Magnificent Seven

A 50th anniversary is a truly golden time to celebrate, no matter who or what is hitting the big milestone.

For Neal Rockley, General Manager of Rocktrans, the golden anniversary of his family-owned transport business, Rocktrans, the celebration was aptly marked with the a ‘package’ of seven brand new MAN prime movers.

Based in Atherton, in Far North Queensland (FNQ) Rocktrans has added some bright, shiny colours to the lush backdrop of cane fields and verdant forests.

The highlands town is renowned as a high-altitude, cool-climate retreat, boasting tropical rainforests, volcanic crater lakes, and stunning waterfalls. It is the hub of the Tablelands, renowned as a major agricultural “food bowl” producing coffee, dairy, and tropical fruits, alongside diverse wildlife.

Now it is also home to Neal’s addition of brand-new MAN TGS trucks.

What started as a small soft drink manufacturing company in 1975, Rocktrans has evolved into one of North Queensland’s most trusted logistics providers, not just built on a growing fleet, but on a family that embodies commitment to the community.

When the junior Rockley took the reins from his father in 1991, Rocktrans was a modest operation with just three trucks and six staff members. Empowering his vision Neal transformed the business into today’s premium logistics provider – now operating 40 vehicles with a team of 47 professionals who are embodied with a passion for exceptional service.

Neal’s hands-on approach, background in diesel fitting and transport fleet management grew business rapidly, while updating and advancing operational standards. This included establishing Rocktrans’ Mechanical Services division early on and then engaging with its suppliers through maintenance contracts. In doing so, Neal and his team gained complete control over quality and efficiency, ensuring every vehicle meets the company’s high standards. As a result, Rocktrans is able to maintain its support of local farmers, businesses, and communities across North Queensland.

Those close and binding client relations are a hallmark of Rocktrans reputation and stability in the region and industry.

It continues to maintain relationships with major national companies which started more than 45 years ago – a testament to trust earned through consistent, reliable service. These strong partnerships are what Neal and the Rocktrans team see as long-lasting legacies in the often-fickle transport and logistics sectors.

For Neal, the choice to upgrade the company’s fleet with MAN prime movers was a natural choice.

He readily notes that, with a driver-centric design, the TGS 26.540 6×4 TN cab model delivers maximum performance and efficiency.

“MAN trucks are very user-friendly. They’re certainly suited to the work that we do, and our driver feedback often tells us they’re very good on fuel, a great benefit to our business,” Neal says.

A highly ergonomic cab with a bed makes the TN model ideal for long-haul trips, while the ability to transform an empty co-driver’s seat into a side table gives drivers a handy meal when on the go. And the optimised instrument panel and large fridge have been praised by its drivers after multiple days on the road.

Neal says the new MAN models have been the perfect addition to his fleet, with little need for customisation.

“MAN trucks certainly meet every requirement that we need,” he said.

“We haven’t needed to fit anything extra recently, but anything that we have had fitted has been seamless and without any issue.”

Clocking up the kilometres across North Queensland, Rocktrans requires reliable aftersales support to keep its fleet running smoothly.

“We’ve been extremely happy with the service we’ve received from Penske’s dealership in Townsville.

“We have gold maintenance contracts for all our trucks, so all responses are quick and if there’s ever an issue where we need a replacement vehicle, that happens as fast as possible.”

The company’s evolution has seen a number of truck dealers come and go over the years, but none that have stood out and prospered like the dealers under the Penske Australia umbrella.

“I also chose MAN because it means you solely deal with Penske, who are running the show, both as retailer and distributor,” Neal says.

“A lot of the other companies we’ve dealt with have a structure where there’s a middleman, and that’s been very frustrating.

“When that happens, it’s not a good experience for aftersales. Now, there’s a clear path straight through to Penske, and that was certainly one of the biggest reasons why I went with MAN.”

Rocktrans’ relationship with Penske began with an order of four MAN prime movers and quickly expanded after a promising start.

“The extra three weren’t on our radar to begin with, but it was based on our positive experience with the first four,” Neal says.

“We were very happy with everything. The sales went extremely well, and aftersales and servicing have been top-notch.”

Having solidified business relations with multiple household names, Rocktrans is set to move from strength to strength on the road to its centenary celebrations.