Perth-based transport company Jancol Transport is getting the most out of its small but mighty Iveco Dailys. They may be light-duty trucks, but they’re doing plenty of heavy lifting.
Founded in 2021, it has been built off founder Colin McKean’s more than 30 years of industry experience alongside partner Janine. The company has grown steadily since then, with the fleet growing to seven trucks, three of which are Iveco.
Jancol operates their trucks working in general freight and dangerous goods delivery, as well as heavy/over dimensional transport serving the mining industry.
And while many trucks in this space are typically road trains carting multiple trailers, Jancol finds the efficiency and speed of the Dailys to be a point of difference.
“I was initially working as an owner driver for a customer and things grew from there,” McKean explains.
“One truck became two and then a third followed – the business has grown through word of mouth – we don’t advertise.
“The hotshots came about because one of our existing customers also needed this service and we were happy to provide it. This component of the business is managed by our daughter Jessica.”
The 35S van came first, about 18 months ago, with two 70C cab chassis models joining the fleet after McKean was impressed by the 35S’ performance.
The two Iveco light trucks feature 7.2 tonne GVMs, 132kW/430Nm Euro6 engines and eight-speed full automatic transmissions.
They’re equipped with custom 4.3 metre trays and ADR-compliant sleeper cabs, while all three vehicles feature bull bars, auxiliary forward lighting, CBs and are finished in the company’s distinctive white, blue and burgundy livery.
“There were quite a few things that were attractive about the Daily,” McKean said.
“The Daily trucks can carry a decent amount of weight – we can do around 3.8 tonnes which puts them ahead of their rivals.
“They’re also comfortable and with the auto transmissions they’re easy to drive. Our entire fleet is now automatic because some drivers don’t have manual licences. We also needed vehicles that a variety of drivers could step into and immediately feel comfortable in their operation.”
The Dailys are doing plenty of driving in typical day-to-day operations, travelling north to Newman and Port Hedland. This is a one-way journey of more than 1600km.
While they cover plenty of ground, McKean says they perform incredibly well doing so.
“The latest Dailys have 50,000km service intervals, so given how many kilometres these travel, it means they can work for longer with less time off the road for servicing. There are also fewer maintenance bills to pay,” he says.
“I think we stand out from others in the industry because of our honesty and reliability – we have accurate schedules, give regular updates and are heavily safety-focused with vehicle tracking and fatigue management across the fleet.
“Customers also know that they can call me if they have a problem; I’ll always answer my phone no matter what time it is, and I’ll sort it out for them.
“It’s this service level that has helped us get to where we are today, and also puts us in a good position for the future.”