On the search for a couple of new trucks, a visit to last year’s Brisbane Truck Show gave Revolution Haulage Queensland (RHQ) owner, Scott Williams, the inspiration he needed to pull the trigger on two new S-Way AS 550 prime movers.
Spotting the IVECO S-Way of another prominent Queensland operator in full company livery and fitted with a range of eye-catching accessories, Scott acknowledged the S-Way’s strong road presence, and upon researching the model’s specifications, identified the 6×4 AS 550 as an ideal prime mover for his interstate refrigerated work. The recent additions place IVECO as the first European brand to make it onto his 10-strong fleet.
Gaining a start in the industry as a driver, Scott began RHQ in 2015 after getting an initial opportunity to deliver goods for a company he was working for as a sub-contractor – since then it’s been steady growth for RHQ, and today the business enjoys a great reputation servicing a range of loyal customers.
Based in Coopers Plains, the new S-Ways operate in single trailer guise, hauling refrigerated goods from Brisbane, south along the eastern seaboard and to Adelaide before returning to home base. It’s a weeklong journey for the drivers and over the duration they regularly travel more than 5,000 kilometres.
Considering the time drivers spend in the vehicles, Scott said cabin space and appointments were an important factor in selecting the S-Way prime movers.
“The S-Way AS has everything a driver would want, it has all the features and creature comforts that not only make the truck a pleasure to drive, but to spend time in at the end of the day,” he said.
“For added comfort and convenience, we’ve equipped the trucks with the optional microwave along with a CustomAir bunk cooler, making for an even nicer environment. The drivers absolutely love the trucks and say they provide everything a driver would want.”
Scott places high importance on equipping his drivers with the best vehicles possible for the application – this is particularly important in a tight labour market where quality professional drivers can be difficult to find and retain.
“Increasingly we’re seeing drivers showing a preference for automated transmissions. As well as providing a more relaxed operating environment, not as many new drivers are choosing to get their full non-synchro manual licenses, so the S-Way is perfect,” Scott said.
The S-Way range is available exclusively with the Hi-Tronix Automated Manual Transmission; in the case of the AS 550 model, it’s a 16-speed unit offering category-leading technology and best-in-class torque to weight ratio. The Hi-Tronix also delivers fast gear changes and has the ability to more efficiently select the correct ratio for the road and load conditions at hand.
Scott’s S-Ways feature 12.9 litre Euro6 (Step E) engines that produce 550hp and 2,500Nm of torque from a low 1,000 to 1,605rpm. Scott said that despite the generous power, fuel use in the trucks had been impressive.
“Although the trucks are rated at 70t GVM, in our single trailer set-up we’re almost always running at 42.5t; the trucks are still new and fuel efficiency is getting better and better by the week,” he said.
RHQ has complemented the IVECO purchase with 5-year / 1,000,000km extended warranties, while Scott is also pleased with the vehicles’ generous service intervals.
“Service intervals of 75,000km are very impressive especially compared to some of the other trucks we have on fleet. We’ll be going back to selling dealer, IVECO Brisbane for all our maintenance, they’ve been fantastic to deal with so far,” he said.
