Allison transmission gives Russian construction company on oil site 430,000 trouble-free kilometres – and still counting!

Scania 6x6 dump truck with Allison 4000 Series transmission just keeps going, serving oil sites in a severe climate in off-road driving conditions, avoiding costly repairs MOSCOW, RUSSIA - More and more Russian companies in mining, construction and oil and gas are opting for Allison fully automatic transmissions. Many customers, such as TechStroyGaz – the Novy Urengoy-based branch of National Building Company – are gaining interest in fully automatic transmissions, thanks to faultless performance and a reduced cost of ownership compared with manual transmissions. Since 2004, TechStroyGaz has operated two 24-tonne Scania R114С (6х6) dump trucks, one with a manual transmission, the other equipped with a fully automatic six-speed Allison 4000 Series. The dump trucks work at feeder cluster sites and on-site roads in the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous District, which is well known for its severe environment comprising permafrost, numerous rivers and lakes and swampy and clay roads. Winters are long and severe bringing temperatures of -55°С. According to Valery Arestov, Chief Engineer at TechStroyGaz, while truck with the manual gearbox went out of order some time ago, the truck equipped with Allison transmission just keeps on going. Its mileage now is around 430,000 kilometres, and neither the vehicle nor the transmission has ever let the company down by requiring unscheduled repair. Based on this positive experience, the company has made a decision to purchase heavy dump trucks equipped with Allison automatic transmissions in the future. “Vehicles we purchase for operation at oil sites and roads have to meet high durability standards,” says Valery Arestov. “First of all, during the winters that last here for eight months, the vehicles operate 24 hours a day. The engines are always kept running, as they are very hard to start up at temperatures below -45°С (normal temperatures in the Yamal-Nenets area). Besides, we need dump trucks that can perform well in off-road conditions – the roads here are classified fourth out of five categories in terms of driving difficulty. Reliability is essential.” Technology to meet tough requirements Allison automatic transmissions perform at temperatures as low as between –45 and –47°С, while manual gearboxes are not functional at temperatures below –40°С because when frozen air meets the oil intensifiers, it is not possible to engage the gear at vehicle start. Clutch and drive shaft damage is a typical failure on dump trucks with manual gearboxes when they are operated on sand or clay roads such as those encountered by TechStroyGaz. They require unscheduled maintenance and repair, leading to idle periods. The Scania dump truck equipped with the Allison automatic transmission is free of such failures, and the gear box adapts to driving style, vehicle load and type of road, which prevents the drivetrain from being overloaded. “Maintenance of the Allison transmission is easy. There is no reason to take a vehicle out of operation to our maintenance station 350-400 km from the site or to the nearest Allison technical centre located in Tyumen, which is 2,000 kilometers away,” Valery Aristov adds. “Planned maintenance such as oil and filter replacement is carried out on site. With this positive experience, when we choose our next dump trucks, we are sure to specify Allison fully automatic transmissions.” The application of Allison fully automatic transmissions is widening due to the excellent balance of price, durability and low operation costs. Heavy trucks equipped with Allison transmissions return superior performance and efficiency compared to similar vehicles, or even to more powerful vehicles equipped with manual transmissions. June, 2010 About Allison Transmission, Inc. Allison Transmission, Inc. (Allison) is the premier global provider of commercial duty automatic transmissions and hybrid propulsion systems. Allison products are specified by over 250 of the world’s leading vehicle manufacturers and are used in many market sectors including bus, refuse, fire, construction, distribution, military and specialty applications. Founded in 1915, the Allison business is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.A. and employs 2,900 people. Regional headquarters with dedicated support staff are located in China, The Netherlands, Brazil, India and Japan. With a global presence in 80 countries, Allison has over 1,550 distributor and dealer locations. More information about Allison is available at www.allisontransmission.com. ### Press enquiries Contact: Claire Dumbreck Propel Technology Bloxham Mill, Barford Road Bloxham, Banbury OX15 4FF, United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0)1295 724130/ +44 (0)7768 773857 claire@propel-technology.com

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