The first T609 delivered into South Australia went down to the picturesque Southern Vales region – to Malcom and Di Wilson, from McLaren Flat. It was their first ever Kenworth.  

Experience has taught Malc Wilson that not all trucks are the same. And, even though some brands may share similar components, that's where the similarity ends. 

Malc and Di Wilson Haulage Contractors are a family fleet based out of McLaren Flat, a little over an hour south of Adelaide. Over the years the husband and wife team have built up a four truck fleet, taking pride in their professional, personal service. 

Like most rural fleets, the Wilsons offer a range of transport services and, for this, their trucks and equipment need to be versatile. While they have their own sand and loam pit, they also work for several rubble quarries in the district. 

The company also subcontracts to Mt Compass Landscaping, delivering landscape supplies in and around Adelaide. 

The T609 is Malc and Di's first Kenworth. The decision to go with the Australian engineered and made Kenworth has proven to be a winner. 

"Walking up to a Kenworth to close the door, and hearing that solid thump, no matter how old the truck is, has always impressed me," states Malc. 

Malc has always been impressed with the Kenworth product but it was the professional approach by Jonathon ‘Jono' Crawford, from CMV in Adelaide that won Malc over. 

"He was straight down the line, and there was no pressure. Jonathon mentioned what he did, so we looked at the truck and set about ordering one to our specifications."

"The Kenworth has both the comfort features and a great turning circle. With the work that Wilson's do, manoeuvrability is essential. Malc presented a number of requirements that the truck must be able to perform and the first and foremost was manoeuvrability. 

"The old story is you can drive in and if you don't get it in one bite, you can have another go. But when you're in very muddy or very calling someone to tow you out! That in turn costs a carton of beer and I'd rather drink that carton myself." laughs Malc.

"I'm really happy with our decision to purchase the Kenworth. We've already started planning the next one," smiles Mark. 

The T609 needed to turn in a certain area and when Jono brought up a T408 for Malc to look at, it couldn't quite manage it. 

"I laughed at him and he took it well! Jono came back again after a bit of sorting out and this time it passed the test. " recalls Malc. 

Malc wanted 600hp so the T408 was passed over, in favour of the larger T609. Malc went for the T609 because of its high bonnet and air flow under the cab to stay cooler and it still matched the manoeuvrability requirements. 

"Six hundred horsepower is a must as the work we do is very demanding on the truck. The higher the gear you use, the easier you can get that truck up the hill - it's easier on the gearbox and diffs. 

"Less gear changes helps with the longevity of the vehicle," explains Malc. 

The T609 has a manual gearbox. Malc likes a driver who knows how to drive and not just steer. There are a number of local hills that are like walls and the driver needs to change down several gears at a time. 

To fit the particulate filter, the T609 ended up being 100mm longer in the chassis than Malc had originally wanted, but the end result is a top product. 

Many years ago, Malc worked on Chrysler's production line in Adelaide and was impressed to see the Kenworth factory in Melbourne. 

"We went through the Kenworth factory. It was a nice touch and then my son, Mark and I got to drive it home in it's raw form," recalls Malc. 

Malc and Mark were pleasantly surprised on the trip home. 

"Even in its raw form, I was very surprised. The Kenworth suspension seems to be everything that everyone told me about!" 

Malc tells the story about his father, Allan Gottfried-Wilson, who used to be in the circus. If anyone did anything wrong, they were given the elephant truck to drive. The elephants would stand sideways and swing their trunks. This would cause the truck to surge and then stall. They were forever blowing gearboxes and diffs!

"It was apparently a pretty unpleasant ride. about as smooth as it gets," smiles Malc.

Kenworth's T609 has proven itself as a reliable and versatile performer. 

Speaking to Mark, the T609s regular driver, he says he can't fault the Kenworth. 

"It's absolutely brilliant to drive. I'm only young but have driven many different trucks and this is awesome" smiles Mark. 

Mark cites the T609 as extremely user friendly. For Mark the cab layout is perfect with all the switches well positioned, and enough leg room for him at 6'4'' in a day cab. While the 6'5" high grille looked daunting, Mark now feels more confident positioning the T609 than in his previous trucks. 

"I feel so confident driving the truck. The steering lock rivals the European stuff and the Kenworth airbag gives a very good ride. It makes some of the rough roads we use easier to handle and it sits on the road well. It's not knocking the truck around as much. "

"I'm really happy with our decision to purchase the Kenworth. We've already started planning the next one," smiles Mark. 

Mark puts the truck's excellent usability down to the way it was specced up. Jono Crawford helped using Kenworth's application engineering and Barry Stoodley trailers set up the interchange system. 

"It was definitely worth the extra input. Jono let us pick everything on the truck, so that we could have it built only once instead of re-working everything later," states Mark. 

"The interchange system makes the truck very versatile. It only takes 20 minutes to convert it from a truck and dog to a semi. All in all, the fit-out is first class," continues Malc, "Barry Stoodley and Kenworth worked together and overcame any problems. The battery box has been relocated to behind the cab. They also relocated a couple of air tanks so we could get a decent sized tool box fitted. 

"The new three-axle trailer was also built by Stoodleys. Malc isn't a great believer in four axle dogs. 

"On uneven ground, you have your truck and dogs and you can use your semi on good level ground for tipping. A four axle dog trailer is the same length as my semi tipper, so I've got it all covered," explains Malc further. 

"We purchased the Kenworth because of its quality. The build standard is exceptional. Its all about longevity and when you go to sell the truck in 5-6 years time, it's still a truck that can do many applications. You'll notice that the T609 not only has its truck and dog sticker but also B-train and road train stickers. " Malc is confident that no matter what he wants to do with the T609, the truck will do it!

Every weekend, a young local lad, Brad Driver, helps Malc and Mark wash and grease the trucks. He was rapt to see the Wilsons purchase a Kenworth. 

"He's a Kenworth man too, buying every issue of Kenworth Down Under magazine. Just like us, he also thinks the T609 is absolutely fantastic," smiles Mark.