With no shortage of logs to be carted out of New Zealand’s forests, why not use the grunt, comfort and stunning looks of an R770 Scania? Darin Absalom, owner-operator of Triple S Transport in Mt Maunganui, has chosen just that and couldn’t be happier.
Darin Absalom’s R770 is kitted out in the green of Aztec Forestry Transport Developments, with his own touch of a pale accentuation through the centre front, giving an almost 3D look to the grill. Complemented by extra marker lights and a row of low-set driving lights, this unit is trucking eye candy on- and off-highway.
Trucking with Darin towards the Coromandel Peninsula over the Waihī-Whangamatā road, we found the 20km of twists and turns on SH25 a breeze, thanks to consistently smooth driving and the Scania’s capability behind the grille. Turning off toward Ōpoutere, negotiating one-lane bridges and the forest’s uneven, winding roads (or maybe we should call them rough tracks) was effortless.
In the dark of early morning, Darin backs up to the loader. This morning’s load is ‘pulp’, the scruffy-looking logs that go to Kinleith Mill at Tokoroa to be chipped for dairy factory boilers.
Heading out of the forest back to the highway, Darin explains some of the features that make his job less demanding. “I have added a Bigfoot central tyre inflation (CTI) system. I can drop the PSI when I’m in the bush, right down to 20, to give more traction to get out of somewhere that’s not that flash. With the control panel in the cab, as I leave the bush, I’ll start to increase the pressures before we get to the highway.
The R-series day cab allows for 8m logs on the truck and 12m logs on the trailer.
“I’ve also got the ROR PSI CTI inflation system on the trailer. It keeps the PSI rating even in the tyres. If you get a stone in the tyre and end up with a slow leak, it keeps it inflated.”
The job of alleviating any concerns about log movement goes to the ExTe TU auto-tensioner. “I’ve put them on the truck and trailer bolsters for load restraint. As I’m driving and the load settles, it is automatically tensioning, avoiding having to stop and check the load so often. It also avoids having to use twitches. I do like the way they’ve set it up.”
The ‘they’ that Darin refers to is the team at Kraft Engineering in Rotorua. “I’ve known James Worsnop and Colin King for many years,” says Darin. “I just like what they’re putting out the gate. I like their attention to detail and the way they work with their clients to achieve their goals.
“I’ve had Pacific scales fitted through Kraft as well. I sit in the cab with the control panel and monitor the weights as the loader driver loads each bay. I call him on the radio and let him know how much more to add when each bay is nearly full. With one bay on the truck and two on the trailer, the controls calculate the total of all three. I can leave the bush and head out onto the highway knowing I’m legal, without using a weighbridge.”
Darin is currently trialling Kiwi tyres on his trailer. “I’ve started with the two worst axles: the second axle of the dolly and the last axle on the trailer. They’re going really well.”
Upgrading his way through the Scania range of potency, Darin has had a 620, 650 and now 770. “There’s no comparison to the 650,” says Darin. “The extra torque and horsepower is out of this world, really. It makes a huge difference. Physically, the truck is the same; it’s just the engine.”
Personalising his rig is important to Darin. “On the outside, I’ve got the tank protection guards, also protecting the muffler, complete with a tow-rope box. I’ve added the driving lights, extra marker lights, drop visor and LED green step lights. Inside, I’ve had the seats re-leathered with more bolstering around the sides and back to make them more like a racing seat. As an extra, I’ve had ‘V8’ embroidered on them!
“I chose the rest cab [normal height day cab with 540mm bed] to enable loading longer (8m) logs on the truck. With the smaller cab, I can tow the longer trailer as well, which is capable of holding 12m logs.”
Darin shares his reasons for choosing the 770. “I’ve done this for 37 years now, and I’ve been an owner/driver since 2005. This will probably be my last truck and it’s something I really wanted. It’s my own truck … I don’t like sharing my toys … so I thought why not, just go for it!”
Darin comfortable at the wheel in the custom RVE interior.
Lighting fitted by Performance Diesel eases the job when working in the dark, and is just right to make the Scania stand out the rest of the time.
And then there’s the question of what he likes most about his new toy. “Obviously, the quietness and the comfort … the ease of driving with the auto gearbox and add to that the retarder … not wearing out the componentry. The fuel economy is a big feature, too. It adds up to a lot over five years.
“I like the safety features like the airbags in the steering wheel and door pillars. It’s peace of mind on the road. Don’t get me wrong, I love Kenworths, but the Scania is the way to go for the technology and comfort.”
Darin’s trucking career started when he passed his HT licence on his 18th birthday. His passion started long before that. “Dad was a truck driver from when I was in nappies until the day he retired,” says Darin.
Darin’s first job was at J Swap Contractors, then his years at RMD were a career highlight. “Gary Rorison really looked after his drivers. He was an old-school operator. It was a great family business. Another great boss followed when Mark Sherson took over.”
An owner-driver opportunity later came up with Matt Purvis at Total Transport, based at Mt Maunganui (with Total later being bought out by Provincial, then Linfox). Then came Foodstuffs, with a run from Auckland to Tauranga.
“I loved the bulk work and the freight, but the downside was having to stay away from home.
“A new opportunity came up with Peter Phillips at Aztec. I rate Peter as a top operator – very focused and right up there with safety and innovation.” Darin says Aztec has a great concept to keep trucks moving. “Having owner-drivers, they’re more motivated to keep the truck working hard.”
Running at nearly 54 tonne gross, the trip home over the Kaimai Ranges was effortless, with smooth, quiet automatic gear changes on the uphill and a super-efficient Scania retarder on the downhill, eliminating brake applications.
If this 770 is indeed the last truck in Darin’s career, he will be a content man as he heads toward (but a while away yet) retirement.
He concludes with a special thank you: “To my wife, Kathryn, for all the support and help for getting us to where we are today.”
