25 Years of IVECO Dailys: Inside the Dananni Hotshots Fleet

We were out at the Dananni Haulage yard recently to hand over six new IVECO Dailys, 25 years after they took delivery of their first one in 2001. There are 22 Dailys in that yard now, and it isn’t often you see that many in one place.

Dananni started in 1999 and runs 24-hour hotshot freight across Australia. The hotshot work is what they’re best known for. A call can come in at any hour, any day of the year, and the job is to get equipment, spare parts or other critical supplies to a mining, oil or exploration site. When machinery goes down on one of those sites, the lost revenue runs into hundreds of thousands of dollars, so how quickly the replacement part arrives matters more than almost anything else.

Dananni Hotshots Director Danni Kempton said the Daily suits their work.

“There are plenty of good reasons why we’ve been using IVECO Daily for 25 years,” Danni said. “They’re a very easy model to operate, live with and maintain, and they’ve been incredibly reliable. We’ve now owned over 40 units since 2001, and some have covered close to a million kilometres.

“Looking at the different brands of trucks that I have in my yard, if I were to choose the most reliable one, it would be the IVECO Daily.”

Most of the fleet consists of the IVECO Daily 70C cab chassis, specified for the job rather than taken off the shelf. The trucks run ADR 42-compliant sleeper cabins so two-up crews can share the driving and still get their required rest, along with a 4.75m steel tray with a secure storage box, a bull bar, ancillary lighting, satellite tracking and long-range fuel tanks good for up to 3,000km between fills.

They need that range. From the Perth base, the Dailys run north through the state, into the Northern Territory and North Queensland, and as far southeast as Tasmania. Most are fitted with IVECO’s optional Electronically Controlled Air Suspension, which makes for a more supple ride for the crews and steadier haulage for sensitive cargo, including detonators bound for mine sites.

Plenty of operators are struggling to attract and keep drivers. Danni said that hasn’t been an issue here.

“We’re fortunate to have drivers who have been with us for many years,” she said. “The Dailys are a favourite among the drivers. They look the part and are also very comfortable and car-like to drive, there are no complaints. We have several husband-and-wife teams who drive together, and their relationships have endured in the Dailys!”

The latest arrivals run the 3.0-litre Euro 6 (Step E) engine producing 180hp and 430Nm, matched to IVECO’s 8-speed H-Matic fully automatic transmission, at 7t GVM.

“The Daily engines give us the performance we need to comfortably handle the work and are also quite fuel efficient, which is obviously important given the cost of fuel,” Danni said. “They’re built tough as well, with a strong full-length chassis that handles Australian conditions and are well equipped with safety features.”

We handle warranty, technical and parts support, and we service the trucks through the warranty period. After that, the work moves to Dananni’s own workshop.

“We have experienced mechanics, and they enjoy maintaining the trucks. Compared to many other brand trucks, everything is easily accessible on the Dailys, and adding equipment like spotlights, emergency lighting and other accessories is also simple,” Danni said. “And the interiors are easy to clean, and the paint doesn’t fade. For an owner, it’s all the little things that go a long way.”

The IVECO franchise in Perth has changed hands a few times since 2002. Dananni’s salesman hasn’t. Craig Maddox has looked after them throughout, and he’s still the first person they call.

Looking at your own fleet? Talk to Craig and the team on 9478 2299.