Followmont Transport continues fleet investment with Vawdrey

Followmont Transport began in 1984 delivering magazines out of a small office in Brisbane. Since then, it has transformed into Queensland’s largest family-owned transport company and a preferred carrier to many with over 1,000 vehicles.

The fleet hit the ground running earlier this year through the acquisition of Bradco Transport, and it hasn’t stopped on its growth path since. As part of an ongoing $25 million investment into new fleet equipment, Followmont Transport has recently taken delivery of 15 new prime movers in the last six months.

Its latest purchase, which is expected to join the fleet shortly, is a quad-quad high productivity B-double combination from Vawdrey. The unit will have 42 pallet spaces with 210 cubic metres of total space, completely fitted with mezzanine floors.

Followmont Transport COO, Ross Longmire, is working with Vawdrey on the permit process, but he says the goal is to get 77.5-tonne Gross Combination Mass (GCM) on certain lanes.

“A lot of the specs they do for these combinations are around high cubic low weight, but we’re focused on the spec while still trying to maximise weight so that the actual asset will last longer,” he says. “We’ve kept our normal spec, which is a medium-duty spec when it comes to the manufacturing side of it, rather than going lightweight.”

According to Ross, Followmont is trying to fit as much safety features in the combination as possible.

“It’s got all the safety features that we could fit around EBS and stability control, and has axle weights and multiple steering axles as well,” he says.

Once the quad-quad arrives, it will be used to cart express freight into North Queensland and along the east coast.

Followmont has been dealing with Vawdrey for over 15 years. Like many of Vawdrey’s customers, the relationship was built around the values of both parties. And throughout the fleet’s journey over the last 15 years, Vawdrey has always been there to support it. 

“It’s very much a relationship-based scenario, and they’ve just been great to work with,” says Followmont Transport Managing Director, Mark Tobin. “You can get answers and you can get straight to the owner of the business, that’s how close we are with them.”

Mark says Vawdrey ticks the boxes in terms of quality and customer service.

“I think it’s a balance between the product and the standard to which it is delivered, and how Vawdrey works with quality control – especially with all of its units being manufactured in Australia,” he says. “They are very much about working with us around innovation, and they are always open to new ways of maximising their product.”

Throughout the dealings with dozens of Australian fleets, Vawdrey has also been known to be very easy to work with. Agreeing with this, Mark says the family business has been very accommodating to his needs.

“Whether it be around the environment, the standard of the fleet or safety features, they’re definitely not set in their ways,” he says. “They are willing to make change to suit your application, with the best interest of both businesses.

“They’re obliging and you can do some special specs with them. In the entire marketplace, out of all the trailer manufacturers, I believe Vawdrey is at a high position at all times in regard to innovation.”

Agreeing with Mark, Followmont Transport COO, Ross Longmire, says the relationship between Vawdrey and Followmont Transport was a big factor in choosing the manufacturer for this build.

“We sit down to plan and design the unit together, it’s not just a product,” he says. “So, they actually care about our operations because of the relationship. They want to work with us, and that’s around innovation and sustainability. They’re constantly dealing with myself and the teams on the ground to try and get a better understanding of what we need going forward, and they’ll bring suggestions to us about what we should be considering and what’s new in the market.”

With Vawdrey having a similar passion towards growth and innovation, Mark says it’s very likely the Vawdrey name will continue to power the fleet.

“Our biggest vision is to keep taking delivery of a number of different combination trailers in our business while reducing risks and reducing how many trucks we have on the road, and how can we be smarter,” he says. “The supply chain is under extreme pressure at the moment, so we’ve got to get on top of the game.”