods vehicle)

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

(heavy-goods vehicle)

A goods vehicle that has a gross vehicle mass exceeding 12 tonnes. TD (heavy trailer)

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

ROAD USER CHARGES

Zealand Trucking magazine acknowledges the assistance of the media team at NZTA for providing

purchases (all RUC types) Total number RUC licences issued for month (all RUC types)

RUC distance purchased year-to-date for selected RUC types A description of RUC vehicle types is available at https:// www.nzta.govt.nz/ vehicles/licensingrego/road-usercharges/ruc-ratesand-transactionfees/ Please note data may differ slightly from that reported for the same period previously due to adjustments being made to the base data.

Fairfax to deliver second zero emissions trailer

After

handing off the first to Foodstuffs North Island last year, Fairfax is getting ready to deliver the second of its fully autonomous, all-electric, engineless refrigerated trailers.

The Fairfax ZE (zero emissions) trailer combines cutting-edge technology from Transcold, Carrier, Addvolt and SAF-Holland, in which chilled and frozen products can be delivered to market without producing harmful emissions.

Currently in production, the next trailer is being manufactured for Big Chill Distribution. The trailer is the same that was built for Foodstuffs, with only a slight difference in battery capacity.

The heart of the Fairfax ZE is its all-electric eCool refrigeration system by Carrier, powered by a SAF-Holland generator axle. Supplied by Transcold, the design eliminates the need for a traditional diesel engine, resulting in zero tailpipe emissions and reduced energy consumption in standby mode.

John Stevens, Fairfax Auckland/Christchurch operations manager, says the solution transforms how chilled and frozen goods are transported across the country while significantly reducing environmental impact and service costs to the operator.

“We continually invest in research and development to deliver innovative and practical solutions to our clients.”

John says because the Carrier e-Cool engineless refirgeration system been running in Europe and Australia for five years, and with Foodstuffs having theirs on the road as well for the last 10 months, Big Chill wasn’t taking a big leap into the unknown.

“The technology is already proven, and it’s proven very well,” he says.

“It gives us as a company confidence to go and sit in front of people and say, ‘Hey, look at this option.’

“If you’re a like-minded business who wants to be a part of this change – of lower emissions – it’s easy to talk about.”

The ZE trailer certainly provides an option on this path.

“We know that a lot of CO2 is pumped into the air from trucks and from trailers as well, so it’s a big old carbon footprint from our industry. Options like the ZE trailer means there is a lot of CO2 saved from going into the atmosphere.”

In fact, customers are able to use an app that is attached to the trailer where they can draw down on a whole lot of information, including the number of hours it has run on the road, hours that it has run off land-base power, the amount of fuel it has saved over that period, and the amount of CO2 that has been saved from going into the atmosphere.

The trailer will feature at this month’s Fieldays, and John says it’s a great opportunity to get in front of customers.

“It will help make people aware of what technologies are available now and how it’s a pretty simple step if you want to go down that green path.”

Since its inception over 75 years ago, Freighter has consistently led trailer design innovation. Today, we continue to focus on maximising productivity, reducing health and safety risks, and lowering driver fatigue. With Action Manufacturing Group’s acquisition of Freighter in 2022, we are now stronger than ever—combining expertise, expanding our product range, and supporting customers nationwide.

Manufacturing Solutions

Semi-Trailers, Full Trailers, B-Train Trailers, Rigid Bodies

Options Available

Chilled, Dry, Curtain-Sided, Flat Deck, Skeletal

Partnership Collaborating with Fairfax Industries for innovative designs.

Nationwide Support

Sites in Auckland, Hamilton, and Christchurch

Quality Assurance

2-year warranty on selected trailer builds.

Customer-Centric Approach

We listen, innovate, and deliver solutions.

CONTACT US TO DISCUSS YOUR REQUIREMENTS!

OUR MISSION IS SIMPLE: IMPROVING LIVES AND BUSINESSES BY DELIVERING INNOVATION THROUGH DESIGN-LED THINKING

NAPA know-how: Tow-Pro Link Electric Brake Controller

Smarter braking, safer roads: Tackling trailer sway and installation headaches.

In the heavy-vehicle and freight industry, safety and efficiency aren’t just priorities – they’re essential. The same should be the case when you are towing your boat or caravan. A critical area that often flies under the radar is trailer braking. Poor brake control, unpredictable trailer sway and complex installation procedures have long plagued brake controllers, putting both vehicles and drivers at risk.

Control, consistency and costly downtime

Fleet operators and truck drivers know all too well the dangers of trailer sway –particularly at high speeds, in crosswinds, or during sudden manoeuvres. Even experienced drivers can struggle to regain control without precise braking control once a trailer begins to sway. Many standard

functionality, and worse, require extensive cab modifications to install.

Tow-Pro Link Electric Brake Controller

Enter the Tow-Pro Link Electric Brake Controller – a game-changing, towbarmounted solution built for the real-world challenges of heavy towing. Developed by REDARC, the Tow-Pro Link is designed to simplify installation while elevating driver

control and trailer braking performance to a new standard.

At the heart of the Tow-Pro Link is SwayStop Plus, REDARC’s advanced trailer sway stabilisation technology. In critical moments, drivers can simply press and release the control button to engage immediate trailer braking, allowing sway to be brought under control without taking their hands off the wheel. It’s a simple but powerful tool that provides peace of mind, especially when towing over long distances or in unpredictable driving conditions.

Streamlined installation, minimal downtime

The Tow-Pro Link is built with streamlined installation in mind, offering a cab-friendly setup. The system’s USB-powered remote head and Bluetooth smartphone app enable installers to configure the unit without digging into the dash or rewiring the cab. Compared with traditional units, installation can be up to 50% faster, getting vehicles back on the road sooner.

Precision meets innovation

Beyond its smart installation and sway control, the Tow-Pro Link boasts the only six-axis sensor on the market – a major advancement that provides ultra-smooth braking in proportional and user-controlled modes.

The Tow-Pro Link Electric Brake Controller is available now at NAPA Auto Parts. Contact your rep for more information or call 0800 800 073.

TOP DOG INDESTRUCTIBLE 15W-40 300021.

TOP DOG ® Indestructible 15W-40 is an uncompromising semi-synthetic, next generation Heavy Duty Diesel Engine Oil containing Indestructible additive technology specifically designed to protect high powered, turbo charged Heavy Duty Diesel Engines. The unique formulation contains performance enhancing and superior wear protection technology that far exceeds the requirements of the new API CK-4 lubricant specification and previous specifications including API CJ-4. TOP DOG ® Indestructible 15W-40 meets the majority of modern engine manufacturer’s specifications.

It has been designed to significantly exceed the requirements of API CK-4, which is the latest Heavy Duty Diesel Engine Oil classification released in December 2016 by the American Petroleum Institute. Having a low SAPS level, it is suitable for Heavy Duty Diesel Engines fitted with EGR (exhaust gas recirculation) systems and other exhaust after-treatment systems including Diesel Particulate Filters (DPF’s) and Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR)/Adblue. Being backwards compatible with previous API Heavy Duty Diesel classifications such as API CJ-4, CI-4 and CH-4, it meets the requirements of most modern and older style heavy duty diesel engines from the world’s leading engine manufacturers. TOP DOG ® Indestructible 15W-40 can be used in stationary engines, earthmoving and road transport applications as well as light commercial diesel vehicles requiring a 15W-40 heavy duty diesel engine oil.

BENEFITS:

• Increased fuel economy through reduced friction

• Extended drain intervals compared to earlier generation API grades

• Vastly improved oxidation control

• Suitable for EGR (exhaust gas recirculation) or SCR (selective cataylic reduction) emission control system

• Low SAPS formulation offering suitability for Diesel Particulate Filters

• Better dispercancey compared to conventional API CK-4 and CJ-4 specifications resulting in cleaner engines that offer increased service life

• Improved shear stability resulting in decreased oil consumption

SPECIFICATIONS:

• SAE 15W-40

• API CK-4/ CJ-4/ CI-4 PLUS/ CI-4/ CH-4

• ACEA E9-16, E7-16

• CAT ECF-3

• FORD WSS-M2C171-F1

• CUMMINS CES 20086

• DETROIT DIESEL DFS93K222

• MACK EOS-4.5

• VOLVO VDS 4.5

• RENAULT VI RLD-4

• MB 228.31

• MAN 3575

• DEUTZ DQC III-10 LA

• JASO DH-2

Why Renting Works

SMART FLEET SOLUTIONS IN A SHIFTING MARKET

In the fast-paced world of transport and logistics, adaptability is everything. Owning trucks and trailers commits businesses to costs and ties up capital, brings ongoing maintenance burdens, and leaves businesses vulnerable to fluctuating demand. Renting, on the other hand, offers a flexible, cost-effective alternative that helps operators stay nimble, responsive, and profitable. That’s where TR Group comes in.

A scalable fleet, ready to roll

With more than 1200 trucks and trailers spanning more than 100 categories, TR Group’s rental division is designed to help transport businesses respond quickly to changing needs. There is a vehicle specification to suit virtually everyone, refined over the years to do their jobs well, and TR Group is willing to look at changing its offering to suit people. Whether covering seasonal peaks, tackling a short-term project, dealing with unexpected downtime, or resetting the fleet makeup for the longer term, TR Group provides access to

a modern fleet of premium commercial vehicles – without the commitment of ownership.

“We have a dedicated rental fleet ready to go,” says Dave Halpin, TR Group’s national rental operations manager. “And with eight branches across the country, we offer nationwide support to keep our customers moving.”

Customised and flexible solutions operator by operator

“We tailor our solutions to suit specific requirements, and rates to suit hire terms, but with the flexibility to revisit them

see you at the drop of a hat.

“Each vehicle is thoroughly inspected before it goes out on hire,” Dave says. “We have a dedicated maintenance team in every region to ensure our fleet stays compliant, road-ready, and working hard for our customers.”

Modern, high-spec equipment

TR Group continuously invests in its rental fleet to keep up with evolving industry standards, sustainability goals, and customer expectations. That means the latest technology, thoughtful build features and quality, safety features, and fuel efficiency – all built into every vehicle.

if things change. Longer hire periods translate into lower monthly rates for vehicles, and rates can be customised to the vehicle and the usage too. If things change, no problem – we can change it to reflect that. We can go anywhere from one day to very long term. Bookings for vehicles can be placed well in advance so that there is confidence in having them when they are needed.”

TR Group’s vehicles are presented in a clean white livery, giving customers the option to apply their own signage and integrate seamlessly with their existing fleet, without TR branding.

Support that keeps you moving

Reliability doesn’t stop at the vehicle itself. Every truck and trailer rented through TR Group is backed by 24/7 support from its nationwide branch network, with rental support teams, maintenance, driver training and other support. “We are there for customers and will come and

“We’ve made significant investments in the past few years to ensure we’re offering cutting-edge equipment,” Dave says. “We’re adding new Euro-6 trucks, hybrids, and even zero-emission vehicles. Our fleet includes hybrid traffic management trucks, toolbox tippers, dual-fuel trucks – almost any option a customer could need.”

Recent additions also include five-axle steel tipping trailers, transporter trailers, and new truck categories aimed at specific industry needs.

Your one-stop rental partner

TR Group is more than just a vehicle provider – it’s a strategic partner for businesses that want to stay competitive, with a great team with good knowledge of vehicles and the industry.

“Our goal is to be the onestop shop for renting or leasing heavy commercial vehicles,” says Dave. “We focus on delivering the right gear, when and where it’s needed, at competitive rates, and working alongside customers throughout the vehicle’s working time with each customer. That’s what our team is all about.”

Whether you’re expanding, contracting, or just navigating the ups and downs of the industry, renting from TR Group means staying agile without compromise.

DESIGNED FOR

TRACTION

The VT820 tread design was developed to ensure superior performance in extreme conditions of use, whether on paved or unpaved roads, and for vehicles running at low speeds. It boasts numerous features and benefits. The first of these are its transverse

blocks, which are designed to provide excellent traction power, resisting the stresses caused by friction with the ground. The VT820 also has grooves designed to provide self-cleaning of the tread, which helps maintain optimal performance even in difficult terrain conditions. Casing

protection is ensured by a closed central rib, helping preserve the integrity of the tyre casing and improving the vehicle’s overall performance. The VT820 is a radial-drive-axle tyre and is recommended for the different terrains presented by off-road applications, especially in mud and snow

conditions. Although the main use case is off-road, the VT820 can also be applied for regional use on paved roads.

With a 240mm tread, the VT820 is a reliable option for those who need exceptional traction and durability in severe conditions or on rough terrain.

Where there’s a will, there’s a way

Typically, when we hear the phrase “where there’s a will, there’s a way”, it refers to someone using creativity and ingenuity to overcome a challenge – often with limited resources – and pulling off the seemingly impossible.

Watching the media over the past year or more, it’s clear the expression is taking on a different tone when applied to how some businesses – more specifically, their directors – have approached their legal (and ethical) obligations.

A quick Google search of companies liquidated by the IRD due to significant tax arrears turns up a staggering number of examples. The amounts owed are eyewatering, and many debts date back years –a reminder of just how long the rope has been. By all accounts, IRD is incredibly generous with payment plans to assist businesses in getting back on track, so these liquidations represent the true end of the line.

Companies Act – though, I seriously doubt many affected company owners have much knowledge of the legislation when they form their entity.

Sadly, using the IRD as a funding mechanism isn’t something new and one guesses that the historical write-offs would combine to be significant figure. What’s reared its head more recently – along similar lines and sitting much closer to home for us all as transport operators – is the use of NZTA

into too much depth, other than saying that it relates to the deferral of RUC payments. In this instance, the balance owing to NZTA is north of $1 million, a sum that the National Land Transport Fund can’t afford to miss out on but sadly will never see.

My frustration is multi-pronged; we have an operator managing to defer a cost (even if only for a short, and ultimately terminal, period), and doing so broadly within the bounds of a system that shouldn’t allow such credit to be afforded.

“... it’s great to see the IRD is wielding the stick, but alas, one assumes that a large proportion of the sums owed will never find their way into the IRD’s bank account and will be written off.”

On the one hand, it’s great to see the IRD is wielding the stick, but alas, one assumes that a large proportion of the sums owed will never find their way into the IRD’s bank account and will be written off. Think for a minute where these funds originate: GST from customers that the company collects in trust, PAYE that the company deducts from employees in trust and other tax-related transactions that the company is legally obligated to pay.

I get that times are tough and that desperate times call for desperate measures. But this widespread use of tax funds to provide working capital to businesses in distress is a sad indictment of the ethics being applied by many company directors. At a simplistic level, it’s also a criminal offence against the New Zealand

as another source of working capital.

A well-publicised recent liquidation case involving an Auckland-based transport operator shone the light on a practice that few of us even knew existed. I’ll avoid going

Furthermore, the practice isn’t isolated; numerous operators utilise the same ‘trick’. Yes, this kicking-the-can-down-theroad approach will likely lead to the same ultimate destination. But the ability to do so within the bounds of the NZTA’s system and leave a trail of debt for the taxpayer to assume is beyond reprehensible. We already see the rough edges of our industry exposed when demand falls and rates plummet in response. But to see such exploitation of a compliance framework makes a mockery of the efforts that 99% of operators strive to meet day in and day out. I look forward to the prosecution of any parties who choose to game the system this way.

Don’t put all our fossil carbon in the ETS basket

Tackling the

climate crisis is so much more than bean counting.

In the March issue, I lamented how many major decisions are framed in ‘narrowboundary’ terms when we desperately need ‘wide-boundary’ thinking. I didn’t mention trees, carbon forest, etc, so let’s explore how they fit.

Let’s start with climate basics. Most human carbon dioxide emissions come from fossil fuels. They’re the biggest source of global warming and will keep overheating our planet for centuries. (It’s those centuries that make slashing methane crucial because methane’s heating impact does drop quickly.)

The PCE’s first two recommendations included phasing out forestry offsets for fossil emissions and allowing (shorter-lived) biogenic methane to be offset by forestry.

A key challenge is removing CO2 from the air far faster than we add to it by rapidly cranking down CO2 emissions and cranking up sucking them from the air.

Despite the hoo-ha about engineered “carbon capture and storage” systems, they offer no realistic prospect of rapid, large-scale effectiveness.

Which makes plants the heroes, sequestering CO2 from the air and storing it for varying lengths of time. And trees are superheroes, with half their mass being carbon from the air and stored for as long as they aren’t rotting or burning.

At last year’s Agriculture and Climate conference, Rod Carr, outgoing Climate Change Commission chair, didn’t mince his words: “If we don’t stop the use of fossil fuels, we’re toast. We must phase them out, not just phase them down.”

Got it.

And removing CO2? “Trees are problematic,” Carr highlighted, “because they are not permanent, but CO2 emissions, in essence, are.”

There’s the rub. For the validity of carbon forests for offsetting CO2, they must store carbon indefinitely. But forests are vulnerable, and climate change makes droughts, storms, fires, etc, even worse. So how might carbon forests work when they need to store carbon reliably for – well, forever?

The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment took a close look at this and cautioned that the Crown (ie, us) may be liable if carbon forests become compromised.

The Science Media Centre got specialists to review the PCE’s report. They widely agreed, but some went further. “Kill carbon forestry,” wrote one, while another noted “Carbon farming is essentially treating the climate emergency as just another opportunity to make money while ignoring future financial and environmental liabilities.”

Let’s take an even wider boundary view (wider than ‘forever’? Yeah, right!).

Since the last Ice Age, humans have cleared a third of the world’s forests, in essence, launching man-made climate change 10,000 years ago. The Amazon Rainforest is now so depleted that it’s releasing carbon instead of sequestering it, and New Zealand has deforested about a whopping 60% in just 1000 years.

An even wider boundary? Climate is just one dimension of ‘overshoot’, with numerous ‘planetary boundaries’ now crossed, with biodiversity loss becoming an even bigger concern than climate change. (And Pinus radiata forests suck for biodiversity.)

The bottom line: plant indigenous trees like there’s no tomorrow. (“If not trees, then what?” was Carr’s challenge.)

Plus, slash fossil fuels ASAP (or faster).

Plus, never ever kid ourselves that planting trees magically makes it okay to keep burning fossil fuels. If we do, we’re toast.

Lindsay Wood, MNZM, runs climate strategy company Resilienz Ltd. He is active in policy, and on IT tools for decarbonisation, and speaks, writes and broadcasts widely on climate issues. In 2024 he was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to climate awareness and environmental sustainability.

WORK as it is done

Workplace injuries often stem not from ignorance but from the gap between how a job should be done and how it actually is done. A recent tragedy highlights why understanding real-world behaviour – including shortcuts – is key to preventing harm, writes Safewise director Tracey Murphy.

There is a perception, particularly among managers, that work will be done the way we expect it to be done – that we show someone how to do a job, train them, give them the tools they need, and that’s it.

The reality is that work is sometimes done the way we expect, and sometimes it is not. This might be because the option we would like is complicated, doesn’t fit every situation, the tools are wrong…

Balance Agri-Nutrients was recently prosecuted after a worker stepped over a conveyor belt, which had exposed moving roller and nip points. The worker was cleaning around the belt while it was in action and stepped over it. He lost his

footing and fell, dying from his injuries. Although other factors were involved, the expectation that he would walk around the conveyor was quite different to the reality of him walking over it – who among us would not take the shorter, quicker route?

As managers, owners, directors, etc, we need to look at the work, see the hazards, talk to the team and identify their shortcuts. Once we know what is actually being done or could be done, we can manage it to prevent a similar tragedy.

One of my favourite health and safety tools, therefore, is a walkaround, including getting to know the team, and working out how we can build a safer and healthier workplace together.

Tracey Murphy is the owner and director of Safewise Ltd, a health and safety consultancy. She has more than 16 years’ experience working with organisations from many different industries. Tracey holds a Diploma in Health and Safety Management and a Graduate Diploma in Occupational Safety and Health. She is a Professional Member of the New Zealand Institute of Safety Management and is on the HASANZ register.

Contributor to New Zealand Trucking ‘Legal Lines’ Column mobile: 021 326 642 danielle.beston@bestonlegal.nz

WINTER WELLNESS

Winter is fast approaching. Evenings are darker, days feel shorter and the window of opportunity to get active feels smaller. Here are some easy ideas to stay active and healthy.

Rug up

Invest in some decent jackets/jerseys, beanies, socks, merinos and thermals for outdoor exercise such as walking, cycling or sports training. The excuse “it’s too cold” could technically last you all winter. Combat that by having the right gear to keep you warm and toasty. It will hopefully also ward off any nasty winter bugs while out in the elements. Exercising is a great way to warm yourself up, too!

Dose up on the vitamin C

There’s no harm in using extra supplements to boost your immune system over the winter months. Vitamin C is a great element to focus on – even more so throughout winter. Your local health store can guide you toward relevant and important supplements to include in your health regime year-round.

Get the slow cooker out

There’s nothing worse than coming home from a long day of work to a cold house and the thought of cooking dinner. Taking the

time in the morning (or even the day before) to chop up some vegetables and meat and prepare a basic casserole to chuck into the slow cooker can be an absolute godsend for your future self. Meal prepping can be an absolute life-saver in winter and help you avoid popping out for a steak and cheese pie from the bakery. (That’s my go-to, anyways.)

Choose exercise you like

If you don’t want to exercise outside in the cold, don’t. But have alternatives. I dislike running or cycling in the cold because I feel like it makes me freezing and feel chesty. I opt instead for a gym workout indoors or even a home workout with minimal gear. There are thousands of online workout videos you can follow at home. If you have a home gym set-up, whether modest or state of the art, you can enter into YouTube what gear you have and follow along with an appropriate workout. For example, you could find a kettlebell or dumbbell-based workout if that’s what you have in your garage.

Buddy-up

If you’re anything like me, motivation goes to an all-time low during winter. Something to help combat that is having a workout buddy or an accountability buddy. This can be anyone who will physically do the workout with you or who you can rely on to encourage you and keep you accountable. For example, a friend of mine lived too far away from me for us to train together, but we would send a picture of our workout

each day to keep each other accountable. This can also be done for your meals or any other aspects you’re working on for your health and fitness journey.

Go to bed earlier

This is a very simple one, but getting enough rest over the winter months is crucial. It also helps with recovery and fighting off those winter bugs. If you make an effort to go to bed even half an hour earlier each night –over the week, you’ve accumulated 3.5 hours more sleep, which your body will thank you for. This will allow you to hopefully feel fresher in the mornings and maybe even get up half an hour earlier to fit in some active time before you have to start your working day. I find that I can mindlessly scroll on my phone in bed instead of going to sleep. I’d recommend that you make a goal of putting your phone on ‘do not disturb’ mode as soon as you hit the sheets. This means that you will actually rest and go to sleep rather than stimulating your mind and wasting precious sleeping hours doom-scrolling on a device.

“If you’re anything like me, motivation goes to an all-time low during winter. Something to help combat that is having a workout buddy or an accountability buddy.”

Laura Hulley Personal trainer

e annual Dave Carr Memorial Truck Run is back by popular demand! Taking place Saturday 1 November 2025, the run starts from the Highway Inn at Harewood, Christchurch at 9.00am sharp.

This year is a special one - the 10th anniversary of the run, so we are putting a challenge out. We want 100 trucks for 10 years!

We look forward to seeing as many of you as possible with your wheels (big or small) on the day. Again, should you want to join us but are lacking in wheels, never fear - Steve, our renowned chauffeur, will have his trusty bus and be on hand.

Continuing with tradition, the world-famous ‘bullshit session’ and charity auction will be held following the run – venue to be confirmed.

Are our privacy laws fit for purpose?

New Zealand’s Privacy Act 2020 covers all sectors of the economy. It governs the collection, use and disclosure of individuals’ personal information and exists so that we can trust in our companies and governmental services.

The act was drafted in 2013, so it could not have anticipated the large-scale collection, use and transfer of personal information or the invention of generative artificial intelligence and biometrics. This month, I want to explore whether our privacy regulations have become outdated now that we live in a globalised world with a digital economy.

Privacy is important

Whether it’s customer details or staff files, you likely keep some private information on file or in a digital format. Breaches or careless handling of private information may cost you dearly. Customers will lose confidence in you. Your brand and reputation will take a hit. The more sensitive the information, the more measures you must take to protect it.

As the pace of technological development continues, it is arguable that without a substantial overhaul, New Zealand’s regulations will not be able to keep pace with the modern world.

According to a paper published on 4 December 2023, there was a large increase in privacy complaints and serious privacy breaches between 2021 and 2023. The low levels of business compliance with the act have been attributed to the lack of modernity of the legislation, which is technology neutral.

The international landscape

The European Union General Data Protection Regulation, which took effect in 2018, remains the gold standard of privacy regulation. The GDPR is pioneering because of its significant penalty regime, the invention of new rights such, as the right to

erasure, and new requirements concerning automated decision-making.

Since then, case law has further developed the GDPR to make it even more robust by further defining the requirements for international data transfers. The UK has adopted the UK GDPR into its local legislation, and Australia introduced a penalty regime comparable to GDPR in 2022.

Seen against this background of quite significant legislative change, it is evident that a privacy regime drafted over a decade ago is no longer something New Zealand can be proud of. Being out of step internationally has real consequences for businesses.

International companies often incorporate robust privacy clauses into their contracts, leaving businesses needing to comply but unprepared to do so. Some companies that regularly do business overseas may have already determined they need to comply with regulations like the GDPR, even though local regulations do not demand it.

New Zealand’s shortcomings Penalties

Penalties under the Privacy Act are virtually non-existent. The only penalty available is a $10,000 fine, imposed only when an agency commits one of the few specific criminal offences.

There are no civil penalties available. Compared to the millions of dollars in penalties available in Europe or Australia, it is no wonder that there is no incentive to comply.

New technologies

Since the act was drafted, technologies have changed, including biometrics, social media and artificial intelligence. The potential harms and benefits and the corresponding rights and obligations concerning these new technologies must be considered.

The government has indicated it does not wish to enact widespread AI regulation any time soon. In the absence of specific regulation, we will need to rely on the existing regulatory regime. Seen in this

context, it is even more important that the Privacy Act is updated to take into consideration technological concepts that did not exist when it was drafted.

Sensitive information

Unlike other jurisdictions, such as the EU and Australia, New Zealand legislation does not create a separate category of “sensitive personal information”, where more stringent care must be taken. This is becoming an issue when more use is being made of individuals’ biometric information – for example, through face or fingerprint recognition technology. While some effort is being made to remedy this gap in legislation through the Biometrics Code of Conduct, this will likely serve as only a temporary measure.

Children’s privacy

New technologies are seeing children and young people increasingly in a situation where they may be tempted to consent to the collection of their personal information for a perceived benefit, particularly online. Children’s inherent vulnerabilities may mean they are less able to understand the long-term consequences of providing such consent.

While the Privacy Act requires that agencies consider the “fairness and intrusiveness” of how they collect personal information, other jurisdictions, including the UK and California, are now creating specific regulations to protect children and young people.

Conclusion

The Privacy Amendment Bill 2023 will only make minor changes to our current regulatory regime. If New Zealand is to keep pace with the rest of the world, we need to overhaul our privacy regulations, as Australia has recently done, to bring it up to date with international standards.

Please note that this article is not a substitute for legal advice, and if you have a particular matter that needs to be addressed, consult with a lawyer. Danielle Beston is a barrister who specialises in transport law, and she can be contacted at danielle.beston@bestonlegal.nz or 021 326 642.

Preparing for a RECESSION

A recession can be challenging for any business, but it doesn’t have to be all doom and gloom.

Arecession can allow businesses to re-evaluate their strategies, streamline their operations, and emerge stronger than ever. Here are some positive steps that companies can take to weather a recession:

Innovate and adapt

During a recession, businesses must think outside the box and innovate to meet new challenges. Companies can create new revenue streams and find new opportunities by adapting to changing consumer needs and preferences. This can involve exploring new markets, launching new products or services, or investing in technology to increase efficiency. By improving efficiency, businesses can reduce costs and increase productivity, which can be critical during a recession.

Focus on customer experience

During tough times, customers are looking for value and excellent service. By focusing on customer experience, businesses can create loyal customers who will continue to support them during the recession and beyond. This could involve offering personalised services, building loyalty programmes or offering flexible payment options.

Embrace cost-cutting

While cost-cutting is never easy, it can be an essential step for businesses to remain viable during a recession. By finding ways to reduce costs without sacrificing quality, businesses

can streamline operations and become more efficient. This could involve consolidating office space, negotiating better deals with suppliers, or reducing staff.

Plan for the future

Finally, businesses should always have an eye on the future, even during a recession. This means having a plan in place that addresses shifts in industry trends and preparing for potential market changes. By planning for the future, businesses can position themselves for long-term success, even in uncertain economic times.

A recession can be a challenging time for businesses, but it can also be an opportunity for growth and innovation. By focusing on customer experience, innovating, embracing cost-cutting and increasing efficiency and planning, businesses can weather the storm and come out on top.

Phone: (07) 838 5988

NZ Trucking Association can be contacted on 0800 338 338 or info@nztruckingassn.co.nz

Closing the gap on chain of responsibility

Why TruckSafe matters for transport and logistics

As the transport and logistics sector continues to evolve, so do the expectations around accountability, compliance and safety. At the centre of this is the Chain of Responsibility (CoR), the legal and moral principle that everyone in the supply chain shares responsibility for ensuring safe, lawful road transport activity.

In New Zealand, CoR obligations are set out under two key pieces of legislation:

• The Land Transport Act 1998 (LTA 1998), particularly Part 6C, which addresses offences relating to CoR.

• The Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 (HSWA), which places a duty on all PCBUs (persons conducting a business or undertaking) to ensure, so far as reasonably practicable, the health and safety of workers and others.

Together, these laws make it clear that responsibility is shared across the supply chain – from drivers and dispatchers to managers and senior executives.

However, enforcement in New Zealand has been limited. Only a few publicly reported CoR prosecutions have occurred since the 2017 introduction of Part 6C of the Land Transport Act. By contrast, Australia’s National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) has conducted hundreds of investigations under its Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL), which imposes a clearer and more enforceable national CoR framework. In recent years, Australian regulators have issued millions of dollars in fines and prosecuted operators across the supply chain, from small fleets to major logistics firms, for breaching their CoR duties.

The difference is clear: New Zealand’s fragmented approach is falling behind.

TruckSafe New Zealand is a practical solution

TruckSafe New Zealand has been designed to bridge this regulatory and cultural gap. Based on the proven TruckSafe programme in Australia, which has been improving industry outcomes for over 27 years, the New Zealand version uses a comprehensive safety management system (SMS) to embed CoR principles throughout heavy vehicle operations.

Whether you’re an owner-driver or a large fleet operator, TruckSafe provides:

• A clear, auditable, best practice structure to demonstrate how you’re meeting HSWA, LTA 1998 and CoR obligations.

• Independent third-party auditing to validate compliance and promote continuous improvement.

• Tools, templates, and practical resources to support internal system development.

Why this matters now

At its core, CoR is about making sure everyone plays their part in keeping roads safe and operations accountable, not just ticking compliance boxes. It’s about safeguarding lives, managing risk and upholding industry credibility.

But in the absence of clear enforcement or consistent interpretation in New Zealand, many operators are left wondering what ‘good’ really looks like.

TruckSafe answers that question. It provides a proven, independently audited framework that defines best practice and

supports operators to meet and exceed their legal duties.

Integrated support via HARMfree

TruckSafe directly links through to the HARMfree Transport and Logistics portal, giving members access to a wide range of free tools and support, including:

• toolbox talks and practical resources

• health and wellbeing posters

• social media assets and comms templates

• educational videos

• access to trusted training providers and H&S consultants.

With guidance from the TruckSafe team and support through HARMfree, you’re not on this journey alone. You’ll have access to the right people, tools and practical insights to meet CoR requirements and to strengthen overall health, safety and wellbeing in your business.

The time to act is now

TruckSafe New Zealand gives our industry a future-ready, industry-led, proactive solution. It helps operators move beyond tick-box compliance toward a culture of accountability, leadership and care. As regulatory expectations grow, including likely reforms to strengthen CoR in New Zealand, the TruckSafe certification ensures you’re already ahead.

Visit trucksafe.net.nz or email info@ trucksafe.net.nz, or contact programme manager John Sansom, 027 244 5221.

National Road Carriers Association can be contacted on 0800 686 777 or enquiries@natroad.co.nz

James Smith GM Policy and Advocacy, NRC

Complacency has delivered –let’s learn from yesterday’s mistakes

As I look at the raft of challenges

New Zealand faces as we climb out of one of the deepest recessions seen in generations, they all pin back to years, or decades in some cases, of complacency. Too many instances of “we will worry about that later”, in an attempt to avoid facing the reality of ageing infrastructure, population, systems and regulatory frameworks.

Last year and the first quarter of 2025 have seen numerous realisation moments and subsequent difficult conversations as solutions were sought.

All aspects of the economy are impacted, and most importantly for our members, it is the freight-generating sectors of manufacturing and civil construction that appear to be hardest hit.

This government is, however, making hard decisions and facing up to some of the consequences of past governments’ complacency.

Meaningful changes to the Resource Management Act 1991 are underway to reduce compliance costs and timelines. Changes to the Health and Safety Act 2015 have been signalled, returning the focus to preventing serious harm and away from tick-box perceived risk mitigation.

The growing gap between the revenue collected in the National Land Transport Fund and the fund’s demands are being addressed as part of moving away from fuel excise duties to road user charges.

Major infrastructure projects in roading, health, energy and water management are all in a fast-track process.

Regulatory reform across agencies is underway with a very clear aim of reducing red tape.

National Road Carriers continues to call for an increased focus on increasing

productivity across agencies and answers to long-term workforce challenges that the ageing population, combined with a return to economic growth, will bring.

We are also looking to lock in the principle of the continuous evolution of our regulatory settings and the infrastructure, both physical (roads, etc) and systemic, so that complacency can never again take

increased disruption. A great example is the replacement of the Cook Strait rail linkspan at Picton. This vital piece of infrastructure has been decaying for decades but until a firm decision was made on the future of rail enabled ferries, any upgrade was potentially money wasted.

With the decision now made, the linkspan and berth need replacing with urgency if

hold. New Zealand governments, central and local, cannot be allowed to ignore the need to address the unpopular or costly in favour of kicking the can down the political road.

You can play your part by pointing out your frustrations. What is holding your business back? If it’s already on the list, we can give it another nudge, and if it needs adding to someone’s list, we will do that. Don’t let complacency win.

As transport infrastructure underinvestment is addressed, we will see

we want to avoid the risk of the new ferries not being able to dock when they arrive in 2029. You only need to look across to Tasmania to see what not aligning port infrastructure with ship builds can do. On our roads, bridge decks need replacing or upgrading and these will require full closures. These disruptions will only receive industry support if the disruptions deliver a better network.

Justin Tighe‑Umbers CEO AS HEARD ON THE NRC ON SCHEDULE PODCAST

Freight finally front and centre: a path to a more productive New Zealand

For too long, freight – the essential engine room of our economy – has been overlooked in transport planning. However, in NRC’s recent On Schedule podcast, Transport Minister Chris Bishop made clear that change is underway. Freight is now front and centre in government policy, a vital shift if New Zealand is to unlock its full economic potential.

The Tauriko West project in the western Bay of Plenty exemplifies this new focus. NZTA has approved a multi-billiondollar investment case to upgrade key freight corridors alongside $97.2 million for route protection. Tauriko West has also been designated one of 17 Roads of National Significance (RoNS), sending a clear message: freight matters.

The $2.8 to $3.3 billion Tauriko West upgrade will deliver major improvements to SH29, currently burdened by capacity constraints. These upgrades aim to ease congestion, support the Tauriko Business Estate, and enable up to 30,000 new homes by 2063. Improved travel times and safety benefits are also expected, delivering productivity gains well beyond the region.

The minister emphasised that freight has long been invisible in the transport system. Ordinary Kiwis rarely consider how goods arrive at supermarkets or stores – they simply expect them to be there. COVID-19 briefly raised public awareness of supply chains, but attention quickly faded. The minister’s efforts to shift that narrative are timely and critical.

Importantly, freight is not just receiving lip service. The government’s latest Government Policy Statement on Land Transport directs NZTA to prioritise projects boosting freight efficiency, particularly through the RoNS programme. Investment in key corridors – such as the golden quadrangle linking Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, and Whangārei – is a core part of the plan. From Northland’s expressway improvements to Christchurch’s freight links, the commitment to moving freight smarter and faster is evident.

A key advantage is having a minister who also holds the housing, infrastructure, RMA reform and associate finance portfolios. This allows transport, land use, planning approvals and funding to be considered together at a systems level. Such a joined-up approach is crucial for overcoming the silos that have slowed progress and is already delivering more integrated, futureproofed outcomes.

Moreover, the minister’s open attitude is encouraging. He acknowledges that improvements are needed not just in infrastructure but in how freight productivity is measured and managed. He welcomes ideas to embed freight more explicitly into transport agency priorities.

“The importance of freight has been underemphasised for quite some time,” he said. “From a system point of view, I’m open to any improvements needed to elevate freight within the policy-setting process.”

For the freight sector, this represents a critical opportunity. Measuring the freight task, setting clear goals for improvement, and tracking performance are basic yet powerful steps to drive national productivity.

The conversation around funding and resilience was also revealing. With New Zealand facing a $120 billion infrastructure need but only $55–60 billion in revenue, smarter funding models are essential. The minister emphasised the importance of planning ahead: “We have to face up to the long-term revenue challenges in transport. That means considering new funding tools like tolling and ensuring we sequence and prioritise projects properly to get the best value for New Zealanders.”

His willingness to consider tolling for projects like Tauriko West (with a benefit-cost ratio of 1.7 if tolled) reflects a pragmatic approach. Public-private partnerships and the upcoming National Infrastructure Plan should help secure long-term support for critical freight routes.

This marks a genuine turning point. Freight is no longer an afterthought in transport discussions but is being recognised as the lifeblood of the economy. With 93% of goods moved by road, any inefficiency in the freight network impacts every New Zealander, whether they realise it or not.

There is still much work ahead. Embedding freight at the centre of policymaking, agency planning and infrastructure investment will require persistence. The freight sector must continue to advocate strongly and offer constructive, system-level solutions.

But the direction is clear – and it is the right one. Thanks to strong leadership and a renewed focus, New Zealand is poised to move faster, more efficiently and more productively than ever before. Freight is finally on the radar – and our future prosperity depends on keeping it there.

Transporting New Zealand can be contacted on (04) 472 3877 or info@transporting.nz

Dom Kalasih chief executive

Rough roads and ferry delays are key concerns for truckies

As I talk with freight operators, one concern keeps coming up – some of our roads aren’t great, and delays in replacing the Cook Strait ferries could leave us exposed.

The recently released 2025 National Road Freight Industry Survey has confirmed just how widespread these worries are.

Almost every freight business we surveyed pointed to poor roads, putting drivers and other road users at risk.

Eighty-four per cent believe regional roads and bridges are neglected. Seventy-nine per cent told us any ferry replacement delays would pose a major risk.

These aren’t just grumbles. This is real anxiety about the infrastructure underpinning our economy. When trucks can’t move safely and reliably, everything slows down. And it’s not just freight but the entire economy.

Among those who listed the roading network as a top concern, 39% identified greater accountability as the most effective solution. Many expressed a desire to move away from lowest-price contract models in favour of a focus on quality and accountability when building roads.

Or as one person put it: “Stop taking the cheapest price for roading contracts. It should be about the value and quality of work. Make contractors – and those awarding contracts – more accountable for outcomes.”

At the same time, our survey found only a minority of operators expect their financial situation to improve this year. Margins are tight, costs are climbing, and there’s a lot of uncertainty around.

One positive from our survey was the strong public support for truck drivers. It’s a reminder that New Zealanders do value drivers’ skills and what they do.

Funnily enough, a lot of truckies thought the opposite, but Research NZ found in a survey of 1000 people that 52% have a positive view of truck drivers and only 7% had a negative view. (It’s probably the 7% who are on social media a lot!)

We’ll be releasing the full results soon, which range from splits about the direction the government is heading to the big majorities, such as in the graphic above showing 79% of the drivers want more truckfriendly rest stops.

On the plus side

Just as we were looking at the survey results, there was a slew of announcements regarding achievements with roading and plans for making New Zealand’s infrastructure bigger, better, safer and more resilient.

For instance:

• The epic resealing of the 119 lane kilometres between Tīrau and Waiouru.

• The early opening of the off-ramp on the Pāpāmoa East Interchange in Tauranga.

• NZTA endorsing Tauriko West as a Road of National Significance for the western Bay of Plenty.

• Plans for the Northland Expressway from Port Marsden to Whangārei.

These will have big benefits for everyone. Infrastructure is expensive, but the costs of not building it are even higher.

Is there something in the water?

Towards the end of March, many of us waited to see what major announcements the government would make about the supermarket duopoly and the Cook Strait ferries. To me, the supermarket announcement was nothing short of what we have come to expect from our politicians nowadays – an announcement of an announcement. I wonder if anybody who writes about this stuff has ever sat down and looked at the costs that make up the final price we pay for our groceries. If they did, they’d soon find out where the underlying costs lay; they may also work out how changes to any of these have compounding effects.

As regards the ferries, I suppose we got something: namely, we will build two ships larger than what we have now but smaller than that proposed, and they will be able to carry trains and safely transit the Tory Channel, but we will not see them until 2029. Are these going to be Winston’s legacy to the country? Perhaps we could name one Winston and the other Peters? When they arrive, they will supposedly replace the three current ships operated by Interislander across Cook Strait. What I have yet to see is an analysis of whether the two new

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ones will provide more capacity than the three existing ones. If you wanted further evidence that our world has lost the plot, look no further than the story in the NZ Herald of 2 April headed “Proposed $500,000 one-sided crossing sparks backlash in Christchurch”. The article relates to a proposal to install a pedestrian crossing on Deans Avenue near the centre of Christchurch City. The issue arose because the boundary line of two community boards runs down the centre of the road. One board wanted a raised crossing (speed hump), while the other did not. The current solution will be that a raised crossing will be on one side of the road only.

I RECENTLY READ that the Government is proposing to look at how government departments and agencies who default on the responsibilities under the Official Information Act 1982 can be punished, ie, fined. As one who, on occasion, has used this act to get information, something like this would be welcomed, but it will also be a waste of time – one government department fining another for being a defaulter … Where does the money to pay the fine come from? The taxpayer. And where does it go? Back to the government –a nice little money-go-round if you can get onto it. In the meantime, of course, it creates the illusion that something serious is happening.

THERE APPEARS TO BE a strange phenomenon developing across the country – that of ‘coloured’ weather, rain and wind. I don’t know much about these, but they must be serious as they are always associated with a warning. Personally, the closest I have ever come to seeing either of these is rain with a lot of lumpy white bits in it (hail) and wind with bits and pieces of debris of many colours floating around. I have experienced strong wind, in some cases hurricane force, especially when I was at sea, but it had no colours to it. But, as many keep telling me, I am getting on in years and when this happens, strange things start happening, so maybe I am starting to go colour blind – another thing to add to the list for when I see my doctor next.

THE NAVY’S REPORT into the stranding of HMNZS Manawanui in Samoa has been released and, rightly so, the defence minister is not overly happy. The report concludes that the failure to disconnect the autopilot was the prime cause of the stranding. Where have we heard that before? Perhaps there is something in the water after all.

The Accidental Trucker

• Proven Success in Reducing Crashes and Improving Safety

• Improve Safety and Compliance

• Independent Auditing and Industry Recognition

• Competitive Advantage and Business Growth

• Clear Guidance and Support

• Supports a Safer Road Freight Sector

• Future-Focused and Industry-Led

TruckSafe New Zealand is a not-forprofit industry-led safety management system (SMS) that is aimed at improving the safety and professionalism of trucking operators across New Zealand.

WELCOME TO LITTLE TRUCKER JUNE 2025

HI LITTLE TRUCKERS!

Buckle up – this month’s issue is revved up and ready to roll!

We’ve packed the June edition full of fun, starting with a massive feature from one of the coolest trucking events in New Zealand –Wheels at Wānaka! Held over Easter Weekend, this legendary celebration of all things on wheels had everything from classic rigs to monster machines. Our awesome regular reporter Dustin Wright was there in the thick of it and couldn’t wait to share his favourite moments from the show. If you love trucks, tractors, diggers, or anything that goes “vroom,” you’ll love what we’ve got in store. But that’s not all! Turn the page to check out this month’s cool poster – we think it’ll look perfect on your bedroom wall. And don’t forget to enter our Find the Little Trucker icon contest! Our cheeky mascot, Trucky, is hiding somewhere in the pages of this magazine. Can you spot him? Grab a pen, keep your eyes peeled, and good luck! As always, we love hearing from you. Send us your truck drawings, letters, or photos of you with your favourite machines – we might feature you in the next issue!

Until next time, keep truckin’ and stay safe on (and off!) the road.

Shannon

Pace Contracting’s Mack Super-Liner and Ultra-Liner strutting their stuff on the parade ground at Wheels at Wānaka.

Wheels at Wānaka 2025 was one of a kind. Not only was it the last Wheels at Wānaka event, but also Caterpillar celebrated 100 years of business. I was lucky enough to get a ride down with Granddad in our 1979 Ford D-series with the Caterpillar D2 on the back.

2025 2025

Story and Photos By Dustin Wright

Dustin checked out everything on offer at this year’s Wheels at Wānaka, and shares his favourite highlights from Easter Weekend 2025.

I arrived in Wānaka on Thursday and had a bit of a walk around the show to get a look at some of the gear that had already turned up. After snapping a couple of good shots with the camera, I headed back to Cromwell where

Waking up on Friday full of excitement, I jumped in the car to go and watch the Terra

I ended up turning up early – the gates were still closed! We sat there waiting for them to open before heading in. Once we finally got in, we realised how much gear had turned up overnight. It was great to see anything on wheels come from all around the county and

I went and helped Dave and the team at magazine set up their tent before going for another walk to look around. After lunch the sun started to appear, which meant it was time to go get some photos – better light means better photos FYI.

There was even a helicopter that was dropping lollies out for the kids.

On Saturday, I spent a lot of time at the tractor-pulling event, which was exciting. But I couldn’t wait for one of the main events – the world record attempt for the most Caterpillar machines in one place. After 242 Caterpillars – from smallest machinery to their biggest –had driven past, the team had set the world record for the most Caterpillars in a parade. How cool. Afterwards we sat around for a while before heading off to the shed for some prizes to be given out and speeches. After that, we headed back to Cromwell.

On Sunday we woke up bright and early again and headed to the show, where it turned out to be a very good day. I got the camera out but some trucks had already left, which meant there wasn’t as much to take photos of. After watching some more of the

Son Transport in the Southpac parade.

After that I went for a walk around the tractors for a look, then Granddad and I loaded the Caterpillar D2 onto the back of the Ford D-series to head home.

Personally, my favourite truck of the show was B R Satherley Transport’s W924, because it has a Caterpillar engine and looks the part as it sits low to the ground. Personally, the best fleet was Burnell & Son Transport, because the artwork on the side of their trucks looks outstanding.

I would like to thank everyone involved in organising Wheels at Wānaka; you guys did such a great job.

See you soon, Dustin

Send a picture of your colouring in to us at shannon@nztrucking.co.nz and go in the draw to win a prize from Hino. Get your entry in before 5pm, Friday 13th June.

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