Batman has the Batmobile, but Mulch Man is more than happy with a trusty FUSO to get the job done. Managing director Gary Edwards inherited three FUSO trucks when he bought the business four years ago; impressed with their performance, he has since added a new 6x4 Fighter FN2428 to strengthen and diversify his fleet.
Fitted with a 30m3 steel tipper body, the 280hp Fighter has allowed Gary to service a broader customer base.
“A lot of landscapers prefer to lay mulch by hand rather than have it blown in, particularly on smaller jobs,” says Gary. “This truck means I no longer have to say no to those guys.”
With a 4,300mm wheelbase and 23.5T GVM, the Fighter is compact enough to navigate Auckland’s tight residential sites, with enough muscle to carry a full 10T load.
“It’s on springs and drives really well with a full load. I like the nine-speed manual transmission. The cab is comfortable and well laid out – you just get in and go; it’s as easy as driving a car,” says Gary.
The other three FUSO trucks in the fleet are all 470hp 6x4 Shogun blower trucks.
“They’re about eight to ten years old, but they still do the job. The work we do doesn’t require a lot of travelling, but it does require a lot of engine hours to run the blowers. They idle at 1600 to 1800rpm, which can be hard on the gear. They’ve proven to be reliable and that gave me the confidence to buy the Fighter.”
Fitted with 80m hoses, the blowers can access sites that would be otherwise difficult to reach and can cover large areas in a short amount of time. They service the bulk of business, which comes from large-scale roading projects such as the Huntly-Hamilton bypass.
“We’re laying mulch on the new section at the moment and we’ve got about 6,000m3 ready to lay. We also work with farmers, gardeners, landscapers and local councils to service public spaces and we have done a number of playgrounds throughout the years,” says Gary.
With the Fighter now well established in his fleet of seven trucks, Gary has a reliable and flexible fleet with which to service his growing customer base – and to ensure Mulch Man retains superhero status in the world of bark.
GVM/GCM
23,500kg/34,000kg
Power/Torque
207kW/802Nm
Transmission
9-spd Eaton Manual
