The purchase of two UD GW470 Autoshift prime movers by Fremantle Freight and Storage comes as the company begins to overhaul and expand its fleet.
These new prime movers join an older CW445 model as well as 13 other trucks, primarily moving containers from the Fremantle Port to customers in the Perth metropolitan area.
Managing director Gerhard Liebenberg purchased the company in July 2009. “My experience in Africa with UD trucks led me to take a close look at the GW470 for our fleet here in Australia.”
“I had used UDs extensively in my business in Africa and knew they were a low maintenance truck and that there was not too much that ever goes wrong with them.”
“Clearly they were well priced and the other attraction was the availability of Auto shift which makes them ideal for urban container operations,” Mr Gerhard added.
“I knew they would do the job and that they would be economical to run and they have clearly proved that.
“The UD may only be a 460 horsepower truck but they have very good torque, which is the same as many higher horsepower trucks, it’s very important I think.”
Already, the new GW470s are providing 10 percent better fuel economy than some of the other vehicles in the fleet.
“The performance of the UDs and their absolute suitability to our operations means that we intend to build up the UD fleet as other trucks on our fleet come up for replacement,” he said.
Mr Gerhard has a long track record in the transport industry, particularly in Africa where he owned an operation hauling freight from South Africa into Namibia and Angola.
“It was a very challenging environment particularly up into Angola with the harshness of the environment and roads as well as the physical challenges,” he said.
“We actually pioneered the freight run using UDs from Cape Town through Angola to Namibia for a major super market chain which was a two week return trip, very tough.
“By comparison transporting containers around Perth is a lot easier but has its own set of challenges and pressures, and the UDs cope just as well in both environments.”