Rokbak connects with the crowds and customers at CONEXPO

Rokbak is presenting both its RA30 and RA40 at CONEXPO this week and is using its presence at the show to discuss innovations, connected services, efficiencies and sustainability with attendees, as the Scottish articulated hauler manufacturer looks to the future.

Rokbak RA40
© Rokbak

The Rokbak RA30 and RA40 haulers are on display for the first time ever at a North American tradeshow this week at CONEXPO 2023 in Las Vegas. Since rebranding as Rokbak, the company is seeing huge demand for its articulated haulers in North America, with up to 60 % of the machines that leave the Motherwell factory currently heading across the Atlantic. And this is definitely something that the team are experiencing at the show too – with customers, dealers and attendees from North America, EMEA and APAC keen to get up close to the new machines and find out more.

  Rokbak's booth at CONEXPO 2023
© Rokbak

Four product focus areas

Rokbak is using CONEXPO to highlight four connected product focus areas – innovation, sustainability, connected services and efficiencies – that will shape the company's development journey and have been created from customer feedback, market research, technology advancements and product performance improvements. The four themes encompass everything from future product developments, such as a next generation cab with higher levels of operator comfort and a modern ergonomic layout, to helping machine owners manage total cost of ownership with Rokbak’s improved Haul Track telematics system.

“We have a clear roadmap on future product development and it’s great to talk about our plans with our customers and dealers and get their feedback,” says Paul Douglas, Managing Director of Rokbak. “Afterall, they are the ones that guide our product strategy. It has also been nice to hear such positive feedback about our new brand, as well as the performance, reliability and colour of the RA30 and RA40 haulers. For some people, it’s the first time they’ve seen the haulers in real life and their responses are incredible.”

  Rokbak's team at CONEXPO 2023
© Rokbak

1. Innovation

One of the future developments that Rokbak is currently working on is its next generation cab for the RA30 and RA40 articulated haulers. Key benefits of the new design include higher levels of operator comfort and improved performance, modern ergonomic layout and displays, ease of operation and future proofing functionalities for automation and connectivity.

Other areas under this theme include using technological advances, modern component specifications and fuel economy to reduce customer operating costs. These reductions have been achieved through things including extended time between scheduled maintenance, fuel efficiencies, longer life fluids and filter systems. This has led to an average cost reduction for the Stage V / Tier 4 Final RA30 of 19% per hour, and 10 % for the RA40.

  Customers, dealers and attendees are keen to get up close to the new machines and find out more
© Rokbak

2. Sustainability

As part of the Volvo Group, Rokbak’s long-term plans are aligned with the Group’s sustainability values. This includes the Volvo Group target to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040.

Rokbak is reviewing technical solutions that will allow it to achieve its sustainability goals. All Rokbak haulers are built for low fuel consumption and global CO₂ emissions compliance. Both the RA30 and RA40 are compatible with hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) which allows customers to significantly reduce CO₂ emissions.

  Rokbak is currently working on is its next generation cab for the RA30 and RA40 articulated haulers
© Rokbak

3. Connected services

Rokbak’s improved Haul Track telematics system is helping machine owners to manage total cost of ownership by keeping an eye on everything from fuel consumption and machine usage, to problems that if neglected could lead to repairs or unplanned downtime. The bespoke system gives customers more visibility and control of their machines with live data viewable on desktop computers and mobile devices. This includes: locating equipment and monitoring productivity and operational costs by keeping track of everything from scheduled maintenance planning, early fault warning and performance management information.

Haul Track is now AEMP enabled, allowing for mixed fleet management via a single communication platform.

  Rokbak haulers are built for low fuel consumption and global CO₂ emissions compliance
© Rokbak

4. Efficiencies

Rokbak’s fuel-efficient drivetrains deliver powerful performance and meet worldwide emission standards with low cost of operation and low environmental impact. The high performance drivetrain has responsive, usable power with adaptive shifting for low fuel consumption and operating costs.

Another efficiency aspect of the Rokbak design is easy service access, making the RA30 and RA40 quick and simple to maintain with ground level test points, electric-lift hoods and tilting cabs, enabling high uptime and productivity.

“Rokbak haulers deliver new benchmarks in both performance and total cost of ownership, and reinforce the company’s commitment to sustainability and journey to net-zero as part of the Volvo Group,” concludes Scott. “Customer needs will continue to guide our product strategy and we will continue to invest in our Rokbak products and services.”

  Rokbak’s improved Haul Track telematics gives customers more visibility and control of their machines
© Rokbak

Strong demand in North America

The US is leading articulated hauler demand with huge infrastructure spend and a lot of construction activity around house and road building. The total articulated hauler market for North America is usually around 3500 units, with 2022 closing out with an expectation-defying 4000 units. North American customers currently account for nearly half of the total market, which was just over 9000 units in 2022.

“Our Rokbak haulers are working in clearance, aggregates, housing, even in the energy sector,” says Robert Franklin, Director of Sales – Americas. “We’re seeing a lot of our machines in quarries and on infrastructure jobs, making improvements to existing roads. Then there’s a lot of other dirt work, with assistance installing power lines and putting in new roads and highways. We’ve had a lot of interest in our Rokbak machines out on the West Coast and then through the south, across Florida, through Georgia into Alabama territory, and up into different parts of Canada. North America is a strong, healthy market for articulated haulers, and we’ve got a good, fair share of it. What we’ve also observed in the North American market is that used equipment has been in such high demand, our dealers have been selling off a lot of their original machines from their rental fleet. This means that the dealers obviously need to buy replacements for those rental fleet units. Currently the market is extremely strong and no-one’s slowing down. The future’s looking bright.”

  The US is leading articulated hauler demand with huge infrastructure spend and a lot of construction activity around house and road building
© Rokbak

The strength of the Volvo Group

Part of the Volvo Group, Rokbak is located at together with Volvo Construction Equipment and Volvo Penta. Product experts are at the booth discussing the technical capabilities and key aspects of the haulers, highlighting how the RA30 and RA40 can help benefit construction projects and deliver new benchmarks in both performance and total cost of ownership.

Festival grounds, stand F8926

rokbak.com