West-Trans delivers the Bingo spec

Established in 2005, Sydney’s Bingo Industries has taken just over a decade to grow into one of New South Wales’ most prominent waste transport services. Clearly distinguishable by the bright orange and blue colour scheme, its fleet of more than 5,000 branded skip bins and 120 trucks is quickly becoming as familiar a sight in Sydney as the city’s iconic harbour bridge.

Taking notable pride in the boldly painted fleet – including highly specialised equipment such as front and rear-lift compactors, hooklifts and skip-loaders – Bingo’s success is built just as much on technology as it is on work ethic and savvy branding, says Jamie Reynolds, Group Operations Manager, Bingo Industries.

“Bingo prides itself on having modern and safe equipment, covering both trucks and bins,” he explains. “For a company as ambitious and fast growing as us, that means we need to place a high emphasis on choosing the right suppliers to help us build and maintain such a fleet.”

According to Jamie, one such supplier is fellow Sydney business, West-Trans Equipment. As one of the first equipment providers to ever supply Bingo, it has now sold more than 100 hook-lifts and skip-loaders to the up-and-coming waste expert.

“West-Trans has understood both our culture and our growth ambitions,” he says. “Having that connection is vitally important for a business relationship to last. On top of that, West-Trans offers a superior product that is reliable and tailored to suit our specific high standards, so it’s a really good fit.”

West-Trans supplied Bingo with four HL20 hooklifts as well as two DS 40 and two MXS 150 telescopic arm skip-loaders as recently as November 2015, and there are another 20 units to come, according to Jamie. “The reason why we are able to order so much gear in such a short timeframe is that we developed a special Bingo spec with West-Trans,” he explains. “They know exactly which features a Bingo vehicle should and shouldn’t have, so we have the luxury of being able to place orders quickly and easily.”

Jamie explains that both the Bingo engineering team and West-Trans worked hard to get the Bingo spec just right – especially in regard to safety and compliance – with the result that West-Trans now offers it as a standard option for its prominent client.

“The Bingo spec has become quite a success for us,” says Jamie. “Each skip-loader, for example, is now fitted with safety handrails and extra safety lights. The skip-loaders also have load-holding valves fitted to the main lift cylinders.”

According to Jamie, the most recent West-Trans delivery has already made a significant impact on the business, with the Operations Manager highlighting increased productivity along with improved safety. “Quicker loading and unloading mechanisms have helped our drivers do their jobs more efficiently,” Jamie says, explaining that he has recognised a reduction in running and maintenance costs, as well as fuel efficiency gains.

As a long-standing partner that played a vital role in Bingo’s rapid ascent over the past decade, the term ‘reliability’ epitomises the West-Trans business, according to Jamie – especially during peak periods. “If Bingo requires equipment urgently, West-Trans is responsive and work will start promptly,” he explains. “West-Trans also coordinates all work with our chassis supplier, so it organises each new order from start to finish, including the signature Bingo paint job.”

Despite how seamless the process has become, Jamie says constant communication is still the key to the relationship, with West-Trans Group Managing Director, Jim Whittle, providing regular updates on new developments, products and offerings. “Jim and his team are not trying to sell us a product, they’re trying to turn our ideas into feasible solutions to improve our operation,” Jamie says.

When Bingo recently took delivery of a HMF crane truck from West-Trans, Jim spent two days at its head office showing the relevant employees how to operate the equipment, detailing its moving parts and the best service methods. He also gave the drivers his card so they could contact him directly with any queries.

“West-Trans is very hands-on that way,” acknowledges Jamie, citing the close proximity of the two businesses. “If the workshop team has any maintenance queries, they won’t just answer the question over the phone, they’ll drive the 40km here to see us.”

Jamie concludes, “West-Trans has built a very good business relationship with us based on mutual respect and good service – we do the right thing by them, they look after us and ensure our equipment has all the specifications that we require.”