Frustrated by never knowing where its own deliveries were, a Melbourne landscape supplier set out to track every load from depot to doorstep.
Anyone who has renovated a garden, laid a path or poured a slab knows the feeling. The excavator is booked, the crew is on site, and the stone has not arrived. Nobody can say when it will.
For most homeowners, choosing between gravel suppliers comes down to price and product range. But on a working site, timing often matters more than either. A late load leaves a paid crew waiting instead of working.
Soilworx, which supplies sands, soils, gravels, mulches and pebbles across Victoria from yards in Deer Park, Pakenham and Werribee, decided to treat delivery as part of what it sells.
Tracking a load like a rideshare
Soilworx says frustration at never knowing where deliveries were is what led it to imagine a better system. The goal was simple: order bulk landscaping materials, then follow the truck with the same visibility as a rideshare app.
The result was SubTrux, a delivery management platform that Soilworx used as its testing ground before it was adapted for other retailers. Today, Soilworx customers can track their delivery in real time through GPS, and receive an SMS when the order is on its way from the depot.
The platform tracks each delivery through status checkpoints, including driver messages, scans, photographs and timestamps. Customers can see where the driver is, the expected arrival time and proof of delivery.
Faster windows for working sites
Soilworx also offers delivery windows of two hours, four hours or same day. For a homeowner managing a single weekend project, that can mean booking stone to land after the excavator has finished, rather than leaving the driveway blocked all morning.
Where a full truck cannot reach the site, Soilworx supplies sand, gravel and aggregate in bulka bags. These are often used on tight sites and narrow access blocks, where a standard truck cannot tip its load where it is needed.
What else to check before you order
Delivery is only half the job. A supplier worth using should also help you order the right material in the right amount the first time. Soilworx’s own buying advice points to a few checks:
- Quantity: volume is length times width times depth. Add about 10% for uneven ground and curved edges, since a small shortfall means paying for a second delivery.
- Weight: if you order by the tonne rather than the cubic metre, ask for the conversion for the exact product. Weight per cubic metre changes with the rock type and grade.
- Shape: angular crushed stone locks together and suits paths and slopes. Rounded pebbles move underfoot and suit garden beds.
- Colour: stone looks different in the yard and in the sun than it does on a screen. If you can, see it in person before you buy.
- Sourcing: if a supplier does not stock what your job needs, ask whether it can source it. Soilworx offers product sourcing through its network of material suppliers.
Choosing a supplier for the whole job
The cheapest load is not always the cheapest outcome. Wrong material, a short order or a missed delivery window can all cost more than the stone itself.
With almost 40 years in the industry, Soilworx supplies trade, civil, commercial and retail customers across Victoria. Homeowners can order online, collect from any of its three yards, or book a tracked delivery straight to site.