A good deal to gas about: Supagas on savings & safety with new Isuzu fleet

When thousands of people are relying on you for energy, it pays to make sure that you can deliver.

Supagas is one of Australia’s leading national suppliers of liquid petroleum gas (LPG) covering a range of products and services from industrial, residential, and medical gas uses, down to the 8.5-kilogram swap bottles for the backyard barbeque.

According to National Fleet Manager Michael Greenep, it’s Supagas’ feel-good ‘YES WE CAN’ service promise and quality product that is seeing the company enjoy rapid success.

In line with this grows their reputation and a transport fleet which delivers products out of 46 depots around the nation.

“We offer heater gas, welding and forklift gas to transport yards, gas for food production, oxygen for the medical sector and private customers, and Co2 which puts the bubbles in beer—some might say that’s probably the most important gas we carry,” Michael said light-heartedly.

Supagas National Fleet Manager, Michael Greenep, behind the wheel.

Getting that gas where it needs to go is a fleet of over 650 pieces of equipment: 230 rigid trucks, 14 prime movers, just shy of 200 utilities and 49 new trucks on order from Isuzu which will be spread across the depots around Australia.

As with other fleets of comparable size, Supagas plans for a renewal term of eight years on its vehicles, ensuring that excellent value remains for eventual re-sale after retirement.

This is part of their fleet management strategy and specifically, in calculating total cost of ownership (TCO) or whole-of-life cost. This includes all associated expenses from purchase of the vehicle through to ongoing maintenance, predicated downtime and end-of-working-life value.

Under Michael’s direction, the forward plan is to purchase new trucks and replace existing trucks that have reached the eight-year mark with Isuzu models up to a GVM 26,000 kg.

This includes NNR 45-150, NQR 87-190 and FSR 120/140-240 models that will be used for LPG delivery, small tanker, and industrial supply.

Supagas began receiving the first of their 49 Isuzu trucks on order from mid-2023. Three NNRs are currently in service delivering heater cylinders for cafes in Sydney, customised with a specially designed tail lift for handling gas bottles.

A 600-litre tanker of the same NNR model is now visiting clients in Melbourne supplying specialty and medical gas.

For Supagas, Isuzu’s 4.5-tonne GVM model—specified with two-pedal Automated Manual Transmission—provides an easy training ground for standard car-licence holders and new drivers with the view to ‘grow their own’ pool of drivers.

Supagas delivers with their new Isuzu truck fleet

Michael noted driver feedback on their new truck acquisitions was ‘comfortable, quiet and easy to drive’ with positivity around Isuzu’s Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS).

Aside from the model range on offer, Michael said the calculated switch from their previous truck supplier was due to Isuzu’s leading six-year warranty and six-year roadside assistance package, in combination with a lower TCO per truck.

“The price of the trucks is very competitive, but we look at the total package, the whole cost of the truck,” said Michael.

“The price of maintenance, the repair contract… in all aspects Isuzu was more than competitive and they have a good understanding of what we need compared with other equipment manufacturers.”

Michael also has a close eye on the support that’s provided behind each vehicle, taking into consideration location and expected time off the road for maintenance.

“We’re Australia-wide, so the last thing I want is to receive a call at nine in the evening about a service problem in Perth,” he said dryly.

“One of the most important things for us is after the sale. We’re looking for that personalised care and service which Isuzu and their dealerships provide, which we can’t get from some of their market competitors.

“Simply put, we have a depot in Griffith—there’s an Isuzu dealer in Griffith. We have a depot in Nowra—there’s an Isuzu dealer in Nowra.

“We’re very happy with the product and very happy with the level of backup service and care.”

Supagas has opted for an Isuzu Total Service Agreement (Isuzu’s most comprehensive service package) for all new trucks, paid monthly, to further streamline their maintenance and cash flow.

Delivered through Isuzu’s national dealer network, it provides several benefits—and peace of mind for Fleet Manager Michael.

Supagas and National Fleet Manager Michael Greenep find value in Isuzu's comprehensive Service Agreements to streamline maintenance and cash flow

“If you’re paying out of your pocket for service and repair costs, it can bounce all over the place.

“With a service agreement it means we can budget for a flat outgoing, where we know what it’s going to cost, so happy days.

“We know that the vehicle is going to be serviced in line with the manufacturer’s recommendations and by the appointed dealer, which gives us comfort and assists with our Chain of Responsibility requirements.

“It also results in a higher resale value because the purchaser can see a proper service record clearly in line with the manufacturer’s recommendations.”

As a dangerous goods supplier, Supagas (and Michael personally) have a good reason to be heavily invested in driver and general road safety—with the decision to have full OEM support backing operations tying into this.

Each vehicle in the fleet fitted with a 100 km speed limiter, inward-and outward-facing cameras, yellow safety steps and grab handles, puddle lights, and a telematics system that takes care of route planning, amongst other safety measures.

“At the end of the day we want our drivers to return home,” concluded Michael.

“We believe everyone has the right to go home safely and running Isuzu trucks contributes to that.”