Truck Topics
Introducing the Alumi-Bunk RVEX!
There's a new expedited truck in town and its going to make its world debut in the Expediter Experience area of the 2006 Mid-America Trucking Show!
Welcome the Alumi-Bunk RVEX with a 120" sleeper!
The platform for this new expediter is the Freightliner M2-112 with a choice of powertrains; the CAT C-9 engine with Eaton Fuller Autoshift or the Mercedes 450 with Eaton Fuller Ultrashift.
Sheel Advani, the General Manager of Alumi-Bunk in Woodhaven, Michigan says, "This truck will revolutionize the industry by introducing a new level of comfort and convenience to the expediting owner-operator. It's a custom-built truck that will become the standard by which all other expediting trucks will be measured."
Advani relates some expediting history:
"Remember back to the expediting equipment in the early 1990's. If a truck had a sleeper of any kind, it was good enough. Just having a sleeping area behind the seats was acceptable to drivers."
"As expediting evolved, the equipment had to do so as well. When the industry expanded from limited service areas to covering North America, Alumi-Bunk kept pace by offering bigger and better sleepers with innovative features and concepts."
Advani says, "The business model has changed for an expediter. They can be in California one day and a few days later, be in Florida. People are actually giving up a fixed address and are living in their trucks. We need to give them the amenities they need to provide them with a home away from home."
"Since we've seen so many husband/wife teams entering expediting, I wanted to make this available to people who want RV-style comfort, but don't want a 15- year payment.
He continues,"We've had customers who have had sleepers built likethis but it was never something that we put into the marketplace. This concept has been in my mind for the last few years, but I've never been able to put the idea on paper until I had some customers who believed in me."
"Alumi-Bunk has been building the Crew Chief-type of motor homes for the last ten years. I wanted to merge the Crew Chief line with the expediting line and that's how we came up with the idea of providing additional comfort."
Advani explains the logic behind the RVEX configuration:
"The reason we chose a 20' cargo box is it's large enough to carry 10 pallets. With a 22' box, you're not using that extra 2 feet of space, so with our idea, you can use that room for the 120" sleeper."
"It's been an adjustment over the last few years with larger sleepers. Instead of having a 24' box, people have taken that space and applied it to the sleeper and used a 22' box."
Sam Sharma is the head of the Crew Chief and Snap-On lines for Alumi-Bunk and he says the RVEX is, "the best of both worlds. It's an RV that has the capability of making some money"
He continues, "The idea behind it is that the expedited carrier recruiters are looking for reliable teams, and some of the most reliable people out there are the semi-retired folks who have discovered expediting. This sleeper has many of the qualities and comforts of an RV, and it will definitely appeal to the husband/wife team who value the amenities available in a motor home-style sleeper."
The RVEX is the product of an Alumi-Bunk team effort - Sam Sharma of Crew Chief brought his RV knowledge to the mix, Sheel Advani and Melanie Pierce of Alumi-Bunk contributed their expedited truck expertise and owner-operator Jim Dotson, who is now working as a consultant for A-B, added his practical experience of what the expediter needs for the road.
Melanie Pierce is the Production Manager at Alumi-Bunk's Dundalk, Ontario facilities and she states that when in full swing, the company expects to turn out an RVEX every month.
"Like an RV, this sleeper is very detailed," she explains, "and the build time is around seven to eight weeks.Alumi-Bunk is very experienced in producing large sleepers and we've been constructing RV's from the time we opened. In our Dundalk plant, I've seen 30 ft. RV's that we've built, so we've always been capable of building the largest sleepers."
She adds that four of the RVEX models were built and delivered in the last quarter of 2005.
Jim Dotson has been in expedited trucking for seven years with Landstar Express America and is a fleet owner with 5 trucks. He is also a confirmed Alumi-Bunk believer - "I've bought 13 trucks from them," he states.
Dotson has progressed through the Freightliner product line over the years: "I started out with the FL70 with an 84" Condo, then I got into an FL80, an FL106 and an FL112."
Jim is now the proud owner of one of the first RVEX's on the market and he says, "I picked up the truck in early January and its fantastic! I spec'd it with the 450 Mercedes with the Autoshift, pusher axle and is set up with a Carrier reefer unit."
"In the sleeper, I've got a 48" wide Bunk, lots of counter space, wood cabinets and a sink. It has two inverters, fridge with freezer and roof heat and air conditioning."
Dotson's RVEX is equipped with a 7,500-watt Onan generator that he tells us is "whisper quiet - like on an RV." He says, "The truck rides smooth and quiet. The doors sound solid when you close them."
A few of the standard features of the RVEX include:
*Flat panel TV with surround sound
*Rooftop A/C and heat
*Onan generator
*2 door fridge, 7 cu. ft.
*Sink
*Inverters
*2-110 volt water proof outside receptacles
RVEX options include:
*Toilet/shower compartment
*Side entrance door (in development)
*Side awning (in development)
*Hardwood floors
*Choice of woods
*Choice of hardware
*Custom paint
Owner-operator Al Mann and his wife have the first RVEX equipped with an optional shower and toilet. He says Mrs. Mann loves the shower/toilet facilities and he feels that this RVEX option will be very attractive to the ladies who won't have to trek into the truck stop or rest area to use a shower or rest room.
Man says that the 40 gallon fresh water tank will provide for around eight showers and still have enough water for cooking and washing dishes.
The Manns' RVEX interior is finished in "velvet blue" with pinewood cabinetry. Other appointments include hardwood floors, a 50" wide 'Gaucho' bed, a fold-out table and bench seats.
"We had seven people comfortably seated in the sleeper the other night, so there's plenty of room," he says.
"I've been in a number of motor homes and this is basically a ten-foot long RV. I'm very happy with this sleeper and very happy with the service from Alumi-Bunk. I've compared this sleeper with the competition and it beats everything out there for the price and the extras."
Sheel Advani states, "Alumi-Bunk is a family business. The Jain family wants to service the expediting industry and provide the owner-operators of expedited trucking with a one-stop shop."
"Alumi-Bunk is totally commited to this industry and wants to maintain its position as the number one equipment supplier for the expediting owner-operator."