The Rockinger Drawbar Finder – How it works.

Click the play button to listen to “Hooked First Time – Field Testing Rockinger’s Drawbar Finder with Graeme McKay Earthmoving”.

Can a simple bit of hardware transform how tippers hook up? Howard Shanks hits the road to Ararat, Victoria, to road test Rockinger’s clever Drawbar Finder with Graeme McKay Earthmoving.

There’s a particular kind of stillness that blankets Victoria’s western plains just before dawn in late summer. It was still dark as I drove west out of Melbourne, the early pre-dawn warmth lingered in the air like a soft blanket draped over the land, the kind that clings gently to your skin and hints at the heat the day has in store. The traffic thins past Ballarat, and the countryside slowly opens into broad, golden plains. Out here, west of the Great Dividing Range, the pulse of the earth is measured not by skyscrapers or spreadsheets, but by diesel engines, steel buckets, and the steady rhythm of work boots on gravel. We’re headed for Ararat, two hours away.

Lining It Up – The Rockinger Drawbar Finder in Action

Howard Shanks putting the Rockinger Drawbar Finder through it’s paces.

Graeme McKay has been shifting dirt, rock and rubble around Victoria’s rugged west for more than three decades. From highway bypasses to dam expansions and rail upgrades, his earthmoving outfit is known for getting the job done—on time and without fuss. But like many operators running dog trailers in and out of tight job sites, Graeme was no stranger to the daily battle of coupling drawbars. “Anyone who’s ever had to line up a tow-eye coupling knows how frustrating it can be, especially in the dark,” Graeme explains, leaning against the wheel arch of a new Kenworth truck and dog. “You’re trying to eyeball the coupling, inch it back with millimetre precision, maybe get out two or three times to check your alignment—and if you miss, you start again.”

“I know the feeling,” I reply, recalling the days when I had my own truck and dog.

Graeme McKay has been shifting dirt, rock and rubble around Victoria’s rugged west for more than three decades.

A Better Way to Hook Up

That’s where the Rockinger Drawbar Finder comes in. Developed in Germany and now available through JOST Australia, this simple but effective system uses two angled guide brackets to funnel the drawbar eye into perfect position. It turns what was once a frustrating and hazardous guessing game into a controlled, precise operation.

Graeme’s fleet runs a mix of truck and dog combinations, predominantly set up for bulk earth and quarry material. On-site turnarounds can be tight, and drivers are often hooking and unhooking several times a day. Every minute saved means more productive hours behind the wheel. But the benefits go well beyond time.

Graeme’s fleet runs a mix of truck and dog combinations, predominantly set up for bulk earth and quarry material.

Safety in Focus

“Driver safety is everything,” Graeme says. “We want our people going home in one piece every night. The fewer times they have to get out and check alignment between the truck and dog, especially on uneven ground, the better.”

The Drawbar Finder reduces the need for repeated exits from the cab and awkward repositioning manoeuvres. It’s a passive system—no electronics, no hydraulics, just solid steel guides that are built to take the knocks. And once it’s on, it just works.

“It’s saved us more headaches than I can count,” Graeme adds. “And the boys love it. They’re not as fatigued at the end of the day because the stress is gone. That’s a win in anyone’s book.”

A System That Grows with the Fleet

One attractive aspect of the Rockinger Drawbar Finder is that it’s not just for brand-new trucks or trailers. The system has been designed from the outset with retrofitting in mind. In fact, any existing Rockinger 50mm coupling (RO50 series) can be upgraded with the camera kit without fuss. Graeme McKay’s implementation is a great example – his Kenworth’s Rockinger RO50 hitch was equipped with the Drawbar Finder after the truck was built, effectively bringing new tech to an existing fleet unit. The installation involves mounting the camera module above the coupling jaw and adding the wiring to a screen in the cab. JOST’s engineers have made it a modular upgrade: for fleets already running Rockinger RO50, RO50E or RO50 BNA hitches, it’s a bolt-on enhancement rather than a complex overhaul.

For those ordering new equipment, the Drawbar Finder can of course be specified from the start as well. Many OEM truck models can interface directly with the system – for instance, through factory in-dash displays or integrated electronic packs – making for a clean factory-fitted option. JOST offers adapter kits for various truck makes to plug the camera feed into the existing dash screen, or the system can be delivered with a dedicated Rockinger monitor for any truck or trailer. In either case, whether retrofitted to a trusty workhorse or installed on a fresh build, the functionality is the same: drivers get that extra “eye” on the hitch that vastly simplifies the coupling task.

As trucks are rotated and new gear comes in, the system’s gradually becoming a fixture across the board. “It’s not a question of ‘if’ we’ll fit one anymore—it’s just when,” Graeme confirms.

Developed in Germany and now available through JOST Australia, this simple but effective system uses two angled guide brackets to funnel the drawbar eye into perfect position.

The Road Back

As the sun dips toward the Grampians and we head east again, you can’t help but reflect on how small innovations – sometimes as simple as a shaped steel bracket—can have a big impact when they land in the right hands. For the team at Graeme McKay Earthmoving, the Drawbar Finder isn’t just a timesaver. It’s a stress-buster, a safety upgrade, and a practical tool that proves once again that good gear, smart thinking, and a bit of Aussie know-how are still the backbone of this industry.

Out here, where the work never stops and the land doesn’t forgive, it’s the little things that keep the big wheels turning. For Graeme McKay and his crew, this unassuming piece of kit is proof that sometimes, the smallest innovations make the biggest difference. As the lights of Ararat fade in the rearview, one thing’s clear: the Drawbar Finder isn’t just helping hooking up trailers—it’s hooking up the future of productivity.

Out here, west of the Great Dividing Range, the pulse of the earth is measured not by skyscrapers or spreadsheets, but by diesel engines, steel buckets, and the steady rhythm of work boots on gravel.

The Rockinger Drawbar Finder – How it works.