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| | Posted on Thursday, September 29, 2005 - 3:39 pm: |       |
Kenworth Delivers 30,000th Australian-Made Truck
Leading Australian truck manufacturer, Kenworth, today delivered the 30,000th Australian-made Kenworth at its Bayswater plant in Melbourne.
The Hon Peter Costello MP, Federal Treasurer officially handed the keys of a T650 prime mover to long-term Kenworth customer Ross Fraser, Managing Director of Queensland-based Frasers Livestock Transport, in a ceremony attended by hundreds of Kenworth staff. Mr Fraser is Chairman of the Australian Trucking Association.
Chairman and Managing Director of PACCAR Australia, parent company of Kenworth Trucks, Andrew Wright, said the landmark truck was the culmination of Kenworth’s long history of local manufacturing and commitment to the Australian transport industry which dated back to 1962.
He said most heavy-duty trucks were imported from the United States or Europe, and modified minimally to suit local conditions. Kenworth is the only Australian manufacturer which has the design capability, technical expertise and resources to fully application-engineer trucks for Australian operations.
“Kenworth remains dedicated to Australian truck design and manufacturing because of this industry’s unique requirements. Nowhere in the world is such a demand placed on trucks”, he said.
“The Australian road transport industry is arguably the most productive trucking industry in the world.”
“Australian trucks typically haul two or three times the weights carried in the U.S.A. and Europe. They also operate on some of the worst roads to be found in any developed country, with much higher utilisation levels and harsher climatic conditions than anywhere else. That’s why Australia needs purpose-built trucks, like those produced by Kenworth.
“Our trucks are designed to cater for these unique needs, such as higher cooling capacities to handle the heavier weights and hotter conditions, more robust construction to manage the roughest roads, and a design philosophy that recognizes the importance of cost-effective maintenance and reliability. Our trucks are designed with the second and third owner in mind – as much as the initial purchaser, helping to ensure resale value along the way. Kenworth remains the truck of choice for the most demanding applications in Australia, but every Kenworth is designed specifically to meet the challenges of its particular application – better than any other vehicle can. Everything from triple road trains in the Outback to B Doubles on interstate routes, carting logs from a forest, or pouring concrete around town,” Mr Wright explained.
Frasers Livestock Transport takes possession of 30,000 Kenworth
The T650 is a prime example of Kenworth’s engineering capabilities, catering for the toughest on and off-road applications. Mr Wright said he was delighted that Kenworth’s 30,000th truck was built for Frasers Livestock Transport.
“Frasers has a long history of service to the Australian transport industry, and they have also been a loyal Kenworth customer for 20 years. We are proud to be marking our relationship with such an auspicious occasion,” he said.
Frasers Livestock Transport is a family business, established in 1944 by Charlie and Edna Fraser, parents of Ross Fraser who runs the business with his two brothers, Les and Peter.
Ross Fraser said it was an honour, as a Kenworth customer, to be receiving such a special vehicle. “Kenworth has made a major contribution to Australian trucking, and we are proud to be associated with them.”
Headquartered in Warwick, with depots in Goondiwindi, Dalby, Roma and Rockhampton, Frasers Livestock Transport is a major transporter of cattle, sheep and pigs throughout eastern Australia and the Northern Territory.
Over the years, the company has operated a variety of American-style and European makes, until it standardised on Kenworth in 1985. Since then, it has found its niche model, and today operates 52 T650s, configured as B Double and triple road trains.
The 30,000th Kenworth T650 is rated to a GCM of 140 tonnes and configured as a triple road train. The truck is powered by a Cummins Signature engine, producing 520 hp and 1850 lb/ft of torque. It features an 18-speed, Fuller RTLO22918B manual transmission, with Meritol FG941 front axles (rated to 6.6 tonnes) and Meritor RT52-185G rear axles (rated to 23.6 tonnes), riding on Kenworth’s KW6-60A six-rod suspension (rated to 21 tonnes). The package also includes a 36-inch (915mm) rear sleeper box.
Mr Fraser said Kenworth’s T650 was well suited to his business, providing the right combination of power, performance and reliability.
“When you are transporting livestock, reliability is crucial. Our trucks see some of the roughest and remote parts of Australia. They have to deal with the worst roads and the hottest temperatures, but they get the job done with a minimum of fuss,” he said.
Mr Fraser said that, beyond vehicle performance, there were a number of benefits to working with Kenworth.
“Kenworths are cost-effective, easy to service and, when it’s time to upgrade, they attract a higher resale value, which speaks for itself,” he said.
An area often overlooked by truck operators is the dealer network. Mr Fraser says Kenworth’s nationwide network of dealers is second to none.
“We deal with Brown & Hurley. Like us, they are a well-established family business and pride themselves on customer relationships and service, which helps us do our job better,” he added.
Kenworth trucks are designed and manufactured in Australia to meet the world’s toughest applications. Kenworth, a division of PACCAR Australia, is market leader in heavy duty trucks in Australia. Its trucks are also exported to Papua New Guinea and New Zealand. PACCAR Inc, a Six Sigma company, is a worldwide manufacturer of heavy and medium duty trucks under the Kenworth, Peterbilt, DAF, Leyland and Foden nameplates. It also provides financial services and distributes truck parts related to its principal business. |
