Building With Premix Concrete And Isuzu Trucks

When we think about the vital building blocks of the Australian economy, the importance of the concrete industry seldom comes to mind, but this is, quite literally, the foundation Australian communities and businesses are built on.

  Family-owned Premix Concrete S.A. understands the role their range of premixed concrete plays in their local community and the wider economy, which is why transporting this resource efficiently and safely is a major consideration. Owned and operated by the Femia family, the business is now run by the founder’s sons after being started a little over 30 years ago by the family patriarch, Vic Femia. Vic Femia, founder of Premix Concrete SA The business services a huge area of South Australia, and this includes navigating busy city streets, dusty back roads and even the beautiful Barossa Valley, often transporting full loads up to 5 cubic metres per trip, with their larger trucks hauling up to 7 cubic metres per load. Delivering their products to new subdivisions, building sites or suburban driveways all require the trucks to travel great distances from Premix Concrete’s three depots to their customers’ locations. This means their trucks are on the road all day, and average 2,800 km per month. With such heavy demands on the vehicles, reliability becomes a huge factor. So their purchase of an all new Isuzu FYJ 300-350 Agitator to add to their fleet, was a natural choice. Sales Manager for Premix Concrete S.A. Scott Dykstra said, “We needed a truck that was capable of doing the job that we needed it for; that was our priority. “And we knew, after having owned several Isuzu trucks, we could trust the brand to deliver a truck that was perfectly suited to our application.” Armondo Forte, Premix Concrete crew With all these high-demand concrete products, the task of delivering them on time and safely to worksites surrounded by rough terrain becomes a significant challenge. But with the FYJ Agitator, Isuzu Trucks helps the business meet that challenge with the necessary power and manoeuvrability. The FYJ Agitator features a gross vehicle mass of 30,000 kg, a power of 257 kW @ 2,000 rpm and a torque of 1,422 Nm @ 1,400 rpm, helping them to both haul heavy loads and get over embankments, curbs and other worksite obstacles with ease. Additionally, the FYJ Agitator’s generous turning circle means Premix Concrete can comfortably get to hard-to-access sites. Scott said, “Having a truck that can handle the power output we need means access is not a problem. “The cab also has exceptional vision, which means reversing the truck in enclosed spaces is safer, giving our drivers greater versatility.” Their newest Isuzu truck is an addition to the huge array of Isuzu trucks they already boast, which includes an FYJ 300-350, an FVY 240-300, an FVZ 260-300 and nine FVZ 1400s. Speaking of their choice of Isuzu trucks, Scott explained, “In our business, there’s no option to simply hire an agitator if our vehicle breaks down. “Having vehicles inoperative means you are losing money and customer confidence. “Having good vehicle management, preventative maintenance and a reliable vehicle are the keys to keeping our trucks on the road and, in consequence, our customers happy.” It’s not just reliable delivery that has made Premix Concrete S.A. the first choice for their customers—it is also the quality and variety of concrete mixes they offer. “We provide a large range of products to cater for a variety of customer needs with normal class concrete, special class concrete such as cementitious low-strength material, block fill, shotcrete as well as polished, exposed, seeded and colour through finishes,” said Scott. “What makes us different from the other players in this highly competitive industry is our customer service. We take great pride in providing assistance to our clients and catering our services to their needs. “Having a reliable vehicle enables us to maintain that commitment with our customer.” Indeed, this commitment to customer service and reliable delivery has seen the business grow from owning one truck back in 1989 to an impressive fleet of 30 concrete trucks—in addition to a laboratory, three operational plants and 50 local employees. Of course, as with every successful business, employee satisfaction with company equipment is important. “Our drivers love the new FYJ Agitator. “The cab is also super comfortable and there is plenty of storage space, keeping things organised,” remarked Scott. But at the end of the day, it all comes down to reliability. “We trust the Isuzu brand to keep us operational.”