Established in Devonport in 1983 Nubco has evolved from humble beginnings to become a leading supplier to both trade and DIY customers of an extensive range of power and hand tools, steel, fasteners, hardware components, welding equipment, trailers and trailer parts, tool storage solutions, machinery and other industrial products.
Nubco now has seven stores strategically located throughout Tasmania and supported by an in-house fleet of eight trucks with the most recent acquisitions being three extra-long wheelbase Hino 500 Series FM2628 rigid trucks.
Operating its own fleet of delivery vehicles is an important factor in Nubco being able to provide solutions for its customers.
Predominately the trucks are used to carry and deliver steel products and reinforced mesh up to nine metres in length on the custom-built steel bodies and the latest Hino’s also have the capacity to carry up to 12-metre lengths of structural steel utilising the certified heavy duty racks which also incorporate cross bars mounted to the cabin’s roof.
“We chose Hino, as the vehicles are well suited for our multiple applications,” says Todd Cordwell, Nubco’s State Operations Manager.
“We go to variable sites and we understand delivering long and difficult to handle products and having the right truck for the job is paramount to us.”
Based at the company’s Hobart head office, Todd has been with Nubco for 17 years. His background is in the fast-paced environment of retail management with one of the ‘big two’ supermarket chains.
The Hino FM 2628 6×4 trucks are equipped with airbag rear suspensions and Effer chassis-mounted cranes. The custom body trays were manufactured in Launceston using steel provided by Nubco.
Access can often be challenging when delivering to locations such as building sites and safety is always the priority, especially when negotiating unstable ground and in close proximity to power lines.
“We have a process where our people will go through a pre-delivery check list,” explains Todd.
“We will try to eliminate every safety hazard or awkward possibility the drivers might run into on a site. We ask the customer to fill out the paperwork honestly so we can fulfil our delivery commitments to them.”
In addition to the dangers presented by power lines, other practical factors such as the turning circles of the trucks, gate openings and tree branches need to be considered.
“These Hino trucks we are running are the size of a bus, so we need to be able to turn a bus around on site,” says Todd. “We make sure we can get in and out and do everything we can to eliminate surprises when we get to a site.”
Nubco’s transport operations began with six metre bed medium rigid trucks without cranes delivering steel to customers and as the business built up it has progressed to trucks with eight-metre long bodies and chassis mounted cranes.
The load capacity is increased by the fitment of overhead load racks which, although initially restricted to less than one tonne, proved the concept and have been further developed.
The six-metre bodied trucks remaining in the fleet still perform well in tighter suburban situations where the longer vehicles may have access problems.
“With these latest Hino trucks, we’ve been moving from Medium Rigid to Heavy Rigid and we’ve been able to double the payload carried on the bed and also been able to get extra capacity up top on the racks as well, which has been good for carrying structural steel beams and reinforcement mesh,” says Todd.
Handling heavy and slippery steel product can definitely be a challenge but for the time being the Heavy Rigid option from Hino has been a good fit for the Nubco operation.
“There have definitely been some growing pains, and it’s been a bit of a journey, but that’s a good thing,” Todd says.
“We’re still evolving and have still got lots of things to consider and at some stage, depending upon the direction, we might go to extendable semis, who knows?”
The drivers are required to be proficient in load restraint procedures as there can be a variety of Nubco’s products being carried at any one time.
“It’s the typical logistical things you’ve got to work through,” says Todd. “The trucks are packed depending upon the product mix. There can be mesh on the bed and steel up on the top racks, and then some consumables and smaller items on board to be delivered.”
Operating the cranes adds an extra dimension to the drivers’ tasks and training in safety awareness is important to the Nubco team. Dale Richardson is a Launceston based driver who is valued not just for his driving and crane operating skills, but for his attention to the safety aspects required by his job.
“There’s ‘drivers’ and then there’s drivers,” says Todd. “But Dale is certainly a top operator who is dedicated to safety.”
Although the trucks are seldom anywhere near their maximum weight capacity, the configuration of a truck fitted with a crane and its associated components, such as tanks for the hydraulic oil, can lead to premature wear and tear on the front tyres as well as the front axles and suspension components.
This has been more evident with the earlier Medium Rigids and the newer heavier capacity Hinos have not had the same issues. Servicing is performed under a contract with the local FRM Hino dealerships.
Todd considers this type of arrangement a better alternative to ad-hoc servicing using third party workshops.
“We find it a lot more efficient and we don’t receive any nasty surprises,” he says. “We know what we are paying which assists cash flow and it helps with peace of mind as well.”
The drivers generally operate for set times between 7.30am and 3.30pm.
This allows them to be on site early particularly when delivering for builders. Although driver fatigue isn’t a fundamental issue, all drivers carry logbooks in case they have to operate more than 100 kilometres from their home bases such as when performing stock transfers between Nubco’s warehouses and stores.
The Hino’s eight-litre 280-horsepower engines have proven adequate for the tasks expected of them, as have the Allison 3500 six-speed full automatic transmissions.
Understanding the customers’ businesses as well as their own has helped put Nubco in the position of being the ‘go to’ industrial product and steel supplier throughout Tasmania.
Not to mention, the safe and reliable operation of its in-house fleet has been a major contributor to the success of Nubco.
