New Kiwi Mack Trident 8x4 delivers

[kscarbel2]

New Zealand Trucking / March 12, 2015

On looks alone, the Kiwi Mack Trident 8x4 is a winner with the raised cab, massive square chrome plated snout and external air cleaners.

A big polished alloy bumper sweeps neatly as far as the wheel arches without looking obtrusive.

It is unmistakeably Mack and that familiar chrome plated bulldog reminds us of a truck-building heritage now stretching back over 100 years.

The unit on test had just clocked up two months of service in a demanding HPMV operation with Fulton Hogan in Christchurch. It is double-shifted, hauling aggregate to their inner city retail depot and back loading concrete rubble and demolition spoil to the quarries out of town. The Trident pulls a four-axle Adams and Currie tipping trailer with HPMV approval to operate this combination at 53.8 tonne gross on the agreed route. Tare weight of the Mack is 11,820kg and the trailer comes in at 6280kg providing a payload of over 35 tonne.

We meet up with the new Mack and day shift driver Chris Findlay at Fulton Hogan's Pound Rd quarry. Chris's night shift colleague, known only as Rabbit, has scrubbed and polished the combination the night before and that familiar company livery of blue and white has come up a treat.

What is not so impressive is a flat tyre on the trailer, the bane of all tipper operators, but the company's contracted Bridgestone tyre fitter soon has this changed.

Everything is being done by the book here, wheel nuts being tightened with a torque wrench and two red plastic indicators fitted to remind the driver of the need to recheck it. It does give us time to have a closer look over the new unit and arrange a 'family photo' with two of its older brothers.

That second steer axle lifts the manufacturer's GVM of the Trident from the 26 tonne of the six wheeler (tested last year) to a productive 30 tonne.

The six wheeler Trident is offered in both 'axle forward' and 'axle back' configuration and this 8x4 version uses the later configuration with a second steer axle behind the cab.

A non-load sharing set-up is standard for the New Zealand market and will suit most operators until NZTA offers an additional weight allowance for load sharing systems.

The second axle is steered by a relay arm set-up and slave hydraulic cylinder on the right hand side.

The standard wheelbase of the 8x4 Trident is 6435mm but the Fulton Hogan unit has been reduced to 5835mm to meet the requirements of the HPMV permit and retain manoeuvrability in tight situations.

Availability of the Trident in 8x4 form has been instrumental in Mack's success at higher weights in New Zealand. Although the Granite and Trident share the same 1435sq in radiator, the raised cab and external air cleaners of the bigger bulldog provide greater cooling capacity and use of the 535hp/1920lb/ft rating of the MP8 engine. The Trident cab sits 200mm higher and uses a four point suspension system rather than the rubber bush/airbag setup of the Granite.

Some will say this is a Volvo D13 but Mack's marketing folk prefer the term 'group engine' and regularly point out that it is made at Mack's Hagerstown plant in the USA.

Whatever your thoughts, the MP8 is a proven performer and takes Mack through Euro 5 and on to Euro 6 when those regulations arrive here.

In simple terms, it is not far behind the top rating of Mack's legendary Mack E9 V8 and a lot kinder on fuel and the environment. The MP8 meets Euro V by means of SCR reduction and a 125 litre DEF tank sits neatly between the batteries and hydraulic tank on the left hand chassis rail.

That big bonnet flips forward easily after releasing four rubber toggles and daily checks can all be done from ground level. The additional airflow provided through the larger grille and under the cab is obvious when standing here.

Engine access is good with the chassis rails splayed outwards above the front axle. Mack use a 300x 90 mm chassis for all models now with a different thickness to suit the application and in this case it is 9.5mm.

Mack's own triple countershaft boxes and the ubiquitous Roadranger are still available but Mack's 12-speed mDRIVE is the most common choice. The mDRIVE is based on the Volvo I shift with the main difference being the dash-mounted controls in lieu of the shift lever.

The day cab model is easy to access from the driver's side but a little more awkward on the passenger side where the muffler gets in the way of the first two steps. Once you're seated, there is ample room for larger drivers and an ISRI 'Big Boy" drivers seat to smooth the way.

The walnut trimmed dash is classic American with the traditional parking/emergency controls on the left but with a Euro style trailer brake handle above them and rotary headlight switch on the right side.

Controls for the mDRIVE transmission are now mounted horizontally at the top LH side of the dash and a large 'MaxBrake' engine brake button has been added.

Mack's Powerleash engine brake can be engaged from here and gives up to 315kW of retardation at 2100rpm, down or up shifting as required. It can also be set to operate in conjunction with the cruise control, reducing the chances of exceeding the speed limit on a downhill grade.

Vision from the driver's seat is good with the air cleaner pipes being largely hidden behind the A pillars and the twin vertical exhausts not protruding much beyond the cab.

The mirrors are traditional West Coaster type, without bulky housings, and include a great 120mm diameter round spotter on each side as well as a kerbside mirror over the passenger door.

A two-piece windscreen is standard on the Trident, no doubt to suit the Aussie market, but Mack will fit a single piece screen as an option. There is a storage console above the windscreen and a useful compartment between the seats, all trimmed in pleated burgundy leather with a Mack logo finishing touch.

Once our tyre troubles are sorted, it is time to get loaded up for a run into the city and the company's 35 tonne Volvo L250G loading shovel soon has us loaded with 20mm aggregate.

The skill of the operator and use of modern scales makes this task far more accurate than it used to be and we come in at 53,200kg on the weighbridge, slightly under the 53,800kg allowed.

Chris explained there is no tolerance allowed on the HPMV permit and if overweight he would not be allowed to leave the site.

He likes the new Trident and has quickly become a fan of the mDRIVE transmission despite having driven constant mesh boxes for decades. "Its easy, doing a better job than I could," Chris explained modestly, as we negotiated busy roundabouts and peak hour traffic congestion on our way into the city.

He certainly knows his trucks, having started out on Thames Traders and S model Bedfords quite a few years back, served his time on livestock and fridge trucks and worked his way through to the 8x4 Mack Granite and trailer which preceded this combination.

Even grossing 53 tonne, there is ample power from the MP8 engine and the transmission skip-shifts unless 'power' mode is selected.

Chris also demonstrates the kick-down function, where holding the accelerator right down produces the same result. A brief spell on the southern motorway gives the Trident an opportunity to stretch its legs and it cruises at 90kph with little apparent effort at around 1500rpm. It runs 3.07 to 1 ratio Meritor 46,000lb rear axles riding on airbag suspension.

Fulton Hogan and other contractors have a huge task ahead restoring the roadways of Christchurch once plumbing works are completed but the Trident seems to take the inner city potholes and temporary patching in its stride. Parabolic springs over both steer axles, cab suspension and air ride seats both sides all contribute and the cab and interior remain rattle free.

There are a couple of tight turns to get into Fulton Hogan's 'retail' yard in Ensors Rd, Waltham, but Chris is well used to the routine by now. He quickly has the trailer tipped off into a storage bin and then jack-knifed around to unload the truck.

This yard is busy with contractors dropping off broken concrete or soil and collecting material for backfilling. It saves them a trip out of town and having a crew waiting around for the delivery.

Fulton Hogan backloads the dumped material out to its quarry where it will help with rehabilitation of the site. To deal with the backloaded material, this new eight wheeler Trident and the Adams and Currie trailer are fitted with Hardox steel rather than aluminium bodies.

The Hardox bins add only about 400kg to the weight of the outfit compared with aluminium ones, according to Peter Laurenson from Adams and Currie, who did all the engineering calculations required for the HPMV permit. This permit is limited to a set route agreed with NZTA, the Christchurch council and Fulton Hogan.

Our next couple of runs into the city are much the same except that we load AP40 road base from another quarry just up the road. Easier traffic conditions allow better progress outside peak hour and on a good shift Chris can do five or six round trips whilst his elusive offsider Rabbit gets a better run on the night shift. A little quick maths shows the 35 tonne payload of new combination soon adds up to 840 tonne of material being moved in a 24 hour period.

We finally meet up with Rabbit (Shane Ratahi) that afternoon whilst the drivers are changing over. 'Rabbit' was a successful league player in his day, still enjoys playing the game but admits to having lost the on-field speed that earned his nickname. He is pleased with the new Trident and describes it as "way good" at moving the mountains of material needed for the rebuild task.

Looking around Fulton Hogan's Islington depot we saw a range of Japanese and European makes, so we spoke to Transport Manager Jeff Barnes and Contracting Divisional Manager Tony Thompson to find out some background on the latest addition.

It soon becomes evident Fulton Hogan is a large, diverse operation and the focus is on long term profitability and service. The company operates a large workshop and its own spray booth as well as an 'in house' employment agency.

Geoff has been with the company 36 years and he clearly recalls his first day on the job, working on a road gang alongside company founder Bob Hogan.

Tony has been there 'only' 31 years but his son is now working for the company and carrying on the family tradition. Tony's father Lex Thompson also worked for Fulton Hogan for 20 years as transport manager and regional manager in Central Otago.

Whilst Japanese trucks have been found ideal for road sealing gangs and lighter tasks, in the HPMV particular application it finally came down to a choice between Mack and Volvo, with a well proven automatic transmission high on the shopping list.

The SCR emissions system fitted to both makes was a preferred part of the specification, due to overheating problems encountered with an older EGR Granite. Neither had the ideal wheelbase ex factory but the lighter tare weight of the Mack finally turned the decision in its favour according to Tony.

Whatever the reasoning, Fulton Hogan's newest Bulldog is delivering the goods needed for the Christchurch rebuild and proving its self "way good" in the HPMV role.

Mack Trident 8x4 535 MP8

Tare: 11820kg (as tested)

GVM: 30,000kg

GCM: 70,000kg

Wheelbase: 5835mm (front axle to centre of bogie)

Engine: Mack MP8 SCR Euro 5 compliant

Engine Capacity: 12.8 litre

Maximum power 535hp (399 kW) from 1450 to 1900 rpm. ( SAE rating)

Maximum torque 1920lb/ft (2600 Nm) from 1000 to 1450 rpm ( SAE rating)

Clutch: Sachs CL801 single plate with automated operation

Diameter: 430mm

Transmission: Mack TmD12AD mDRIVE automated 12 speed.

Rear axles: Meritor RT-46-160GP 20,900 kg capacity

Ratio: 3.07 to 1

Chassis dimensions: 300mm x 90mm x 9.5mm

Front suspension: Parabolic leaf springs. (x 4) non load sharing

Front axles: Mack FXL (x2)

Front axle group capacity: 13,200kg

Rear suspension: Mack AP460 air suspension

Steering: Sheppard M100P power assisted with slave cylinder for second axle

Brakes: Full air S-Cam drums with ABS.

Park brake: Spring operated on both drive axles.

Auxiliary brake: Mack two stage 'Powerleash' engine brake.

Wheels: 8.25 x 22.5 polished alloy 10 stud

Tyres: 11R22.5 Michelin

Electrical system: 12V

Cab exterior: Mack Fusion day cab, meets ECE-R29 safety standard with four point cab suspension,mirrors heated and electrically operated, integrated spotter mirrors on both sides. Forward tilting fibreglass bonnet, polished alloy bumper bar.

Cab Interior: Isri 'Big Boy" high-back multi adjustable air suspended seats with arm rests and integrated.3 point seat belts, pleated burgundy leather trim and woodgrain

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[mrsmackpaul]

there looking like Tim's paint colours they like the 8x4 configuration in NZ it appears in a lot of pictures I see

Paul

[Timothy Maikshilo]

there looking like Tim's paint colours they like the 8x4 configuration in NZ it appears in a lot of pictures I see

Paul

Paul I see this truck everyday in the yard. They double shift itIt has twisted 3 drive shafts off and it's an auto???

Mack is trying to figure it out. It's hasn't twisted one in a month and a half. It does get a lot of use.

[HeavyGunner]

That's a sharp looking truck.

[Paul Farquhar]

Paul I see this truck everyday in the yard. They double shift itFH 2.JPGFH.JPGIt has twisted 3 drive shafts off and it's an auto???

Mack is trying to figure it out. It's hasn't twisted one in a month and a half. It does get a lot of use.

I wonder if they are trying to move with hill start assist activated?

[Timothy Maikshilo]

I wonder if they are trying to move with hill start assist activated?

I'm not sure? I know about every 15 thousand K it twists the drive shaft. I'll ask that question. Thanks tucken for the advise.