Aeolus Truck & Driver News

Construction work to extend the Waikato Expressway as far south as Piarere is expected to begin towards the end of this year, or early in 2027.

Budget 2026 is investing $1.773 billion for the Cambridge to Piarere Road of National Significance, extending the Waikato Expressway which is one of New Zealand’s most strategically important transport corridors.

The extension of the Waikato Expressway will make travel safer, faster and more reliable, Transport Minister Chris Bishop says.

“State Highway 1 between Cambridge and Piarere is a critical freight and economic link connecting Auckland, Waikato and the Bay of Plenty with the central and lower North Islan...

The first two-day format for EROAD Fleet Days will feature a speaker line-up which includes David Gordon (CEO, NZTA) and Carla Hoorweg (CEO, ANCAP).

Former Prime Minister the Rt Hon Sir John Key returns to the speaker roster after appearing at the 2024 event while also confirmed are Grant Baker (Chairman, Turners Group and Ferrari Ambassador NZ), and Mark Law (Kahu Helicopters).

There are plans for high performance demonstrations by drift star Mad Mike Whiddett and Kiwi WRC driver Hayden Paddon.

The focus of the eve...

The SH1 Tīrau to Waiouru Accelerated Maintenance programme condensed four seasons of road maintenance into just two, improving some of the most travelled and in-need-of-repair sections of SH1 in Waikato. In total 128 lane kilometres is now rehabilitated or resealed.

“Prior to this project, something of this magnitude has never been attempted on our state highways, especially the block road closures of SH1 that were necessary to deliver intensive road rebuilding in the shortest possible time,” says Transport Minister Chris Bishop.

“The projec...

The combustion engine continues to play an important role in Volvo Truck’s driveline strategy and its new engines offer a combination of more power, lower fuel consumption, lower emissions, lower noise and improved drivability.

The latest in-house developed engine platform is Volvo Trucks’ most fuel-efficient engine ever, delivering up to 4% lower fuel consumption versus the engine it is replacing. The new engines will cater for a wide variety of applications and will also meet or exceed the requirements of new legislation such as emi...

The inaugural issue was published in March 1999, a time when New Zealand was beginning to recover from the effects of the 1997-98 Asian Financial Crisis.

In 2026 we face another crisis as Middle East conflict spikes fuel costs, with diesel the hardest hit and threatening the strongest inflationary potential.

It’s a very different transport industry in 2026 than it was in 1999 – operating with new technology and under more stringent regulations.

The major topics showcased in our 300th issue confirm that change continues to be...