National Heavy Haulage goes up a gear

Leading transporter of oversized machinery continues to expand its fleet.

The addition of four new trucks to National Heavy Haulage’s growing fleet is an example of innovation in driver comfort, safety and energy efficiency.

National Heavy Haulage – the trucking division of National Group – took delivery of the first truck in April 2025. The next-level Kenworth K220, with a Drake tailer and dolly, is already servicing clients in Queensland’s Bowen Basin.

A Kenworth T909, also with Drake tailer and dolly is due, in late May 2025. Two Kenworth T610SARs with Drake swingwing trailers and dollies will follow in June 2025. (See breakout box below for more details on fleet additions).

Woody Scott, General Manager of National Heavy Haulage, says the business spent months planning truck modifications before delivery. “We started with state-of-the-art trucks and we’ve made them even better with our changes.”

Cabin innovations

Driver comfort was a focus. The Kenworth cabovers feature dual-zone air conditioners on the dash and sleeping cabin, a stand-up fridge and freezer, a microwave, additional storage cabinets and power points in cabins.

“We pushed the limits on what can be achieved in cabin design,” says Scott. “Everything was about enhancing driver comfort so that our drivers are well-rested and can enjoy their work and do a great job for our clients.”

The cabin’s sleeping area is kept cool without needing to keep the truck’s engine running at night with an ice-pack cooling system. Supplied and fitted by TTSC Toowoomba, the cabin provides a comfortable temperature in some of Australia’s hottest locations.

“The air-conditioning modifications were an important fatigue-management initiative,” says Scott. “A cool cabin means our drivers get a good sleep and not sweating it out all night in a hot bunk. It’s also much more efficient and environmentally friendly running a small motor rather than running the truck engine during their fatigue rest breaks.”

National Heavy Haulage’s modifications also extended to cabin power points. Some of its drivers have sleep apnoea, which can interrupt their breathing at night. Cabin power points make it easier for affected drivers to run their Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machine at night to treat their condition.

“Again, it’s about doing everything we can to ensure all our drivers, including those with sleep apnoea, get the best possible sleep,” says Scott. “A well-rested driver is a more alert, productive and happier driver.”

Food was another focus in cabin modifications. Expanded fridge and freezer facilities means drivers can take more home-cooked meals with them on the road. “They tend to do a lot of food prep at home and come away with a fridge full of frozen food,” says Scott. “They can now microwave the food in the cabin, and eat by the side of the road in a remote location. There’s nothing better.”

Expanded storage facilities was another part of the modifications. National Heavy Haulage drivers can be away for more than month at a time when transporting heavy equipment to remote locations across Australia.

“It sounds basic, but when a driver is away for a long time, storage for their clothes, towels and other items makes a difference,” says Scott. “We put a lot of thought into bunk and cupboard design to help our drivers store more gear.”

Safety focus

National Heavy Haulage’s safety focus extended beyond the cabin. Working with The Drake group engineers, Scott suggested a new system to bleed the truck’s hydraulic steering. The existing process requires drivers to climb to the top of the trailer with a hose and a drum to remove air and capture oil that comes out.

“We could potentially make steering bleeding a lot safer and more efficient for our drivers,” says Scott. “We want to eliminate the risk of a driver slipping when they climb up a trailer, carrying a 20-litre drum and hose. The entire bleeding process could become a lot easier and more efficient for our drivers.”

Scott says the new design – which he jokingly calls ‘the Woody Bleed system’ – has had a favourable initial response from Drake’s engineers. “It’s still early days, but the trial is looking good. There’s a lot of upside if we can implement this system on all our Drake modules.”

National Heavy Haulage will also work with Cummins to refine its Euro 5 X15 engines in the four trucks, after 1,000 hours of service. “Once the engines have loosened up, we’ll sit down with Cummins’ engineers to look at how the engines are performing and if they can be enhanced through modifications,” says Scott.

The Euro 5 Cummins X15 engine meets stringent European Union emission standards and is factory-speed limited. National Heavy Haulage requires the maximum speed to be de-rated even further to 80-90 kilometres per hour, given the size of equipment it hauls and to reduce damage to its trailers.

Strong growth

National Heavy Haulage’s fleet has doubled in size in the past two years. The four new prime movers take the fleet to 19 trucks.

Scott says the business has a strong pipeline of current and future work. “We continue to do more transportation work in coal and are successfully expanding into renewables. Each of the four new trucks already has worked lined up.”

National Heavy Haulage expects to announce other contracts in the renewables sector this year. It previously added new trucks to its fleet that increased its capability to move smaller loads, such as batteries and inverters.

Other recent contract highlights include more work with underground coal mines in Queensland and with original equipment manufacturers.

Geographic expansion is another focus. Scott says National Heavy Haulage plans to do more work in the Northern Territory and other parts of Australia, complementing its core operations in Queensland and New South Wales.

As part of its fleet expansion, National Heavy Haulage is also recruiting more drivers. It has 14 drivers with another two to join soon. Scott expects the business to have more than 20 drivers by year’s end.

“Having state-of-the-art trucks that are as comfortable and safe as possible is an attraction to recruit and retain drivers,” says Scott. “The response from our current drivers to the modifications on the new trucks is very encouraging.”

• To learn more about National Heavy Haulage, visit www.nationalheavyhaulage.com.au

Fleet additions to National Heavy Haulage

Source: National Heavy Haulage