Following a Merry Truckmas promotion which kicked off earlier in November, Isuzu Australia Limited (IAL) is continuing in the festive spirit by announcing the winners of its 2023 Truck of the Year Competition.
The competition has brought truck owners together for over 30 years, celebrating life on the road and hundreds of hardworking businesses across the country. Some of the first entrants can be found in the earliest editions of Truckpower magazine as far back as 1996.
Decades later, the competition is as strong as ever—proving that trucking and appreciation for a great rig will never die.
Bringing in the holiday season
Every December, Isuzu’s Truck of the Year judges gather to examine the winners of each monthly round to select who will receive the big prizes.
Each selected Isuzu Trucks Series winner (N Series, F Series, FX Series, and FY Series) receives a $1,000 Visa cash card and then goes in with a chance at being named the Grand Prize winner, who receives a $6,000 Visa cash card and the title of Truck of the Year.
IAL national marketing and advertising manager, Sam Gangemi, says a large number of entries spanning a wide range of industry applications made the choice of winners difficult, but well-deserved.
“Selecting the winners for the competition is a great way to round out the year but it is also hard work with so many fantastic entries to consider,” he says.
“This year we have four Series ‘Kings’ and the ultimate Grand Prize winner, who have all been chosen for their Isuzu pride and spirit, along with the hard work undertaken by truck and driver.
“We’ve seen it all this year, from mining trucks to waste recyclers, crane trucks, trade heroes and service units.
“I would like to take the opportunity to warmly congratulate our prize winners and thank the many Isuzu truck owners who took the time to enter—we look forward to seeing you back again in next year’s competition.”
2023 Grand Prize Winner
Isuzu Australia is delighted to announce that VTG Waste & Recycling has been selected as the 2023 Truck of the Year Grand Prize winner.
James Prakash, Managing Director of VTG Waste & Recycling entered an FYJ 300-350 8×4 which is used for recycling and commercial waste disposal in Darwin in the Northern Territory.
It comes decked out in their striking custom ‘VTG green’ colour scheme.
“Isuzu trucks are reliable, functional and well-suited to the tough environment of the Top End,” Prakash says.
“We understand that giving our employees the right tool for the job is key to making service delivery happen efficiently and our custom green Isuzu fleet is a huge part of that.”
VTG Waste & Recycling take out the top gong as 2023 Truck of the Year and also receive the prize for ‘King of the FY Series’.
N Series Winner
DJ Bourke Excavations based in Tasmania has been crowned as ‘King of the N Series’ with a NQR 87-190 Tipper.
Truck owner Dylan Bourke captured the attention of the judges and the essence of what it means to put one of Isuzu’s light-duty Ready-to-Work models to work.
With enough payload to carry a backhoe and towing capacity to haul a skid steer loader, the excavation company has a rig that is ready to tackle just about any job for their clients.
F Series Winner
Daniel Taglieri from Lolico Painting & Maintenance is the ‘King of the F Series’ with an FRR 110-260 that helps the team conduct their trade around Calder Park in Victoria.
With a custom-built tray that stands out from the crowd, this truck showcases the reliability of Isuzu’s medium-duty models for trade applications.
“We designed the tray ourselves to carry tools and equipment,” Taglieri says.
“We store plasterboard top and bottom, it has a custom canopy and storage space, and has been fitted with custom ramp at the rear for all our demolition needs.”
FX Series Winner
Entering the heavier end of the competition, Sam Docker from Treesafe Environmental Services took out the prize for ‘King of the FX Series’ with an FXZ 240-350 that is putting in hard yards for the arboriculture business throughout Southeast Queensland.
“When it comes to Isuzu you know you have the best option of truck on the road, and that gets put back into your business,” Docker says.
Happy trucking
Truck of the Year entrants are given a further chance to win big via the People’s Choice poll which is conducted on Isuzu Australia’s socials over the holiday period.
The People’s Choice winner will receive an additional $1,000 Visa cash card as reward for their popularity with loyal Isuzu Trucks fans.
Isuzu truck owners can now enter the 2024 Truck of the Year competition by visiting isuzu.com.au and filling out the entry form with a photo and description of how their truck is supporting their business or lifestyle.
All entries received after the 2023 cut-off date will be automatically entered in the first monthly draw for 2024.
