GIGA BRINGS AUSSIE LIVESTOCK TO MARKET

[image_gallery][/image_gallery] Australia produces some of the finest livestock in the world. But a farmer’s blood, sweat and water-rations are for nothing if they can’t get the beast safely to a market or abattoir. Tony, from Tony Schaefer Transport, ensures animals from the Riverina community of Wymah and its surrounding regions reach their next stop in peak condition. “I just thought I’d give it a go,” Tony said. “There was a vacancy for a livestock carrier in this area – a fella had retired, so I knew there was a need. I bought his business seven years ago and it went from there.” Tony’s routes can be long and fragmented – from his home base on his own sheep and cattle farm at Wymah, his territory splinters across the highways and back-roads of Southern New South Wales and North Eastern Victoria. This can mean up to 12 hours a day on the road, and on these long hauls, Tony’s thankful for the comfort and power of his Isuzu Giga CXY 455 Long Premium. “It’s a great truck for what I do – loaded or empty, it handles the country roads very, very well. “The position of the driver in the cab is perfect, and the cab suspension makes the drive really comfortable,” he said. The Giga is the undisputed heavyweight of the Isuzu truck range and Tony’s CXY 455 Long Premium offers a six-cylinder SITEC Series II engine, which produces 455 horsepower with 2,255 Nm of torque at 1,300 RPM. Tony takes full advantage of this power, sending his fully loaded Giga through every kind of terrain imaginable, from freeways to farm tracks. “There’s a lot of off-road, a lot of work through paddocks and a lot on dirt roads that haven’t been graded in a long time. “The truck’s handling it all – it’s standing up to the rough stuff brilliantly,” Tony said. Tony even notes that he doesn’t need to engage his diff locks on uneven surfaces, something he would have done with his previous trucks. “When I’m loaded up, the truck’s very close to the legal weight, but I never have to worry about the wheels slipping or anything like that – it handles it all perfectly.” Tony says he was motivated to get the Giga because it came just as he needed it, straight off the dealer’s lot. “The standard truck had everything in it I wanted, all I did was include a bullbar and an extra fuel tank. “The visibility’s excellent, it’s doing very well on fuel – it’s perfectly suited to what I use it for,” Tony said. The Giga Premium model is fitted with a 12 speed Automated Manual Transmission (AMT), offering both Auto and Manual operation modes. “I’d definitely stick with the 2 pedal operation of an AMT or auto if I was to get another truck, the Giga’s AMT is great – you can concentrate fully on the road,” Tony said. This all translates to a smoother, hassle-free drive, with no concerns about changing gears, or losing power or traction. These features are crucial when you’re travelling 175,000 kilometres a year, and crossing state borders every day. Tony needs to know he can trust his truck – whatever the conditions – and that he has the confidence of all the after sales service and ongoing support he needs. “It’s had one service so far, it all went very well. “Eryn Knobel from Blacklocks Truck Centre (Wodonga, Victoria) was just excellent to work with. No hassles. Everything was easy and made very simple. The service, before and after the sale, it was all excellent.’ And the final word on the Giga itself? “Couldn’t be happier. Nothing but compliments for it!” ends For further information, please contact:                Jeff Birdseye                                                             Isuzu Australia Limited                                              Phone: 03 9644 6666                                               For Isuzu Truck Releases and Photos: Arkajon Communications Phone: 03 9867 5611 Email: isuzu@arkajon.com.au