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Paccar Australia will showcase its range of products and services at the inaugural 2008 Melbourne Truck Show), which will be held at the Melbourne Showgrounds on 8-10 May.

The showgrounds’ Town Square Hoecker, temporarily renamed ‘PACCAR World’, will be among the largest exhibits at the show. It will host more than 15 of the latest models from the market leading range of Kenworth and DAF Trucks. The 2500-metre display will also include the ALLRig parts and service range as well as representation from Paccar Financial

PACCAR World will preview the all-new Kenworth T3 Series and latest DAF models in various configurations. Also on display will be Kenworth’s technological marvel, the prototype ‘Innovation Truck’, plus the DAF safety vehicle and test bed trucks designed to push the boundaries of current commercially available technologies.

Paccar Australia’s Director of Sales and Marketing, Andrew Hadjikakou, says the Melbourne ITTES event promises to be an exciting showcase of the road transport industry for local,
interstate and international audiences.

“This also is an excellent opportunity to see not only the latest vehicles but also gain an insight into advanced trucking technology, including the Kenworth Innovation Truck, a preview of what may one day be incorporated in all trucks,” he said.

Kenworth will present its new T3 Series. The new range caters for a wide range of applications, from low-horsepower metro delivery and concrete agitators through to higher-performance intrastate prime movers, rigid tippers and car carriers.

Kenworth will display a mix of models in both prime mover and tipper applications, including heavy-duty haulers, such as the T408 and T408SAR, the long-bonneted T908, plus two K108 cab-overs, configured with a 2.3 metre cab and the spacious 2.8 metre cab. Also the popular T358A high-volume agitator and the all new T388P and T388R will also be on show.

The star of the show will be the Kenworth Innovation Truck, which boasts new and emerging technologies from more than 30 suppliers around the world. Based on Kenworth’s flagship T608, the Innovation Truck incorporates dozens of leading-edge features, such as a natural gas-powered engine, a new automated transmission control, solar panels to charge the electrical system, low roll-resistant tyres and an array of automatic safety and information systems.

“This will be the crowd-stopper, not just at ‘PACCAR World’, but for the entire show,” Hadjikakou said. “This is, without doubt, one of the most advanced vehicles ever designed and built in Australia. It’s already creating industry buzz ahead of the official unveiling at the show - and for good reason. This is the first time these advanced componentry and systems have been brought together in the one truck,” he added.

DAF, the premium European range, will be on display with a new series of urban, regional and intrastate vehicles designed for a wide range of applications.

DAF will display eight vehicles from its new metro LF Series and regional and intrastate CF series presented in a variety of applications. Inside will be five DAFs including a LF55 FA E18 rigid tautliner, a CF75 FAT rigid with tilt tray and a CF75 FT prime mover configured as a safety truck. Also on show will be two flagship CF85s, one with the roomy Space Cab, configured as a tandem drive prime mover.

As part of the PACCAR Technology Display, DAF will showcase a fully-featured CF-85 FT 4×2 prime mover. The vehicle is fitted with an Eaton Roadranger transmission and advanced electronics, including a Lane Departure Warning System, Electronic Braking System (EBS) with Vehicle Stability Control (VSC), a Fleet Management System interface with GPS navigation as well as a Bluetooth-compatible hands-free telephone kit integrated into the dashboard and steering wheel controls.

In addition, DAF will have three exhibits demonstrating the intricacies of its advanced engineering. This includes a cut-cab from a CF85 Space Cab as well as the new high-performance PACCAR MX engine and AS-Tronic automated transmission, which can be found in its higher-end models.