‘Hive Hauler’ creating a buzz
Capable of carrying 216 beehives, Collins Honey’s new truck transports thousands of bees to farms throughout Victoria and New South Wales during pollination season.
Upwards of 65 per cent of flowering and seed plants require insect collaborators for pollination. Most of the legwork is handled by the busy bee population, though many other animals and insects also contribute, including birds, bats, ants, wasps, moths and butterflies.
Australia’s beekeepers work to breed bees that are hardy, and importantly, are resistant to illnesses.
Founded in 1955, family business Collins Honey is committed to keeping its bees in good health and embedded in the pollination cycles of the flora around Greater Bendigo and Victoria.
“My dad (Norm Collins) has been a beekeeper for over 60 years. He started beekeeping when he was 13, with his dad (Norman Collins),” said Richard Collins, who is a third-generation beekeeper and director of Collins Honey.
“It all started one day when he was on his way home from school and saw an intense swarm of bees on a tree. He took the branch home to see what it was all about and the business has just grown from there.”
Collins Honey operates from the regional city of Bendigo in Victoria, offering pollination services along with a range of honey products.
These products all come from over 2000 beehives that Collins Honey maintains.
“We will extract the honey we have collected throughout the year back in Bendigo, using our extractor which spins out the honeycomb from the frames into a vat,” Richard explained.
“Out extractor can spin 108 frames at once, so when we are in peak honey flow, we can get between three to six tonnes of honey in a single day!”
Throughout spring, Collins Honey is engaged in moving hives to new locations, travelling across the region to satisfy their bees’ instinctual pollen collection drive and support good honey production.
They visit a large number of long-standing clients and community partners, building relationships with farmers and produce growers.
To get their bees from A to Z across Bendigo, into Victoria and as far north as New South Wales, Collins Honey relies on its new Isuzu FYJ 300-350 Auto 8×4.
Their new truck was purchased from Bendigo Isuzu (Poyser Trucks) under the purview of sales manager Luke Farrell, who assisted Richard with its customised fit-out.
Lovingly dubbed the ‘Hive Hauler’, the FYJ 300-350 features a GVM of 30,000 kg and extra-long wheelbase length of 6.7-metres, ensuring plenty of payload for the heavy hives and space for their precious cargo.
A custom-built curtain-side body with mesh curtains assists with airflow around the hives, while keeping them safely contained during transport.
Supported by Isuzu’s 6UZ1-TCC six-cylinder, turbocharged engine, the FYJ 300-350 offers power at 257 kW (350 PS) @ 2000 rpm and maximum torque of 1422 Nm @ 1400 rpm, providing the necessary grunt for the inclines and valleys around Bendigo.
The FYJ’s heavy-duty Allison 4430 automatic transmission and twin-steer front axle makes handling the truck a breeze for Richard, who is in the driver’s seat multiple times per week during pollination season.
Richard says he’s been pleased with the truck’s performance and road presence since collecting it in April this year, saying it has quickly become an integral part of the operation.
“The FYJ can cart 216 hives and there is even room and payload for our loader as well—with no issues about being over an acceptable weight.
“Studio Ink here in Bendigo have done the graphic design work for the logo and art for the hive hauler, Wizartry Signs applied our wrap, and Austruck created the custom body and curtains for us. We love supporting other local businesses.”
Collins Honey is hoping to expand the business in coming years, including hiring more staff to meet production demands and expanding their Isuzu truck fleet to ease the pressure on their new FYJ (and Richard) in moving hives around the country.
