Iveco ACCO cements profits

Ross Books says he's trusted his Queensland-based concreting business to Iveco's ACCO since buying his first truck way back in 1986…

The owner and Managing Director of Queensland-based concrete supplier Greycart Pty Ltd, Ross Books (pictured), says his fleet of Iveco ACCO agitators has ensured his business's success for the best part of three decades.

Mr Books purchased his first ACCO in 1986. Today his fleet encompasses nine ACCOs – all 8x4 models carrying 7.6 metre agitators – spread between his firm's Brisbane and Gold Coast locations.

Greycart Pty Ltd delivers concrete for a wide variety of commercial and domestic construction jobs and delivers under contract for Boral. It's a family business, its 10 drivers including two of Mr Books' sons and one of those son's fiancée.

Mr Books says the ACCO, which has been produced at Iveco's facility in Dandenong (Vic) since the 1960s, is a rugged and dependable product that's more than up to its considerable task.

Because of the inherent nature of the product, Mr Books' trucks need to make their deliveries without delay, or they risk the concrete hardening and becoming unworkable.

"Because of these time constraints, I need a reliable truck for delivering concrete," he says.

"Personally, I think the ACCO is the best vehicle for our industry and it's why I decided on a common fleet. I did stray briefly, but the alternative was just too heavy a vehicle for the type of work we were doing.

"I like building a long-term relationship with a supplier. I don't need to have the cheapest, but in this business it is important to have reliable vehicles and the ACCO has been the most reliable for me."

Mr Books says he's also enjoyed excellent support from Iveco Brisbane, and that in 25 years he can only recall having to deal with one major fault.

The Greycart fleet has an arduous life, with most journeys involving no more than 10 kilometres, while keeping the fleet clean also takes its toll.

"Hauling concrete is harsh on the vehicles as we clean with an acid wash," says Mr Books.

"This is not the kindest treatment for a truck but the ACCOs stand up to it well, so we only have to replace vehicles every five to seven years."

The ACCO has come a long way since the first example rolled off the Dandenong production line. These days the 8x4 model has electronic stability control to prevent rollovers and any potential loss of steering control, along with anti-lock brakes, traction control, the latest cooling system and a Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) emissions system.

So far over 79,000 ACCOs have come off Iveco's production line; with customers like Mr Books still singing their praises, it looks like they'll be underpinning Australia's construction industry, among others, for a good while yet…

Iveco ACCO cements profits

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