Automatic transmissions makes attracting drivers easier

With a driver shortage impacting a number of vital Australian business sectors such as freight and construction, Allison Transmission is witnessing a migration towards fully automatic transmissions, particularly in the medium-duty truck and light heavy-duty truck categories.

Australia is a major market for Allison, a leading designer and manufacturer of conventional, electric hybrid and fully electric vehicle propulsion solutions. Allison has grown steadily in this market because of the brand’s many benefits, including easy operation, smooth shifts and uninterrupted power delivery. 

“Allison Automatics allow fleets to welcome drivers with varying levels of experience. With fully automatic transmissions, drivers can focus on the precise task at hand and businesses can have more confidence in their operational output,” said Robert Cavagnino, Australian Sales Manager, Allison Transmission. “They can also take comfort that a fully automatic transmission reduces the risk of drivers over-speeding the engine and drivetrain shock loading.”

One business witnessing value in its agitator trucks equipped with the Allison 3200 fully automatic transmission is Holcim Australia, which has now migrated a significant portion of its fleet to fully automatic transmissions. With the widespread shortage of drivers, having vehicles equipped with a fully automatic transmission instantly expands the potential driver pool.

“It means candidates no longer require the specialised skills to drive a large manual vehicle but can still be a great addition to our team,” said Dave King, Regional Logistics Manager, Queensland, Holcim Australia.

“Our concrete agitator truck drivers undergo a comprehensive training program, so this is one less thing to worry about. If you’ve got a newer driver running a manual, with a clutch and a brake and a gas pedal on a vehicle, such as an agitator that has a higher centre of gravity, it can be challenging for them. The simplicity of a fully automatic transmission helps us train staff confidently and safely.”

“Furthermore, we do an awful lot of stop/start, a lot of idling, manoeuvring and deal with inclines on sites of up to 12 degrees,” said King. “Often, when we are reversing onto concrete pumps we have two-trucks feeding onto the one pump. The finesse of a smooth, fully automatic transmission helps drivers position their discharge chutes with greater accuracy.”

Allison’s Continuous Power Technology™ provides superior low-speed control and manoeuvrability to enable the precise inching and positioning of the loaded mixer truck with virtually no rollback. Another advantage for Holcim has been the connection to Allison’s service network, which manages any adjustments on new fleet arrivals and assists with ongoing maintenance. 

Allison’s service network encompasses 57 locations across Australia, with Heavy Automatics, Penske Australia Pty Ltd. and Transdiesel, all Allison Authorised Distributors having each expanded their own business operations during the last year to address the growing number of fully automatic transmissions.  

“While our partners continue to increase their service capabilities, our customers will also continue to see value over the lifetime of their vehicles with an Allison requiring lower maintenance,” said Cavagnino.