“Innovation is alive and well in the heavy vehicle industry,” Heavy Vehicle Industry Association (HVIA) chief Executive Brett Wright says following the presentation of the 2017 Brisbane Truck Show awards.
The awards were presented at an event attended by a who’s who of heavy vehicle industry leaders.
A panel of judges reviewed entries representing over 100 nominations across all categories, the criteria including technical innovation and safety features to service support and value for money.
“We saw locally designed, engineered and manufactured products held up against the very best multi-nationals,” Wright says.
The Best Heavy Duty Truck Award went to the new Mercedes-Benz Actros. Other finalists included Iveco’s Stralis AS-L Series II and the new Kenworth T610 and T610SAR.
Some judges say the new Actros is the most significant heavy truck development in the Australian transport industry in the past decade.
“Mercedes‑Benz’s next‑gen Actros is a major stride forward for the brand,” one judge says. “Unrivalled fuel economy and driver appeal is supporting the Actros in all transport applications.”
The recently released Kenworth T610 was also short odds favourite for other awards, including Best Australian designed and engineered product and the Best Australian manufactured innovation.
It scored exceptionally well, but was held off from taking out both awards by MaxiTRANS for its Freighter T-Liner Mark II curtain system.
“MaxiTRANS keeps pushing the boundaries of innovation across its range,” judges say. “This is exceptional R & D and is practical for the supply chain.”
MaxiTRANS also won the Best Trailer Award for the Freighter T-Liner Mark II with load restraint gates, and the Best Component, Equipment or Service Innovation Award for freighter hanging load restraint gates.
“Freighter’s T‑Liner Mk II makes traditional tautliners look antiquated in comparison,” one judge says. “Another great innovation by MaxiTRANS.”
Hino’s new 500 Series Wide Cab took the honours in the Best Light or Medium Duty Truck category from Iveco Trucks Eurocargo Euro 6 range and Daily Van and Cab Chassis range.
One judge says the Hino is “a comprehensive update that brings impressive safety features to the medium‑duty market, along with greater comfort and impressive workhorse credentials”.
Cummins’ and Eaton’s sophisticated engine and transmission combination, X-15 with ADEPT technology, took out the Best Technology Innovation Award.
The Best Vehicle Body Innovation Award was closely fought between Tosca Industries’ Transformer truck bodies, Ekebol with its TFSL low angle tilt tray bodies and the award winner Truck Corp for its multi positional hanging truck body dividing doors.
