Doing the Cattle Rounds with Kent Saddlery.
People use Hino trucks for all sorts of businesses. From construction to landscaping, plumbing, distribution and rental.
But when we heard about Lyle and Helen Kent’s story and how they have put their Hino 500 Series to the test, travelling some of the harshest conditions over the last 14 years…well, that’s a story we felt we needed to share.
We sat down with Helen Kent (co-owner with her husband Lyle) of Kent Saddlery - a leather goods business that’s been operating since 1988 - to talk about how their customised Hino 500 Series Truck Shop has helped them bring their skills and services to remote cattle stations for over 14 years.
What’s Lyle’s job title?
How do I answer that? If you need an official title, it would be Saddler...but when you run your own business, and have a family, you could add; husband, dad, business owner, etc...so, you could say he has a few titles.
How long has Kent Saddlery been operating for, and how many employees do you have?
Kent Saddlery was first established back in 1988, the year of Australia’s bicentennial. We’ve currently got 20 employees working in the shop and the workshop. Something we’re quite proud of as a business that’s been operating for over 30 years.
How has business been since the beginning of COVID-19 in 2020? Have you had to change the way you operate in order to adjust? If so, what changes have you made that’s helped you stay afloat?
COVID had little effect on our business, thankfully, and we were able to operate as normal. The best part was being able to continue with our final annual sales trip. Known as ‘The Trip’, this was our 30th year of business travelling out to remote cattle stations. Now we’re looking forward to a more relaxed style of travel.
What locations do you normally operate in?
Kent Saddlery is based in Stanthorpe, QLD. While many of our customers are based locally, we’ve gone the extra mile for over 30 years with our annual trips to cattle stations across Australia. So, I guess you could say we’ve always operated nationally. Now, with our online shop, we can reach more customers in more places.
How does your Hino truck help you with your business, and what Hino do you have?
We’ve got a 7 tonne Hino 500 Series Wide Cab GD that we purchased back in 2007. It’s a great workhorse… and believe me, we’ve put it through its paces. We use our Hino to make our annual sales trips to around 150 cattle stations around Australia, towing our custom-made truck shop.
Why did you pick Hino for your business? And which dealership did you purchase your truck from? What was your experience like?
Hino was recommended to us – more specifically Vanderfield Hino Toowoomba which is now Wideland Hino - by Terry and Geraldine Dwan of Supa Floats, the company that made our custom truck shop. From the design of our custom float, they could see we were going to need a truck with a low-profile, airbag suspension, and serious hauling power.
The team, were attentive and extremely helpful when we visited their Toowoomba dealership and recommended that a 7 tonne Hino would best suit our needs. Vanderfield Hino and Supa Floats Warwick worked closely together to custom build our Kent Saddlery truck shop, which set out on its maiden journey in 2008.
Can you give us an example of where your Hino 500 Series Wide Cab GD, has performed in a way you didn’t expect it to?
I can’t narrow it down to just one instance. But in all honesty, it has exceeded all expectations for over 14 years. With all the places we’ve taken it to, and the terrain we’ve taken it over, I’d be surprised if any other vehicles could survive as long.
While last year was the final ‘business trip’, we’re planning on continuing our travels…but with a more relaxed approach. We’re going to make some slight changes to our Hino truck shop, so it’s more ‘rest and play’, and less ‘work’.
After building and maintaining business “relationships” for over 30 years, we think it’s time to enjoy the friendships that we’ve formed along the way.
If you could sum up your experience with Hino (purchasing, servicing, truck features etc…), what would you say to someone looking to buy a Hino? Would you recommend the brand?
While we can only speak for our experience with Vanderfield Hino Toowoomba (Wideland Hino), and that of our Hino 500 Series...we’d definitely recommend both the brand and the dealership. Not only did they recommend the truck for our needs, they also worked closely with Supa Floats to help build our truck shop. Now, that’s going above-and-beyond.
As for the truck itself. It has completed 14 years of successful outback cattle station stopovers, travelling approximately 35,000kms annually and visiting around 150 cattle stations during a period of 6 months. It has travelled on some very rough roads and station tracks and has come through bulldust and bog experiences with flying colours.
The Kent family have built a business based on long standing relationship and at Hino, we too are in it for the long haul. Their Hino 500 Series is a true testament to the quality, durability and reliability attributes that Hino stand for and we hope to continue to be with them as they enjoy a more relaxed style of travel around Australia.
No matter what type of business you’re in or operate, Hino has a truck to suit your needs. From our car licence light-duty Hino 300 Series to our medium-duty Hino 500 Series, and heavy-duty Hino 700 Series, we have a wide range and variety of trucks for your needs.
Whether you’re looking to upgrade, or increase the size of your fleet, speak with your nearest authorised Hino dealer and they’ll be able to help you get behind the wheel of a brand-new Hino.
To find out more about our range, visit the Hino website today.