Bridgestone chooses Iveco X-Way to upgrade service fleet
For Bridgestone Mining Solutions, having a fleet of vehicles to support its mining and quarrying customers is critical, so to increase their existing service offerings, they recently chose three Iveco X-Way AT 8x4 rigids to add to the Iveco Stralis models already in the fleet.
The trio of new trucks, each of which are fitted with tray bodies and tyre handling cranes from Obieco Industries in Tamworth, are strategically located in Townsville, Mount Isa and Darwin – close to important mining operations - to offer the best breadth of coverage, while also taking response time into consideration.
According to Operations Manager – Northern Region, Andy Gee, Bridgestone went with Iveco for a number of important reasons.
“We’ve enjoyed good outcomes from our other Iveco trucks – repairs and maintenance and whole of life costing has been very good with these,” Gee said.
“They’re also a flexible size, providing good payload, while remaining agile and providing great manoeuvrability. And from an operator perspective, they’re easy to use as well.”
Rated at 30t GVM, each of the three X-Ways feature 11-litre, Euro6 engines producing 460hp and 2150Nm from a low 925rpm, matched to a Hi-Tronix 12-speed automated manual transmission, which provides seamless gear changes and extended durability (tested to 1.6 million kilometres).
Servicing customers in remote areas of Queensland and the Northern Territory, the X-Ways will be required to spend a lot of time on the road in a range of conditions, which meant that safety was an important consideration in selecting this model.
“Bridgestone has a ‘zero harm policy’, meaning we strive to operate without negatively impacting people and the environment, which is why the X-Way’s safety and low emission package was so attractive to us,” Gee added. “Increasingly, these standards are also being requested by our customers.”
In terms of safety, the X-Way offers an Electronic Braking System with Brake Assistance, Electronic Stability Program, Hill Holder, Adaptive Cruise Control and Advanced Emergency Braking System as standard. Additional safety equipment, such as Lane Departure Warning, can be specified as an extra-cost option.
To ensure the vehicles are fit-for-task and capable of delivering, the trucks are mine site-compliant, but will predominantly be used to transport Bridgestone’s range of loader, dozer, compactor, grader and dump truck tyres to quarrying and construction sites. Once there, the Obieco Industries onboard tyre handler can easily manage tyres up to 57 inches in diameter.
Given the tough conditions in which these trucks are often operating, they’ve been modified with steel bumpers from Iveco’s ACCO range. Designed to offer protection from animal strikes and worksite dings, the three-piece construction of these bumpers allows individual sections to be replaced as required, minimising replacement costs.
According to Gee, the new trucks have been well received by drivers for Bridgestone Mining Solutions.
“The operators can’t believe how comfortable and quiet the X-Ways are – they love them,” he said.
“One of the trucks was driven from Brisbane to our site in Darwin by one of our experienced operators, who has worked for many years as a driver and driven a heap of truck brands, and he was really impressed.”
Gee adds that the Iveco X-Way trucks will be kept on Bridgestone’s fleet for up to 12 years, with service and maintenance carried out by the Iveco dealer network, including selling dealer, Iveco Brisbane.
