HIGH HERO

THAT’S ANOTHER HINO

Two Australian industries which have defied the constrictive effects of the pandemic have been the supply of new trucks, and the construction industry. CNC Cartage Solutions’ Chad and Chelsea Brown have been riding the wave of both as the demand for the services of their crane trucks has driven their requirements for additional vehicles. In the late ‘90s Chad was only 20 years of age and delivering timber to a wholesaler’s customers using flat top trucks when he realised there was a gap in the market which could be better filled with deliveries using crane trucks.

“A lot of people were asking me to deliver components to building sites for them. I remember the first customer who said ‘if you get a crane truck we’ll use you’,” says Chad. “We took the plunge and we still do work for that same customer today. A lot of our early customers are still with us and we’ve grown together.”

From those humble beginnings the CNC fleet has evolved to 40 company owned vehicles with more currently on order, plus almost 30 full time dedicated sub-contractors in company livery. The equipment also includes 12 semitrailers. As a family company its growth, according to Chad, has been partly determined by its inability to say no. “The biggest thing is making sure the customer is happy and they don’t need to rely upon anyone else,” he says. Chad readily admits he has never been much of a salesperson. Until recently he didn’t even have a need for one, having managed to achieve company growth by providing a good service and maintaining good relationships with the customers.

“Keith Poppleton joined us in 2020 in the dual role of sales and compliance. Keith enjoys making sure we are compliant and he’s our WH&S officer and works closely with the authorities and any outside companies we use in the areas of health and safety,”

Chad says.