ITTES: show debut for Penske

The new local distributor of Western Star, MAN and Dennis Eagle, Penske Commercial Vehicles, has made its show debut at the 2014 ITTES

There were no half measures for the first major expo appearance of Penske Commercial Vehicles Pty Ltd (PCV) since it acquired the distribution rights for Western Star, MAN, and Dennis Eagle in August 2013 from Transpacific Industries Group.

A prime opportunity for PCV to make its presence felt throughout the Australian and New Zealand truck industries, the distributor – an arm of the massive Penske Corporation, which generates annual revenues of $20 billion – had its own dedicated pavilion at Melbourne’s 2014 International Truck, Trailer & Equipment Show, with an entrance lined with display boards detailing the group’s history, current operations, and affiliations.

Penske Commercial Vehicles General Manager Marketing, Cris Gillespie, says the firm was relishing the chance to present to its customers in an expo setting.

“It’s the first time we’ve been able to put Penske on a customer-facing platform so it’s given us a good opportunity to give people an overview of Penske globally as well as what we’re doing in Australia,” he said.

“Consumers have been asking a lot of question and we’ve answered those here. It’s also the first time we’ve brought the Penske brands together under the Penske umbrella. Within our total display we’ve showcased the strengths of Western Star, MAN and Dennis Eagle individually.

“Of each of those brands, Western Star has probably had the most effort and effect at truck shows previously, but we’ve put a lot more effort in here with MAN and Dennis Eagle to lift those brands’ profiles. Western Star has probably had the bulk of the glory among our brands but MAN has many strengths and good opportunities to grow, and that goes for Dennis Eagle, too.”

Across the three brands, Dennis Eagle was showcasing its first vehicle to offer a Cummins compressed natural gas engine – a 6x4 dual-control refuse specialist. According to Dennis Eagle Commercial Vehicles Australia General Manager, Mark Gobessi, the truck underlines Dennis Eagle’s commitment to offering cleaner, greener alternatives to its customers.

“It is built around some of the most advanced CNG technology available from our partner IntelliGas and Cummins Westport and will deliver significant savings and reduced emissions for our customers,” he said.

The MAN range now has prime movers with added safety features such as electronic stability programs and traction control, while a lane-change-assist feature is now offered as an option on certain models.

At Western Star the focus was the fairly recent appearance of the Cummins ISX Euro 5 engine, which features Exhaust Gas Recirculation and Selective Catalytic Reduction technology. Gillespie said the engine’s introduction would further broaden the brand’s appeal.

“The great thing for us is now customers have a choice: we’ve got Cummins and we’ve got Detroit Diesel; there’s EGR and there’s SCR,” he said.

“At Western Star we pride ourselves on being able to offer our customers a customised truck – what the operator wants, the operator gets.”

ITTES: show debut for Penske

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