Out of the rough and onto the green
9 March 2017
JSB Construction has come a long way since the days of KM & SC Lupi, formed 37 years ago by Kerry and Sue Lupi. Kerry had been involved with machinery since the age of 16. It wasn’t long before he bought a D4D CAT bulldozer and went out on his own doing work for local farms. Within seven years he had 5 men and 7 machines working on projects for both the local council and Ministry of Works, mainly carrying out road improvements, as well as ongoing farm development work.
When kids came on the scene the company’s name was changed to JSB, (Jeni, Scott & Brad). Scott & Brad are now Shareholders and Directors in the company. Scott (Chuck as he is known) completed an Engine rebuilding apprenticeship and did some driving in the early days with JSB. Brad completed a NZCE in civil engineering and joined the company a couple of years later. Jeni had other plans and joined the Police Force.
The project that really got JSB Construction off the ground and flying was the building of the Kauri Cliff Golf Course. As Kerry says “we had the first machine on site and were there for 3 years’. In the 10 years since Kauri, Golf Course developments have continued with Cape Kidnappers in Hawkes Bay, Kinloch in Taupo and Pegasus just north of Christchurch.
JSB’s activities today are varied. They are very involved in Forestry Roading and have multiple crews working all over Northland. They also operate their own quarries and have a number of metal trucks on the road. They also carry out all sorts of civil construction works ranging from subdivisions to retirement villages. With a workforce ranging from 50-60 and significant numbers of equipment needing to be moved from job to job the need arose for their own Low Loader. While JSB had and continue to use a local Heavy Haulage company who offer them an excellent service, the flexibility and productivity gains from operating their own trailer in house were clear. Their aim was to put a low loader on the road that was able to comfortably carry a 30 tonne payload without being on the limit. Another requirement was for a Low Loader that was built strong and would last, working in the harsh Northland environment.
In December 2014 a new TRT Quad Fixed Width Low Loader was delivered from the Tidd Ross Todd manufacturing facility in Hamilton, towed by a Western Star tractor unit with a C-15 Caterpillar engine delivering 550hp. The Quad trailer was designed in conjunction with JSB to meet their requirements to carry a 30-34t piece of machinery. Built at 2.8m wide, the trailer is able to be used ‘anytime’ as it meets the NZ Swept Path criteria. With its main deck length of 9.7m and 3m for the top deck, the trailer becomes very versatile and suits the application in which JSB work. Axles spaced at 1500mm give extra load capacity when running unpermitted. The Quad is built on BPW 17.5 drum brake axles with the rear axle steering and BPW air suspension. EBS brake system enables better brake consistency and safety.
Many so called low loaders are built on standard I-beams with the suspension mounted underneath, a design that will generally not stand up to either the loads or the conditions it is subjected to. One of the key features of a TRT designed trailer is the full depth fabricated chassis beam, this ensures the trailer is not only strong but maintains its shape when loaded. With axles set through the chassis, the lowest deck height is achieved.
A ‘true’ Low Loader design.
“Our experience with TRT has being a very good one,” says Kerry, “they are very customer focussed and know what they are talking about. For us a manufacturer that does not stand by their product and is not interested in post delivery service is a manufacturer that will not get our business. We will definitely be having an ongoing relationship with TRT. From our experience with Glen and the manufacturing team we would highly recommend anyone to give them a call.”