Holz Heavy Haulage’s heavy load transport expertise is backed by its leaders guarantee of professional service and transport options virtually Australia-wide. Covering an entire nation isn’t easy, but OEM Manufacturer TRT is helping to ease the burden.
The story of Holz Heavy Haulage is grounded in determination and hard work. Qualities that have endured to this day.
Holz Heavy Haulage, an Australian and family-owned business based in Razorback, New South Wales, delivers specialised heavy haulage services.
Founder Wayne Holz started with just one truck and trailer, slowly increasing the size and variety of his machinery fleet over time, while also building up his rapport and reputation throughout the heavy haulage sector.
As he explains, the early days were tough work, filled with sacrifices and challenges. But Holz says it’s all been worthwhile.
“In 1998 we got our first truck and our first trailer, and I went out to work, doing as many hours as I was legally allowed to,” he says. “For those first two years I was on the road quite a lot. My wife was raising the kids as I was usually away. That’s when we first started to grow.
“We grew and I was able to purchase more and more trailers and add them to the fleet.”
At the time, Holz was carefully considering different trailer manufacturers to find the best possible ‘bang for buck’.
“I was putting the word out and purchasing more trailers. It was actually one of my clients who mentioned that I should take a look at the TRT product. There were quite a few brands around, but I thought ‘why not?’
“I was introduced to TRT in 2005. We had our first talks shortly after and we’ve partnered with them – and had a great relationship – ever since,” he says. “We purchased our first TRT unit in 2009.”
Holz Heavy Haulage now has nine trailers and three dollies from TRT, including TRT Low loaders Quad, 3×8, 5×8 trailers and TRT Dolly trailers.
Jeremy Carden, Trailer Sales – TRT, who deals directly with the team at Holz Heavy Haulage, says the partnership goes back years, with both parties loyal and trusting.
“It’s definitely more than just a typical customer relationship, it’s a proper partnership. Both Wayne and his wife Maree have come to New Zealand a few times. It’s a very close relationship that we’re more than happy to have,” he says.
“We’re really looking forward to having them again in the future, too.”
TRT has a wide range of low loader trailers catered to the Australian market, ranging from Dollies, Rows of Eight and Quad Floats right up to its impressive ESS Modular Platform trailers. Customers can also select from a range of axle configurations and other features.
Well known for their fit-for-purpose design, as well as robust construction, TRT trailers are designed and manufactured in-house and include the latest trailer technology, such as electronic steering systems.
Carden says the experts at TRT can find the best possible trailer to cater for the individual needs of each of its customers, helping to simplify the movement of plant and equipment.
“Wayne wants to be able to move everything and anything up to the legal requirements, that’s why our trailers are so effective. The general strength and durability of TRT trailers is what stands out,” he says. “One of the biggest things that differentiate TRT trailers from others is that we offer double acting hydraulic suspension. Others offer the standard single-acting type, which means that the suspension control is only powered in one direction. This can lead to excessive manual labour, in the form of axle pins, along with difficulties in changing tyres and more.
“Wayne’s trailers are all really high ‘spec’. All his trailers have auto greasing systems on them, they also have heavy duty rubber conveyor belts that are deployed in a way that they don’t get ripped off. We also offer deck protection systems with different materials. We’ll pretty much try anything, depending on what the customer wants.”
TRT has also achieved a world-first in the heavy haulage market with the introduction of ESS Platform trailers, which are simply SPMT’s (Self-Propelled Modular Transporters) capable of highway speeds. This design grants additional flexibility for the operator by allowing them to add or remove axle modules from the platform trailer efficiently to suit the payload.
Holz says that right from the initial meeting, he knew that TRT would be his future trailer builder of choice.
“We have used a few other brands in the past,” Holz says. “But TRT’s trailers stand above the rest. It’s very user friendly and accessible for our drivers.
“The other great thing about TRT’s products is the access to spare parts and support. Normally if I need something, it’s shipped to me within two days. We keep a fair amount of stock from TRT in our workshop in case we need something.”
He says another major benefit of TRT’s product is the resell value of each unit, a testament to the robustness and durability of the TRT brand.
“We’ll continue to grow with TRT. Once we get to a point where we’ve got enough to move on to a newer unit, we know that we can sell what we were using and still recover a lot of that money,” Holz says. “The resale value has always been there with the TRT product.”
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Family first
With an increasing number of TRT units and growing size of the fleet overall, Holz Heavy Haulage recently underwent a major expansion to its facilities to better cater for future demand.
“We’ve moved the whole business from our original home address to a new maintenance workshop with brand new facilities,” Holz says. “It’s already been a great asset, being an easier place to work and having centralised our services in one location.
“We have 14 semi-trailers on the road – so 14 prime movers on the road at any one time – which all work from our Picton yard now, with all of our servicing done there as well.”
Holz says being a family-owned business ensures that all staff members are working towards a collective goal, with many family members taking up essential positions within the company.
“Because we’re family, we all pull in the same direction. We know what each other’s thinking and we’re not afraid to bounce ideas off each other,” he says.
“We all want the same outcome. We’re growing the business together, instead of just being here to get a wage.”
As the proud Founder and Director of an Australian and family-owned business, Holz says setting up the next generation for success fills him with the greatest satisfaction.
“I’m very proud that my family is coming through and into the business. Without family, the business wouldn’t succeed. They’ve got the ability to keep the growth we’ve got going, it’s on them now,” he says.
“They’re the ones who are going to be hitting the ground running and I can sit back and watch them build upon what we’ve already got.
“Growth is always there for the taking. At the moment we just need to wait for the economy to change in New South Wales and Australia-wide.”
He adds that the support of the wider Holz family, the company’s growing capabilities and the trust provided by TRT, holds Holz Heavy Haulage in great stead for future success.
“It’s our serviceability, reliability and passion to push further that’s been the biggest drivers of growth for us,” Holz says.
“It’s also those long-term relationships and building up a rapport with a lot of our customers that’s helped to get us to where we are today.”
This article was originally published in the October edition of our magazine. To read the magazine, click here.
