The relationship between SAF-Holland and FBT Transwest began in the midst of the Global Financial Crisis in 2008 when the transport, storage and supply chain service provider took advantage of the opportunity to solidly invest in new and additional fleet equipment with the support of significant tax breaks on offer at the time.
FBT Transwest chose SAF-Holland INTRADRUM suspension, a product which proved to work well for the fleet. And as time passed the business moved onto SAF INTRADISC and a range of other SAF-Holland products as well.
“SAF-Holland is our supplier of choice for axles and suspension systems, fifth wheels, landing legs and more,” says FBT Transwest Mechanical Services Manager, Sean Alcock. “We’ve been specifying their products for more than 15 years now.”
Reflecting on the fleet’s very early applications of SAF-Holland components, Sean recalls the initial feedback from mechanics was that the various nuts and bolts were “really high-torque” and required specific tools to be serviced. But over time, it was clear that there was a distinct long-term benefit of using SAF-Holland equipment which far outweighed that factor.
“We found that we weren’t touching anything after the first service at 5,000 kilometres,” he says. “We service all our tankers and trailers at least every 90 days because we have to comply for Dangerous Goods (DG), but all we’re doing is checking that bolts haven’t moved.
“We rumble check our wheel bearings and replace wear parts being brakes, rotors, shoes and drums as required, but beyond that, we’re replacing nothing. So, we get really good service life and minimum ongoing maintenance requirements with SAF-Holland.”
SAF-Holland’s INTRADISC suspension range has been a key aspect of FBT Transwest’s spec due to its top performance in the fleet’s on-road applications.
“It’s a very reliable and honest suspension system,” Sean says. “It’s great from a tare weight perspective, and while there are lighter products around, it’s a really good combination of overall value for money and overall weight contribution to the trailers due to its strength, reliability and lack of issues in servicing.”
The next item on FBT Transwest’s SAF-Holland checklist is fifth wheels. The fleet runs Holland G36 greaseless nylon-top models on its trailers which are fitted with ballrace assemblies for the safety and stability aspect. Meanwhile, the greaseable variant is chosen for its prime movers.
“Our drivers really like the fifth wheels in particular,” Sean says. “They’re quite light and user-friendly in their operations.”
From a stability perspective, Sean says the ballrace fitting makes FBT Transwest’s trailers much more rigid by keeping the combinations straight and making them less intent to roll. This option therefore provides a safer solution for the transporter which specialises in moving and storing DG and hazardous materials around the country.
“The fifth wheels have performed really well, and they require minimal maintenance,” Sean says. “From an overall value perspective, not coming off the road, not over-spending to maintain things and not losing time far offsets the premium you pay up front. It’s a premium piece of equipment.”
SAF-Holland trailing arm bushes have also served the fleet well.
“The 3D trailing arm bush is a standout performer, we’re getting several years of service life out of these,” Sean says. “Our fleet is predominantly back to base operations. We predominantly operate intrastate and do a lot of tight turning to get in and out of customer sites, and that’s where SAF-Holland’s 3D trailing arm bushes have certainly proven to perform better than the rest.”
FBT Transwest has also started investing in SAF-Holland’s SAF TIRE PILOT inflation system in the last 12 months, a feature which automatically ensures the set minimum pressure on all tyres of a trailer. By monitoring and maintaining pressures at all times, it has proven to extend service life, save fuel costs and avoid complete failures at FBT Transwest.
“We’ve been running more than a dozen trailers with the system with no issues to date,” Sean says. “The first benefit of SAF TIRE PILOT is that you will get home if you have a minor puncture because it keeps you inflated. It will also tell you if you’re consuming too much air through a red light on the dashboard, meaning it gives you a telltale that you’ve got a problem before you find out yourself.”
While the standardisation of SAF-Holland equipment has resulted in minimal service requirements, increased uptime and better operational value across FBT Transwest, it’s also the exceptional aftersales support that has been a key aspect of the partnership according to FBT Transwest Managing Director, Cameron Dunn.
“We choose SAF-Holland for several reasons,” he says. “One is the relationship. We know that if we need help at one o’clock in the morning we can pick the phone up and get some assistance. We’ll get a response, and that’s why we go for the quality – to be able to have that key partnership and safety.
“The other reason is because of our common ethos in terms of safety. SAF-Holland’s technical knowledge is second to none and I can have their team members onsite within an hour if something is wrong. They’ve delivered that time and time again, so it’s very good support and that’s really important to us.”
The long-term presence of SAF-Holland trailing components has been a worthy investment for FBT Transwest’s operations. With close to two decades of on-road applications under its belt, the fleet’s success in efficiency is a testament to that.
