The 2021 Brisbane Truck Show was a time to come together and celebrate everything our industry has been able to achieve through challenging times. Freighter Group joined the event to celebrate the industry, its valued customers and its iconic brands including, Maxi-CUBE, Lusty EMS, Hamelex White, Trout River, AZMEB, Peki, MaxiPARTS, and Freighter – celebrating its 75th anniversary as Australia’s preeminent trailer brand.
Australia’s premium truck show in Brisbane was back this year to celebrate the resilient spirit of the Australian road transport industry. Freighter Group was front and centre to celebrate its customers and an industry that, along with the rest of the nation, experienced some of the most challenging 12 months in recent history. And what better way to celebrate the industry than allowing physical interaction between manufacturers, suppliers and customers.
“It was fantastic to see the overwhelming number of customers and visitors that came to the show in support of our industry,” said Dean Jenkins, Freighter Group Managing Director and CEO. “It was great to connect with so many people across the 4 days. Particularly as some of us have not been able to see one another for over 12 months and in some cases since last show.”
“Interaction with the wider public during the show certainly highlighted that people are recognising how essential transport is in getting goods to where they need to be. The resilience of everyone involved in the transport industry to push through the challenges and help keep the country moving is something we should all be very proud of,” said Dean.
This year marks 75 years for Australia’s longest-standing trailer brand, Freighter. The story of Freighter was vividly told at the Brisbane Truck Show through a showcase of customer videos, imagery and a visual timeline of the Freighter’s history. This was combined with a crowd drawing display of a 1951 Freighter Strap trailer displayed proudly on top of its counterpart used today, a 2021 Freighter Drop Deck semi-trailer.
Dean says Freighter owes its longevity to its customers, many of whom are second and third generation Freighter loyalists.
“That loyalty is never taken for granted, though. It’s earnt through continual improvement and innovation. We’re always striving to meet our customers’ needs, and that’s why so many customers trust Freighter to do the job.”
ON DISPLAY
The Freighter Group stand this year showcased the company’s complete solution capability and its commitment to providing reliable support throughout its national dealership network featuring trailer displays from Freighter, Maxi-CUBE, Lusty EMS, Hamelex White, Trout River and AZMEB.
Among the highlights were a Freighter Drop Deck T-Liner with a SafeADJUST Mezz Deck courtesy of KS Easter Transport, an AZMEB heavy duty side tipper that belongs to Boral Australia, a Maxi-CUBE Reefer van from Multiquip Transport, a Hamelex White Chassis Tipper and a Trout River live bottom trailer.
Creating a comparison between new and old, on stand was a Freighter Drop Deck Semi that had a 1951 ‘Strap’ trailer on top of it to showcase Freighter’s evolution. Coupled with a history wall timeline, the display allowed customers to experience the Freighter journey and see in person what a trailer from the early years of semi-trailers looked like compared to the latest model. This historic workhorse normally sits on display at Freighter Group’ Ballarat manufacturing facility but made its way to Brisbane especially for this year’s Truck Show.
Apart from representations from all of Freighter Group trailers brands, the stand illustrated the company’s complete solution capability and its commitment to providing unbeatable customer support through its extensive network and experienced teams.
Freighter Group invited customers to discuss PBS solutions for their business with its in-house PBS specialists who were present at the Truck Show. “We invited all visitors to come to the Freighter Group stand to talk with one of our in-house PBS specialists. We had great feedback from previous shows and this year was no different. Many of our customers took the opportunity to discuss specifics about their freight task direct with our experts on stand who were readily available to offer advice,” Dean says.
Freighter Group yet again demonstrated its end-to-end capability by showcasing MaxiPARTS on the stand. One of Australia’s largest commercial truck and trailer parts companies, MaxiPARTS has an inventory of over $20 million parts available at over 20 locations throughout Australia, or online via its dedicated website. Customers were able to get a feel for some of the OE parts available through the retail network that were on display during the show.
Also a great success during the show was the South Bank festival, which featured a range of trucks and trailers accessible to the general public to help promote the industry to the broader public. Visitors to the South Bank display were able to get up close with a Maxi-CUBE road train and a Freighter T-Liner B-double featuring 75th year curtain livery, which Freighter Group had proudly on display.
“We feel this year’s event was a great success not only Freighter Group, but for the industry,” said Dean. “It was a time to celebrate and support our industry that’s supported our brands over 75 years, and we look forward with great excitement for the bright future ahead.”
