| 53 RURAL SERVICES » Trans West Freighters 2011 Livestock, bulk cartage a logistics juggle Trans West Freighters safely transports thousands of animals a year around New Zealand. Virginia Wright Although they’ve been owned by Philip Waring Ltd since 2011, Trans West Freighters have been part of the transport industry in Greymouth since the 1960’s. Despite their name, Trans West Freighters no longer deal in delivering freight per se. For those in the business freight refers to goods delivered daily, whereas with 90% of Trans West Freighters’ customers being dairy farmers or meat processing plants their workload averages out to around 50/50 livestock and bulk, such as meal and fertiliser. They also transport coal supplies from the coast to Canterbury users such as hospitals and schools, and take other loads as required to keep their trucks as full as possible whenever they’re on the road. Trans West Freighters’ livestock transport takes them all over the South Island and to the North Island as required. “We work for various meat companies in both islands and safely transport thousands of animals a year all over the country,” says Tracey McKenzie, Trans West Freighter’s manager and dispatcher for the last seven years. With ten trucks and drivers to deploy, the key to it all is being organized, and with turnover directly linked to the amount of goods being moved, whether bulk or stock, the juggle is to ensure that more trucks are running loaded than empty. Balancing ten years of steady increases in the cost of fuel, wages and general expenses is an increase in truck and trailer sizes meaning bigger units carrying bigger loads: a nine-axle unit is permitted to carry up to 58 tonne where previously the eight-axle unit permits were to a maximum of 46 tonnes. Being one of ve transport companies owned by Philip Waring Limited, the other four being in Canterbury, helps with the logistics juggle to keep the trucks loaded. “We help each other out when we’re busy and if we’re in Timaru we’ll ask if they want anything bridgestone.co.nz Bridgestone provide Trans West Freighters with market-leading products, advice and support to help them achieve the lowest cost per kilometre possible. Chartered Accountants & Business Advisers PROUD TO SUPPORT TRANS WEST FREIGHTERS 2011 LTD Gabites Limited Chartered Accountants & Business Advisers 54 Cass Street, Ashburton Phone: 03 308 5099 For over 50 years we’ve been committed to delivering innovative, practical, value added advice and services to our clients Sewage and wastewater treatment systems specifically designed for New Zealand conditions. NaturalFlow • BioRock • Graf • Rainwater Harvesting www.activeflow.co.nz 03 323 8541 hello@activeflow.co.nz brought up to Methven or Ashburton or somewhere and they usually have,” says Tracey. In the seven years that Tracey’s being doing dispatch things have only got busier. Seven day weeks are the norm with rosters juggled between two of them although Tracey’s the one with the phone 24/7. “We do the rosters however they need to be to deliver the loads in good time,” says Tracey. Tracey believes in good service which is no doubt one of the things that keeps bringing their customers back. If a farmer needs something delivered in a couple of days Tracey’s good at making that happen, and it’s not just a job, she enjoys the jigsaw puzzle of schedules, loads and customers’ needs and expectations. “I enjoy talking to the customers and I’ve got good relationships with the farmers, plus I enjoy the challenge of organizing everything, trying to make it all work, getting all the different parts working together,” says Tracey. Short of oods, snow or natural disasters, and sometimes despite them, when Tracey’s dispatching you know you’ve got the best possible chance of things arriving on time.
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