Harvest time in Western Australia’s wheat belt requires more than all hands on deck. It also requires reliable equipment. TransPlus believes they found a good mix with a range of Kenworth models well suited to the task.

The latest T659 differs from the others. It has a compact 26” IT sleeper and a unique tipping body on the back
Australia, as a whole, had a tough year producing crops in 2022, thanks to untimely record spring rainfall that caused widespread crop losses in eastern states. Yet over in Western Australia, more favourable seasonal conditions improved harvest prospects.
This was good news for Merredin-based, TransPlus because it meant every truck in the fleet would get hooked up to a set of tippers for the harvest.
Needless to say, owner, Derek Mason, was relieved.
“Last year’s harvest wasn’t a good year for us, or growers for that matter, with only 50 per cent of the yield compared to the previous year. But at least we got one, and thankfully all of our 17 prime movers were involved,” he recalled.

There are five livestock units, three full-length road trains and two B-Triples.
Centrally Loacated
Centrally located in the heart of Western Australia’s Wheatbelt, Merredin is 265 km east of Perth and roughly halfway between the capital and Kalgoorlie.
It’s the ideal location to base an agricultural transport business, like TransPlus. In 2010, they expanded their depot with enough undercover parking for the entire fleet. Additionally, there is also a four-bay workshop with two permanent staff.
TransPlus was initially owned by John Nicoletti. Derek joined the company in 1993 as a mechanic and driver. He then bought the business in 2004. Derek’s first truck, a T904 called Eketahuna after his home town in New Zealand, is still working in the fleet.

Ben Parker and Derek Mason
The workshop at TransPlus, does not undertake significant rebuilds like engines, clutches, transmissions, and diffs as they find it quicker sending them to CJD. Having CJD perform the major repairs means there iswarranties all repairs giving Derek peace of mind.
“They are good to deal with,” Derek volunteered. “We also purchase our diggers and loaders through their other division, so it’s a pretty good relationship.
“When I took the business over, it was an eight-truck fleet consisting of 8×4 T408s and T409s, T904s and T604s. Today, the fleet is primarily made up of T659s 8x4s. I like them,” He added. “They are a great strong truck that sits higher than the smaller T4s. Consequently, they get more air through them while giving the driver excellent visibility and a very comfortable rig to drive. In addition, we find the integrated sleeper very advantageous for our drivers. Today’s modern Kenworth is a driver’s paradise. Access with big steps, modern dash and smart steering wheel, it’s a perfect package with the 8×4 giving us that big extra payload.”
In addition to the fleet of grain, side tippers, stock crates, and a set of liquid fertiliser tankers are a Drake sliding tilt tray and an 8×4 tilt tray. But up front, it is all Kenworth, except for a little around-town runabout. The most recent additions to the fleet include a pair of 2.8-meter K200 Aerodynes purchased to go in front of sets of 27.5m B-Triples. In addition, two new T659s were also added to the fleet.

The Kenworth T659 exiting the sand quarry.
“The T408s and T409s did their job,” Derek said. “Yet moving to the 8×4 T659s was a vast improvement. Sure, the tare weight is up a bit, but we have a lot more truck. They are doing the majority of our highway work. We expect to turn them over every five years,” he continued.
The latest T659 differs from the others. It has a compact 26” IT sleeper and a unique tipping body on the back. Thanks to a central hoist and locking pins in each corner, the tray tips three ways. This allows it to tip on either side or the rear as the job requires.
“It’s a beautiful little truck, extremely versatile, can undertake small deliveries around town or pull a road train at harvest time,” Derek explained. “Generally, the young bloke who drives it is home every night. But if he gets caught in a lineup at the silo or out at a farm, the IT sleeper s enough to suffice for those times.”
The first T904 that Derek owned as a subcontractor is still in the fleet. It goes to work every day and does an equally good job as the new ones, albeit it requires a little more TLC a little more often. Sometimes it will make a trip to the SA border or into South Australia with livestock.
“We have a 2003 T904 that we were going to sell, but it’s too reliable. It’s still a bloody good truck, and that is with 1.8 million on the clock. That is why we purchase a Kenworth. It’s for the whole of life, not just the initial purchase cost,” Dereck stated.
There are five livestock units, three full-length road trains and two B-Triples.

T409 SAR with Drake sliding tilt tray
Double Road Trains
“In the past, we used T909s to pull double road trains on livestock into Perth. Derek explained. “But once you go past Northam, you can only be 27.5m long. So previously, we pulled six decks with a long-nose prime mover. However, now we’ve expanded to seven decks and a shorter nose prime mover, which provided us with a 16-18 per cent payload increase. The other advantage for the seven-decker is more axle groups. When fully loaded, the tri-groups run at 20-tonne each, so the combination is much more stable. The 2.8-meter big cab K200s manage to squeeze into a 27.5-meter combination length. Like all livestock operations, our trucks are often away for extended periods, so we’ve kitted them out with Icepack bunk air-conditioners and other gear to make the driver’s life away from home a little easier.” Derek said.
“Thankfully, we don’t have a high turnover of drivers,” Derek said. “Many of our drivers have over ten years of service. For example, my right-hand man Ben Parker who now runs the Livestock Division and still drives a T909 Director’s Series has been with me since I started in 2004. That is a combination of good management and good equipment,” Derek said.
Derek believes in working out what works and then sticking with it. TransPlus were running Kenworth when he purchased it and has never seen the need to change.
“Once I know something, and how it works, I stick with it. Kenworths are the most reliable and have good serviceability. With a fleet of Kenworths, your spare parts inventory becomes simpler. Generally speaking, they are very well put together. They certainly take the punishment we dish out,” he said with a smile.
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