For Produce Carton Supplies (PCS), business success has grown with the advancing technology of its truck fleet, which now includes three generations of medium-duty UD trucks.
The company’s latest addition is a new Condor MK 11 250, which joins an MK6 Plus and an early model MK235.
Scratching beneath the surface, it becomes apparent that UD’s reputation for a reliable product has come to the fore in these successive purchasing decisions.
Affectionately tagged ‘Under Dog’, the original MK235 has covered around 900,000 km and simply refuses to lie down. All of this mileage has reportedly been made using the original engine, gearbox, clutch and diff, along with the usual amount of regular maintenance.
With origins dating back to the early ‘70s, the business is carried on today by Tony Strangio, the son of company founder Jim Strangio. Tony explains that even though the new Condor is the pride of the fleet, there is still a soft spot for the old MK235.
“The new truck has been great since we bought it, we’ve had no hassles with it,” Tony explained. “Obviously the drivers like the luxuries of the new truck, but they are pretty good about it, and still really enjoy driving the old truck.”
Over the years with each successive truck the workload has been eased on the original UD, allowing it to service mostly local routes to keep the mileage down.
That said, in busy times during strawberry and cherry picking season, the entire fleet can be found making its way into the Adelaide Hills from the company’s base in Virginia, 30 km north of Adelaide’s CBD.
From an outsider’s perspective, carton supplies for the packing of fresh produce might be considered a seasonal task, but that could not be further from the truth.
With different forms of produce having different seasons, coupled with new and improved growing techniques and the use of cold storage facilities, there is an almost constant demand for packaging.
As business continues to boom and with Produce Carton Supplies in the process of expanding into a larger warehouse facility, word has it UD is set to be at the top of its next truck shopping list.
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