Impressed with the blue 126 Cascadia he purchased in late 2019, grain and fertiliser hauler Mark Rix has ordered two more.

Based in Bolwarrah, near Ballarat in Victoria, his business carries freight across Victoria, South Australia and Southern NSW.

Rix received the two newest trucks last October.

While he has a mixed fleet, Rix has been buying Freightliner trucks for some time, including multiple Coronados and a Columbia that clocked over 2 million kilometres before it was sold to a new owner.

According to Rix, the Cascadia is very different compared to previous Freightliners.

“You can’t compare the Cascadia to the Freightliners that came before it, it is like a quantum leap over of anything before it,” he said.

“The technology, the comfort, the quality of the interior and the performance is just way out in front of the previous models, and any other truck from my experience.”

Rix says the combination of advanced technology and safety, previously missing from US-style bonneted trucks in Australia, with a comfortable conventional truck with a spacious sleeper has made for the perfect truck.

“They figured out a way to combine the best parts of European trucks with the best parts of American trucks,” added Rix.

His business, which he established with his wife Kaye, selected the 126 Cascadia, equipped with the DD16 16-litre Detroit six-cylinder diesel that produces 600hp and 2050lb-ft of torque, fed through a fully automated 12-speed DT-12 Detroit transmission.

He reports that all three trucks are recording excellent fuel consumption, but the single trailer 126 running at 44-tonnes across to Adelaide and back is the standout.

“It’s getting 2.4km per litre every single day and that is fantastic. I’m really, really happy with that,” he said.

“The Detroit is the best performer on fuel and also AdBlue.”

Rix’s operation primarily transports grain, fertiliser and lime and the most recent Cascadia 126, with a 60-inch cabin, was hooked up to a new tri-tri stag trailer set manufactured by Chris’ Body Builders.

He purchased his Cascadias through Brendan Eales at Daimler Trucks Somerton.

Standard equipment includes a full suite of safety features including a radar and camera-based Advanced Emergency Braking System (AEBS) that can automatically detect, and fully brake for, moving pedestrians in addition to vehicles. Also standard is a radar-based adaptive cruise control system, a lane departure warning system and Electronic Stability Program.

Rix’s trucks also feature the optional Sideguard Assist feature, which uses radar to detect people, cars and other objects down the side of the truck when it is about to move left into a lane or turn left.

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