Owner Driver – August 2019

58 AUGUST 2019 ownerdriver.com.au

at the job still hot, David purchased two brand new

walking f loor trailers eight months ago. At $160,000 each,

they didn’t come cheap.

“The trailers are from America made by a company

called Red River,” David says. He adds that they’re shipped

to Australia in a container by Tefco, minus the trailers’

running gear. The wheels, airbags, tarps and insulation

are all sourced from within Australia.

David explains the trailer insulation is so effective that

the asphalt only loses one degree per hour. However, the

trailers’ most visibly distinctive feature is the ‘Smokey

and the Bandit’ livery.

Before David took delivery of the trailers, he had Adam

King from Allstar Graphics in Portland apply a vinyl wrap

printed with the design.

“Adam did a great job with the image because he

couldn’t find one of a reasonable size and the finished

sign isn’t blurry,” David says. Adam also covered the vinyl

wrap with a UV coating to prevent fading.

The trailer’s live bottom is via a rubber conveyer belt

that “walks” the material out of the rear of the trailer.

“It’s a great alternative to other methods because you

don’t have to worry about overhead powerlines, awkward

angles and soft spots,” David explains.

The conveyor is operated via remote control, but not

necessarily in the driver’s hands. When laying asphalt,

the operator on the paver operates the remote, filling the

hopper as required while the paver pushes the truck. The

truck driver only has to steer straight and keep a little

pressure on the brakes. “It’s a lot more accurate than

tipping,” David says.

David uses two Kenworths to pull the two trailers –

one a 2003 K104 and the other a 1993 T401.

“They are pretty much just standard”, he says, although

he explains that the T401 has the “wrong bonnet”.

“So it’s a 908, but let’s call it a 901 to keep people

guessing.”

Top: The North Vic Tipper ‘family’: From left, Hugh Jamieson, David Eyre, Brad

Good and Anthony Pigdon

Above left: The main control panel of the Tefco walking floor trailer

Far left & left: Rear of the trailer showing the rubber conveyor belt, a more

precise way of laying the asphalt; Warning signs with the all-important

“emergency stop” button!

“The trailers’ most distinctive feature

is the ‘Smokey and the Bandit’ livery.”