Recognised as a long established partner of many well-known names in the WA construction industry, Pullella Earthmoving has built its success exclusively on one brand of machinery.
A well-used Cat® 922B Wheel Loader sits proudly inside Pullella Earthmoving’s head office in Perth’s northern suburbs … a testament to both the history of the company, and the hardiness of the machine.
One of the most widely used wheel loaders in the construction and mining industries, it was the first piece of equipment Leo Pullella bought when he started up the company three decades ago.
The model was part of the 900 series of loaders, known for their durability, simplicity, and versatility in construction and industrial applications. They gained popularity for being easy to maintain, mechanically simple, and built tough.
“And it still runs like a dream,” Leo said, patting it with the passion of a man whose veins clearly run thick with the yellow blood.
“I love the machines. I’m proud to admit that I’m a Caterpillar® man through and through,” he said.
Pullella Earthmoving is well-known for providing a wide range of earthmoving and excavation services to commercial and residential clients throughout the Perth metropolitan area and its outer suburbs, and has built a strong reputation for delivering projects on time and within budget, thanks to its skilled staff and a large fleet of modern, well-maintained Cat machinery and trucks.
Leo said the love affair with Cat equipment began when he grew up with his father’s earthmoving business, which had a fleet filled with Cat machines.
“As I got older, I started to work in the family business, and there were three generations of us together, including my grandfather,” he said.
Importantly, they instilled within young Leo the values of hard work and treating everyone equally, with dignity and respect.
It was with this ethos that Leo took the leap of faith to go out on his own into the civil works sector.
“With my dad’s blessing, I started my own company, along with my wife Trish. He was always raving on about how great the Cat machinery was, and I followed suit, believing you always get the best for what you pay for,” Leo said.
“My dad retired, but would always come in now and then to help, guide and encourage me.
“He said there are no guarantees in life. Just have a go, and that’s what I did.”
Leo began with just that single Cat loader and a compactor, but success was swift, thanks to an unflinching attitude to work.
“I just put my heart in there. You had to be really enthusiastic. You had to give 100 per cent, happy to be working seven days a week,” he said.
“And the machinery is very important. If you look after the machines, they look after you, and this is what has happened with the Cat equipment.
“I honestly believe Caterpillar makes the best earthmoving equipment on the market.
“Downtime is the most important aspect for me. It stops production, and then the next trade job can’t get in if you’re broken down all the time. And we’ve hardly had any issues with the Cat machines.
“Eliminating downtime was my goal from day one, seven days a week. My Cat machines rarely break down, and if there are any issues, they got sorted out quickly.”
Leo certainly backs that commitment up with impressive numbers. His current fleet includes more than 20 Cat machines, including graders, loaders, excavators, compactors and skid steers.
Service is the secret
Leo said the best way of ensuring minimal downtime is to keep the equipment regularly looked after and maintained.
But with such a large fleet, it’s impossible for him to spend time servicing each and every machine himself without delaying deadlines.
“I go by the rules. I don’t cut any corners when it comes to looking after the machines,” he said.
Leo was happy to use the convenience offered by Cat Customer Value Agreements (CVAs), the customisable plans that include parts, service, and support to make sure machines stay running smoothly and for longer.
When we chatted with Leo, he had more than nine CVAs of varying levels for his equipment, with more on the way.
“The CVAs reduce downtime, lower operating costs, and give me peace of mind,” he said.
“The service is very thorough. The service team goes through all the different oils, the different procedures, test the engine, the hydraulics, the drives and transmission, and more.
“They give me a report which breaks the analysis down step by step on how they reach their final diagnosis.
“It also means I get genuine Cat parts and fluids delivered to my location, helping ensure peak performance and reliability.
“It’s not worth compromising. Cat made the equipment so you know their parts are the best.
“If someone offers a similar product for cheaper, there must be a reason for it. If that part fails, there’s no comeback.
“I never use inferior products.”
Leo gets his Cat equipment from WesTrac, which offers its own branded version of CVA called FitFleet® , tailored for customers. The tiered support program offers varying levels of support, from basic monitoring to fully managed maintenance, which Leo endorses wholeheartedly.
The four tiers comprise:
- FitFleet Essentials – Basic machine connectivity and alerts.
- FitFleet Plus – Adds condition monitoring and recommendations.
- FitFleet Premium – Includes dealer-planned maintenance and inspections.
- FitFleet Ultimate – Fully managed maintenance, repairs, and total machine support.
Customers can also access VisionLink® , the cloud-based fleet management application developed by Caterpillar.
“I especially value the planned maintenance schedules for routine service and inspections,” Leo said.
“The fleet’s growing so quickly now and also the technology is going up to the next level.
“In the old days I could manage to do servicing on the weekends and keep up, but it’s all too big now.
“I can just leave it to WesTrac; they can go and order the parts, they can deliver the parts, get rid of the old parts, get rid of the old oil.
“There’s less travelling away from the business in handling parts and components. No more picking up or dropping off parts, picking up oil, getting rid of all the old material.
“I’ve just worked out that all the costs of the time that it used to take me, I think I’ve got that in credit in the bank now.
“We have 24/7 access to machine data and performance via WesTrac’s portal; service alerts, diagnostics, and maintenance scheduling; regular fluid analysis and scheduled sampling and analysis; and help with compliance, safety, and fleet efficiency.”
Leo also welcomed a key component of the agreements, the integration of Scheduled Oil Sampling (S•O•S)™ Services, which play a vital role in proactive equipment management.
“I decided from the start that I would include these tests as part of FitFleet, and I have not regretted it,” he said.
For Leo, this just means sending periodic samples down to the S.O.S. laboratory conveniently located about half an hour away.
The service involves regular analysis of various machine fluids, including:
- Oil: Assesses wear metals and detects contaminants like water, fuel, glycol, or dirt that can impact performance.
- Coolant: Evaluates condition, freeze/boil protection levels, and potential contamination.
- Fuel: Checks for quality and contamination.
- Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF): Ensures proper quality.
“By analysing these fluids, potential issues can be identified early, allowing for corrective actions before they escalate into major problems,” Leo said.
“This proactive approach helps in reducing downtime and extending the lifespan of my equipment.
“The proof is in the fact that I’ve still got all my old machinery still working well, still with their original engines and gearbox diffs.”
Leo said that the condition monitoring checks are a guarantee of workmanship because the service is preventative.
“I hear a lot of stories where machines always breaking down because the operators can’t see the problem. They’re not preventing it because they don’t know,” he said.
“The CVA service is like a camera to look in the equipment and tell if there’s something wrong, and then get something done about it.
“It helps find problems. If something is a problem, it’s not going to go away, you have to fix it, mate.
“The CVAs are the best insurance you can have to ensure the machines work well.
“I’ve got the CVAs on all my new equipment, they are a must.”
The tender touch
Leo said Pullella was now expanding into many Tier 1 projects, where “everything has to be on record”.
In the initial years, the company’s services included site clearance and pad preparation, civil earthworks, excavations, drainage, civil carpark and roadworks, and landscaping preparation.
“We did big excavations, hospitals, shopping centres, car parks, apartments, stuff like that,” Leo said.
“Now we’re handling more Tier 1 contracts, which are usually government jobs. Other major projects include Curtin University, some work in the city, Acacia and Banksia prisons, and at Garden Island.
“We are starting to get into the bigger stuff, and the CVA reports ensure that everything is spot on professionally, which is a requirement from the big companies.
“They’re more demanding now, needing all relevant information on record. There are a lot of contractors and top end building companies which ask for the service and repair history of the machines.
“With FitFleet, I have that at the fingertips. I get a copy for myself or if I need another copy, I can look it up online.
“Without the documentation, most companies will not let you on the site or turn the key before you start the job.
“The FitFleet reports certainly play a big part in helping us tender successfully for projects.”
The WesTrac connection
Pullella’s go-to at WesTrac is Customer Support Manager Jim Wheeler, who ensures the equipment is well maintained, reliable and available.
“This includes inspections, oil samples, diagnostics and using genuine Cat parts,” he said.
“The Pullella team and I have a very close relationship, with open and honest dialogue.
“I have seen the business grow over the last three decades and am very proud to see the accomplishments made over the years.
“It’s been a real pleasure working with him because he’s so passionate about the product and about what we’ve got to offer.”
Jim said he was always on hand to help Leo out when called upon, which was important for his business, with about 22 of his machines now working out in the paddocks.
“With so many operators, he can’t be in every spot every time. So I’ll try to help him get on the right path if there any issues,” he said.
Leo was grateful for the support, which he said had helped Pullella immensely on the road to success.
“If I have a problem, I contact Jim. He does the background and I act on it, and it works well. Honestly, I’d be struggling otherwise,” he said.
“I’m a bit impatient, but Jim steers the ship and keeps things calm, and we get an answer in the end. I keep on taking advice from him.
“Our relationship works just like my well-oiled Cat machines. Generally my customers and I need solutions straight away, not in three or five days’ time. So Trish gets on the line, speaks to Jim, and he does his best to help us out.
“I’ve never had to complain to anyone because I get treated like I’m the only customer there. I make a joke with my wife that they drop everything for me.
“Sometimes when I want something, I feel that they must think of me as a pain, but they always answer their phone and we get it sorted. It’s never too hard or ‘go away’.
“When talking with WesTrac, I can put my heart on my sleeve.”
Jim backed up Leo’s satisfaction with the value of the FitFleet arrangements.
“When it was a smaller operation, Leo did all his own servicing for many, many years on the weekends,” he said.
“He used to come to WesTrac for parts after hours, and do all his own servicing back in his workshop in Wangara.
“But now the fleet has grown so big that it’s a logistics problem to do that. Plus with all the new innovations, things have got a bit more technical now.
“So he’s at the stage where he can’t do everything for everybody, and especially for the machines. With FitFleet, he can trust WesTrac to service all his machines, at times that suit his schedules and business.”
The dream teams
The connection between Pullella and Cat machines has proven to be as enduring as the relationship between Leo and Trish, which continues to drive the company from strength to strength.
“The business owes its success as much to me as to Trish. I wouldn’t be here today without her. She’s been with me 24/7 all these years and still is today,” Leo said.
“She’s given up her life to get me where I am today and I’m very proud of that. She’s never had any time off!
“We work as a team and I have the same sort of relationship with Cat. With the reliability of the machines, we can continue to keep doing what we do well now and in the future.”