Delta Rent has been in the quarrying industry since it was established in 2005. Image: Delta Rent
How investment and sustainability are driving Delta Rent’s fleet to new heights in the construction materials sector.
There are few more important words in the construction materials sector than sustainability.
The very concept of sustainability is revolutionising the quarrying industry. It is reshaping operational strategies, influencing the demand for specific machinery, driving innovation in product lines, and redirecting business investments towards operational improvements.
Quarry sat down with Anthony Grant, Delta Rent’s business development manager, to discuss how the concept was shaping Delta Rent’s business.
“Those factors like low carbon footprint, low emissions, low fuel burn, and all of those things are key drivers to what we’re trying to achieve,” he said.
“This shift is being driven by our customers and those major projects, so we need to be in that space, and we’d like to think we’re at the forefront of that.”
Delta Rent is an instrumental part of the Delta Group, which attests to being one of the largest diversified contractors of its type in the world. Since its establishment in 2005, Delta Rent has provided low-hour, next-generation machinery from its fleet, which is one of the largest in Australia.
Operating heavy equipment comes with a degree of risk and capital input, but with Delta Rent, companies can mitigate the risk by hiring the latest machines and receiving around-the-clock support.
Delta Rent has invested heavily in its fleet to ensure its continued success as an established and trusted partner in the quarrying industry as well as other sectors. During the past 18 months, the company has added more than 40 pieces of gear, including a range of dump trucks, articulated dump trucks, dozers, wheel loaders, excavators, and more.
The investment means Delta Rent has a fleet of more than 450 machines across Australia from which companies can choose.
“We’ve come a long way and that has taken us into product platforms that we haven’t been into before,” Grant said. “We’ve got a 100-tonne and bigger into 200-tonne diggers, and into 100-tonne size rigid trucks; we never thought we’d get that big, and we have.
“We’re certainly open to looking at the right project and putting the right gear into that project, and if that means buying it new, we’ll buy the gear.
“We’ve seen ourselves going from one particular segment in the construction materials industries, and that was our core business. Now we’re into light construction, heavy civil works, the construction materials industries and the resources sector; we’re crossing over into all of those segments.
“A decade ago, I never thought we’d be there, but we’ve grown with the market and seen those opportunities with our customers; we’ve certainly grown with our customers.
“An important part of that has been being able to supply them with the right asset from our low hours and latest technology fleet, which has been important for our growth.”
Over that time, Delta Rent has matched industry trends to ensure customers can access the machines they need. From National Heavy Vehicle Regulator-compliant machines to machines that utilise bio and synthetic diesel or lead-free and biodegradable hydraulic oil, the company’s investment has matched industry’s needs.
In Australia, most of the demand for more sustainable equipment comes from the construction materials industry itself. Many of the major companies are committed to decarbonising their operations as part of a broader push towards net zero targets.
Grant said Delta’s customers had been voicing similar desires for sustainable equipment.
“It’s not government-driven; it is market-driven, and we need to be at that cutting edge and have that within our fleet, and that’s the way we will be going,” he said.
“As we peel off those older machines and dispose of those, we will then be going into that new technology. That includes low emission, low carbon footprint, and low fuel consumption technology.
“The market will dictate that you need to have that product. And over the longer term, that is where we believe the market is heading; sustainable equipment is where it is at for us and where we’re going.”
Some of Delta Rent’s latest investments can operate with synthetic or biodiesel or, in some cases, lead-free and biodegradable hydraulic oil. These machines can maintain a high level of performance while reducing the amount of harmful pollutants released into the environment.
Other machines in Delta Rent’s fleet feature fully recyclable components, which help reduce their impact on the environment.
Other key features in the fleet include rollover protective structures (ROPS) and falling object protective structures (FOPS) certified structures with ergonomic cabins and controls equipped with multi-lingual LCD and LED cabin displays.
Operators and quarry managers can take advantage of original equipment manufacturer’s (OEM) GPS tracking and telematics systems to access insightful data.
Delta Rent has one of Australia’s largest equipment rental fleets. Image: Delta Rent
As heavy industries, including quarrying, mining and construction, move towards a more sustainable future, it can be tough for operators to tell their diesel from their biodiesels. Quarries may want to start on the journey towards creating a sustainable operation but may not be sure where to start.
For companies tackling major infrastructure projects, meeting these sustainability criteria is essential.
“A lot of these projects now require that sustainability box to be ticked. Some of these criteria need to be met before you even get a machine on the site for some of these projects,” Grant said.
“We’re seeing it everywhere, and it’s only becoming more prevalent.
“That has been a good selling point into the market for us that our fleet does tick all those boxes when we are going to those heavy infrastructure, government projects that we can offer that.”
Delta Rent’s investment in its fleet and extensively trained staff allows the company to assist quarry operations on this journey. Delta Rent uses data, including site production outputs and safety specifications, to match the business with the best fit-for-purpose machine from an OEM brand.
Delta has its team trained in the maintenance of new-generation machines and can provide 24-7 fixed and mobile maintenance for quarries across Australia. This is supported by Delta Rent’s strong relationship with the major OEMs who also provide customer support when required.
“There’s a certain amount of training you need to do but you also need to bring in talented people that understand that equipment,” Grant said.
“We pride ourselves on finding those people that fit with our business and are going to offer what we need. It is important to bring fresh eyes and fresh perspectives, especially with maintaining this stuff.
“A lot of the work is remote, which creates another challenge with logistics. That’s why we stick with these OEMs because they can support us and help us where we need it.
“I think we provide a service that is second to none, and we are truly 24-7 Australia-wide.”
Through its continued investment, Delta Rent is supporting the future of the quarrying industry.•
For more information, visit deltarent.com.au.
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