For Hobart-based Hi-Lite Plaster, the latest addition to the fleet was selected with a straightforward brief: it needed to be compact, easy to drive and practical enough to handle the demands of busy construction sites across Southern Tasmania.
The company has added an Isuzu NLR 45-150 Traypack from the manufacturer’s Ready-to-Work range, using the truck to carry plaster, metal studs, tools, building materials and construction waste between jobsites.
Hi-Lite Plaster owner Ricky Bowerman has spent 35 years in the trade, starting his career in Western Australia before returning to Tasmania and establishing the business in the early 1990s.
Today, the company employs around 15 people and works predominantly in residential construction, while also completing selected commercial fit-outs, school projects and hospitality work.
“We had about 60 employees at one stage, and it just wasn’t economical,” Bowerman said.
“We’re happy where we are now, with greater control, plenty of work and a solid team.”
Compact dimensions suit urban work
With construction activity strong in Southern Tasmania, Bowerman said access to experienced workers remains one of the industry’s challenges.
That makes productivity across the business, including vehicle selection, increasingly important.
Hi-Lite Plaster chose the NLR 45-150 Traypack in part because of its compact dimensions, which are better suited to the company’s regular work around Hobart.
“We wanted a smaller sized truck for a few different reasons,” Bowerman said.
“The Traypack is perfect for moving around town. It’s small enough to get into loading zones and gets around Hobart easily. It’s great for parking too, which is becoming an issue around town now.”
The NLR has a 4,500 kg Gross Vehicle Mass and is powered by a 3.0-litre turbo-diesel engine producing 110 kW and 375 Nm.
Hi-Lite Plaster specified Isuzu’s nine-speed Dual Clutch Transmission, while the factory-engineered aluminium tray includes removable drop-sides, external ratchet rails and a five-tonne-rated tray deck.
The truck regularly moves between Hobart’s CBD and construction sites across the region, sometimes delivering materials before returning with demolition waste.
“It’s always in and out of town,” Bowerman said.
“The size suits us perfectly and the turning circle is really good. It’s great to drive.”
Easier operation for multiple drivers
The choice of transmission was also influenced by the fact the truck is shared between different drivers within the business.
Bowerman said apprentices regularly operate the truck, making ease of use an important consideration.
“The automatic transmission is exceptional compared to our previous truck,” he said.
“I drive it about half the time. Otherwise, the apprentices are driving it. It’s a breeze.”
The latest N Series also includes a range of driver assistance and safety systems, including Advanced Emergency Braking, Lane Departure Warning, Traffic Movement Warning, Distance Warning System, Traffic Sign Recognition, Full-Speed Adaptive Cruise Control and an Electric Park Brake.
Bowerman said several of those features had proved useful in everyday operation.
“The automatic handbrake is great, especially with apprentices driving it because they can’t forget to put it on,” he said.
“You’ve also got the seatbelt reminder, which is good.
“The safety features work well too. Things like the lane warning and being aware of nearby traffic are super handy in traffic.”
Modified for the job
Although the Traypack arrived as a pre-bodied truck, Hi-Lite Plaster has made some additional changes to suit its operations.
The company fitted extra cameras to monitor the tray and tarps while the truck is moving, along with an under-tray toolbox for equipment storage.
“We’ve fitted cameras so we can keep an eye on the tarps because of the weather in Hobart,” Bowerman said.
“We’ve also got a camera looking into the tray so we can check the loads while we’re driving.”
Cabin comfort has also been important given Tasmania’s winter conditions.
“Even though it’s a smaller truck, they haven’t compromised on things like the automatic climate control system or interior comfort,” Bowerman said.
“The demister clears the windscreen almost immediately, which is super important down here during winter and the new LED lighting is also very good.”
Ready-to-work approach
For smaller trade and construction fleets, pre-bodied trucks can provide an alternative to ordering a cab chassis and then arranging a separate body build.
In Hi-Lite Plaster’s case, the Ready-to-Work configuration provided a base vehicle that could go into service while still allowing the business to add equipment specific to its own workflow.
The truck was supplied by Webster Trucks in Hobart, with Bowerman saying the relationship with the dealership also influenced the purchasing decision.
“I walked into Websters one day, met Shane (Hilder) and we’ve now bought our second truck through him,” he said.
Asked whether another Isuzu could join the fleet in future, Bowerman said: “Isuzu is definitely on the radar.”
For Hi-Lite Plaster, the NLR’s value appears to be less about headline specifications and more about fitting neatly into the everyday realities of running a construction business in Hobart: getting into tight spaces, carrying the right equipment and making the truck easy for different members of the team to operate.
