King of the road

... and drivers say it handles really well
In an age where cellphones, cameras and just about every other product under the sun is getting smaller, "bigger is better" instead seems the way of the future for the transport industry.
A case in point - the mammoth 36-wheel, 10-axle Freightliner truck recently shipped to New Zealand from that land of rolling giants, the US, and built and painted to specification right here in the Western Bay of Plenty.
The Freightliner is the first of the so-called "supersized" trucks allowed under the new transport regulations and hit the road this month.
Before Booths Transport began running it between Auckland and its base in Palmerston North, the Freightliner's running gear and bodywork was designed and fabricated by Mount Maunganui firm Domett Truck and Trailers, and painted by Truck Painting Specialists in Tauranga.
These alterations made it a total length of 22m and, when fully permitted and New Zealand roading standards catch up, it has the potential to achieve a gross laden weight of 53 tonnes or beyond.
Meeting the latest emissions standards, and with superior fuel economy, the new truck can also carry 13 per cent more volume of freight than previous large linehaul trucks.
Its Detroit EGR 525hp engine is no bigger than most trucks on the road and, despite its length being 2m longer than usual, its handling is top notch, managing director Craig Booth says.
"It actually drives really nicely."
Its design could also easily be reconfigured to accommodate any kind of freight.
Straw and Supplement Supplies is the first advertiser to utilise the gigantic proportions of the new trucks with a head-turning panoramic scene featuring two rural beauties feeding out hay to a herd of cows.
Designed by Marty's High Performance Signs in Tauranga, the billboard's models have attracted as much attention as the truck's enormous size, Mr Booth says.
"It sure looks a bit different. We've had a lot of positive feedback about it.
"Some said the picture on the back of it would cause crashes.
"It also doubles as a moving billboard and, at the moment, that's an untapped market."
More significantly, Mr Booth said the truck - soon to be joined by a sister Freightliner - was the start of a new, efficient way of moving freight around the country.
"We anticipate to be able to transport higher volumes, with fewer vehicles which will be configured to create less wear and tear on our roads and consume less non-renewable resources," he said. "While there is still some way to go with New Zealand roading standards being improved to allow full benefits of these new vehicles, we have pre-empted the situation as a long-term strategy."