When Peter Cocks decided in 1990 to relocate his semi-trailer business 1,500 kilometres or so ‘down the road’ from Alice Springs to Adelaide he had a few changes in mind.
The business he started in the early 1980s, under the name of P&J Transport Engineers, was updated to become Freightmaster Semi Trailers.
Peter also expanded the business model from manufacturer and repairer of semi-trailers to constructing a variety of trailing equipment, including aluminium and steel tippers, road train dollies, chassis tippers, drop decks, flat tops, curtain-siders, extendables, skels, machinery tag trailers and pig and dog trailers.
While business growth and diversification were at the top of Peter’s plans, one aspect of his outfit would not change and has remained a hallmark of his manufacturing business today – customer service.
When it comes to offering the right parts and equipment, the Freightmaster team have always relied on Peter Cocks’ approach of the best parts means the most satisfied customers.
Freightmaster Sales Manager, Brett Stone, explains that because of the nature of the business the team needs a reliable parts supplier that can cater for all clients’ needs.
“We’ve been using Fuwa K Hitch over the last 20-odd years,” he says. “We spec trailers to how customers want them, and we offer the Fuwa K Hitch range as an option on everything we build, from large drop decks, tri-axles, steel and grain tippers and bogie and tri-axle dollies. We cover the whole range for transport.”
Freightmaster is now extensively using Fuwa K Hitch products on the majority of its stock trailers – particularly airbags, spring suspensions and standard parallel bearing axles fitted to all types of road train and B-double applications.
Trailers needed for line haul, as well outback mining spec trailers, dollies, tippers (steel, Hardox and aluminium), drop decks and flat tops are catered for with the Fuwa K Hitch and Weweler products.
“We use the Weweler air suspension in the Heavy-Duty Series on pretty much everything,” Brett says. “We use it because it is heavy duty for the flat tops and drop decks which do heavier work on outback roads.
“We’ve been using the parallel bearing drum brake axles because they suit off-road and on-road applications. It’s cheaper for the customer in the long run and repairs are cheaper, as well.”
Due to Fuwa K Hitch’s long-wearing axles, Freightmaster is delighted to fit them to its trailers.
“We’ve had a good run out of them, and that’s why we’re starting to use more and more,” Brett says. “We’ve started using them on our stock trailers that we build now especially because of the minimal maintenance.”
For a business that emphasises cost efficiency and customer satisfaction, Brett believes the Fuwa K Hitch product range is an ideal fit for Freightmaster.
“The parts are readily available for the axles,” he says. “There’s also the cost and they suit the applications that we build our trailers for.
“Fuwa K-Hitch has suspension and axles to suit whatever application our customers need.”
In addition to the cost factor, Brett explains that Fuwa K Hitch’s back-up and after sales service was a game changer.
“We’re always able to talk to someone at Fuwa K Hitch because of their customer relations,” he says. “They’re also looking after us with good delivery times.”
Brett says the personalised service from Fuwa’s Southern States Manager, Diaa Bishara, makes the Freightmaster’s team’s lives a lot easier as well.
“If we need spare parts, drawings or anything, we speak to Diaa and he helps us out straight away,” he says. “He’s our main contact so we basically deal directly with him.”
The ultimate proof of Fuwa K Hitch’s product range being an ideal fit for Freightmaster is the customer feedback.
“We’ve had good feedback so far with the application of the suspensions and axles,” Brett says. “We haven’t heard anything negative so they’re doing the job.”
