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Footage of a Pacific P510 logging truck working in New Zealand in 1991 shows a second Caterpillar diesel engine powering its lead trailer. The Magee family commissioned the unusual rig for Marathon Trucking, and a commenter with firsthand experience says Lance Magee is now restoring the truck. The trailer’s current whereabouts and the restoration’s status have not been confirmed.
A 1991 video shows a Pacific P510 logging truck hauling timber in New Zealand with a second Caterpillar diesel engine mounted on its lead trailer, a setup built to add power for demanding forest work. The Drive has highlighted the footage and reports that the Magee family commissioned the rig for Marathon Trucking; a commenter who says they worked alongside the family says Lance Magee is restoring the truck.
The tractor carried a turbocharged 14.6-liter Caterpillar 3406B, while the lead trailer had a turbocharged Caterpillar 3406A of the same displacement. The Drive reports that the engines together produced about 900 horsepower. Each engine drove a separate Allison automatic transmission, allowing the trailer’s axles to contribute power rather than simply follow the truck.
The truck worked in Kaingaroa State Forest, a major plantation forest on New Zealand’s North Island. The Drive says the location’s demanding logging work helped prompt the unusual design: trucks in the area could haul several trailers, requiring substantial power. The video was posted by Trucks on Video – CP Productions, which The Drive says found the original footage and published it with a description attributed to NZ Trucking magazine.
A person commenting on the video, who says they worked alongside the Magee family, describes development problems with the rig. According to that account, the first differentials could not handle the weight, and dust entering the trailer engine damaged the first engine. The commenter says the air intake was moved above the truck’s subframe to address the dust problem. These details come from the commenter’s recollection, not an independently documented technical record in the report.
Powering a Logging Trailer
The P510 is a notable example of a practical response to the demands of heavy timber hauling: instead of relying only on a more powerful tractor, its builders put a second engine in the trailer. That arrangement added driven axles farther back in the combination, potentially helping move heavy loads over forest roads and steep grades. The specific operating performance described by the former coworker remains a firsthand account rather than a published test result.
The design also draws attention because powered trailers have reappeared in modern transport discussions, although many recent concepts use electric motors rather than a separate diesel engine and transmission. The comparison is limited: the modern examples cited by The Drive are not direct equivalents to a logging rig built for rough, demanding work. The P510 offers a historical case study in a different engineering approach, not evidence that the same configuration is suited to current fleets.
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A Forest-Built Truck
The Drive places the truck’s work in Kaingaroa State Forest, which it describes as New Zealand’s largest plantation forest, covering almost 1,100 square miles. The area was developed for forestry during the 1920s and 1930s, with radiata pine and Douglas fir among the species grown there. Its scale and timber production help explain why operators needed trucks capable of moving substantial loads.
The P510 was not the only attempt to add power to a trailer or trailer connection. The Drive notes that Freightliner tested a Power Dolly in the 1960s, using a Cummins V6 to assist multi-trailer combinations on climbs, but the project did not advance beyond the prototype stage. Modern battery-powered trailer concepts are another point of comparison, but they use different technology and serve different applications.
““The first engine was dusted and that’s when they relocated the air intake and air rams up over and above the subframe of the truck.””
— A commenter on the Trucks on Video – CP Productions footage, quoted by The Drive
heavy-duty logging truck trailer engine
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Restoration and Trailer Status
The report does not provide a confirmed restoration timeline, a current location for the truck, or independent confirmation of its present condition. The claim that Lance Magee is restoring the truck comes from a commenter who says they know him; no direct statement from Magee is included. It is also unclear whether restoration work is active, how much of the original truck survives, or whether it will return to working order.
The same commenter said they had been told the powered lead trailer might have been cut up for scrap, but described that possibility as uncertain. The trailer’s whereabouts have not been established. The roughly 900-horsepower total is reported by The Drive, while details about output, operating conditions and long-term reliability are not given in the source material.
powered trailer for logging trucks
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A Restoration to Follow
The next meaningful update would be confirmation from Lance Magee or the restoration team on the truck’s condition, progress and whether the powered trailer has been located. The available report gives no scheduled milestone, public restoration plan or expected completion date. Until more information emerges, the 1991 footage and the commenter’s account remain the main material available on the truck’s history.
Readers can watch for further updates from Trucks on Video – CP Productions, The Drive, or the people involved in the restoration. Any account of the truck returning to operation, or of the lead trailer surviving, would need confirmation beyond the current recollections.
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Key Questions
What made the Pacific P510 unusual?
Its lead trailer had its own Caterpillar diesel engine and Allison automatic transmission, adding powered axles to the truck-and-trailer combination.
How much power did the two engines make?
The Drive reports a combined output of about 900 horsepower from the Caterpillar 3406B in the tractor and 3406A in the trailer. The source does not provide a test or measurement method.
Where did the truck operate?
The 1991 footage shows the truck working in Kaingaroa State Forest in New Zealand, according to The Drive and the video description.
Is the truck being restored?
A commenter who says they worked alongside the Magee family said Lance Magee was restoring the truck. The report does not independently confirm the restoration’s current status or provide a completion date.
Does the powered trailer still exist?
That is not confirmed. The commenter said they had been told it might have been scrapped, but the trailer’s location and condition remain unknown.
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