Four new IVECO Stralis AS-Ls for C3

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Iveco Australia  /  August 25, 2017

The growing trend among many transport and logistics providers is to offer a full suite of services that meet their customers’ need all along the supply chain – this can result in a diverse fleet of vehicles selected on their strengths for the particular application.

New Zealand logistics company C3 is a case in point, providing its Kiwi and Australian client base with transportation, warehousing, marshalling and stevedoring services throughout both countries.

To assist in the specialised transport of wood chips from sustainably-grown plantations in Southern WA to Albany Port, the company has identified a range of IVECO Stralis models as an excellent fit for the task.

C3 has invested in over 20 Stralis trucks over several years, comprising of earlier series AS-Ls and four new AS-L Series II models that have been added in recent months. C3 Operations Manager – Albany, Craig Fildes, said some of the first Stralis prime movers on fleet are now approaching a million kilometres – these are fitted with Cursor 13 engines producing 500 horsepower and the smooth-shifting EuroTronic II 16-speed AMT.

“We began using Stralis AS-L prime movers around six years ago – some of these are still being used and now have over 800,000 kilometres showing,” Craig said.

“When it came time to grow the fleet in this application, we opted to continue using AS-Ls, purchasing four of the latest Series II models in March. This time we went for the higher engine output and worked with IVECO to select the best GCM – the AS-Ls allow us to work at our desired target of 90 tonnes which helps productivity.

“The AS-Ls do quite an amazing job – they are a good all-round fit for the application. They’re comfortable, quiet, they’re easy to work with and are competitively priced.

“A lot of the roads the trucks travel on especially in the plantations – as you could imagine – are not very nice, the trucks can take a battering but the IVECOs handle it well. The drivers are also happy with them, especially with their comfortable, quiet cabin.”

The latest AS-L Series II prime movers feature a 560 horsepower, 13 litre Cursor engine coupled to a ZF Eurotronic II 16-speed transmission. For peace of mind, the engine is covered by a market-leading standard warranty of five years or 1,000,000 kilometres.

The Stralis prime movers operate five days per week averaging over 400 kilometres per day – the majority of the plantations which they service are located within a 130 kilometre radius of Albany. Along with the WA-based fleet, C3 also operate several trucks from the city of Portland in south-western Victoria in the same application but configured as B-Doubles.

Craig said the IVECO models compared well to the higher-profiled European brands.

“When you do the numbers on a fleet of trucks the IVECOs make sense because they do a good job and we have less capital tied up in our fleet,” Craig said.

“We also have a local company that we resell some of our trucks to – they have a broad range of brands on their fleet and the IVECO models rank highly with their drivers, especially in terms of comfort levels.”

With C3 enjoying steady grown and now offering services at 15 ports across Australasia, its partnership with IVECO will likely remain strong, according to Craig.

“We do put new purchases out to tender to remain in touch with the market but so far we’ve been pleased with what IVECO has done for us,” he said.

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