What’s your favourite truck that you’ve ever seen? Was it pristine clean, a restored old beauty? Or was it a brand spanking new model, with technology attached that surprised you and made you ogle in wonder?
Each year, every truck enthusiast throughout Australia gets to enjoy some of the best looking Isuzu models in action around the nation when the major manufacturer announces the winners of its Truck of the Year competition. Behind the 2024 winners, revealed late last year, is a story that is just as unique as the special vehicle they use each and every day.
For all of this trucking love, the Grand Prize for 2024 went to a plumber. At Sydney Side Plumbing – leak protection has been the primary focus for Mohammad ‘Mo’ Mourad and his team since starting the business roughly 15 years ago.
Having been in the plumbing sector for just under 30 years, Mo knew he needed a vehicle to transport his tools and parts in style. A day’s work often includes travelling all over Sydney so being able to quickly race to his truck and find the right piece of equipment was always a top priority.
Yet Mo didn’t know what he wanted his truck to look like and include until he found inspiration on a trip to the Big Apple more than a decade ago.
“I was on my way to New York with my brother in 2013 and saw a truck on the street there in Manhattan,” Mo told OwnerDriver.
“I turned to my brother and told him it was a nice and stylish truck, one that I wanted to build one day for my work.”
Just a year later, the time came to acquire a truck that would match his plumbing needs. After a very good friend helped Mo design what he wanted, Isuzu quickly came calling, with one of the brand’s fabricators helping build the custom-designed model for Mo and Sydney Side Plumbing. It caused a splash in the local plumbing community.
“A lot of people told me I was crazy for building a truck back then, as they all normally drove around in utes and vans,” he says.
“When it was all wrapped and finished, I had many people come past my mum’s house knocking on the door to take a photo of the truck because they loved the design and wanted to do something similar for their business.”
That first unique Isuzu truck quickly became the talk of the town. Mo developed a love for the Isuzu brand, with the reliability of his special model meaning Mo soon spread the word to fellow plumbers that Isuzu would look after their needs.
Roughly 10 years after Mo first went to Isuzu for the groundbreaking truck, he decided to return to design a new custom truck that could take his business to the next level.
“We wanted to build a truck that would come equipped with every single fitting we’d need to tackle each job and complete high quality leak protection,” he says.
“We wanted to fill the tray with every single type of fitting we could so that we had everything we needed when we went to a job. Whether it was repairing a pipe or leak protection, we wanted to have a truck fitted with everything in case of emergency.”
With Mo enjoying the comfort of the Isuzu brand, the end result was a custom NLR 45-150 that became more than just his own special vehicle. With a high-pressure water jet out the back, PVC pipe holders on top, emergency lights and an LED board on the dash, the eye-catching truck soon began turning heads once again.
Also featuring jackhammers, concrete stores and every single type of pipe a plumber could ever ask for, the new Isuzu unit allows Mo and his team to complete a wide range of jobs onsite without having to go back and forth to suppliers to secure parts. The unique truck is more than a just an attention-catcher – it also acts as a mobile warehouse for the Sydney Side Plumbing team.
This unique design saw Mo become the 2024 Grand Prize winner for the Isuzu Truck of the Year competition, with judges impressed by the one-of-a-kind NLR 45-150. On top of this, Mo and his team also won the ‘King of the N Series’ prize, taking home two gongs.
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He says it’s accolades like this and the constant service his truck receives that makes Isuzu an appropriate choice for his unique plumbing needs.
“The trucks have always been outstanding, and I make sure they get serviced very often,” he says.
“I’m very proud to have won the Truck of the Year honour for Sydney Side Plumbing. It’s brought a massive smile to our faces, and hopefully it allows us to continue doing the same for people who need leak protection.”
Mo and Sydney Side Plumbing weren’t the only ones who were recognised at the Isuzu Truck of the Year awards for 2024. In Kyneton, Victoria, Dean Lamb from Watts Fresh was crowned the King of the FX Series for last year.
Watts Fresh provides the regional Victorian town with local deli goods, health foods, fruit and vegetables, with its FXY 240-350 model becoming a key cog in its successful machine. The custom-made heavy-duty transport truck has kept produce fresh with its special attachments.
“Our FXY 240-350 has a custom insulated side curtain and is the first brand new truck we’ve ever bought,” Dean told OwnerDriver.
“My first ever truck was an old Dodger with a motor in it that I bought for around $700 and had dad paint for me to use with our first shop. This is the fifth fruit shop my wife and I have owned, and we’ve had it for about 11 years now.”
The decision to buy a new truck has paid dividends. The good old fashioned greengrocers have succeeded at various locations, with the Kyneton venture having been listed in the top 10 retail fruit and veg stores in Victoria in multiple years.
The couple know how to vendor fruit and veggies, but they didn’t always know the best options for trucks to help their business grow. Dean recalls a few “horror stories” in days gone by where old trucks they used had holes in the floor, no brakes or wires that would catch fire. When he bought the new Isuzu, he realised the power of a good quality truck.
“We went the extra mile with this Isuzu model and included an insulated body on the back from Prestige Truck Bodies to go with the insulated curtains,” he says.
“My daughter came up with the graphics for the curtains, and it all went smoothly. It means we have better quality produce even if we’re stuck in traffic, as the truck will help us hold a cool temperature.
“Initially I was going to buy a smaller version of the truck, but we decided to go for a larger size. When we come home the truck is nearly full, and we have some big hills on the way home that the truck tackles with ease.”
The larger model has also allowed Dean and his wife to train new staff to drive without much hassle. It’s this care for produce and service that allows Dean to call for Australians to celebrate their own independent greengrocers to ensure they remain a vital part of the community.
“We can do things better than the big supermarket players,” he says.
“The first rule I learnt at my very first shop was to buy good quality produce and value our customers – this truck helps us give customers great value and the best quality fruit and veg.”
In the FY competition, Daniel O’Brien and Brooks Lift and Shift took home the award for their FYJ 300-350 crane truck. Daniel has driven the truck for the past year since Brooks first bought it, with Daniel driving it interstate between Adelaide and Melbourne, as well as to and from Geelong.
“My Isuzu is very versatile in what it is able to carry and lift,” Daniel told OwnerDriver.
Daniel has been driving crane trucks for eight years at Brooks Lift and Shift after originally gaining experience in the mining maintenance sector. Since first hopping behind the wheel at age 17, he’s only driven Isuzu models.
The special part of Brooks Lift and Shift’s new FYJ 300-350 crane truck is its unique crane attached, with the fitting making it stand out as an eye-catching model.
“It’s got a decent sized crane on it for the size of the truck,” he says.
“It’s a brand new truck that I’ve been driving since the business collected it. I decided to enter it in the Isuzu Truck of the Year competition because it’s a unique fresh build that not many may have out there.”
The award is deserved recognition for Daniel and the team at Brooks Lift and Shift. When they first ordered the model and went through the build process, the company had a goal of making it look worthy of being a possible Truck of the Year winner. This included the group taking their time to ensure the truck came with all appropriate features so that there was no need to have to add more parts to it as time went on.
It all paid off when Daniel and the Brooks team were named in the latest round of Isuzu Truck of the Year winners for 2024.
“We were so chuffed when it was named a Truck of the Month, even more so when it was crowned the King of the FY Series,” he says.
“We were stunned by the news, but the truck has performed well and we’re happy to win the award.”
The final category was the F Series prize winner, with Jason Spiteri and Zozo’s Earthworx winning with a classic FRR 600. Operating out of Dean Park in New South Wales, the special truck follows similar themes to the other Isuzu winners for 2024.
“What makes our truck special to us is that the whole thing was custom built by myself in my backyard,” Jason says.
“I put a lot of hard work and labour into transforming it from the Pantech that it was when I first bought it.”
To find out when the 2025 competition opens head to www.isuzu.com.au for more information.
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