OUT OF THE PARK: ISUZU HEAVY-HITTER BRINGS SKATING TO THE MASSES

[image_gallery][/image_gallery] Working within a niche market usually means you’re constantly in demand, and being able to rely on your capital equipment is essential when work is piling on. Precision Skate parks, founded by Michael Haley fifteen years ago has gone from strength to strength, riding the wave of skating’s popularity across Australia. With a new job commencing every six weeks, Mr Haley needs to be able to rely on his equipment and dependability is absolutely essential. From Red Cliffs Mildura Skate Park in Victoria to Lithgow in New South Wales, Precision skate parks are ranked among some of the best in the country, with hundreds of skaters countrywide taking advantage of their innovative designs. To ensure all bases were covered in terms of hard landscape construction, Mr Haley recent bought an Isuzu Giga 455 CXY with an Eaton RTLO 18 speed mesh transmission hauling a tipper and detachable dog cart. “We build concrete skate parks all over Australia, and we’re mostly hired by local councils and authorities. We do everything, from carting the materials from the quarry, to the building of the park itself, and deal with the waste after the job is done” Mr Haley said. With a GVM of 24,000kg and a max power of 338 kW @1800 rpm and a torque of 2255 Nm @ 1400 rpm the 6 cylinder engine offers ample power for a heavy duty application. After researching different trucks and applications, Precision decided on the iconic Isuzu brand for a number of reasons. “We looked at all truck brands, and felt that the Isuzu was the best value for money for what we needed. We wanted big horsepower for the dog cart, and it had to be reliable. We’ve had no problems so far, there’s plenty of power. It’s a good truck,” He added. Mr Haley and his six staff share two vehicles that traverse the country with a wide variety of tools and equipment. Needless to say, in-cab comfort was a key component in the choice. Spending up to twelve hours a day in the truck, five days a week means that Precision had to ensure a maximum comfort level for their drivers. “When we start transporting materials, it can be four or five days straight on the road with ten to twelve hour shifts in the truck, Mr Haley said. “We simply must get the build material to the site on time, following that, the truck is used on and off during the job. Finally, it’s used for transporting waste. We have a new job every four to six weeks, so it gets used a lot. The cab is very comfortable, and we’ve found it’s a lot like driving a car.” Contributing to the car-like comfort are features is the Isri 6860 air suspension driver’s seat with pneumatic lumbar support, and front passenger adjustable bucket seat. For long hauls the ADR 42 compliant sleeper with mattress and large console with storage compartments and heat/cool box keeps driver fatigue under control. Fully integrated auto control air conditioning and heater coupled with a two speaker radio/CD multimedia unit with 4.8” LCD touch screen and Bluetooth also contribute to a more enjoyable drive for driver and passengers. Concentrating on comfort doesn’t come at the price of safety either as all Giga cabs comply with the latest ECE-R29 standard, so they are truly world-class. Double side-intrusion bars, ABS, seatbelt pre-tensioners and load-limiters, and driver side airbag are all standard. Working with Blacklocks Isuzu in Wodonga, Mr Haley added a few customised touches such as reversing cameras to deal with the extended length on the dog kart, and LED flashing lights for added safety when manoeuvring in urban spaces. “We added a few small touches to make it more durable for the work we do. We’re often right in the city centre, really centralised areas, so these little things are essential for us and the dealers were easy to work with.” With only one other truck in operation right now, being able to rely on the Isuzu Giga is essential, and Michael says it won’t be the only Isuzu for long. “We’re looking at upgrading our other truck and we’ll be going for an Isuzu truck again. For us it’s very solid and very smooth.” ends Attached images:

•          Precision Skate Park founder, Michael Haley
•          Precision Skate Parks Isuzu Giga 455
•          The finished product in Coffs Harbor

  For further information, please contact:                For Isuzu Truck Releases and Photos: Jeff Birdseye                                                           Arkajon Communications Marketing Manager                                                  Phone: 03 9867 5611 Isuzu Australia Limited                                             Email: isuzu@arkajon.com.au Phone: 03 9644 6666