Connetics is one of the first companies in New Zealand to commit to installing MAX-SAFE across its heavy-vehicle fleet – the other is Allied Concrete – thereby showing a high level of commitment to the safety of their staff. Other companies are currently engaging in product trials across New Zealand.

Christchurch-based Connetics fleet coordinator Wayne Muiznieks says their teams are constantly on the go, and feedback from Connetics’ drivers on the MAX-SAFE system has been very positive. The company’s fleet includes crane trucks, bucket trucks and tippers, and Muiznieks’ key concerns are the safety of staff and minimising damage to the fleet itself. Having trucks out of action due to repair is not good for business.

The MAX-SAFE Maximum Safety Anti-Rollaway Brake System can be applied to virtually any heavy vehicle, providing an active safety solution if the parking brake is not fully applied before leaving the vehicle. It provides protection for the driver, passengers, the general public and workers, and prevents damage to the truck and nearby infrastructure.

Connetics does a wide range of technical jobs, including overhead powerline structure refurbishment and pole replacement. Its leadership team is always looking to improve preventative health and safety measures by enhancing the technology onboard its ever-growing truck fleet and ongoing training. Its core business is the design, construction and maintenance of overhead and underground lines.

Spring is always a busy time for Connetics crews. The change of seasons brings wild winds and inevitable additional maintenance work to overhead electricity infrastructure, so the timing of the installation couldn’t be better.

“We trialled three different systems, but the others required driver intervention, and that wasn’t what we were looking for. They weren’t suitable for our needs, nor did they give our drivers the total assurance that we wanted to provide,” Muiznieks explains.

“This vehicle, in particular, (2020 Isuzu FVZ1400M, with a Palfinger PK17.001 crane at the rear, as pictured) is used for highly specialised crane work, specifically maintaining and repairing overhead powerlines, and so safety and reliability are very important, especially when working on a slope.”

Wayne puts strong weight on the opinion of the vehicle drivers. After a three-week trial, the fact they were in favour of the MAX-SAFE system went a long way towards the decision to install them fleet-wide on their heavy vehicles.

“The trial consisted of hill parking with the brake off; opening the door with the driver off the seat; parking the truck with the brake off and with the driver leaving the vehicle; and lastly, allowing the drivers to comment on the system after three weeks of usage. It’s a solution that works well and does everything that it should. In the end, it was the driver feedback that did it for us,” he says.

“The drivers are very happy with the MAX-SAFE system. It allows for another layer of safety without any effort. The benefits of zero rollaways, customer compliance and reassurance, and having that extra level of public, staff and equipment safety made it a desirable feature to have. As companies like ours have trialled the system and accepted it, other New Zealand companies will follow. There is also increasing customer demand for this sort of thing in 2021.”

Autokraft Electrical and Diesel (A.E.D), the New Zealand distributor of MAX-SAFE Maximum Safety solutions, is based in Palmerston North, while Connetics has its trucks and depots in Wellington, Christchurch and Otago. But coordinating the installation of the system has been a breeze, according to Muiznieks.

“Time has been allocated to the installations and demonstrations to drivers. A.E.D then travel to the different depots to do the installations. We are working on having another contractor to do the installations in Christchurch.”

“The firm is considering other optional components of the MAX-SAFE Safety Eco-System – such as Reverse Watch and the Audible Announcement options – but, for now, our drivers are currently satisfied with the functionality of the MAX-SAFE Anti-rollaway system. We will possibly look at other components in the future, as some of our vehicles already have reversing sensors and audible warnings. For a new truck, we’ll certainly advocate for the additional components,” he says.

For more information on the MAX-SAFE Maximum Safety Anti-Rollaway Brake System or to enquire about a trial or demonstration, contact Gary at Autokraft Electrical and Diesel on 06 359 0100 or email reception@autokraft-ed.co.nz.