Gradco is a key transporter for contract mining, civil construction and heavy haulage in Tasmania and parts of Australia’s mainland.
The business, developed from the entrepreneurial spirit of founder, Dak Diprose, has since been sustained by his family’s later generations.
Gradco was officially born in 1955 in when Dak imported an all-hydraulic rubber-tyred excavator from the United States – seeing the company break into the local earthmoving industry. Over time, prompted by industry changes and company handovers, the business increasingly diversified to service a multitude of markets and carry a variety of equipment.
Today, under CEO, Oliver Diprose, Gradco is a civil mining contractor and heavy equipment transporter operating throughout Tasmania and parts of Australia’s mainland. The company boasts an incredibly diverse fleet of vehicles and equipment designed to weather the elements during major excavation and transport.
While Tasmania’s geography has in some instances made the fleet’s transport operations difficult due to a number of circumstances, Grado’s embracing of the latest industry technology has made these tasks much more seamless.
Enter Tuff Trailers – a trailer manufacturer based in Crestmead, Queensland, established in 1995 by Denis and Nicole Di Pasquale. Tuff Trailers’ value proposition revolves around the specific development of trailers to handle an assortment of Australian conditions, including that of Tasmania’s uniquely difficult terrain.
Gradco has been implementing Tuff Trailers’ transport and equipment solutions for over a decade. In this period, the relationship between these two companies has developed significantly, blossoming into an integral aspect of Gradco’s business according to Oliver.
“We started off just buying fairly basic drop deck extendable trailers from Tuff,” he says. “After some time, we got to know Denis and some of the other guys, Matt and David, very well.
“As they developed new trailers and different ideas they always shared them with us, encouraging us to think outside the box. We started using more of their trailers, and of different sorts.”
The relationship between Gradco and Tuff Trailers is built on similar business perspectives and values. Both companies share an innate creativity in their approach to problem solving, as well as the meticulous process of realising these solutions.
From the trailer’s initial design to its final product, Tuff Trailers undergoes an extremely detailed process, which Gradco is consulted on at every step, to ensure that the right product is manufactured.
“When we order a trailer, we start talking to Tuff about our needs and about the task we need to achieve,” Oliver says. “They show us many designs, with some engaging and insightful computer systems that allow us to see the functionality and specs on the trailer up close. You’re not left to be guessing too much when you’re ordering with Tuff. That’s the great thing about them.”
Following the design process, Tuff Trailers shows Gradco the real manufactured product and also helps to train its drivers on how to operate them.
The most recent Tuff Trailers delivery to Gradco consists of two low loader trailers, each fitted with many specs to optimise Gradco’s heavy haulage capacity.
The first trailer, a 4×4 DL-S Steerable Extendable Low Loader, features a dolly gooseneck, sliding adjustable skid plate, DL-S independent suspension, double acting suspension with 280mm axle travel, 38-degree steering angle, 4.6m hydraulic bi-fold ramps, 11.4m clear deck that extends to 20m, 8mm high grade decks widening from 2.5m to 3.5m, a 500mm sliding bolster, RUD lashing points, Tritronic control system and more.
The second trailer, a 9×8 Steerable Low Loader Platform, is made up of a 7×8 module and 2×8 clip, equipped with a live and compensating gooseneck which features double acting hydraulic suspension with 600mm axle travel, BPW ECO Plus axles, Knorr-Bremse Electronic Braking System and Anti-lock braking system, a 3.1m closed width and a 4.7m open width, a 62-degree steering angle, 3m hydraulic ramps, a diesel power unit with integrated air compressor, Tritronic control system, patented Ezy Lift Tyre Carriers, chrome plated alloy wheels, RUD lashing points and more.
The sizeable number of customisations present in this latest delivery is a testament to Gradco’s commitment to technology integration to provide transport solutions.
This integration was a major contributing factor to Gradco approaching the trailer manufacturer a decade ago and has kept the business partnership strong ever since.
“When we look at trailers, we look at things like steering angles, manoeuvrability, the way the trailer lifts up and down and the height that it will lift and lower to,” Oliver says. “These things are crucial to our business capability, and Tuff Trailers’ designs accommodate all of those areas.
“There was a lot of new technology on these trailers that we hadn’t seen before, and all of these aspects led to us making the decision to buy the trailers.”
On top of the plethora of technological advancements that Tuff Trailers can provide, Oliver and Gradco sing high praise for the OEM’s sales support and the approachable nature of the relationship, describing how pleasant and easy the business is.
“It’s lovely dealing with the same team for a long period of time,” Oliver says. “They are great, stable, reliable guys and are a joy to deal with. They truly embrace technology, and they’re always interested in what we’re trying to achieve at Gradco.”
Gradco’s dedication to transporting heavy haulage across Tasmania’s difficult terrain to supply a variety of business endeavours is a challenge the company undertakes with pride and efficiency. And when the going gets tough, Gradco calls Tuff.
