Isuzu NPS 4×4 powers on for Encee Electrical

Encee Electrical relies on a trio of Isuzu N Series 4×4 trucks – including a new 2020 NPS 75-155 – to ensure reliable access to sites that could leave ordinary trucks stranded.

Since purchasing his first Isuzu – a 2004 NPS 300 4×4 – from Nestor Jongko at Major Motors, Forrestfield, Encee Electrical owner Lincoln Walker has appreciated the strengths of these tough models sold by Australia’s overall truck market leader.

“We just couldn’t get by without 4×4 trucks,” said Walker. “We have to travel along gravel roads and deal with a lot of soft sand on sites – we’re using the four-wheel-drive at least three or four times a week.”

Born and bred along the Western beaches, Walker’s passion for the family’s electrical contracting company is crystal clear.

“I’ve been doing electrical work since I was about 10 years old,” he said.

“I’d work with my father every holidays. I never had a part-time job. My job was working alongside Dad.

“I started my official apprenticeship in 1996 and joined Dad as a tradesman four years later. I’ve kept the business going since he passed in 2006.”

Since then, it’s been full steam ahead and Walker’s appreciation for the Isuzu NPS 4×4 truck fleet that has faithfully supported two generations of Walkers and their staff is equally evident.

“We’re mostly involved with remote mining clients and a lot of WA’s big mobs but we also do government road projects and we’ve done work on a couple of Australia’s biggest wind farms a few hundred kilometres north of Perth,” he said.

“We specialise in temporary power solutions – supplying switchboards and connecting up work sites, accommodation blocks and offices to mains power or generators.”

Given Perth is considered one of the world’s windiest cities, Encee Electrical has a good thing going helping to connect WA to cleaner, greener energy.

“Each truck does about 35,000km a year, accounting for a lot of driving around town and on country highways,” said Walker.

“I’m glad our new manual transmission Isuzu has cruise control, I’d say it’s one of its best features.”

Space and the payload capacity mean everything to Encee Electrical, with the fleets’ custom 4.5-metre steel tray bodies fitted by TL Engineering providing the means to get work done efficiently.

“Each truck has big toolboxes and a Kevrek 1500 crane on the back weighing around 200kg, and they can be pulling a 2.6-tonne trailer and excavator combo, not to mention the weight of our cable drums and switchboards,” said Walker.

“I’ve installed about $10,000 worth of extras on our new unit including a genuine bullbar and spotlights, two-way radios, an aerial whip flag and REDARC electric brake controller and work lights.

“I need them capable of standing up to anything, which they’ve managed very well so far,” he said. “Isuzu is definitely more comfortable than other brands; the 4x4s are only a little wider than a car, but surprisingly big inside. We also have space constraints on site, so the next truck size up is just too large, the NPS is perfect for what we need.”

Topping the list of Encee’s must-haves is Isuzu’s well-regarded safety suite – with driver and passenger airbags, Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) and Hill Start Aid (HSA) all standard issue on the latest NPS 75-155 models.

“A lot of work sites consider ABS and dual airbags mandatory to have in the truck, so it’s good they come standard in the Isuzu,” said Walker.

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