Whaler's goes Daily

With his previous Daily van racking up 870,000 kilometres of trouble-free service, the proprietor of Whaler's Freight Service, Les Faulkner, had no qualms when it came time to update.

An independent freight provider based in Warrnambool on Victoria's west coast, Whaler's Freight Service recently added a new Daily 50C to its fleet – and Les says it's a very welcome addition.

"We wouldn't normally keep the vans that long, probably replacing them every four to five years, but while they're travelling well and economic conditions are a bit tight, you tend to hang on to the vehicles a bit longer," he said.

Having owned Whaler's Freight with wife Julie for 33 years, and had all of their five children involved in the business at some point, the couple know that efficiency is key for any business – and the new Daily delivers.

With a capacity of 19.6 cubic metres the new 50C has the largest internal volume of any van on the Australian market, allowing Les to carry more per trip and circumventing the need to tow a box trailer.

"The previous Daily we ran taking air freight on the Warrnambool to Tullamarine run was 17 cubic metres, so the new one has a bit more carrying capacity," he said.

"The extra space has been a real benefit for us. Not having the trailer obviously is better on fuel use – this can add up on the 590 kilometre return trip. It's also an easier and faster journey without the trailer."

Whaler's Freight's latest Daily is the third that has earned its keep on the Warrnambool to Tullamarine route, and is one of five Ivecos in the company's fleet, which also includes several utes and trucks.

The latest van is fitted with a 3.0-litre turbo-diesel engine with intercooler producing 125kW and 420Nm, the latter from 1500-2600rpm. On average, Iveco says the new Daily range uses 4.1 per cent less fuel than the generation it replaces.

Safety features include antilock brakes, stability control, hill start assist and four airbags, all of which helped the new Daily to be crowned 2015 International Van of the Year at last year's IAA commercial vehicles expo in Hanover, Germany.

Les says he's impressed with the van, especially with its durable construction.

"Another benefit of the Daily compared to others in the market is that it's constructed on a solid steel chassis," he says.

"This gives it real strength – it’s a solid van alright.

"The new one has already clocked up over 18,000 kilometres in a short time and is performing very well. I've got five Ivecos and they've all given us a good run. I'd have no hesitation in recommending a Daily to others."

Click here to read the trucksales.com.au review of the new Daily range.