New Iveco 7200 hooks young driver

Young drivers entering the industry aren't as prevalent as they should be, but here's a bloke who's more than happy in his job...

According to statistics, the average age of the Australian truck driver is 44 years, with 20 per cent of drivers expected to reach retirement age this year. The figures don’t bode well for the road transport industry which is struggling to attract young talent.

RB Haulage’s latest recruit, 25-year-old Dwain Saunders, is bucking the trend, having more recently given up a promising cabinet making career to drive trucks.

Dwain plies his driving skills behind the wheel of a new Iveco 7200 Powerstar tipper and dog hauling quarry materials in Western Sydney; the company also operates a sand, soil and landscape supply yard in Londonderry.

He and business owner, Ray Bartolo, researched the truck together before making the purchase earlier this year. And while Ray – who started the business over 30 years ago – describes himself as 'old school', enjoying the simplicity of his International S Line, Dwain much prefers the Iveco to the Inter and other North American products he’s driven.

"The Iveco is fantastic, it’s easy to drive, it’s comfortable and quiet – at 100 kilometres per hour on the highway, you can barely hear it,” he said.

"For someone learning to drive it would be excellent – there’s plenty of vision, it’s easy to manoeuvre, it turns on a dime and you get all the comfort benefits of a European cabin with a high-quality American driveline.

"I think these features all make it more attractive for young drivers."

Leaving the yard at 5:00am, six days a week, Dwain can drive up to 650 kilometres a day, with the Powerstar already averaging over 10,000 kilometres per month.

According to Dwain, it’s after these long days behind the wheel that he appreciates the Iveco even more.

"I get out of the vehicle at the end of the day and still feel good, the space in the cabin also makes a difference, you don’t feel cramped up the way you do in some other bonneted trucks," he said.

The 7200’s generous cabin dimensions also provides Dwain the opportunity for a quick nap if required, including while waiting to be loaded at the quarries which can sometimes take up to an hour.

Hauling the quad-axle dog trailer, the Powerstar is usually loaded to around 50 tonnes although 57.5 tonne capacity is available if required.

Having now spent some time in the industry driving trucks, Dwain is in no hurry to return to cabinet making.

“The money is a lot better driving trucks and working for Ray is a lot less stressful, probably the worst part of the job is washing the truck once a week which can take up to five hours,” he said.

Dwain’s next challenge is to get Ray out of 'the old rattler'.

New Iveco 7200 hooks young driver

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