Milestones marked for Freighter and JL Transport

While Australian trailer stalwart Freighter will mark its 75th anniversary this year, Victorian operator JL Transport recently celebrated a milestone of its own, recently passing 40 years of operation.

To commemorate the occasion, JL Transport splashed out on three new sets of Freighter B-doubles – four drop-decks with mezzanines and two flat-top trailers.

And it was a fitting purchase indeed, given the relationship between JL Transport and Freighter goes back to 1990, when Jack Hellyer bought his first Freighter trailer.

Today, Jack and his son Mick run an operation that has grown to nearly 60 trailers, with Freighter accounting for the majority.

"We have been very happy with the performance of our Freighter trailers – there have been no issues with any of the trailers so far," says Jack.

"We started buying Freighter trailers in 1990 when we first entered the interstate business. We went for that brand because we knew they were a good trailer and they were available at the time when we needed it. We have gone back to Freighter for new trailers since then," he adds.

"All the sales people we've ever bought from in the last 30-odd years have been excellent. And the guys doing the service at MaxiTRANS in Dandenong are excellent. I've been dealing with them for years and years. If we need something done, it gets done quickly. We even had a couple of little things done in New South Wales and it was just as good."

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Michael agrees, saying the firm's relationship with Freighter is founded on solid, simple principles.

"They've always been reliable trailers, which is the reason we keep buying them," he says.

"The majority of our fleet includes Freighter Tautliner drop decks with mezzanine floors. We also have refrigerated and dry freight vans as well. Over the years we've had some specialised builds where we've asked for certain features on some trailers… basically if we want anything done out of the box, they're always happy to do it."

JL Transport started in Victoria in 1980 as a local transport business that serviced the liquor industry. Now the company runs general freight across Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide. Jack, who is the current managing director and owner, has been in the industry for 45 years, while Michael has been in transport for over 32 years.

But the family connection goes well beyond that. In fact, there are 10 family members actively involved in the company, including Jack's wife, Lyn, Michael's wife, Sarah, and their son, Daniel.

Michael says the longevity and durability of Freighter's product is also a drawcard.

"We are purchasing with growth," he said.

"Ninety-five per cent of our trailers operate on our interstate routes and we use the older trailers locally because they're still good and are too good to sell off or trade in.

"We still have 30-year-old trailers – that's how reliable they have been. Yes, we've done maintenance on axles to keep them going, but because the body of the trailers has been so good we virtually have pretty much every trailer we've ever purchased.

"Our strong relationship with MaxiTRANS is the reason we keep going back to them. The reliability of the Freighter brand, the servicing support and the help we get there make it a good package for us. It's been like this from the start – a good product, good service, and a good sales team. All of that combined, works really well for us."