Coober Pedy Council turns to UD tipper to fix local infrastructure
Coober Pedy in central Australia is renowned for its holes in the ground, where some of the world’s best opals are found.
Despite that however, the District Council of Coober Pedy is concerned about holes in its roads and other infrastructure, which is why Mark Hill, DCCP works manager, says the council bought a UD GW400 tipper late in 2008.
Hill says since its introduction the GW400 worked constantly through the summer months carting, gravel, aggregate, road repair equipment, water tanks and other council equipment, including temperatures of more than 40 degrees.
The heat was one reason the DCCP chose the UD, because its SCR (Selective Catalytic Reduction) technology appeared to be a better option than using EGR (Exhaust Gas Recirculation).
“The SCR is great and we felt it would be much better in the stinking hot conditions we encounter up here, we have to be more environmentally aware and the lower emissions from the truck are a real benefit,” says Hill.
“The AdBlue usage has been very good and we have not had a problem sourcing it, we simply top the tank up every time we fill the truck with diesel and it has been very economical.”
Another important factor was ensuring the right mechanical and parts back up for the truck in Coober Pedy, which is 850km North of Adelaide.
“We were impressed when UD agreed to induct our own council mechanic, training him on the truck to ensure he could look after it and repair it if anything needed fixing.
“We are a long way from Adelaide and we could not afford to have the truck sitting idle waiting for a mechanic to fly in or worse still having to send it to Adelaide for warranty work.”