Hobart-based Great Bay Construction has added an Isuzu NPR 45-175 Tradepack to its operations, equipping the truck as a mobile workshop and office to support its residential building and development projects.
The customised truck carries tools, provides power for charging equipment and allows machinery to be refuelled on site. For Managing Director Shane Spaulding, the investment reflects a focus on keeping equipment productive and reducing interruptions to the working day.
“If we’re working 40 hours a week, we want 40 productive hours from our machinery,” Spaulding said. “We simply can’t afford downtime.”
Specified around the job
Great Bay operates with four employees and around 20 regular subcontractors, undertaking property development, subdivisions, new homes and multi-unit projects.
The business increasingly manages its own developments from approvals and earthworks through to construction and handover. Its next project is a 16-unit development valued at approximately $10 million.
That breadth of work shaped the specification of the new truck, which is Spaulding’s fourth new Isuzu.
Working with Shane Hilder and the team at Webster Trucks, Great Bay arranged for the fit-out to be completed before delivery. Webster’s in-house manufacturing provided a single point of contact for the package.
“It’s fitted with large toolboxes, a three-metre under-tray drawer, fridge, microwave, inverter power for charging all my 40-volt Makita tools and another six or so storage boxes,” Spaulding said.
A transfer fuel pump supports on-site machinery refuelling, while the 3,395 mm wheelbase provides tray space alongside the permanent load of up to 750 kg of tools and equipment.
“As the business owner I wear a lot of different hats and this truck lets me do all of them,” he said.
“I can arrive on site, refuel a machine, grease equipment, organise the day’s work and have everything I need with me.”
Comfort supports daily productivity
The NPR 45-175 Tradepack uses Isuzu’s 3.0-litre 4JZ1-TCH turbo-diesel engine, producing 129 kW and 430 Nm, paired with a nine-speed dual-clutch transmission.
The transmission offers fully automated operation and a clutchless manual mode. Spaulding said the combination had improved the driving experience compared with his previous trucks.
“The ride is much nicer, it’s got better power, better fuel economy and it’s much smoother to drive,” he said. “The new nine-speed transmission is an absolute game changer.”
Independent wishbone front suspension, coil springs and double-acting hydraulic shock absorbers have also made a difference on Tasmania’s variable road surfaces.
“I used to take my Silverado on the longer trips. Now it stays at home and I drive the Isuzu instead,” Spaulding said.
The Tradepack body includes an aluminium deck, removable dropsides and tailgate, external ratchet rails, ladder racks and lockable storage. A 4,500 kg-rated towbar supports the business’s equipment-towing requirements.
Safety and predictable costs
With employees also driving the truck, safety equipment was another consideration.
The NPR includes advanced emergency braking, lane departure warning, front cross traffic alert, electronic stability control and intersection emergency braking. The nine-speed dual-clutch model also features full-speed adaptive cruise control and traffic sign recognition.
“It’s much more like driving a passenger vehicle, with the driver assistance systems you’d expect,” Spaulding said. “That’s especially important when my employees are driving the truck.”
Great Bay has also selected a service agreement alongside Isuzu’s six-year factory warranty and roadside assistance, helping the business plan its maintenance expenditure.
For fleet operators supporting construction activities, the fit-out illustrates how vehicle specification can bring several daily tasks into one asset. Tool storage, mobile power, machinery support and towing all contribute to the truck’s role across Great Bay’s projects.
“We’ll continue working smarter, investing in reliable equipment and focusing on running the business as efficiently as possible,” Spaulding said.
