Allison is automatic choice for Australian Fresh Start Bakery 15 December 2010

Fresh Start Bakery has realised significant efficiency improvements after embarking on a programme to switch its fleet of manual transmission rigid delivery trucks to automatics.

The supplier of hamburger buns and bakery products to fast food chain McDonalds also believes that it will benefit from reduced driver fatigue, increased efficiency and lower maintenance costs.

Fresh Start purchased five UD (four UD PK 10s and a smaller UD MK6) and four Isuzu FVD 1000 trucks in August, all equipped with Allison fully automatic transmissions to service McDonalds stores in and around Sydney and Brisbane, Australia.

"The cost of clutch replacement was a major factor in switching to automatics, but the other benefits include better levels of safety, and more efficient operation," says Ben Hampson, Fresh Start's distribution manager for New South Wales and Queensland.

"In the few months we have had the Allison automatic equipped trucks in the fleet, we would normally have seen one or two clutch replacements [with manuals]," he continues. "Avoiding that has saved us a lot already, not just in repair costs but downtime as well."

Author
John Challen

Related Companies
Allison Transmission Europe BV

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