For refrigerated transport business SRT Logistics, the past few months have brought many challenges as well as opportunities for growth, resulting in four new Iveco X-Way prime movers joining the fleet.
SRT Logistics is a specialist provider of refrigerated transport and warehouse services to both wholesale and retail food outlets in Victoria and Tasmania. As a result of the current COVID-19 pandemic, demands on the business have increased significantly.
To cater to this heightened demand, SRT Logistics has chosen to add a fleet of four new Australian-made Euro6 Iveco X-Way AT 6×4 prime movers to its operations out of its Laverton North depot in Victoria.
The four new Ivecos 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.
The trucks operate from 5am to 6pm, seven days per week, with drivers often coupling and uncoupling trailers up to 15 times per day.
Brothers Brent and Robert Miller purchased SRT Logistics from their father and company founder Jim Miller in 2012. They both started their careers as drivers and it was this time behind the wheel that helped shape some of the company’s criteria in purchasing the new X-Ways.
“The X-Way has the connections for the airlines and cab tilt on the driver’s side of the cabin. 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,” says SRT Logistics’ Director Brent.
“This makes the process safer, faster and overall just easier, especially considering that they are coupling and uncoupling so many times per day.”
Over the years, SRT Logistics has welcomed a variety of Ivecos into its fleet. The company previously used Eurocargos as part of its medium duty fleet and more recently, four 6×2 Stralis ATi rigids.
Looking at the specification of the X-Way, Brent thought it was 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,” explains Brent.
“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.”
Among the X-Way’s safety equipment is Adaptive Cruise Control, ABS brakes with Advanced Emergency Braking System, Electronic Stability Program, Anti-Slip Regulator, Hill Holder and Lane Departure Warning System, ensuring the trucks are brimming with active safety features.
Again, recalling his time as a driver, the X-Way’s ergonomics and cabin appointments also ranked highly in Brent’s consideration set, and the positive feedback from the drivers is an endorsement that the correct decision was made in purchasing the X-Ways.
“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,” Brent 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.”
Delivered in April 2020, Brent has assigned each of the new trucks to a specific driver, all of whom are looking after their vehicles with pride, while servicing of the new trucks is being carried out by Adtrans Truck Centre.