Tatra trucks disregard all conventions when it comes to truck design. But the applications they’re expected to operate usually defy most conventional trucking tasks. Yet, new or used, they are sort after pieces of equipment for specialised unconventional applications, as Howard Shanks discovered. 435HP V8 Engine 8×8 All Wheel-Drive Indepenndant Suspension ROPS & FOPS canopy…
Inevitably when you hear about logging controversy and the last stand of tall timber in the world, there’s a fair chance you’ll be hearing about the Southern Forests region of Tasmania. Howard Shanks joined Lester Townsend on his regular run into the Deep South. The chilling arctic winds that often pound the southern tip of…
How to drive an Eaton 18-Speed Roadranger Eaton’s 18-Speed Roadranger Driver’s Instruction manual available for download at end of article. Driving a constant mesh transmission like a 13-speed or 15-speed Roadranger transmission correctly used to be a fundamental part of truck driving, and old school truck drivers took great pride in the way they swapped…
Secret to Reversing a B-Double & Semi-Trailer I often get asked what is the secret to reversing a B-Double? This article should put your mind at ease, as it explains the fine art of reversing a B-Double in simple terms. Basically, it can be broken down into three uncomplicated steps; have a plan, understand the…
More than 80 scrubbed-up tractors lined the Scottsdale football oval early Sunday morning for the inaugural Tasmanian Tractor Show and Shine. Organisers were more than thrilled with the number of entrants, quality, and presentation of the machinery that rolled up for the day. Also, the fact the rains that had pounded the Northeast the day…
Since the birth of road transport, trucking operators have strived to reduce fuel usage and increase payloads. Over the past decade, the industry’s push towards alloy wheels because they’re far lighter than steel wheels has seen many truck manufacturers make alloy rims a standard fitment on various models. For instance, almost half a tonne (476kg)…
Elphinstone Engineering is redefining log haulage with the introduction of their ‘Self-Loader’ powerpack option to their EasyLoader trailer models. The new powerpack enables standard prime-movers to haul and operate logging trailers without the expense of specialised PTO and auxiliary equipment fit-up. Additionally, it is backwards compatible, meaning retrofitting the unit to older EasyLoader trailers is…
Adrian Cassidy’s immaculate Kenworth T909 and Lusty 4×4 deck widener, but this truck is no show-pony. It’s very much a working truck, set up for hard bush work with AIR-CTI central tyre inflation and Elphinstone loadcells.
Way down a muddy dirt road on the wild west coast of Tasmania is the last place you’d expect to see glistening chrome and polished stainless steel reflecting from a T909 grill. But Adrian Cassidy is a workin’ man, and so is his immaculate 9OH and Lusty 4×4 deck widener. The bright flashing amber LED…
If, like me, you live in a cooler climate with long frosty winter mornings, then there is a high probability that you’d have undoubtedly encountered a battery that has failed to crank an engine once or twice. But let’s face it, replacing a battery on an icy cold frosty winter morning is no walk in…
