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ISSUE 02

APRIL 06

One name. Three brands. Infinite solutions.

DaimlerChrysler brings you over 100 years of engineering experience in three of the world’s most trusted truck and van brands: Mercedes-Benz, Freightliner and Sterling. No matter what your requirements are, DaimlerChrysler has a unique solution including financial and maintenance packages. To find out how we can build a truck, provide a van – or a fleet of either – to satisfy all your individual needs, call 0800 628 782 now.

Issue 02 Welcome Back… to the second edition of DriveLine. We received so much positive feedback after the first issue of DriveLine, we thought it would be tough to top it again! But once you've taken a look at what we've put together for this even bigger second issue, I'm confident you'll be just as impressed. Whether you're in the transport and delivery business or one of the trades, there's a great deal of interest for you within these pages. Sterling and Freightliner trucks as well as Mercedes-Benz trucks and vans are now common sights across the country - and more and more of them are hitting the road every day of every week. Why? You'll find a very interesting article in this issue covering the record sales we enjoyed in 2005, both here and internationally, and the reasons driving this unprecedented sales boom. Thanks for the great response to Driveline issue 1 and keep that correspondence coming. Please feel free to contact us with your views on any subject raised and/or submit pictures and stories for future issues. In the meantime - enjoy the magazine!

Ian Walker General Manager - Commercial Vehicles DaimlerChrysler New Zealand Limited

DriveLine Contributor Jon Addison is one of New Zealand’s most experienced motoring, motorsport and road transport journalists, whose first vehicle test was in 1967 – in a Hillman Hunter. He was the founding editor of industry-leading New Zealand Trucking magazine, a role he held for 15 years. In 2004, with Sandy Myhre, he drove a Mercedes-Benz Vito 115 CDI van to a class win in the national Energywise economy rally, averaging 6.72 litres/100km (42mpg)

NSTL & Mercedes-Benz – a Relationship Built Over Time

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Cartage Made Easy – with Winstones & Freightliner

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Blood anyone? – NZ Blood Service chooses Mercedes-Benz

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The Award for Versatility Goes to… the New Mercedes-Benz Axor

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A Man of Experience – we talk to Chris Mackey

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Welcome expansion – Trucks & Trailers Auckland get bigger

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Well Over 1Million km… and still working hard

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110 years of Mercedes-Benz Success

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Looking after the South Island – Trucks South’s Graham Woods

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Customer Trucks – great looking trucks with interesting jobs

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Air Travel made Safer – NZ Aviation Security Service chooses Vito

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Worldwide record sales for commercial vehicles

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Fuel economy to the extreme – Tulloch Transport

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Meet the famous Jonesy – A legend in the South

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Your chance to get to know the DCNZ Commercial Vehicle team

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BP, Castrol and Mercedes-Benz – a great blend

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What today’s plumber drives

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One of John Davies' companies, Northern Southland Transport, has been buying Mercedes-Benz trucks for the past 40 years, making his association with the brand almost certainly longer than anyone else’s in New Zealand. Back in 1966, purchase of a Mercedes-Benz truck was a brave decision. Although World War Two had ended 20 years earlier some stigma remained, and the power of the post-war Wirtschaftswunder (economic miracle) was barely beginning to be felt outside the Continent. The fact that the truck was a long-nosed 1418 ensured the decision was a good one. The ruggedness and reliability of this model has since become legendary. “It was a remarkable vehicle in its time,” John Davies says. “It had a real lead over everything else around at the time in terms of the life of its engine, gearbox and diff. It was ahead of its time and it made carriers all over the country.” There’s still a successor of the 1418’s in the Northern Southland Transport Queenstown depot – a 1984 2628 six-wheeler with an original Domett-Fruehauf alloy bathtub body. It doesn’t look very different from the 1966 truck, yet remains capable of a profitable day’s work.

It’s quite clear that John Davies has made many smart business decisions in the 40 years since he signed up with Cable Price salesperson Trevor Hawkes for that first Mercedes-Benz truck. He’s now chairman of family-owned Trojan Holdings Ltd, which has extensive business interests throughout the South Island. These include transport-related operations Trans West Freighters, Southland Bin Services and Queenstown Concrete, along with Northern Southland. Tourism enterprises include majority interests in the Coronet Peak, The Remarkables and Mt Hutt ski fields, together accounting for 40% of the New Zealand ski market, and majority holdings in The Hermitage Mt Cook and associated facilities, the Milford Track and Routeburn Guided Walks and even the Avis agency in Queenstown. Trojan Holdings also owns an extensive commercial property portfolio, including all its transport depots, landmark buildings in Queenstown and Wanaka and large warehouses in Christchurch. Along with more than 155 trucks on the transport side, the group operates a huge range of plant - snow groomers, a passenger vessel on Milford Sound, barges and even a helicopter, which replaced pack horses to freight food and fuel to the company’s tourist lodges.

The diverse enterprise is entirely family-owned and John Davies’ son Michael manages the operations and property sides while his daughter Jacqui, whose background is in finance and accounting, is the Group Financial Controller. Late in 2004 Jason Ritchie left Road Freighters, in Hastings, to become General Manager of the transport arm of the group, working from the Northern Southland Transport Holdings depot in Queenstown. It all started with trucks. Trucks and hard work. In 1964 John Davies bought Wakatipu Transport, mostly for its then-vital carrying licences. “It had eight trucks, six of which went,” he laughs. “They were mostly petrol – mainly Austins, Bedfords and a Commer.” The work was mostly deliveries around Queenstown – concrete blocks for the beginning of the town’s construction boom, a bit of livestock and a lot of coal. In those days the steamer Earnslaw, now a flash tourist boat, shipped coal from the railhead at Kingston, at the southern tip of Lake Wakatipu. John Davies and his drivers shoveled the coal into bags and delivered it all over the Queenstown region, moving up to 40 tonne a week at the peak of the season. Although the Wakatipu Transport name dated back to the horse and cart era, it didn’t hang around long in the entrepreneurial hands of its new owner. Ironically it was the charismatic Trevor Hawkes who indirectly led to John Davies owning Northern Southland. Before selling trucks for Cable Price he’d lived in New York where he worked purchasing equipment for the New Zealand Government. At one time he held the Thornycroft truck agency and he imported the first Fletcher aircraft. Lumsden Transport, Mossburn Transport, Te Anau Transport and Manapouri Haulage had merged to become Northern Southland Transport, and Trevor Hawkes suggested to the company that it also buy out John Davies’ Wakatipu Transport. As it turned out, the reverse eventually occurred. As the interest of the original families and driver-shareholders waned, he steadily acquired their shares and, as he puts it: “I out-lived everyone.” Where the 1418 Mercedes-Benz trucks had proved themselves throughout the 1960s, the bigger 1923 six-wheeler maintained the brand’s reputation through the 1970s. Undoubtedly the Chairman John Davies (left) and General Manager Jason Ritchie (right)

toughest job Northern Southland put its 1923 trucks to work on was supplying cement and other building materials across the Willmott Pass to Deep Cove, at the inland end of Doubtful Sound, for the construction of the West Arm Manapouri power station tailrace tunnel. The pass was so tough that a set of tyres lasted just 8000 miles (12,800km) and on one climb the truck was in low-low gear for an hour and 20 minutes. Not surprisingly, gearbox problems developed. “Mercedes-Benz sent an engineer out from Germany to investigate and when he took the gearbox oil temperature he discovered that the oil was boiling,” John Davies recalls. “They fitted an oil cooler up front and after that we had no more trouble.” Over the years Northern Southland has had to adapt to an ever-changing road transport environment. Barely a sack of coal comes into Queenstown these days! Through the 1970s and into the ‘80s the work was largely rural-based, centering on the cartage of fertiliser and livestock. However the removal of farm subsidies and the deregulation of the road transport industry in the 1980s conspired to change all that. While the company still carts and spreads fertiliser and moves stock, it was already diversifying into the growing waste disposal industry, first in Invercargill and later in Queenstown and ultimately most of the centres between the two. But general freight cartage has steadily increased since deregulation and is now the mainstay of the operation. “The extent of the change can be seen from the fact that Christchurch has become the freight hub for the whole South Island,” John Davies says. “We used to do a lot of cartage out of Invercargill, but now virtually everything comes through Christchurch.” Northern Southland now operates a depot, warehouse and large truck workshop in Christchurch. One thing that hasn’t changed is the dominance of MercedesBenz trucks in the fleet. Jason Ritchie says that 115 of the trucks in the 155-strong fleet are Mercedes-Benz, 43 of them Actros heavy-duty models. Some 16 of these work on livestock during the season. Around 55% of the fleet is 1999 or newer. The company operates 13 bulk sowers, all Mercedes-Benz Ategos, based in Lumsden, Mossburn, Te Anau and the West

Coast. They were recently fitted with GPS-based tracking systems, which means the drivers no longer have to be able to see their wheel marks to be able to spread accurately. “Depending on the wind and terrain they can now spread up to 24 metres wide and the in-paddock time has reduced by 30%,” says Jason Ritchie. Australian-born but New Zealand-educated, he started his career at CourierPost, moved to Australia where he spent seven years in New South Wales with Mayne Logistics, which was taken over by Toll Logistics, before he worked in Saudi Arabia for two years. He returned to New Zealand for three years at Road Freighters before shifting to Queenstown.

He says that other factors making Mercedes-Benz the “default brand” include the long-term relationships with both DaimlerChrysler and South Island representatives Trucks South and SouthStar, plus the experience of the brand within the Northern Southland workshops. John Davies adds that in the Queenstown workshop Bert Chandler, who has been with the company for 27 years, is one of the most experienced Mercedes-Benz mechanics in the country. His experience even includes training in Germany. But John Davies says the main reason that Mercedes-Benz is likely to maintain its standing in the Northern Southland fleet is the product itself.

The installation of GPS equipment in the spreaders – and new uniforms throughout the fleet – is a reflection of Jason Ritchie’s brief to modernise the operation, but Mercedes-Benz trucks look certain to play their part in future.

“They’ve had the odd model that has not been so good – not everything is great,” he says. “But on the whole they are a good, reliable truck with good resale value. And parts prices are lower than Japanese ones.

“We’ve looked closely at our costs and in the 44 tonne fleet – trucks and trailers and tractor-semis – we believe the Mercedes-Benz are slightly cheaper to run than the Japanese brands in the fleet,” he explains. “This is taking into account the resale value at the end of the truck’s life with us.”

“Besides, the support for the trucks is probably better now than it’s ever been,” John Davies adds. “Particularly the driver training by Graham Woods (Trucks South product support manager). “Our r&m costs are also well below average as a percentage of revenue,” he concludes.

The Low-down On Winstone Freightliners Low tare weight and low fuel consumption – those were the two attributes Winstone Aggregates ranked at the top of its list before purchasing five new Freightliner Columbia bulk tippers for its South Auckland-based operation. Maximizing payloads and minimizing running costs are essential in the ultra-competitive environment of bulk cartage in the greater Auckland region, explains National Transport Manager Brett Horrobin. The choice of the Columbia 112 6x4 tippers and four-axle trailers seems to be paying off, too. “It’s early days yet as the trucks still aren’t run in, but it looks promising,” says Brett Horrobin. “Although December is traditionally our worst month for fuel economy, we were already getting 2.08km/litre on the on-board computers, and initial feedback from the drivers was that they were looking economical.” Although the Freightliners’ MBE4000 straight six 12.8 litre engines probably play their part in achieving good economy, he says the efficiency is unlikely to arise from one aspect of the trucks: “It’s the complete package.” The North American-spec engines are rated at 450hp and 1550ft/lb of torque, so offer excellent performance for their work hauling aggregates, mostly from the huge Winstone’s Hunua quarry – one of the biggest in New Zealand – to sites around the greater Auckland area. The reason the Winstone Aggregate trucks are at their thirstest in December is probably due to Auckland’s traffic woes, which peak in the lead-up to Christmas. And the traffic congestion was among the reasons that Eaton Autoshift gearboxes were spec'd to back up the six cylinder diesel engines.

Another was an increased awareness of health and safety requirements. Even though drivers have hands-free equipment for their mobile phones and are accustomed to using R/Ts in the cab, it still helps to have the automatically-shifted gearbox when a call is received in the thick of traffic. “Winstones has a major focus on the health and safety of its drivers and other staff,” Brett Horrobin says. “For that reason we fitted the rigs with new elliptical tarps so the drivers don’t have to climb up on ladders to cover their loads. “And we had slippery plastic liners fitted to the bodies so that they don’t have to be lifted so high to tip off on cambered ground.” The five Freightliner Columbia trucks and trailers are also all equipped with ABS anti-lock brakes for safety, especially valuable in Auckland’s traffic conditions. Winstone Aggregates single-shifts the familiar blue and white bulk rigs, with one driver looking after each unit. The fleet now includes 28 Auckland-based rigs, six in the Waikato, one in Napier, a pair in Otaki, two in Wellington, three in Christchurch and one in Whangarei. Brett Horrobin, who started with the company in 1999 as its first driver in the Waikato after a period as an owner-driver, manages the whole national fleet, and says the performance of the first five Freightliners makes the brand leading a contender for future fleet replacements.

Sprinters’ Role In Blood Collection In every medical drama on television there’s fake blood by the gallon, but in real life few activities are as vital to the world of medicine than the supply of suitable human blood – and now Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vans are playing a crucial role in delivering it. They’ve gone to work for the mobile collection teams of the New Zealand Blood Service, which collects, processes and maintains the supply of blood and blood products to clinics and hospitals throughout the country. Until 1998 district health boards were responsible for blood collection, but that year the Government established the Blood Service as a licensed crown entity to centralise the process. With whole blood having a shelf life of only 35 days, it’s a never-ending operation.

“The feedback from the drivers is that compared with the old vans it’s chalk and cheese,” says Andrew Szymanik. Along with the power and comfort of the Mercedes-Benz vans, he says their safety and traction control are important. The trailers in tow have four-wheel disc brakes with ABS antilock and the standard traction control can help when the vans have to travel to outlying rural areas or park on grass, which is often the case when the blood collection is at places like school halls.

The New Zealand Blood Service operates 11 sites around New Zealand for the processing of whole blood, using vans towing trailers for the actual blood collection from surrounding communities. It employs a total of around 450 people.

While control over the temperature of the blood has to be maintained, refrigeration isn’t necessary, the service relying on polystyrene packs and dry ice.

The vans can accommodate up to 11 blood collection staff, while the trailers, when fully loaded with blood, can reach the maximum braked towing rating of 2000kg.

There are now Sprinters operating in Auckland, the Waikato, the Manawatu, Christchurch and Dunedin, with a sixth due to go into Wellington operating alongside one MercedesBenz Vito 111L automatic van.

Until last year the mainstream van was the Ford Transit, but the service’s Performance Improvement and Procurement Manager, Andrew Szymanik, says they lacked the power and torque to do some aspects of the work: “They couldn’t pull a trailer over Arthur’s Pass, so had to take an alternative route,” he says. The first requirement when it became time for replacement was to find vans with sufficient power and torque to “be fit for purpose.” The Sprinter 316 CDI vans have common rail direct injection diesel engines rated at 115kW (156hp) and 330Nm of torque from 1400-2400rpm. Although New Zealand Blood Service employs full-time drivers for the vans, Andrew Szymanik opted for optional automatic transmissions as much of the operation is around city streets. All are 3550mm medium wheelbase, standard roof versions, and were fitted with seats, trimmed inside and equipped with air-conditioning and radios by Jackson Enterprises, in Auckland. At times the teams travel several hundred kilometers and can be away for a week, so a comfortable traveling environment was considered essential.

First seen in New Zealand as a 4x4 fertiliser spreader, the Axor is available in Europe in a full range of on-highway versions with gross combination weight ratings ranging up to 50 tonne.

A feature of the six cylinder engine is the optional Turbobrake. Working in tandem with the standard exhaust brake, this produces a whopping 300kW of hold-back.

DaimlerChrysler New Zealand will now able to draw from this range to meet the varying requirements of local truck operators The mainstream Axor being sold here will be either a 6x4 or 8x4 with the OM457LA straight-six 12.0 litre engine and a G240 16-speed gearbox,

While the front-line gearbox behind the OM457LA engine is the 16-speed G240, available with Telligent shift, the new Mercedes-Benz G131 nine-speed gearbox is also available.

Launched in Europe just last year, the Axor fits between the premium Actros range and the Atego distribution models in the Mercedes-Benz truck line-up. Marketed primarily as a fleet truck, the combination of the straight-six engine and lower tare weights will broaden the appeal of the new Axor in New Zealand. Its chassis is similar to that of the Actros, but a slightly smaller cab helps lower tare weight by between 300kg and 400kg depending on the detailed specification. The 6x4 versions are rated at 26 tonne gross vehicle weight, with the 8x4s carrying a 32 tonne GVW. While precise specifications for New Zealand have yet to be finalised, in Europe the cab is available in “day cab plus” or full sleeper cab configurations. The “day cab plus” version maximizes load space, but a 180mm extension at the rear gives occupants extra storage and a spacious driving environment. Under the cab is the Mercedes-Benz OM457LA engine, which is available in ratings from 260kW (354hp). However the mainstream rating will be 316kW (430hp), with maximum torque of 1550ft/lb.

Both hub reduction and hypoid differentials are on offer for certain models in most markets, while ASR traction control is an option. Also available on certain models in Europe is the latest Mercedes-Benz Telligent stability control system. Proven in the company’s passenger car and Sprinter van ranges, where it is called ESP (Electronic Stability Program), the system detects any threat to stability, such as skidding, tailsliding, jack-knifing or imminent roll-over and adjusts braking and engine torque to maintain the rig’s grip on the road. It detects these situations at a very early stage and makes its corrections before the driver is even aware that the problem has arisen. Mercedes-Benz says the introduction of the optional stability program makes the new Axor an ideal truck for the cartage of hazardous freight, such as in fuel distribution. While electronic braking is standard on the Actros, it’s an option on the Axor, one of a range of differences that will enable local operators to achieve an ideal balance between price, performance and specification, depending on which of the two big Mercedes-Benz trucks they opt for. This approach has already led to the Axor picking up its first international award. Readers of the Finnish magazine Ajolinga voted the Axor commercial vehicle of the year 2005. It emerged on top of a field of 19 trucks, buses and vans receiving votes in the magazine’s reader poll.

Chris Mackey – A Deep Experience In Trucks As General Manager Sales for Auckland-based Trucks & Trailers Ltd Chris Mackey signs off on some high-value truck deals. Although Chris now works with trucks, the most expensive vehicles he's been involved with were, in fact, cars. After leaving school at the age of 17 he started work for the Torino Motors Group, where one of the brands along with Fiat and Lancia was Ferrari. He did get to drive some of the Italian super-cars, with price tags so stratospheric that a deposit of $100,000 was expected with every order. And he even managed to run out of fuel in one! In an industry where depth of experience is considered a major asset, Chris Mackey’s is about as deep as it gets, even though he has concentrated on just two truck organisations. At Torino Motors he started in spare parts, but soon graduated to a trainee manager role, where he was expected to learn the ropes in every facet of the business. This ultimately led him to the group’s truck division, Scandinavian Motors Ltd, where he worked for five years in the marketing and sales sides of the industry with Scania trucks and coaches. In a major upheaval in 1991 the Scania franchise was shifted to CablePrice Corporation and Chris Mackey decided this was an opportunity to learn the retail side of the industry, selling used trucks and equipment with C&H Commercials. The traditional big “OE” interrupted this part of his career for three years in the early 1990s, two of which he spent working in an accounting department of London Underground.

Sales Manager Chris Mackey

“This gives us a huge advantage,” Chris Mackey says. “We can meet the different requirements an operator might have within a fleet, whether it be for the European technology and safety, or the low tare weight of the custom-built North American ones. “And it gives us some protection against foreign exchange fluctuations,” he adds.

Back in New Zealand he returned to marketing new trucks at C&H Commercials, from where he was head-hunted by Trucks & Trailers mid-way through 1996.

At Trucks & Trailers Chris Mackey “grew into” his present role as general manager, sales, where he now has a sales staff including four specialist new truck salesmen, a used truck rep, another who deals in both used trucks and vans, and a van sales specialist.

“Trucks & Trailers had been a Scania parts and service dealer before 1991, so I knew Don Wright,” he says. “While I’d been involved with Scania off and on for ten years and liked the product, there were too many uncertainties around its representation on the New Zealand market.

While he continues to enjoy maintaining contact with some of the customers with whom he has established career-long relationships, his main work revolves around maintaining communication with DaimlerChrysler New Zealand, supporting his sales staff and managing the larger fleet sales.

“As well as that, Don offered me the opportunity to learn about the North American style of truck as Trucks & Trailers were then selling Freightliner as well as Mercedes-Benz,” he adds. “The Mercedes was a European vertically-integrated truck, but the Freightliner, as a component truck, meant learning a whole new aspect of the industry.”

In fact he says the highlight of more than two decades in the truck business is the friendships that have evolved. “People buy off people – it’s the relationships that make it worthwhile.”

As the DaimlerChrysler operation developed, Trucks & Trailers for a period specialized in Freightliner, but now markets all three of the group’s brands – Mercedes-Benz, Freightliner and Sterling.

Outside of trucks, Chris Mackey’s life revolves largely around his family – he and his wife Robyn have a two-and-a-half-yearold boy and a 16-month-old girl. And these days Ferrari sports cars don’t play any part in his life. Instead, his passion is riding a mountain bike.

One Better For Mercedes-Benz Vans Last year was the second-best yet for Mercedes-Benz vans, and a big part of the push to go one better this year centres on the huge Auckland market, with heavy truck specialists Trucks & Trailers opening a dedicated van operation. All sales and servicing of the Sprinter and Vito vans south of the Auckland Harbour Bridge is now being handled from the new Trucks & Trailers facility in Manukau City. Says Trucks & Trailers Sales Manager Chris Mackey: “MercedesBenz is a premium brand so this move is all about making sure that everything reflects the quality of these vehicles, including sales, service and vehicle maintenance.” Although the Sprinter middleweight vans and Vito light vans occupy the showroom, owners of older MB100 and MB140 vans will also be able to get their vehicles serviced in the commercial vehicle specialist workshops. In addition to the Trucks and Trailers workshop hours – from 7.30am to 6.00pm on weekdays and 7.30am to noon on Saturdays, they can take advantage of the Mercedes-Benz around-the-clock call-out service. Dedicated light commercial bays have been established in the workshops, equipped with the latest servicing tools and gear and manned by specifically trained technicians.

“A few years ago Mercedes-Benz vans struggled on price, but now prices have been re-aligned and they are much more competitive with the opposition,” he says. “And with prices starting at just $36,711 (plus GST) for a Vito 109 Compact, you can see just how competitive we really are. “We also have an advantage because Mercedes-Benz vans are built with additional safety in mind and many companies are taking that into account in accordance with their OSH responsibilities. Mercedes-Benz Vito vans come standard with ABS braking and an excellent electronic stability system that assists the driver to maintain control in adverse road conditions – safety technology that is often not found on ordinary vans, making it the safest van in the medium van market.” Along with their car-like driving characteristics and the fuel economy provided by modern common rail diesel engines, the Sprinters and Vitos are real workers, with payload ratings topping two tonne and cargo capacities of up to 13.4 cubic metres.

The Manukau City company has enlisted Englishman Ken Jeynes to take charge of the new van sales operation. In the United Kingdom he worked for a competitor for almost 20 years and says he is relishing the opportunity to sell MercedesBenz vans, “They are such good vans – they don’t really have any drawbacks. “The new Sprinter is the best van of its size in the world and the latest Vito drives like a car – I am going to enjoy selling them instead of trying to compete against them.” The Sprinter and Vito vans are displayed right next to the heavy trucks at the Wiri Station Road headquarters of Trucks & Trailers, reflecting the emphasis the company places on meeting the requirements of commercial operators. “We have been associated with heavy trucks for many years and we have built an excellent reputation among the big transport companies,” explains Chris Mackey. “Many of them run vans as well so they, and others, can enjoy the same experience now we have Mercedes-Benz vans as well as big trucks all under the one roof. Mr Mackey believes there is significant potential for MercedesBenz vans to sell into both central and south Auckland.

LCV Sales Specialist Ken Jeynes

Good Advice in the Long Run Sometimes in business the right bit of advice can make all the difference. In the case of courier contractor Brian Paulus, taking the advice of a customer to pay a premium for a new Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van may not yet have made him a millionaire – but it’s resulted in his van becoming one. The medium wheelbase, low roof Sprinter 313 CDi he bought in June 2001 now has 1,075,000km on its odometer. South African-born Brian Paulus had been running a Toyota Hiace for CourierPost when he applied for, and won, the contract for an inter-city run requiring a larger van. His first choice was a Ford Transit, as CourierPost then had an arrangement that would have earned him a large discount. “However one of my customers suggested that I look at the Sprinter,” he recalls. “He conceded that it would cost more up-front, because I wouldn’t be able to get a discount, but in the long run I’d come out in front.” The advice taken, despite a whopping 20% price premium for the German van in those days, Brian Paulus has certainly experienced the long run. He hops into the Sprinter cab around 4am every day and does a run to Hamilton and back. At noon his driver, Fijian-born Riaz Mohammed, takes the big Merc to Matamata, Taupo, Rotorua, Matamata, Hamilton and back to Auckland, finishing back at the Mt Wellington depot at around 10pm. That run sees the Sprinter in at Trucks & Trailers for a service every month – even though the van has a 22,500km service interval. “That’s another saving,” laughs Brian Paulus. “In some of the other vans around I’d be in every other Saturday for a service.”

In its long operating life the Sprinter has worn out a few of its hard-working components – an injector, the water pump and, at 790,000km, the clutch. But Brian Paulus feels this is acceptable considering the work the vehicle has done. “At that mileage I’m now taking things day by day, but it’s still coming up the Bombays at 110km/h without needing a gear change, and it’s not using any oil.” Fuel consumption has proved to be “fantastic” and despite hard running, often relatively heavily loaded, tyre life has averaged 110,000km. “In fact I’ve become a Sprinter fanatic now, and I’m replacing it with a new 313,” he adds. This time though, increasing volumes of freight have called for a long wheelbase, high-roof version. “At the moment we sometimes have to leave a bit of non-urgent freight behind because the van is full.” Before it goes on the road, he will be making a few modifications. He’s having carpet glued to the interior lining, partly to keep road noise to a minimum and partly for protection from accidental contact with items of freight. He’s also fitting a solid bulkhead between the cab and load compartment to reduce the volume that has to be cooled by the air-conditioning. And the trusty old millionaire Sprinter? It seems Brian Paulus is reluctant to part with it – he’s considering keeping it as a back-up van, using it on some runs to keep the mileage down on the new one, or just using it as his personal run-around. After all, it’s still in good shape and looks as though there are plenty of kilometers left in it yet.

Van Double Milestone Just a decade after Mercedes-Benz launched a new era in light vans, the industry-leading Vito has reached the milestone of 750,000 units built. Although 2006 marks the double milestones of ten years of Vito production and the three-quarter million mark, there’s also a third milestone – it’s 110 years since founder Karl Benz presented the “combination delivery vehicle” – the forerunner of today’s vans. There have been plenty of other milestones in the 110 years since 1896, too. However it wasn’t until 1955 that Mercedes-Benz launched the modern van era with the unveiling of the L319 model at that year’s IAA international commercial vehicle show. Built on a separate ladder chassis and powered by a 43hp diesel engine, the L319 had a gross weight rating of 3600kg and, despite an overall length of just 4800mm, could accommodate 8.6 cubic metres of freight. Around 140,000 were built.

This ground-breaking design, with GVW ratings from 2550kg to 4600kg (and 6000kg from 2001) also offered powerful diesel engines, up to 156hp, and automatic as well as manual gearboxes. More than 1.3 million were eventually built. Just a few months later in 1995 came the new Vito, taking Mercedes-Benz into the compact van segment. For the first time in the industry, a van offering the handling and drivability of a passenger car became available. With independent suspension all round, a wide track offering sure roadholding as well as a large load floor, disc brakes with ABS on all four wheels and a driver’s airbag, the new Vito offered class-leading safety. By the time Mercedes-Benz was ready to launch the present Vito in 2003, around 560,000 of the first generation vans had been built.

More than ten years later, in 1967, the Düsseldorfer, named after the city in which it was manufactured, was unveiled, remaining in production for almost 20 years with just under half a million built.

The second-generation Vito offered two wheelbase lengths, three body lengths, two roof heights, GVWs of 2770kg and 2940kg and a range of high-tech Euro 4 diesel engines making up to 150hp.

Meanwhile Mercedes-Benz had taken over rival German company Hanomag, deriving from one of its designs the smaller L206D and L306D vans.

Available with a six-speed manual or an automatic gearbox, the Vito has an ESP (Electronic Stability Programme) and BAS (Brake Assist System) as well as ABS (Anti-lock Braking System), ASR (Anti Skid Ratio) and EBD (Electronic Brake Distribution).

These were supplanted in 1977 by a new front-engine, rearwheel-drive modern monocoque-construction van called the Bremer, being built in Bremen, and destined to remain in production for 18 years, during which 970,000 were made. The Bremer carried gross weight ratings of 2550kg to 3500kg and diesel engines from 65hp to 95hp. In the early part of 1995 Mercedes-Benz introduced the first Sprinter, offering for the first time a modern specification that included independent suspension and disc brakes with ABS anti-lock.

With the 750,000-unit production mark reached this year, DaimlerChrysler New Zealand took on a new project, building a Land Transport New Zealand compliant 11-seat bus version of the 109L, priced from just $55,800. Built through Van Xtras in Auckland, it features a revolutionary new sliding rail system and high-specification bucket seats. The importance of vans in the Mercedes-Benz enterprise was recognised in 1995 with the establishment of a stand-alone vans business unit, which now employs 13,400 staff.

South Island Ambassador Soon after Graham Woods was appointed Service Manager at Trucks South in Timaru, in 1999, he began to field calls from further and further afield and almost before he knew it, was the South Island trouble-shooter for Mercedes-Benz and Sterling trucks. It’s a role he has performed so well that now DaimlerChrysler New Zealand considers him the South Island ambassador for the two truck brands.

Christchurch ready-mix business, before taking up a job at Days Motors, a highly regarded bus and tour coach operator at the time. There he was effectively building bus chassis.

These days Graham is the Trucks South Product Support Manager, working throughout the Mainland, and his former senior mechanic Graham “Chopper” Penson is the workshop manager at Timaru.

“There were no rear-engined chassis available, so we bought Bedford chassis, shifted the engines to the rear, turned the diffs over and so on – virtually built them from scratch,” he recalls.

As Product Support Manager, Graham represents Trucks South, which is the South Island sales agent for Mercedes-Benz and Sterling trucks and the parts and service agent for South Canterbury.

In 1976 he moved to Timaru for an 18-month contract sorting out a fleet of 120 trucks taken on by Mt Cook Group, which had purchased five carriers. He’s been there ever since.

But he also represents DaimlerChrysler, keeping in touch with parts and service agents Truck Specialists in Nelson, SouthStar in Christchurch, Dunedin Truck Services and Invercargill Truck Servicing. At the same time he maintains close relationships with truck operators and also conducts driver training on every new Mercedes-Benz Actros sold in the South Island. He’s one of just four New Zealand driver trainers who trained in Auckland under Anton Thomas, the manager of MercedesBenz driver training worldwide. It’s all quite a change for a man who started straight out of school as an apprentice mechanic on Bedford trucks at The Farmers, in Christchurch, in 1960.

Now, along with solving problems arising anywhere in the South Island, he heads them off before they arise through driver training. “Driver training is absolutely essential to get the best reliability and economy the modern truck is capable of,” he stresses. “For example, before training its drivers one company had six or seven expensive gearbox rebuilds in a year. “I was in the owner’s office when a truck coming out of the workshop 100 yards away went through five gear changes before it passed us. That convinced the owner to put his drivers through training, and in the 18 months since there hasn’t been a gearbox problem,” Graham adds.

Especially as he left the trucking industry in 1989 and was only lured back into it by Timaru Motors a decade later when the company started the Trucks South division to take on the Mercedes-Benz and Sterling franchises. “So much had happened in the ten years I’d been out of the industry it took quite a lot of work to get back up to speed – then they threw computers at me,” Graham Woods explains. “It’s been an amazing learning curve.” The pace of change in the industry has placed an enormous emphasis on training, and Graham says that one of the ten mechanics at Trucks South is now away on a course on average every three weeks. And, as most of the courses are in Auckland, it’s a huge business cost. On the other hand, constantly improving reliability and longevity of modern trucks, along with extended service intervals, means they tend to be in the workshops less frequently. After his apprenticeship at The Farmers, Graham Woods worked briefly as a driver-mechanic at Masonry Services, a

Service Manager Graham Woods

Customer Trucks Spectacular Argosy

Photo by Trevor McCallum

The custom-build philosophy of Southstar Freightliner enabled Christchurchbased operators Andrea and Vaughan Keefe to put this spectacular new Freightliner Argosy tractor unit to work. The big 6x4 Argosy, with its 101-inch sleeper, pulls a five-axle B-train tipper rig on general freight and wood chip cartage for Mainfreight Bulk Distribution. Under the sharp-looking cab is a 620hp Cummins Signature diesel engine, backed up by an RTLO22918B Roadranger gearbox. Driver Vaughan can be spotted anywhere between Christchurch and Nelson and the rig, with its twin alloy air intakes, is hard to miss. Sales Consultant: Trevor McCallum – SouthStar Freightliner

Versatile Freightliner The ability to cart timber, general freight or logs not only makes this Freightliner a versatile rig, but also ensures it a maximum load factor. The 90-inch Argosy eight-wheeler works for high-profile Taupo-based company Total Transport and can be sighted anywhere in the North Island. The Argosy is powered by a 520hp Cummins engine, which drives through an 18-speed Roadranger gearbox. Behind the big twin-steer Freightliner is a four-axle trailer built by Kraft Engineering in Rotorua. Sales Consultant: Wayne Jones – Trucks & Trailers Ltd

Recycling Mercedes-Benz The increasing importance of the recycling industry can be seen with this smart Mercedes-Benz Actros 2654 being put to work carting recycled metal in the lower North Island. Pulling either a three-axle semi-trailer or a B-train, the big Merc also hauls general freight for owner D. Reichenbach of Palmerston North. Driven by Dennis, the new 6x4 Actros tractor unit has a Mercedes-Benz OM502 V8 diesel engine, rated at 540hp, under the cab. Backing it up is a Telligent shift 16-speed gearbox. Sales Consultant: John O’Sullivan – Trucks & Trailers Ltd

Atego Spreader Helping to fuel the country’s primary industry by spreading fertiliser is this new Mercedes-Benz Atego 1528AK/33 4x4. The new spreader works throughout Otago from the Outram base of Hyslop Rural Transport Ltd. With a live-drive power take-off, the truck’s Mercedes-Benz OM906LA engine is ideal for bulk fertiliser spreading and, with 280hp on tap has no difficulty pulling its Automat trailer out to farms. Behind the diesel engine is a G131 nine-speed gearbox. Sales Consultant: Barry Sherer – Trucks South Ltd

Customer Trucks Slim-line Argosy

Photo by Trevor McCallum

The slim-line 63-inch day cab of this new Freightliner Argosy makes it ideal for its application hauling livestock by ensuring maximum deck length. Driven by John Mackley, the new rig carries the familiar colours of Southlandbased Ryal Bush Transport all over New Zealand. Beneath the slim-line cab is a 520hp Cummins Signature engine, bolted to an 18-speed RTLO20918B Roadranger gearbox. The twin-steer Freightliner pulls a smart four-axle trailer built by Jackson Enterprises. Sales Consultant: Trevor McCallum – SouthStar Freightliner

Sterling Worker A combination weight rating of 75 tonne makes this new Sterling AT9500 well-suited to its work hauling heavy equipment around the central North Island. Driven by Eugene Billet, the 6x4 tractor has been put into service by Palmerston North operator Millers Machinery. Providing motive power to shift its heavy loads is a Caterpillar C15, rated at 550hp and driving through an 18-speed RTLO20918B Roadranger gearbox. The tractor unit pulls a MTE three rows of four-wide transporter trailer. Sales Consultant: John O’Sullivan – Trucks & Trailers Ltd

Southern Actros With Christchurch now the freight hub of the South Island, there’s plenty of work for this new Mercedes-Benz Actros hauling freight between the city and Queenstown. Put to work by Steve Fraser, the 3254L/48 eight-wheeler is driven by Robbie Fraser from their base in Timaru. The truck contracts to Toll Translink on the run and pulls a four-axle Fruehauf curtain-sided trailer. Power comes from its Mercedes-Benz 540hp OM502LA engine, channeled to the diffs through a 16-speed G240 gearbox. Sales Consultant: Barry Sherer – Trucks South Ltd

Axor Spreader Gore is home to this new Mercedes-Benz Axor fertiliser spreader, which works throughout the rolling farmlands of Southland. The 1833AK/36 4x4 has been put into service by McNab Transport Co Ltd for the work. Powering the Axor is a 330hp version of the Mercedes-Benz OM926LA diesel engine, which has a live-drive power take-off for the spreading equipment. The truck has a nine-speed G131 gearbox, and pulls an Automat trailer out to the farms. Sales Consultant: Barry Sherer – Trucks South Ltd

Customer Trucks Argosy Muscle With 620hp under its big cab, this new Freightliner Argosy has plenty of muscle for its work hauling freight throughout New Zealand. The power comes from a Cummins Signature engine, and is channeled through a RTLO22918B Roadranger. The 6x4 tractor unit, with its 110-inch raised roof cab, is driven by Blondie for Taupo-based Coulter Carriers. Behind the Argosy is a six-axle B-train, built by Roadmaster Trailers of Rotorua. Sales Consultant: Wayne Jones – Trucks & Trailers Ltd

Stock Freightliner

Photo by John O’Sullivan

Rissington, a few kilometers inland from Napier, is home to this new twinsteer Freightliner Argosy stock truck. The superbly-presented rig is driven by Glen for owners Rissington Breedline Ltd and works throughout the country. Powering the Argosy is a lusty 620hp version of the Cummins Signature diesel engine, running through an 18-speed Fuller 20918B gearbox. The 8x4 Freightliner pulls a four-axle trailer with a four-deck monocoque stock crate. Sales Consultant: John O’Sullivan – Trucks & Trailers Ltd

Argosy Tanker

Photo by Wayne Jones

This rare new 8x4 Freightliner Argosy tractor unit pulls a three-axle tanker carting milk anywhere in the North Island. Owned by B. and S.L. Porter of Mount Maunganui, the heavy-duty tractor unit has a 90-inch sleeper cab. Under the cab is a 620hp Cummins engine, driving through a Roadranger RTLO22918A gearbox, which is fitted with Smartshift. Sales Consultant: Wayne Jones – Trucks & Trailers Ltd

Southern Argosy

Photo by Trevor McCallum

Carting milk products throughout Southland and Otago is the role for this new Freightliner Argosy 8x4 rigid truck. The big American eight-wheeler is contracted to Wilsons Transport of Milton by Murray and Cathy Scott. Murray Scott drives the rig, and has 520 Cummins Signature horsepower under his command. The power is fed to the Dana Spicer DSH44P diffs by an 18-speed RTLO18918B Roadranger. The 63-inch day cab Freightliner pulls a four-axle TMC curtainsider trailer. Sales Consultant: Trevor McCallum – Southstar Freightliner

Cromwell Sterling Based in Cromwell, in the heart of Central Otago, this Sterling LT9500 Sterling tractor unit features the latest HX chassis. Operated by Summerland Express Freight Ltd, it pulls either a five-axle B-train or a tri-axle semi-trailer, carting general freight anywhere in the South Island. The Sterling’s powertrain features a Detroit Diesel Series 60 engine, rated at 470hp, and driving through a Smartshift Eaton RTLO18918A gearbox. Sales Consultant: Barry Sherer – Trucks South Ltd

Hard Working Merc Hauling courier packages during the day and linehaul freight at night ensures that this hard working new Mercedes-Benz Actros eight-wheeler hardly ever gets cold. Working out of Mt Wellington for the CourierPost-DHL operation, the big curtainsider runs to Tauranga, Hamilton, back to Tauranga and home to Auckland each day on the courier run, then works on contract cartage at night. Owned by Robin Williamson, it’s driven by Eru Campbell, who has a 460hp Mercedes-Benz engine and 16-speed Telligent automatic gearbox at his disposal. The Actros 3246L/48 pulls a four-axle curtainsider trailer, fitted with EBS electronic braking. Sales Consultant: Dave Sills – Trucks & Trailers Ltd

Dedication To Safety With the lives of thousands of air travelers on the line every day, the New Zealand Aviation Security Service is dedicated to safety and uses some of the world’s most modern and up to date technology to ensure it. So when it came time for the Aviation Security Service to purchase new vehicles for transporting staff between and around the country’s large airports, both safety and technology figured highly in the decision making process.

The safety of skilled staff was certainly one of the primary things the service had in mind when assessing what vehicles were suitable for roles at its Auckland and Wellington airport operations where these Mercedes Vitos have been deployed.

The decision the service’s senior management team made was to buy Mercedes-Benz Vito 111 nine-seater crew buses.

The Aviation Security Service has officers deployed at eight airports nationwide. At some of the larger airports officers perform a wide variety of functions and are often required to perform these functions at multiple sites on an airport.

“When you’re putting staff into vehicles in a working environment you have to take safety into account,” Grant Maconaghie, the Coordinator of Aviation Security Technologies, says. “We found that the Vito offered better angles of visibility through its windscreen and side glass areas and better placement of mirrors relative to the driver position than many of its competitors.“Airports are busy places and, while they are not by definition dangerous places to work they can, like many other busy work places, be potentially dangerous if care is not taken, so drivers operating vehicles in such areas have to be able to see what’s happening around them.” The Vito has as standard safety features like ABS anti-lock brakes, ESP electronic stability program and ASR anti-skid. One of the key selling points for the Aviation Security Service in deciding to purchase the Vito was the factory-fitted passenger seats, with their integral lap and diagonal safety belts, along with the ability to remove them easily when necessary. “We may, for example, need to deploy operational equipment, along with a team of officers to operate it, from one airport to another airport site in a hurry,” Grant Maconaghie explains. “With the Vito it’s a quick and easy job to remove seats and load the equipment, whereas in other vans this requires tools and time.”

There are occasions where it’s more operationally efficient and effective to move staff in a single group rather than to have a number of vehicles make multiple movements to achieve the same result. The Vito Minibus is ideal for this role and allows other patrol vehicles to remain dedicated to other operational functions. All Aviation Security Service operational vehicles are red in colour. The Mercedes-Benz factory was able to provide the correct colour red without difficulty and the vehicles have been fitted with specialist operational equipment by Nautech Electronics of Auckland, which specialises in the fitting out of specialist and emergency vehicle. Although safety was a major factor in choosing the Vitos, the comfort of the driver and passengers also entered the equation, and the combination of the van’s wide body and factory seats put it well ahead of competitor vans. “The local after-market seats fitted in some vans on the market are just third-world by comparison,” says Grant Maconaghie. As well as being safe and comfortable, the Vito mini-buses are proving very economical, thanks to their 80kW common rail diesel engines. The Aviation Security Service has historically operated and still does operate a few petrol engined minibuses, however initial data shows “The diesel Vito eats them in terms of economy.”

New Zealand Shares In Sales Success New Zealand has shared in world-wide record sales for DaimlerChrysler commercial vehicles during 2005. New commercial vehicle registrations were up a staggering 43.5% on 2004 for DaimlerChrysler New Zealand, making it the second-best year on record for the company.

millennium.An indication that the brand’s international growth is set to continue is a 31% increase in sales in Asia, where the group delivered 165,600 units.

Heavy trucks led the success with 241 registrations, making 2005 the best year yet for DaimlerChrysler.

North America was also a happy hunting ground for DaimlerChrysler with sales up 20% to 182,400. The Freightliner LLC remained the leader in the Class 8 heavy-duty segment of the United States market, increasing its share to an astonishing 36%.

Worldwide, sales of DaimlerChrysler commercial vehicles totaled a staggering 824,900 – up almost 16% on the 712,200 new trucks, buses and vans sold during 2004. The Board of Management member responsible for commercial vehicles, Andreas Renschler, says the record sales were “confirmation that our trucks, buses and vans are extraordinarily popular with customers all over the world. “To take on the challenges in the years ahead we will be relying on initiatives for optimizing our operative processes and growth in new and existing markets, as well as on exciting new products like the new Mercedes-Benz Sprinter.” In New Zealand, DaimlerChrysler commercial vehicles general manager Ian Walker puts the success of his team and dealers down to the huge product line-up, which ensures there is a vehicle to suit all commercial applications. Freightliner was the star on the heavy truck side, with sales up 30% from 2004, while Sterling managed a rise of 21% and Mercedes-Benz 16%. Despite the fact that large one-off sales to the camper van mark distort the figures for vans, 2005 was the second-best year on record for Mercedes-Benz vans. Sales of Sprinter vans jumped 28% from 2004, while the new Vito range saw an amazing 115% rise. The total of 532 commercial vehicles sold by DaimlerChrysler also saw it pass a milestone by topping 3000 new trucks and vans on the road in the six years since the start of the new

Mercedes-Benz increased sales by 8%, to about 148,000 vehicles, in the European and Latin American markets. This was helped by the launch of BlueTec diesel technology, which enables the Actros, Axor and Atego trucks to meet Euro 5 emission standards, making them the most up-to-date on the market. Sales in the sophisticated core Western Europe market rose by 12%. Debut of the new Fuso Canter in Europe and Fighter in Japan helped the German-Japanese management team at Fuso sell around 178,900 trucks and buses. Worldwide sales of Mercedes-Benz, Setra and Orion buses and coaches topped 36,200, up 10% from 2004. And the Mercedes-Benz Vans business unit registered a 2.5% increase with 267,200 units sold. The Sprinter, in its last year before the launch of a new model this year, achieved record production of 167,000 units, including 28,100 sold under Mercedes-Benz, Dodge and Freightliner name plates in North America. Growing demand in the region has led DaimlerChrysler to dedicate its Charleston, South Carolina, facility to assembly of the next-generation Dodge Sprinter vans.

Tulloch Sterlings Are Fuel Misers A unique connection with Caterpillar has led to South Island based Tulloch Transport saving “tens of thousands of dollars” each month on its fuel bill bill..

Tulloch Transport's Group Sales and Marketing Manager Chris Gauci, who worked for ten years in Sydney in the truck engine marketing group of Caterpillar Inc before joining Tulloch's has significantly reduced his company's monthly fuel bill with the purchase of Cat C12 powered Sterling trucks. Part of his role at Caterpillar Inc was development of the Cat C12 racing truck engine, during the course of which he met Tulloch Transport owner – and racing driver – Inky Tulloch. He also met Inky’s daughter Jodi. They married, and Chris Gauci moved to Christchurch to join the family firm, initially as Group Fleet Manager. One of his first jobs was to investigate the efficiency of the 200-odd trucks in the fleet, which had become dominated by 400hp Japanese line haul units. “I’d spent years promoting the C15 and C12 to end users and now I was one,” he laughs. “I had to start practising what I’d been preaching.” Although he knew the Caterpillar diesel engines would offer excellent fuel economy, they were available in a number of different truck brands, and his first surprise came when he discussed whole-of-life operating costs with truck leasing companies. “They know their costs very accurately and I expected them to be close across the brands, but surprisingly the range was up to 5 cents per kilometre – and the Sterling was best of the bunch,” he says. Tulloch Transport now has 18 Sterling tractor units, two with C15 Caterpillars and the rest with C12s rated at 430hp and 1650ft/lb. One of these rigs features on the new Sterling website.

The C15 engines were spec'd when there was a real expectation of a 50 tonne gross weight limit in the near future, but since that prospect has receded Chris Cauci has opted for the smaller engines and drivelines, saving half a tonne of tare weight while still offering better performance than the Japanese trucks in the diverse fleet. And the Caterpillar engines have achieved the expected fuel savings and in some cases have exceeded expectations. “We put a 400hp Japanese truck on the Christchurch to Picton run, then put a Sterling on the same run with the same driver and the same loads,” Chris Gauci says. “The Japanese truck averaged 1.9km/litre and the Sterling did 2.54km/litre. “Across the fleet we can probably round it up to 2km/litre against 2.5km/litre and at today’s diesel prices that’s saving tens of thousands of dollars on the monthly fuel bill.” The savings have to be taken in the context of double-shifted trucks covering as much as 480,000km a year, and the fact that the Sterlings are speed-limited to 94km/h. And the savings don’t stop at the diesel pump. The engines are covered by the Cat Extra program (which Chris Gauci helped develop for Australasia) so service intervals are based on fuel use. The economy of the C12 engines effectively saves one-and-a-half services each year. Newer Sterlings in the fleet have been equipped with 18speed Autoshift Eaton gearboxes, but so far these have not shown any fuel economy improvement. Chris Gauci says there was initially a slight increase in fuel use with the autos, but solving of a software issue now has the autos and manuals on a par. He still, however, expects to see gains through reduced driveline repair and maintenance in the longer term.

Jonesy’s Freightliner When the Managing Director of Nelson’s TNL Group, Neil Reid decided it was time to replace a truck at the Rai Valley depot, he sent one of his drivers to Christchurch to spec the new rig. But not just any driver: Ian “Jonesy” Jones has worked out of the Rai Valley on and off for 30 years, becoming something of a legend in the district. Until last year his mount had been a Freightliner FL112, which had proved to be a reliable worker servicing remote airstrips around the Marlborough Sounds with loads of fertiliser and carting live mussels into Nelson. Jonesy figured another Freightliner would be an ideal replacement, so Neil Reid told him to go and see Trevor McCallum at SouthStar Freightliner and order the truck with the best specification for the work. “Jonesy knew exactly what he wanted,” says TNL Rai Valley manager Carl “Teapot” Harris. “He knew the right wheelbase, the seats, even the blue trim that he wanted.” The result: A brand new C120 six-wheeler that went to work around the Sounds last September. It has a 475hp ISX Cummins under the bonnet, backed up by an RTLO18918 Roadranger and big Meritor 46-160 diffs.

load. All run-off has to be contained in holding tanks and disposed of properly. The truck and trailer have to undergo MAF accreditation every year, MAF paperwork has to be kept in the cab and Jonesy is subject to be stopped at any time by MAF officers as well as the usual “mod squad” and regular police officers. But TNL has been doing this work for more than 20 years, and it has all become part of the every-day routine. Carl Harris recalls that through much of 2005 he also organised a load down to Christchurch for Jonesy so he could check on progress and make sure all the details of his new C120 were coming along correctly. “Jonesy knew he wanted another Freightliner, just with a bit more luxury and a bit more power,” says Carl Harris. “Neil Reid gave him carte blanche, so he had to keep checking it was exactly how he wanted it.”

Probably the most unusual aspect of the new truck is its Chalmers rubber rear suspension – exactly what the old FL112 had under its rear end. “It’s proved to be an ideal suspension for our work,” explains Carl Harris. “It’s as good as a six-rod for traction off-road, it’s rugged and it doesn’t require any maintenance.” Pulling its four-axle TMC trailer up to airstrips, some as far as four hours away from the depot, with a full 28-tonne load, is a good test for any truck, but the Freightliner appears to thrive on the work. In fact, the new C120 is the third of the American trucks Jonesy has had on the run. Before the 370hp FL112, which did six years of arduous work without complaint, he ran an old FLC – one of the first factory-supported Freightliners in New Zealand. The trailer has a claim to fame as well, being the 300th unit supplied by Christchurch builder TMC to TNL. Most spectacular part of Jonesy’s work, however, is the mussel cartage. The valuable shellfish are loaded by a crane in onetonne bags, straight from the mussel harvester into the truck. A full load into Sealords at Nelson is 25 bags, each containing about 1.8 cubic metres of mouth-watering mussels. For this work the truck and trailer decks are finished in a special paint coating and have to be sterilized after every

Ian Jones ( Photograph courtesy of NZ Trucking)

The DCNZ Commercial Vehicle Team

The small size of the DaimlerChrysler commercial vehicles operation makes it especially vital that staff work as a team to ensure optimum service to its dealers, says DaimlerChrysler New Zealand Chief Executive Officer Ernie Ward. “With a small unit it’s important that each person supports the rest, and I’m pleased with the way our commercial team has come together under Ian Walker’s leadership,” he explains. “It’s quite obvious that the commercial crew care about their customers,” he adds. “This arises from a focus on the needs of the customers and results in a real commitment to meeting those needs.” At the same time, working as a team can make the job more enjoyable for each member. “Our ambition is to become one of the country’s top 20 most desirable places to work,” Ernie Ward says. If that ambition is achieved the result will be a happier team, which will offer an even more effective service to dealers and their customers.

Ian Walker General Manager Ian Walker started his working life servicing Ford Cargo trucks in the British Midlands, and has been around commercial vehicles ever since. He’s a relatively recent “import” into New Zealand, having come from the United Kingdom to take up his present role at DaimlerChrysler in late 2004. However he loves the New Zealand lifestyle and looks sure to stay. From servicing trucks he moved into selling them, becoming commercial sales manager of Britain’s largest independent commercial sales group, Lex Commercials. He went on to become area business manager for the UK’s largest van producer, LDV, before moving to Mercedes-Benz. Before moving to Auckland he was dealer sales operations manager of the light commercials division of DaimlerChrysler UK, based at its head office in Milton Keynes.

Dave Ballantyne National Sales Manager, heavy commercial vehicles, Dave Ballantyne is the longest serving member of the team, having started with DaimlerChrysler’s predecessor German Motor Distributors 12 years ago as a product sales co-ordinator. Prior to this his career began as a diesel mechanic. He was always interested in a sales support role, and was product sales manager before being promoted to his present role.

Brian Carr National Sales Manager, light commercial vehicles, Brian Carr joined DaimlerChrysler four years ago after working for London Electricity, in the United Kingdom, during his “OE”. Previously he worked for more than seven years for the Giltrap Motor Group, both as a sales cadet and coordinator for the Audi and Volkswagen service programme.

Helen Miller As Sales and Operation Analyst for commercial vehicles, Helen Miller looks after vehicle logistics, reporting, shipping and local content orders. She has been with DaimlerChrysler for two years and was previously heavy commercials sales administrator.

Paul de Jong Commercial Vehicle Sales and Product Co-ordinator Paul de Jong supports dealers and is responsible for ordering, monitoring and vehicle specification of all three brands of trucks and vans. He has worked for the team for just over two years and was heavy commercial sales administrator and coordinator before taking on his present role.

Paul McKenzie As Commercial Vehicle Marketing Co-ordinator, Paul McKenzie is responsible for marketing, market planning, advertising, the website, magazines, shows, vehicle launches and dealer marketing activitiets. He has been part of the team for three-and-a-half years, and has a Bachelor of Management degree in marketing and strategic leadership from Waikato University.

Naomi Koetsier Bakker Commercial Vehicles Sales and Fleet Administrator, Naomi Koetsier Bakker, was appointed nine months ago making her the newest member of the team. Naomi’s responsibilities include sales support to the National Sales Manager and the processing of all DCNZ’s fleet units.

It’s The Good Oil A new Mercedes-Benz twin-steer truck based in South Auckland may not look too different from many other curtainsiders, but behind its smart Castrol livery it’s one of a kind. Operated by Brandz Distributors Ltd under contract to Castrol owner BP Oil, the new 3232L/48 Actros sets new standards in the delivery of bulk oil products. Bulk quantities of oil are delivered by road tanker while the Mercedes-Benz eight-wheeler delivers medium-sized quantities, carried in drums or 1000 litre “cubes” and pumped into holding tanks at the customer’s premises or sites, which include ships, barges and commercial premises. The new truck sets new standards in two main areas – the safety of its operator and avoidance of cross-contamination among the different oils being delivered. Brandz Managing Director Allan Wade says the truck replaced one of five operating in the lubricants fleet, some of which were up to 12-years-old. Smaller units concentrate on aroundtown deliveries, leaving the Mercedes-Benz to work largely in the top half of the North Island but occasionally may be required to go further afield. There’s a large range of oils, including specialised lubricants, engine oils, cutting oils and hydraulic oils, so considerable care had to be taken to avoid cross-contamination by fitting dedicated pumps and delivery lines.

The pumps’ supply hoses are fitted with delivery guns, camlocks or dry-break fittings, depending on the customer’s facilities. While design of the loading and delivery system was largely in-house with support from Tanker Engineering and MFI Engineering, selection of the truck under it was governed by BP’s international heavy vehicle specification, and Allan Wade says the Mercedes-Benz “ticked all the boxes. “We looked at a range of European and Japanese eightwheelers available and it’s fair to say that there weren’t any bad ones,” he says. “We ended up with a big spread-sheet, but a number of trucks were eliminated because they didn’t offer all the desired features like ABS brakes as standard. “One of the other things we took into account was the backup and parts support, We require nationwide service, 24-7, so the service agents and the support behind them are vital.” Among the features that Mercedes-Benz offered were excellent access to the cab with three points of contact, supportive seats with integrated seat belts, electronic braking system, a driver’s airbag, a cab that had been tested to meet European crash standard ECE R29 and excellent wide angled mirrors.

BP Oil Transport Manager Ken Russell says the design of the older units meant drivers often had to climb over drums or cubes to access a particular product. “It was an accident waiting to happen.”

Because the work never requires towing a trailer, Brandz Distributors was able to specify a 320hp engine, backed up by a Telligent automatic gearshift. The truck has disc brakes all round with a Telligent EBS brake system which incorporates ABS (anti-lock system) and ASR (traction control).

Brandz and BP collaborated on the design of the new vehicle, shifting its diesel tank to the rear of the deck to free space on the chassis for hose reels and improved access to the load.

Although Brandz operates eight fuel tankers and five oil distribution units, the new day cab Actros is the first MercedesBenz in the fleet.

The new Mercedes-Benz has four separate pumps, hydraulically driven from the engine power take-off, supported by portable pumps for different oil grade deliveries. Because the different oils have varying specific gravities, separate electronic metering is included with each bulk delivery system.

However Ken Russell says the truck, with its specialised oil delivery systems, has attracted considerable interest in the industry and “looks likely to be copied, which is a good indication of its success.”

Vitos For A High-tech Image When Wellington craftsman plumber Vincent Cookson established his own business he named it Virtual Plumbing to create an image that was up-tothe-minute and “a bit different”. “There were a lot of plumbers in the Wellington area, so I felt it was necessary to establish a point of difference,” he explains. “We decided to look for something more modern than the image of the traditional plumber.” In keeping with the company name, one of his first moves was to create a high-tech web site for the new company, although even that is already due for modernizing. And now Virtual Plumbing has embarked on a fleet replacement programme that sees Mercedes-Benz Vito vans taking to the roads in its colours. “We’ve gone for the Vitos in part for their presence on the road,” Vincent Cookson says. “And we’ve certainly had a lot of comments about them.” But the high-profile image was only one factor that saw Virtual Plumbing put three Vito vans to work during 2005 and two more early this year. The company had been running Toyota vans, replacing them every three years with around 60,000km on their odometers. “The old Toyotas went and went and held their value, but when they brought out the new model we decided to look further afield,” says Vincent Cookson. “We liked the look of the Mercedes-Benz and the price difference surprised us. In fact, taken over three years the Vitos’ longer service intervals mean they actually work out cheaper.” “Then there was the safety side – the stability control is a bonus,” he adds. The vans are fitted with roof racks for carting lengths of pipe, which can result in a relatively high centre of gravity. Plus features like ABS anti-lock braking, ESP electronic handling control and ASR anti-skid control are standard equipment on the Vito van making it the safest van in the medium van market. The clincher was the Vito’s wider body,

which is large enough for standard 2400mm by 1200mm building sheets to be carted flat on the floor without riding up on the wheel arches. “We have to cart quite a lot of copper sheeting, which requires quite careful handling,” Vincent Cookson explains. “You can’t bend it or it gets little ‘moons’ in it, which spoil the appearance. Carrying it flat on the floor prevents this.” With a staff of 12, Virtual Plumbing has established an enviable record in both commercial and domestic plumbing. Its commercial credits include plumbing of the Wellington Convention Centre, including the Michael Fowler Centre and the Old Town Hall, for Wellington City Council and the Ministry of Economic Development premises in Bowen Street. On the domestic side the company specializes in bathroom remodeling and renovation, offering a service it describes as complete “from conception to completion.” An increasing proportion of Virtual Plumbing’s work is likely to centre around installation of sprinkler systems, which can cost as little as $1000 in a new home. The company is a licensed designer and installer of sprinkler systems and Vincent Cookson says the fire brigades and insurance companies are beginning to push them hard. “And so they should,” he says. “They should be installed as a matter of course in every new home – after all, they save lives.” Whichever direction Virtual Plumbing takes in the near future, Mercedes-Benz Vito vans will be presenting its image on the road. Vincent Cookson says their image, popularity with the drivers and low running costs will enable him to extend his replacement programme to four years and 80,000km.

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