IDEA60422 driveline03 - Mercedes-Benz

ISSUE 03
SEPTEMBER 06
Issue 03
New standards of operational efficiency and
occupant safety are hallmarks of the new
Sprinter van.
2
Close relationships with major customers have
seen rapid expansion in New Zealand for Linfox. 4
Driving Towards
Christmas!
Wecome to the third issue of DriveLine, the magazine that's designed to
keep you in touch with new developments at DaimlerChrysler and the
industry generally and to give you the opportunity to have your say as
well. Please don't hesitate to send your feedback or suggestions - we are
always keen to hear from you.
As always, we have made sure there are articles and features of interest
to everyone in the transport industry - from the biggest long-haul operators
to round-town delivery contractors. There's a lot of interest in the upcoming
launch of the 3rd Generation Sprinter from Mercedes-Benz. If you're
looking to upgrade your van in the near future, then you have to take a
look at page 2. There are terrific improvements in load capacity, fuel
economy and safety - all features that Sprinter was already well ahead
of the competitors in!
At the other end of the Mercedes-Benz spectrum, sales of the heavyweight
Actros truck have been spectacular, especially since the introduction of
our special Maintenance and Repair contracts. Being able to budget well
in advance and pay less than 2c a kilometre for M&R is a big advantage,
especially while fuel costs continue to be so unpredictable!
Once again, welcome to DriveLine - I'm sure you'll find plenty of interest
and some points to ponder before you make your next purchasing decision.
I hope you enjoy a very successful spring and summer period and, since
this is our last issue for 2006, we'd like to be probably the first to wish
you a prosperous, safe new year!
Cheers
Hilton Haulage puts the first twin-steer
Sterling tractor unit to work.
5
Gran Marbello franchise holder Miles Dunnett put
the safety of his Sprinter to the test
– the hard way.
6
As safe as possible – the new Mercedes-Benz
Actros-based Safety Truck.
7
He’d rather be out on his Harley – meet
Timaru truck specialist Russell Marr.
8
Commercial laundry Sprinters offer cost
savings and operator safety for ALSCO.
9
All the news from Hannover
– the world’s biggest truck show, by far.
10
Sharp sign-written DB Actros truck and
trailer rigs mean more beer on the move.
12
Sprinters thrive in tough conditions
servicing electricity wind turbines.
13
The smartest rigs in the country
– DaimlerChrysler’s customers’ trucks.
14
Strong growth enables South Star to open
a satellite service operation in Christchurch.
17
Around 20,000 parts to keep
DaimlerChrysler trucks and vans on
the road when the worst occurs.
18
Christchurch owner-driver Charlie Lamborn
has 1.3 million reasons to choose Freightliner. 19
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 industryleading 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).
A premium van for a premium product
range and service – why Able Appliances
chooses Vito.
20
A unique spec makes Mercedes-Benz
Econic the ideal fire ladder truck.
21
Low profile – high performance. Australian
trucking company K & S in New Zealand.
23
Carpet One switches to Vito vans as its range
of floor covering samples hits the 1000 mark.
24
Safer, More Efficient
New Sprinter Van
New standards of safety and operational efficiency are the hallmarks of a new
range of Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vans,
due to reach the New Zealand
market from November.
Greater load capacities, the efficiency of new Euro Four diesel
engines and reduced operating costs may excite the interest of
van operators in the new Mercedes-Benz Sprinter range, but
ultimately it’s the high standard of safety that could turn out to be
its trump card.
The third-generation Sprinter, which will reach the New Zealand
market in October, is built safer from the floorpan up.
For example, the stylish lines of its new cab hide special high tensile
steel sections that create a safety cell so strong it far exceeds even
the strict European regulatory standards.
At the same time coordinated deformation zones ensure the
controlled and progressive absorption of impact energy in a crash,
ensuring maximum protection of occupants.
Larger footwells, which also have extensive high-strength protective
sections, minimize intrusion into the vital space around the
occupants’ legs in a frontal crash.
Further protection is provided by three-point seat belts for every
seat, with tensioners and force limiters.
A driver’s airbag is standard on all new Sprinter vans, while passenger
side, thorax and window airbags are optional.
Just as important as the Sprinter’s ability to protect its occupants
in the event of a crash is the sophisticated systems it has to avoid
one in the first place. Prime among these is a completely new
generation of electronic stability program, called Adaptive ESP.
In addition to the usual speed, steering angle and cornering force
sensors, Adaptive ESP takes the vehicle’s load weight and centre
of gravity into account before taking corrective action to avoid loss
of control. The Sprinter’s powerful computer systems then apply
gentle braking to individual wheels and can also reduce engine
power to maintain control before the driver is even aware loss of
control is threatened.
The new Sprinter also has big 16-inch wheels as standard, providing
room for large disc brakes all-round. These are supported by ABS
anti-lock, electronic brake force distribution and hydraulic brake
assist (BAS).
The two most powerful versions of the engine, which produces up
to 330Nm of torque, use twin turbochargers to ensure smooth
power delivery, strong low-speed torque and high top-end
performance.
While those who drive the new Sprinter will no doubt welcome the
high level of safety it provides, their dispatchers and accountants
are likely to be even more impressed by its working ability and
operational efficiency.
While the new engines are extremely fuel efficient, operating costs
and downtime have been reduced further by extension of the oil
drain interval out to a class leading 40,000km.
One simple example: While designing the safety structures at the
front of the new van, Mercedes-Benz engineers also designed simple
panel replacement systems, which reduce crash repair costs,
downtime and, potentially, insurance premiums.
The new Sprinter is larger than its predecessor, so offers greater
load carrying capacity. There are four body lengths and standard,
high and super-high roof configurations.
At the top of the range is a 17 cubic metre van capable of carting
a 2670kg payload. Its super-high roof produces an interior height
of 2040mm, while its overall body length of 7343mm is a full 750mm
long than the previous biggest version.
Load volumes start at 7 cubic metres, while gross weight ratings
range from three tonne to five tonne – a full half a tonne up on the
old model.
Along with the van line-up, Mercedes-Benz will be offering bus and
cab chassis versions of the new Sprinter.
A large part of the $3.6 billion development cost of the new Sprinter
was applied to its new power train, the heart of which is a potent
but efficient 2.2 litre common rail diesel engine.
Available in outputs from 65-110kW, this engine meets the Euro
Four emission standard, which takes effect in New Zealand next
February. It includes a particulate filter to ensure the lowest possible
levels of exhaust emissions.
Although details have yet to be revealed, Mercedes-Benz will also
be fitting the new Sprinter with a powerful 3.0 litre V6 common rail
diesel, with potential for ratings as high as 135kW and 400Nm.
Backing up the new engines is a new six-speed manual gearbox,
while a five-speed automatic transmission will be optional on most
versions of the van.
The Sprinter retains rear-wheel-drive, which is the configuration
favoured by most transport operators as it offers superior agility.
A high level of standard equipment throughout the new Sprinter
range will include remote central locking, electric windows, air
conditioning and variable power steering as standard.
Some options offered include alloys, electric sliding doors and a
chilled glove box.
In recognition of increasing amounts of night-time work as day-time
traffic congestion increases and more businesses go to all-hours
operation, Mercedes-Benz is also offering optional bi-xenon headlights
and cornering lights.
Since the launch of the current Mercedes-Benz Sprinter in 1995,
more than 1.3 million units have been sold worldwide.
The higher levels of refinement, efficiency and safety of the new
Sprinter equip it well to be even more successful.
Relationships Underpin
Rapid Growth of Linfox
Establishing and maintaining close business relationships has seen Linfox grow
into one of New Zealand’s biggest trucking operations in just 17 years.
Australian-based Linfox has developed close working relationships
with both its major customers and with its truck supplier,
DaimlerChrysler New Zealand.
He describes Linfox’s relationship with DaimlerChrysler as
”a very strong one” and now almost every heavy truck in the New
Zealand fleet is either a Freightliner or a Mercedes-Benz Actros.
“We specialize in taking care of all the transport and logistics for
large businesses like the Progressive Enterprises chain of stores,”
explains Linfox’s Australian and New Zealand fleet manager, Mick
Best. “We do very little general freight cartage.”
Even some of the smaller vehicles are Mercedes-Benz: Linfox runs
several Sprinter and Vito vans.
Although the company started its New Zealand operation about 17
years ago with the acquisition of a small transport business, virtually
all of its growth since then has been generated from its own
resources.
Now based in one of New Zealand’s largest and most modern office,
freight terminal and warehouse facilities, it employs around 400
staff and operates 120 trucks. The South Auckland base, on 9.25
hectares of land, includes 36,500 square metres of 13-metre stud
warehouse, 1644 square metres of temperature controlled rooms,
11,750 square metres of covered loading space and 2100 square
metres of offices.
Linfox also has depots at Henderson, in Palmerston North, Wellington,
Nelson, Christchurch and Dunedin.
Based across the Tasman and with only a few days a month in New
Zealand, Mick Best spends more time behind a desk or in an aircraft
seat than in the cab of a truck these days, but occasionally still
manages to get behind the wheel.
“When we got our first Freightliner with the Eaton Autoshift gearbox
I drove it from Auckland to Christchurch – just makes driving that
much easier,” he says. “When people ask me what I do I often tell
them I’m a driver. I still love to get behind the wheel.”
Mick Best (left) talking with
one of his Auckland team.
“One of the Vitos has seats in it so I used it to drive a group of
people from Australia down to Mount Maunganui,” says Mick Best.
“It’s a very good vehicle to drive.”
In the heavy vehicle fleet the Freightliners will be specified where
very high kilometers – 200,000km or more a year – are being
covered, as the resale value of the American truck remains high
beyond a million kilometers.
In applications where the distances are shorter but the driver faces
more getting in and out of the cab and the hazards of heavy traffic
flows, the superior ergonomics and safety of the Mercedes-Benz
Actros makes it the first choice.
Although the Freightliners have been specced largely with Caterpillar
C15 and a few Detroit Diesel Series 60 engines at around the 470hp
mark, Mick Best says the new MBE4000 is another option for Linfox.
The first 450hp MBE4000 has gone to work in the Linfox New
Zealand fleet and we have recently purchased similar units in
Australia.”
Despite the close relationship with DaimlerChrysler and being able
to take advantage of the Linfox Group’s international purchasing
power, Mick Best still regularly runs the ruler over opposition brands
before purchasing a new Freightliner or Mercedes-Benz heavy truck.
Even though he’s part of a large and growing organization, he’s still
a truck driver at heart.
First Twin-Steer
Sterling Tractor Unit
Growing numbers and increasing weights of shipping containers in the coastal
trade has led to South Island carrier Hilton Haulage Transport Ltd putting the
first Sterling twin-steer tractor unit to work.
Shipping containers weighing more than 30 tonne can be carted on
a six-axle combination rig under permits if they are being imported
or exported, but increasing numbers being shipped along the coast
between Auckland and Christchurch meant more axles were needed
to remain legal for non-export ones.
“The use of coastal ships to move the heavier forty-footers has
grown steadily over the past few years,” explains Hilton Haulage
Managing Director Peter McAuley.
“It’s now reached the stage where a specialist unit is justified, so
we set out to find a four-axle tractor unit and four-axle semi-trailer
to give us a 44 tonne gross weight rating.”
Even though eight axles enables the rig to cart at 44 tonne all-up, tare
weight was a crucial factor in achieving potential 30-tonne payloads.
The Timaru-based company was already one of the largest users of
the Mercedes-Benz MBE4000 straight-six 12.8 litre diesel engine,
which Peter McAuley says stacks up well for its balance of tare
weight and horsepower output, so that narrowed the search down
to Freightliner or Sterling, both of which offer low-tare specifications.
However, at the time the new tractor unit was being ordered,
Freightliner was unable to offer a twin-steer configuration, so the
Sterling LT9500 got the nod.
A quad-axle Steelbro skeletal container semi-trailer was ordered at
the same time, and the target of 14 tonne total tare weight was
more than achieved, with the Sterling tipping the scales at 7900kg
and the semi at a shade under six tonne.
Both Peter McAuley and the new rig’s driver, Paul Tengahue, were
a bit apprehensive about how the bonneted Sterling would look with
a second steer axle under it, but as it turned out they needn’t
have worried.
“It’s surprisingly good looking,” says Peter McAuley. “It really looks
quite balanced.”
Paul Tengahue says the reaction he’s experienced has been positive,
too. And coming from a cab-over Freightliner Argosy into the new
Sterling, he’s happy to have a bonnet in front of his windscreen again.
The MBE4000 engine is rated at 450hp, which Peter McAuley says
is “a good size for us.” It’s not over-powered for pulling semi-trailers
around at 39 tonne, yet is still capable of doing a run to Central
Otago or Dunedin when required.
Behind the engine is an 18-speed Roadranger gearbox with Autoshift.
Hilton Haulage operates close to 90 trucks from bases in Timaru
and Christchurch, with container cartage a mainstay of the business.
However the company carts everything except livestock and furniture
and covers the entire South Island.
“You can see a Hilton Haulage truck in any part of the South Island
at any time of the day,” says Peter McAuley.
But it’s unlikely that many more of them will be 8x4 tractor units
pulling quad-axle semis like the new Sterling.
“We need the rig for its particular application, but when you add up
capital costs and higher running costs versus savings in Road User
Charges, it’s very hard to prove on paper that the configuration is
any better in general line haulage,” Peter McAuley concludes.
Sprinter Safety Put
To The Ultimate Test
When Miles Dunnett hit black ice on the Napier-Taupo road he went over the
bank so quickly he didn’t even have time to swear!
Gran Marbello Tauranga franchise-holder Miles Dunnett had left his
Napier home in his Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van at 4.30am on a
Monday morning to be in Tauranga in time for a new week’s work
when he hit the black ice near the summit of the Napier-Taupo road.
“I was cruising along at about 80km/h and heading towards a bit
of an up-hill section, so I gave the Sprinter a bit of power,” he recalls.
“The back swung out a bit, went the other way and next thing the
bank was heading for us.”
The Sprinter left the road, rolling twice before coming to a stop 30
metres down the bank. By then the only panel left un-damaged was
the bonnet.
When Miles clambered back up to the road he discovered the surface
was so slippery he almost skated over. He won’t admit it, but he
probably swore then.
That he would have been able to swear at all at that point he puts
down to two things: The strength of the Sprinter and the lucky fact
that it didn’t have a load of the weighty granite bench tops he
often carts.
Gran Marbello is the national supplier of a range of composite,
engineered stone and granite bench tops. Its franchise holders
throughout the country use Sprinters for their deliveries.
Miles Dunnett took over his long wheelbase 313 Sprinter around
nine months and 15,000km before the crash. He was commuting
from his home in Napier until his family, which includes school-age
children could shift closer to the Tauranga base.
Although his van was equipped with an airbag, it didn’t deploy as
there was almost no impact on the front of the vehicle – as shown
by the bonnet remaining the only undamaged panel.
His Sprinter wasn’t fitted with the optional ESP Electronic Stability
Program, which incorporates ABS anti-lock braking and ASR
acceleration skid control – a suite of electronic systems that might
have prevented his accident practically before it started.
ESP, which is standard on the just-released NCV3 Sprinter, gently
applies braking on individual wheels and if necessary throttles back
engine power to help the driver maintain control before he’s even
sensed that he is about to lose it.
But as good as it is, even ESP can’t overcome the laws of physics,
and black ice is probably the ultimate challenge to a vehicle’s grip
on the road.
That’s where the immensely strong Sprinter cabin structure comes
into play to provide maximum protection of the occupants when
the worst does happen.
“It was all over very quickly, but I’m pretty sure we rolled twice on
the way down the bank,” recalls Miles. “I was well locked into the
seat by my seat belts, but I was still flung around.”
Despite the severity of the crash his only injury was “a bit of a sore
arm.” Ironically that might have been caused by his arm hitting the
door latch as he was flung around inside the vehicle, causing the
door to fly open during the crash.
The van was written-off once an insurance assessor had seen the
damage, and Miles has no doubts about what he will replace it with:
another Mercedes-Benz Sprinter.
This
Mercedes-Benz
Versatile
Actros
Is
A
Life
Saver
Highway Axor
Launched
A new Actros Safety Truck now available in Europe “will save lives” says
Mercedes-Benz.
The new Mercedes-Benz Safety Truck has all of the driver support
and safety systems currently available from the company.
However Mercedes-Benz says its ground-breaking truck safety
programme doesn’t end with the production of the Safety Truck,
and sophisticated new systems are already under development.
Latest system to reach the European market, and standard on the
Safety Truck, is Active Brake Assist, which automatically initiates
emergency braking if a collision with the vehicle in front is unavoidable.
Studies in Germany have shown that the most common injury
accident in trucks is a rear-end collision, especially on motorways.
Mercedes-Benz says its primary emphasis is always on active safety
– preventing accidents from occurring in the first place, or alternatively
developing systems that will intervene of their own accord to
significantly mitigate the direct effects of an accident.
This approach has already played a significant role in reducing injury
and fatal crashes in Europe, where truck fatalities fell by a quarter
between 1992 and 2004 despite increased traffic volumes.
Along with the Active Brake Assist, the Actros Safety Truck also
features Lane Assist, which alerts the driver if the truck begins to
stray outside its road lane, proximity and stability control, daytime
driving lights, optimised external mirrors, hill-holder and under-guard
spray suppression.
Inside the cab there’s climate air-conditioning, which MercedesBenz says keeps the driver alert, seats with integral seat belts and
seat belt tensioners and a driver’s airbag.
The cab itself is designed to exceed regulatory requirements for
sufficient strength to protect its occupants in a smash.
Mercedes-Benz also rates the powerful V6 and V8 diesel engines
fitted to Actros trucks as safety features because their high torque
outputs promote a relaxed driving style.
The Safety Truck has a Telligent automatic transmission as standard,
but even the manual Telligent shift aids safety by easing the driver’s
workload.
Mercedes-Benz’s commitment to safety isn’t restricted to the
engineering, either. The company undertakes driver training, similar
to that offered in New Zealand, but has also developed guidelines
for rescue services to assist them in saving drivers from damaged
cabs.
Although the Safety Truck is at present available only in European
markets, DaimlerChrysler National Sales Manager, heavy commercial
vehicles, Dave Ballantyne, says many of its safety features are
already standard or optionally available on Mercedes-Benz trucks
sold in New Zealand, while others are likely to be seen in the future.
Meanwhile, Mercedes-Benz is celebrating the delivery of the
200,000th Atego truck, a 1222L that went into service with a
Germany flooring and timer company with a fleet of 90 trucks serving
its customers nationwide.
New Zealand has played a part in the international success of the
Atego with 180 sold, mainly for use as fertilizer ground spreaders.
The main reason is the 4x4 ability of the trucks, which can handle
New Zealand’s diverse and often challenging terrain.
When launched in New Zealand in 1999, the Atego immediately set
new standards in terms of overall vehicle concept, ride comfort and
vehicle handling.
Mind On The Job –
Heart Out On The Road
The demands of running successful truck and car dealerships in Timaru may
keep Russell Marr pinned behind his desk for much of the time these days, but
there’s still little he likes more than getting out on the road.
Russell’s enjoyment of getting out in the open air and meeting new
people goes right back to the beginning of his career when, as an
apprentice diesel mechanic, he’d trip around the farms of North
Canterbury servicing tractors.
Russell Marr believes people are as important as the products they
represent and relies on Product Support Manager Graham Woods
throughout the South Island, along with Gerald Stanley in Christchurch
and Barry Sherer in Dunedin.
Now, while he does still get out to look after a handful of customers
who over the years have become close friends, when he’s out on
the road it’s often for leisure.
The group’s truck servicing is carried out by Timaru Motors, which
is also the region’s Ford and Mazda passenger car and light
commercial vehicle dealer.
And the pace is a little quicker than a Fordson Major might manage
– Russell rides a Harley Davidson Ultra Classic touring motorbike,
the top-of-the-range model, which even has cruise control.
Although he’s now head of a large, diverse vehicle business, Russell
Marr still measures his success by the long lasting relationships
he’s enjoyed over the years.
From diesel mechanic to Dealer Principal and General Manager of
Trucks South Ltd and Timaru Motors Ltd may seem like a huge leap,
but Russell Marr has been involved in selling and servicing motor
vehicles all his life.
“For example, I sold Hilton Haulage a new N-series 5032 and a Ford
Trader back in 1983,” he says. “The ownership of the company has
changed, but we’re still doing business with them.
His first job was with Amberley, North Canterbury, Ford dealer
Palmer & Doak where he stayed 18 months before crossing the alps
to join his father, Jim Marr, who had bought Kilkenny Ford in Westport.
“No doubt there’s an element of South Island loyalty involved,” he
adds. “But the most important thing is to ensure that the relationship
is a two-way street – there has to be win-win for both sides.”
While servicing tractors and trucks Russell Marr found the most
enjoyable aspect of the work was meeting and discussing vehicles
with their owners.
“It was a natural progression into selling,” he recalls. So, six months
out of his apprenticeship he hung up his overalls and started selling
vehicles in North Canterbury.
Along the way he began to realise there was a brighter future in
trucks than in agricultural tractors, so in 1980 he moved to Timaru
Motors, primarily to establish a truck operation.
It was very much a relationship business and frequently he’d be
selling cars, trucks and tractors to the same customers. There was
a lot of technology cross-over, too. For example, a Ford Trader truck
and Fordson Major tractor at some stages used the same engine.
However the vehicles became increasingly specialised and in the
early 1990s Russell moved out of the tractor business to devote
his attention fully to selling and servicing heavy trucks. The mainstay
then was the Ford Louisville, and the business thrived until Ford
sold its heavy truck business to DaimlerChrysler in 1997.
The Timaru operation’s experience with the Louisville paid off when
the truck was re-engineered by DaimlerChrysler to emerge in 1999
as the new Sterling brand. Trucks South Ltd was established to
represent the new brand, and is now the South Island dealer for
both Sterling and Mercedes-Benz trucks.
Dealer Principal Russell Marr
Special Sprinters For
Laundry Specialists
When the New Zealand arm of international industrial laundry specialist ALSCO
developed its new service vehicle specifications, the safety of the drivers was
given as much attention as operational efficiency.
ALSCO NZ is one of the many divisions of the Salt Lake City, Utah,
based multi-national company, but people certainly came before
profits when new service bodies were being planned for MercedesBenz Sprinters entering the fleet.
“We eliminated the driver having to get out of the vehicle on the
right-hand side where traffic might be passing,” explains Fred
Gardyne, the plant operations manager for the group in New Zealand.
“And a lot of attention was paid to aspects like ensuring the floors
were non-slip.”
The Sprinters are progressively replacing older vehicles in a complete
upgrade of the ALSCO NZ fleet, which numbers 324 vehicles,
including a few trailers and forklifts.
The replacement programme started in 1998 with the order of a
412 Sprinter. Some 23 were put into service before the first of
35 413 Sprinters joined the fleet from 2002. There’s also a lone
416 Sprinter.
The arrival of the Mercedes-Benz vehicles marked a major upgrade
in image for the company, which traces its roots back to the New
Zealand Towel Supply operation that began in 1905. Now the largest
industrial laundry company in the country, ALSCO supplies services
such as textile rentals, washroom services and consumables and
laundry services from Whangarei to Invercargill.
The new image arose from an unusual aspect of the industrial
laundry business – the purpose-built van bodies cost as much as
the vehicles they are built on and are highly specialized. So they
remain in operation pretty well as long as their wheels keep turning.
The new Sprinters therefore replaced old door-less pass-through
vans, based on Commer and Bedford vehicles from the 1970s and
even the 1960s.
Fred Gardyne says a walk-through cab was still a major consideration
when the decision was taken to standardize on Sprinters. Other
factors included the weight ratings, expected long service life and
nationwide network of service backup offered for the Mercedes-Benz.
The Sprinters are imported in cab-and-chassis form and delivered
to East Tamaki-based Boss Motorbodies Ltd, where the rear panels
are cut away from the cabs and the laundry service bodies built.
Although basically aluminium panels over steel framing, the bodies
incorporate special composites in the linings and the non-slip floors.
While the CSRs (Customer Service Representatives - driving is only
a small part of the ALSCO team members’ jobs) can still enter the
Sprinter cab through the standard driver’s side door, much of the
work is through a door immediately behind the cab passenger’s
side door. Typically, the CSR arrives at a customer’s premises, steps
through from the cab to the van body interior, assembles the order,
then uses the safe side door to make the delivery.
Fred Gardyne says the image of the vehicles is important to ALSCO,
and the Sprinters “project a very professional image.”
Also important is efficiency, and both the smart new service bodies
and the high-tech Sprinter chassis under them are playing their part
in ensuring that ALSCO NZ remains high on the multi-national
company’s Efficiency, Customer Service and Health & Safety charts.
Actros 8x4s Usher In New Era For DB
The introduction of twin-steer trucks pulling four-axle trailers to the high-profile
DB Breweries Ltd South Island truck fleet marks the end of an era that had its
roots in the days of horses and carts.
Last year saw the end of transporting bulk beer in large tankers, a
practice which traces its origins back to barrels of beer on drays
pulled by draught horses. This meant that DB was no longer tied to
tractor units capable of pulling a variety of trailing gear.
Perhaps surprisingly, the ten-truck DB fleet working throughout the
South Island from its Timaru base is one of the most efficient
anywhere, with the rigs back-loaded 90% of the time.
“As well as supplying product, both keg and packaged direct to the
customer from the brewery, and back-loading finished goods exWaitemata Brewery through the port of Lyttelton, we also back-load
all our own raw materials (malt, sugar, glass and packaging, etc),”
explains DB’s national logistics manager Ivan Poulter.
The fleet size is based on normal volumes, with overflows regularly
contracted to local carriers.
some of the others makes, but when we calculated whole-of-life
costs they are certainly more than competitive.
“We run the trucks for a million kilometers before replacement, and
on past experience we know the Benz trucks are more than reliable
over those distances plus still retain a high resale value.
“On top of that we have a service agent in Timaru (Trucks South
Ltd) and Mercedes-Benz has more than stood behind its name when
the odd problem has arisen over the years,” he adds.
The decision was ultimately made to purchase Actros 3246L/48
eight-wheelers with fully automatic Telligent shift transmissions and
fully electronic braking.
The four-axle Fruehauf trailers also have electronic disc brakes and
alloy wheels.
When the fleet included articulated beer tankers the rest of the
trailing gear also had to be articulated, which meant a compromise
on deck space.
The trucks and trailers are curtainsiders, and DB Breweries had
Omnigraphics screen print the curtains with spectacular Tui and
Export Gold graphics. The next new rig, expected to go on the road
this year, will be in Monteiths colours.
By switching to four-axle trucks and four-axle trailers DB is able to
maximize deck space, with each rig capable of carrying an additional
six pallets. This reduces the reliance on contractors, plus lowers
overall costs.
“As the other trucks in the fleet reach their million kilometers we
will be replacing them with Actros eight-wheelers with truck and
trailer curtains presented in a variety of DB brands,” says Ivan Poulter.
The DB South Island fleet has been 100% Mercedes-Benz for two
decades, but that didn’t mean the purchase of Actros 8x4 trucks
was a foregone conclusion once the decision to move to eightwheelers had been made.
“It’s company policy that we do cost comparisons with other brands
every time we contemplate a truck purchase,” Ivan Poulter says.
“The Mercedes-Benz was marginally more expensive initially than
Each DB truck is in the hands of a single driver, working on nineweek rotating roster, which ensures they each cover the entire
South Island. He explains that the variety resulting from this is good
for both the trucks and their drivers.
And it also ensures that everyone in the South Island gets the
opportunity to see some of the most spectacular – and efficient –
truck and trailer units on the road.
Sprinters Thrive In
Harsh Conditions
Servicing the growing numbers of electricity generating wind turbines must rank
as one of the toughest of occupations, and Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vans play
an important part in it.
Everything works against the crews that keep wind turbines supplying
electricity to the national grid: High winds, naturally. High towers
– up to 70 metres above ground. High-voltage electricity. Then
there’s the occasional hazardous substance – it’s a tough job from
any angle.
Each turbine has its own computerized monitoring system, which
alerts Ian McLean or one of his crews if any problem is suspected.
If a fault is detected the computer sends a text message to a
technician’s cellphone, with a tentative diagnosis. This means, of
course, that the Vestas team is on call around the clock.
In these conditions safety is a primary concern and Vestas New
Zealand Wind Technology Ltd, a division of Danish multi-national
Vestas, sees the safety offered by the Mercedes-Benz Sprinters as
an important reason for specifying them.
The teams work from a fleet of eight vehicles, four of which are
Mercedes-Benz 416 Sprinters. Vestas has also ordered New Zealand’s
first new Sprinter 515 vans, due at the end of this year.
Around the world Vestas has a total of 11,000 employees and there
are 30,000 of the company’s wind turbines in operation. The company
is standardizing on Sprinters for front-line maintenance work.
New Zealand is a relative newcomer to the world of renewable
electricity generation through wind turbines. Although the first was
built near Wellington almost 14 years ago, the industry was really
founded with the establishment of the first wind farm in the Tararua
Ranges, east of Palmerston North, in 1998. Now there are 158 wind
turbines in the Manawatu, with a new wind farm in Southland putting
29 turbines into operation early next year and a further 31 large
turbines due to enter service in the Tararuas in the middle of
next year.
New Zealand service manager for Vestas is Ian McLean, who heads
a team of 14 – and growing – specialists who look after all the
country’s wind turbines. Their job is an unusual combination of ultrahigh technology and elemental battling of their environment.
Ian McLean says the safety features, like the standard ABS antilock braking and ESP stability control are important features of the
Sprinters, but the company also stresses the value of long service
intervals and low overall maintenance requirements.
“We also value the long life we get from the Sprinters,” he adds.
“We don’t have a fixed replacement policy – we replace them when
they’re worn out.”
The long working life is sustained even under the tough conditions
encountered by the Vestas vans, which routinely cart around a tonne
and a half of tools, parts and safety gear and also regularly tow trailers.
Because access roads to turbines can be little better than improved
farm tracks, Ian McLean specified manual locking differentials – a
factory option on the current Sprinter.
“However the crews have found that the standard ASR traction
control works almost as well as the locking diffs,” he adds. “We’ve
hardly ever found it necessary to use the diff locks.”
Customer Trucks
Cool Columbia Photo by Trevor McCallum
The colours of Hilton Haulage Transport Ltd are among the best-known
on the Mainland, but few of the carrier’s rigs look as cool as this new
Freightliner Columbia.
One of four new tractor units delivered to the high-profile operator, this
6x4 unit pulls a refrigerated semi-trailer throughout the South Island
from its Christchurch base.
Under the classy Columbia’s bonnet throbs a 450hp MBE4000 diesel
engine, delivering its power through a Roadranger RTLO16918 gearbox
to make short work of the South Island’s varied highways.
Sales Consultant: Trevor McCallum – SouthStar Freightliner
Sterling Tractor
Long-established Auckland family firm L.W. Bonney & Sons Ltd has
always held a reputation for outstanding presentation of its fleet of
mostly American trucks, and this new Sterling tractor unit maintains the
standard.
The 6x4 tractor unit works from the company’s Penrose depot, hauling
bulk tankers all over the North Island.
Taking the effort out of the work is the 500hp Detroit Diesel Series 60
under the bonnet. It drives through an Eaton RTLO 18918B Roadranger.
Sales Consultant: Chris Mackey – Trucks & Trailers Ltd
Actros Coaster
Based at the Greymouth depot of Northern Southland Transport Holdings,
this new Mercedes-Benz Actros sees plenty of both coasts of the South
Island as it operates between its home town and Christchurch.
Driven by John Newton, the 6x4 2654LS/33 tractor unit pulls either a
five-axle B-train or a 14-metre tri-axle semi-trailer on line haul freight
duties.
John's life is made easy by the 540hp produced by the Mercedes-Benz
OM502LA V8 diesel under the Actros cab, and by the Telligent Automatic
Gearshift fitted to the 16-speed G240 gearbox behind it.
Sales Consultant: Russell Marr – Trucks South Ltd
Ongarue Argosy Photo by Casper
Although its home is the King Country town of Taumarunui, this new
Freightliner Argosy stock truck can be spotted anywhere around the
North Island in the hands of regular drivers Casper or Woody.
The new 8x4 Argosy works for Ongarue Transport Ltd, whose fleet colours
are enhanced by the truck’s smart alloy bumper.
Helping the twin-steer truck pull its four-axle, four-deck stock trailer is
a 620hp Cummins Signature diesel engine, driving through a Eaton
20918B Roadranger gearbox.
Sales Consultant: John O’Sullivan – Trucks & Trailers Ltd
Customer Trucks
Pioneer Mixer
This new concrete mixer truck in the familiar livery of Allied Concrete
Ltd is the first Sterling LT7500 8x4 truck put into service in New Zealand.
Based at the national operator’s Christchurch depot, the new Sterling
works around its home city in the hands of driver Andrew Norris.
The 8x4 mixer is powered by a Cummins ISC diesel engine, rated at
315hp, running through an Eaton RTO11909ALL nine-speed gearbox.
Sales Consultant: Russell Marr – Trucks South Ltd
Oamaru Tipper Photo by Trevor McCallum
Oamaru is home base for this new Waitaki Transport Ltd twin-steer
Freightliner Argosy tip truck.
Driven by Paul Tayles, the new machine pulls a four-axle tipping trailer
on bulk cartage duties throughout the South Island.
Powering the big American 8x4 truck is a potent Cummins Signature
diesel rated at 520hp and driving through an 18-speed Eaton RTLO
20918 Roadranger gearbox.
Sales Consultant: Trevor McCallum – SouthStar Freightliner
Sterling Tractor
Already a familiar sight on the highway between its home base of Timaru
and the South Island freight hub of Christchurch is this new Sterling
AT9500 tractor unit.
Operated by Brosnan Transport Ltd, the 6x4 tractor unit pulls a five-axle
B-train and is driven by Bronson McLean.
Brosnan Transport opted for Detroit Diesel Series 60 power, with the
470hp output channeled to the tandem drive axle set by an Eaton RTLO
16918 18-speed gearbox.
Sales Consultant: Russell Marr – Trucks South Ltd.
Livestock Argosy
While the smart colours of Waiuku-based Knight & Dickey Ltd are probably
best known around the greater Auckland region, this superb new
Freightliner Argosy carries them throughout the upper North Island.
The twin-steer Argosy, pulling a four-axle Fairfax trailer, is a dedicated
livestock rig, serving the rural sector in a region known more for lattes
than livestock.
Under the comfortable Argosy cab hums a Caterpillar C15 diesel engine,
rated at 550hp. It drives through an 18-speed Eaton RTLO 20918B
gearbox.
Sales Consultant: Ron Price – Trucks & Trailers Ltd
Smooth Spreader Photo by Ron Price
Accurate spreading of fertiliser on Franklin, South Auckland, farms is ensured
by the sophisticated specification of this new Mercedes-Benz Atego
1523AK/33 4x4 sower put into operation by MacGregor Naysmith Ltd.
The Waiuku-based truck has the latest Transpread twin chain 730 stainlesssteel hopper spreading equipment on its chassis.
Driven by Dean Naysmith, the Atego is powered by the Mercedes-Benz
OM906LA diesel engine, rated at 230hp.
Sales Consultant: Ron Price – Trucks & Trailers Ltd
Alpine Actros Photo by Gerald Stanley
This new Mercedes-Benz Actros crosses the Southern Alps daily, 6 days a
week, on a run from its home in Greymouth to Christchurch and back, via
Arthurs Pass.
The 2646LS/33 6x4 tractor pulls a refrigerated tri-axle semi-trailer for
Aratuna Freighters Ltd, with Bob Williamson enjoying life in the big Actros
cab.
The truck’s 456hp V6 Mercedes-Benz engine and Telligent auto-shift 16speed gearbox make short work of hauling loads of frozen goods, milk and
other dairy products.
Sales Consultant: Gerald Stanley – Trucks South Ltd
Customer Service Is Key
To South Star Growth
The opening of a new satellite service workshop in Hornby marks a new phase
of growth for South Star Freightliner.
With the multiple brands he and his 15 staff spend a considerable
amount of their time on training, although increasing web-based
training is at least reducing the travel component. Workshop manuals
and diagnostic tools are now also usually accessed on-line.
Paul Golding served his time as a car mechanic with the old New
Zealand Electricity Department before heading to the big South
Island power projects, where he spent nine years in Twizel, working
on everything from heavy earth moving machinery to little trucks.
When the power projects were completed he worked for the Ministry
of Works in Timaru and Ashburton before joining South Star in 1998.
Service Manager Paul Golding
South Star Freightliner Service Manager Paul Golding says the
opening of a second workshop in Christchurch reflects growth that
stems from “our emphasis on providing our customers with the best
possible service we can give.”
The new Branston Street facility, with two drive-through service
bays, is located close to the Hornby transport hub where many of
South Star’s major customers are based.
It provides them with a truck and trailer express service operation,
along with a dedicated heavy trailer repair service.
Although minor truck repairs are also carried out at the new workshop,
major repair work is directed to the main seven-bay South Star
service centre across town, close to the airport.
“We also have two engineers preparing new Freightliner trucks for
the road,” adds Paul Golding. This can involve anything from fitting
a television set inside the cab to shortening the chassis.
“We have developed a South Star accessories list, which enables
purchasers to just tick the boxes for the equipment they want when
ordering a new Freightliner,” he explains. “Then we set up the truck
to the customer’s requirements prior to delivery.”
South Star’s service for major customers, which include many of
the South Island’s leading transport operators, extends to a personal
visit every morning to ensure all truck servicing work is coordinated
with the dispatcher’s requirements. In some cases the South Star
representative will help with the management of service schedules.
Although the company specializes in Freightliners, it services all
brands of heavy trucks, while a separate operation at the main
workshops specializes in Mercedes-Benz Sprinter and Vito vans.
“Our aim originally was to be a one-stop shop for Freightliner and
that meant we became a service dealer for Cummins, Caterpillar
and Detroit Diesel,” explains Paul Golding.
The company then employed two mechanics, but now has 15 fulltime mechanics offering a round-the-clock service from the Rakaia
River to Kaikoura and across to the West Coast.
Paul Golding says the growth has resulted from South Star’s customer
focus as well as from the growth in sales of Freightliner trucks.
The only drawback is that it leaves him less time than he’d like to
spend with his family of three boys, his keen interest in following
rugby and playing the occasional round of golf.
Huge Investment In
Commercial Vehicle Parts
It requires a huge investment of money, expertise, computing power and human
resources to ensure working commercial vehicles are out of action for the
shortest possible time in the event of a crash or breakdown.
Whether it’s a Mercedes-Benz, Freightliner or Sterling truck or
Mercedes-Benz light commercial, downtime is inevitably costly to
the owner, so DaimlerChrysler has made a huge investment in after
sales support to minimize downtime when the worst happens.
Normal delivery of parts throughout New Zealand is overnight,
provided an order is taken by 3pm. If there’s a vehicle off the road,
overnight delivery can be arranged for orders made as late as 6pm.
And there is always a staff member on call, around the clock.
The most visible side of this support is a 4000 square metre parts
warehouse at the group’s headquarters in Mount Wellington. Housed
in it are around 20,000 items of stock for heavy and light commercial
vehicles, presently valued at $8.3 million. They range from tiny seals
to 25 different truck cabs and whole truck engines.
Parts staff often go well beyond the normal call of duty to help get
a DaimlerChrysler vehicle back on the road as quickly as possible.
Take the case of Abdul Hai, who received a call-out from TRT at
Mount Maunganui one Sunday morning last year. Some parts were
needed urgently to repair a truck that was off the road after being
involved in a crash.
“On the commercial vehicle side it’s all about back-up,” explains
general manager after sales, Kevin Hayler. “When there’s a vehicle
off the road it can be make or break for the transport operator.”
The parts stock is monitored by a sophisticated new Incadea
computer system, which enables dealers to check parts stocks
on-line. It automatically re-orders parts, and will alert staff to any
sudden changes in parts ordering patterns, which might indicate
an in-service problem.
Some 18 of Kevin Hayler’s 40 staff members work in the warehouse
and take pride in being able to supply 90% of orders directly
from stock.
When rare parts not carried in stock are ordered, delivery of
Mercedes-Benz parts is next day from Singapore, while Freightliner
and Sterling parts delivery times vary depending on their location
within the United States.
On his way to the warehouse Hai was himself involved in a serious
accident, caused by another driver, and his car was written off.
Despite being severely shaken and suffering from a very sore neck,
once he had completed the road-side formalities with the police he
arranged for his wife to collect him to take him to the warehouse.
When Hai and his now quite distressed wife arrived at the warehouse
the customer was already waiting to collect the parts. Hai apologised
to the customer for his lateness! Fortunately the customer was very
understanding, and was most appreciative of Hai's devotion to duty
and the fact that Hai put the customer's requirements first. The
dealer passed on his sincere gratitude to DaimlerChrysler senior
management the next day.
On The Way To His
Second Million
South Island owner-operator Charlie Lamborn has high expectations of his
new Freightliner Argosy tractor unit – more than a million kilometers of
work for a start!
The Christchurch-based trucker’s decision to buy the new Argosy
was made relatively easy by the fact that the one he was trading
in had 1.3 million kilometers of hard work behind it.
“It was a 2000 model ex-Courier Post Argosy that already had more
than a million kilometres on it when I bought it in September 2004,”
Charlie explains. “It was still going strong when I bought the new
truck 300,000km later.
“I did look at some alternatives, like the Kenworth Aerodyne, but
the Argosy has a lot more space inside the cab and a smarter interior
that’s easier to keep clean.”
Although Charlie Lamborn was a logging truck operator years ago,
he was working around the country as a stevedore when the
opportunity arose to put a truck to work for TNL Group in Nelson.
“I could be away from home for weeks at a time with the stevedoring
work and I was getting pretty sick of living in motels, so I took the
job on with just a verbal contract,” he says.
In the middle of this year, just after taking delivery of his new truck,
Charlie Lamborn got both a written contract and a new role for TNL
– carting mainly dry food between Christchurch and Dunedin.
“It’s dog biscuits and noodles mostly,” he laughs.
The first Argosy had a standard 90-inch cab and under it was a
Detroit Diesel Series 60, rated at 550hp and driving through an 18speed Roadranger.
Charlie Lamborn definitely wanted more room in the new truck, so
for his new Freightliner, he specified a 110-inch high-rise cab with
all the goodies, including a television and DVD player.
Although he stayed with the 18-speed gearbox, he ordered a big
620hp Cummins diesel in front of it, and says the combination is
awesome.
“Coming out of Dunedin at 44 tonne I can come up the Kilmog two
up in the high range, and going up to Blenheim I only need about
six gear changes for the whole trip,” he says. “I’m even having to
use the Jake brake to slow down for corners going up hill!”
To ensure his new Argosy looks unique – even aside from its CHUKYS
personalized plate – he had SouthStar Freightliner fit New Zealand’s
first American-style twin exhaust stacks, mounted right out at the
rear corners of the cab. They are laser-cut with the Freightliner
brand name and Charlie Lamborn has fitted blue reflective tape
behind the cut-out lettering to ensure it glows when hit by light at
night.
He also had each side of the chassis made identical, with 303 litre
fuel tanks and custom-made tool boxes extending right back to the
alloy guards. Behind the guards is an alloy back bumper and fullwidth “road sweeper” mud flap.
Charlie Lamborn is pleased with the Argosy’s 8788kg tare weight
and, with road speed governed to 100km/h and plenty of use of
the cruise control across the Canterbury Plains, he’s achieving
2km/litre fuel consumption despite the engine still being tight after
only 43,000km.
That’s a promising start – and there’s only 957,000km to go!
Vitos Ensure Premium Image
For Premium Products
Award-winning appliance specialists Able Appliances Ltd deal mainly with
the top European brands, so chose Mercedes-Benz Vito vans for the right
image on the road.
Auckland-based Able Appliances is the largest authorized independent
parts and service agent for top German appliance brands such as
Bosch, Miele and Gaggenau and targets an up-market clientele for
its premium service for these products.
“The sign written Mercedes-Benz Vito vans project the ideal image
for us,” says managing director Arajan Odedra. “The main reason we
chose the Vitos is the marketing opportunity they presented us with.”
Arajan Odedra set up Auckland Appliance Service Ltd 15 years ago
and established Able Appliances in 1994. In 2001 and 2003 the
company won the Apex Award for excellence in appliance servicing,
a New Zealand wide competition among independent dealerships.
Along with appliance servicing the company offers an extensive
spare parts inventory and a sales department.
The business has expanded rapidly in the past year, moving to a
new 23,000sq ft warehouse in Pakuranga at the end of 2005 and
opening a new branch in Albany in the second half of this year. The
new branch extends the service to cover greater Auckland from the
Bombay hills to the North Shore.
Despite the growth of Able Appliances, Arajan Odedra still dons his
overalls and pitches in to take a share of call-outs and assists his
staff with technical support.
“The technology in appliances has changed with astonishing speed,”
he explains. “Now a technician needs a laptop to service a
washing machine.”
Like most of his staff, he drives a Vito van, although his is a new
115CD1 Mixlo version with Automatic transmission and rear seats.
The Able Appliances fleet is currently part-way through an upgrade,
with three older 108 and 110 models and three new Vitos – the
115, a 109C CDi and a 109L CDi.
With Auckland’s traffic congestion Arajan Odedra hopes to specify
automatic transmissions on all future Vito purchases.
Apart from the image presented by the Mercedes-Benz vans, he has
been impressed with the service and back-up for them – an aspect
he obviously knows a lot about with Able Appliance’s aim being to
exceed its customers’ quality of service expectations.
The extended service intervals on the new Vitos – 30,000km between
oil changes and 60,000km between full services -minimizes downtime
for his technicians, who rely on their vans for on-site servicing.
“Anything mechanical can break down and we did have a minor
issue with one of the old Vitos, but I was pleased with the backup,” Arajan Odedra says. “At the end of the day the back-up and
full support for the product is what counts.
“Our customers spend $2000 on a dishwasher and expect nothing
but the best when it comes to back-up, so that’s what we expect
when we spend $40,000 or more on a van.”
Along with the image and the back-up, the Vito vans have impressed
Able Appliances with their reliability and their safety features, like
standard ESP stability control on the newer models.
Fire Fighting At A Higher Level
A pair of Finnish Bronto heavy elevated fire fighting platforms on special MercedesBenz Econic chassis represent a new approach for the New Zealand Fire Service.
Over the years the aerial platforms used by fire fighters to pour
water on to flames from above and carry out rescues from high-rise
buildings have been assembled locally from a range of imported
truck chassis and components.
By specifying a unique hydraulically-steered pusher axle ahead of
the 6x2’s single drive axle on an Econic, Graham Bidois came up
with an appliance that has a tiny 18-metre turning circle, yet is as
stable as a 6x4.
The result: Although the service operates only 27 aerial appliances
around the country, there were 12 different types of them.
And a special low-profile version of the forward-mounted Econic
cab enables the aerial to be carried above the cab while maintaining
an overall height of just 3500mm, which sneaks through the standard
3600mm high standard fire station door!
“This time, rather than go for what was cheapest, we decided to
standardize on what we determined was the best,” says the service’s
fleet manager Graham Bidois.
The choice of the 100-foot (32 metre) Bronto elevated platform was
relatively straightforward. The Finnish specialist is one of the biggest
manufacturers of aerial appliances in the world, building around
200 units a year in a range from 17 to 105 metres reach.
The 32 metre units ordered are standard for local conditions, where
their 11-storey reach will handle all requirements at their Christchurch
and Wellington locations.
They are rated at 400kg, enabling four fire fighters to work aloft at
once. They can pump 4800 litres of water a minute and they have
breathing air piped to the platform so fire fighters can work for
extended periods without having to come back to the ground for
new cylinders.
The platforms are hydraulically raised, with primary power from a
transmission power take-off. This is backed-up by a motorised onboard hydraulic pump, a battery-powered electro-hydraulic unit and
a manual bleed-down.
The Mercedes-Benz Econic was new to the Fire Service, however,
and was chosen for its low-profile cab, stability and nimbleness.
The cabs and chassis were built in Germany and sent to the Bronto
plant in Finland for assembly, rather than the usual Fire Service
practice of building the appliance in New Zealand.
Graham Bidois then went to Finland to test the finished vehicles
before they were shipped to New Zealand, and says they ended up
going into service more quickly than previous locally-built units.
The Econics are more nimble than the 6x4s while being just as
stable. Powering the appliances are 330hp OM926 straight-six
cylinder diesels, which are also available on Mercedes-Benz Axor
trucks.
Graham Bidois specified six-speed World Series Allison automatics
with transmission retarders, which are being adopted as standard
on new appliances so drivers won’t have to deal with unfamiliar
gearboxes in emergency conditions.
The cabs each seat just an officer and a driver as the heavy elevated
platforms are not normally the first appliances to be called out, but
are generally deployed when the first firemen at a blaze determine
that either water is required from high above the flames, or there
are people requiring rescue from upper levels.
Sterling On Trial For
K & S Freighters
Freightliner trucks are a familiar sight in the red and white colours of
K & S Freighters, and now a Sterling 6x4 tractor unit has joined them
on a trial basis.
The DaimlerChrysler group’s new 12.8 litre MBE4000 diesel engine
is one of the factors that influenced K & S Freighters Ltd to trial the
Sterling alongside the Freightliner Columbia and Argosy units it
already operates.
According to the company, the MBE engine is showing significant
promise, with tare weight and performance on a par with the
traditional North American Cummins and Caterpillar engines.
The MBE4000 has already established an enviable record for a low
number of warranty claims, although K & S says the proof of its
reliability and durability will be determined over the coming years
of operation.
Driver acceptance has also been high and is expected to become
even higher once engines fitted with the 500hp Turbo Brake enter
the fleet.
Increased workload in the past couple of years had seen K & S put
a number of leased trucks into the fleet and in the past 12 months
these have been progressively replaced with company-owned
Columbia 6x4 tractor units and Argosy 8x4 rigid trucks.
The 450hp MBE4000 engine has been fitted to the majority of these
trucks, along with some ISX Cummins and Caterpillar C15 engines,
depending on availability at time of purchase.
The trucks are also equipped with a mixture of Autoshift and manual
18-speed Eaton gearboxes.
K & S is acknowledged as a leader in its tracking and monitoring
systems, both for customer support and for analysis of the
performance of the trucks carting their customers’ freight. These
systems will be used to measure the fuel economy, reliability and
durability of the MBE4000 against the traditional North American
engine options.
The same will apply to the performance of the Sterling, which K & S
will measure against the Columbia tractors and other prime movers it
operates. The company sees the trial of the Sterling as an opportunity
to test the benefits of another brand of truck without having to go
outside the proven capabilities of the DaimlerChrysler family.
Initial impressions are that the Sterling looks as promising as the
MBE4000 under its bonnet, with a competitive tare weight – always
a vital factor for K & S – and specification.
Time will confirm the truck's competitive advantage for K & S
Freighters throughout New Zealand.
Carpet One Vito Vans
– Style Inside And Out
Carpet One vans have samples of some of the most stylish floor coverings
available on the inside, so the New Zealand arm of the world-wide group has
chosen Mercedes-Benz Vito vans for an image that’s equally stylish on the road.
“It’s our aim to achieve close to a one hundred percent Vito fleet,
and the stylish appearance of the vans was a major factor in choosing
the vehicle,” explains Carpet One national sales and marketing
manager Phil Harrison.
Although he wanted a large vehicle capable of meeting present and
future load requirements, he wasn’t keen on the appearance of
traditional square box vans, so the stylish Vito proved to be in a
class of its own.
Although part of the world’s largest carpet retailing group, Carpet
One in New Zealand is unique in marketing floor coverings from a
nation-wide fleet of vans. Everywhere else in the world the group
operates from conventional stores.
Long wheelbase 111L Vito vans were eventually chosen and the
first eight have already been sign written in Carpet One livery.
Along with the larger load capacity and sharp styling, there turned
out to be several other reasons for joining the Mercedes-Benz family.
This means the Vito vans serve as the operation’s stores, showrooms
and mobile billboards, which is the reason Phil Harrison places so
much importance on their image.
“An obvious one is that Mercedes-Benz is a very good brand for us
to be associated with,” Phil Harrison says.
Carpet One is represented by 41 franchised owner-operators, based
around the country from Kerikeri to Invercargill.
Another is the high level of safety offered by the Vito, which has
features like ABS anti-lock braking and ESP electronic stability
program as standard.
The representatives take samples of carpet, vinyl and engineered
wood flooring to customers in their own homes. This enables the
customers to see how the floor coverings will look in the environment
where they will be fitted, rather than trying to choose them under
the artificial lighting of a conventional showroom.
With rising fuel prices, economy is becoming increasingly important
and their high-efficiency turbocharged common rail diesel engines
ensure the Vito vans offer savings at the pump compared with the
petrol engines they have replaced.
Once the choices have been made, Carpet One representatives will
arrange delivery and installation of the new floor coverings.
An expanding range of samples was among the reasons Phil Harrison
sought out a larger vehicle and ultimately decided to standardize
on the Vito.
“There can be as many as 1000 samples in the van these days,” he
explains. “There can be 400-500 carpet samples alone, so there’s
quite a bit of weight involved.”
But in the final analysis it was the heart that ruled the head, just as
it is most likely to be for Carpet One’s customers.
While performance is important, ultimately it’s the appearance that
largely determines the final choice of floor covering.
And once the important parameters of size, safety and economy
had been met, it was the stylish appearance that made the Vito van
first choice for Carpet One.
Dealer and Service Network
Trucks
Sales/Service/Parts
Trucks & Trailers Ltd (Auck)
Trucks & Trailers Ltd (P.Nth)
SouthStar Freightliner (Chch)
Trucks South Ltd (Timaru)
Trucks
MB/S/F
MB/S/F
F
MB/S
Ph:
Ph:
Ph:
Ph:
09
06
03
03
262
356
359
687
2465
8589
7913
4133
Service/Parts – MB/S/F
Keith Andrews Trucks (Wang)
Truck City (Auck)
Tidd Ross Todd (Ham)
Tidd Ross Todd (Mt Mang)
Jim Young Motors (Napier)
W.R. Phillips (New Plym)
Highway Trucks Ltd (P.Nth)
Wilmac Transport Services (Wgtn)
Truck Specialists Nelson
Dunedin Truck Services
Invercargill Truck Servicing
Light Commercial Vans
Keith Andrews Trucks (Wang)
Giltrap North Shore (Auck)
Trucks & Trailers Ltd (Auck)
Ingham Sears (Tauranga)
Ingham Booth Autohaus (Ham)
Trucks & Trailers Ltd (P.Nth)
Kirk Motors Lower Hutt
Houston Motors (Nelson)
Armstrong Prestige Chch
Armstrong Prestige Dunedin
Light Commercial Vans
Keri Keri Autohaus
Truck City (Auck)
G B Motors (Roto)
Tocker Automotive (Taupo)
Main Street Autos (Hast)
W.R. Phillips (New Plym)
Truck Specialists Nelson
SouthStar Freightliner (Chch)
Hansens Auto Services (Qstown)
Dunedin Truck Services
Invercargill Truck Servicing
Ph: 09 430 3900
Ph: 09 274 6523
Ph: 07 849 4839
Ph: 07 574 0471
Ph: 06 836 6126
Ph: 06 759 2051
Ph: 06 358 8702
Ph: 04 237 4433
Ph: 03 544 6090
Ph: 03 479 0150
Ph: 03 215 9566
Sales/Service/Parts
Ph: 09 430 3900
Ph: 09 443 3808
Ph: 09 262 2465
Ph: 07 572 8260
Ph: 07 838 1317
Ph: 06 356 8589
Ph: 04 566 3903
Ph: 03 548 8204
Ph: 03 343 2468
Ph: 03 470 3030
Service/Parts – MB
Ph: 09 407 8646
Ph: 09 274 6523
Ph: 07 348 7598
Ph: 07 378 9714
Ph: 06 878 5472
Ph: 06 759 2051
Ph: 03 544 6090
Ph: 03 359 7913
Ph: 03 442 9702
Ph: 03 479 0150
Ph: 03 215 9566