Australia Post and its parcel and logistics subsidiary, StarTrack, operate a fleet of more than 800 Fuso Fighter medium-duty trucks equipped with Allison fully automatic transmissions for improved safety and efficiency.

The Australia Post fleet delivers mail and parcels in urban areas where heavy traffic makes automatic transmissions essential, said Terry Bickerton, national fleet manager for Australia Post and StarTrack. “We’ve introduced Allison automatics into our operations because of their reliability and the safety benefits they offer. There are also lower maintenance costs when compared with manual vehicles.”

Designed for severe, high start-stop duty cycles, Allison fully automatic transmissions use a torque converter for launching so there is no mechanical clutch to wear out. Our extended service intervals consist of just oil and filter changes, keeping vehicles on the job longer. An Allison Automatic makes vehicles easier to maneuver, increasing uptime and while improving productivity.

“The feedback we’ve had from our drivers is that automatic trucks help with reducing fatigue and are easier to operate in metropolitan areas. The Allison automatics make it easier for our drivers to concentrate on maneuvering their truck in city traffic by removing the need for them to worry about gear changes,” Bickerton added.

In addition, Allison Automatics have improved transit times in heavy traffic environments “as they allow the truck to accelerate up to a safe operating speed faster with greater efficiency,” said Bickerton.

Australia Post and StarTrack deliver more than 3 billion items a year and operate a network of more than 4,000 post offices and 15,000 street post boxes, with a staff of more than 50,000 people.