Over the past three decades, Bob and Sharon Middleton have built a successful transport business in Adelaide and earned a reputation for dedicated service and reliability – especially on the demanding Adelaide-Perth route and in the South Australian Riverland district.
The key to that success is just as simple as complex. The Middletons have always been prepared to be innovative. For instance, Whiteline is acknowledged as having the first B-double and also the first B-triple combinations to go across the Nullabor plain to Perth.
Naturally, choosing the right prime mover for the job has always been part of the equation too. Since the company started trading as Whiteline, the fleet has been dominated by American brands – including White Road Bosses, Western Stars and Ford Louisvilles.
Today, it is mainly populated by Freightliners. Bob has been a long time supporter of Freightliner trucks and has purchased more than a hundred of them over the years, with two Cat trucks and a Volvo currently running alongside them.
But as most interstate operators, fuel costs are an area where Whiteline sees potential to achieve savings, so Bob recently accepted the opportunity to participate in an extensive economy trial of the new Mercedes-Benz Actros prime mover, which is equipped with hypoid rear axles instead of the traditional hub reduction rear ends used on older models.
Read the full story in the current edition of Prime Mover, out now.
.png){kind=small}
