After buying his first Iveco tipper five years ago, Rech Building Group Director, Silvanovano Rech, again turned to the brand when it was time to upgrade.
Silvanovano powered up, swapping the keys to his 460hp Stralis for those of a new 550hp S-Way tipper – which is the first high-power S-Way 6×4 tipper in Australia.
The 90hp step-up in power wasn’t planned though – Silvano was close to signing up for an AS 460 when he came across the more powerful model, and like most operators, he figured that you can never have too much power.
“At 460hp the same as my previous Stralis, the output would have been enough, but there’s something to be said about driving a truck that even when fully loaded, goes like there’s nothing at all in the back,” Silvano said.
“I was so happy with my earlier Iveco, that when I chose the AS 550 and the S-Way AS 460 I was originally going to buy became available, I recommended Iveco and the Adtrans dealership to my nephews who are also in the industry – and they ended up buying the 460!”
Looking after family is important for Silvano and it’s these values that have seen him behind the wheel for more than 40 years, servicing a range of high-end residential customers as well as undertaking commercial work and his own development projects.
His building business also directly involves his son, Kaleb, as principal builder, while another son, Jobe, is an architect with his own practice, allowing Rech Building Group to offer clients full-service design and construction options. The family unit is complemented by a handful of loyal staff and a dedicated team of subcontractors.
From its base in Googong on the ACT/NSW border, Rech Building Group caters to clients across Canberra and surrounding regions as well as on the south coast.
So far he’s happy with the new Euro 6 S-Way and its 550hp and 2,500Nm outputs help, with loads more grunt than his old Stralis.
“The S-Way is a totally different beast – it’s a 100 percent better truck, and the Stralis was a good truck,” Silvano said.
“It’s so powerful, easy to drive with the 16-speed AMT; it’s comfortable and quiet, and comes fully loaded with a heap of safety features.”
Featuring a steel tipping body manufactured by A.A.D. Truck Bodies in Melbourne, the S-Way makes short work of its 12-tonne payload, so Silvano has a dog trailer currently in build from the same company, to make the most of the truck’s 70t GCM.
The S-Way also tows a drop deck trailer for excavation equipment depending on job requirements, proving itself as a handy all-rounder.
As well as being the country’s first AS 550 6×4 tipper, Silvano’s S-Way is quite special in other ways. Look past the shiny Whitlock bull bar, Narva driving lights, roof mounted LED bar and beacons, and some other custom touches stand out.
Drawing inspiration from several European-spec S-Ways Silvano came across online while researching the model, he treated his truck to a black wrap that covers the front clip and extends on an angle towards the rear of the cabin and onto the side air deflectors.
The wrap has also been applied under the headlights, adorning the S-Way like warpaint on a warrior. According to Silvano, the truck’s appearance gets plenty of attention on job sites and when out on the road, which doesn’t surprise us!
“I think the truck looks amazing and has a strong impact wherever we go, it also presents our business in a really professional manner,” Silvano said.
“Image is important, and we always try and keep our equipment in showroom condition. It’s something that clients and others in the industry notice. I’ve fielded a lot of questions about the S-Way since we’ve had it.”
Silvano said that his purchase experience and the support he’s received from Adtrans was fantastic.
“First off, I was really impressed by the knowledge of Sales Manager, Andy Stotz. He knew what he was talking about when it came to the specifications and what would be best for the work we do,” Silvano said.
“He was also extremely responsive, and nothing was too much trouble – it was top class service from him.”
