DHL goes for Mulag towing tractors ojn Deutz/Allison 16 July 2013

To cope with growing cargo volumes, 10 new Mulag Comet 6 towing tractors have boosted DHL's container-handling tractor fleet at its hub in Leipzig, Germany.

DHL currently operates 128 Mulag towing tractors, each with 87bhp, four-cylinder Deutz diesel engines mated to Allison 1000 Series fully-automatic transmissions.

"We always re-order the same vehicle models to maintain fleet purity. That way, the drivers don't have to be retrained," states Jens Freund, duty manager for ground support equipment at DHL Hub Leipzig.

Altogether, the towing tractors move 900 containers a day, each weighing between two and five tonnes. A total of 17 tonnes at a time can be moved by the vehicles' power packs at a maximum speed of 30km/h.

DHL specified high-traction towing tractors for its air freight hub. "So we equipped the Mulag towing tractors with Allison 1000 Series fully-automatic transmissions," comments Hubert Bitsch, who look after service ground-support vehicles at Mulag.

"They have several gears – six forward and one reverse – and, in combination with a robust industrial diesel engine, they are perfect for handling heavy freight," he continues.

"The Allison transmission is very operator-friendly," he adds. "The transmission is low-maintenance, robust and reliable. It transfers engine power to the wheels without interrupting traction, enabling a fast approach."

Author
John Challen

Related Companies
Allison Transmission Europe BV
Deutz UK

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