All this talk about car makers leaving Australia - what about trucks??

[prydey]

Originally Posted by MrZ

A lot of people have misinterpreted my post as being about the trucking industry. It is not. It is about the truck *manufacturing* industry. .

a quote from 'The Truck Thread'

Originally Posted by Burnout

Was out at the Volvo/Mack Factory @ Wacol the other day for a Tour through. Nice clean line too. They are one vehicle per day below capacity, running hard.

it would appear they are 'trucking' along ok if they are near max capacity.

[Davehoos]

Not really locally built truck as per thread.For every dollar the vehicle cost users like local government spend $1.50 on local body work.my neighbour had a UD dealership--until the mindless introduction of addblue but now have only westernstar , MAN,Isuzu ute and JAC.local government. work has traded in 5 1996 UD PK220 and 2 smaller- 1990's300 crewcab isuzu. last one goes this week.these have been replaced with 2 Isuzu large auto bogey , hino 500 series ,2 FH,2 FD and a FG. All of these have had troubles after 2 years including rewiring, computors, and an engine block.if only they can Japanese the inside of of the new ACCO.

[GASWAGON]

Originally Posted by prydey

a quote from 'The Truck Thread'



it would appear they are 'trucking' along ok if they are near max capacity.

Finally some good news then!

[Davehoos]

I self edited before I read the ACCO reference.lots of the government contracts require a newish fleet.I was told that garbage requires 5 year average.When Iveco took over I worked next to the dealership and they had party to see the ACCO go. the European truck would come to our work for A/C repairs and you see the same trucks a few times a year to be degassed for surgery. Owners refered to these as Newcastle to Lithgo trucks as to go past these point would see them vibrate to bits on NSW great roads.there was much happiness when that old rattle box came back, my neighbour sent his truck for a rebuild with new driveline and cab. I know of a few that get dragged out each year to rerego for water delivery duty.

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by smoo

when this Euro crap ***** itself because they can't handle the heat, the weight or the roads. .........snip......... As I said before only one truck, designed and built here that is available out of the box to be put to real work. Reckon there will ever be Mercedes or Scanias pulling triples on livestock in the middle of no where...

Funny you should mention this.

A few weeks ago we just had a driver start with us (old school, not driving school) he's just spent 3 years in Pt Hedland pulling triples with a 700 Volvo and said they were brilliant.
(He'd still be there but couldn't afford the rental prices )

I don't know if it applies to other companies but our Volvo's come with a 1 Million Km warranty.

[GASWAGON]

Thers no doubt the Volvos are VERY good......not to mention 700HP....
1 million k warranty..... geesus!

Linfox in Melbourne run only Volvo's.....Lots of them!

[BroadyFord]

Don't forget IVECO. No one has mentioned them yet either.

Am seeing plenty of them on the road, especially their Stralis model.

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by EF_6

Thers no doubt the Volvos are VERY good......not to mention 700HP....
1 million k warranty..... geesus!

Linfox in Melbourne run only Volvo's.....Lots of them!

I've posted this before but for those that haven't seen it....

Stopping in a hurry (seatbelt MUST be worn )

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ridS396W2BY

[prydey]

thats pretty impressive.

[GASWAGON]

Originally Posted by GasOLane

I've posted this before but for those that haven't seen it....

Stopping in a hurry (seatbelt MUST be worn )

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ridS396W2BY

Well **** me....Not suprising being a Volvo....You get what you pay for!

Lets see Kenworth come up with something similar?

[Franco Cozzo]

I wasn't aware that there was truck manufacturing here in Australia?

Also I've been on a few runs with Macedon Freight in their Kenworth semi, man they have the ugliest interiors I've ever seen, reminds me of a 1920s couch with the red leather with buttons.

Also fixed passenger seat lol.

I guess its more of a built to do the job thing rather than comfort.

Also noticed when I saw a friend do some electrical work on one prime mover, all the wiring was white with codes on it, WTF? Might have been Mack? I'm not too sure.

[Davehoos]

newer trucks are changing, for the better.Volvo trucks-cant really call these euro trucks.European truck companies merged a few years ago with big spinoffs and combined tech. If you look at older Volvo they had been built for Africa,Canada[Australia] and Leyland DAF for Europe.IVECO had advertised heavily on having Australian engineering imput in new models. one other brand truck I worked on some bright spark fitted a bigger engine for the B double market, however they forgot that the cab moves and you need clearance with intercoolers and radiators. the thing was that other bands soon copied the idea--and the faults.white wiring-what a pain. up in the cab looking for faded numbers on burnt and decomposed wiring. no fuses just resetting circuit breakers. Climb in the cab of an Atkinson[ACCO] or a square cab KW and wonder why, try to get the vents working or gauges.an importer brings in peter builts and how 1920's.

[GASWAGON]

End of day Kenworths get the jobs done reliably and with minimal breakdowns and running costs.

[GASWAGON]

Originally Posted by GasOLane

I've posted this before but for those that haven't seen it....

Stopping in a hurry (seatbelt MUST be worn )

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ridS396W2BY

My missus just showed me this....Happened on friday on the Monash freeway.....No wonder drivers are using cams these days and are sick of being the bad guys!

http://www.news.com.au/national/vict...-1226762282274

[thexd351]

Hi Prydey,
My last reply to you way a little harsh. The guys who work at Wacol are a proud bunch and we're passionate about both brands and take pride in both and the building of them. I'll try to explain Volvo only build cabovers currently in Australia and they're Swedish. Mack only have a bonnet and are American. It's been awhile since Mack made a cabover here in OZ and the old ones were based on a Renault and not a Volvo. Volvo has a bonneted truck in the US and they're not Mack based either and are built in a separate factory to the Macks.

[Bobman]

International ACCO was absorbed into Iveco and I believe the ACCO portion of the business is or has? now been consigned into history.

ACCO trucks were very common in all industries and emergency services in the 70s-00s.

[imugli]

Originally Posted by EF_6

Thers no doubt the Volvos are VERY good......not to mention 700HP....
1 million k warranty..... geesus!

Linfox in Melbourne run only Volvo's.....Lots of them!

We must live in a different Melbourne, because most of the Linfox trucks I see are Mercedes or Freightliners (and if you look at their website, not on Volvo in site - all Mercedes and FLs)

[imugli]

My Cousin is a driver and his last 2 rigs have both been Euro - a Scania and his current rig is a DAF. The Scania didn't skip a beat and neither has the DAF.

As for Kenworth, they invest millions in R & D on those "old" rigs. They don't have to develop an "all new" model because they have the customer base and the reputation that keeps people coming back time after time after time. The last "all new" model that Kenworth developed in the states was the T2000, and even that's a few years ago now. International / IVECO sold the same truck (ACCO) for the better part of 40 or so years.

I have no doubt PACCAR would trust the Oz operations to develop an all new rig if it was necessary, simply because of their market share and the Australian conditions. But with the T and K still leading the sales race, they don't need to just yet.

[Elks]

There are three truck plants here in Australia.

Kenworth in Bayswater Melbourne
Iveco in Dandenong Melbourne
Volvo Mack in Wacol Brisbane.

All three have had studies done in the last two years as to there on going viability.

Whilst they are all close to the wind in some respects it's the unique specs for Australian operations that keep them building locally. An Australian built KW or Mack bears little if any resemblance to there US counterparts. Ours are much better built.

But in the end an Aussie built truck is twice the price of its US equivalent.

@prydey. The Volvo Mack thing is complicated. They are the one company. Volvo own Mack. The share some componentry suck and as engines and gearboxes. And some electronics, but the are also different. A Mack runs an identical 13 litre to the Volvo but it's made in the USA. The chassis rails are the same dimension but the Mack runs a higher tensile US rail. The Volvo has car like comfort and features but is more complex. They are both pretty good product.

Back to the point. How long can they last. IMO Unless the dollar drops back to $0.85. They are all on borrowed time.

[Syndrome]

I've always had a desire to drive a big rig as I want to know what it feels like to be in control of something so big and heavy.

[Vesper Martini]

^^ probably something a lot of motorists should do, well at least ride in one. just to get an idea of whats involved, and make them think about pulling in front of one.

back on topic with The dollar like it is, brands like Scania must be doing well ( I love thier V8 sound).
and will Euro 6 regulations affect the market here

[barnz_xr8]

every kenworth is a custom build, not a generic model ect

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by Syndrome

I've always had a desire to drive a big rig as I want to know what it feels like to be in control of something so big and heavy.

Thinly veiled "hung like a horse" post.

[GASWAGON]

A mate just sent this new Volvo add.... Impressive!

http://fansided.com/2013/11/18/jean-...mercial-video/

[Dusty1]

I remember about 5 years ago going out to a haulage company and being told about hybrid diesel trucks. Haven't heard much about them, but they seemed to make a lot of sense. Use the electric motor to get up to speed and then have the diesel kick in.

[burnz]

what happened to macks assembly/sales line at chipping Norton?
a lot of R models and ultra liner out of there.

[Davehoos]

When I did my LPG ticket over 10 years ago the tech was after CNG fitters for government busses, and generator plants for electric and hybrid trucks. boral was running coal powered trucks. and saw mill waist was going to supply automotive fuel. and they planned to keep trucks off the roads and repair the rail network.