Providing an advantage in swampy and slippery work sites, and better traction in its quarries,
“The last four or five Isuzu trucks we’ve had are all equipped with the Allison 3000 Series and they’re performing really well,” said Brad Carraill, managing director for Garden Grove. “I’m impressed and will definitely stick with them. They operate really well, particularly in boggy situations with the torque converter helping them get on and off construction sites with ease.
“I have a couple in quarries where they do 80 loads a day: loading under a hopper, taking it around to a stockpile, tipping and then back under a hopper. It’s all on steep winding haul roads.”
The business, started by Carraill’s parents in 1982, has grown from a small landscaping operation to a South Australian gardening icon, and has expanded into long haul and bulk haulage across the state, up to northern Western Australia, the Northern Territory and across the border into Victoria since 1996.
“We started with Isuzu FVZ 1400 trucks in 1999 or 1998 – and they’ve been great,” said Carraill.
Today the business has a fleet of nearly 150 trucks for all applications from 3tonne tippers to double-road trains, but relies on Allison-equipped light- and medium-duty Isuzu trucks to ensure local deliveries are as efficient as possible. Additionally, Carraill has also been won over by a significant reduction in fuel consumption.
“Anywhere where you can save on fuel consumption is a plus, especially with the fuel we go through,” he said. “The Allison is giving us 0.2 km/L better than our manual-equipped truck.”
The Allison-fitted trucks are popular amongst drivers because of their ease of operation. According to Carraill, they’ve also had a positive impact on recruiting new drivers.
“It’s easier to put drivers in them,” he said. “The older trucks are all manual gearboxes and because we’ve got a lot of new drivers coming through we’re training guys that don’t have a lot of driving experience. It’s a lot easier to train them in an automatic.”
Garden Grove runs its own maintenance program and Carraill said the Allison fitted-trucks also spend more time on the road than other trucks in the fleet.
“We’ve got a full workshop crew running two shifts with up to 12 guys per shift,” he said. “However, because they only require routine maintenance, the Allison models spend less time in the workshop – meaning they’re out doing what they’re supposed to do.”
