“We started using Hardox wear plate because Australian people, who use tippers and trucks that experience hard work to the body, have noticed that it’s the best material,” company founder Alija Siskovic says.
He points out that Hardox® wear plate is good for everything, including welding. “People are pleased. They ask us which material we use for the body, and as soon as we say that it’s Hardox from SSAB, they’re happy to order.”
Arnel Siskovic, Alija’s son, and today the company’s managing director, adds: “We've experimented with Hardox 500 Tuf, and that’s also an excellent product. But currently, Hardox 450 steel is generally our main material.”
He estimates that you could easily get 10 years extra using a Hardox® steel body compared with a 350-grade steel body. “Hardox steel bodies are generally more expensive,” he says. “But when you take their longevity into account, we get so many orders that we have a huge amount of work, because people know that it’s money well spent.”
By using a Hardox® steel product in the truck body, Arnel Siskovic explains, you can go from an eight-millimeter plate to six millimeters in the floor, and from a six-millimeter plate to five millimeters in the sides. “You’re gaining a lot because you’re saving on weight, probably 10 to 20 percent. Your payload is higher in combination with the longevity of the body. So there are many positives in using this product.”
He has also noticed a higher secondhand value for truck bodies with Hardox® wear plate. “AA Diesel Truck Bodies has got trucks that have had Hardox steel bodies for five or six years. The paint might have a few scratches here and there, but the structural part is intact. It’s still very straight, with no dents, no damage, and the floor is still very flat, ready to continue carrying big loads.”
When SSAB suggested that AA Diesel Truck Bodies should become a Hardox® In My Body member, the company was happy to enter the customer program. “We’re very proud to be a Hardox In My Body member,” Arnel Siskovic says. “Truck drivers know now when they see the sticker that it’s a quality truck body, that it’s endorsed. They know that they’re getting the best.”
