200 Trucks, One Trusted Partner: TRT and Rheinmetall

OVERVIEW

TRT supplied tippers for Rheinmetall's fleet of high mobility logistics trucks, supporting delivery to the New Zealand Defence Force and, later, the Australian Defence Force.

200 trucks

Total fleet delivered to NZDF

3 chassis sizes

Fleet range supplied under the programme

10 variants

Fleet configurations across the NZDF logistics vehicles

Land 121 Phase 3B

Australian Defence Force programme later supported by TRT

SITUATION

Rheinmetall builds and sustains a fleet of high mobility logistics vehicles for the New Zealand Defence Force.

In March 2013, Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles was awarded a contract to supply the NZDF with 194 new logistics trucks and 6 training vehicles.

The fleet spanned three chassis sizes and ten variants, from 6 tonne 4x4s through to 15 tonne 8x8s.

Some of these trucks needed to operate completely independently in the field, fitted with winches, cranes, and specialised handling equipment.

CHALLENGE

Delivering that capability meant more than building trucks.

Rheinmetall needed dump trucks for combat engineers, vehicles fitted with pallet and container handling equipment, and tractor and semi-trailer combinations rated to carry heavy vehicles and equipment.

Every unit had to hold up under the demands of defence operation and be ready for long term, in-country support once it reached the NZDF.

Rheinmetall Managing Director Gary Stewart has said the company's regional focus is on building sustainable design, development, and manufacturing facilities, and on partnering with local businesses capable of meeting that standard.

Rheinmetall needed a manufacturing partner with the engineering depth to deliver that equipment to defence standard, and the local presence to back it for years after handover.

SOLUTION

TRT supplied tippers for the Rheinmetall MAN fleet as part of the build, drawing on manufacturing capability developed over more than 50 years.

All 200 trucks were delivered between October 2013 and September 2014.

TRT Director Bruce Carden points to the standard behind that delivery, describing products "built to last, offering real value for whole of life".

Carden has also spoken to the process behind that standard, pointing to best practice design, engineering, and manufacturing, with quality carried through from raw materials to paint finish.

The partnership carried through into through-life support, with TRT named among the trusted local partners keeping the RMMVA fleet running across New Zealand.

That same engineering and manufacturing base later extended TRT's work with Rheinmetall into the Commonwealth of Australia's Land 121 Phase 3B program, supplying tippers for the high mobility logistics trucks delivered to the Australian Defence Force.

MADE POSSIBLE:

TRT's work on the program was recognised with the 2015 New Zealand Minister of Defence Award of Excellence, awarded for the provision of quality equipment to Defence.

Carden has credited that result to TRT's people, pointing to ongoing investment in training and equipment and a fabrication team built on qualified, experienced tradespeople.

Stewart has said TRT's commitment to innovation, expertise, and design excellence has set the company apart, and that its work on Land 121-3B laid the foundation for further collaboration with Rheinmetall.

The relationship has grown from a single vehicle contract into a long term partnership spanning both sides of the Tasman, with TRT's design, engineering, and manufacturing capability now supporting defence programs in New Zealand and Australia alike.