T H E L A T E S T I N N O V A T I O N S I N

TRAILER TECHNOLOGYPOWERTORQUE ISSUE 63 FEBRUARY - MARCH 2015

104 TRAILER TORQUE

TRAILERTORQUE

TIME

The

FOR CHANGEWhen a long-term contract suddenly comes to an end,

it triggers a rethink of what comes next

sudden closure of a small NSW mine swiftly brought to an end an 11-year contract for Welby, NSW-based, Trevor Dyson and

other local subcontractors.

“I had just taken delivery of a brand new Western Star 4900FXC to replace my existing Constellation, so I effectively had two trucks and no work,” said Trevor.

As with all the most positive of outlooks, as one door closes, another opens, giving Trevor fresh ideas and the opportunity to actually expand.

With his new truck parked in his driveway Trevor was invited to work as a subcontractor with GLS Transport, a local business run by a long-time friend, Garry Stafford.

Using the 4900FXC as an example, with a maximum GVM of 110 tonnes this is a truck that can work as a prime mover hauling single trailers, B-doubles or road trains, in bulk haul or in general freight. It can also work in rigid truck and dog trailer work with quad-dogs or five and six-axle drawbar trailers.

When Trevor bought his previous Western Star in 2007 it was the first to be delivered in Australia that featured the Hendrickson Primaax 46-160 suspension.

Trevor has stayed with Primaax suspension in this latest model, also choosing the 7.3-tonne-rated Meritor front axle on parabolic spring suspension. A Wabco anti-lock braking system is fitted to both units with self-adjusting automatic slack adjusters.

“I had worked for the family a long time ago and have the highest respect for their operation. The opportunity to once again work together was ideal,” said Trevor.

Although the new 4900FXC had been ordered to work as a prime mover with a tri-axled single semitrailer, it was easily switched to the different configuration of a rigid tipper, without the need for any major chassis modifications.

With a new contract lined up, Trevor ordered a rigid tipper body from Tefco Trailers of Goulburn, together with a matching quad-dog tipping trailer.

The advantage of purchasing trucks at the top of the weight spectrum is that they provide the flexibility and versatility to work effectively in a variety of configurations.

TRAILER TORQUE 105

TIME FOR CHANGE

Above: The battery boxes were repositioned to match the leading edge of the tipper body and include circuit

breakers for the tarp system and tipping lights.

Below: Hendrickson axles have a one million km warranty and are fitted with wheel end monitors to

indicate bearing wear.

Common to both Western Stars is the choice of engine and drivetrain, with the 600 hp Cummins Signature EGR engine matched to the 22-Series, Eaton Roadranger 18-speed manual transmission. The diff’ ratio in both vehicles is 4.33:1.

“Back in 1996 it was Tefco that built my first trailer. In those days, Danny Hogan was an apprentice welder, and today he is the manager of the Goulburn factory. Danny and his team have always provided excellent service and I was very comfortable returning to them for the new combination,” said Trevor.

“I like the product, and anything I wanted was never any trouble. I like using creased sidewalls in the bodies as it takes the chatter out of the sidewalls when empty. I wanted Roc hoists at 42 tonnes in the trailer and 30 tonnes capacity for the truck. The power take-off is from Powauto of Narellan.

“Hendrickson’s one-million kilometre warranty for wheel-ends was a major drawcard for choosing Hendrickson axles and Intraax suspension for the trailer. The wheel ends are fitted with wheel end monitors to indicate bearing wear.

I stayed with air-operated drum brakes with automatic slack adjusters and ABS.

“I thought of EBS, but there was no great advantage unless I went to a five-axle dog. It becomes viable then to lift one of two axles off the ground.

If your work is 50 percent empty they pay for

themselves.

“As much as half of my day can be on dirt roads or off-highway, and this leads me to prefer drum brakes.

In my view, disc brakes suffer from additional wear rates on pads and rotors when much of the use is off-road,”

he added.

At Trevor’s request, the battery boxes on each side of the new 4900 were moved forwards to line up with the leading vertical edge of the tipper body. This move enabled Trevor to gain sufficient space on the chassis rearwards of the battery boxes to enable the fitment of a stainless steel toolbox.

Under PBS approval, Trevor’s rigid tipper and quad-dog trailer combination has a GVM of 57.5 tonnes and a tare weight of 19 tonnes.

TRAILERTORQUE

106 TRAILER TORQUE

In line with PBS requirements, the vehicle movements are satellite tracked with all relevant data recorded by Transtech – Mobile Transport Solutions of Melbourne. Whenever data is required for audit purposes, the necessary information on working hours, distance, maintenance and loading can be downloaded.

“We have a major emphasis on safety with this new truck and trailer combination,” said Trevor.

“The props to support the body when raised are painted yellow to make it quick and easy to identify they have been properly positioned if maintenance is taking place. The hydraulic hoists have a check-lock fail-safe system that prevents the bodies from being lowered in the event of a fault, also protecting against hydraulic fluid discharge.

“If the driver’s door is opened without the maxi brakes being applied the horn sounds as a warning, and a further warning alarm sounds if an attempt is made to raise the tipper body in the vicinity of high-tension power lines.

“The tailgate locks are operated by double boosters each side to ensure compliance. Each lock lever is fitted with a reflector, making it easy for the driver to confirm it is in the locked position, even in the dark. We also have additional angled reversing lights fitted to the rear of each tipper body to ensure clear vision at night,” said Trevor.

George’s Canvas Auto-Tarp of Smeaton Grange supplied the Slide-a-Tarp rollover system, which operates automatically as the tipper body is raised or lowered. The supplier maintains details of each panel in its database, and, by quoting the individual barcode on the damaged panel, a new panel can immediately be supplied.

“For the interior of the cab I have always preferred the Burgundy-coloured trim. This was imported from Western Star in the US and retrofitted in Australia in place of the current grey material,” said Trevor.

Much of the additional customising for the new 4900 was supplied by Scott Sweeney of All American Custom Chrome of Mount Hunter, NSW. This included the drop visor, new grille, LED marker lights, skirting and mirror-effect indicator turn lights.

Western Star fitted the twin airhorns, a rare inclusion for a single cab. Stainless steel brackets incorporating the Western Star logo provide the mounting point for Hella LED flashing beacons. These new Hella beacons are a much neater appearance than the alternative rotating beacons and sit lower on the roofline.

Alcoa Dura-Bright rims are fitted throughout the truck and trailer combination, together with mudflaps to minimise road spray and keep the rig cleaner. The exhaust stacks feature twin seven-inch “pigs ears”.

AddING THE pERsONAl TOuCHEs

Right: Double boosters on each side of the tailgate ensure equal

locking pressure.

Air and electrical connections are

duplicated to enable easy conversion to

prime mover use with the removal of the body.

Right: Owner driver, Trevor Dyson.