A Freightliner Cascadia 126 has entered long haul operations for a NSW grain carrier.
Wants Transport, a family-owned business, is running the new truck to and from Townsville, alternating loads of fertiliser and grain as a 68.5 tonne rated B-double combination.
The Cascadia features a 60 inch bunk and so far has returned a fuel economy between 1.9 and 2km per litre to the delight of the team.
So impressed by the Cascadia’s real world fuel efficiency and driver comfort Wants Transport has since ordered a second unit, which is scheduled to be delivered at the end of February.
Wants Transport Owner, Matthew Want is seriously impressed by the fuel economy results he is seeing.
“Those numbers, when it is full almost all the time, are just amazing. We have a great driver, Jason, who is embracing the technology the truck brings and I’m sure the fuel figures will even improve in time,” he said.
Want purchased the Cascadia through Murwillumbah Truck Centre using the Daimler Agility finance option.
The Cascadia comes with Autonomous Emergency Braking and Lane Departure Warning as standard. Want also chose to take advantage of the optional Side Guard Assist, which was a key part of the reason he bought one.
“Safety is very important to us, not just the active safety, but also managing fatigue,” he said.
A 12-speed automated transmission, adaptive cruise control and low cabin noise levels all help reduce fatigue too.
The truck’s 60-inch sleeper is the largest available for the Australian Cascadia and this truck features a double bunk, microwave and television.
Driver Jason Olive, who stepped out of a 2013 conventional truck from a rival brand, claimed he felt much less fatigued operating the new Cascadia.
The Cascadia, according to Olive, is a lot less tiring because it does much of the work, but it also helps him rest better.
“The sleeper is so big that even a big bloke could hold a dance in this thing,” he said.
“It’s got a big bed, but I can stand up to use the microwave or get changed and I can walk around.”
Despite having only spent a few nights at home in the last month, he still feels fresh.
“Living in this is easy,” said Olive.
The battery-powered climate control system also helps cool the truck in the northern heat for eight hours straight overnight.
The Wants Transport Cascadia is the first of its trucks to sport a striking new corporate branding and logo, which Want developed with help from Ben Daley Signs.