One of Australia’s largest manufacturers of construction products like prefabricated roof trusses and wall frames has used new heavy vehicle technology to lead the way in efficiency.
Timbertruss is welcoming new technologies that reduce construction timeframes and minimise waste by introducing a new fleet of IVECO S-Ways.
Headquartered at a 26-acre state-of-the-art facility in Corio, near Geelong, along with its site in Brisbane, the company uses automation systems to increase efficiency while minimising manual handling for production staff.
Timbertruss transport manager Rick Munro knows the manufacturing process well, beginning with the company in the production team over 10 years ago before transitioning to the role of delivery driver and then onto his current role.
“Automation is important for Timbertruss – we wanted to take a lot of manual handling of the heavy materials out of the business for added safety and efficiency,” he says.
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Along with the safety benefits, automation has also increased efficiency for Timbertruss and supports achieving consistency of quality and production, ensuring shorter manufacturing and delivery timelines for customers.
“Manufacturing in a controlled environment also means we’re not impacted by the weather, we deliver direct to site with materials ready to be erected, this is another way in which we bring efficiency for our clients. The aim in building is to reduce time on site, and we can help do this,” Munro says.
In recent years, Timbertruss has further increased its prefabrication capabilities with ‘cassette floor panels’ and ‘next gen walls’; in the case of the flooring, it combines joists and flooring sheets ready for final completion. It’s the same concept for next gen walls, which can incorporate framing, windows and exterior cladding, all delivered to site in complete sections.
Timbertruss has enjoyed a long relationship with IVECO over the years, with the bulk of the company’s fleet comprising Stralis models, and more recently, S-Ways. As part of a fleet renewal project, the older Stralis models – some of which have been working hard for 10 years – are being replaced.
Despite the good performance of these vehicles, many of which had provided close to a million kilometres of faithful service, it wasn’t a given that their replacement would be IVECO, according to Munro.
“Although the Stralis models had been reliable and a fantastic overall truck, we owed it to ourselves to have a good look around; we evaluated models from just about every manufacturer, before settling on S-Way 6×4 460 AD prime movers and 8×4 rigids,” he says.
“For our application, the S-Way was a great fit, the trucks were also extremely well specified when it came to safety features, and we were also attracted by their emission performance being rated at Euro 6 (Step E).”
He says that the S-Ways have made a strong impression on himself as well as the drivers.
“Even though the latest trucks have larger and more power engines than the Stralis models they replace, they’re actually using less fuel, which is a great outcome,” he says.
“The comfort is also on another level, the trucks are so quiet and easy-to-drive, yet there’s still a familiarity to the controls and dash layout, meaning the drivers have made an easy switch.
“From Corio we deliver Victoria wide and as far afield as New South Wales, covering metro, urban and regional areas. Increasingly, the sites we’re accessing are tight, the blocks are getting smaller, and the houses are getting bigger. The S-Ways’ cab over configuration means maneuverability is great. The S-Way 8×4 rigids are fantastic in the more compact housing estates.”
The S-Ways stand out on the road thanks to their finish in Timbertruss’ blue and yellow livery. They also feature extended chassis to accommodate cranes at the rear of the cabin, along with outriggers and counterweights for additional stability when unloading on site. Aside from this, fitment of beacons and oversize signage are the only other modifications to the vehicles. The prime movers pull a variety of flatbed and skel trailers, using the Roadpod system, which involves modular pods being pre-filled for faster loading once the truck is available for the next delivery.
The S-Ways were purchased through leading Melbourne IVECO dealer Adtrans Truck Centre, who is also responsible for the support and maintenance of Timbertruss’ growing fleet.
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