Isuzu's NNR 45-150 models have proved a winner for Deol Car & Truck Rentals
With a heavy reliance on road transport, Australia has proven to be a place of opportunity for those in the business of trucking; from the sole contractors and owner-drivers through to the titans of transport moving all and sundry across the country.
When Isuzu Australia last spoke with Apinder Deol – known casually as Deol – he was in the process of expanding his business, Move In Removals and Truck Rentals, across the border from South Australia into Victoria, Queensland and New South Wales.
At the time, in 2017, Deol had a fleet of 34 Isuzu trucks, the first of which was purchased from the North East Isuzu dealership. His aim was to provide coverage across eastern and southern states, specialising in both furniture removals and vehicle hire industries.
Building momentum
This interstate expansion opened new doors for Deol and, with a business growing rapidly, he added rental cars to the core offering of trucks for hire.
He also brought in close family members Raj and Sherry to assist, and 2019 saw them operating 275 vehicles on the road, including a large fleet of light-and medium-duty Isuzu trucks.
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Apinder Deol (left) and Sherry
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From a business that was born of Deol sub-contracting to Toll IPEC with one truck, to hiring out a second truck to a colleague, and on to a fleet of considerable size within 10 years, it’s an impressive story of growth and perseverance.
And by all accounts, there were big plans in store for the year 2020.
Then … COVID-19 hit.
With state and international borders closed, the house and furniture removal side of the business ground to a halt. Ongoing uncertainty surrounded interstate movement and Deol and Sherry made the tough decision to let this side of the business go completely, channelling energy and vehicles solely into the hire fleet.
Homing in
Such vigorous ‘trimming’ was an exercise necessary for many businesses during the pandemic and, for Deol and Sherry, it also meant homing in on a truck model that was versatile (and reliable) enough to cover a multitude of hire uses, and that could provide the backbone for the fleet.
Isuzu’s NNR 45-150 medium-wheelbase option with automated manual transmission (AMT) proved just the trick for tackling the bulk of urban jobs.
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Apinder Deol gets behind the wheel of an Isuzu N Series
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Offering standard car licence driving at 4,500kg GVM, their NNR 45-150s feature a max power rating of 110kW (150ps) @ 2,800rpm and torque of 375Nm @ 1,600–2,800rpm supplies the grunt to handle loads up to 8,000kg GCM. Combined with easy handling and driver-friendly cabin appointments, the NNR has fantastic curb appeal for clients.
Now, with no less than 95 Isuzu trucks on the books, Deol and Sherry also made the considered move to add one-and two-tonne vans to the rental fleet; numbering 375 vehicles in total at the close of 2021.
COVID impacts
The transition however, had its ups and downs, explains Sherry.
“From a sentimental point of view, it was really difficult to stop the house-moving side of the business,” he says.
“As the foundation phase of our company, we were very emotionally attached to it, but COVID actually provided us the perfect opportunity to make the switch. We were able to use our trucks from the removal business and rent them out to the road transport sector, who were getting smashed by online order demand.
“It ended up being a timely ‘win-win’ for us.”
Flexibility key
The light-duty truck segment remains critical to Deol and Sherry’s rental strategy, targeting freight and logistic operators who need the flexibility of trucks sitting at 4,500kg GVM or under that can be operated on a regular driver’s licence by multiple drivers.
It comes as no surprise that the latest addition to the fleet is another round of NNR 45-150s.
Isuzu’s N Series is packed with features to deliver a predictable, car-like driving experience, giving uninitiated drivers a confident introduction to truck driving.
Sherry described that the combination of fool-proof, two-pedal clutchless AMT, excellent ergonomics throughout the cab, and a tight turning circle all score high points for easy operation – ultimately leading to client satisfaction with the fleet.
“Our customers are so happy driving an Isuzu… we have positive feedback on the comfort, the visibility in the driver’s seat, the reliability of the engine and even the service intervals,” he notes.
“We’ve been in the rental market for a while now and would say the performance of Isuzu trucks against other Japanese truck brands is incomparable.”
Head and shoulders
Isuzu’s highly regarded safety suite, including anti-lock braking system (ABS), electronic stability control (IESC) and anti-skid regulator (ASR) also assist in boosting safe operation and driver control.
And with the next generation of NNR 45-150 models now offering an intelligent advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) – which includes autonomous emergency braking – Deol and Sherry are confident they’ve landed on a winner.
“We always try to deal with one brand and once we determine the best model option for our business, we’ll stick with them,” Sherry adds.
“Isuzu’s trucks are great for a rental business like ours, because we save a lot on the equity… and you just don’t lose money on them.
“We find the whole buying and servicing process with Isuzu just awesome. We’ve never had a single complaint from our customers about any of the trucks.”