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.
- Komatsu Renews Clontarf Partnership with Artwork
Komatsu Australia has renewed its partnership with the Clontarf Foundation for another three years, marking the relationship with a new Indigenous artwork created by Noongar and Yamatji artist Jermaine Miller-Lewis. The artwork, titled Koorl Boodja, meaning Moving on Country, will feature on a newly released polo shirt for Komatsu employees. Its design reflects the company’s people, workplaces - Wearable technology shifts fatigue management from detection to preventionWearable technology could give transport operators a new way to manage fatigue risk before a driver reaches the point of dangerous drowsiness. Speaking at TruckShowX, WHG Technologies Director of Operations Dylan Hartley said the transport sector had an opportunity to combine wearable devices with established in-cab camera systems to improve both the accuracy of fatigue
- Rain, traffic and a truck on the back: a real-world test for the Hino 700 Series tilt trayTruck launches often happen on sunny days with empty vehicles and ideal driving conditions. My day in the Hino 700 Series FY 3036 tilt tray was the opposite. Sydney delivered persistent rain for most of the drive, the roads were slippery, traffic was heavy, and the tilt tray was carrying a Hino 300 Series dual-cab
- Tyre pressure and alignment: the overlooked fuel-saving opportunity for truck fleetsFor fleets looking to reduce fuel use, tyre costs and emissions, the next improvement may not require a new powertrain or major capital investment. A case study presented by Big Wheels Truck Alignment and sustainability consultancy Impact HQ Australia at TruckShowX has highlighted how precision wheel alignment and disciplined tyre management can deliver measurable operating
- Hino calls for transport policy that balances productivity, emissions and inflationHino Australia President and CEO Richard Emery has called for a more balanced approach to transport policy, arguing that government cannot focus solely on emissions reduction without considering freight productivity, fleet renewal and inflation. Speaking at Hino Australia’s media business briefing, Emery said the truck industry needed stronger representation in government and a policy framework
