Fleet of the Month

from TRAILER MAG MARCH 2022

by Prime Creative Media

Trailer Builder

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The trucks are equipped with 360-degree camera systems.

CNC CARTAGE GROWS THANKS TO THE VERSATILITY OF ITS FLEET OF CRANE TRUCKS AND THE EXPERTISE OF ITS PEOPLE.

Two Australian industries which have defi ed 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 fl at top trucks when he realised there was a gap in the market which could be better fi lled with deliveries using crane trucks. “A lot of people were asking me to deliver components to building sites for them. I remember the fi rst 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 fl eet 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 semi-trailers. 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 offi cer and works closely with the authorities and any outside companies we use in the areas of health and safety,” Chad says. Social media assists the dual purposes of expanding both the client base and the recruitment process. “The whole idea of being on Facebook is to have a presence so people know who we are, and we also get a lot of guys coming to us looking for work,” Chad explains. Rather than being a self-promoter, Chad considers his own expertise is in the area of operating the trucks and the business around them and he has assembled a group of key people and trusted suppliers. Chad considers Russell Walls, who is in charge of the daily logistical side of operations, his right-hand man. “Over the past ten years Russell has helped expand the business,” he says. “Russell and I worked together at the very fi rst company where I started with fl at tops 20 years ago. It was a big step for us to bring someone in from outside yet we’ve consistently grown since then. Jo Booth joined us about seven years ago and manages all of the offi ce staff and HR compliance and she has made a great contribution to easing the running of the business.”