Grealy Motors and Towing has been providing their local community of Wodonga in Victoria with a professional towing and repair service for over 50 years, across three generations.
The family business was started in 1967 by Brian and Mary Grealy, working in a three-way partnership with a single hook lift tow truck.
By 1985, Brian had taken over the reins, signing on as sole owner and changing the business name to the very suitable: Grealy Motors.
In the early 2000s, Lionel and Carmel Grealy took over as directors and 20 years on, their son Peter and his wife Caroline have purchased the business, becoming the third generation of Grealys at the helm of the proud family business.
“We’re very proud of the fact that we can continue to keep the Grealy name in the industry and support and service our local network,” said Peter, now Managing Director.
“What we do for our customers is vital, especially when it comes to responding to emergency roadside assist.”
They do it all from their mechanical servicing workshop and towing facility in Wodonga, supported by a mixed fleet with 10 Isuzu trucks, including a number of crew cab F Series, and heavy-duty FY Series tilt-tray models.
The company is an NRMA and RACV contractor and, on any given day, will be conducting emergency roadside servicing, towing breakdowns, accident recovery and more.
Grealy drivers travel as far afield as Melbourne, Sydney, Wagga Wagga and Canberra, transporting all manner of vehicles from cars to tractors, cranes, and capital equipment for their clients.
“We offer transportation and delivery which keeps our fleet’s wheels turning seven days a week,” said Peter.
Peter’s father was the first Grealy to start driving Isuzu trucks, purchasing ex-fleet tilt tray trucks from B & G Towing in Geelong. This was owned at the time by family friends, Bob and Gwen Graham, who were long-time lovers of the Japanese brand.
The Grealys enjoy a great working relationship with Blacklocks Isuzu and General Sales Manager Richard Telfer these days, who helps match new Isuzu models with the tilt trays needed for towing.
“We’re a one-stop-towing-shop.”
“Grealy Motors have been Blacklocks customers for over 10 years now—the two businesses have a great relationship,” Richard said.
“There is a lot of mutual trust between us. Peter knows what Isuzu trucks he wants, and we coordinate with the body builder to make that happen for them.”
Replacing an ageing tilt tray truck from the fleet, Grealy’s latest instruction to Blacklocks Isuzu was a truck with more payload, more power, and extra length for larger loads.
The FYJ 300-350 Auto XLWB with a customised CTE tilt tray—wrapped by Signeffects in Wodonga—hit just the right notes with an extra-long wheelbase supporting a tray length measuring just shy of 11 metres. This makes the new truck capable of transporting multiple vehicles or pieces of capital equipment for clients.
A hefty payload and ratings of 30,000 kg GVM and 45,000 kg GCM meet Grealy’s heavy-duty requirements, while on the grunt front it produces an ample 257kW/1422Nm from its six-cylinder engine.
Peter says the FYJ’s Meritor drive axles with twin-steer load-sharing front suspension are features he particularly likes, assisting with uneven weight distribution across the chassis when transporting equipment such as cranes.
“The FYJ 300-350 is mainly our equipment transport truck, so it’s shifting multiple units like forklifts, knuckle booms, scissor lifts, large tractors and bigger, heavier equipment,” he said.
“The beauty of the twin-steer in the FY Series is you don’t run the risk of going overweight on the steer tyres like you do on some of the other brands in that weight range.
“I was so keen to add this model to the fleet due to that extra set of wheels at the front alleviates some of the overweight issues you can run into by loading boom lifts and knuckle booms and cranes.”
