Linehaul specialist, TML Transport, has expanded its high performance freight vehicle network.
The South Australian business recently launched seven B-triple units into Sydney from Adelaide, not its first foray into the application.
Late last year it commenced running the first of its new B-triples into Melbourne with another ready for deployment next week.
These latest high performance freight units build on the AB-triple combinations it launched into Perth earlier in the year.
TML Transport Managing Director Lewis Magro said the company was in the process of converting 80 per cent of its vehicles onto high performance freight applications for maximum utilisation.
“That’s what our aim is,” he told Prime Mover.
“That 80 per cent utilisation will be for AB-triples particularly from Adelaide to Perth and Adelaide into Darwin and then B-triples into Sydney and Victoria,” said Magro.
“With the remaining 20 per cent of the fleet you’re always going to have some stragglers that you can’t marry up trailers with.”
TML Transport already runs roadtrains to Gatton, less than hour out of Brisbane, for its Queensland operations.
Each year the fleet purchases close to ten prime movers. The most recent trucks introduced into the fleet are five new Kenworth K220s powered by Cummins X15 580hp powerplants peaking at around 427kW.
Technically, there are six new K220s now in operation with Lewis impressed by a prototype PACCAR loaned to him for 12 month evaluation, which he purchased after 400,000 kilometres.
“That’s about one year’s work. They all won’t be doing 400,000km a year.”
That first Kenworth K220 features a Euro 6 X15 Cummins; the others are rated to the Euro 5 standard.
The move to B-triples has been prompted, in part, by a strategic move within the organisation of one truck, one driver according to Magro.
“That’s the road we’re going down,” he said.
“Enticing drivers and retaining the good ones is a priority and the one truck, one driver initiative in this case is definitely motivated by that consideration,” said Magro.
“If you’re good enough you will get one truck, one driver whether you’re a new Australian or new to the industry.”
The Kenworths in the fleet are evenly split between manual gear boxes and automated transmissions also for this reason.
“Some drivers aren’t comfortable in manuals towing the heavy loads and some people hate automatics,” he said.
“It works out well and we do a 50/50 split for that reason.”
In other news, AiLO Logistics has placed a 100-truck order of Nikola hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs).
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