Top tech at the 2025 Brisbane Truck Show

Road transport technology, safety and innovation was front and centre at the 2025 Brisbane Truck Show, with the latest developments in fuel-agnostic Euro 6 engines, AI-assisted telematics, e-axles, electronic driver assistance, design software, powertrain integration and heavy-lifters on display at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre in mid-May.

Here's our pick of the technology and innovation highlights at the show...

Hammar’s new flagship model, the Hammar 500, was one of the heavy-lifting stars of the 2025 Brisbane Truck Show.

Hammer says with its 45-tonne lifting capacity, "no load will be too challenging" for the Hammer 500. And with its impressive six-metre reach, the 500 model is also unique in its ability to stack containers weighing up to 17.1 tonnes, two rows deep.

A global leader celebrating 50 years in the side-loader business, Hammer was also talking up its latest 550 model, which boasts a world-first 50-tonne safe working load (CE-marked) to make it the world’s strongest side-loader model. While primarily designed for handling large cable drums, the Hammar 550 is also suitable for a range of heavy-lifting applications.

MAHA Australia chose the 2025 Brisbane Truck Show to debut its innovative new C_RGA mobile column lift, which the company says "combines smart connectivity with proven technology".

Among its advanced features is a standard lithium battery that reduces the weight of the mobile unit while also allowing more lifts with fewer recharges. A double antenna system ensures interference-free operation in busy workshops, while operators can control columns individually or in pairs via an in-built LED control panel.

Boasting a 7.5-tonne capacity and able to accommodate a range of heavy-duty vehicles, the MAHA C_RGA mobile column lift also boasts a slim design (just 180mm per column) making it ideal for tight spaces, while for larger workshops up to 16 columns can be linked via optional connecting cables.

Mercedes-Benz is no stranger to clean-burning Euro 6 models, first seen in its second-gen Actros range launched here in 2016. But the German truckmaker has continued to innovate since then, leading to what it bills as the world’s slipperiest cabin design.

The new Actros ProCabin might look like it belongs on an electric truck, but it’s expected to become available locally for diesel models in the not-too-distant future.

Keen-eyed readers might be wondering how a diesel engine stays cool with no front grille. Well, the designers needed to get rid of all air gaps, so the engine compartment is ‘decoupled’ and actually gets its air flow from elsewhere.

The cab is actually extended by 80mm which, alongside the roof spoiler, wind-deflecting flaps and sealed panels, equates to a fuel saving of around 3 per cent.

Couple this with the four per cent fuel use saving of the revised 13-litre engine, and this is one of the cleanest if not most aerodynamic trucks going.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is taking the world by storm, and there were a number of leading telematics providers spruiking their latest AI-driven products at the Brisbane Truck Show.

This included Bridgestone Mobility Solutions, which launched the new AI Assistant as part of its cloud-based suite of fleet management software from Webfleet (formerly TomTom).

"It's an incredibly powerful search engine that you can use like you would ChatGPT, but the key is that it's actually inside your Webfleet so you have a lot of data protection," Webfleet Marketing Manager for Australia and New Zealand, Scott Elkington, said.

Among the latest Webfleet products on display included the Video 2.0 plug-in pack, which is said to provide "a comprehensive suite of AI-powered advanced driving assistance and driver monitoring systems in one unified solution. Improve driver safety and reduce human errors such as lane drifting, tailgating, distracted driving, phone and seatbelt, and more..."

Cummins showed off for the first time in Australia its fully integrated heavy-duty powertrain, made up of the latest X15 Euro 6 engine, Eaton Cummins Endurant 18-speed transmission, and Meritor MT21-165GP axle and braking systems.

Cummins' complete powertrain solution was made possible by commercial tie-ups with Meritor and Eaton Cummins, and positions Cummins for the first time as a full-system provider in the heavy-duty transport space.

“Visitors will see the real-world benefits of an integrated solution – from reduced friction points and simplified serviceability to greater fuel economy,” said Sean McLean, Director and General Manager of On-Highway Business for Cummins South Pacific.

Known as the PX-15 in Paccar’s recently launched DAF XG cabover, and 225kg lighter than before, Cummins says the all-new X15D introduces a new benchmark in on-highway engine performance.

"It delivers the highest-ever outputs for a Cummins truck engine while setting new standards for fuel efficiency at ultra-low emissions levels," McLean said.

"The X15D forms a core part of Cummins’ HELM platform – Higher Efficiency, Lower Emissions, Multiple Fuels – which features fuel-agnostic engine technology designed to operate on diesel, natural gas, or hydrogen."

When we dropped by the Tiger Spider Engineering booth at the Brisbane Truck Show, the small team was busy fielding enquiries about its range of services and bespoke software solutions, which include the unique Spider Path swept path analysis and Hevi Spec complete heavy vehicle design and compliance analysis.

Tiger Spider Senior Engineer Brendan Coleman explained how the Melbourne-based company combines in-house expertise and software development with leading tech, including the Knorr-Bremse iCorner system that reduces the turning radius of semi-trailer trucks, and Nearmap high-resolution aerial maps, to provide user-friendly solutions for various clients including regulators and trailer builders.

"[iCorner] is basically a pneumatic system for the trailer suspension and decreases the air pressure so it effectively changes the wheelbase of the trailer... From a vehicle dynamics point of view it improves the low-speed swept path," he explained.

"We do simulations with mathematical models and we validate our models by doing physical tests," he continued, while referring to a video of Tiger Spider conducting braking and vehicle dynamic testing on a 60-metre road train in the Pilbara.

Isuzu had its updated, entire range of new Euro 6 N and F Series runners at the Brisbane show, and while they still look like Isuzu trucks, beneath the skin a lot has changed.

For starters, they’re brimming with technology, featuring all the advanced driver systems you’d find in most modern passenger cars, as well as scoring exterior improvements like bi-LED headlights and an array of cameras and radars to keep you safe on the road.

Every model across the lineup, including popular 4x4 models, benefit from a safety suite containing up to 12 active and passive systems, including Full Speed Adaptive Cruise Control, Traffic Sign Recognition and Lane Keep Assist.

Another big change for the little N Series is a new nine-speed dual-clutch automatic 'box, which also features a torque converter so it’s punchy off the line.

Knorr-Bremse is a global leader in cutting-edge braking systems and critical safety solutions for commercial vehicles, and the interactive display at the Brisbane Truck Show included its latest wheel end and brake control systems, Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), and air supply and treatment systems.

Also displayed were innovative trailer products for wheel end, driver assistance and chassis control, that recently debuted at the IAA Transportation show in Hanover, Germany.

Innovations on show included the award-winning iMass Smart On-Board Mass (OBM) system, which provides industry-leading accuracy of the combination mass data in real time, and the iTEBS X intelligent electronic trailer braking system that combines an electronic control unit, sensor technology, a pneumatic brake control system and braking functions such as ABS and load-dependent braking, in the one compact assembly. 

The 2025 Brisbane Truck Show was a great opportunity to get up close to the latest in e-axle technology, with plenty of examples on display including from industry front-runners ZF and BPW Transpec.

On display at the busy SAF-Holland stand was the TRAKr e-axle, which acts as a regenerative braking system. It converts kinetic energy into electricity that's stored in a lithium-ion battery that can then be used to power accessories like a lifting platform or crane. The unit can generate up to 20kW peak power and features a single-speed gearbox with differential.

Dana also displayed its Spicer Zero-8 e-axle, which consists of an integrated motor, three-speed transmission and two final drive ratios, and is designed for single or tandem configurations. The Zero-8 e-axle produces 530kW and up to an incredible 130,000Nm of torque, and is intended for vehicles with GCMs of up to 70 tonnes.

Dana had its Zero-6 e-Transmission on display too, which combines a motor, inverter and transmission in the one unit, and delivers as much as 7900Nm of torque for vehicles with a GVM of up to 27,000kg.

The Drake Group is known for its gravity-defying trailer displays at the Brisbane Truck Show, but the Queensland business went to new heights this year with its 'world-first' vertical trailer display.

Drake took a skel and stood it upright on a rotator built by its engineering team, using the same ball race used on its trailers. There's a great video on the Brisbane Truck Show website showing how they managed to set it all up for the show...

– with Cobey Bartels