Milestone Mack Granite for JJ Lawson

Container-based freight forwarding specialist JJ Lawson is celebrating its 45th year of operations in 2020, and to mark the milestone the Sydney-based firm has taken delivery of yet another Mack Granite, this time resplendent in a striking commemorative paint scheme.

JJ Lawson started out as a customs brokerage business in 1975, founded by Jim Lawson. The company soon expanded into road freight transport, going from one truck to its present fleet of 26, of which 22 are Mack Granites.

These days it's Jim's sons Greg and Martin who run the business, and a fleet that transports everything from scrap steel to cosmetics.

"The Mack Granites work 24 hours a day, five days a week, moving containers to and from Port Botany and around Sydney, also out to Canberra, Wollongong and Newcastle," says Greg.

"We've got B-Double and A-Double configurations, as well as single-trailers and side-loaders. The Mack Granite is the ideal truck – the tare weight's just right – and having a single model means our drivers can switch trucks easily."

Greg says the company enjoys a very strong relationship with Mack Trucks, one that also saw the firm put on seven new Mack Granites just last year.

"We run them up to eight years, and with Sydney traffic it's more about hours than kilometres," says Greg.

"Last year we needed to expand the fleet and replace a few trucks, and Mack gave us a great package deal on the Mack Granites including full service agreements."

"I'm focused on using the trucks, not maintaining them, so having reliable service and expert advice from Mack is worth a lot to me," says Greg.

"The service agreements mean I know my costs in advance and have a reliable fleet with maximum uptime."

Greg took the opportunity to commemorate the company's 45th year of operation by having one of the Granites finished in a special livery.

"Our standard fleet's red with black stripes, so I asked Mack to reverse the colours complete with commemorative signage on one of the new Mack Granites," he says.

"We've had a lot of positive feedback on the black finish; it's a really striking truck."

Greg says JJ Lawson has grown organically over the decades, with its success down to its attitude to customer service.

"We're not the cheapest carrier in a pretty cut-throat market, but our clients know we're 100 per cent reliable," he says.

"We retain our staff and we're very service-conscious, as is Mack. We like having a single brand we can be confident with, and that old-school loyalty is definitely a factor.

"Whatever's in the containers we're moving—widgets or gold bricks—to us and our customers it's all gold bricks. Making sure it arrives on time and in perfect condition is what we're all about. Mack's support has been key to our ability to do that well for decades, and we expect that to continue in the future."

Dean Bestwick, then Vice President of Sales Mack Australia, was at the handover of the commemorative truck, and says Mack has been there for the firm every step of the way.

"JJ Lawson has built a solid reputation as a trusted and reliable freight forwarder," he said.

"It's a classic example of a business that needs more than just trucks; it wants a total transport solution so it can get on with the job. We're very proud that Mack can provide the solution that helps keep JJ Lawson at the top of its game."

Gary Bone assumed the role of Vice President of Sales Mack Trucks Australia on March 2, following Mr Bestwick's promotion to the role of Regional Vice President Northeast Region for Mack Trucks in North America, commencing April 2020.