Leap Years

If you were to sum up the year Scully RSV has had in one word, connection would arguably define it best.

Whether with customers and their needs, engineers and their innovations or communities who need a helping hand, by all accounts, the refrigerated transport company has fostered the alliances it needs to keep moving forward.

“If I had to pick a highlight from this year, I’m not actually sure I’d be able to,” says Scully RSV CEO, Andrew McKenzie.

“Everything we’ve achieved has really been so varied and unique in terms of its impact. From our technology projects that have impacted our fleet operations, to the community initiatives that drive our purpose and give back.”

Technology certainly offered a win for fleet managers this year, with Scully RSV unveiling ScullyLive, which allows customers to access vehicle performance data in real-time.

The system, created by data fusion company Inauro, provides managers with information on vehicle location, temperature compliance and driver behaviour.

It all integrates seamlessly into third party applications, providing customers with increased efficiency of operations and improved safety.

In fact, safety has become a big theme for Scully RSV, having kicked off the year with a mission to become “the safest fleet in the industry.”

This took shape through its SafetyCulture initiative which captures pre-start inspection data for both trailers and rigid vehicles online, notifying Scully RSV’s Fleet Operations teams of any issues immediately.

The roll out took place across the entire fleet of rigid and trailer vehicles. Spreading its footprint to include Western Australia was also a defining moment for the company.

With its rigid and trailer customer base increasing over the past few years, a permanent base in Perth made sense. The new branch services the entire Western Australian region and has a fleet of refrigerated utes, trucks and trailers for local transport routes or as long-term fleet solutions.

Scully RSV also moved into a new head office in Brisbane in the suburb of Rocklea. The facility enables triple the manufacturing capacity, as demand for rigid bodies and refrigerated vehicles continues to grow. Its original, nearby office in Archerfield has been retained, supplementing the company’s manufacturing needs.

Having the ability to service customers no matter where their location has been an important step for the company, says Andrew, increasing its capacity to open up to a whole range of clients.

“We proudly service everyone from national logistics providers, to supermarkets, food suppliers and sole traders operating their own refrigerated delivery vehicle,” he says. “It’s our size, scale and quality of vehicle that’s driven the trust from our customers and supported our growth this year.”

That growth is represented well with figures that show its rigid fleet has grown by 50 per cent and its trailer fleet by 21 per cent, in the last twelve months. As a result of the increases in manufacturing capacity at Rocklea, Scully RSV is now looking at other opportunities thanks in part to feedback from customers.

As a case in point, it is now working to supply refrigerated bodies because of the increase in customers coming in with a chassis or looking to upgrade their old bodies.

The organisation also launched several Ex-Fleet Releases in 2023, giving customers the chance to own a Scully RSV from their fleet. The company will continue to offer this in 2024 as their new manufacturing capacity allows further replenishment. It hasn’t all been about business, however.

The company, despite its successes, has continued to give back to local communities. One of its most recent initiatives, OzHarvest, has become the perfect charitable fit for the company, allowing it to put its products and services to great use. Partnering with the food rescue organisation, Scully RSV supports their fleet requirements but also encourages its contacts in the supermarket and food supply industry to support the worthy cause.

Another charity Scully RSV has been heavily involved with this year is This Is a Conversation Starter (TIACS), a free phone and text counselling service offering mental health support to Australia’s blue-collar communities and their families. Scully RSV supports TIACS as an investment partner, ensuring the community is not only aware of this important service, but will have ongoing access to it.

This year the company showcased special customised TIACS livery on one of its trucks to help promote the organisation.

Andrew says Scully RSV’s charity work gives everyone in the company a boost and, coupled with its expansion projects as well as ongoing partnerships with top industry OEMs and suppliers, he looks forward to discovering what next year holds.

“I’m proud of our team and what we’ve achieved together and the relationships we’ve continued to build with our partners and customers,” he says. “It’s truly been an incredible year.”