Mack Super-Liner LT Review

Scroll through the used truck listings for a Kenworth, Freightliner, Mack or Western Star powered by the reliable Cat C15 and you may only find one or two listings, but they still bring good money, and typically are sold quickly.

A good example is this vibrant red Mack Super-Liner LT and Homewood B-Double tanker set of Peter Champion Mining which really stands out from the crowd.

It is an impressive unit by anyone’s standard. Yet it is the attention to detail that stems far deeper than the polishing rag that really impresses. And, given that this unit’s home base is the harsh black coalfields of Central Queensland, then it is even more so.

Peter’s company, Peter Champion Mining, is contracted to the Coppabella open-cut mine, some 25 kilometers southwest of Nebo. His company is responsible for mining PCI coal and Ultra LV coal, which is delivered to the stockpile for processing, so it’s not surprising the Mack Super-Liner-LT shares a stable with some pretty large mates which include 200 tonne dump-trucks, bulldozers and excavators.

“We roughly burn a B-Double load of diesel per day,” Peter admitted. “So in some respects the Super-Liner LT is the backbone of the operation.

“My father told me once that if you buy Caterpillar tractors, Mack trucks, Holden cars, and Honda motorbikes you won’t go wrong, and I’ve pretty much stuck to his advice,” Peter admitted when asked why he specified a Mack Superliner LT.

“We’ve a couple of other Mack trucks in the fleet, in various roles from a mobile workshop through to the heavier applications like roadtrain and float work.” Peter added. “They all do their respective jobs admirably, so I can see no reason why the Super-Liner LT won’t perform equally as well, after all it has the best of everything.”

Proven pedigree
The new LT is built around the well-proven CH chassis and Mack claims this contributes to not only the newcomer’s significant tare weight reduction over the existing Super-Liner built on the heavier R-series chassis, but also improved turning circle and lower chassis height while still permitting a gross combination mass (GCM) rating of 70 tonnes.

Mack states, however, that a double skin chassis is mandatory with wheelbases exceeding 5537mm (228 inches) and with GCM ratings over 70 tonnes. Currently the highest rating on the LT is 105 tonnes.

Incidentally, a range of axles are available with a spread of ratios between 4.10:1 and 5.02:1, with various rear suspensions including air and steel spring. Add to this a total of six wheelbase options starting at 4.6 metres (182 inches) stretching to 6.0 metres (236 inches), delivering a versatile range of options to meet wide variety of applications.

The right spec
However, when it comes time to specify which axle and ratio with which wheelbase and suspension combined with what engine and horsepower that will deliver the most tangible efficiencies in a mining operation then you need more than someone with expertise in trucking.

Peter’s longtime mate, Gary Millewski, has a lifetime’s experience setting up trucks to operate efficiently in mining operations, that stems right from the design process of trucks and trailers to the construction of haul roads.

“The Super-Liner LT formed the perfect platform for Peter’s application,” Gary explained. “By this I mean we had a vehicle that could achieve the GCM Peter required, had a considerably light tare weight for it’s heavy-duty specification and afforded us the flexibility to tailor the unit specifically to suit the role Peter required.”

“For the running gear we specified a Caterpillar C-15 set at 550 horsepower, an Eaton 18-speed with Meritor rear axles on a Neway air-suspension,” Gary added.

“Also like most of the equipment at the mine, we fitted a Grovenveld auto greasing system. I really can’t speak highly enough about these Grovenveld auto greasers,” Gary volunteered. “They deliver the right amount of grease to each grease point and do it all while the vehicle is working. This means there is less downtime in the workshop. Why pull a truck off the road to have greased when it can be done during its daily operation?

“The Grovenveld auto greaser also has a unique feature, which alerts the driver if there is low pressure in a grease line, which means there may be a broken line or problem at that grease point. When you think about it, grease is virtually free compared to replacing parts that are prematurely worn out due to a lack of lubrication.” Gary clarified.

Specialised Holmwood tankers
The Holmwood tanker units were also custom built to meet Peter’s unique application and the harsh conditions of a mining operation. Unlike many tankers of this size, which are primarily set up to deliver bulk fuel to service stations, this unit is basically a mobile service station for the mining equipment.

Gary worked closely with Michael Beeby, Holmwood’s project coordinator for the PCM unit, who also co-ordinated the fitting out of the Mack prime mover.

“Holmwood designed and manufactured the hydraulic-driven high-flow special purpose pumping system with electronic metering and fittings that enable the Super-Liner LT to pull alongside any of the mining machines and fill them with fuel,” Gary revealed.

“In most cases we can fill a 200-tonne dump truck quicker than the average person will fill their family car,” Gary added.

“The heavy duty barrels are constructed with a 6mm shell and 8mm ends and bulkheads. The tankers have full vapour recovery, bottom loading and overfill protection system. In addition, Holmwood designed stainless-steel pneumatic operated walkway handrails,” Gary explained.

Running gear on the trailers includes BPW – OM/OT suspension with BPW – SHZA 9010 –15DA disc-braked axles and Michelin 295/80R225 XZE/2+ tyres. “Peter had the rear end of the unit changed from the standard format to make it more ‘flashy’ even to the extent of having the letters PCM cut into a sheet of stainless steel and illuminated in red so it was visible at night,” Holmwood’s Michael Beeby added.

“To finish the unit off, Peter requested we make the ladders and toolboxes from polished stainless steel and chrome plate the stand-leg handles,” Michael explained. “Some nuts were also changed over and replaced with polished stainless steel dome nuts so the threads of the bolts could not be seen.”

On the road
There’s an age old saying that goes something like “when the clutch drops the bullshit stops”, and as Gary eased out the clutch, the bright red Holmwood tankers began following the Super-Liner LT obediently it was apparent that all the hard work had paid off.

“The torque of these Cat engines reminds me of the old Maxidynes,” Gary smiled. “Back in their day, there wasn’t much that got around a Maxidyne and their power was so smooth.”

In terms of creature comforts for the driver, Mack has left nothing out. The traditional Mack sleeper is spacious and comfortable. Behind the wheel, the driver is treated to a full range of gauges set in a luxury wood-grain dash.

In terms of road manners, the Superliner-LT is very obedient, with an extremely smooth ride.

When the truck was new, Gary told us: “Even though it’s early days this is probably one of the best Macks I’ve driven and time will tell if we’ve got the spec right.”

Now a few years on, Gary concedes that they did indeed get the spec right and the CAT C-15 more than lived up to its reputation for reliability, performance and economy.”

He added, that if you’re in the market for a good quality used truck, a C15 powered truck would be a worthwhile investment as spare parts are readily available from most reputable parts outlets.

Specifications:
Make: Mack
Model: Super-Liner LT
Engine: Caterpillar C15
Horsepower: 550hp (410kW) @ 1800rpm
Torque: 1850 lb/ft (2508Nm) @ 1400rpm
Front Axle: Meritor FG941Front Suspension: Taper leaf 7.258T
Steering: TWR TA85
Transmission: Eaton Fuller RTLO 20918B
Rear Axles: Merritor RT52-160
Rear Suspension: Neway