When England’s Steepest Roads Become Your Daily Route
For Ubico, the frontline services provider serving eight partner councils across Gloucestershire, fleet management is not an abstract exercise. Every working day, around 1,300 vehicles navigate some of the most demanding gradients in England — collecting waste and recycling from 369,000 homes across 1,300 square miles. In Stroud, the terrain is particularly unforgiving.
“The hills are very, very steep,” says Alexander Walsh, Fleet Maintenance and Workshop Manager at Ubico. “These trucks are put under great pressure going up the hills — but especially coming down them. They can gain speed quickly, and many of these vehicles weigh 26 tonnes.”
That combination of mass, gradient, and frequency places extraordinary demands on braking systems and drivetrain components. It is precisely this operating environment that has made Allison Transmission a trusted and strategic partner for Ubico. |
The Feature That Changed How Drivers Tackle a Descent
Central to Ubico’s experience with Allison is the integrated retarder — a system that slows the vehicle through transmission resistance rather than friction braking. The integral retarder reduces the wear, heat, and risk associated with conventional brakes on long, steep descents.
Following extensive testing, Ubico’s workshop settled on stage four of the retarder’s five-point scale as the fleet-wide standard. Stage four is the braking level, which increases from position 2 to 6. The results have been measurable. “We analysed it through our software, and we’re saving money,” Walsh confirms. “It’s made things a lot easier for the workshop.”
For drivers, the difference is immediate. “It flows by itself, ever so gently,” says Gary, a Ubico driver. “Nice and calm, very relaxed.”
FuelSense 2.0 Does the Work Between Every Stop
On refuse collection rounds where drivers stop and start hundreds of times a day, the efficiency gains from Allison’s FuelSense 2.0 technology accumulate with every cycle. The software optimizes shift patterns and automatically places the transmission into neutral when the vehicle is stationary — eliminating unnecessary engine load without requiring any driver input.
“It’s not just the slick gear changes that save on fuel,” explains Ian Bourton, Head of Fleet Operations at Ubico. “The fact that it automatically slips into neutral on stop is a great emission saver for us and our partner councils.”
For Bourton, who oversees procurement across Ubico’s partnership, the decision of which transmission to specify comes back to a clear set of priorities. “Our key drivers are value for money, reliability, and emissions reductions. That’s the type of partners we look for — and Allison Transmission is currently one of those.”
A Score That Tells the Whole Story
Ubico measures driver performance through its Energy Efficiency Driver Index — a score from 1 to 100 covering acceleration, braking, and cornering. The national benchmark of 75 represents economical driving; those who fall below it receive targeted coaching from dedicated driver liaison managers.
Since the introduction of Allison-equipped vehicles, drivers are reaching and sustaining that benchmark more consistently. The transmission’s smooth, automatic shift pattern naturally encourages better habits behind the wheel — and the EEDI data confirms the improvement. Gary speaks directly to the results: “As for the EEDI score — it’s massively improved. For efficient driving, it’s brilliant.”
Walsh draws a clear connection between technology and behavior: “The transmission takes the distraction of a gearbox away from the driver, so you can concentrate on different situations on the road.”
Built for What the Job Actually Demands
The partnership between Ubico and Allison results in outcomes that matter to eight councils and the communities they serve — smoother rides, stronger maneuverability, and less fuel consumed.