The rugged High Country of Victoria is a region where the measure of a workingman and his horse, or machine, is a revered honor, and in some cases etched in a poetic verse as in the tale of Banjo Paterson’s “Man from Snowy River”. What better place then, to put the new kid in the…
In the field, MB’s BF90.3 crusher bucket is more than living up to the expectations Otta Excavations first envisaged. Managing Director, Graeme Viney, cites its portability, robust construction and high productivity as significant attributes. Deep in the quarry near a pile of large rocks, the boom of the JCB JS200sc excavator was extended outward, it…
Kenworth Legend 900 – More than just a truck! There is no doubt that the limited-edition Kenworth Legend Series trucks are special. Special indeed! What makes them so special is often a simple story close to the owner’s heart … this is one of those stories … the story about Kenworth Legend 900 Number-16. When…
Drake 7-rows-of-8 Platform Review Words and Photography by Howard Shanks. Drake’s 7-rows-of-8 Platform trailer is capable of carrying some of the biggest and heaviest loads around the country. We sent Howard Shanks off with Deeson’s heavy haulage driver Craig Oldham for this 180 tonne outback move. We pulled up next to the fuel pump outside…
Economy is key with Actros 2658 – Customer Review Words and photography by Howard Shanks Mount Buller Alpine Area Transport owner Evan Lowing cites exceptional fuel economy as the standout feature of their new Actros 2658 6×4 that joined the fleet six months ago. Northeast Victoria was sweltering in a heat wave that had engulfed…
Wilson Pace Setter bottom dump trailer review Words and Photography by Howard Shanks A tough economy, increased regulation along with a national driver shortage has taken its toll on transport companies. For farmers, it means that good transport operators are charging more and are getting harder to find as Howard Shanks discovered. The situation has…
Western Star 6900 tackles QLD’s Wild West. Story and Photography by Howard Shanks The dawn light north west of Townsville at sunrise has a surreal golden softness, and while the tourists who flock to the town were busy watching the first glimmers of the sun slowly climb out of the ocean to the east, Mick…
1973 Scania LB80 Restoration Words and Photography by Howard Shanks The Scania LB80 4×2 introduced a new way of trucking with greater efficiencies, reliability and comfort in the early seventies. Four decades ago, Tasmanian based livestock transport operator Kerry Hingston purchased a 1973 LB80 that formed the back bone of his operation and it toiled…
New Scania Trucks Downunder Words by Howard Shanks. Photography by Howard Shanks & Scania Australia Our Technical Editor Howard Shanks was one of a few technical journalists selected to test-drive Scania’s New Truck Generation (NTG) family when they first arrived downunder. The NTG family comprising P-, G-, R- and S-series cabs, focuses on driver safety…
Kenworth C509 Outback Trucker Review Story and Photography by Howard Shanks The Gulf region at the top of the Australian Continent is arguably one of the last truly rugged and remote trucking frontiers in the country, it is also an environment that tests the true grit of both men and machinery and where we sent…