Well known transport solution provider MaxiTRANS is parting ways with its old identity, transforming into Freighter Group, for a new era of transport solutions.
A leading supplier of locally manufactured trailing transport solutions, MaxiTRANS is transitioning through a comprehensive rebrand of its business.
As part of the rebrand, MaxiTRANS will be changing its name to Freighter Group, launching a new visual identity, designed to reflect the company’s expansive history, transformation journey and future vision.
Greg L’Estrange, Freighter Group Executive Chairman, says this is a new and exciting era for the business.
“The Freighter Group name not only connects our rich heritage, but importantly it connects with our Vision of ‘Freight it for Life’, which is our total commitment to supporting our customers for the life of our product,” he says. “We are excited to take the business forward under the Freighter name and continue to deliver high quality product solutions through our wide range of industry-leading brands.”
Synonymous with road transport in Australia through the manufacture and distribution of market-leading brands Freighter, Maxi-CUBE, Lusty EMS, Hamelex White, Trout River and AZMEB, Freighter Group is one of the leading suppliers of road transport equipment for the freight sector.
Trout River, is one of Freighter Group’s product brands that deliver specialised Live Bottom technology solutions for bulk transport applications, providing a safer, versatile alternative to conventional tipping.
L’Estrange says the Trout River product is one example of the Freighter Group’s aspiration to further invest in its manufacturing capability, transitioning its Ballarat facility into an advanced manufacturing environment through a recent $50 million upgrade to support its brands and the evolving needs of its customers.
With access to Freighter Group’s national dealer and service support network, L’Estrange says the rebrand will offer customers peace of mind that it is committed to supporting their transport needs. This peace of mind is further supported with the additional change that Freighter Group now offers spare parts for all its Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) products manufactured under the Freighter Group name.
“At Freighter Group we want to display an end-to-end capability. Our vision is that we provide a trailer for life,” L’Estrange says.
“This means we don’t want to just sell a new trailer to a customer. We want to service that trailer and provide parts for that trailer. Which then allows us to sell the next trailer to the customer.”
L’Estrange says customers are now able to contact their local Freighter Group dealer to look after their spare part needs.
“That is why we are thrilled to announce that we are also introducing a new spare parts brand into the market, Hitcher Parts,” he says.
He adds that Hitcher Parts will consist of an expansive range of trailer parts that are designed to last. The Hitcher Parts range continues to expand and will soon be available, as well as in the after market.
“We pride ourselves on delivering a quality product for our customers and have continued to align our product offering with reputable component brands,” L’Estrange says. “All these changes lead into our message that Freighter Group is all about being ready.
“Ready for anything our customers need, through extensive product knowledge and industry experience. Ready for our customers to perform through products that are meticulously designed, manufactured and supported. Ready to assist when needed, with a national dealer, service and mobile support network, our team will never be too far away.”
With this, Freighter Group has also developed its Ready Range of trailers. A pre-engineered product offering, designed to take out the guess work and streamline the ordering process, delivering a competitively-priced solution with shorter manufacturing lead times.
L’Estrange says through its industry experience designing and manufacturing trailers, the Ready Range allows Freighter Group to cater for the majority of customer needs with pre-engineered designs and a range of selectable options.
“That makes our responsiveness and speed of deployment much more efficient,” he says.
“Past years have shown lead times to be uncomfortably long, and that’s not good for us or our customers.
“These upgrades show our flexibility, as well as our understanding of the importance of keeping lead times low. Ideally, we would like to maintain lead times within the range of two to four months.”
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Why the change?
L’Estrange says the focus of the business has always remained on setting the company up for long-term success, which has been the commitment since a group of local private investors purchased the MaxiTRANS trailer business in September 2021.
“We set about embarking on a significant transformation journey when we purchased the trailer business, with the aim of creating a new era for the future of the company and the trailer manufacturing industry in Australia,” says L’Estrange.
“The journey started with a $50 million investment into our Ballarat site. This investment has seen the introduction of a range of state-of-the-art equipment and an expansion of the overall footprint of the facility, transforming it into a modern manufacturing environment.
“The completion of the upgrade puts the business in a position to be able to continue to evolve with the changing needs of our customers long into the future.”
L’Estrange says the investment into the Ballarat site will aid in adapting to customer needs at a more rapid pace.
“It gives customers access to the state-of-the-art equipment we now have at Ballarat,” he says. “Our customers will benefit by not having to wait for the usual six to nine month wait times which are unacceptably long for anyone.”
L’Estrange ensures customers that they will continue to see Freighter Group’s commitment to the future of the industry, despite a change in appearances.
“We don’t believe anyone else is putting this level of investment into their business in the Australian trailer market, which is a point of difference and allows us to continue delivering the sustainable quality with which we put into our products,” he says.
The future
Excited for what other ventures are to come, L’Estrange says being associated with the Freighter name is an important step forward.
“Being associated with Freighter Group – the most recognised brand in the trailer industry – enables us to be more targeted in our promotional activities going forward,” he says.
“Freighter Group is ready for the future of the Australian trailer market, and we look forward with great excitement as we continue to expand and evolve as a business to further support the changing needs of our customers long into the future.
“We are excited to improve our geographic coverage and our processes, we have a long way to go but we’re targeting all of these things to be the best at what we do.”
For more information, make sure to visit www.freighter.com.au
This article was originally published in the December edition of our magazine. To read the magazine, click here.
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