Isuzu ‘Hive Hauler’ buzzing for Collins Honey

Pollination through animals and insects is vital to Australia’s ecosystems: from keeping native bushland thriving, down to helping farmers get food onto our dinner tables.

Upwards of 65 per cent of flowering and seed plants require insect collaborators for pollination. Most of the legwork is handled by our busy bee population, though many other animals and insects also contribute, including birds, bats, ants, wasps, moths, butterflies.

Australia’s beekeepers are working to breed bees that are hardy, and importantly, resistant to illnesses carried by the invasive Varroa mite.

Founded in 1955, family business Collins Honey are deeply committed to keeping their yellow-and-black banded friends in good health and embedded in the pollination cycles of the flora around Greater Bendigo and Victoria.

“My dad (Norm Collins) has been a beekeeper for over 60 years. He started beekeeping when he was 13, with his dad (Norman Collins),” said Richard Collins, who is a third-generation beekeeper and director of Collins Honey.

“It all started one day when he was on his way home from school and saw an intense swarm of bees on a tree. He took the branch home to see what it was all about and the business has just grown from there.”

The Collins Honey 'Hive Hauler’, an FYJ 300-350 Auto 8x4

Liquid gold

Collins Honey operates from the regional city of Bendigo in Victoria, offering pollination services along with a range of fresh and delicious honey products.

This includes old-fashioned creamed honey, chocolate-coated honeycomb, and a variety of honeys with a flavour to suit all palates, such as ‘Benalla Red Stringy’ and ‘Hattah Mallee.’

They can be found at the Woodend Farmers Market on the first Saturday of the month, Castlemaine Farmers Market on the first Sunday of the Month, Bendigo Community Farmer’s Market on the second Saturday of each month, as well as shops, corner stores and cafes throughout Bendigo and the Macedon Ranges and service stations in Kangaroo Flat and Strathdale.

All product flows from the huge number of beehives Collins Honey maintains—over 2,000 of them.

“We will extract the honey we have collected throughout the year back in Bendigo, using our extractor which spins out the honeycomb from the frames into a vat,” Richard explained.

“Out extractor can spin 108 frames at once, so when we are in peak honey flow, we can get between three to six tonnes of honey in a single day!”

Pollen highways

The springtime sees Collins Honey engaged in moving hives to new locations, travelling across the region to satisfy their bees’ instinctual pollen collection drive and support good honey production.

They visit a large number of long-standing clients and community partners, building mutually beneficial relationships with farmers and produce growers.

Getting bees from A to Z across Bendigo, into Victoria and as far north as New South Wales requires reliable transport, which comes in the form of an Isuzu FYJ 300-350 Auto 8x4 for Collins Honey.

Their new Isuzu truck was purchased from Bendigo Isuzu (Poyser Trucks) under the purview of Sales Manager Luke Farrell, who assisted Richard with the fitout of the customised hive hauler.

Lovingly dubbed the ‘Hive Hauler’, the FYJ 300-350 features a GVM of 30,000 kg and extra-long wheelbase length of 6.7-metres, ensuring plenty of payload for the heavy hives and space for their precious cargo.

A custom-built curtainside body with mesh curtains assists with airflow around the hives, while keeping them safely contained during transport.

Supported by Isuzu’s 6UZ1-TCC six-cylinder, turbocharged engine, the FYJ 300-350 offers power at 257 kW (350 PS) @ 2,000 rpm and maximum torque of 1,422 Nm @ 1,400 rpm, providing the necessary grunt for the inclines and valleys around Bendigo. 

The FYJ’s heavy-duty Allison 4430 automatic transmission and twin-steer front axle makes handling the truck a breeze for Richard, who is in the driver’s seat multiple times per week during pollination season.

Richard is pleased with the truck’s performance and road presence since collecting it in April this year, saying it has quickly become an integral part of the operation.

Director Richard Collins is confident in the drivers' seat whether that be a truck or a hive loader

“The FYJ can cart 216 hives and there is even room and payload for our loader as well—with no issues about being over an acceptable weight.

“Studio Ink here in Bendigo have done the graphic design work for the logo and art for the hive hauler, Wizartry Signs applied our wrap, and Austruck created the custom body and curtains for us.

“We love supporting other local businesses at Collins Honey.”

Partners in pollination 

Traditions are strong in this family-run business. As Richard notes, his father Norm also favoured their local Isuzu dealership to provide the best vehicle and support for the business’ needs over the years.

Bendigo Isuzu consistently offers quality servicing and maintenance, which is vital for keeping Collins Honey’s on-road operations in good working order.

“We have always been able to rely on their service department, which is phenomenal,” Richard said.

“They are a local family business like us, and our experiences with the team there have been nothing but good.

“We can't afford to break down on the side of the road at night or risk the safety of the bees during the day, so we need a truck that can be trusted,” he continued.

“There are times where I have no phone reception, so it’s important to me to have a vehicle supported by a dealer network that can be relied on, no matter where I am.

“When I purchased the FYJ, I was really impressed with the six-year warranty and roadside assist package.”

Chasing the dream

Collins Honey are buzzing to expand the business in years to come, including hiring more staff to meet production demands and expanding their Isuzu truck fleet to ease the pressure off their new FYJ (and Richard) in moving hives around the country.

A trained chef as well as truck driver for Collins Honey, Richard will be putting his culinary expertise towards sharing the love of honey with his local community in Bendigo. He is also keen to share the love of beekeeping with the younger generation.

“Without bees, our food supply is severely reduced, so I think what we're doing is essential for the future.

“My goal, and the goal of many other beekeepers, is to try and have more young people working within the industry.

“Everyone at Collins Honey wants to thank the community that has got us where we are today, including our industry partners in farming, as well as Isuzu and the team at Poyser Trucks in Bendigo.”