Delivering electricity to more than one million customers in Melbourne and regional Victoria, CitiPower and Powercor Australia is Victoria's largest electricity distributor with a combined network covering more than 200,000 square kilometres.
Operating one of Australia's most reliable electricity networks, CitiPower and Powercor is responsible for the management and maintenance of Western and Central Victoria's electricity poles, overhead and underground wires and other forms of electricity infrastructure.
Extending a working relationship that spans over two decades, Powercor and Citipower recently renewed some of its older trucks with a fleet of 20 new Euro V Isuzu N and F Series trucks.
CitiPower and Powercor's decision to operate an Isuzu fleet is based on Isuzu Trucks' reputation for reliability and factory support, said Powercor Australia, Fleet Manager, Shane Myers.
"The repair and service work that our trucks carry out is essential to Victoria's livelihood - businesses could lose thousands of dollars for every hour they don't have electricity, hence our need for reliable vehicles," Mr Myers said.
"Over the years Isuzu has not only provided us with reliable trucks, but factory support and training in the areas of product and servicing."
Fitted with a retractable 14-metre crane and a 1050 millimetre wide borer, Powercor's latest Isuzu addition - an Isuzu FVZ 1400 - is specified for utility pole maintenance and construction.
Towing a trailer capable of carrying two 500 kilogram utility poles, the Powercor Isuzu uses its borer to prepare the ground before installing power poles with its on-board winch and crane.
Once the utility poles are installed, construction and maintenance crews are lifted to the top of the power pole by an insulated Isuzu FVD 1000 carrying an 18 metre elevated work platform (EWP).
Power for the Isuzu FVZ 1400 crane borer and FVD 1000 EWP's hydraulics, stabilisers, crane, winch and borer is provided by the six-litre Isuzu SiTEC Series II 295 engine via the power take-off unit.
According to Mr Myers, the Isuzu FVZ 1400 performs exceptionally well, offering strong power, excellent manoeuvrability and visibility for the drivers.
"The Isuzu SiTEC Series II 295 engine provides our crews plenty of power for highway and crowded city conditions," Mr Myers said.
"Unlike general freight companies, our trucks travel at almost full Gross Combination Mass all the time, therefore the engine is nearly always operating at full capacity.
"With the cab-over design and large windows, the latest Isuzu F Series models have improved forward and side visibility for our drivers - this is extremely beneficial due to the conditions that our crews work in."
A number of new features have helped improve driver comfort and safety in the new Isuzu F Series models, said Mr Myers.
"There has been a vast improvement to driver comfort in the new range," Mr Myers said.
"Power windows, integrated air-conditioning and the touch-screen audio visual system have not only improved OH&S, but made it easier for our drivers to operate the truck.
"The air-conditioning has been widely praised by our crews, especially on hot summer days where there is little or no shelter from the sun for them in open fields."
To increase both driver comfort and OH&S on-site, Powercor also installs reverse cameras on all of its Isuzu trucks.
Powercor's Isuzu fleet travels approximately 25,000 to 30,000 kilometres per annum and is renewed every 10 years.
See more about Isuzu Trucks in Australia at http://www.isuzu.com.au/
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