Coming back for more

It’s only been two years since G1 Logistics was established as a lean and efficient line-haul service to complement parent company GTS Freight Management, but it has already become a blue-chip business in its own right. One reason for the rapid ascent is a large fleet of innovative Vawdrey equipment.

In mid-2011, GTS Freight Management CEO Damien Matthews established F1 Logistics as a road linehaul service that could focus on high-utilisation routes and contracts without having to carry all the overheads of a large?scale business like GTS.

Back then, Damien purchased 24 load restraint curtain siders with pneumatic centre walls and a customised “Wingliner” model from long-standing GTS affiliate Vawdrey to get the business started – knowing that a young company cannot afford any equipment-related failure while trying to prove itself to the market.

Ever since that time, much has changed within the business. Today, F1 is trading under the name G1 to emphasize the close connection to the parent company, and the company is transporting more freight than ever before. The close affiliation to Vawdrey, though, has remained the same.

That’s why Damien returned straight to National Sales Director, Paul Vawdrey, when rising demand forced him to bulk up the purple and black fleet in early 2013, ordering another 15 load restraint curtain siders in B-double configuration – effectively doubling the G1 fleet and bringing the total number of B-doubles in the GTS Group to 170.

Just like two years ago, the new order is standardised in terms of size and capacity, yet fitted with a host of high-tech features to increase both performance and safety. “Each set of B-doubles has a 36 pallet capacity – 12 in the lead trailer and 24 in the B-trailer – to accommodate glass bottles freight and palletised goods for the wine and beverage industries,” says Damien, pointing out that innovative technology such as Vawdrey’s fully automatic buckle less curtain is also on board again.

“The auto-buckle less system is one of the most user-friendly concepts on the market because it works at the push of a button,” he explains. “We’ve been using for two years and it has proven itself in the field.”

Another tried and proven feature is Vawdrey’s hydraulic centre wall technology used inside every trailer. “Once the trailer is loaded and ready to go, the side curtains are secured by a mechanic ratchet and the centre wall is hydraulically moved towards the curtains, securing the load to provide side-to-side load restraint,” Damien explains. “That special design feature fluconazole ensures total freight stability and, more importantly, significantly reduces the risk of injuries caused by manual handling, stacking and tying down freight.

Next to the equipment itself, Vawdrey’s reliable backup service has also proven a mainstay of G1’s on-going success. According to Damien, Paul Vawdrey’s managed to make G1 part of the ever-growing Vawdrey family, helping him and the team turning the young start-up into the renowned brand that it is today.

“As a business that also has a strong family focus, we believe in building solid relationships with our clients. But obviously, it’s the finished product that is most important,” he says. “As a young business that has to prove itself every day, we need a product that works well all the time, does not cause any trouble and is backed up by a reliable service team. And as my experience with GTS has shown, that’s also the way you build brand loyalty.”

Established in 1980 and located in Mildura, GTS Freight Management is the largest private supplier of road linehaul glass bottle transport in Australia. In 2011, Damien founded then F1 Logistics as a lean line-haul service to complement the GTS fleet.

“G1 does not have to carry all the overheads of GTS, meaning it is based on a lean cost model which allows us to isolate and better understand the true cost of running a pure linehaul transport business,” Damien explains. “Being lean, it helped us grow our existing business and expand our customer base.”

Yet starting a new business is a risky undertaking, so Damien insisted on using tried and true equipment when forming G1. “GTS has been purchasing from Vawdrey for almost 18 years and our relationship with Paul Vawdrey has been terrific. That’s why 98 per cent of the G1 fleet consists of Vawdrey trailers,” he says.

“The great thing about Vawdrey is the level of detail that’s put into every design. They don’t just add a random feature but tailor every piece of equipment to our operation. Their engineers are some of the industry’s best and that’s reflected well in the creativity and innovativeness of the finished product.”

He adds, “That’s why the Vawdrey brand is where it is when it comes to elite trailer building. They don’t just develop reliable trailers that perform, but trailers that provides a safe and efficient way to handle, load and secure pallets of stock. And on top of that, they make you make you feel like you’re part of the family.”