Based on a wind-swept field in Singleton, near the Hunter Valley in NSW, Crawfords Freightlines Pty Ltd recently became one of the first transport operators to add an award-winning Freighter Ezi-Liner B-Double to their fleet as part of further increasing operational efficiency and helping their drivers with their daily work requirements.
Company owners, Peter and Diane Crawford, began their business as carrot growers, however an opportunity to control and better service their transport requirements encouraged Peter to invest in his own transport vehicle for the business.
As Crawford’s own logistics requirements grew, so to did the opportunities and soon Peter and Diane began servicing the needs of neighbouring producers of potatoes and grapes and Crawfords Freightlines was born.
Today, Crawfords has grown into one of the region’s leading suppliers of transport solutions, yet they haven’t lost touch with their roots as market gardeners, a characteristic that endears them to their customers and provides a point-of-difference to large metropolitan based transport organisations.
Their fleet consists of over 30 prime movers and approximately 60 trailers, including Freighter T-liners, drop decks and Lusty EMS moving floor road trains. As a result, Crawfords is able to provide a suite of varying transport solutions.
True to their commitment to ensuring customers receive personal service as well as access to market leading solutions, Crawfords, in conjunction with SX Trailers Area Sales Manager Wayne Sloane, trialed the Ezi-Liner earlier this year on some of their common routes to assess its viability. The results were immediate and the feedback from drivers very clear.
Peter commented that, “There was a lot of anticipation and hype surrounding the Ezi-Liner when the concept was first presented to us and it was important for us to trial it before making any commitment. During its trial, the drivers were rapt and couldn’t believe how simple and efficient the curtains were to operate and our customers appreciated the fact that we could increase their productivity and provide better turnaround time for loading and unloading.”
With the Ezi-Liner replacing the need for buckles and straps, Wayne from SX trailers suggests that this world leading innovation from Freighter has addressed some growing issues that are presently facing the industry as a whole.
Crawford's Paul Long with SX Trailer's Wayne Sloane
Wayne commented that “The fact that driver’s love this curtain system suggests that if more operators introduced it to their fleet, then they would be more likely to have satisfied drivers who will want to continue working and, who knows, even possibly recruit new ones. And the fact that drivers no longer have to deal with the risk of injuries caused by buckles and straps is really an enormous bonus, especially in areas where drivers are exposed to the elements of wind and rain where the last thing they want to do is go around securing them all!”
In fact, at Crawfords, such is the popularity of the Freighter Ezi-Liner B-Double and its ease of use among drivers, Peter often finds himself playing the role of decision-maker as to who will use the Ezi-Liner on any given day. It’s an issue he prefers to have though as the industry battles driver shortages and operators seek better ways to increase efficiency.
The Crawfords Ezi-Liner presently operates along the East Coast between Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane transporting palletised goods, bottles of wine and even “Bulka” bags of dangerous goods and liquids. Because of the diversity of materials transported by Crawfords on the Ezi-Liner, one feature that has enhanced its operation is the “2 position gates” that provide better versatility and OH&S outcomes on both lead and tag trailers.
These gates allow bottles of wine which traditionally sit on 900mm pallets to be carted one way in a locked position so they are securely loaded and the risk of bottle breakage is eliminated, whilst general freight sitting on standard 1200mm pallets can then be transported on the return trip.
Just as important to Freighter as the products it manufacturers, is the ongoing service and after-sales support provided to operators and Crawfords have been very complementary of their relationship with Wayne. Peter added that “The back up service is great and Wayne and everyone else associated with Freighter and SX Trailers have really paid attention to our requirements and have been there for us when matters are urgent and require immediate resolution.”
With industry forecasts suggesting demand for road freight transport will continue to increase over the coming years, Crawfords is already analysing its long term requirements and has expressed interest in adding additional Ezi-Liners to their fleet.
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