Conbar hauls cattle with Cascadia

Wodonga-based livestock haulage specialist Conbar Transport says its Freightliner Cascadia 126 is already pulling out some impressive figures.

Its fuel economy in particular has been a highlight, says driver Stephen McCormack, who drivers the 16-litre model at its maximum combination weight of 68 tonnes.

"Livestock hauling is tough on fuel and each run is different, but the Cascadia is very often doing 1.8km per litre, and better sometimes, which is excellent," he says.

Company fuel data shows the Cascadia 126 recently used 20 per cent less fuel than a subcontractor's locally assembled conventional truck on the same return trip while running at the same weight.

Fuel efficiency was a major factor that lead to Conbar purchasing the truck, along with its safety features and performance.

The Cascadia 126 features a new-generation DD16 six-cylinder turbo-diesel that generates 600hp and 2050lb-ft of torque. It is teamed with Daimler's Detroit DT12 fully automated transmission.

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Mr McCormack says the Cascadia is far quieter behind the wheel than the older bonneted truck he used to drive – sometime deceptively so.

"The performance is great," he says.

"It doesn't seem all that fast but then you realise you are getting to your destination in a shorter timeframe most of the time. Sometimes, I'm getting there 15 minutes earlier."

The truck's enhanced vision is also paying dividends, he says, particularly in tight yards.

"We go into some crazy places that you wouldn't put a 4WD and I can see right down to the front of the truck," he says.

"The bonnet is so low that the vision is just great."

Like all Cascadias, the Conbar 126 comes standard with fully integrated safety features including a radar and camera-based autonomous emergency braking system (AEB), along with radar-based adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, and electronic stability control.

The Conbar Transport Cascadia also features the optional Sideguard Assist system, which uses radar to 'look' down the left side of the truck and trailer to detect pedestrians and objects in preparation for left turns.