the same number of loads as the other trucks
each day and carried the same tonnage.
With only a 5 speed gearbox (Maxi torque
triple countershaft) she still put out 1100 revs
whereas the “modern” rigs could put out 1600
revs but their drivers were going through a 15
speed gearbox to get it. Exhausting.
Adrian just didn’t learn to drive this truck. He
learnt all about its idiosyncrasies as a part of
his duties in the workshop. Adrian was to have
the FTK running by 6am each morning. This
was quite an involved procedure, especially
on those cold winter mornings. Before the
engine would roar into life it would often run
out of air. This meant a tank of compressed air
had to be used to increase the volume of air
that the truck needed. At times, Adrian would
be forced to climb underneath the old girl
to reach the air start supply hose. He would
then pour a cup of diesel into the hose before
hitting the start button. After all of this the
truck would finally be ready for the day.FTK has spent a lot of time in the workshop
and for a while there the old girl sat “forlorn
and unwanted” to quote Adrian as she sat in
the yard for a few years. The roof was one
of the first big jobs on the FTK. It had to be
completely replaced due to rust. The entire
cab has been replaced a few times over the
years along with the speedo. Adrian has lost
count of just how many speedos have been
installed and replaced – at one point there the
old girl ran without a speedo. The original
through shaft was a weak point and has been
replaced many times. Mack stopped making
that particular part for that model but as the
basic design didn’t alter a great deal, the men
in the workshop were able to manage. The old
girl had the original steel axle, which was rated
at 5.5 tonne, has since been replaced and the
truck can now handle heavier loads. There
have been new cab mount brackets, new fuelINDUSTRY LEGENDAUSTRALIANEARTHMOVING.COM.AU 28