A trustworthy product is crucial for subcontractors working in the recycling industry, according to waste transporter Bettatrans, which turned to UD Trucks to service its needs.
When it comes to monitoring costs in the waste transport industry, contractors in particular have to manage their bottom line.
That’s according to Chris Cunningham, Managing Director of one of South Australia’s leading waste and recycling transport services, Bettatrans.
Based in the northern suburbs of Adelaide, the family-owned company has been in the waste transport business for more than 20 years.
Chris says Bettatrans transports waste for a range of leading recyclers. It services a wide range of locations, ranging from the South Australian town of Gawler, the city of Murray Bridge and the coastal town of Victor Harbor.
He says that as a sub-contractor, you have to be reliable and efficient, with fuel being one of the major costs of any transport business.
To achieve its goals, Bettatrans turned to truck manufacturer UD Trucks, which provided the company with a Condor PK 17 280 through South Central Trucks in 2013.
Four years later, the waste transport company now has a fleet of 13 UD Trucks, putting its trust in the reliable brand.
Chris says the driveability, fuel economy, safety and comfort are all key elements of the UD brand, and part of the reason Bettratrans is using the company for all its applications – prime mover and rigid trucks.
And with reliability the main priority, Chris says having the same brand all under the one fleet allows the company to manage its bottom line and key performance indicators (KPIs) more effectively.
“We decided to upgrade our fleet and in 2012 we started the evaluation process and test driving various brands of trucks.
“The decision to go with UD has proved a wise choice. The first UD we bought in 2013 recently hit 230,000 km and to date we have not encountered any major issues.”
When it comes to monitoring KPIs, Chris adds that having the same brand makes it easier to monitor the company’s fuel economy and identify route issues, which keeps drivers happy.
He says Bettatrans’ latest purchase – a Condor PW 24 280 6×4 with multilift skip bin body – was an investment to cater to the company’s growth.
“We’d never needed 6x4s. We’d always purchased 6x2s and had a dead axle put on the rear for load-bearing. UD has just released the 6×4 in that model so it’s good timing for us. As far as a cab chassis go, it is consistent with the rest of the fleet.
“This latest purchase is working for a major steel recycling company, so it has to go off site onto recycling yards and people’s properties, so when you’re off a sealed surface you need a 6×4.”
Read the full story on page 52 of Issue 13.