Tasmanian dairy delivery service, Ashgrove Cheese Pty Ltd, has welcomed a new Isuzu truck to its growing fleet.
Having operated in the rural farming district of Elizabeth Town for the past three decades, Ashgrove’s trucks are constantly at work to supply dairy products to supermarket chains, local businesses and a mix of schools and hospitals in the area.
The company’s new Isuzu NQR 87-190 is the latest vehicle to travel these delivery routes. Joining a fleet of other Isuzu models – an NMR 450-150, an NPR 45-155, an FRR 110-240 AMT, another NQR 87-190 and Ready-to-Work NPR 45-155 Tradepack, used on the farm – this new truck comes with a range of customisations suited to dairy delivery and the Tasmanian landscape.
Featuring a medium wheelbase and a two-pedal automated manual transmission (AMT), the truck is powered by an ultra-efficient four-cylinder Isuzu 4HK1-TCC engine, also providing plenty of pull and payload for heavy milk crates with a GvM of 8.700kg.
The new Isuzu NQR 87-190’s 3.365 metre-long medium wheelbase suits the truck’s refrigerated body, which maintains dairy products at the proper temperature, ensuring customer satisfaction and quality control.
Additionally, the truck’s compact 12.4-metre turning circle makes navigating the metro laneways and Tasmanian streets much more manageable.
According to Ashgrove Cheese Logistics Manager, Corey Harris, Isuzu’s truck builds have always been the company’s number one transporting choice, as they fit the company’s needs perfectly.
“There were several reasons why we selected Isuzu Trucks as a transport partner for our fleet,” he said.
“We needed trucks that would be cost-effective to run and maintain, reliable fuel-efficient, comfortable and have a high level of presentation that can represent our business on the road.”
Comfort has been a particular necessity for Ashgrove, as drivers spend much of their time in the trucks, completing deliveries six days a week from as early as 3 a.m.
Isuzu’s in-cab appointments cater to these long work stints, with a 10.1-inch touchscreen MyIsuzu Co-Pilot multimedia unit, featuring Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility.
This has been a firm favourite with the Ashgrove driver team, who has praised the trucks’ hands-free functions, which greatly reduce the number of potential distractions while driving.
Isuzu’s 6-speed AMT is also a highly desirable feature, as it further prompts driver comfort and works to minimise driver fatigue. To Harris, these perks that the AMT provides are vital to company operations and driver satisfaction, and are being integrated into Ashgrove’s entire fleet.
“We are transitioning the whole fleet to AMT from manual for driver comfort,” he said.
“That way we don’t need to muck around with gear changes while in and around the CBD. The AMT transmission has been a real benefit for our drivers, and I am quite happy with the feedback.”
Ashgrove’s Isuzu additions have partially been the result of a longstanding collaboration with Webster Trucks, which has walked the company through the design and building process of refrigeration units on its Isuzu purchases.
“Our relationship with Webster Trucks goes back decades,” Harris said.
“They have always been a consistent and reliable service provider. I would say their customer-orientated service and support are considerably better than competitors in the area.
“I would never go anywhere else after the way they have looked after Ashgrove Cheese and our fleet.”
A plan is currently underway to replace all non-Isuzu vehicles in Ashgrove’s fleet with Isuzu trucks during this year and 2026, comfortably working with both Isuzu and Webster Trucks to complete this process efficiently.
“As we work through the rotation of our aging fleet, we’re looking at the residual value on that truck, its commercial value as a part of the business, the replacement value of a new unit and the future value that unit will provide,” Harris explained.
“The consistency from Webster Trucks and Isuzu is key to this plan and our business goals.
“We know we can rely on them now and well into the future.”
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