Flicking the switch

For a modern transport business, responding quickly to customer demand can mean the difference between profits earned or lost. For the Ryans Group, that moment has now come – and with the help of Vawdrey equipment, it will be able to seize the opportunity.

“In today’s transport game, not having equipment available to use at a moment’s notice to service your customer can potentially be detrimental to your business, especially when transporting general freight,” says Graham Ryan, Managing Director of Warrnambool-based logistics company, Ryans Group.

“Our customers are very important to us and by meeting their requirements, you put yourself in a strong position to earn return business. That’s why we will always acquire the latest equipment to maximise cubic space for each delivery.”

Having served as the Managing Director of Ryans for the past seven years, Graham understands that industry demands can escalate at any given moment – hence the on-going need to purchase additional trailing equipment.

“Earlier this year, we won a contract to deliver bulk freight around Victoria’s general goods and dairy industries. The contract meant that we needed to source several specialised trailers to cater for those goods.

“At the time, we heard about the high cubic capacity trailers Vawdrey had built for a few companies. We gave Paul Vawdrey a call and discussed a number of design options. In the end, we settled on a group of curtain-siders and refrigerated vans in B-double configurations.”

In less than three months, Vawdrey designed and manufactured seven sets of Performance Based Standards (PBS)-approved, 36-pallet double drop deck ‘Titeliner’ B-double combinations, all capable of operating at a gross combination mass of 68.5 tonnes. Each B-double includes a 4.6m high frame and comes with standard mezzanine decks fitted to both top and bottom deck to allow for the double buy fluconazole loading of pallets, as well as hanging gates for improved freight protection.

In addition, Ryans ordered two sets of refrigerated B-double ‘Iceliner’ combinations. Both B-doubles came fitted with refrigeration units that can run at a temperatures as low as -28°C. The Iceliners are based on full-length, lightweight steel chassis to give them the strength and durability needed to protect Ryan’s freight. Each B-double Iceliner can also boast a heavy-duty front wall with 100mm Styrofoam insulation and an internal and external reinforcement envelope for extra strength. Combined with a 40mm Styrofoam insulated sidewalls that are fitted with aluminium pallet protection, a 120mm Styrofoam insulated roof and a 120mm insulated floor, the B-double features will prove beneficial for long trips around Victoria.

Established in 1957, the Ryans Group goes by the motto ‘our customers are the cornerstone of our success’. Today, Ryans employs some 180 people, transporting both general and heavy freight, but also offers household removals and warehousing.

To ensure its most recent investments will pay immediate dividends, all new Vawdrey B-doubles have already been put into service, joining Ryans’ fleet of more than 80 trailers – including flat tops, curtain-siders to drop decks and refrigerated vans.

“We’ve been servicing and supporting Victorian businesses for more than 50 years, using over 120 vehicles to date, operating general freight, removal, warehousing and storage, and international services from Melbourne to Adelaide; and the southwest region of Victoria,” Graham says.

“Our goal is to become a major innovative player in the transport industry. Why? We want to add value to our people and workplace, which in turn adds value to our customers and the environment we work in. But how do you achieve that? Simply by remaining true to our goals and guidelines and using the best equipment available.”