Aftersales Not Gone To Waste With AAA Skip Bins

Bundaberg, on the central Queensland coast, is known for its balmy year-round weather, its rich agricultural history and growing tourism sector. ​ 

The regional centre itself is also expanding at rapid rate and so too is its reliance on local waste removal businesses such as AAA Skip Bins. 

As the needs and demands of Bundaberg continue to change, so does the need for commercial waste removal. From rubbish collection following an event or festival, a skip bin to deal with construction waste, to general hard rubbish removal, AAA Skip Bins has it covered. 

Local resident Jari Maatta is the industrious owner operator of AAA Skip Bins. In 2016 he took the business on when he saw an excellent opportunity while renovating and managing a housing project in Bundaberg. ​ 

Keeping It Clean For Another Day In Paradise 

“Our bins are our brand. 

“The bins do a lot of our advertising for us, they are so recognisable, I have never had to advertise any other way,” Jari said. ​ ​ ​ 

The head-turning bright orange bins with black logo catch the eye almost as much as Jari’s new Isuzu NQR 87-190 – the latest edition to his growing fleet of mostly hook-lift trucks. ​ ​ ​ 

Starting out with just the one 1990 Isuzu FRR 500, purchased along with the business from the original owner, Jari has taken AAA Skip Bins to the next level. From a fresh new colour scheme, the clever name and an overall expansion of the business's capacity and customer service, Jari has personified innovation at every turn. 

“AAA stands for ‘Affordable, Anytime, Anywhere,’ and that's what we aim to provide for our customers. ​ 

“Waste removal is a great business to be in. I should have looked into it years earlier but I just didn’t know its potential,” he said. ​ 

In harnessing that potential, Jari’s made some updates and upgrades to AAA Skip Bins as he learnt more about the trade. 

“Another big operational change I made was swapping to a hook lift system for the bins rather than the original chain link system. 

“With the hook lift method, the hook comes out from an arm and it goes over the back of the truck, and it picks up the bin from the rear of the vehicle. ​ 

“We’ve found that it's a more efficient system and I can spend more time in the cabin rather than getting out all the time to secure things. 

“With the hook lift I can arrive at the job site and stay in the truck while lowering the bins onto the ground,” Jari said. ​ ​ 

Nothing Rubbish About Regional Australia 

Since the onset of the pandemic many urban Australians have relocated to parts of country less impacted by the pandemic. Bundaberg is just one regional city in Queensland that has begun experiencing a population boom. 

“AAA Skip Bins has grown around 25 per cent during the past year, if not more,” Jari explained. ​ 

“More housing projects and refurbishments has meant a lot more work for us.” ​ ​ ​ ​ 

This boom in business prompted the recent addition of an NQR to Jari’s growing fleet of Isuzu trucks. 

“The NQR has great power for that size of truck, this was a big factor for us.” 

With a GVM of 8,700kg and sporting Isuzu’s popular 4-cylinder, 16-valve 4HK1-TCC engine, Jari’s want for more bang-for-buck has been realised. ​ ​ 

Producing 140 kW (190PS) @ 2,600 rpm and torque of 513 Nm @ 1,600 - 2,600 rpm, there’s plenty of grunt to get the job done, regardless of location. ​ 

“This one is a medium wheelbase which is exactly what I was looking for because we do a lot of inside access work in the city and around construction sites. ​ 

“The overall size and manoeuvrability were a really important factor when purchasing.” 

The six-speed automated manual transmission on the NQR makes manoeuvring in tight spaces like a work site or housing project that much easier for Jari. 

“All my trucks are automatic - I find the automated manual transmission fantastic!” 

Jari also has plans for extending his fleet in the future. ​ 

“I have a 4-cylinder FRR that I bought in 2018, and I find that the engine is good for what I do. But in the future when I get a more powerful truck it will be bigger and able to carry larger waste loads and heavier skip bins. 

The reliability of Isuzu’s aftercare support is vital to Isuzu owners putting their trucks to work and growing their fleet operations. 

“I opted for the extended warranty on my 2021 NQR and in future, I plan to investigate the service agreements as well,” said Jari 

When asked about Jari’s plans for the business, there was no hesitation when it came to his truck brand of choice. 

 “I'm really happy with Isuzu Trucks. They back their products and that's the key for me…they back their products and I know the reliability of their trucks.”