Busselton Freight increases DAF fleet

 

WA transport and logistics company, Busselton Freight Services (BFS), has added four new DAF trucks to its fleet.

The company has been servicing an IGA contract since 2007. Its fleet of 23 DAFs deliver goods to 240 Super IGA full-service supermarkets, IGA mid-sized stores and IGA X-press convenience outlets throughout Perth and to regional centres in Western Australia.

On any day, BFS can deliver up to 1300 pallets of dry, chilled and frozen foods and general merchandise to 120 stores.

BFS was started by brothers Allan and Denis Price in 1984 with a single truck. Today the company has more than 40 trucks operating out of depots in Busselton and the Perth suburb of Maddington, and another within IGA's state distribution centre in Canning Vale.

They have operated a diverse fleet over the years and still have different trucks working in their various businesses. When they won the IGA contract, they decided to standardise on the one brand.

“I have been driving trucks since I was 18, and I have driven every model we've had in our businesses. When we were considering trucks for the IGA contract, I thought about what truck I personally would be comfortable driving for 10 or 12 hours one day in the city and the next day in the country,” Allan said.

“DAF has the best-looking trucks on the road, and they're also well engineered to handle a variety of applications. After Denis had checked their specs and we'd driven them, we knew DAF was ideal for IGA. Now, after four years of service, they have exceeded our expectations,” he said.

In 2007, 13 DAF CF75 prime movers were purchased from Perth dealer, Kenworth DAF WA; five trucks were acquired by BFS and the rest by its subcontractors. After a few months, BFS discovered that the owner-drivers were outperforming staff drivers by up to 30 percent. As a result, the company decided to subcontract all IGA delivery work, selling four of its five DAFs to new owner-drivers. Each year, as more stores have been added, more subcontractors have been employed; each purchasing a new DAF tailored to BFS' specifications.

Today, the IGA fleet comprises seven flagship FTT CF85 6×4 bogey drive prime movers and 13 FT CF75 4×2 prime movers. Both models haul Schmitz Cargo Bull container trailer units, with three temperatures for carrying a combination of dry, chilled and frozen goods.

BFS also has three compact LF55 4×2 rigids, a CF75 configured as a light-duty pocket roadtrain for de-hiring pallets from the metropolitan stores, and another CF75 as an emergency vehicle to handle overflow work.

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