Allison Transmission partner of LDC Group

Allison Transmission, a premier supplier of automatic transmissions for commercial vehicles, will equip three new Renault Midlum DXi5 to be used in the food supply sector in France.

LDC group is a major operator that is widely known and recognized in the food supply market. Under the names of Loué, Le Gaulois, Marie, Maître Coq, etc., the group supplies poultry and cooked products and transports the goods, under controlled temperature conditions, from various production sites to wholesalers and supermarkets.

The fleet consists of 42 tractors and trailers which are on the roads to ensure that the different shops and warehouses in the cities or suburbs receive their daily allotment. The group now counts on Allison Transmission to make this task easier and less costly. In fact, LDC has already been operating two Renault Midlum DXi5 trucks with an Allison 2500 series, rented from Fraikin. A positive experience that led the group to sign up for three new additional Renault Truck vehicles.

Why choose Allison?
Jean-Louis Martin, a salesman at Renault Trucks Normandie Maine Poids Lourds, explained that, “LDC wanted to use the trucks for deliveries in Paris, which is well known for its traffic issues. This is why we have proposed a Renault Midlum equipped with the Allison gearbox. What made his decision even easier was that another operator had been running two Allison equipped refrigerated trucks for three years in Lyons and he is very happy with them. I must say that these vehicles show a great flexibility in urban traffic. The drivers can pay attention to the road without thinking of gear changes or the clutch.”

“We hope that the problems that we encountered with our vehicles fitted with mechanical transmissions – premature usage of the driveline, broken gearboxes, high fuel consumption, and the risk of accidents in town – will now be behind us with our new vehicles, says Arnaud Picault, Logistics Director of LDC in charge of the purchase of refrigerated trucks.

We have already experienced two Midlums equipped with an Allison fully automatic transmission for over one year – and we are satisfied with the outcome!” The three new trucks will be used for distribution in Paris and some nearby suburbs. From our distribution platform (10 miles in the South West of Paris at Wissous), we will transport our goods under temperature control to wholesalers, restaurant chains and medium and large supermarkets…

Less consumption – more profitability
For Mr. Picault, fuel consumption is an important factor with regard to profitability. In fact, the efficiency of the operation as evaluated between transported payload, the size of the vehicle and its consumption, is fundamental. The results observed over a one year period with the two Renault Midlums is very encouraging and has supported his decision to buy three new vehicles with an automatic Allison transmission. “Each of our trucks drives about 5,000 km per month. So, for us, the profitability calculation is rapidly made.”
And Mr. Picault added: “The Allison transmission is ideal in urban or peri-urban conditions, where you have a lot of stops and starts. We have experienced smooth driving, less fuel consumption, reliability of the vehicle and enhanced safety.”

Driving Comfort
To complete deliveries, different drivers may be driving the same truck. “The learning curve is very quick, less than two days. It is far less complicated than a mechanical transmission. Drivers have less to worry about, they don’t need to survey the engine’s mode nor change speeds manually. So they can keep both hands on the steering wheel and pay more attention to the traffic”
To conclude, Mr Picault shows a confident optimism with regard to his new working equipment. “The Allison automatic transmission is perfectly optimized for driving in urban zones. There is less stress involved for the driver, and driving is safer. In fact, with these trucks, we have experienced a reduction in road accident incidents.”

Renault Trucks and Allison Transmission, a well-tuned partnership
Allison Transmission has been equipping Renault Truck vehicles for many years, i.e. the Midlum, Premium Distribution, Premium Lander and Kerax ranges.

These vehicles are currently used in the refuse, fire, construction and delivery sectors. Of particular note, the Allison transmissions are particularly appreciated in vehicles powered with CNG engines. In this application they are recognized for their superior performance, reliability and their exceptional driving ease.
In addition, Renault Trucks chose Allison’s technology to accompany its adventure expedition Cape to Cape in 2009, with the six Sherpa vehicles equipped with an Allison, and, more recently, the Dakar 2010.

Allison Transmission, next to Renault Trucks at Solutrans 2010
On its booth, situated adjacent to the French trucks manufacturer, Allison will present a distribution vehicle, a Midlum DXi5. In fact, it is one of the very same trucks that will be delivered to LDC Group. The truck is equipped with a 2500 series fully automatic Allison transmission

This Allison Automatic is available in all Renault Midlum DXi5 models for delivery, fire and rescue and with Midlum DXi5 refuse-type vehicles or municipal application (road sweepers, etc.) up to 12t GVW.

The Allison 2500 series is particularly suited for distribution vehicles or postal service applications.
Allison is also available in Renault Trucks vehicles in other configurations: Allison 3200V and 3200VR (with retarder) for the Midlum, Premium Distribution and Premium Lander DXi7 ranges, and also its Model 4000V for the ranges Kerax DXi11.

For more information visit www.allisontransmission.com