Hire purpose: Coates & Isuzu partnership continues to deliver

With more than 145 branches across Australia, the Coates name is synonymous with construction, agriculture and heavy industry.

Their trademark orange branding can be seen prominently at work sites across the country, proving that their popularity with customers remains unsurpassed.

Coates is Australia’s leading equipment hire and solutions provider and can deliver for any job, big or small.

“We offer the largest range of equipment hire across a broad range of different industries,” said Dan Goodfellow, Group Manager of Products at Coates.

Group Manager of Products at Coates, Dan Goodfellow

“We aim to provide customers with what they need, whenever and wherever they need it. Our national footprint across Australia, extensive fleet size and great employees make this happen.

“We only work with partners that we know are going to provide great service and support to ultimately help our customers do their jobs, and that’s why we enjoy working with Isuzu Trucks.”

Trucking success

The brand has amassed more than $2 billion worth of assets to date. This includes a hire truck fleet of nearly 500 vehicles—the majority specified as light-and medium-duty tippers, including 4x4 and crew cab models that are well suited for transporting larger teams to site.

Coates rely heavily on the reliability of Isuzu’s Ready-to-Work Tipper range to support both this external hire fleet and their internal operations.

Isuzu's Ready-to-Work Tippers are turnkey, pre-bodied trucks covering a large Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM) bracket from 4,500 kilograms through to 14,000 kilograms, with the option of a four-or six-cylinder turbocharged engine (model dependent).

For Coates customers with a car licence, the popular 4.5-tonne GVM model NLR 45-150 AMT Tipper takes pride of place, while a range of NPR 65-190 Tippers, NPR 75-190 Tippers, and FRR 110-240 AMT Tippers are available for those with rigid licences needing more oomph.

A new Isuzu Tipper truck heading from Suttons Arncliffe to its future home in a Coates Hub

“The particular tipper models that we run are workhorses, which we find are fuel efficient and have a good power-to-payload ratio,” said Dan.

“Our tipper fleet goes from construction sites, mine sites and heavy manufacturing without a problem one week, and then will be used for moving dirt to a school or at a corporate event the following week.

“These trucks are the all-rounders of the hire industry,” he summarised.

Long working life

Isuzu Tippers have plenty of work-smart features to please Coates customers, including an auto-release two-way tailgate which makes loading up the tray a breeze. The hydraulic hoist on the tray has a 20-second raise and lower time which makes for speedy unloading, which can be handled from the driver's seat via the tipper control panel mounted in the cab.

Built tough with Isuzu’s heavy-duty, all-steel construction and durable plate thickness, the Japanese, ShinMaywa-produced bodies are renowned for durability and dependability in the most demanding of environments and vocations, such as dry hire.

Any truck purchased by Coates faces a gruelling 10-year working life, but the company are careful in their approach to maintaining and renewing their fleet to ensure a high level of performance.

“Our approach to fleet replacement, especially if it's a large volume, is to give our suppliers at least six to 12 months lead time.

“This makes everything easier for the supplier while staying mindful of supply chain issues,” Dan explained.

Well-oiled machine

Catering to customers who work in tough conditions from mining to construction, civil engineering and earthworks, two of Coates’ key priorities are the reliability and the safety of each machine every time it leaves the yard.

Aftersales support and a relationship with the OEM are vital to this.

Dan said Isuzu Trucks’ ability to deliver fast turnaround when organising servicing and genuine parts for repairs keeps their well-oiled operation moving.

Further to this, Isuzu’s watertight warranty offering is worth its weight in gold for their high turnover business.

“The team always provide fast and reliable service whether it is new vehicle quotes, aftersales support, service and repairs or parts,” said Dan.

“Our customers are delivering time critical jobs, so this is valuable to us.”

With hire assets spread across the country—some of which are in remote and rural locations—quick action on preventative maintenance is also critical to keep the fleet in top shape.

“We have thousands of truck movements around the country on a weekly basis between the 145- branches, as well as on location for client's projects.

“We really pride ourselves on working with suppliers like Isuzu Trucks that allow us to provide smart, safe and sustainable equipment to our customers,” said Dan.