The very first Kenworth T320A truck to come off the production line – equipped with an Allison 3200 SeriesTM transmission – has been hard at work since joining Piave Premix Concrete’s fleet earlier this year. It’s now pouring the foundations at one of Melbourne’s most anticipated redevelopments: the $5 billion Jam Factory site in Chapel Street.
The brand-new model joins Piave’s existing fleet of approximately 40 agitators comprising 30 company-owned and 10 owner/driver owned trucks. All Piave’s owned vehicles are Kenworth trucks fitted with Allison transmissions.
“Piave was established in 1993 in support of Crema’s operations, which has been specifying fully automatic Allisons since the mid 1980s. For more than 30 years we’ve found them to be robust and easy-to-drive, enabling us to put drivers of all manner of experience behind the wheel,” said Maurice Moffa, General Manager, Piave.
“Personally, I’m not a fan of the AMTs as they’re just not as responsive. Our concrete plants are strategically located in Fairfield and Port Melbourne, but we still contend with a lot of stop-start traffic, so our entire company fleet is exclusively equipped with Allisons to enable us to move efficiently through the city.
“We don’t do a huge amount of high-precision work but, when we do, we’re confident the Allison will also allow for smooth pouring without any rollback. This accuracy is important when you need it – and supports the commitment we make to our customers to strive for perfection.”
Moffa said Piave has found the new T320A to be performing consistently well and its existing fleet of Kenworth T360s will gradually be replaced by the new model.
“Built to Euro VI standards (meeting the emissions requirements of the Australian Design Rule (ADR) 80/04 that came into effect on 1 Nov), the new model offers us enhanced digital capabilities, Kenworth’s Fusionä active safety technologies, exceptional manoeuvrability, a tight turning circle, short bumper-to-back-of-cab length, low tare weight and 180° visibility from the driver’s seat. Pleasingly, they also come with the power and reliability Piave has come to expect from Kenworth – especially when it’s paired with an Allison.
“We simply haven’t had any issues with this new truck, which is impressive given it’s the very first of its kind,” Moffa concluded.
Piave isn’t the only concrete fleet relying on the durability, reliability and precision of an Allison with a significant proportion of Australia’s agitators embracing fully automatic transmissions.
“These trucks are typically engaged in a heavy-duty cycle. Constantly working away as Australia’s building industry strives to meet the needs of our growing population. We get a lot of feedback that our transmissions are absolutely fit for purpose in this concreting – and the broader construction setting – for all the reasons Maurice has mentioned,” said Robert Cavagnino, Australian Sales Manager, Allison Transmission.
- Why Europe is moving faster on truck emissions and technology
Europe is accelerating the transition to cleaner and safer commercial vehicles through legislation and policy support, while Australia is moving at a slower pace due to infrastructure gaps and different regulatory priorities. According to Glen Dyer, Managing Director at IVECO Australia, the European market has advanced more quickly in areas such as emissions reduction, alternative - How Latin American Fleets Are Lifting Efficiency and ComplianceFor many fleet operators, route planning has traditionally been viewed as a back-office function — a daily exercise in allocating vehicles, assigning customers and setting estimated time windows. But leading transport operators in Latin America are reframing route planning as a frontline safety and efficiency strategy. Recent discussions at Geotab Connect 2026 with fleet leaders
- Euro 6 and Multi-Combination Trucks: The Emissions Lever Hiding in Plain SightAs debate continues around battery electric and hydrogen trucks, Craig Lee, Executive General Manager – On-Highway at Penske Australia & New Zealand, believes Australia may be overlooking a far more immediate emissions opportunity. “If you actually want to make the single biggest emission reduction that you can in Australia,” Lee said, “provide significant incentives to
- Breaking Barriers and Raising Standards in the WorkshopTransit Systems Victoria has appointed Ellearn Savvidis as Workshop Assets Manager at its Footscray depot, highlighting both her career progression and the growing diversity within Australia’s mechanical and public transport sectors. The appointment reflects a broader shift across the industry, where technical expertise, data capability and leadership skills are increasingly combined to manage modern fleets.
- Lift off for new Scania Air-OIs it a bird? Is it a Ute? No, it’s the new Scania Air-O Scania Australia today introduces a new diesel-free, zero-emission last-mile delivery solution that will drive forward the shift to a sustainable transport system and reshape the local logistics industry. Motivated by the sky-high rises in the price of diesel, Scania will begin
