Wholesale Logistics’ fleet of Iveco Eurocargos may not do many kilometres in a day, but the company finds its low chassis perfect for the airport freight shipping business.
Operating from their Westmeadows facility just 5km from Melbourne’s Tullamarine Airport, it’s oldest truck of the fleet, an 11-year-old ML160, has only just clocked over 160,000km.
That original low kilometre Eurocargo gave Wholesale plenty of reason to add a further two trucks – including a current model ML160 – along with a ‘work ready’ Daily 45C Tradie-Made cab chassis.
Managing director and owner, Colin Speechley, who founded the business in 2012, says he has been more than impressed by the performance of the trucks.
“We’ve found the Eurocargos to have a lower chassis than many others on the market, this makes it easier to load and unload the cargo and gives better access for drivers when they need to get on the tray,” he says.
“The lower chassis height has also allowed us to fit taller tautliner bodies and this has helped productivity because it lets us double stack cargo if required.
“We were also impressed with Iveco’s warranty which we’ve extended out to five years.”
The working days for both trucks and workers are long, with trucks normally arriving empty at the airport by 6:00am, then before waiting in long queues before goods can be collected and returned to the company’s warehouse, which is 77G customs bonded, quarantined approved, and RACA and IATA accredited.
By early afternoon, the trucks are travelling to the airport again, but this time loaded with outbound airfreight, a process that can only begin after the team has ‘X-rayed’ the outbound cargo.
The freight that comes and goes through the Wholesale Logistics facility is predominantly received from or bound for China, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States, some of Australia’s largest trading partners.
Speechley says electronically controlled airbag suspension is a necessity for the trucks, as is various other safety equipment due to the delicate items they have to transport.
“We’re often handling delicate equipment, paintings and art, the airbag suspension gives a much more supple ride reducing the risk of damage during transit. For some of our clients, having this suspension is a prerequisite to work with them,” he explains.
“The bull bars protect from fender benders; it’s not uncommon to pick up little taps and scrapes in and around loading bays, the airport facilities are a hive of activity with trucks and forklifts everywhere; we can’t afford time off the road for this sort of thing.
“Our utes had a 900kg/one pallet payload and then I came across the Daily cab chassis which offered around two tonnes and six pallet carrying capacity, it was a real improvement on what we’d been using and gave us some extra flexibility and efficiency.
“Having quality trucks in the fleet like the Daily and Eurocargos also helps to attract good drivers which is important in a tight labour market.
“We’ve certainly experienced some busy months, especially now with shipping delays which means more customers are opting for airfreight where it’s viable – we’re thankful for our Iveco fleet and the excellent support provided by our local dealership, Adtrans.”