Bridgestone Mining Solutions adds three IVECO X-Ways

A puncture for operators of construction and quarrying equipment, is not just an inconvenience, it can also lead to costly downtime, that's when they call on Bridgestone.

For Bridgestone Mining Solutions, having a responsive fleet of vehicles to support its mining and quarrying customers is a critical component of its overall service offerings, and this capacity was recently enhanced with three IVECO X-Way AT 8x4 rigid trucks adding to its capabilities.

Based in Townsville, Mount Isa and Darwin, the new trucks which are fitted with tray bodies and tyre handling cranes by Obieco Industries in Tamworth, are strategically located to offer the best possible coverage, while also taking response time into consideration.

The latest trucks complement several IVECO Stralis models already in the fleet and were chosen for a number of important reasons, according to Operations Manager – Northern Region, Andy Gee.

“We’ve enjoyed good outcomes from our other IVECO trucks – repairs and maintenance and whole of life costing has been very good with these,” Andy said.

The X-Ways are fitted with tyre handling cranes.

“They’re also a flexible size proving good payload (X-Way rigids feature 30t GVM) while still remaining agile and proving great manoeuvrability, and from an operator perspective, they’re easy to use as well.”

The three new trucks all feature 11 litre, Euro6 engines producing 460hp and 2150Nm of torque and are matched to the Hi-Tronix 12-speed automated manual transmission, which have been tested to 1.6 million kilometres.

Servicing customers in remote areas of Queensland and Northern Territory, the X-Ways can spend considerable time on the road traversing a range of conditions, which means that safety was an important consideration in selecting this model.

“Bridgestone has a ‘zero harm policy’, meaning we strive to operate without negatively impacting people and the environment, which is why the X-Way’s safety and low emission package was so attractive to us,” Andy said.

The cranes are fitted with remote controls operated by the driver.

“Increasingly, these standards are also being required by our customers.”

As standard, the X-Way offers Electronic Braking System (EBS) with Brake Assistance System (BAS), electronic stability program, hill holder, adaptive cruise control, advanced emergency braking as well as daytime running lights.

To ensure the vehicles are fit-for-task and capable of delivering to a wide range of clients, the trucks are mine-site compliant, however they’re predominantly being used to transport Bridgestone’s range of loader, dozer, compactor, grader and dump truck tyres to quarrying and construction sites.

Once there, the onboard tyre handler can easily manage tyres up to 57” in diameter.

The trucks were delivered by IVECO Brisbane and can handle huge tyres.

Given the tough conditions in which the trucks are often operating, they’ve been modified with steel bumpers borrowed from the ACCO range. As well as providing protection from animal strikes and worksite scuffs, these bumpers feature three-piece construction allowing individual sections to be replaced if required.

According to Andy, the new trucks have been well received by the drivers: “The operators can’t believe how comfortable and quiet the X-Ways are – they love them,” he said.

“One of the trucks was driven from Brisbane to our site in Darwin by one of our experienced operators, who has worked for many years as a driver and driven a heap of truck brands, and he was really impressed. The trucks are also proving to be good on fuel.”

The latest IVECO X-Ways will be kept on fleet for up to 12 years, with service and maintenance carried out by the IVECO dealer network, including selling dealer, IVECO Brisbane.

Bridgestone Mining Solutions adds three IVECO X-Ways

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