Five axle PBS truck and dog: Review

Name: Five axle PBS truck and dog: Review
Brand: Kenworth

Cowra based Stewart Osborne is enjoying more than just the good looks of his new T909 and five-axle dog, he’s also enjoying a substantial payload increase thanks to Kenworth’s new Electronic Brake Safety System (EBSS) and light tare weight of the tipper combination

Stewart Osborne, was packing his chamois away just as the 6.30a.m. news began, he’d been cleaning the bugs off his new T909 and five-axle dog combination for the past couple of hours.

“The bugs were thick last night when I came out of Sydney with this load of fertilizer,” Stewart said as he introduced himself.

He’s been around machinery since he was kid growing up in Central West NSW, where utes, tractors, trucks and basically anything with an engine in it, go hand in hand. He’s seen his fair share of rough and rugged roads and changed a tyre or two when, as he said: “it’s 110 in the water-bag”.

Stewart’s been loyal to the Kenworth product all his life, and has nothing but praise for his local dealer Inland Truck Centres, Wagga Wagga. “Chris McDevitt and the team in the workshop really go the extra mile for me, in fact, everyone there makes you feel part of the family, they really go out of their way to help you,” Stewart began.

“I know how reliable Kenworth trucks are because I’ve had them before and they’re still going strong,” he admitted.

“ Wtith this new truck, I sat down with Chris McDevitt for couple hours and he built up exactly what I needed on his laptop and there was no pulling bits off and then adapting something to fit. It was a complete new vehicle specifically designed for my application.”

“The fact that we could specify the Kenworth with the new Electronic Brake Safety System (EBSS) option from the factory was one of the big attractions because we could take advantage of the new PBS gains,” Stewart said.

I’m not sure what it’s like in the other states, but here in NSW, I only have to register one trailer and one prime mover,” Stewart revealed. That’s one registration and insurance less than a B-Double.”

But the biggest advantage is in the ratio of the gross weight compared to the tare weight,” Stewart continued. “This combination full of fuel has a tare weight of 20.5 tonnes. We are loading it to 59.5 tonnes on the RAV B-Double network. Compare that to the average B-Double that only gets a 40 tonne payload and I’m miles in front with far less operating expenses.”

When Stewart runs the combination on the HML B-Double network he can increase his gross combination to 63 tonnes picking up an additional 3.5 tonne payload.

“Another advantage with this five-axle dog combination is it is easier to get a driver as you don’t need a multi-combination licence to drive this set-up”.

According to the National Transport Commission (NTC) Performance Based Standards (PBS) offer the potential for heavy vehicle operators to achieve higher productivity and safety through innovative vehicle design. These gains are typically not available under conventional ‘one size fits all’ prescriptive mass and dimension rules or the state-based permit system.

When it was introduced back in mid-2011, PBS basically brought a fresh alternative approach to heavy vehicle regulation. It focuses on how well the vehicle behaves on the road through a set of safety, road wear and bridge loading standards rather than how big and heavy it is as in length and mass.

“In other words, PBS governs what a vehicle can do, not what it should look like. PBS sets minimum vehicle ‘performance’ standards to ensure trucks are stable on the road and can turn and stop safely. We have tagged them SMART trucks – because they work smarter,” an NTC spokesperson said.

In Queensland, like the southern states, truck-and-dog trailer combinations that meet the (PBS) Level Two will be granted access on a permit basis enabling them to carry increased mass (57.5 tonnes, up from 50 tonnes) on the B-double and Higher Mass Limits (HML) network.

Don Hogben, Director of Vehicle Management and Safety for VicRoads said: “Stringent testing on a number of seven-axle truck and dog trailer combinations have been assessed against the national Performance-Based Standards.

“The results have shown that well designed truck-and-dog trailers at up to 57.5 tonnes and 20 metres long are dynamically stable and can pass all the PBS Level Two standards. This is great news for operators of truck-and-trailer combinations, especially those involved in quarrying and construction.”

In Victoria alone there are in excess of 2000 truck-and-trailer combinations transporting a range of quarry products, such as cement, sand, rock pre-mixed concrete and asphalt.

Philip Lovel from the Victorian Transport Association added: “The increase to 57.5 tonnes is a 15 per cent productivity increase for the quarry industry. Over time this will mean a reduction in the number of trucks and trailers on the roads for the same freight task, which will not only reduce congestion but will also see a decrease in carbon emissions. Furthermore, these vehicles will be safer as they’ve passed a PBS assessment.”

EBSS and more

Kenworth’s EBSS safety package is founded on the proven Bendix ABS-6 Advanced anti-lock braking system. It also incorporates ESP software that Kenworth has calibrated specifically for its model range, and Australia’s unique operating environment and applications EBSS incorporates a variety of safety features including ABS, Drag Torque Control, Traction Control and ESP.

Stewart also cited the improved cabin appointments and ergonomics such as the new doors with standard electric windows and central locking along with the wider padded arm rests with integrated window and mirror controls as welcomed additions.

“Safety is paramount in our business,” Stewart explained. “To comply with the work safety requirements, we’ve had to fit additional components like the large wide-angle mirror to the left-hand side, which reduces the blind spot up the left side and front of the truck. We’ve also fitted an audible warning, which sounds if the doors are open, and the park-brake is released. I even have a warning sticker on the exhaust stacks which looks back-to-front when you look at it straight on, but it is the right way round when you look in the driver’s mirror.”

“All the trucks carry first-aid kits, fire extinguishers and we even have a special hammer beside the driver’s seat designed to smash glass,” he added.

Under the hood of this T909 is the ADR 80/03 compliant Cummins engine rated at 550hp that develops 1850lbft torque. Transmission is Eaton’s 18-speed coupled to Meritor RT46-160 rear axles with cross-locks in both axles riding on Kenworth’s Airglide 460 rear suspension.

“The versatility of this T909 is another big advantage to us, that’s because it is rated up to a 90-tonne road-train capacity. If required, I can also pull an additional dog trailer on road-train routes which increases productivity yet again,” Stewart said. “Also, the vision and manoeuvrability around the tight farm sites of the T909 is better than you’d expect when you consider it is really quite a big heavy-duty specified truck.

“I really love the look of the T909 but from a business point of view, I have to leave my emotions behind and focus on the productivity gains to stay ahead of the game when it comes to speccing my trucks,” Stewart concluded. “The fact that the T909 turned out to be the ideal model for our application is just a bonus.”

Truck Specs:

Model: Kenworth T909

Engine: Cummins ISX

Horsepower: 550hp (410kW) at 1850rpm

Torque: 1850 lb/ft (2508Nm) at 1100rpm

Gearbox: Eaton RTLO22915B 18-Speed

Air Cleaner: Dual Cyclopacs

Fuel Filter: Fuel Pro and fuel/water separator

Electrical: 160A isolated alternator and power distribution box

Front Axle: Meritor MFS73LA 7.3t capacity

Front Suspension: 7.2T taper leaf

Power Steering: TRW Ross TAS 85