Fleet Plant Hire knows the industry inside out, matching those looking for plant and truck contractors with local businesses that can meet their needs
Based in the east Melbourne suburb of Scoresby, Fleet Plant Hire provides plant and truck hire and material solutions to Victorian construction businesses across the state. Covering everything from small backyard projects to large infrastructure works, Fleet Plant Hire operates a database of 2,000+ registered plant providers, matching high quality local contractors to clients needing operators, trucks and equipment.
The company was set up in 1988 to service business’ truck, plant and material needs, becoming a one-stop solution and removing the need for businesses to call round dozens of companies to see who could take it on.
“There was definitely a gap in the industry as the infrastructure boom came about,” says Fleet Plant Hire systems and compliance manager Jade Brooks to Deals on Wheels.
“The need for more contractors was there and that is how the business evolved. When the Eastlink was being built, that’s when the business started to scale up, whilst sticking true to our core values and remaining a very family-orientated business.”
Brooks says over the last four to five years, the business has been really pushing forward with innovation and technology, particularly for industry standards to be increased in Victoria, and it is setting a benchmark for what’s expected.
She says that the Metro Tunnel project currently underway in Melbourne was another turning point for innovation for Fleet Plant Hire, seeing the full introduction of its custom built ‘eDocket’ system – a real time, paperless docket system to manage contractors, jobs and material tracking.
“Construction relies on innovation and its ability to adjust, adapt, and advance,” says Brooks.
“It’s been so rewarding to be involved in the journey and evolution of our systems, and to see and experience the positive impacts on our business, our staff, clients, contractors and the general industry.
“The benefit of our systems being in-house means we are able to continuously evolve our system to advance our abilities and stay ahead of the curve.”
For Fleet Plant Hire, one of the major drivers for change throughout its business surrounds the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL) and Chain of Responsibility. In short, the law places obligations on those within the supply chain that are involved in any transport task.
“We’re very heavily focused on vehicle load safety as we have identified shortfalls in the ability for our clients and industry to effectively comply with their mass obligations,” Brooks explains.
Fleet Plant Hire’s recent initiative to include free random vehicle load compliance checks as part of its service has allowed the it to educate the industry on the technology and systems available in the market to assist primary contractors in complying with their mass obligations under the HVNL.
“The technology and software are state-of-the-art and allows a site to clearly identify and understand the compliance of each and every load that leaves its site before it hits the road, removing the need for costly weighbridge setup and reliance on truck scales. We’re continuously looking for new ways to make the industry better,” says Brooks.
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Speaking about how the business brings together its registered contractors with clients and their specific requirements, she says Fleet Plant Hire is a “dating service for dirt”.
“Wherever there’s dirt, that’s where we fit in. So, if someone wants to get rid of it or someone needs it, we provide the resources and the knowledge to do so,” Brooks explains.
And Fleet Plant Hire is always on the lookout for more contractors to sign up, especially with the current need for qualified drivers and machinery operators.
“We have a definite shortage of drivers at the moment,” says Brooks.
“Contractors can register their interest, what equipment they have and if they are looking for additional work. We then take them through a stringent, but easily navigated pre-qualification process, which sets the standard for them to understand what’s expected. We ensure adherence to the law and give them the tools in order to do that as well.
“We’re trying to encourage people to consider making a career change and try jumping into a truck – there’s a lot of truck companies registered with us who struggle to find drivers.”
Fleet Plant Hire is also currently in discussion with a registered training company to create an industry-specific course to increase the knowledge and skills of both new people coming into the industry and existing industry professionals who “need a little bit of a boost, an update on where the industry is at, so we ensure that they have got the right skills”, says Brooks.
To ensure the highest degree of service, Fleet Plant Hire runs both an IS rated and ISO 9001: 2015 accredited system, which Brooks says is part of the company’s aim to continuously improve its offering to customers and contractors.
“To be IS rated, which is a sustainability rating, is a pretty big thing to have as a plant hire agency. It really showcases just how good our systems are and the positive impacts we have made,” she says.
But for Fleet Plant Hire, it isn’t just about innovation and technology. There is also a passionate team building the personal interactions with clients and contractors to ensure that the best outcome is achieved.
“A lot of it does come down to the staff that we have,” explains Brooks.
“We’re very fortunate in the fact that the people we have in this office rarely change so the knowledge in the teams is crucial to how businesses like us operate. At the end of the day, it’s about people. We engage with our contractors about the equipment that they hold and form that relationship with our clients, so we know exactly what that person’s after.
“It means we can assist clients in understanding what it is that they need and maybe reducing a booking because they actually don’t need that much machinery for example to handle a particular job.
“We try and make it more efficient for both the client and the contractor to achieve the best result.”
Fleet Plant Hire is currently looking for truck drivers in Victoria – to find out more, visit fph.com.au or call 03 9561 3988.