With rapid expansion over the past two years and the aim to be a one-stop shop for Sydney’s construction industry, Fleck Group is continuing to grow its fleet with another Rokbak RA30 articulated dump truck from Porter Group
The original Fleck Earthmoving started life back in 1988, based around a bobcat and a tipper owned by Jamey Flecknoe. However, over the past two years, the business has moved into new hands and seen rapid growth to cover all aspects of earthmoving, dry and wet plant hire and haulage.
“When the business was purchased four years ago, it was a purely a hire company with eight machines in the fleet. Now we’re sitting at about 72,” Fleck Group operations manager Michael Mcfarlane says.
“In addition to Fleck Earthmoving we also own NextGen Earthworks and we’ve just started NSW Plant Haulage and Fleck Plant Hire. So there’s been rapid growth in a short time.”
When asked what is driving this expansion, Mcfarlane says that Fleck Group have one very clear goal in mind – to be a one-stop shop for the civil industry.
“You’ve got to be hungry,” he says, “and have the right people employed to change the industry.
“We’ve been trying to do what no one else is doing. We call ourselves the one-stop shop for the civil industry, but we also undertake mechanical repairs and we have our own hydraulic fitter. So we do all of our own hoses, and do other people’s hoses as well.”
Safety is a core focus for the business as well, with mandatory toolbox talks and a ticket system. This is also applied to the machines, with servicing undertaken frequently, irrespective of the warranty.
“All of our machines are serviced every 250 hours, regardless of manufacturer warranty is. If a warranty says 500 hours, we’ll also do a 250-hour service too.
“We do wet hire, dry hire and small contracts. If a client calls and they ask for a machine that we don’t have, we purchase it.
“There’s no part of Sydney that we don’t cover. In fact, there’s no there’s no state or territory we won’t service. If someone’s got a job in WA, I’m going!”
Rokbak RA30
Unsurprisingly, the Fleck Group fleet is growing even larger with the recent addition of a fourth new Rokbak RA30 articulated hauler from Porter Group. This will join the first three in the group’s truck fleet, for use on everything from Tier One and Tier Two construction sites all the way down to small earthmoving projects.
When asked what it is about the RA30s that keeps Fleck Group returning to buy more, Mcfarlane says it’s a mixture of the Rokbak being a great product and the fact that is backed up by high level aftersales service by Porter Group.
“For the performance, the price and the service that we get on these machines, it’s a no-brainer for us,” he says.
“It’s a great product and the team we work with at Porter Group are fantastic.
“If there has been a minor issue, it simply takes a phone call and it’s rectified. Aftersales service for us is very important, so that’s one reason why we chose the Rokbaks.
“I’ll give you a prime example. We had a machine come back to us on a Friday afternoon and Porter Group had its technicians out Saturday morning to rectify the issue.
“It was done and dusted within four hours and off to a new client on Monday morning. It was faultless. Everything is very smooth.”
When asked what feedback on the RA30s has been like from his customers, it turns out one was so impressed with the hauler that they went out and bought one themselves.
“By having the Rokbak on one of his projects, he could see how well the product worked,” Mcfarlane says.
“Operators have said to me that they like how uncomplicated the Rokbaks are. They’re very user friendly and very comfortable.
“That’s obviously a big thing at the moment, having that ease of use, because it’s increasingly difficult to find skilled labour. Having something this straightforward to operate makes everyone’s job a little easier.”
Porter Group
Mcfarlane says that he’s been working with Porter Group and its Porter Hire division for over a decade and doesn’t hesitate to recommend the Rokbak RA30.
When asked what he is looking for when purchasing equipment, he says it’s not the price that is the main concern – everything comes down to aftersales service, which is where Porter Group shines.
“I’m not after a cheap price, it’s the afterservice and the warranty that are far more important to us as a business,” he says.
“We’re more than happy to pay top dollar for something if we’re going to be looked after and we couldn’t fault Porter Group or Rokbak. Just fantastic all round.”
With a brand new RA30 now busy in Sydney, it’s unlikely to be long before more join it on worksites across the city.
“It’s all about being that one-stop shop and there’s no machine that we can’t provide,” Mcfarlane says.
“Our theory in businesses is, if someone calls up on a Friday afternoon asking for a 30-tonne Rokbak and it has to be painted pink, that’s what they will get on Monday morning.
“The sky’s the limit for us and with products this great I can see us continuing to grow our fleet throughout 2024.”
For more details on equipment available from Porter Group visit www.porterce.com.au
