From modest beginnings and a couple of trucks, but through hard work and dedication, Cahill Transport has grown into a major national operation with around 200 prime movers and 300 trailers, a transformation that underscores three generations of family commitment and strategic investment in dependable equipment.
The Cahill family has been associated with the transport industry since 1915, when John Cahill purchased his first horse and dray. John’s son, Joe Snr, was later to become the Victorian General Manager of the company “Yellow Express”.
In 1951, his son, also named Joe, purchased his own truck – a Ford semi-trailer that cost Joe £ 720. Joe had borrow money from his father and uncle to assist with the deposit and his beloved Ford was the foundation of successes to come. Within four years, the truck was fully paid for and the growth of Joe’s own venture ‘Cahill Transport’ firmly established.
“This year is our 75th anniversary. It’s a huge milestone for us,” says Joe Cahill, Cahill Transport’s National Workshop and Fleet Manager, and third generation ‘Joe Cahill’ working in the family business.
“My grandfather started off with just a couple trucks, and then Dad, Michael and Dan bought off him and have built it up to what it is now.”
Today, the company stands among the nation’s biggest remaining family-owned transport operators, and according to Joe, maintaining that position requires products that can consistently perform across a large and varied fleet.
“We’ve been using JOST products for as long as I can remember,” he says. “The product’s good, it’s reliable, and they work really well with all the various truck OEM models.”
JOST has been distributing truck and trailer components since 1986 and for the past 30 years the team at JOST have been working with Cahill’s Transport supplying it with high-quality components.
Cahill Transport engages a broad range of JOST equipment across its assets, including fifth wheels, landing legs, kingpins and recently JOST’s greaseless turntables – all components Joe Cahill describes as essential to the day-to-day continuity of the fleet.
“We use a lot of JOST products. They’re vital for our business and to be able to keep going, so we need reliable products. Reliability from a maintenance point of view and the safety point of view is very important,” Joe says.
For a fleet of Cahill Transport’s size, reliability extends well beyond simple product performance and directly into workshop planning, compliance and operational safety.
“Reliability from a maintenance point of view and the safety point of view is very important,” Joe says. “The JOST products are all very serviceable, and they are always checked and maintained during our services for trucks and trailers.
“We’ve never had issues, like structural issues and that sort of thing. It gives us peace of mind.”
That confidence is particularly important given the scale of the investment involved in fleet procurement and lifecycle management.
“It’s a big investment, and we want to make sure we’re doing it all right,” he says. “We’re always looking for a competitive price, but ultimately we want products that are going to last. We find that JOST is the best in the market.”
Supporting Cahill Transport’s commitment to uptime are two major in-house workshops located in Laverton, Melbourne, and Brisbane, with the Victorian site recently expanded through the addition of a new five-bay, state-of-the-art facility.
“At our Melbourne workshop we’ve just built a five-bay state-of-the-art facility, which includes a drive-through automated truck wash and a five-pad modular weighbridge,” Joe says.
Advancing an entrepreneurial spirit, Cahills have opened the truck wash to the public.
The new workshop is now also servicing external transport operators, further strengthening the company’s maintenance footprint, while a team of mechanics ensures the Cahill fleet remains under close technical supervision and always on the road.
“We have 16 full-time truck mechanics with us,” he says.
Joe adds that one of the major advantages of working with JOST is the manufacturer’s willingness to support not only the workshop team, but also drivers in the field.
“Their availability to come out and meet with us and offer us training on their products is very good as well.”
“JOST come out to our workshops and show the guys the products, how to service and repair them, as well as do driver training on the products.”
That supplier-led education, he says, helps ensure equipment is being used correctly from coupling through to daily operation.
“That’s a huge help to us, as the drivers are using the prime movers and trailers and need to know how to connect and use the gear properly,” Joe adds.
He also credits the hands-on approach of key JOST personnel as a major contributor to the successful relationship.
“At JOST we mainly deal with Joey Coles,” he says. “The company is great, very knowledgeable and approachable. They know their product and are down to earth. They’re excellent to deal with.”
As the company is enjoying the fruits of its landmark anniversary year, its emphasis on workshop investment, preventative maintenance and proven component supply continues to reflect the same practical values on which the family business was built – with Joe Cahill making it clear that reliable partnerships remain central to the next chapter of the company’s journey.
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