Horses for Courses

Last year Cannon Logistics debuted its first B-triple. It flagged a direction the Brisbane-based linehaul fleet was always headed being something of a specialist in carrying less than truckload freight or LTL as it is popularly known in North America out to mine sites commonly found in the remotest and hottest parts of Queensland.

This is achieved on high horsepower spec’d prime movers primarily built by Kenworth and increasingly MAN since 2021.

Four years ago, Zac Popov, Cannon Logistics’ Founder and Director, introduced three MAN TGS 26.580s into his fleet of nearly 40 heavy vehicles. They delivered solid fuel economy numbers that were hard to ignore.

The Penske Australia, and by extension, MAN Truck & Bus workshop facility is in the same Lytton street Cannon Logistics calls home.

That’s a convenience not just for the fleet but for the Penske team, whose latest products are on show in close proximity to an area brimming with leading exponents from the target market.

Cannon Logistics, which originally takes its name from the suburb of Cannon Hill, where Zac founded the business, moved into a boutique estate ten years ago.

There are several other major companies with facilities here like Kmart distribution, Amazon, Inghams, PFD, Wickham Freight Lines, Emerald Carrying Co and the container cartage specialist, Wemyss.

The building when Zac purchased it was a sky-blue colour. Suffice it to say, for a man who orders every truck in cane toad maroon because of his allegiance to the Queensland Rugby League team, that didn’t last too long.

“I painted our new building immediately even before we had moved into it,” he says. “I’m a Queenslander — simple as that.”

Having Penske Australia in the same street makes the proposition of working with them even easier. The new MANs are not surprisingly on service contracts with fixed maintenance intervals to ensure better protection against unforeseeable repairs.

“It’s an attractive option and pricing was fair and reasonable,” says Zac. “That’s definitely another reason why I bought them. It’s the simplicity of operation that I like foremost.”

The latest truck order comprises six MAN TGX units evenly split between 580-horsepower or the 640 rating with 3,000Nm of torque.

These TGX units come with five year/1,000,000km driveline warranties and boast no midlife component changeouts. The bigger GX cab – 2100mm floor to roof internal – was considered an upgrade to give the drivers additional comforts on their northbound treks.

“Hopefully, we will see good fuel economy figures out of them,” says Zac. “The prime movers from 2021 have been achieving really good numbers as well. I’m sure these new ones will achieve better numbers considering it’s a new engine.”

That would be the latest generation 15.2-litre inline six-cylinder D3876, which uses a two-stage turbocharging system with intercooling, a common rail injection system, and an exhaust aftertreatment system with SCR (Selective Catalytic Reduction) and CRT (Continuously Regenerating Trap) to meet Euro 6e standards.

The new trucks are replacing a mixture of brands including previous generation MAN prime movers.

“I’m renewing the fleet at present so when new stock comes in, I’m phasing out the old stock,” adds Zac.

“The new MAN TGX looks sharper on long distance. All that stuff matters. I’ve got them fully painted now in the maroon burgundy with a few other odds and sods put on for me by Penske who offers us a ‘bling package.’”

Some of these features at a glance but not limited to include a roadtrain bullbar with ten marker lights fitted to it, custom roof light bar with four 220mm spotlights, a sparkling custom paint job on cabs, tanks and exhaust, polished walk plates and fuel tank tread plates, stainless tank straps cover, stainless fuel tank kicker panels with marker lights, JOST JSK 37 Sensor Lite turntable for added safety, and Custom Air pack.

The MAN TGX 26.640s are hauling B-triples and B-doubles into central Queensland. The final destinations include coal mining towns like Emerald, Moranbah and Longreach. They also run up the coast to Rockhampton and Yeppoon.

A cold carrier in essence, Cannon Logistics runs an estimated 90 per cent of its jobs carrying refrigerated goods with the remainder tasked with transporting general freight. It’s a common standard in mining to periodically change over all the bedding provided at the accommodation facilities.

“The upkeep of these accommodation companies is impressive,” says Zac. “The mining companies make sure their staff are well looked after. They don’t lack for much.”

For Zac, that translates into carrying new mattresses and replacement beds up into central and western Queensland. With mine sites working on a regular cycle of upkeep programs there is a frequent renewal of linen and bedding.

“As well as the mattresses we’re carrying TVs, white goods, and gym equipment up to them,” explains Zac.

“That can mean treadmills, weights, rowing machines even pool tables. You name it.”

That brings with it untold challenges for loading and unloading given the often, incompatible nature of the goods being carted.

“Because we’re not a full load company that means we mix and match the freight for every region that we go to,” says Zac.

“We travel to areas where the big boys struggle to go to. I try and stay out of their space where possible.”

It’s been a strict policy to avoid competing in interstate road freight. Not that he hasn’t had opportunity to do it, but Zac would prefer not to worry about things outside of his control.

Keeping operations contained strictly within Queensland, despite the scope and density it entails, is by design according to Zac.

“We carve out our own niche because we’re doing LTL into regional Queensland. It’s something I wanted to do to start with. It works well,” he says.

“Of course, there are competitors but there’s not as many as what you’ll find running up and down the east coast of Australia from Cairns to Adelaide. There’s a lot of guys who do that stuff. I choose not to. I prefer to stick within my own lanes and look after customers within that space by providing a reliable and honest service.”

Prior to starting Cannon Logistics, Zac worked for 15 years at fridge removal specialist, Fridgmobile, a Swire Group company, where he ascended to managerial roles. He has considerable expertise in cold storage and retail logistics.

Zac, by admission, likes to stick with what he knows and he knows Thermo King. He says the brand’s climate control technology is top shelf.

“When I first started in the industry in 1990 that’s how I cut my teeth and I’ve stuck with them. They’ve been very reliable,” he says.

“They have a good network throughout Queensland and other fridge mechanics know their product well when it comes to servicing. It’s the KISS mantra of Keep It Simple Stupid. I don’t like complicated things.”

The business celebrates its 20th anniversary next year. Starting out was a matter of finding a couple of trailers and contracted operators and “away you go” per Zac.

There was, however, a much deeper driver pool to draw from back then.

“Was that because of population size? Was it because the Baby Boomers were still working on and not retiring. It’s hard to say,” he says.

“You certainly had more availability of experienced drivers and now compliance is a big thing to put on all of us in the transport industry.”

It’s certainly one issue, from the many to pick from at the minute, that appears to marshal the widest consensus. Regulatory compliance would seem to go hand-in-hand with the systemised adoption and reliance of technology.

“There’s much more of that and it’s for the better but there’s a cost involved,” says Zac

“Keeping on top of your compliance is an additional cost. You have to maintain it because customers demand it. If you’ve got no methods or processes for compliance with the NHVR or Food Safe or whatever it is customers won’t stay loyal. They’ll find someone who has all of that to start with.”

The fleet now has 65 trailers on hand. They have predominantly invested in reefers from Freighter Group. Cannon Logistics deploys up to ten roadtrains a week.

They shuttle the trailers out to the decoupling facility at Gatton where they hook up.

“Whether it be Type 1 roadtrains, a B-triple, we even do AB-triples it just depends on the freight,” says Zac. “If we’ve got 60 pallets to go into a region, it could end up being an AB-triple that goes out there. When that happens, we’ve got to hook up out at Roma. It is what it is.”

Cannon Logistics is ostensibly a Kenworth fleet. Because they carry 48-foot trailers it’s something of a balancing act when investing in a conventional cab.

“I’ve got to be mindful of the type of work we’re doing,” explains Zac.

“When it comes to some of the trucks I put bullbars on and some I don’t. It’s horses for courses. Those ones with the bullbars will go onto roadtrains and the others we will stick on B-doubles and so forth.” He acknowledges driver preference also plays a part in the decision-making process.

“Different drivers like different things. I’m aware of that,” adds Zac.

With that said he is always open to evaluating new equipment should it have any perceivable upside in his operations. A new run might present a different challenge that an unfamiliar product can help solve.

“When it comes to trucks I’ve tried all sorts of different brands: Freightliner. Western Star. I’ve got four Volvos in my fleet,” he says.

“The reason I bought them is they’ve got a XXL cab with a nice interior that gives the driver a lot of room. That’s got 600 horsepower. They’ve been reliable and fine for our drivers in the most part.”

Zac’s preference is to keep his drivers on the same runs. This way the customers get to know them.

“All things being equal, they’ll get on and understand each other and make things happen,” says Zac.

“It’s all well and good to have people in the office but it’s the driver that’s fronting the customers each week. If the driver does a great job and the customer appreciates it that makes everyone’s life so much easier.”

The customer portfolio is a real mix that includes accounts with corporates, multinationals, small businesses and longstanding family firms.

“We’ve got customers that are still with us since my very first day. We’ve given them no reason to leave,” says Zac.

“We provide a scheduled service. If I’ve only got 15 pallets to go to Charleville, for example, we still go on that day. We run on that schedule every day of the week. No matter what.”