Ground-Breaking Partnership: GMA And Isuzu Trucks

We all love a one-stop shop, where everything you need is in one place. And that’s what Grounds Maintenance Australia (GMA) has set out to do.

A one-stop shop for all different types of maintenance needs, GMA has a broad name for a broad-ranging reason—to provide services of all sorts. GMA’s services range from industrial cleaning to landscaping, and everything else such as office cleaning, furniture removal, waste removal and, of course, grounds maintenance like turf maintenance and revegetation. And they can do everything in between; you just have to ask.  This includes a job recently where GMA was tasked with creating an army barracks–style gate for use in an upcoming series on Stan. GMA Managing Director and owner, Steve Marett, is proud of their versatility. Steve said, “We’ve definitely got our wings spread.” With a goal of versatility and flexibility in mind, what with the jobs they take on, Steve knew he needed something that could handle the heavy load of a ride-on sweeper; easily handle the distance from Ballarat to Geelong to Melbourne; and access Melbourne’s tight alleys and roads. Steve headed to Westar Trucks and picked up his first Isuzu, an NLR 45-150 Tipper. He was so impressed that in 2017 he got himself another NLR 45-150 Tipper, and an NPR 65-190 Tipper in the following year. Steve named the three trucks the ‘Mosquito’ fleet, after the Essendon Football Club. “I named them that because they are nimble, agile and reliable,” Steve shared. The decision to buy Isuzu trucks, and particularly the N Series trucks, was a calculated decision with five, carefully considered factors. The first factor was the positive reputation for reliability and quality of Isuzu trucks, something that was incredibly important for Steve and his business. “We need to be able to just get into the truck every morning, turn the key every day and get to work with no hassle.” The second factor was quality and layout of the cabin. Isuzu’s cab designs are spacious, boasting comfortable seats, as well as large windows and mirrors that give the driver optimal viewing and a sense of security. For Steve, this was imperative for the types of situations he drives in. Steve said, “When we’re doing city driving, towing trailers or reversing, we need that large vision space.” While the trucks provide the space needed to store GMA’s tools and materials, the N Series trucks also have excellent manoeuvrability—another essential for city driving. “You can turn them on a dime. “They’re almost as good as a car, I’d say,” Steve added. The NLR 45-150 Tippers are versatile enough in that they can be driven on a car licence and bought in automatic transmission, offering Steve the freedom to trust any employee in the truck. Steve explained, “They’re the best suited trucks around for our first-year apprentices to drive, whether they’re getting their truck license or not.” The third factor is the power that the humble N Series trucks offers. Despite being the smallest range in the Isuzu Trucks suite, they don’t act like it. The NLR 45-150 features a gross vehicle mass of 4,500 kg and a gross combination mass of 8,000 kg, with a power of 110kW @ 2,800 rpm and a torque of 375 Nm @ 1,600 - 2,800 rpm. For Steve, this reduces stress when they’re out on jobs, towing heavy maintenance equipment and unexpected loads. “With the trucks’ towing and braking capacities, it takes a lot of the worry out of having employees tow heavy trailers. “Also, it takes the worry out of situations where we go to a job and have to take on extra tasks, we have the capacity to undertake them there and then because we’ve got that power and tray space,” Steve said. The fourth factor is the high-quality construction and fabrication of the factory-made tipper body, available in the Ready-To-Work Tipper trucks. Steve said, “The Isuzu tipper just seemed a lot better in quality and a lot more heavy-duty than other brands that we’ve tried.” The tipper bodies of their Isuzu’s also provide flexibility to the GMA crew, allowing them to not be limited just to a tray. Explaining this, Steve said, “They’re so versatile with the drop-down sides. “You can use them as a tray back, you can use them as a tipper, you can use them for whatever you want, basically.” And the fifth factor is the price. Considering whole-of-life costs, Isuzu trucks are reasonably priced for the everyday user to be able to purchase them, and included in their price is the quality of an Isuzu truck, the extensive dealership network and aftersales support that will ensure you’re never left in the dust. Steve shared, “We got a very good deal on all of our trucks… that basically sealed the deal for us. “And compared to other brands we’ve used, our Isuzu trucks just eat them for breakfast.”