Patricks Trucks

[Patrick_R]

Nice pick up Brian.
I think, this is where I was traveling when we ran into each other at Qantas security.
This is our company demo unit, and I spent 2 days in Shepparton with this family run fleet.
A lovely family, and a great business.
FYI,
This is the third time I’ve de,I’ve red it, and trained waste fleets, we just rewrap it, check it over, and send her out again.
Previous to this trial, I delivered it into Veolia in Canberra.

 

[Patrick_R]

Mercedes Benz has finally unveiled their BEV heavy duty trucks to the world with a big roadshow.
It will be interesting to see how they go, how far they can go & what sort of payloads they can carry.
Watch this space.
Their approach to the look of the truck is 180 degrees to ours. Volvo wanted the truck to look like a truck.
This one seems to want to look like a Tesla. Interior seems very "ordinary" and truck like.
The only issue I see is there cup holders are European. The Volvo is the same, totaly useless LOL.

Mercedes-Benz eActros 600's Journey Across Europe

The Mercedes-Benz eActros 600's journey across Europe is set to begin in June, as Daimler Truck undergoes its most extensive truck test run in the company's history

powertorque.com.au

 

[BenzBoy]

Hmmm: that front is not pretty. Imagine it 1 meter behind your tail if you're driving an MG3 .....

 

[BenzBoy]

This looks like it eats little cars for morning tea .....

 

[c107]

That cupholder won't do at all:

 

[Patrick_R]

This looks like it eats little cars for morning tea .....

View attachment 27248

We have fuel test trucks here, but not like this

 

[Patrick_R]

Gents.
I can now share images of our top secret product release, the new Volvo Aero range of prime movers.
With the new cab shape, and the removal of the huge external mirrors in favour of aircraft wing shape cameras, and internal screens that replicate the big mirrors drivers are used to, Volvo states a fuel saving of up to 8%.
We still only have these prototypes in the country, but new stock will be arriving after Christmas for sale.
This was a week long even at the Mt Cotton test track.
We also had a full range of the new electric trucks for the customers to drive as well.
Plus the official launch of the latest 17 litre 780hp 3800Nm diesel engine.
The last pic shows a four seat training truck specially built in Sweden for me and other trainers to ride along with drivers so we can watch the dash from what was the sleeper bed.
The images with the tea bag, was a fun challenge for the drivers (using the new camera mirrors) to drop a tea bag into a cup, but the length of the truck is 26 meters, so the pic you can see of us pointing at the tea bag was the winner. Great effort to get this close when you are backing a 26m B Double towards a cup
* note the cab shape and front of the blue truck compared to the white truck.

 

[BenzBoy]

Must be some truck if a safety harness is required!

 

[Patrick_R]

Volvo Sweden developed a new safety harness we trainers can use while sitting on the bunk/bed of the truck so we can train 2 people at once.
The harness attaches to the safety net connections that the second driver sleeps behind if the truck is being double shifted so he doesn’t fly through the windscreen while sleeping in the case of an accident.
plus, as the dash cluster has a privacy type screen we can’t see the dash from the passenger seat, so sitting up, and behind the driver is great.
The 4 seater truck was very popular during this event.
This was my view from the bed of the electric prime mover.

 

[Patrick_R]

Gents,
After nearly 15 years with Volvo, it’s time to say goodbye.
For most of this time I have been attached to the Japanese brand UD, which is the premium Japanese truck brand owned by Volvo since 2007.
Of course as you all know, I have been heavily involved with the Volvo brand as well, especially their new range of battery electric trucks.
In 2019 Isuzu Japan (Japans, and Australia’s biggest selling truck brand) purchased UD Trucks from Volvo to be able to acquire Volvo powertrain & technology in readiness for the change to Euro 6 for all truck brands in Australia.
It is a massive change in emissions, plus an even bigger change in technology, which Isuzu were not on top of.
So, with the purchase of UD Trucks Japan, Isuzu and UD will lead the Japanese truck world with Japanese built trucks, using Volvo powertrain technology.
So, i have now decided to leave Volvo Group Australia, to head up a new training division at Isuzu for their launch of their new range of trucks for 2025 and into the future. This is their first all new range in 17 years.
Isuzu has been the number one selling truck in the Australian market for over 30 years now, and I am sure they want to continue this with their entirely new range of Euro 6 trucks, and a new range of battery electric trucks.
And to think I was going to wind down & retire

 

[BenzBoy]

Congratulations on the new position. Retirement is only a dream anyway so don't fret.
Enjoy Isuzu and UD - and more pics of the big rigs please.

 

[c107]

Enjoy the new role - sounds interesting and there seems to be a lot happening in the truck world right now

 

[Patrick_R]

Thanks Bryce.
Im looking forward to it.
Its a whole new product for me to learn from the interior light down, so hopefully i can pick it up quickly

 

[Patrick_R]

Many thanks gents.
Retirement still sounds great.
Not too many big rigs in these brands, however still plenty to haul with these ones.

 

[Michel]

Retirement... That is the dream that we pursue only to find that we get bored very quickly!
Congratulations Pat!
I'm sure you'll enjoy the new challenging role and excell at it.
Happy New Year!

 

[Patrick_R]

Thank you Michel.
My break between jobs is running out quick

 

[Styria]

Anyway, I like the colour

So do I. Dare I say it, but it is very similar to Mercedes MB877 Petrol which adorns my Gleaming Beauty. There, I have said it. Regards Styria

 

[Styria]

Patrick, congratulations and a happy and rewarding future with your new project. Your contributions are fascinating and hopefully you will be able to continue along the same lines. Thanks heaps. Regards Styria

 

[Patrick_R]

Patrick, congratulations and a happy and rewarding future with your new project. Your contributions are fascinating and hopefully you will be able to continue along the same lines. Thanks heaps. Regards Styria

Thank you sir.
It‘s been a busy couple of weeks, plus being exposed to a huge model range that is still under wraps at the moment gave me a few headaches, but it‘s Saturday now, so I can reflect, get ready for next week, and buy some industrial size Panadol
Here are some images of my new head office in Victoria.
The yellow arrow shows where I took the pic with the red car in the foreground.
This is a huge building.
It houses everything from admin staff to a full engineering and modification centre, to the Australasian hub for all Isuzu parts.
It also houses a huge training area where all Isuzu dealer technicians are trained.
Isuzu has been Australia’s number one selling truck brand for 35 years straight, a very impressive record.
The first Isuzu trucks imported into the country in the 70’s were badged as a Bedford.

 

[Michel]

I must say... Black and white suits you very well Mr R