News

TOORADIN TRACTOR PULL AND TRUCK SHOW

WE RECENTLY ATTENDED THE 2008 TOORADIN TRACTOR PULL AND TRUCK SHOW ON JANUARY THE 19TH. IT WAS A GREAT TURN OUT BY ALL FOR THE SHOWS ORGANISERS. THE RAIN STAYED AWAY FOR MOST OF THE DAY AND THE TRACTOR PULL WAS A GREAT SUCCESS. WITH THE SUPPORT OF OUR DRIVERS SPENDING ENDLESS HOURS CLEANING AND POLISHING THEIR TRUCKS, THE BOYS CAME HOME WINNERS COLLECTING TROPHIES FOR THE FOLLOWING TRUCK CATORGORIES:
RUNNERS UP - BEST WORKING LIGHT TILT TRAY 10T - 16T GVM,
BEST WORKING HEAVY TILT TRAY TO 16T GVM,
BEST WORKING LIGHT TOW TRUCK UNDER 10T GVM,
RUNNERS UP BEST WORKING HEAVY TOW TRUCK 16T UPWARDS
AND BEST FLEET OF 3 OR MORE VEHICLES.

NEW MACK SUPER LINER
Our new Mack Super Liner heavy salvage tow truck is finally on the road. Along with a paintwork design that matches the rest of our fleet - you are sure not to miss this coming to you. With special thanks to Garry Parker and his team at CMV MACK Dandenong, This Mack Superliner is a credit to all those involved in its making.

NEW MACK TILT TRAY
We have also added a new Mack tilt tray to the fleet. This tray is capable of transporting 2 cars on the tilt at the same time and has the length to transport stretch Hummer limos without any problems.

Also added to our ever expanding fleet is the new 604 KENWORTH PRIME MOVER. This has not got as much flame work as the rest of the fleet but once you see it you will know that its part of the fleet. This Kenworth will transport one of the 2 floats we have.

Press Release - Towing Triumph

John Knowles loves tow trucks and how could anyone argue that his $700,000 Western Star isn't one of Australia's best

If you live on the South Eastern side of Melbourne there's a good chance you might have seen one of Australia's most impressive heavy duty tow trucks, the Western Star of Associated Towing.

Based in Cranbourne and Leongatha, Associated Towing runs a total of six heavy duty two trucks, two based on Kenworth, two on Western Star plus a Road Boss and a Louisville plus a fleet of six smaller tilt tray units. But it's the latest Western Star that is definitely the flagship of the fleet.

The complexity of professional towing and salvage operations is what makes this part of the transport industry particularly interesting. The right equipment in the wrong hands can be rendered virtually useless by a lack of the necessary skills while the alternative of watching equipment in use by a professional with a wealth of practical knowledge can turn into a very educational experience.
And it's not just a case of bringing an overturned vehicle upright. In the right hands a heavy duty salvage unit can restore everything to a transportable condition and do so without inducing any further damage to the vehicle or the load.

Associated Towing has three Holmes Wrecking units for salvage and recovery plus two underlifts and a Super-Tilt semi-trailer for bus and coach recovery or where the recovered vehicle or trailer is not capable of being moved on its own wheels.

Where the Western Star differs is that is operates with a sliding winch that contains two 22,680 kgs winches for the general recovery task but has a further two 11,400 kg winches mounted alongside the main winches for positioning the vehicle being recovered.

"There's a huge advantage on having the additional 11,400 kg winches working in tandem with the main recovery winches," said company owner John Knowles. "While the main weight of the recovered vehicle is held by the 22,680 kg winches, the two supplementary winches can be used to control the turn over or reposition the vehicle or trailer as it is lowered to the ground in an upright state so that it lands squarely and without further damage or risk," he added.

The great advantage of the new Western Star is its capacity to complete a recovery task without requiring assistance from other vehicles. The sliding boom and winch mount assembly on the truck can shift rearwards while setting up for the recovery task and this means that stability of the entire unit can be optimized.

Unlike many tow trucks that become converted to the task after a lifetime on the highways in perhaps a linehaul application, John's new Western Star was purpose built from the ground-up and supplied by TSR, the Western Star dealership in Dandenong. The installation of the recovery gear was by Truckworks of Wingfield, near Adelaide in South Australia. Tim Washington of TSR Truck Sales reckons that John's Western Star is one of the largest projects he has ever worked on.

"The truck started off as a Western Star Constellation 4964FX with a 34 inch low-height sleeper. The entire chassis is double railed 3/8th steel with Meritor RT5160GP rear axles with cross and inter axle diff' locks rated at 22,680kg and with a rear axle ratio of 4.3:1. The suspension is Hendrickson PriMax and the tyres are 11R22.5 Continentals all round fitted to Alcoa alloy rims," said Tim
"As far as the engine and driveline are concerned the C15 Cat is rated at 550hp (410kW) produced at 1800 rpm with peak torque of 2500 Nm produced at 1200 rpm.

"The wiring loom was particularly complex as it had to power the winches and auxiliary equipment as well as a huge number of additional lights from work lights to led marker lamps. There are also items fitted in the cab such as DVD players, rear vision cameras and monitors and probably every form of optional extra in the book. The seats are leather with embroidery on them and there's also additional chrome work and walnut woodgrain treatment inside the cab. The final result is nothing short of spectacular," he added. The recovery equipment itself comes from Quebec in Canada and is part of the Slider design produced by NRC Industries.

In its application in North America the 45 tonne rated sliding boom is available on either tandem or tri-dem axles but under Australian transport regulations there is little to be gained by moving into a three axle scenario because of overall weight limits.

Available with either a two stage or three stage boom assembly, the 45 tonne slider unit is rated for operation fully extended at 18,000 kg or retracted at 40,800 kgs. With a three stage boom the maximum working height is 9700 mm with a boom range on elevation of 0-56 degrees.

Lyndon Reynolds, Managing Director of Truckworks Australia told PowerTorque that the Western Star has been particularly interesting to create because Associated Towing specifically wanted a truck that would excel at recovery work with the capability of being able to tow.

"Very often the focus is on towing but for John's truck the requirement was for it to provide apply very accurate recovery techniques as its first priority. He also wanted the very best components in the market to produce a vehicle that is virtually unique in Victoria," he added.

And if you were under any illusion that the paintwork was anything other than spectacular you'd need to have a chat with the man responsible for the artwork and graphics, Rod Tickle Signs and Airbrush Art of Loxton in South Australia.
Admittedly those involved in the recovery and salvage industry have long periods of inactivity where vehicles and equipment wait for the unfortunate to eventuate. But when called into action, investment in the right machinery pays dividends in completing the task quickly, safely and easily without causing any further damage to the vehicle, the load or the surrounding area. When you look at the investment applied by Associated Towing you can immediately see the value and the image that the company presents as being second to none.