Coopers Heavy Cranks Up the Comp With Our Prize Winning Isuzu FYX

As the old saying goes, out of adversity comes opportunity. And during the global financial crisis of 2008, a 21-year-old Sydney mechanic, Dylan Cooper, took the plunge and started his own equipment delivery business from scratch.

‘I thought the middle of a recession was probably a good time to start, because the only way to go was up,’ Dylan said.

‘I started off working on one job, then three small ones, just doing my own thing… but it kept going and going and we’re in a terrific position today.’

It was that entrepreneurial optimism that founded Coopers Heavy Industries, and Dylan’s relentless energy has kept the company growing steadily over the past 12 years.

Starting with just a single crane on a hire truck, Dylan now has a dozen employees, over 20 custom-built cranes and a transport fleet which includes his signature Isuzu FYX 350-350 Auto.

‘The trucks are predominantly used to deliver large equipment and machinery, and other funky stuff like glass sheets of over two and a half tonnes,’ Dylan explained.

‘At the beginning I used subcontractors to keep up with the work coming in but ended up spending a lot of money.

‘I bought our first tilt-tray truck in 2015 and it did the job, but things definitely weren’t a perfect fit.’

Coopers Heavy needed a truck that balanced payload, power and body specifics; but also needed something with good visibility and easy manoeuvrability.

‘Our bread and butter comes from our ability to supply premium equipment for tight access applications,’ Dylan said.

‘We work with clients across a variety of industries like construction, energy, breweries and food processing factories that often have really tight access—we recently worked on the metro rail, too.’

“We go a fair way for certain jobs in Bourke Hill, Tamworth and even Coffs Harbor, but most of our clients are based in Sydney metro and Paramatta, so we’re working in congested roads and traffic.

‘I bought the FYX 350-350 Auto from Daniel Ferreira at the Suttons Arncliffe dealership. Daniel was a decent bloke, he helped us out without any fuss,’ Dylan said with a smile.

The FYX 350-350 Auto has a GVM of 35,000 kg and GCM of 42,500 kg, featuring max power of 257kW (345 HP) @ 2,000 rpm and hefty torque at 1,422Nm @1,400 rpm. Coupled with Isuzu’s ultra-efficient 6UZTCN 6-cylinder engine, Dylan found his dream tilt-and-tow truck.

‘It’s out of this world. We made sure everything was exactly how we wanted it,’ he said.

‘We decked it out with a 12-tonne Effer Crane from MaxiQuip, a custom body by Suburban and ROC Hydraulics took care of fitting the tray.’

It also features a camouflage wrap and branding from Killer Images, finishing off a show-stopping package that landed Coopers Heavy as the Grand Prize Winner in Isuzu’s Truck of the Year Competition last year.

‘It’s a real beauty and our clients appreciate it,’ Dylan said.

‘Sometimes I get people commenting, “Mate, that’s a half million-dollar setup, bit of overkill don’t you think?”‘

‘My answer to that is, “Our clients are paying good coin for our services, so they want to see good gear.”‘

Needless to say, Dylan’s confident he’s getting his money’s worth out of what was undoubtedly a large initial outlay.

Asked of the driving experience of his new FYX, Dylan only had one word in response: ‘Sensational.’

‘It saves us time by making things easier for my employees and they respect this truck and what it represents.

‘I couldn’t be busier at the moment. The FYX is making a big difference to the types of jobs we take on.’

Apart from improved productivity, Dylan and his crew are also enjoying the little things in their new rig.

‘It’s got a better sound system than our last truck, it’s got a dark window tint, so drivers don’t get burnt arms driving during the day.

‘The Alison auto is also bulletproof. It’s nice to just get in and get going, definitely good in traffic.’

All round, it seems like Coopers Heavy are mighty impressed with their first Isuzu truck—so much so that Dylan’s already lined up another light-duty Isuzu and a sister FYX 350-350 10-wheeler truck with a beavertail tray.

‘It’s a big investment, but in this case… you spend some, you get some,’ he said.

‘Isuzu is making it work for us.’