Concrete demand for IVECO ACCO with 82 truck Hanson order

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Iveco Trucks Australia Press Release  /  December 10, 2018

One of Australia’s leading concrete and construction materials company, Hanson, has taken delivery of the first of 82 ACCO 8x4 agitators, which will be deployed to sites across metropolitan Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and Western Australia.

The new trucks are part of a fleet rejuvenation program replacing older ACCO models along with several other brand trucks.

Hanson’s National Procurement Manager, Neil McDermott, said the ACCO range is a proven performer in the industry and was selected because it provides several key performance benefits.

“In terms of tare weight, what the ACCO offers is very attractive,” Neil said.

“The lower the tare weight, the better it is from a fleet efficiency and business perspective.”

All of the new trucks are fitted with 7.5 cubic metre bowls from Mixers Australia and ATT, and feature 340 hp engines, automatic transmission, front airbag suspension, rear rubber block suspension, and importantly for the application, Electronic Stability Control.

Given the time-sensitive nature of concrete delivery, all vehicles are also equipped with Trimble tracking and dispatch software, which helps manage the product delivery cycle by automatically updating dispatchers on location and status of the vehicles in real-time.

Neil said that aside from seeking efficiency, safety was another prime considering for Hanson and more broadly across the concrete industry.

“It’s a high centre of gravity application and couple this with the fact that the mixing bowl is rotating – if not driven correctly, concrete trucks can be prone to instability,” he said.

“A safety feature such as ESC isn’t a substitute for careful driving but it’s an important piece of technology that reduces the likelihood of a rollover.”

The new ACCOs will remain in service for 13 to 14 years – the first eight years of their working life will be in a metropolitan environment, after which they’ll be relocated to regional and rural areas which are normally a little easier on the equipment thanks to less stop and start work and a reduced overall workload.

Neil said it has been good for Hanson to re-establish a relationship with IVECO, after several years of purchasing competitor products.

“We bought solely IVECO for many years before making a change to try some other products,” he said.

“Hanson had been keen to use ACCOs again and to build on our earlier partnership. We are also pleased to be supporting Australian manufacturing and boosting local employment through this latest purchase.”

As ACCOs are a familiar vehicle on the Hanson fleet, the company’s drivers have responded well to the latest model, according to Neil.

“Our drivers comment favourably; with the front airbag suspension they’re a comfortable truck, are easy to get in and out of, and the cab over configuration provides excellent visibility and manoeuvrability on the work site,” he said.

The first batch of the new ACCOs is already operating, with the remainder expected to be delivered within the first quarter of 2019. Depending on where they’re located, the trucks will be maintained by IVECO Dealerships, Hanson’s in-house technicians or mobile mechanical contractors. 

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