Iveco powers on in the Pilbara

When you're pulling road train triples for 6000 kilometres a week through the vast expanse of WA's outback, you need truck you can depend on. That truck, for owner/driver John Leech, is a 2012 Iveco Powerstar ISX – a rig that's quickly racked up nearly 600,000 trouble-free kilometres.

John is a sub-contractor for Toll Mining Services, and he uses his Powerstar to haul ammonium nitrate to various BHP and Rio Tinto operations. A typical week sees John leave Perth on a loop bound for Tom Price, Newman and Paraburdoo, before heading back to Perth to start all over again.

This is John's second Iveco – he traded up from a Stralis a few years back – and he says they've both served him well.

The Powerstar is powered by a 550hp Cummins ISX engine with 18-speed Eaton Roadranger transmission, and John says it shoulders an all-up travelling weight of 110 tonnes well.

"It’s got plenty of grunt;it pulls the loads with no worries at all," he says.

"Having the Roadranger also provides that little bit of insurance in remote areas – if you do a starter motor you can still get it mobile with a bit of help, and that’s something you can’t do with an automatic."

John says the team at WA Iveco in the Perth suburb of Belmont do a great job of keeping him moving.

"I get the truck serviced at WA Iveco; they do a great job and keep it in great shape," he says.

"As an owner-driver I don’t have a back-up truck – I can't afford any downtime and time off the road costs money."

Given the inhospitable terrain and the punishing schedule, cabin comfort was pretty high on John's list of priorities.

"We get temperatures around the 48-degree mark at this time of year and it also gets very humid," he says.

"The Powerstar's air-conditioning works a treat and the way the cabin is mounted to the chassis provides good airflow under the cab, which also helps keep things cool – I find Iveco trucks to be well designed."

John can sleep comfortably on those muggy nights thanks to the truck's Icepack air-con system.

"There's a good amount of room in the truck – when you're spending days on end in the vehicle, you need to be able to move around in comfort. The Iveco definitely caters to the long-haul runs," says John.

Although the Powerstar will likely only be three years old before it's replaced, John believes a three-year turnover is the right way to go.

"At three years old, and being well looked after and with a full service history from WA Iveco, the truck should sell well," he said.

"I'd buy another Iveco for sure; they're a good truck and the service I get from the dealership is great. They're polite and they help me out – the response times are fast.

"The service department not only maintains the quality of my truck, it also ensures it is prepared for the harsh conditions faced in the north west, keeping me on the road."