The July issue of New Zealand Truck & Driver is now on sale with the cover and Giti Tyres Big Test featuring the new flagship of the Williams & Wilshier Transport fleet.

With 8x4 supply coming onstream, W&W have put New Zealand’s first new Kenworth K220 logger to work in the Bay of Plenty doing double-duty as a 54-tonne highway unit and also working as a 65-tonne off-highway combination. 

Another newcomer which will have a big role to play in the logging sector is the new Western Star 48X. We preview the full X Series line-up of 47X, 48X and 49X models and get behind the wheel during the official launch held in Brisbane. 

July’s Teletrac Navman Fleet Focus makes a visit to Port Albert on the Kaipara Harbour to tell the story of Smiths Transport. Three generations of the Smith family have weathered the ups and downs of operating a small regional transport company which all began with an OLB Bedford.

Event coverage includes the annual McDonough’s Contracting Gore Truck Show plus a look at the trend-setting Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) expo held in Las Vegas and also some of North America’s prize-winning custom trucks from the Shell Rotella SuperRigs competition.  

The Southpac Trucks Legend series on landmark Kenworth trucks continues as we tell the story of the first cabover example to arrive in New Zealand.

The Transporting New Zealand update from interim CEO  Dom Kalasih looks at the current economic challenges facing the industry and the new Roads of National and Regional Significance programmes.

Our monthly news wrap-up looks at local launch plans for an updated Mack line-up which includes the new Euro VI 17-litre MP11 engine and an upgraded version of the 13-litre MP8 engine and welcomes the allocation of almost $4billion towards pothole maintenance. There’s also been progress on roadside drug testing legislation and the National Livestock Transport Safety Group is seeking feedback from drivers to improve stock yard and loading facilities. 

A wrap-up of the May registration data reports the new truck sector is in much better health than the passenger car and SUV sales figures while trailer registrations continue to run at near-record levels.