Fonterra milks more from their truck batteries

For commercial vehicles, battery reliability isn’t optional. When a truck, van, ute or agricultural vehicle won’t start, the cost is more than a replacement battery. It’s downtime and lost productivity.

That’s why, as Fonterra found out, choosing the right commercial battery can make a massive difference to your bottom line.

Putting VARTA batteries to the ultimate test

Fonterra is the largest fleet operator in Australasia. In fact, it runs one of the hardestworking truck fleets in the world, with more than 500 tankers collecting milk from almost 9,500 farms every day and travelling close to 100 million kilometres a year. Many of their trucks cover around 250,000 kilometres a year, often on unsealed rural roads where reliability is critical.

Back in 2010, batteries in this hard-working Fonterra fleet were only lasting three to six months. So something needed to be done.

Working with HCB Technologies and VARTA, Fonterra trialled the VARTA ProMotive AGM A1 battery, a heavy-duty commercial battery designed for high electrical demand, extreme vibration resistance and demanding fleet use.

The results were outstanding

One trial set of batteries was removed from a tanker after 280,000 kilometres and still tested at 95% of its original capacity.

Another pair of batteries lasted 31 months and nearly 800,000 kilometres, setting a new record for the fleet.

It’s hardly surprising that VARTA ProMotive AGM batteries are now fitted to almost every Fonterra truck in the fleet.

What’s more, the improvement continues to deliver real operational benefits for Fonterra:

• Battery consumption has dropped from more than 1,400 units per season for a smaller fleet back in 2010, to around 420 units for a much larger operation today.
• Trucks that once required battery replacement up to three times a year now commonly run two to three years between changes.

It all means less downtime, fewer replacements, lower whole-of-life cost and less waste.

The value of partnerships

The Fonterra story also shows the value of a strong partnership as HCB’s role went beyond supplying batteries.

• Working alongside Fonterra, HCB helped develop special anti-vibration mats for the harsh rural roads.
• They also introduced data loggers to monitor battery performance in real time, helping identify issues before they became failures.

For fleet operators, transport companies, farmers and commercial vehicle owners, this lesson is clear: the cheapest battery isn’t always the lowest-cost battery. The right battery is the one that matches the vehicle, the electrical load and the way the vehicle works every day.

Why VARTA is the battery of choice for truck manufacturers

It’s no coincidence that VARTA batteries are Original Equipment (OE) for many of the world’s leading commercial vehicle manufacturers. In fact, more than 90% of European-built trucks on New Zealand roads are factory fitted with VARTA batteries.

That OE factory fitment is important because modern commercial vehicles are engineered around specific battery technology, electrical demand and performance standards. 

If you’re a fleet operator running European trucks and high-demand commercial vehicles, replacing like-for-like with VARTA gives you the same level of reliability the vehicle was built with from day one.

Why batteries work harder than ever before

Today’s commercial vehicles need batteries that do far more than just start the engine. They support everything such as:

• telematics
• safety systems
• driver comfort features
• communication equipment
• lighting
• refrigeration support
• tail lifts
• and onboard electronics

In tough operating conditions, the battery has to deliver strong starting power, reliable reserve capacity, vibration resistance as well as a long service life.

Talk to the battery experts

With Battery Town locations right across New Zealand, we can help with VARTA commercial battery testing, replacement and advice for your trucks, vans, utes, agricultural vehicles, marine applications and any other high-demand fleet vehicles. 

At the end of the day, if your business relies on vehicles, it relies on batteries. So choose a battery built for the job. Choose VARTA.