Four units join Laverton North depot for metropolitan work
Sector-specific demand during the Covid-19 pandemic has prompted refrigerated transport and warehousing provider SRT Logistics to add a handful of Iveco X-Ways to its Melbourne fleet.
Servicing wholesale and retail food outlets in Victoria and Tasmania, the four Euro 6 X-Way AT 6×4 prime movers trucks are engaged in single trailer refrigerated work throughout metropolitan Melbourne, normally coupling to trailers in Port Melbourne that have arrived from Tasmania and transferring them to the distribution centres of Australia’s largest supermarket chains.
SRT Logistics director Brent Miller says the trucks operate from 5am to 6pm, seven days a week, with the drivers often coupling and uncoupling trailers up to 15 times per day.
“The X-Way has the connections for the airlines and cab tilt on the driver’s side of the cabin,” Miller says.
“This means drivers can get out of the cabin and more efficiently connect or disconnect the trailer; they don’t even have to step up onto the catwalk, it can all be done at ground level.
“This makes the process safer, faster and overall just easier, especially considering that they are coupling and uncoupling so many times per day.”
How Iveco has pushed on with local manufacturing during Covid-19, here
The sons of the company’s founder, Jim Miller, Brent and Robert purchased SRT in 2012.
Both originally started as drivers and their time behind the wheel is credited in shaping some of the company’s fleet purchase decisions.
SRT’s past use of the Iveco brand extends to Eurocargos for its medium duty fleet and, more recently, four 6×2 Stralis ATi rigids.
Miller says the X-Way is ideal for single trailer metropolitan work.
“With output of 460 horsepower and 2150 Nm, a 12-speed automated manual transmission and a full suite of safety features, on paper the X-Way ticked all the boxes for us.
“We then had the opportunity to access a demonstrator which confirmed that the model was an ideal fit for our application.
“The engine is responsive and output is right where it needs to be – why pay for extra horsepower when it’s not required?
“Contracting to the major supermarket chains, we also needed to meet certain emission and safety standards, which the X-Way easily does.”
Miller recalls positive feedback from the drivers as an endorsement for the new trucks.
“The drivers have commented that the steering is lighter than on the other European brand trucks that the X-Ways replaced, and that the turning circle is great – important characteristics considering the amount of tight manoeuvring these trucks do every day,” Miller says.
“The pedal placement is also excellent as is the quality of the seating – air suspended, heated and with lumbar adjustment – and other cabin appointments, which make for a very user-friendly and comfortable truck, especially in the city.”