Air Brake Corporation was built from a simple desire to give the customers of Australia’s heavy vehicle industry what they wanted.
This thought occurred to Air Brake Corporation founder and owner, Kel Sherwood, before he established the company in 1987. Kel saw an opening in the braking equipment space – an opportunity to develop products that reflected the needs of the market at the time, and needless to say, he took it.
Air Brake Corporation garnered a loyal customer base in the following years including many people which followed the company through a range of product developments and a variety of executive handovers once Kel retired.
Kel eventually passed the business to his son and Managing Director, Rob Sherwood, who has since continued to develop new and innovative products.
“Rob is dynamic in his business capabilities,” says Air Brake Corporation National Sales Manager, Brendan Dullard. “When you look at any given company, its growth has come from the top. If you have strong and skilful management, you can pick your areas, people and products that you want to develop.
“Rob has the ability to effectively listen to both his team and the market to offer the industry what it requires. This is what the business was built on, and Rob has reinvigorated it into a very progressive and successful company.”
Rob’s expertise has helped take Air Brake Corporation to new heights by driving strong market expansion. Alongside its head office in Sydney, New South Wales, the company has built new warehouses in both Melbourne and Perth which are bolstered with a strong technical and sales team based in Brisbane.
“We believe that our presence is what sets us apart in the industry,” Brendan says. “It’s what gives us our competitive edge. From product development to engineering, management, sales and warehousing, our team can do it all.”
Air Brake Corporation’s commitment to customers can be seen in its collaborations with OEMs such as Marshall Lethlean Industries. The liquid and dry bulk tanker manufacturer has been fitting Air Brake Corporation’s Electronic Braking Systems (EBS) and braking equipment as standard for the past seven years in a collaboration that was formed on the back of mutual goals of meeting the desires of the market.
“This partnership reflects our shared commitment to delivering high-quality, compliant transport solutions tailored to the demands of the Australian market,” says Marshall Lethlean Sales Manager, Garry Brennan. “Marshall Lethlean’s ongoing goal is to deliver tankers that represent the best possible transport solution for every customer.”
The collaboration reinforces Marshall Lethlean’s objective of delivering advanced technology, customer service excellence and efficient lead times to fleets throughout the industry. Garry says the implementation of Air Brake Corporation EBS kits on Marshall Lethlean builds is essential to on-road safety – another value which both companies prioritise.
“Dangerous Goods (DG) road tankers must comply with the highest level of safety, braking and stability control,” he explains. “Our tankers are fitted with Air Brake Corporation’s EBS braking control systems for this reason. We want to ensure maximum safety and control for drivers and other road users.”
Marshall Lethlean’s tanker trailers incorporate Air Brake Corporation’s braking kits, wiring looms, brake valves and brake control modules. This complete fitment has proven to be integral to the trailer builder’s own operations due to the aforementioned safety and compliance regulations it faces.
Now, Marshall Lethlean is taking the Air Brake Corporation partnership one step further by incorporating a new product advancement into its tanker specs.
“Air Brake Corporation has recently launched its Wabco Intelligent Electronic Braking System which we are now proudly introducing across our Marshall Lethlean tanker range,” Garry says. “This next-generation system represents a significant advancement over the standard EBS currently used in our tankers because it integrates electronic control with intelligent features to deliver enhanced safety, responsiveness and system integration across the entire vehicle.”
Air Brake Corporation has many other innovative products and solutions which focus on increased safety and compliance for fleets. Its Trailer EBS Status Lamp, for example, provides a visual status of a trailer’s EBS connection through a colour-coded system. A solid green light confirms the trailer is powered and operational with no faults, while a red light indicates a system error. No light means no power.
“This product ensures safety in an age where all fleets are thinking of it first,” Brendan explains. “It allows all EBS-related problems to be seen from the ground and the driver’s seat, meaning fleet managers and operators can catch errors before it’s too late. It is in line with latest National Heavy Vehicle Regulator recommendation and is a simple plug-and-play system.”
On the other hand, Air Brake Corporation’s Steer Lock Module, available next month, guarantees steering axle lock functions correctly regardless of the prime mover or power supply. It seamlessly converts the RMS signal from the lighting circuit of most European prime movers back to a stable DC signal. This allows the steer lock to automatically engage or disengage when the reverse gear is selected, based on user preference. Supporting a multi-voltage range of eight to 32V, it offers unparalleled flexibility and reliability.
Meanwhile, Air Brake Corporation’s advantages telematics system, TRAILERIQ, is the company’s flagship fleet management platform which combines an intuitive interface with powerful analytics. This solution empowers operators to gain full visibility and control of their trailer operations within minutes.
Featuring live data and customisable alerts, TRAILERIQ is the ideal choice for owner-operators and mid-sized fleets. It supports all major Trailer Electronic Braking System brands and offers integrated solutions for a Tyre Pressure Monitoring System and refrigerated units, providing a single, comprehensive view of assets.
Additionally, ZF’s new OptiTire TPMS is a state-of-the-art tyre pressure and temperature monitoring system. Supporting up to 32 tyres plus two spares, it is fully compliant with the new United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) R141 regulation and integrates seamlessly with IntelliTRAILER.
IntelliTRAILER (now in its final design and testing phase) supports TPMS, On-Board Mass (OBM) and TEBS data for up to five trailers with a single ECU and single screen mounted on the prime mover. A single unit manages the full trailer combination and automatically recognises changes in the combination without the need for manual adjustments. It delivers real-time data to an integrated display and supports direct output to existing third-party telematics systems – allowing seamless integration into existing fleet infrastructure.
Air Brake Corporation recognises that every trailer builder and fleet have unique requirements, and the company works to meet these needs in a safe and reliable way. Rather than agreeing to requests without validation, all solutions are thoroughly tested at its in-house Sydney facility to ensure compliance with Australian Design Rule (ADR) standards.
“We will not release any product that does not fully meet ADR 38 braking requirements,” Brendan says. “By prioritising safety and tailoring solutions to meet customer needs, Air Brake Corporation is able to anticipate market demands, reinvest in innovation, and deliver products that help customers protect their employees, vehicles and assets.”
