Queensland-based Sunchip Group has had Mack trucks and Elphinstone trailers operating in one form or another for over 30 years. But thanks to the proven reliability of their existing Mack Super-Liner and Elphinstone Long Logger fleet, they placed an order for ten more.
Elphinstone Long Logger with 45 tonne payload.
Roughly three hours’ drive north of Brisbane, hidden within the verdant embrace of Tuan State Forest, lies a bustling hub of Queensland’s timber industry, where the rhythmic hum of progress harmonises with the whispers of towering pines. As dawn bathes the forest in golden light, the symphony of day-shift activity begins and night-shift ends. Mighty Mack SuperLiners, towing the iconic Elphinstone Long Logger trailers, rumble along neatly graded gravel roads on their daily pilgrimage to transport tall timbers to the sawmill. Each truck, a testament to Australian engineering prowess, is not merely a vehicle but a symbol of reliability and endurance, meticulously crafted to conquer rugged terrain with unparalleled grace.
What sets this operation apart, however, is the marvel of modern ingenuity – the Elphinstone Long Logger trailers. These behemoths of timber transport are more than mere carriers; they are architects of efficiency, designed to cradle vast loads of sustainable plantation timber with unwavering stability. Forging a formidable partnership as they join forces with the Mack SuperLiners.
Mack Super-Liner with Elphinstone Long Logger haul 18 meter stems in Tuan State Forest.
“The Sunship Group is a harvesting and haulage contractor based in the Fraser Coast region in Queensland,” Michael Whish-Wilson, Transport Supervisor Tuan & Toolara Forests, explained. “We’ve been operating here for the last 26 years, and for most of that, we have been using Mack trucks and Elphinstone logging equipment. Today, we run about 15 of their units with another ten on order. We predominantly use Long Logger trailers working around the clock 24 hours a day, five days a week. Mark Blackberry, owner and founder of the Sunchip group, worked with Graeme Elphinstone to develop the long logger trailers. These unique trailers allow us to cart up to one and a half million tons of sustainable plantation pine annually. The long logger trailers permit us to do such high volumes because they allow us to safely cart long lengths up to 18.3 meters on the B-Double route and archive a 45-ton payload with fast loading and unloading times.”
mDrive
“That’s why we specked it up with the 685 horsepower MP10 and specified the mDrive with the HD shift option. When you throw a 45-tonne load or logs on the back, it needs plenty of power to climb the hills around here.”
The MP10 under the hood is an in-line six displacing 16.1 litres and is specked with a stump-bustin’ 685 hp (515 kW) and 2300 lb-ft (3150 Nm). Mack’s MP10 uses an SCR (selective catalytic reduction) emissions control system, and because of its phenomenal torque output, the 685HP rating is only available with Mack’s mDrive 12-speed automated transmission.
The Super-Liner boasts a massive radiator with a sprawling frontal area of more than 11,290 square centimetres, designed to cope with the high cooling requirements of heavy haulage, road trains and of course logging operations.
Also, while on the subject of cooling, the Mack MP10 engine uses an electronically activated Behr viscous fan clutch, which, apart from being almost unnoticeable in operation, works according to actual cooling needs by delivering anywhere from five to 95 per cent of fan engagement. Put simply, rather than being totally on or totally off, the fan responds with incremental engagement, depending on the required cooling assistance.
Here’s an engine, for example, which at the 685HP setting produces maximum torque from 1000 to 1550 rpm and peak power from 1550 to 1800 rpm. It is matched to a transmission specifically programmed to allow the engine to pull down deep into the rev range before downshifting. However, at the other end of the scale, it upshifts surprisingly early to maximise the engine’s phenomenal pulling power. Yet none of these traits do anything to harm fuel efficiency.
The MP10 also boasts a surprisingly effective engine retarder called ‘PowerLeash’, dispensing up to 570 hp (425 kW) of engine braking effect at 2200 rpm. Mind you, it’s not in the same class as the engine brake performance of a 15-litre Cummins, but by manually shifting down a gear or two to keep revs up, it’s an engine brake capable of delivering effective retardation even at weights beyond 70 tonnes.
Mack engineers spent several years researching, developing, and testing a beefed-up version of the mDrive before releasing the HD option for on/off-road duty. Back at the launch, they explained that the HD option has tougher gears and synchronised than the on-highway mDrive released in 2010 (which, incidentally, more than half of all customers for highway Macks now choose). Conversely, the HD model also has a more efficient oil cooler and uses higher-viscosity synthetic lube oil. The 12-speed mDrive HD is rated for up to 2,060 lb-ft torque input.
Weight and price are usually critical factors in the heavy truck purchase decision-making process, and the mDrive is among the lightest transmissions on the market. Surprisingly, Mack’s single-countershaft mDrive weighs about the same as a comparable Eaton 18-speed manual transmission with twin countershafts and far less than the heavy-duty triple-countershaft Mack manual.
The turning circle of the long logger is impressive.
Michael says that the mDrive always appeared to pick the correct gear no matter how fast or slow he drove or whether he was on undulating or flat terrain.
“It just seems to get it right every time,” he adds.
There are three operating modes – Easy Shift, Enhanced Construction and Heavy Haul – and these Sunchip Macks have the Heavy Haulage setting, so shift points are a little higher on the tachometer than the Easy Shift. Technicians can program the settings at Mack’s service department to suit customer needs.
The dash-mounted gear selector included a “Perf” (for performance) button, which delayed upshifts and added power and torque as engine revs rose, making the truck noticeably livelier during acceleration.
Michael explained that this feature was especially effective as the transmission changed into the higher gears and the road speed climbed. Punching the “Perf” button again returns the transmission to an economy mode. He adds that both he and his drivers like this feature.
“The Long Logger trailer is essentially a hybrid between a skel trailer and a jinka,” Michael explained. The skel trailer is up front, and the stinger-steered jinker is connected to the rear of the front trailer. The trailer folds and unfolds automatically; there’s virtually no manual input from the drivers, and they can do almost all of it from the comfort of the cab. They’re very user-friendly to use, and best of all, you know they work day in and day out.
“The original Long Logger trailers we started running back in 2008 had a lifespan of about 15 years and covered millions and millions of kilometres. To put that into perspective, we replace prime movers every four to five years and merely connect the new trucks to the older trailers. I think each of those original trailers carted well over a million tons per unit over their lifespan. Mind you, we have a comprehensive maintenance program to ensure all our equipment gets maintained in first-class condition,” Michael added. “Even our service truck is Mack!”
“One important thing to mention about these trailers is that we use Elphinstone’s Easy-Weigh Multi reader in the cabin connected to loadcells on the trailer to weigh each load accurately. Our overload percentages are virtually zero, a terrific result given that we’re doing 100 plus B-Double loads of timber a day and go months and months without a single overload. In an environment with so many variables, still having such reliability out of the scales is just unreal.”
“The investment in accurate onboard scales certainly pays big dividends in the long run,” Michael explained. For example, if we underload each truck by as little as 1.5 tonnes per load, that means we’re losing over 150 tonnes of productivity per day. That’s 750 tonnes per week, which is the equivalent of about 16 extra loads we’d need to do to bring that same amount of wood. So I can’t emphasise the importance of Elphinstone’s accurate onboard scales enough,” Michael said.
As the sun dips below the horizon, casting its shimmering rays across the vast expanse of the Tuan State Forest, the rhythmic hum of machinery gradually fades into the tranquil whispers of the wilderness. Yet, amidst this serene backdrop, the legacy of Sunchip Group’s pine logging operation lingers, etched into the very fabric of the landscape. In the waning light, the imposing figures of Mack SuperLiners stand tall, towing their Elphinstone Long Logger trailers, weaving their way through the labyrinth of trees, cradling the lifeblood of the forest with tender care. Each laden with 45 tonnes of sustainable plantation timber, these Mack trucks hum their satisfaction, and the trailers echo with the promise of a brighter, greener future for generations to come.
Truck Specs:
Model Mack Super-Liner
Engine Mack MP10 16-Litre
Horsepower 685 hp (515)kw @1800 RPM
Torque 2300lb/ft (3150Nm) @ 1000-1400 RPM
Gearbox Mack TmD12A023 mDrive 12-speed Overdrive
Retarder Mack PowerLeash
Front Axle Mack FXL 16.5 unitised hubs
Front Suspension 1397mm Parabolic 7500kg with anti-roll bar
Rear Axles Meritor RT46160GP with diff locks to both axles.
Rear Axle Ratio 3.73
Rear Suspension Mack AP460 21 Tonne
Brakes S-cam with ABS
Safety EBS with integrated ABS and traction control
Interior Pleated Ultra Leather (Burgundy)
Seats ISRI Premium ‘Big Boy’ Driver’s Seat
Bumper Polished Alloy
Fuel Tanks 1x 500, 1x 200 LHS and 1x 350 total volume 1050 litres
AdBlue Tank 1 x 150 litres
Batteries 4 x 12 volt
Trailer Specs:
Axles: BPW ECO Plus
Suspension: BPW Air
Chain box: Checker plate with step
Load restraint: Manual winches 5000kg
Remote release: Yes
Cab guard: Yes
Loadcells: Yes
