– By Caroline Falls –
Here’s some more highlights from the 2017 Brisbane Truck Show. Fleet Auto News got a VIP pass into the exhibition held every two years thanks to its role as media partner at the fleet conference put on by the Institute of Public Works Engineers Australasia (IPWEA).
The show held in late May drew a record crowd of more than 33,000. Exhibitors over 33,000 square metres of the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre included truck manufacturers, trailer, technology, component, engine, fuel and lubricant suppliers, and fleet and vehicle services.
Freightliner unveiled its new two-up Coronado 122 SD with an extra stowaway bed designed to accommodate two drivers on long-haul Australian transport routes. The tough US-built rig can cart as much as 140 tonnes and is characterised by its twin exhaust stacks that sit either side of the cab and just behind the doors. This truck is muscular on the outside and plush inside, with a new soft-touch dash (cuts noise of things jiggling) and Oregon wood trim.
The new daffodil yellow DAF CF85 stood out on the Paccar stand. Such a show stopper, it was on the cover of the truck show program. I came across a fleet operator Ross crawling into the versatile cabover from the Netherlands. “I’m an existing DAF customer and just checking out the latest evolutions.” The biggest change in this model is the introduction of a 510hp version of the 12.9 litre MX engine, a boost from the previous model’s maximum of 460hp.
Australia’s top selling truck brand in the medium-duty category — Isuzu — showed off its new NLR 55/45 tri-tipper with a tipper body that tilts three ways — traditional rear tilt, left side and right side. This vehicle is going to be perfect for council maintenance crews to drive alongside medium strips and gardens to unload soil and woodchip. Delegates at the IPWEA conference got a sneak preview of the catchy television advertisement for the tri-tipper.
The Kenworth truck has its enthusiasts and that’s who this truck named the Legend 900 is designed for. Kenworth which builds trucks for the Australian market to specification at its Paccar factory in Victoria’s Bayswater has named June 26 as the only day on which one can place an order for the American-styled long-bonneted truck. If you are an owner driver frothing at the bit for one of these click here to read more or place your order.
US-based diesel engine maker Cummins unveiled its next generation unit fit to meet Euro 6 emission standards. While Australia is a long way behind Europe and the US in introducing the Euro standards and still hasn’t set a date for compliance with the highest rating, Cummins said this engine should help dispel any local concerns about engine architecture needed to meet Euro 6. “We are giving our customers confidence that the X15 they have now will be very similar to the X15 they will have for Euro 6,” said Mike Fowler, Cummins South Pacific’s director of engines.
