Shovel ready: Indetail Civil Keeps Moving with Isuzu’s Heavy Haulers

‘New infrastructure for a new economy’… It’s a sentiment Aussies have heard expressed many times over from respective governments during the tough months of 2020. For regular citizens, these buzzwords might be just that—a buzz that’s a bit fuzzy, a little numbing (not unlike wearing a mask for 10 hours while on the job). But with this comes strong attention on construction. The needed economic boost for shovel-ready infrastructure projects has hundreds of small-and medium-size contractors busier-than-ever, and working double time to support Australia’s economic recovery. “We don’t have time for breakdowns,” says Fabio Macarlino, owner of iNDETAiL Civil in Canberra, a civil works and bulk haulage operation that covers earthmoving, demolition haulage, and also asbestos contaminate cartage.

Owner of iNDETAiL Civil Fabio Macarlino and driver, Robbie Agnello

“We’ve got eight trucks on a job at any one time, 12 drivers and 25 machinery operators in total. “Our typical clients range from government to developers and others in the private sector. “COVID-19 has been hard, but I have to say we’ve been off our feet over the past few months.” A concreter by trade before establishing iNDETAiL Civil in 1999, Fabio is a true-blue stoic, unafraid of the hard work it takes to grow a one-man band into a prospering company. Like many entrepreneurs he had started small, with a bobcat, a little tipper and a compact 1.6-tonne excavator. But now, after 22 years on the job, Fabio handles a goodly fleet that includes three Isuzu trucks—a Giga CXY 455 (Giga 240-460), an FYH 2000 Auto (FYH 300-350) and a new FVR 165-300—all sporting tipper bodies and purchased from Canberra Isuzu in the last three years. Although Fabio previously relied on American brands, in 2017 he turned to Isuzu Trucks, for reasons aside from sheer grunt factor—though he says the Giga CXY’s 6-cylinder engine is no slouch with power of 338 kW @ 1,800 rpm and torque of 2,255 Nm @ 1,300 rpm.

iNDETAiL Civil driver Robbie Agnello

“I chose the Isuzu trucks for their power and payload capacity,” said Fabio. “The fuel efficiency of the Isuzus is noticeable, especially when compared to the other truck brands, too. “But choosing Isuzu, it was really about Isuzu’s reputation for reliability, and the servicing and accessibility of the Canberra dealership, which is less than three kilometres away from my depot.” For a busy operator, the support of rigorously trained technicians and staff at the nearby Isuzu dealership—not to mention after-hours servicing options—can’t be understated. “I had a great experience with Canberra Isuzu. Really good,” noted Fabio. “Haven’t had any breakdown issues with the trucks even though they’re pulling some distance… over 300 kilometres a day per unit.” With jobs regularly going on for months at a time, that’s a lot of hours on the road and in the cab for Fabio’s drivers. “The guys spend up to 10 hours a day in the cab and they’re liking the comfort, the climate control and the hands-free feature to take calls.” iNDETAiL’s crew has no complaints about the trucks’ multimedia system making the workday a bit more enjoyable, or the ISRI 6860 air suspension driver’s seat with lumbar support and adjustable shock absorber, which makes sure their backs and behinds are taken care of. It was these in-cab features and the extra touches in Isuzu's heavy-duty range that sealed the deal for Fabio. Working primarily at building sites with low traction tracks, a top priority for Fabio when adding to his truck fleet was selecting a truck capable of efficiently navigating off-road environments—all with the capacity to handle punishing payloads and additional machinery hauled on trailers. “Off-road capability was a big consideration; we rarely travel on sealed roads unless it’s to the tip site. “Bulk haulage, excavation, demolition, it’s a tough game. And that’s not even mentioning the asbestos remediation work we do. “But down to brass tacks, the Isuzus do it all for us… and compared to some other trucks, they come up to scratch very well. “Reliability, safety and comfort, that’s what we get from our Isuzus,” adds Fabio.