Story Wayne Munro Photos Gerald Shacklock BIG TEST - Isuzu
Story Wayne Munro Photos Gerald Shacklock BIG TEST - Isuzu
Story Wayne Munro Photos Gerald Shacklock BIG TEST - Isuzu
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The morning’s run comprises five<br />
deliveries and one pickup – all in<br />
relatively tight confines, one of them<br />
necessitating the use of the Zepro<br />
tail-lift<br />
How well it does its job is indicated by the way its operators judge it:<br />
Owen Ferguson says that “we’ll see how the economy’s tracking….but<br />
in the next financial year and maybe a little bit earlier we’ll be certainly<br />
looking at maybe another couple of them”<br />
2400rpm. The redline on the tacho is, by the way, set at 2800.<br />
The Allison takes itself down a gear to fifth as we come down the<br />
city side of the bridge. It does have an air-controlled exhaust brake<br />
that Anthony generally doesn’t bother using, except maybe when the<br />
trailer’s on and the combination’s at its heaviest.<br />
On the climb away from Victoria Park, Anthony takes it out of Power<br />
mode in the interests of comparison – and the Allison is more relaxed,<br />
running the engine 300-400rpm lower.<br />
Anthony reckons that the nature of the loads means that the truck<br />
probably only ever has to haul a maximum 24-tonnes all-up. That’s<br />
with the trailer behind. And most of the time, he says, it’s probably<br />
more like 18 or 19-tonnes.<br />
As Owen Ferguson mentions, the company doesn’t closely monitor<br />
the fuel economy of its metro fleet, so that remains an unknown in<br />
our test truck.<br />
If the gearchanging in the FVY is smooth (and it is), the ride is<br />
too: It comes courtesy of Hendrickson HAS400 air suspension on the<br />
Meritor RT40-145G tandem axle set. On the Meritor FG941 front axle<br />
there are taperleaf springs, shocks and a stabiliser bar.<br />
We’re back at the Bullet Freight logistics centre not long after 1pm.<br />
The whole process will now repeat – Anthony loading up with anything<br />
else in the warehouse for Albany (although often there’s nothing)….<br />
then returning to the Shore, to begin a round of pickups, including<br />
hitching up the now-loaded trailer.<br />
So this is a typical day in the life of a real city truck: It’s<br />
only been out of Auckland once in its life, on a special delivery<br />
up to Warkworth.<br />
How well it does its job is indicated by the way its operators<br />
judge it: Owen Ferguson says that “we’ll see how the economy’s<br />
tracking….but in the next financial year and maybe a little bit earlier<br />
we’ll be certainly looking at maybe another couple of them.<br />
“I’m totally happy (with the <strong>Isuzu</strong>s). There haven’t been any<br />
problems or any issues….well, with the exception of little things on the<br />
first one – like the misplacement of the controls for the tail-lift, on the<br />
suicide side instead of the left-hand side, you know. It was very, very<br />
quickly rectified.”<br />
And the driver? Anthony concedes that this isn’t a pretty-looking<br />
truck – but it is effective: “It gets my job done. And yeah, I’m<br />
happy with it. I enjoy this truck – if they took it off me I don’t know<br />
what I’d do.”<br />
In fact, he adds with a laugh, he’s actually told the boss: “I love this<br />
truck – and if it goes….I’d go with it!” T & D<br />
32 | Truck & Driver<br />
MAGAZINE