Tidd Ross Todd (TRT) and McDonald Contracting share more than just a professional relationship, with both companies representing a friendship that’s grown over 23 years. Second generation owner Shane McDonald shines a light on what makes the partnership so special.
For specialised movers and freight providers McDonald Contracting, family has always played an important part in the company’s success.
As an inter-generational enterprise, McDonald Contracting is guided by its focus on establishing trust, knowing just how important word of mouth is for sustained success.
As now Owner Shane McDonald can attest, these principles laid out by his father have endured to this day, with the company now flourishing.
“The business officially started in 1969 through my father and uncles, my brother Mat and I then took the business on. It’s changed hands, but it’s always been the same last name, the same connection and the same ethic,” he says.
The company’s core business is moving and relocating reclaimed and recycled buildings, particularly government buildings and structures with difficult access. The McDonald Contracting team also service and move other unusual items, such as planes, trains, and large trees.
McDonald Contracting has relied heavily on custom-built trailers, as well as jacks and other ancillary equipment provided by TRT, to handle the diverse range of projects and items.
The partnership between TRT and McDonald Contracting began 23 years ago. When second generation owner Shane McDonald was still young, he and his father Robert ventured to New Zealand to visit TRT’s headquarters.
As he recalls, the trip was very formative, as he was granted exposure to the design and build process for each of TRT’s house trailers.
Shortly after that visit, McDonald Contracting purchased its first TRT trailer, a significant investment for what was, at the time, a small family business.
“It was a massive step for us in those days,” McDonald says. “That was a heck of a lot of money back then and that’s where things really kicked off between the two businesses.”
Shane’s father had a strong rapport with Bruce Carden, father of Jeremy Carden – Trailer Sales at TRT, with both families sharing a strong connection over the years. And it’s a relationship that’s only grown stronger.
Fast forward to 2024, McDonald Contracting will shortly have 16 trailer units in total, all unique in their design and service potential.
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TRT has been highly accommodating in modifying and customising trailers to meet the specific needs of McDonald Contracting. McDonald says that from his perspective, this flexibility and willingness to adapt has been crucial in supporting his business to deliver relocations of some of the largest portable commercial residences and other unique items.
“They have a spec or a style that we select, then sometimes it’s a complete rework to adapt their products to what we need,” he says. “Their ability to adapt for us has been remarkable.
“They have a fantastic way of taking a concept that I have, drawing it and turning it into a mechanical device that actually works. The end products are trailers for us that no one else can provide.”
This is particularly important for a company like McDonald Contracting, where no two days are the same. From complete home relocations, to moving large museum antiquities, the company carries out freight services for nearly any major object.
McDonald Contracting currently has a variety of TRT equipment, including a TRT 5 Axle All Steer Hydraulic Trailer, TRT Extendable Low Boy Trailer, TRT Extendable Tri Axle Drop Deck, TRT Hydraulic Jack Plant Systems with 45 jacks, TRT Converter Dolly and a TRT Tag Axle Dolly.
The reliability of TRT’s trailers and its quick service in addressing any issues or breakdowns has also been highly valued by McDonald Contracting, with TRT able to carry out emergency repairs within 12 hours, even flying in crews from New Zealand.
McDonald says the personal connection and trust that has developed between the two family businesses over the years “has been phenomenal”, with the ability to directly reach out at any time helping to forge a strong working relationship.
“The ability to ring them, often at odd hours, with an issue or a question and have them submit help or information quickly has always been there,” he says.
“Ever since we met Bruce Carden 23 years ago, there hasn’t been an issue that couldn’t be resolved. It’s a bit of a running joke between both businesses, but I’ve got plenty of ideas and there’s never a ‘no’, it’s always a ‘yes’ or a ‘let’s give it a go’. Together, we always say that we’ll find a way to make it work, that we’ll get the job done.”
He adds that as both companies have grown over the years, they’ve maintained the same family-oriented approach, further strengthening the partnership by allowing both businesses to grow together.
For McDonald Contracting, this development can be easily measured when considering the growth of its fleet, as well as the variety of its completed projects.
“Every year we’ve grown,” McDonald says. “With our machinery, our staff, we continue to evolve and TRT has played a massive role in that. And we’ve got more TRT kit on the way, including what I believe is one of the largest house trailers to be delivered in Australia.”
This article was originally published in the December edition of our magazine. To read the magazine, click here.