Rokbak articulated haulers are known for their durability, reliability and fuel efficiency. But how do the trucks achieve this winning combination? Scott Pollock, Rokbak senior product manager, explains the secrets behind designing and manufacturing the robust trucks, covering everything from uptime to performance and total cost of ownership.
At Rokbak, our approach is to focus on what brings value to our customers. We’re in constant contact with our customers and dealer partners to find out their needs, and we put these points at the centre of everything we do. As we only design and manufacture haulers, we are extremely focused on being the experts in our field.
Uptime is one of the most important things to customers. If a truck isn’t working then it isn’t earning them money, which means their return on investment will go down and total cost of ownership increases. Reliability and durability are built into our articulated haulers, and as such they have high physical availability. Our current RA30 and RA40 trucks consistently return very low levels of warranty claims, proving that the products are robust and reliable, working with minimal faults.
From a design perspective, the foundation of Rokbak haulers is robust structures that are properly designed and thoroughly tested for their intended duty cycles. Long-term durability comes from a whole-machine approach. Structural integrity isn’t just about the frame, it’s about how the entire truck works together in extreme conditions. We carefully select suppliers and integrate proven components such as engines, gearboxes, axles and hydraulic systems that are known to perform in challenging environments and tasks. These components are then validated as part of the complete truck to ensure they deliver both longevity and consistent performance.
Component integration is critical. Truck performance is a collaboration. Fuel efficiency, productivity and durability are all influenced by how well the different elements work together. Fuel is one of the highest costs for customers and has a direct impact on profitability, so every design decision considers its influence on efficiency without compromising durability or productivity.
Rokbak haulers have one of the lowest rates of fuel consumption on the market, so the operational cost of running Rokbak trucks is low – which is a huge benefit for our customers.
Maintain your uptime
One thing I always emphasise to people is that a truck is only as productive as the care it receives. That’s why aftermarket preparation, maintenance planning and correct operation are all critical.
Once the truck is working, it must be properly maintained by trained personnel, using the right tools and verified spare parts. As well as good dealer and OEM support, this also means things like keeping fluids replenished, ensuring components are properly greased and making sure filters are clean. Doing this will prolong component life.
By keeping trucks productive for longer periods and reducing unplanned downtime, customers can move more material at a lower operational cost, which directly improves their margins. Extending maintenance intervals has been a focus area for us. Using modern fluids and filtration systems allows longer service periods for transmissions and hydraulics, reducing both scheduled downtime and maintenance costs. For example, transmission service intervals have been extended from 2,000 to 4,000 hours on the RA30 and up to 6,000 hours on the RA40, with 4,000-hour hydraulic service intervals. Another benefit comes from reduced maintenance material disposal – such as used filters and fluids – which reduces environmental impact. Ultimately, the longer a truck can operate without scheduled stops, the more productive it is and the lower its lifecycle cost to the customer.
Easy to operate and maintain
Operating equipment correctly will help you achieve the best performance and productivity. If an operator doesn’t know how to correctly operate or maintain a machine, it will underperform and it could potentially result in unscheduled downtime. At Rokbak, we design and build trucks that are easy to operate and maintain and this is something that is appreciated by our customers and sets us apart from other truck manufacturers. Customers like the fact that the RA30 and RA40 are straightforward and intuitive.
Rokbak trucks are designed with the understanding that they will operate in extreme environments, moving heavy payloads and on challenging ground conditions. That means robust structures, proven driveline components, effective cooling systems and traction control designed specifically for articulated hauler applications. There are Rokbak trucks operating around the world in applications including quarries, mines and infrastructure projects. Regardless of location, the same principles for success apply: correct specification, validated design and proper support ensure consistent performance in demanding environments worldwide.
