Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 438 i Deals On Wheels Australia

Steve Shaw and his son James were picking up a load of bullocks from a Comdain-owned property at Ancona near Mansfield in their International Eagle 9900i when Deals on Wheels caught up with them. Operating as Shaw’s Transport, their small fleet is based in Mansfield, where Steve has 800 acres and 200 head of cattle, as well as his original property in Gobur. Most of Steve’ business comes from stock agents in Mansfield but the Shaws also have a number of private clients such as Comdain. Although primarily hauling livestock, James says during the low times they will cart anything. James has been with the business for a couple of years now, firstly obtaining a medium rigid licence at age 19, and then his heavy rigid 10 months later. His…

Everybody knows the old saying, ‘Don’t put all your eggs in one basket’. It also appears to be very sound advice. However, before this adage became ingrained in our society, a very rich man by the name of Andrew Carnegie was quoted as saying, “Concentrate your energies, your thoughts and your capital. The wise man puts all his eggs in one basket and watches the basket.” What he was saying also makes perfect sense – specialise in one area and focus on doing it well. Lenssec Transport in Tamworth has been doing that for over 30 years, and the funny part is their success has relied almost entirely on eggs. The operation literally has put all its eggs in one basket. Sure, Lenssec Transport has had its share of ups…

In an age where there is a perception that things aren’t built to last, it’s refreshing to find a truck that is nearly 40 years old still willing to stand up and be counted! Brad Larsen has that very truck – a 1985 Kenworth K100. Granted it needed a bit of TLC, but that effort has seen the old girl looking great once again. Brad purchased the truck thinking it was just a standard K100 but soon discovered that it was a little different. Taking it for a drive it felt like it was on airbags. Brad says that “on closer inspection it actually has a factory long wheelbase”. The rest of the truck is factory standard, he explains. The power plant is a 400hp CAT 3406 attached to a…

Tickets to Australia’s favourite road transport business event, the Brisbane Truck Show, are a highly sought-after commodity. They are treated like gold, but the fact is they’re actually incredibly cheap. Online tickets are cheaper still; concessions cheaper again; and under 18s are free (provided they’re accompanied by an adult). This will be the fifth show to be held the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre (BCEC), but organisers are still finding ways to expand it. With over 300 exhibitors showcasing the latest trucks, trailers, equipment, components and technology there’s plenty of bang for your buck. There’s a whole range of new trucks set for unveiling on opening day, and all the big names are there this year – plus some new ones. Paccar has been teasing the release of some new…

After 56 years of operating from its Brisbane base, Haulmark Trailers’ decision to open a new manufacturing facility in Adelaide comes from a desire to serve what has grown to be a substantial client base in Australia’s southern states. Founded in 1963 in Brisbane, the company has a strong heritage in developing multi-combination vehicles for the mining and resources and pastoral industries – which the company says has seen it enjoy a strong showing in Northern Australia. Haulmark’s national sales and marketing manager Mark Johnston tells Deals on Wheels the Adelaide base will help to service the Haulmark assets that have made their way to the south of the country. “They seem to get there by second or third ownership – it is not new going in there … so…

Don’t let the title of this story fool you. Bedrock Quarry Products and Bulk Transport’s success is far from accidental. In fact, the success of the 17-strong fleet is based on its innovation, its commitment to service and its team of experienced and hardworking staff. The accidental side of things is actually a reference to the man that started the company nine years ago, Mick Colley, and his trucking origins. “I got into the industry by accident, as a fill-in job, just to drive a truck,” Mick recalls with a laugh. I’ve always thought of the transport industry as a service industry. “A friend of the old man was in trucks and he said, ‘I’ll get you a job driving a truck until you work out what you’re gonna do’.…

Nick Radford laughed surprisingly after he picked up the phone when told his 1990 Mack Valueliner had been voted the Owner Driver Tranzmile Truck of the Year for 2018. This was the inaugural running of the Tranzmilesponsored award, and the other 11 contenders of various makes and models were of a much more recent vintage. However, Nick was even more impressed when I arrived at his Radford Pastoral property at Penola in South Australia a few days later with the shiny 7kg trophy. “Surprised? Very much actually,” Nick said on receiving the trophy. “It’s good that the public liked the truck, the old girl.” Voting for the Owner Driver Tranzmile Truck of the Year took place on the publication’s website www.ownerdriver.com.au, beginning on December 1, 2018 and closing on January…

There’s no other place in Australia where you can check out the latest and greatest in earthmoving equipment in the one place, at the same time, than the National Diesel Dirt &Turf Expo (DDT) to be held May 3-5 at Panthers Penrith in western Sydney. In its fourth year, DDT is the only place to be if you want to experience all the buzz and excitement of big earthmoving machinery, attachments, GPS and digital management systems, accessories, finance and much more. If you are a project manager or contractor in site preparation, excavation, landscapes, infrastructure and public spaces, there is the latest technology for excavators, loaders, mowers, grounds maintenance equipment, trailers, trucks and associated services. And the best thing is you don’t need to register; entry and car parking are…

Given the unprecedented investment, planning and testing, plus the fact lunar eclipses tend to come around considerably more often than entirely new Kenworth cabs, was there ever any doubt the T610 would be a stunning success from the get-go? Probably not! Indeed, with expanded sleeper options and the constant evolution of engineering for diverse demands since its launch two years ago, Kenworth’s latest and arguably greatest conventional now vies with the seemingly unassailable K200 cab-over as the most popular model rolling out of the Bayswater (Vic) bunker. But the 610, of course, was never destined to be the only model to sport the new 2.1-metre wide cab. Again given the size of the investment – said to be a hefty $20 million, easily making it the biggest new model outlay…