Managing the many facets of a transport fleet is plenty of work, but planning for, and surviving natural disasters such as bushfires and unpredictable flood seasons adds another layer of pressure.
Rogers Transport, a family-run transportation, freight and logistics business, was hit hard during the Queensland and New South Wales storms in early 2022.
“We had about three and a half metres of water through the truck depot, and we lost 26 trucks in total, about half of those were rigids and the other half were prime movers,” says Rogers Transport General Manager of Operations Brad Rogers. “It’s taken us a while to get back on our feet.”
The flooding was a massive blow to the Rocklea-based business, thankfully however Brisbane Isuzu was on hand to offer support.
“We’ve been purchasing trucks from Brisbane Isuzu for decades,” says Brad. “We lost 15 rigid trucks, so the team at Brisbane Isuzu moved quickly to assist us. We’ve recently taken delivery of another six new F Series trucks, and we’ve got another six on order.”
Neat and Tidy
With four FVL 240-300 Freightpacks and four FVM 210-300 Freightpacks on the road around the clock, the company introduced a ‘one driver, one truck’ policy which meant that each driver is solely responsible for the truck they operate daily.
It has been a huge success so far, with truck drivers taking obvious pride in the Isuzu F Series trucks they pilot, with reduced mechanical and maintenance issues and next to no problems when it comes to upkeep, cleanliness and presentation.
The Freightpacks come with a curtain side body that allows for easy access for unloading goods.
With space for 14 pallets in the Freightpack the FVLs and FVMs require a killer engine to keep the trucks running and move the heavy loads. Powered by Isuzu’s tough six-cylinder 24 valve SOHC 6HK1-TCS engine, Brad’s customers won’t be let down.
Loading the F Series Freightpacks and checking goods is a breeze thanks to the removable rear step which facilitates installation via a tailgate loader. Lightweight side gates are easy to fold back, but durable enough to keep heavy loads secure while on the road and within the rough and tumble of loading.
“Rogers Transport drivers love their Isuzu trucks,” says Brad. “They’re comfortable, they’re straight forward to use, they’re easy to work with, there’s plenty of parts available for them, and the reliability is on-point.”
There are big things in the works for Rogers Transport over and above the F Series fleet expansion.
The company is also moving into a huge purpose-built facility in the Port of Brisbane, consolidating their three locations into one depot with a wealth of storage and a serious footprint for expansion.
“We’ve just signed a lease on a new facility out at the Port of Brisbane, so we’re going to amalgamate all our three sites,” says Brad. “It’s an exciting time for us, with 55,000 square meters of yard! We can’t wait to continue building our fleet with Brisbane Isuzu because they have proven time and again to be relied upon.”
The fleet expansion and new location mean that Rogers Transport can deliver on their range of freight and logistics services including container movement, warehousing, local distribution and interstate freight transport, in an improved capacity.
Family Ties
Founded by Gary and Val Rogers over three decades ago, the successful freight and transport business moves hardware and paint supplies up and down the southeast coast of Australia.
Brad is the second generation of Rogers to take up a key role within the transport operation. Growing up under the tutelage of his hard-working parents, Brad is familiar with trucking and what it takes to keep the fleet on the road and drivers happy and satisfied.
Swiftly securing new trucks to continue servicing their long-term clients has made a world of difference for a business that prides itself on reliability and attention to detail.
“We’ve got a couple of trucks with over a million kilometres still running with original engines, they have excellent performance and longevity,” says Brad. “The trucks with a million kilometres are the first ones we bought over 15 years ago, and they are in fantastic working condition. We’re big on our preventative maintenance and servicing, to look after all our trucks, no matter their age.
“All our servicing is done in-house by the team here and we use genuine parts from Brisbane Isuzu. Parts are always readily available and if there’s a delay it’s because the parts are on a truck up from Sydney or Melbourne and we’ll have them within a day or two.”
Tech Upgrades
Adding further efficiencies, the latest F Series models to join the fleet came with some changes and upgrades that the team has had to adapt to.
“The new trucks all have automatic transmissions,” says Brad. “It was a change at first, but the guys are loving them. They’re loving the new AV unit and the creature comforts that Isuzu offers. Swapping to the automatic transmission was due to availability initially, but the feedback from the guys has been great. They love them, so we’ve continued to spec the new trucks with automatics.
“It’s simpler to have auto when driving through traffic these days, the roads in Brisbane are only getting busier and busier.”
Now that the fleet is growing and the new facilities are ready, it’s only a matter of time until the Rogers Transport team can get back to doing what they do best: moving freight throughout Southeast Queensland and delivering warehousing solutions to their clients.
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