Rank Bins? Deluxe Wheelie Wash & Isuzu's NLR Traypack to the Rescue

Ever had to hold your breath while throwing out the trash? And even after the garbage collector has taken the spoils, a foul smell lingers in the bin?

This is particularly relatable for folks living in tropical Queensland with its unrelenting temperature and humidity. But who has the time (or inclination for that matter) to clean out their wheelie bins?

That’s where Margaret Dingle and her Deluxe Wheelie Wash business saves the day.

Watch: Deluxe Wheelie Wash taking care of business with their NLR Traypack

It was another hot summer day in 2016, and Margaret was busy cleaning out their family’s fetid wheelie when her husband, Chris had an epiphany: could there be a business opportunity in such a malodorous task?

The couple did some more research and discovered that hygienic and fresh-smelling bins did not have to be a suburban fantasy…and cleaning other people’s bins could be commercially viable.

The Dingles decided to give it a shot. They procured wheelie wash bin technology from a British supplier living in Mandurah, Western Australia.

“Initially, we just had the ute, with all the signage and logos done up. We got a lot of interest and people started signing up,” Margaret said.

And their business grew and grew. The Dingle’s Deluxe Wheelie Wash became so popular, they went from washing residential bins in their neighbourhood to encompass commercial businesses all around Mackay. They then expanded north to Farleigh and Balnagowan and down south to Sarina.

“Business is really picking up in summer, especially with the humidity and heat we have around here,” Margaret added.

“We have clients from many different types of businesses such as serviced apartments, cafes, clubs, and even the butcher.”

“But the ute was not able to keep up with our expansion. We needed to upgrade the ute to make our job more streamlined such as adding a reversing camera and adding a more heavy duty suspension.”

Their growing business spurred the Dingles into purchasing an Isuzu Ready-to-Work NLR 45-150 Traypack from the Crokers Truck Centre in Mackay.

“The Isuzu appealed to us for a variety of reasons, but mainly because it already had all the key features we needed. A reversing camera. Good suspension and a truck’s payload,” Margaret explained.

“With the Isuzu, we can carry the mechanical cleaning unit, as well as a big 1,000 litre water tank, because we actually carry our own water to the sites – which would have been impossible with the ute.

“The specialised bin cleaning unit on the back lifts the bin up so we can wash the bins on the inside, outside, the bottom, the top, the wheels. We also clean the area where your hands go under, where there's all those little compartments around the rim where spiders find a home,” Margaret said.

“The Traypack’s heavy-duty aluminium tray is the correct height and width, and also sturdy enough to carry our custom bin cleaning unit on the back and take on all the modifications we need,” she added.

When asked of the modifications, Margaret clarified, “We had the custom-built cleaning unit fabricated to fit the Traypack through Bryan’s Bodies. They did a fantastic job.”

But the Deluxe Wheelie Wash is not just a customised wheelie bin washing truck.

“We are an environmentally friendly business, so we collect all the grey water from the cleaning process. We have a permit from the council where we pump it back into the council's wastewater. The NLR 45-150 Traypack is perfect as it has enough power and space to carry a large enough tank to for all our fresh and grey water.”

The NLR 45-150 sports Isuzu’s 4HK1 four-cylinder engine at 110 kW @ 2,800 rpm, with generous torque of 375 Nm @ 1,600-2,800 rpm.

With a GVM of 4,500 kg, the NLR can also be driven on a car licence, making driving tasks more manageable for a small business.

“And now that we have enough payload to carry the 1,000 litres of water, we can also do more for our customers. We recently bought a floor washer and started offering the service of pressure washing and concrete cleaning as well.

The Dingles purchased the NLR Traypack in a short wheelbase with an automatic transmission, with specific goals in mind.

“You don’t need a truck license to drive it, which makes it easier when I’m employing new people. I could just get anyone with a car license, and they can drive it,” Margaret said.

“And honestly, it’s so easy to drive! The Isuzu has a large windscreen which gives excellent visibility. This is great because we often drive down tight lanes and small alleys to access commercial bins. More often than not, we have to reverse out, and this is when the reversing camera comes in handy.

“Fuel consumption is quite similar to the ute. I’d have expected a truck to use more fuel, but they’re pretty similar.”

Aside from the NLR Traypack’s payload advantages and driveability features, Margaret also chose the Isuzu truck for its reputation for reliability as well as the Isuzu’s vast dealer footprint.

“In our job, we need to clean the bins on the day they're emptied. We've got to do everything on that day, so we must arrive when we say we will.

“We can't leave it to the next day in case people want to put rubbish in their bins or they don't want to leave them out on the curb. Reliability is huge for us,” Margaret said.

“The ability to access parts and get our truck serviced easily and locally was an important thing,” Margaret added.

Margaret only had praises for Crokers Truck Centre where they purchased and send their NLR for servicing.

“The dealership’s service is simply outstanding. They helped us with finance on the truck, listed all our options throughout the sale. They collected the truck from the manufacturers that did the actual canopy and bin cleaning unit.

“They drove it around and made sure everything was working fine. Then sent it to the fabricator and again to the sign writer. They kept me up to date every step of the way.”

“When we collected the truck, they went through every single detail with us and showed us how everything worked. They lifted the cab, showed us the oils and where everything was, so we knew buttons, switches, gauges. They were truly excellent.

“In fact the dealer who sold us the truck is actually now one of our customers!”

The Dingles certainly love their NLR Traypack and receive a lot of love from the community of Mackay in return (who must be enjoying fresher smelling bins).

In fact, the Dingle’s daughter, a professional sign-writer, designed the Deluxe Wheelie Washer’s distinct livery. Considering Mr Dingle has been a devoted Movember supporter for the last 19 years, she cleverly designed a moustache for front, garnering more attention for the Deluxe Wheelie Washer on the road.

After all, who wouldn’t love a fresh smelling, moustachioed truck?