Nolan’s Interstate Transport recently took delivery of its latest quad quad refrigerated B-double sets, running under Performance Based Standards (PBS).
This is the 30th quad quad B-double to join the Nolan’s fleet, however it’s the first to be running on Hendrickson suspension.
Workshop manager at Nolan’s, Aaron Mogg, said the company decided to trial Hendrickson’s suspension offering due to its longer service life, attractive warranty and ease of maintenance.
Under PBS, the quad quad B-doubles can carry 42 pallets, as opposed to the company’s standard 34-pallet B-doubles.
These innovative B-double combinations are manufactured by Fibreglass Transport Equipment (FTE), which has manufactured in excess of 180 trailers for the well known fleet.
Many of the quad quad sets have been operating through North Queensland, with Nolan’s also starting to run these units on the Brisbane to Sydney, Sydney to Melbourne and Brisbane to Melbourne runs.
The latest quad quad B-double, running on Hendrickson, was delivered in late August and is based in North Queensland, carrying refrigerated produce between Brisbane and Bowen. It averages around 1265 kilometres a day, so is well and truly being put through its paces.
“At Nolan’s, we’re running a lot of quad quad B-doubles at the moment,” revealed Aaron. “We’re getting an extra eight pallets on these new sets. We can carry the same volume in four quad quad B-doubles as we can on five standard B-doubles. That means one less truck, two less trailers, less registration and insurance costs, and reduced maintenance.”
Nolan’s began adding the high productivity B-doubles into the fleet in 2022.
As Aaron explained, “The main reason we’ve gone down that path is the current labour shortage. With the quad quads, it means you’re only servicing four sets of B-doubles instead of five. And this is the same reason we decided to trial Hendrickson.
“We’re moving more and more towards equipment that requires less maintenance and servicing. Just as we’ve done that with the quad quad B-doubles, we’re doing the same thing on the suspension side.”
Already, Hendrickson’s extended service life is proving to be a game-changer in the Nolan’s workshop. “I haven’t had to really touch the suspension on this B-double yet. When it comes in for a service, it’s just a quick check and it’s out the door again.
“This was a trial unit for us. We’ll see the true impact of switching to this suspension in the next two years – but everything is pointing in the right direction.”
The new B-double features quad axle groups comprising of INTRAAX primary suspensions paired with CONNEX ST steer axle modules. The warranty for the HXL7 wheel-end in this suspension package is five-years/1.2 million kilometres.
INTRAAX has developed a reputation for its reduced maintenance and durability. Using a simple, functional design with fewer parts, means there are less components that can wear over time.
Marcus Reid, general manager at FTE added, “Using Hendrickson on this B-double set was an opportunity for Nolan’s to see how the product compares, running it side by side with the other trailers in the fleet.
“So far they’ve purchased 184 trailers from us, with more to come. This is the first time they’ve decided to go with Hendrickson with us.”
Marcus says these high productivity B-doubles are comprised of a 16-pallet lead and 26-pallet rear trailer (as opposed to a standard 12-pallet lead and 22-pallet rear trailer). “Nolan’s has been having great success with these units. I don’t believe there are too many trailer manufacturers working in the 16-pallet lead space.
“In regard to payload, it’s about an extra 10 tonne on average compared to the standard B-doubles – so there are a lot of advantages for the client with these combinations.”
Along with reduced maintenance, Aaron added that Hendrickson has backed up a quality product with strong aftersales support as well. “They’ve come out and done workshop training with our staff too, detailing what is and isn’t required and what to look out for,” he said.