Deals on Wheels #464

Three of the long-time
company employees
stand with their pride
and joys: (from left) Gino,
Cobb and Paul
The overall aim was to
achieve a straight and
simple look
top 10, so when Jarrod talked me through
a couple of their designs I was looking at
him like a dog learning algebra. What I do
know is that they have designed and built a
harvester attachment that makes stripping
the branches back and clearing the logs a lot
easier, and it is able to perform efficiently with
much bigger logs.
Once their idea got out it was replicated by
several other firms, but the Burgundy Heights
version has been the most successful. I also
noticed several excavators around their
yard and was surprised to learn that they
build and fit different boom setups to these
as well. There is a massive think tank inside
that workshop, with Jarrod one of the lead
instigators.
So, it’s no surprise that he was the leading
man when it came to building a truck to put
in front of their Tuff Trailers’ six-row platform.
Obviously with Kenworth blood running
through both Jarrod’s and Dennis’s veins
there was never a question of anything but
a Kenworth. The biggest issue the Burgundy
Heights crews have is traction. They’re not
living on smooth tarsealed highways; they
have to take their machines into areas with
more humps than a camel’s graveyard where
traction can be a real issue.
Old-school mindset
At the time Jarrod was investigating the
new truck, Paul Watts was over in Western
Australia driving tri-drive units. Jarrod
phoned him to get his views on how they
handled. Paul had worked for the family
previously before heading out west and
Jarrod valued his opinion.
“I’ve seen what he can do with a log truck,
silly stuff, stuff you shouldn’t be able to do,”
Jarrod attests when he speaks of Paul. “And he
was the one that convinced me.”
Like most people Jarrod was concerned
with the idea of steering the big thing but Paul
assured him it’s not as bad as you think. With
that reassurance Jarrod hopped off to Brown
& Hurley and told the salesman what he was
after. Jarrod recalls with a laugh how excited
the salesman was when he said he wanted a
C509.
“He was telling me: ‘I’ve got great news, the
C509s are coming out with a new cab.’”
The salesman had no idea that young
Jarrod was very much an old school truck
enthusiast and his bubble burst big time when
Jarrod’s smile dropped and he replied: “You’re
kidding me, I suppose you’re going to tell me I
can’t have the traditional doors either!” A very
despondent salesman had to admit that no,
he couldn’t.
The order was still placed though. The
decision to go tri-drive with all axles working
meant a fair bit of maths. Jarrod still wanted
the chassis as short as possible so it could fit
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