The Vizcaya Provincial Council in Spain has replaced almost 25 percent of its fleet, acquiring 15 new vehicles fitted with Allison fully automatic transmissions.
The Vizcaya Provincial Council in Spain has invested seven million euros in its Fire Prevention, Firefighting and Rescue Service. Almost 25 percent of the existing fleet will be replaced by new trucks, which will enhance efficiency and improve rapid response. The 15 new vehicles include six heavy-duty urban fire trucks, three heavy-duty large-tank pumpers, three first-response trucks and three automatic turntable ladders, all fitted with Allison fully automatic transmissions.
Galician company VEICAR built the bodywork for nine of these vehicles, including the six heavy-duty urban fire trucks, which have already been delivered. The bodywork is mounted on a SCANIA P 410 B chassis with 4×4 traction and Allison 4000 Series™ transmissions with retarders. These trucks have water and foam tank capacities of 4,200 and 200 litres respectively. They are equipped with roof boxes that can be accessed from the ground, eliminating the need to enter the truck to access tools. An LED lighting mast provides supplementary lighting and a further feature is a monitor that provides a joystick-controlled flow rate of 4,000 litres per minute from the pump cabinet.
The Vizcaya Provincial Council’s order of three large-tank pumpers is also based on the SCANIA P 410 B chassis. The vehicles share the same features as the six heavy-duty urban fire trucks, including Allison 4000 Series transmissions with retarders. They have larger water and foam tank capacities of 9,000 and 300 litres respectively.
Like many other vehicle bodybuilders, VEICAR has full confidence in the benefits of Allison fully automatic transmissions. The company has worked in close cooperation with Allison since 2009. Rather than using the automated manual transmissions that come as standard in this SCANIA model, VEICAR opted for a fully automatic transmission with torque converter, in this case an Allison 4000 Series model with retarder (GA866R in SCANIA nomenclature).
“The vast majority of our fire trucks are equipped with Allison automatic transmissions. We consider them an indispensable firefighting tool as they maximise vehicle performance, and greatly improve acceleration, reliability and safety. In addition, their superior acceleration and manoeuvrability are beyond question, which is vital when there is not a second to be wasted. Most urban firefighters prefer them because they provide greater safety. And if that weren’t enough, the vehicles reach the final years of their service life in better condition,” said Carlos Prieto-Puga González, CEO at VEICAR.
Allison transmissions are designed to offer increased torque and up to 35 percent faster acceleration. When fire trucks respond to emergencies, they are heavily loaded, so the optional retarder has been incorporated to provide high braking capacity, enabling the vehicles to slow down quickly at intersections.
“Allison transmissions have demonstrated exceptional reliability and durability in the most demanding conditions, and are the transmission of choice for firefighting fleets around the world. As regular users of these transmissions, we have no doubts whatsoever. As bodybuilders, we are always much happier when vehicles are equipped with Allison,” said Prieto-Puga González.
Allison automatic transmissions provide optimum manoeuvrability on soft ground and in tight spaces, greater control on steep grades, smoother driving, better starting capacity and faster acceleration. This makes it possible to reach higher average speeds and save fuel.
“A two- or three-minute head start can be crucial. Not losing power during gear shifts means smoother, more continuous and consequently more effective acceleration. It also improves manoeuvrability and saves time, which, along with the reliability of the transmission, means greater safety for firefighters. These great benefits are even more extraordinary when we consider that Allison transmissions reduce fleet maintenance costs,” said Prieto-Puga Gonzalez.
“The easy manoeuvrability of the vehicles simplifies the drivers’ work. They don’t have to shift gears and can concentrate fully on the job and the road when travelling at high speed. And with Allison, vehicles can include up to two power take-offs (PTOs) to keep hydraulic equipment working correctly, even while the vehicle is in motion,” said Trond Johansen, European Key Fleets and Market Development Manager at Allison Transmission.
“The Chelsea 870 power take-off incorporated into the transmissions has allowed us to fine-tune the entire unit to achieve the best possible onsite fire pump performance,” said Prieto-Puga González.
Data sheet VEICAR: SCANIA P 410 B with Allison 4000 Series™ automatic transmission
| Client | Vizcaya Provincial Council Fire Prevention, Firefighting and Rescue Service |
| Manufacturer | SCANIA |
| Model | ·Urban fire trucks: SCANIA P 410 B 4×4 – MGVW 18 tn
·Large-tank pumpers: SCANIA P 410 B 6×2 – MGVW 26 tn |
| Bodywork (manufacturer) | VEICAR |
| Engine, emissions standard | 13-litre with SCR |
| Engine power output / torque | 410 HP / 2,150 Nm |
| Transmission | Allison 4000 Series™ with retarder and torque converter for firefighting vehicles |
| Extinguishing agents | ·Heavy-duty urban fire trucks: Tank capacity 4,200 litres (water) and 200 litres (foam)
·Large-tank pumpers: Tank capacity 9,000 litres (water) and 300 litres (foam) |
| Summary of equipment
|
·LED lighting mast
·Automatic water monitor controlled via joystick from cab ·Wide-angle camera with full vision range from main control point ·Innovative rapid-uncoiling foldaway hose holder system to replace conventional hose reel system. |
Image – © Allison Transmission. VEICAR opted for a fully automatic Allison 4000 Series™ transmission with retarder rather than an automated manual transmission, mainly due to the performance advantages of the torque converter over a dry clutch.
Image – © VEICAR. The Vizcaya Provincial Council Fire Prevention, Firefighting and Rescue Service has upgraded its fleet with 15 vehicles fitted with Allison fully automatic transmissions.
Image – © VEICAR. “The vast majority of our fire trucks are equipped with Allison automatic transmissions. We consider them an indispensable firefighting tool as they maximise vehicle performance, and greatly improve acceleration, reliability and safety. In addition, their superior acceleration and manoeuvrability are beyond question, which is vital when there is not a second to be wasted. Most urban firefighters/drivers prefer them because they provide greater safety. And if that weren’t enough, the vehicles reach the final years of their service life in better condition,” said Carlos Prieto-Puga González, CEO at VEICAR.
Image – © VEICAR. “Allison transmissions have demonstrated exceptional reliability and durability in the most demanding conditions, and are the transmission of choice for firefighting fleets around the world. As regular users of these transmissions, we have no doubts whatsoever. As bodybuilders, we are always much happier when vehicles are equipped with Allison,” said Carlos Prieto-Puga González.
Image – © Allison Transmission. “The easy manoeuvrability of the vehicles simplifies the drivers’ work. They don’t have to shift gears and can concentrate fully on the job and the road when travelling at high speed. And with Allison, vehicles can include up to two power take-offs (PTOs) to keep hydraulic equipment working correctly, even while the vehicle is in motion,” said Trond Johansen, European Key Fleets and Market Development Manager at Allison Transmission.
About VEICAR
VEICAR (Vehículos, Equipamientos y Carrocerías Prieto-Puga, S.L.) is dedicated to fire station management, the commercialization of fire-fighting vehicles and equipment, and the transformation of professional vehicles (for police, industry and other sectors). VEICAR also specializes in radio communications systems and network installation (particularly software systems for police and firefighting services) as well as environmental services (street cleaning, industrial cleaning and waste management).
About Allison Transmission
Allison Transmission is the world’s largest manufacturer of fully automatic transmissions for medium- and heavy-duty commercial vehicles and medium- and heavy-tactical U.S. defense vehicles, as well as a supplier of commercial vehicle propulsion solutions, including electric hybrid and fully electric propulsion systems. Allison products are used in a wide variety of applications, including on-highway trucks (distribution, refuse, construction, fire and emergency), buses (school, transit and coach), motorhomes, off-highway vehicles and equipment (energy, mining and construction applications) and defense vehicles (wheeled and tracked). Founded in 1915, the company is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. With a market presence in more than 80 countries, Allison has regional headquarters in the Netherlands, China and Brazil with manufacturing facilities in the U.S., Hungary and India. Allison also has approximately 1,500 independent distributor and dealer locations worldwide. For more information, visit allisontransmission.com.