This month’s Top Truck caught our eye in recent months. Bascik Transport’s big bold Isuzu EXY530 GIGA and three-axle step-deck Roadmaster semi tick so many boxes when it comes to image and practicality. It’s a worthy recipient of this month’s Top Truck, representing an industry task not always seen holding the spoils of glamour aloft.

It’s about getting the little things right.’ A phrase you hear so often in business mentoring and wisdom. But is it actually a paradox? If the key to it all is getting the little things right, are they, therefore, the enormous things?

Maybe Bascik Transport’s latest addition to the Christchurch terminal’s regional fleet encapsulates it all. Firstly, it’s presented in classic Bascik fashion, meaning first – and last – impressions count. Big, bold and on point, the truck arriving to pick up/deliver the keys to your success is going to tell you a lot about how your cargo is treated en route.

Yet that doesn’t mean an exorbitant amount has to be spent on anything other than a beautifully presented, practical combination; cosmetically and mechanically clean, in fleet colour, with maybe a few touches that sparkle in the sun.

Then there’s life from the operator’s viewpoint, making the truck practical, such as ground and swing clearances in the macro sense, and for the man working it – access steps, integral pole holders, left and right-hand side toolboxes: little things that make a big difference to not just his day, but a customer’s perception.

The Isuzu was supplied through Hamish MacPherson from Canterbury’s Isuzu cornerstone Blackwells Isuzu and rigged by Adams & Currrie. Resplendent with its colour-coded ‘cab hat’, this Isuzu EXY 530 and 14.6m three-axle Roadmaster step-deck semi is a big regional beast. There was a time in the not-too-distant past this configuration was a common sight on the linehaul routes. Nowadays, they’re the ideal wingman when it comes to last-mile work, supporting the gargantuan capabilities of the modern linehaul unit. It’s no use having a dog-trailer capable of linehauling 11m-plus lengths if you can’t deliver it damage-free ex the depot. And lets not forget the need for retaining manoeuvrability in the large-consignment last-mile task. The Isuzu’s nimble nature belies the overall dimension.

“The unit has a set run between here and Tīmaru four days a week, plus a weekly run into central,” says Christchurch operations manager at Bascik, Richard Mears. “But being what it is, we can put it wherever it’s needed also. While the mezzanine floors improve capacity, they mean the freight is protected also – you’re not getting into the old-school over-stacking, which always risks crush damage.”

With 382kW (520hp) on tap, the EXY 530 romps away with anything the Bascik crew throw at it, and the 16-speed Isuzu MJX16 AMT means driver John ‘Harry’ Harris can focus on getting the unit into the next delivery point.

The Isuzu has the safety systems you’d expect in a modern highway heavy: adaptive cruise, forward collision warning, advanced emergency brakes, anti-lock brakes and anti-slip regulation, hill start, auto lights, lane departure … the list goes on, and the core headcount is all there.

Harry’s been with Bascik Transport nine years. He’s as sharply presented as the truck he drives and the outfit he works for. He rates the firm highly, pointing out the loyalty to staff – standing by them through both earthquake and pandemic. “It meant you had a stable income, and that was huge.

“I did 23 years in the armed forces and followed that working in IT, but we lost half our customer base in the earthquake. I love driving; I always have done, actually. I did a lot of driving in the army.

“The Isuzu is a good machine. It certainly gets the job done and has plenty of power.”

There’s so much to like about this big red ‘Suzy’, whether it’s the striking appearance, capability, versatility, or the message it sends. The little things really are the big things, and if you get them right, the rest takes care of itself. It makes Bascik Transport Fleet No.464 and No.462 the ideal Top Truck combination.