The final units of a massive order of 40 Kenworth trucks have been delivered to GTS Freight Management in Mildura.
Mostly running to all capital cities with the exception of Darwin, the new trucks are all powered by 600hp Cummins engines and constitute 29 Kenworth K200s, 10 T610s, one T909 and one K220, the most recent truck launched in Australia by Kenworth.
It’s also the first K220 to be placed with a fleet in Mildura.
The trucks in the purchase order, which was completed by the delivery of the Kenworth T909, comprise both replacement vehicles of older assets and additional units for recent business expansion.
GTS Freight Management Managing Director Damien Matthews confirmed the prime movers have been assigned duties on multiple combinations ranging from 68-tonne B-doubles carrying 36 pallet loads, 90.5 tonnes B-triples with 50 pallet spaces and AB-triples rated to 110.5 tonnes and 56 pallets.
He expects about 40 per cent of the new fleet will be utilised on high productivity freight combinations.
“The Kenworths have been great to assist with the recruitment of quality drivers and also reduce the turn over of drivers,” he told Prime Mover.
“Also the [brand ensures] reliability and re-sale value,” he added.
The timing of the truck deliveries is advantageous as the business enters the traditional hectic Q4 period for freight movements.
All indications, according to Matthews, was that the next few months would continue to build at a heightened level ahead of the holiday season.
“Q4 is shaping up as a period of record volume and a lot smoother than recent peak periods without COVID, floods, derailments,” he said.
Having recently moved into a new site in the Adelaide suburb of Burton, GTS was also looking to expand upon its growing ambient fleet.