China’s Renowned Wrecker Fleet Chooses Allison Transmissions

Experiencing zero downtime and reduced driver fatigue since acquiring Allison transmission-equipped wreckers in 2014, the Rescue and Emergency Support Center of the Beijing Bus Co. (BCB) has added an additional 30 vehicles with Allison Automatics.

When planning to update its fleet, BCB comprehensively evaluated the performance parameters of a wrecker and compared its experience operating wreckers with a manual transmission to those with a fully automatic transmission.

“We hoped to find an efficient solution to carry out our daily emergency rescue tasks,” said Zhang Xiaoting, deputy minister of the support center’s Production Business Department. “The result was the innovative integration of Allison transmissions with the chassis by Shanghai Iveco Hong Yan and the bodies by Yue Hai meet the strict requirements for our new wreckers. It is also highly acknowledged by our drivers and mechanic teams for their minimal maintenance needs and low failure rate.”

BCB operates more than 16,000 buses, covering routes spread over more than 10,000 square kilometers of the capital city. The heavy evacuation task for broken-down buses is borne by 50 wreckers operating in Beijing, the political and cultural center of China. BCB is renowned for its excellent equipment and the strong rescue capabilities of its wrecker team, which works with the capital’s road management bureau to build a favorable image of the country.

The wreckers are on-duty around the clock, stationed in 32 locations to allow swift response even during holiday traffic and bad weather. Allison’s Continuous Power Technology™ delivers seamless, full power to the driving wheels, eliminating the sliding or lobbing common to manual and automated manual transmissions (AMTs) when going uphill. An integrated output retarder provides enhanced vehicle braking and reduced brake wear. With Allison Automatics, BCB has also eliminated the costs of replacing a wrecker’s clutch two or three times a year, improving vehicle uptime. Additionally, behind the wheel of Allison-equipped wreckers, BCB drivers are more alert and in-tune with the vehicle, leading to increased control and improved safety.

“Our 10-ton wreckers experience no slipping, even when running uphill hauling a broken-down bus, which weighs up to 18 tons,” said Jun Han, a BCB wrecker driver. “A smooth acceleration at start and easy maneuverability are also well-proven. I feel that the safety level for my daily work is improved, while my labor intensity is greatly reduced. That’s why I can concentrate on driving the vehicle and on the road conditions. It also guarantees the zero break-down rate and efficiency in accomplishing my tasks. I am very satisfied.”

The Allison-equipped wreckers feature a chassis by SAIC Iveco Hongyan, together providing high-efficiency, safety and easy maintenance.

“Based on the advanced technology of Allison’s hydraulic torque converter, which delivers continued power to the driving wheels, we researched and developed the core design for the chassis,” said Jianping Lou, general manager of SAIC Hongyan Co. “Combined with our accumulated experience with Allison’s hydraulic torque converter, we further applied our expertise gathered from having European original manufacturing technology and seamlessly forged a locally created product of high-end quality and of a high-tech nature.”

Weicheng Feng, head of the sales department for wrecker body builder Guangdong Yuehai Automobile Co., said, “By succeeding in this industry-wide pioneering project of installing fully automatic transmissions in BCB’s wreckers, we adopted proprietary technologies that met the highest industry standards. We ensured that these wreckers would more efficiently integrate Allison’s advanced technologies, and manage them precisely through Allison’s electronic system, changing the power needed for vehicle operation. Ultimately, a new wrecker model of premium quality was created in our domestic industry, fully satisfying customer’s needs as the wreckers came into being.” (www.chinatrucks.com)

Views:0