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NEWS
Monson Logistics adds three new Ivecos to fleet
Tasmanian freight company Monson Logistics, has invested in three new Australian-made Stralis and Powerstar models, bringing the total number of Ivecos in the company to 32Monson’s latest acquisitions, a Powerstar 6400 and two Series II Stralis AS-L prime movers operate in B-Double applications hauling containerised freight and plantation-sourced, pre-packaged timber all over Tasmania and to port in preparation for shipment to the mainland.
The new vehicles all feature 13-litre Cursor engines producing 560hp and 2300Nm of torque through 16-speed Eurotronic II automated manual transmissions.
Monson’s maintenance manager, Heath Calvert, said the first of the company’s Stralis models were purchased around 12 years ago and have delivered excellent service, now showing up to 1.3 million kilometres.
“We’ve got around five of the earlier Stralis models that have done well over a million kilometres, for the most part they’ve worked hard, usually operating at 68 tonnes all over the state – the conditions are demanding with a lot of undulating roads,” he said.
“It might be a small state but our drivers are still covering around 900 kilometres per day.
“The Cursor engine and AMT combination is very serviceable, it’s a combination that has worked well for us – the Ivecos make up 32 of our 34 trucks on fleet and most have this specification.”
For town work, Monson Logistics opt for Stralis ATi variants at 460hp along with 500hp Stralis AD models.
“We try and closely tailor the specification of the trucks to the application, and for localised town work the ATi is a good choice. It still has plenty of power for single trailer work but is also smaller and more manoeuvrable on the city streets,” Heath said.
According to Heath, fleet downtime is kept to a minimum thanks to Iveco’s long service intervals, but as a back-up the company keeps a spare prime mover at each depot just in case it’s required.
“The Ivecos have 80,000 kilometre service intervals and we can even go longer if we need to,” he said.
“Having said this, we also participate in Trucksafe Accreditation which sees the trucks being checked over every 20,000 kilometres for safety defects.
“We also have additional trucks available that are not used on a regular basis – for the little money you get when selling a 10-year-old truck, you may as well hang on to them.”
Aside from their low cost of ownership and reliability, Heath said the trucks are well regarded by the drivers, especially for their roominess and comfort.
Having enjoyed organic growth for the last several years, Heath said business for Monson Logistics has been good, with the company’s staff now numbering 65.
“As Monson Logistics continues to expand, we will have no hesitation in looking to Iveco to supply us with additional vehicles,” he said.
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Written byTrucksales Staff
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