Transport Refrigeration Services (TRS) has become an integral part of Australia’s refrigerated transport sector over the last 40 years. The business was created in 1978 by Managing Director, Greg Woodley, who brought it from a one-man operation to a national entity.
TRS Victoria and Tasmania Sales Manager, Peter Goulis, says the outfit is now an interstate powerhouse.
“We sport several locations across the country and support approximately 200 staff throughout these sites,” he says. “We remain particularly big in Sydney, as that’s our home and where the company began its distributional capabilities. But it’s important to note that these distribution efforts are not all that TRS brings to the market.”
TRS’s other market capabilities notably include its own series of refrigerated truck bodies under the name Thermaxx – a product line that has been in circulation for 12 years now. While the majority of Thermaxx bodies have been manufactured in New South Wales, TRS has extended its production capabilities in Victoria to accommodate the increasing demand from the national market.
“Our bodies, with their industry leading thermal efficiency, are built for the transport of frozen goods,” Peter says. “But they have the flexibility to accommodate other temperature controlled requirements as well.”
TRS’s Thermaxx product line draws on the technical expertise of Greg as well as the company’s current group of trained engineers. It uses this combined pool of knowledge to provide a unique and consolidated transport solution in the cold chain market.
“The service we provide to the market is based on our in-depth understanding of what is required in refrigerated builds,” Peter says. “This informs how we build them and is ultimately what sets us apart from our competitors.
“We know how the machinery runs and we can quickly diagnose problems if we need to. Our engineering team works constantly to evolve the products we make and the materials we use.”
In Victoria, TRS’s manufacturing capabilities and its body rental division, Refrigerated Truck Rentals (RTR), have recently been relocated to Truganina. This is a move which better positions TRS’s operations.
“We’ve been really proud of this move,” Peter explains. “We always like engaging with customers during the building process of any Thermaxx body, and we’ll now be able to do it even better with this new site.
“We like to hear from customers and we enjoy taking them through the factory to give them an in depth view of how we build our Thermaxx bodies. The move even allows us to scale up in terms of operational capabilities.”
One of the many customers which TRS has continued to support is Natures Cargo, a wholesale food distributor based in Ballarat, Victoria, which has used Thermaxx refrigerated truck bodies for over a decade.
“We’ve been aligned with TRS for approximately 12 years,” says Natures Cargo Operations Manager, Geoff Beechey. “Working with them has been very good. Any time we want engineering changes, we just bring it to their attention and the next body that comes out to us will have those changes made. As two companies, we’ve really evolved together.”
Natures Cargo, operating across both metropolitan and regional areas, has implemented a wide variety of Thermaxx builds into its fleet. The two-pallet D-Max ute, for example, is the smallest vehicle reserved for special orders, while six-pallet rigid bodies are dedicated to Natures Cargo’s inner-city deliveries.
A collection of eight and 10-pallet bodies perform larger day-to-day deliveries, while 12-pallet trucks are used for longer runs to Victoria’s far west and north.
“These Thermaxx builds are very reliable due to their long lifespans,” Geoff says. “We go through three to four chassis per TRS body, so they perform well on the roads and stay durable for so long.”
TRS’s team has also worked with Natures Cargo to develop a specific zoning system for its freight. This in itself demonstrates the lengths that TRS is willing to go to.
“Our trucks are zoned into three sections based on temperature,” Geoff explains. “TRS worked with us to design these walls that we could place in our open-body trucks to split products into freezer, chill or ambient areas.
“The process of collaborating was so seamless. It always works really well with them.”
TRS’s longstanding relationship with Natures Cargo – strengthened through the establishment of a new Victorian site – is just one example of the business’s unwavering commitment to its customers and their experiences.
“Both Natures Cargo and TRS will do everything they can with the customer,” Geoff says. “In that way, it feels like the companies have really evolved together. We know that TRS is always going to do right by those who come to it for help.”
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