Heavy Automatics And Isuzu Trucks Keep You Moving

Every high-performance vehicle derives its efficiency from a seamless transmission. Innocuously dubbed the gearbox, a vehicle’s transmission ensures that an engine’s rotational power gets transferred to the wheels—keeping the vehicle moving.

And this is exactly what the team at Heavy Automatics prides themselves on—keeping vehicles and drivers on the road. Established in 1990, Heavy Automatics operates workshops and dealerships in most major cities in Australia. The crew at the Brisbane branch specialises in Allison Transmissions products, which are globally acclaimed and widely used across commercial vehicles, such as heavy-duty vehicles in varying industries such as bus, waste, firefighting, construction, military and other speciality applications. Having worked for Heavy Automatics for over 12 years, Service Manager Brendon Clunie manages the dispatch of their 24-hour breakdown service. “We do field service daily and are very metro-focused,” said Brendon. “Rain or shine, we service pretty much all of Queensland and the upper half of northern New South Wales. “We’ll drive everywhere—from metro highways to rural off-roads and even to mine sites.” Supporting their intensive operations, enter the versatile Isuzu NLR 45-150 Servicepack X, recently purchased from Brisbane Isuzu. Explaining their truck purchase Brendon said, “We wanted a step up to something a little bigger from the ute that we currently use for field service. “When we receive a call for breakdown assistance, we carry pretty much everything from general tooling to 120 litres of automatic transmission fluids that we need to help keep the vehicle going.” Brendon believes it is the features of the Servicepack X that makes the truck the perfect transport solution for those in the business of servicing breakdowns. Speaking of the Servicepack X, Brendon said, “Having a fully enclosed toolbox helps us keep everything secure. “Some of our crew travel overnight, so it is great having all their tools sitting inside for security. “The truck also has that extra bit on the back where we can put the transmission and take it to site if we need to, so it really is the ideal truck for us. “Besides, there really isn’t any other vehicle manufacturer who offer this type of vehicle.” With a gross vehicle mass of 4,500 kg, a gross combination mass of 8,000 kg, a power of 110 kW @ 2,800 rpm and a torque of 375 Nm @ 1,600–2,800 rpm, the NLR 45-150 Servicepack X is more than a step up from a ute; the Isuzu truck allows the Heavy Automatics crew to carry all their tools, and do it in style. Brendon said, “Our Isuzu is a structurally sound truck, and it looks good too.” The Heavy Automatics field crew is highly passionate about getting drivers safely back on the road because the team fully understands the implications of downtime and how it affects every client. “Downtime really is a massive issue. “When a vehicle is not in service, it affects the business’s ability to earn an income,” said Brendon, talking about the very problem the Heavy Automatics staff are trained to mitigate—making reliability a core part and requirement of their business. “With our close working relationship with the folks at Brisbane Isuzu, we know we can rely on them, as well as the Isuzu Trucks brand. “Reliability is the top priority for us, which is one of the main reasons why we chose the Isuzu NLR 45-150 Servicepack X,” Brendon said. “We also do extended travel if required, so the comfort of the cab is also very important. And Isuzu is a proven brand with comfortable cabs.” Apart from the Heavy Automatics 24-hour breakdown service, Brendon also manages the overall operation of the workshop, including servicing, repairs and support of all Allison Transmissions products. “We stock large inventories of new spare parts in our facility, and we always carry a wide range of changeover transmissions for all Allison models,” Brendon shared. And even if local parts are unavailable, the crew at Heavy Automatics can still get a vehicle back in service quickly, by utilising the emergency air freight service from our National Warehouse. Brendon believes that the future will undoubtedly get busier for the Heavy Automatics crew, and they’re looking at a certain tried and tested truck brand to continue transporting their crew and equipment. “The Isuzu trucks all come with a good structural and robust build, and they’re also reasonably priced. “Our business is growing, and I am confident we will look to purchase more Isuzu trucks in the future,” Brendon concluded.