Kenworth T403: Operator review

You can find a Kenworth T403 tackling all manner of jobs, but bee-keeping in the bush was probably a little further down the list when this particular model was first drawn up by Kenworth's engineers…

On a chilly winter morning, it was still dark and foggy as I guided the little hire car north out of Dubbo, NSW, in search of a dirt road 20 or so kilometres from the city limits.

The instructions I'd been given a few days earlier were scribbled somewhat illegibly on the back of a flyer for a rock band playing in a local pub later in the month. Nevertheless, after studying them and adding a few notes and road names, the owner of the motel reckoned I'd have no trouble finding the Kenworth T403 loaded with beehives somewhere in the Goonoo National Park.

A few days earlier, Inland Truck Centres' Brenton McKay had arranged an excursion to see a T403, the truck in question set up as a rigid with a Ringfeder coupling, towing a dog trailer along with a moveable frame on the truck's deck to carry a Donkey forklift.

Now superseded by the new T410, this popular model is a highly sought after used-truck option, thanks to specs that lend it to a diverse spread of vocational applications.

"The T403 model is a great truck for operators in vocational applications who need something with a bit more power than a T359, and it can handle a rugged application such as tipper truck and dog applications," Brenton explained.

"It has a big truck feel and there's plenty of room in the cab for the driver, as well as under the hood, so it is easily serviced.

"But best of all, it is affordable and boasts a host of standard features that make it an economical truck that suits a wide variety of applications."

Stephen Roberts and his brother Ian are third-generation beekeepers. The boys' parents, Pat and Wendy, currently manage their company, Australian Rainforest Honey, which has evolved from humble beginnings selling 'door to door' at the Sydney markets into one of Australia's leading honey exporters.

They now own over 2500 hives and have, over the past 18 months, exported over 204,000 kilograms of bulk Australian honey to Europe and Asia.

Stephen told us that they have located their packaging plant near Wagga Wagga as it is close to their harvesting source, which greatly helps maintain and improve the product quality.

"Over the years we've performed extensive research into both plant flowering periods and methods to control nectar collection," Stephen explained.

"This avoids contamination from neighbouring flowering plant species and ensures the astute bulk honey buyer of consistent quality standards.

"The demand for our export honey is so great at present that we do not have any to sell locally in Australia."

Related reading:
2019 Kenworth T410: Review
2019 Kenworth T360 and T410: Launch review
Kenworth K200: Operator review

Australian Rainforest Honey has a small fleet of Kenworth trucks to haul their beehives around central NSW.

"In my mind, Kenworth is the only truck to purchase because they are extremely well constructed and very reliable," Stephen said.

"We really need proven reliability in our operation because we have to carry the bees during the night when they're sleeping in the hives. During the day, the bees are extremely active as they go about gathering their honey."

The Kenworth T403 is essentially a no-frills working man's truck with limited options, enabling the vehicle to be easily and economically tailored to suit many roles.

"The standard engine in the Kenworth T403 is the Cummins ISX with 450hp with 1650ftlb [2237Nm], which provides ample power and importantly good fuel economy," Brenton said.

"In this truck we've retained the standard Eaton RTLO16918B transmission, but there are several transmission options including the UltraShift, while the heavy-duty RTLO18918B is available for more robust applications.

"We also stuck with the standard Dana E-1421 front axle and Dana DSH40P rear axles on the Kenworth Airglide 400 suspension, but we took the Alcoa 10-stud disc wheel option, which reduces the tare weight a little.

"The 28-inch IT sleeper enables us to maintain the ideal deck space and provide a comfortable sleeper compartment which Stephen requires each night he is away," Brenton added.

Sure enough, I found the T403 parked among a stand of Australian Ironbark trees, just where it was marked on my mud map, complete with the silver Kenworth windscreen cover, just before dawn.

I tapped on the door as instructed and Stephen duly appeared from the 28-inch integrated bunk.

He was eager to get the bees unloaded before the sun rose too high.

"They get pretty cranky if you try and unload them or move them during the day," he said with a grin, before tossing me a set of white overalls with a mesh screen and thick gloves.

"You'd best put this on unless you want to be stung."

This is the second Donkey truck-mounted forklift Stephen has purchased, having another mounted on a Kenworth T358.

"They're a good forklift for several reasons," Stephen said.

"Firstly, they're like our Kenworths – well-built and reliable. Secondly, the fact we can carry them on the truck means we can tow a dog trailer with beehives so we have maximum payload and productivity.

"They're great in the bush because they have all-wheel diff locks and they're light, which means they don't sink in soft terrain. Also, I can move the loading frame from the rear of the tray when loaded to the centre when empty, providing better weight distribution in a matter of minutes. Check out the forks too – they have a hinge which automatically folds up as the Donkey loads itself on the truck."

It's surprising how quickly the sun rises when you're in a hurry to unload a truckload of bees just before dawn. Stephen reached into the toolbox and grabbed a cylindrical tin.

"This is my smoker," he said, as he stuffed it full of dry leaves and then lit it.

"I'll give the hives a good smoke to calm them down while I unload the forklift from the truck and spread the beehives around."

Stephen told us that bees communicate in two main ways – by scent or smell (also called pheromones) and by movement (for example, the 'waggle dance' they do to show the location of a food source in relation to the hive and the sun).

He added that the smoke puffed onto a colony of bees hides other smells, such as the alarm pheromone emitted by guard bees at the hive entrance.

Consequently, the smoke confuses the other bees and some bee researchers suggest this causes the 'chain of command' in the colony to break down.

"With the right amount of smoke, bees just do not know what to do for a short time, and this allows me to carry out my work without too much difficulty or risk of being stung," said Stephen.

Half an hour later Stephen had unloaded his bees, put the forklift back on the deck and was rolling up his straps.

Stephen said he is more than pleased with the performance and economy of the ISX engine.

"This one the best Kenworth trucks I've ever owned," he said.

Engine: Cummins ISX
Horsepower: 450hp (335kW) at 1850rpm
Torque: 1650lb-ft (2237Nm) at 1100rpm
Gearbox: Eaton RTLO16918B 18-speed Roadranger
Air cleaner: Under bonnet
Fuel filter: Fuel Pro and fuel/water separator
Electrical: 160A isolated alternator
Front axle: Dana E-1421
Front suspension: Parabolic
Power steering: TRW Ross TAS 85
Rear axles: Dana DSH40P tandem drive, diff locks to both axles
Rear axle ratio: 4.56
Rear suspension: AIRGLIDE 400
Brakes: HD (P-type) drum brakes with auto slacks
Windscreen: Two-piece, flat
Interior: Crimson cab trim, HD Diamond pleat vinyl
Seats: Charcoal HD Extreme air suspended driver's seat
Bumper: Polished alloy
Battery box: LH Chassis
Extras: gold bezel gauges