Mainfreight – Team Newsletter July 2022
MAINFREIGHT TEAM REVIEW
NEWSLETTER JULY 2022
A Word from Don
W
elcome to our Newsletter
for July 2022.
We write to you all – our people, our
shareholders and our customers, and
for that matter, any others who have
an interest in Mainfreight – to keep
you abreast of our progress and
development. For the most part,
these words are written to our team,
however others can take what they
wish from the information.
Looking in the rear-vision mirror, our
financial results for the year ended
31st March 2022 have been released
to the market, and highlighted total
revenues up 47.2% to $5.22 billion,
and profit before tax up 86.5% to
$489.4 million; a significant tribute
to our people around the world who
worked tirelessly under trying
conditions to achieve this result.
Thank you.
Included in this result is our
increased discretionary team bonus
of $94 million, dividends to our
shareholders of $143 million, and
another $134 million paid to the
Tax Man.
Congested supply chains during a
worldwide pandemic is not an easy
place to achieve service delivery on
behalf of our customers. We are
enormously proud of the success
our team has achieved. However,
we have not yet returned to the
service levels we think are acceptable.
Our operational standards are very
important to our customers and, in
every region, we must do all we can
to lift our delivery performance.
We have used statistics to measure
our performance for many years,
branch by branch. We would urge you
all to understand where your branch’s
quality currently sits, and what you can
do to improve this. We should all
remove our rose-coloured glasses and
have the honest conversations needed
to find improvement.
We continue to invest capital in land
and buildings ($450 million over the
next two years), and commit to new
leased facilities where appropriate, to
keep adding infrastructure to keep up
with our growth. These facilities will
be useful, purposeful and the best we
can construct to improve services and
quality. We strive to make every
workplace friendly and comfortable for
our team.
The new facilities will help where we
are outgrowing warehouses and
cross-docks, or extending into new
Air & Ocean locations. This funding
requires a return which will be driven
by more sales growth. We all have a
responsibility to help with these
growth initiatives.
We wish to be useful across our
customers’ supply chains; it drives
good organic growth. The quality
of our facilities, the intensity of our
network (being closer to our
customers), with great technology
linking us all, are the key advantages
we have.
Environmental considerations continue
to push us to build better facilities.
Solar power, water collection to
drinkable standards, rain and
vegetable gardens, electric handling
and delivery equipment are all part
of lowering our carbon emissions.
We “get” that freight movement is
carbon hungry and lowering this input
will take time, therefore whatever we
can do to be better environmentally,
expect us to invest accordingly.
Globally and regionally, our network
continues to increase. New branches
across New Zealand, Australia, Asia,
Europe and the Americas; presence in
Indonesia mid-year; with India and the
Nordic region also high on our list.
Such are the opportunities that these
past two years have presented.
We may well face more obstacles as
the world’s economy resets itself
post-pandemic. Providing we remain
energised, focused on our customers’
needs, and those of our business, we
are well positioned to keep growing.
Thank you to each and every one of
our team for your passion and
commitment. To our customers,
thank you for allowing us the
privilege of servicing your supply
chain requirements.
Magazine Directory
Australia ....................3
New Zealand ...............14
Europe .....................25
Asia .........................33
Americas ...................40
Technology .................48
Training & Development ...51
Bereavements ..............53
Service Achievements .....55
Long Service Legends ......57
Global Awards ..............59
Photoboard ............... 62
Feedback ...................64
Cover: Our multi-purpose facility in South Dandenong taking shape.
Mainfreight Australia – Rodd Morgan
A
t this time last year, we
marvelled at the resilience and
ingenuity of our business led
by our Branch Managers whose teams
were able to find all sorts of ways to
move freight in the most trying of
circumstances and also deliver a
strong profit performance.
Our task then was to maintain this
momentum and take our growth to
new levels. We are very pleased to
advise that we were able to achieve
this task and produced profit growth
over 50% and sales growth of more
than 35%. Along the way, all of our
divisions surpassed the profit and
sales targets we set ourselves
12 months ago. Setting these
“stretch” profit and sales targets are
an important part of our culture and
allow us to collectively understand
where we are heading and where we
need to be at each point along the
way. Our weekly profit and loss
estimates (completed every Monday)
then quickly allow branches to identify
weaknesses and make changes if
they are falling behind the run rate.
Prior to any sustained profitability
being possible however, we need to
produce great levels of service quality
for our customers. If that is missing,
we will fail. Therefore, the disciplines,
processes and systems we have in
place, that have stood the test of time,
must be brutally implemented every
time. The pursuit of outstanding
service remains our driving force and
the reason that we each come to work
every day. Please ensure that we all
remember this because, if we do not
each do our job to a high standard, we
can very well cost our customers their
profit and potentially ruin their
business. Conversely, if we provide
great service consistently, we can
actually help our customers to grow
and be more profitable.
Our responsibility to our customers is
very serious indeed and remains our
primary focus.
As part of our strategy to grow and
have the best chance of providing
great service, we continue to invest in
property and buildings to develop our
network and have more freight
delivered by a Mainfreight branch.
We added 8 new sites over the last
12 months with another 8 planned
over this current financial year.
On top of this, we look forward to
opening new or replacement facilities
(or extensions) for Adelaide
Warehousing and Transport, Owens
Altona, Transport and Warehousing in
Melbourne, Transport Gold Coast and
Airfreight/Perishables in Brisbane.
2023/24 will see yet another 12
projects come to fruition.
Truly exciting times!
Unfortunately, our traditional ‘pre-start
of financial year’ Branch Managers
meeting had to be held online for the
second year in a row. Nevertheless, it
was a great event with some individual
and team success acknowledged and
celebrated. To give everyone a feel
for some of the things we value in our
business, the following awards were
acknowledged during the meeting:
•
Legendary Service – Ian & Devon
Patterson – Line-haul Owner
Drivers
•
Turnaround branch – Warehousing
Kewdale (Perth)
•
Remeasure – Transport Ballarat
•
Cash Collection – Owens Brisbane
Perhaps most notably the Branch of
the Year was won by Air & Ocean
Perth, who also won it in 2019.
We handed out 45 Profit Plaques,
to every branch who achieved their
target, 2 Profit Pins to Branch
Managers who had done that 5 times
and 1 who has done it 10 times. We
also presented the special Mainfreight
blazer to no fewer than 18 team
members who had been promoted to
Branch Manager for the first time.
A very special event and
congratulations to everyone involved.
The following pages of this mid-year
newsletter again give you a great
insight into the exciting things we
have going on and the wonderfully
bright and talented people we have
across the business. Please enjoy.
Finally, we want to acknowledge and
thank our team for the performances
that produced an even better year
than last year which, for the second
year in a row, blew our targets out of
the water. You are an amazing group
of people.
Let us keep hold of this irresistible
momentum!
Australia Transport – Simon Hart
Q
uality first, then Morale, and
because we have this, we will
make Profit. Our goal is to
develop long-term relationships with
our customers through delivering
exceptional quality. This is what
separates us from the competition.
Quality always comes first.
The beginning of this year has been
all about delivering a quality service
for our customers. This started at our
annual Branch Managers conference,
where the team were tasked with
planning for the next 12 months to
ensure we are well positioned to deal
with whatever comes our way. We
followed this up with our annual
Operations Managers conference
which again was all about preparing to
be match fit for the next 12 months
and beyond.
Whilst training is a branch
responsibility, it is important to bring
the team together from around the
country and reinforce some of our
important messages with respect to
culture and processes. We do this with
our induction courses, and an important
aspect is that they are an investment in
creating long-lasting relationships that
can’t be emulated through a computer
screen. We are excited about hosting
you on one of our 30 courses planned
for this year. Ask your manager about
it! Amanda Nugent has provided more
detail below.
AUSTRALIAAUSTRALIA
MAINFREIGHT TEAM REVIEW // JULY 2022 3
To match our growth, we are investing
in expanding the network. We want to
control quality by delivering as much
freight as we can on a Blue truck.
Our Mackay branch opens very soon
(after weather caused delays to our
plans to be open in May). We will be
in Orange and Dubbo in August, and
we are out looking to find a home in
Bundaberg and Tasmania soon. There
are many more locations in the
pipeline and we will continue to
update you on progress. All of this
will provide an opportunity for our
team to take the next step in their
career through our “promote from
within” culture. Look out for a Blue
truck in a town near you.
There are also plenty of building
projects on the go. These new
buildings are about providing the team
with the tools and environment to
continue to grow and deliver
exceptional quality. Both our new
Adelaide and South Dandenong
(Melbourne) sites are due before
Christmas 2022. Both facilities will
be 96% off the electricity grid and
have enough water storage capacity
to be independent from the utilities.
Our first electric trucks arrived in
Melbourne and Sydney in May and we
are working to add more to the fleet.
Finally, it is great being able to travel
again! We are making our way around
the branches and look forward to
spending some time with you all soon.
Adelaide – Jason Levy
What a great start to 2022.
After spending over four years selling
our Transport business in Brisbane
across Mainfreight and Chemcouriers,
I made the move to Adelaide Transport
to join the team as Branch Manager.
It’s safe to say there is never a dull
moment at Mainfreight and I have
enjoyed every minute. Just jump on
the rollercoaster and hold on!
Thank you to our Adelaide Team for
being so welcoming and making this
move a breeze. We have an exciting
new chapter ahead of us with plans to
boost our quality, recruit more driven
and energetic team members, and add
to our ever-growing fleet of owner
drivers, all before we move into our
brand-new purpose-built facility.
The construction of our new depot is
coming along nicely, and it is very
exciting to see the progress as we
drive past each day. We move in
August 2022 and will ensure our
branch quality, presentation and
recruitment is at a high level to
facilitate a smooth transition.
Lastly, thank you to Steven
Blackmoore, Greg de Lautour and the
team in Brisbane for driving our strong
Mainfreight culture and making my
time at Larapinta so memorable.
Opportunities for Improvement:
1. Delivery performance. This has taken giant steps forward post the
peak period, however our goal is for it to always be exceptional.
2. If you say you will do it, do it. We have made several tangible
commitments in our recent planning sessions. Let’s act with pace and
get them done. This is even more important when making commitments
to our customers.
3. Presentation. If we look tidy, we will play tidy. This is part of
delivering a quality service. We want immaculate People, Facilities,
Equipment and Trucks.
4. Have Fun while you are doing it. Whilst there is a job to do, it is
important to have fun while you are doing it. We spend a lot of time
together as a family. Think about how you can bring a smile to your
teammate’s face.
5. Bottom up. Our team make this business special. We need your ideas
and actions to make us better. Our Positive Action Team meetings are
there as a forum for you to make decisions and make changes in the
best interest of our customers. Keep the ideas coming.
L-R: Jason Levy and Bruce PlestedArtist’s impression of our new Adelaide depot
4 MAINFREIGHT TEAM REVIEW // JULY 2022
Transport Induction – Amanda Nugent
This year, we have welcomed the
return of the Transport Induction
courses after a short hiatus due to the
pandemic. The branches have been
quick with nominations, showing there
are many eager team members. To
cater for this, we have increased the
number of inductions running this year
from 12 to 30. This means that 330
team members can attend!
While the course has been condensed
to run across three days, the Transport
Induction still covers all the core areas
of the business including our history
and culture, site tours, the lifecycle of
a con/note and sales. We also place
an emphasis on operations – in
particular, focusing on the correct load
restraint processes and educating the
team on how we can avoid damages.
This is taught hands on, on our
Training Dock, with the team loading
trailers with real freight donated by
our customers.
At the end of the course, a team
member who best exemplifies the
Mainfreight culture and spirit is
awarded ‘Top Performer’, however
everyone who attends leaves with the
reward of new friendships that outlast
the three days in which they were
formed.
L-R Back: Elvin Satendra, Tegan Daly, Keegan Sperling, Mark Russell, Jackson Shang, Harman Singh
L-R Front: Karla Blowers, Sheridan Weaver, Aleina Zerrudo, Isabel Sauermann, Sam Wheatley
Jessica Peregi Top Performer
Jessica Peregi (Transport Adelaide)
and Rodd Morgan
Mainfreight Mackay –
Troy Blacklock
We are excited to further intensify our QLD
network with the opening of the much-
anticipated Mainfreight Mackay depot,
establishing ourselves as a strong player in the
far north QLD marketplace. We are building a
tier one, purpose-built facility that will enable us
to deliver a high-quality service to the region.
Our initial goal will be to meet and exceed
expectations, establishing ourselves in the
marketplace by offering outstanding service to our
brothers and sisters in the sending branches.
We will swiftly need to expand our own customer
base and find synchronicity with our Townsville
branch and expand our southbound lanes.
Whilst there is still work to be done, there is
much opportunity and much excitement.
It will be a pleasure and an honour to grow
more Mainfreight Blue, deep into Maroon
(Queensland) territory.
Artist’s impression of Mackay Depot
Progress of Mackay building
MAINFREIGHT TEAM REVIEW // JULY 2022 5
Driver Appreciation
Week Erskine Park –
Liam Thompson
Our Drivers represent us on the roads
and in front of our customers. They
are an important part of our team and
we appreciate them.
At Erskine Park we were all quite
excited about the National Driver
Appreciation Week. We planned a fun
week where every day was different
– each day the drivers were given
coffee by our local van and we ran a
lucky door prize where the drivers
took raffle tickets and could win a
prize such as a Mainfreight bag,
Mainfreight socks, etc.
It was a fantastic week, and we could
see that the drivers really enjoyed and
appreciated the efforts the team went
to every day. It was also a great
chance for all of the teams to work
together and build on their
relationships through giving and
generosity. We look forward to the
next Driver Appreciation Week,
especially our drivers who have a list
of ideas to try and top the last!
Legendary Service Award for Ian and
Devon Patterson – Sander Vreeburg
Every year Mainfreight presents the Legendary Service
Award to their most outstanding team members. We do
this to give recognition to the person that has proven to be
the embodiment of our Mainfreight values. The past year
has arguably been one of the most challenging years in
recent history, yet the service level of Ian and Devon
Patterson has been unsurpassed. Therefore, it is with great
pleasure that we award them with this year’s Legendary
Service Award.
Ian and Devon run a linehaul between Melbourne and
Brisbane. Not only are they incredibly easy to deal with,
but after three years of heavy use, their Kenworth K200
still looks brand new due to the high level of care they take
of their equipment. It’s the little things that make a big
difference and immaculate presentation is a key focus for
how the Pattersons run their business.
Ian and his sons Devon and Callum make sure the truck
gets a wash when they arrive in Epping at 3AM in the
morning so that the Team doesn’t have to get dirty when
opening their trailer. During our peak season, the
Pattersons went above and beyond by offering their
services to run Melbourne to Adelaide on top of their
regular Brisbane run. They were always on time, and they
never compromised on their immaculate presentation.
We want to give thanks to the Pattersons for being an
example for our whole Owner Driver fleet. It truly gives us
a competitive advantage.
Owner Driver Don RamAJ Linfoot cleaning tyres.
L-R : Sander Vreeburg, Devon Patterson, Ian Patterson.
6 MAINFREIGHT TEAM REVIEW // JULY 2022
Claims Performance
Outward Consignments Per ClaimInwards Consignments Per Claim
Branch
To Mar
2022
To Sep
2021
To Mar
2021Branch
To Mar
2022
To Sep
2021
To Mar
2021
CCA BRISBANE54355825749358CCA CLAYTON180531360314506
CCA CLAYTON25855146793257MFT WOLLONGONG1141300
MFT WOLLONGONG1369300CCA EPPING1119503683
CCA PRESTONS97901941012321CCA ADELAIDE977200
MFT BENDIGO932747694279MFT TRARALGON975488730
CCA PERTH851468880MFT BENDIGO808005711
MFT TOOWOOMBA433800CCA PERTH639700
CCA ADELAIDE375900MFT BALLARAT59884102
20024
MFT TAMWORTH338622124021MFT TOOWOOMBA506340857856
MFT TOWNSVILLE3368108902655CCA PRESTONS43531479210374
MFT NEWCASTLE323928243005CCA BRISBANE413299376501
MFT ADELAIDE30883562
6085
MFT GOLD COAST399946343459
MFT ALBURY227044514711MFT ALBURY372755254328
MFT CLAYTON211723351481MFT CLAYTON364541074343
MFT ERSKINE PARK194523681643MFT TOWNSVILLE357339301993
TOTAL COMPANY180020193220MFT PERTH348939415291
MFT CANBERRA163821732141MFT NEWCASTLE301330522271
MFT BRISBANE142316371660MFT GEELONG293016931983
MFT GEELONG14167991552MFT CANBERRA277333644779
MFT GOLD COAST138428461893TOTAL COMPANY275334083220
MFT EPPING134815361302MFT NARANGBA262240555718
MFT TRARALGON124800MFT ERSKINE PARK230431531779
MFT PRESTONS109012661245MFT ADELAIDE227627612258
MFT BALLARAT95911593610MFT BRISBANE196820164815
MFT NARANGBA9397822804MFT TAMWORTH16429711265
MFT PERTH6266961382MFT EPPING143770324219
CCA EPPING475454729MFT PRESTONS107412641201
If your branch is below the Total Company number, then you are below average.
Make sure you and your team members work hard this year to be above this line.
MAINFREIGHT TEAM REVIEW // JULY 2022 7
Australia Warehousing – Riyaz Jordan
L
ooking back a few years ago,
peak season would normally
finish in December, and we would
take advantage of the first few months
of the New Year to give our team a
much-needed break and a chance to
get refreshed.
Unfortunately, with the new normal,
peak season remains a constant as we
navigate through various supply chain
challenges. Our team has gone above
and beyond during these challenging
times, and this is appreciated. Thank
you to all our team members for your
efforts and contributions for the past
two years.
We are now experiencing the new
“12-month peak season” and are
working closely with customers to
better understand their requirements.
We should have a good idea of
customers’ forecasts, which gives us
the ability to have a plan in place as we
move forward.
As part of our preparation, earlier this
year, we were fortunate to get all
Warehousing Branch Managers
together for a one-day breakout
meeting in Melbourne. We were also
lucky enough to get both Todd
Vallerine and Nick Marshall to leave
their fortress in Perth and pay us a visit
in Melbourne. After a two-year hiatus,
having the team together in one place
was invaluable. As much as we enjoy
Webex conferences, you can’t beat the
benefits of face-to-face meetings.
Domestic and International travel are
also starting to reopen which is
reassuring. We are using this
opportunity to visit our brothers and
sisters (buddy branches), meet and
support new team members, and
provide constructive feedback to
improve quality and site presentation.
We have an exciting year ahead.
Warehousing capacity is coming, and
we are prepared to build on the strong
momentum from 2021. Thank you
again to all our team members.
Wherever possible, please have a
break and spend some time with family
and friends.
Finally, we would like to wish Bruce a
Happy 80th Birthday and thank him for
his generous birthday present to our
team. This has provided all the team
with renewed energy and further
demonstrates the Mainfreight way.
Things to do better:
•
Make Decisions Early
Let’s make this a reality to avoid
delays and build better
relationships.
•
Inventory Control – If we
have control, the rest falls into
place. Greater focus on stock
control and investigations
remains a priority.
•
Forward Selling – We need
to continue selling and looking
ahead to the new sites that we
are investing in.
•
Forecasting – Quality of
forecasting is critical to our
Warehousing business.
We need to continue
communicating with our
customers and avoid last minute
changes.
•
Look after our team and
customers – We all have good
and bad days. Check in with
each other. Talking is only half
of the equation when it comes
to good communication.
The other half is listening.
Snapshot of 2022/23
Property Developments
During the next 12 months, we have four
large property investments coming our way.
These will increase the Australian warehouse
footprint from 216,000sqm to 330,000sqm.
This demonstrates our commitment to build for
the future and provide our team and customers
with exceptional facilities to deliver on our
service promise.
Adelaide – 9,000sqm
– Go Live October 2022
Melbourne (Dandenong) – 30,000 sqm
– Go Live November 2022
Sydney Moorebank – 55,000 sqm
– Go Live January 2023
Perth – 21,000sqm
– Go Live April 2023
A bit more about Sydney Moorebank:
The Moorebank Logistics Park is Australia’s
largest freight infrastructure project and will
link Port Botany direct to rail terminals and
warehouses. Our new facility (55,000sqm)
will provide us the ability to help remove truck
movements from NSW roads and better utilise
the rail network for international and
domestic shipments.
Artist’s impression of Adelaide
We have lift off! Sean Howell at the new Adelaide site.
Artist’s impression of Dandenong
8 MAINFREIGHT TEAM REVIEW // JULY 2022
Mobile Sydney – Daniel Payne
Over the last couple of months Sydney Mobile has hit the
ground running and has been able to provide some strong
value to our Ingleburn and Eastern Creek Warehouses.
The Sydney Mobile branch was restarted in January 2022,
with myself and Josh (first team hire) getting the ball
rolling. We have now grown to nine team members, with a
goal of getting to 26 team members by July this year. A
very ambitious, but still achievable goal! These 26 team
members will put us in a position to be able to unload
roughly 50% of containers across our four Sydney sites
– an essential step in the reduction and eventual
elimination of agency labour within our business.
Most of our team members have recently undertaken the
one-day induction course, which has ignited a strong
passion and desire for our branch and business to succeed!
Being a ‘mobile’ branch, that operates in multiple facilities
across Sydney, does present some unique challenges with
maintaining our culture. The team has come up with some
great ideas in our Positive Action Team meetings to ensure
we don’t get ourselves into operating as little ‘silos’.
Consistently mixing up the team, social events and
creativity in weekly meetings are some of the ideas that will
ensure we maintain a robust Mainfreight culture – essential
for our success!
The future for Sydney Mobile is exciting and the
opportunities are endless. Our vision is much further than
just container unloading, and we hope to be offering
solutions for our brothers and sisters across all our
products in the future.
Mobile Sydney Team
L-R: Jordan Smith, Rodney Meatoga, Toese Lese and Joshua Crouch
Happy 80th Birthday Bruce!
Kewdale – Turn Around
Branch of the Year
It was an honour to be awarded the
‘Turn Around Branch of the Year’.
Though a greater honour, was to
inform the team. Well it would have
been, if someone else had not beat
me to it! It was all good though, we
celebrated with a Breakfast BBQ.
The way Kewdale likes to celebrate,
together, with food.
Knowing how hard our young team had
worked, it was great to see their
achievements recognised by our peers.
This award has illustrated to our team
that, although we are a smaller branch,
we are part of a much larger picture,
our performance does matter and is
both recognised and appreciated.
Great for morale!
We look forward to the challenges of the
new year and further growth and
improvement.
Happy 80th Birthday Bruce! – Warehousing Prestons TeamHappy 80th Birthday Bruce! – Warehousing Larapinta Team
Presentation of the ‘Turn Around
Branch of the Year’ award.
L-R: Todd Vallerine and Valentin Teles
L-R: Christopher Greipl, James Adamson, Lucas Evans,
Hayden Woodfield and Jaydn Carr - MFW Kewdale
MFW Dandenong Team
L-R Shaun Winder, Matthew Cartledge, Craig Fenney,
Daniel Martin, Molly Boswell, Amit Singh, Pat Kerr,
Kaytlyn Davies, Jake Charles, Joel Winder, Mikki Ilijanic,
In front Shannon Lomas.
MAINFREIGHT TEAM REVIEW // JULY 2022 9
Australia Air & Ocean / CaroTrans – Grant Draper
W
e recently had the pleasure
of presenting in person the
Mainfreight scholarship
cheques to the children of some of
our Sydney team members. This is
our program designed to help enable
those children to attend university and
further their education and their
prospects. Mainfreight contributes to
their course fees over a period of
three years. The whole Sydney team
of about 60 people and the recipients’
families gathered around to be
involved. The young scholarship
holders each had a chance to talk to
the team about the degree they were
undertaking and to thank Mainfreight.
There was a morning tea with shared
food and photos with families and lots
of interaction. It was so great to feel
the energy in the office from all
involved. It was a real reminder that
we are a people business with a great
culture at our core and when we
achieve great things together, it
means so much more to us all.
2022 is a year of action for us, we are
intent on continuing to expand our Air
& Ocean network here in Australia
with sales teams based in more
regional areas, to get as close as
possible to our customers to
understand what solutions will suit
their needs. We are taking action to
continue to expand our regular export
and import consolidation services with
our sister branches overseas in both
airfreight and sea freight, with the
USA, France, Germany and Thailand
all featuring heavily with these in the
months ahead. Our sales and
operational teams on both sides of the
trades will combine to get these
running regularly, smoothly and
profitably. Then we will take action to
set up more new services and
continue, on repeat.
We want to give a big shout-out to the
teams involved in our export growth
this year. Our teams in airfreight and
sea freight set the goal of achieving
double our normal expected growth
rate in exports, to increase the
proportion of our export product is our
total business. This was achieved in
most areas, and we are taking action
to ensure this momentum is
maintained for this next year.
The great connection and cooperation
between our fantastic operational and
sales teams is vital to achieving this
continued and important export
growth.
Thanks team for all you have done this
last six months. This newsletter gives
us all a chance to look over some of
the events that mark this great period
in our development,
and I hope you enjoy it.
Things to Focus on:
•
See more customers
•
Keep growing exports air
and sea
•
Have more regional sales
representation
•
Start more new consolidation
services
•
Work with local schools to bring
in new team members
•
Collect money owed to us by
the due date
•
Feed freight into our local and
global network
Mainfreight Scholarship
Every year Mainfreight awards
university scholarships to some very
lucky recipients to help with their
ongoing fees.
Bruce’s 80th Birthday
The team at Air & Ocean Sydney Seafreight & Airfreight celebrating
Bruce Plested’s 80th Birthday.
James Nasr, Joumana Nasr (team member),
Angelina Nasr (recipient) and Grant Draper.
Mainfreight Air & Ocean Sydney Seafreight & Airfreight Team
10 MAINFREIGHT TEAM REVIEW // JULY 2022
Frankfurt to Perth
Our Perth Air & Ocean team have
welcomed their first ever air freight
consolidated units, Frankfurt to Perth,
which started in February. This, now
weekly service, has been a long-term
career goal for our Perth Sales
Manager, Stefanie Schroeder, to build
this service from her homeland,
Germany.
In true Mainfreight fashion, we
celebrated the arrival of the first
consol with the team in Perth by
putting on a “Frühstück”, German
Breakfast. Stefanie was very excited
to be able to share her culture with
the team by putting on a breakfast
buffet full of German delicacies.
Owens Transport Australia – Mike Reid
W
ell, here we are six months
into 2022 as I write this,
and underway with yet
another financial year. I would like to
thank everyone in the Owens team for
their dedication over the past 12
months.
We have made many changes to find
the right mix of team levels to
ultimately strengthen our overall
performance. I believe we have
established a great foundation to build
on, having a good mix of experience,
youth and energy.
Education and cross training will play
a huge part in our branches’ success.
Let us all understand each ‘cog in the
wheel’ and the importance in each
doing our job properly. It is important
to challenge ourselves and not stay in
our comfort zone doing only what we
know. We are in an industry where
we need to “think outside the square”.
Understanding what happens two
steps before and three steps after the
completion of the job is vital to
continual growth and improvement of
our business.
Our focus needs to be on quality and
implementing a “do it right the first
time” attitude – not taking shortcuts
but getting back to doing it by the
book.
Our Brisbane team have been doing
some great things. One of the
exciting new things is that we have
grown and expanded and are now
open for business in Townsville.
Once the new Mainfreight facility is
open, we will move in with the
Mainfreight team.
Our Melbourne operation has seen a
challenging, frustrating, and rewarding
year all bundled together in a neat
little package. The biggest challenge
of all still lies ahead of us with our
German Fire Drill –
Amazing Race
During a global sales campaign
(which we call a fire-drill), our
Adelaide sales team pulled together
a fun, creative and highly competitive
game for the German Fire Drill, it was
designed to be like The Amazing
Race. Teams of two named
after German foods, the
first-place winners were
shouted a German
lunch in Hahndorf,
South Australia.
Air & Ocean Adelaide getting into the German spirit.
Back Row L-R: Adriana Marafioti, Harry Sibley, Michael O’Donnell, Georgie Neaylon,
Hayley Collins, Gary Birmingham, Jessica Wegener, Caroline Pitman
Front Row L-R: Jodie Dirksen, Mikaela Anderson, Lisa Raimondo, Timi Ong
Brett Hoare & Stefanie Schroeder Air & Ocean Perth
MAINFREIGHT TEAM REVIEW // JULY 2022 11
third container yard in Dandenong
South due to open in Q4 at the new
Mainfreight facility, creating significant
efficiencies throughout the operation.
Our Sydney operation has seen
several changes over the last six
months, and we welcome the new
team members to our family. We must
continue to maximise our
opportunities and ensure that we are
as resourceful and efficient as
possible. To achieve this expectation
however our operations must be the
best they can be, and it is great to see
we are making some good in-roads.
Our Perth operation has seen a very
tough market over the past few
months with a huge downturn in the
mining sector. It is great to see the
team looking for other growth
opportunities and continuing to offer
the premium service that our
customers expect.
We are excited to announce we will
be opening in Adelaide in the coming
months with the new transport depot
accommodating us with some
container rated hardstand which will
give us the opportunity to Ready Fire
Aim in this area.
Let us remain focussed and examine
all our costs and practices, do more
for less, deliver uncompromised
service to our customers with typical
Owens’s determination, and come out
better and stronger.
Thanks to our team and their families;
we are grateful for your support and
look forward to an exciting year
ahead.
Things to do better
•
Smile, great attitudes are
infectious!
•
Don’t make excuses – get
results: get out there and make
it happen.
•
Maintain our buildings, vehicles,
people, and image. We are a
100-year company. Investment
in our foundations is mandatory
to achieve our vision.
•
Train successors so that you
may advance.
(L-R) Owens Perth team members – Makenzie Hewitt, Dylan Ward and Kieran McAlpine.
OD Sydney – Cuong Nguyen – Sydney depot after a busy weekend off the port
12 MAINFREIGHT TEAM REVIEW // JULY 2022
A Word from Jaan Ilhan – Owens National Sales Manager
I joined Mainfreight in October in
2010 as a graduate working in our
sea freight export team, servicing all
regions globally. From there, moving
into our CaroTrans business and
remained within the exports team,
building FAK consolidations for both
retail and wholesale customers. I was
provided with the opportunity to join
the world of sales as a cadet within
the Melbourne Air & Ocean team.
I was on the road as a business
development executive for over a year
then took on the Sales Manager
position at Air & Ocean Melbourne
were I successfully lead the sales
team for 4 years. From there, I was
lucky to be given the opportunity to
take on a supply chain selling role,
managing all our international tender
responses nationally. Most recently,
I switched products and became the
Owens National Sales Manager in
November of 2021.
Owens & Beyond...
Now that I am settled into the role,
I can safely say I am loving it. The
entire Owens team have been
extremely welcoming and have been
an absolute pleasure to work with.
My Air & Ocean background has
provided me with a strong platform to
build on within my Owens journey and
has allowed me to strengthen the link
between Owens and Air & Ocean.
We are very fortunate to work for a
business that allows and encourages
us to take these opportunities.
I would strongly encourage anyone
who has an interest in moving to
another division to go for it.
As we move further into the new
financial year, we have some big
growth targets set and upcoming
projects that are putting us in the right
position to take Owens to the next
level. There are many significant
projects we have embarked on to
allow us to better service and manage
our customers. The way we interact
and service our Air & Ocean team is
critical as we are extensions of their
business and provide them with a
competitive selling advantage within
the marketplace.
Thank you to all the team who have
welcomed me into the Owens
business. We have started the year
well and believe we are in a strong
position to hit 2022 with pace.
OD Melbourne – Nick Apostolovski
OD Sydney – Damen England
MAINFREIGHT TEAM REVIEW // JULY 2022 13
New Zealand – Carl George
K
ia Ora
Here we are again, signing off
on another financial year full of
ups and downs.
It is no surprise that our wonderful
teams throughout the country have
again taken a big breath, pulled their
socks up and just got on with it in true
Mainfreight style.
The strength of our culture and our
one-team approach to surviving the
impacts of a global pandemic and
supply chain challenges has been
special to witness.
This was highlighted pre-Christmas
when our Mainfreight 2Home team
were swamped with trampoline
deliveries. Every available team
member from every division came to
the rescue, loading cars, trailers,
trucks and hired vans to make sure
these special Christmas deliveries
made it in time for Christmas morning.
Our Hamilton team was overwhelmed
with volume pre- and post-Christmas.
Again, team and drivers from around
the country came together to help get
things back on track. This camaraderie
across the teams has made the
difference in managing the challenges
of the past two years.
Topping off the extraordinary efforts
of the past 12 months are the strong
financial performances from our
branches, with records being broken
most weeks across the network.
Strong results to allow us to continue
to develop our network to cater for
increased volume, now and into the
future. The intensification of our
network will continue, to ensure we
are as close to our end customers as
possible, able to provide an
environment that allows quality
outcomes and gives us the ability to
cater for growth.
In the coming months, we will open
our new Hobsonville freight terminal
to the west of Auckland, and a new
start-up regional branch in
Whakatane, with many more projects
either under construction or in the
planning phase.
NEW ZEALANDNEW ZEALAND
Joseph Collins and Jacob Taurua getting the trampolines delivered
Mainfreight Hamilton depot – before and after
14 MAINFREIGHT TEAM REVIEW // JULY 2022
Like every year, there are always good
lessons to be learned, and it is
important that we take these on board
to plan and be better prepared for the
busier times of the year when extra
pressure is placed on our operations
and teams. Always have a ‘Plan B’; as
we have seen, things can change
quickly, and it’s better to be over-
prepared than not at all.
As we move forward, it is exciting to
be able to once again reconnect with
our teams and customers throughout
the country and around the world.
Nothing will replace a face-to-face
conversation and the ability to visit
your buddy branches again. Also, take
the time to visit branches from the
other divisions; we are all reliant on
each other and the more we
appreciate what each other does the
better off we will all be for the long
term.
With many branches unable to
celebrate key service milestones
over the past year or so, it has been
heart-warming to see branches
holding special morning teas through
the length of the country to make sure
we recognise these special occasions
in front of team mates and family.
The year ahead will provide us with
plenty of opportunities to continue
the momentum we have seen these
past 12 months. It is also an
important time to reset, focusing on
our image, standards and quality
throughout the business, and the
consistency every day that our
customers expect and enjoy.
New Zealand Transport – Nic Kay
T
hank you to everyone in the team
for making my transition from Air
& Ocean to Transport as smooth
as possible in the disrupted
environment we are all navigating daily.
It’s been incredibly humbling to have
been welcomed back into the Transport
business and receive fantastic support
from you all.
Like many businesses, our Transport
division has been pressure tested over
the last year, with increased numbers of
team absent through sickness, and
disrupted services with KiwiRail and
Inter-Islander all impacting on our
day-to-day business operations. In
these times, it has been rewarding to
see the strength of our team, owner
drivers, network and most importantly
the TEAMWORK across the business.
The energy and passion everyone has
contributed to keeping our quality levels
high, and providing a good customer
experience has been immense.
The network has absorbed a large
increase in volume over the past
12 months, which in some cases has
added capacity challenges. We have
some large expansions underway
across the network, with new depots
this year in Whakatane and Hobsonville,
and we have many other building
projects across the network underway
or starting this year. The additional
capacity will help gear the business for
the future, and assist our growth
aspirations throughout the network.
We get measured every time we
deliver a consignment, so it’s critical
that we give the best possible
customer experience through our
drivers, operations, customer service
and sales teams. As a network
business we must all be aligned,
through all “touch points”, and be
consistent with our quality measures.
Look after each other’s customers by
providing quality loading and delivery
of your mate’s freight.
We are relaunching our “Driver
Academy” programme to ensure we
provide a structured pathway for
future Owner Drivers, including team
members who are interested in taking
this direction, and by providing a
framework and process that will
continue to attract drivers into the
business for both pick-up and delivery
(PUD) and linehaul fleet.
The continuing development of our
technology provides ongoing benefits
to the business and our driving fleets,
as compliance demands grow and
time becomes more precious. Please
ensure you embrace these changes
and understand the true value our
technology brings to the business.
Providing supply chain solutions for
customers across our Warehouse and
Air & Ocean divisions has contributed
great volumes to our Transport
network. It’s important we understand
the links that bind us together and the
way our customers benefit.
As we get underway with the new
financial year, it’s a good time to
reflect on key learnings and
opportunities that we need to work on.
We have plenty of strong momentum
across all domestic divisions. Our
network continues to be developed
and the opportunities increase as we
get closer to our customers across
New Zealand.
Again, thank you all very much for all
the hard work, dedication and passion
you and your families have committed
– it’s greatly appreciated.
Things to consider:
•
Aspire to win Branch of the
Year – no matter what division
or size of the branch – have a
go!
•
Take the time to analyse
everything about your branch –
the good and the bad
•
The most important ingredient is
our people – make sure we
have only the best in our
business
•
Create “habits” in your branch
that no matter what is
happening or how busy you are
things always get done
•
Always look forward; whilst the
road may never be straight, stay
agile and focus on keeping up
the momentum.
Things to Think
About:
1. Reset and get “back to basics”
– keep it simple
2. Quality in everything we do
– communication, operations,
transport, and sales
3. The best presented buildings,
fleet and team – Image is
everything
4. Utilise our technology to
extract the most value and
help make our roles easier
5. Pick up the phone and talk to
each other – reduce emails!
6. Attitudes are contagious –
make sure we have a
professional mind-set and a
positive attitude to each other
and our customers
7. “The standards you walk past
are the standards you set”
MAINFREIGHT TEAM REVIEW // JULY 2022 15
Claims Performance
Outward Consignments Per ClaimInwards Consignments Per Claim
Branch
To Mar
2022
To Sep
2021
To Mar
2021Branch
To Mar
2022
To Sep
2021
To Mar
2021
Metro Christchurch 87,287 40,870 248 FTL Palmerston North 17,163 0 0
FTL South Island 21,670 0 6,222 Oamaru 16,527 0 0
Metro Auckland 9,976 12,736 0 2Home Hastings 9,959 4,380 0
Oamaru 3,352 7,776 30,934 Metro Auckland 4,661 5,191 0
Seaview 2,766 6,782 0 Masterton 4,331 9,456 4,059
Levin 2,235 2,142 1,127 Chem Auckland 3,181 4,075 2,748
2Home Christchurch 1,663 1,554 1,370 Whanganui 2,953 3,455 2,830
Thames 1,657 3,086 1,889 2Home Auckland 2,856 2,852 1,952
Masterton 1,544 1,294 1,037 Ashburton 2,773 4,475 1,982
Chem Auckland 1,524 1,375 1,631 Seaview 2,534 2,348 0
Gore 1,476 2,972 2,492 Christchurch 2,403 2,707 1,709
Mobile Auckland 1,394 0 384 Levin 2,243 3,936 1,861
Hastings 1,235 972 0 Timaru 2,220 3,430 2,417
2Home Auckland 1,122 1,139 1,342 Metro Christchurch 2,181 3,406 0
New Plymouth 958 789 1,303 New Plymouth 2,089 1,664 1,663
Whanganui 906 1,330 1,374 Tauranga 1,968 2,291 1,334
Hamilton 901 967 1,447 Hastings 1,631 1,830 0
Dunedin 869 1,124 873 Hamilton 1,629 2,210 1,968
Rotorua 857 773 534 Kaitaia 1,577 1,581 2,837
Greymouth 845 1,434 1,057 2Home Christchurch 1,555 1,264 2,066
Gisborne 832 775 726 Gore 1,512 1,224 3,120
Tauranga 789 949 849 Thames 1,364 1,737 1,887
Invercargill 717 778 745 Rotorua 1,274 1,161 853
Palmerston North 710 865 1,015 Cromwell 1,219 1,415 1,354
Whangarei 689 732 620 Owens Auckland 1,204 1,333 1,043
Blenheim 668 660 745 Total Company 1,182 1,288 1,168
Napier 587 614 411 Dunedin 1,146 1,029 879
Total Company 584 569 618 Taupo 1,119 1,522 1,019
Cromwell 533 527 580 Wellington 1,089 1,034 1,035
Auckland 531 555 767 Owens Christchurch 1,084 1,066 853
Christchurch 516 502 699 DF Auckland 975 971 623
Wellington 514 407 557 Palmerston North 938 1,051 1,585
Ashburton 505 2,763 987 Invercargill 937 858 861
Timaru 505 759 1,408 Whangarei 907 1,006 1,056
DF Christchurch 498 542 656 Blenheim 897 1,010 905
Nelson 422 370 433 Auckland 785 999 1,489
Owens Christchurch 392 410 441 Greymouth 761 828 886
Taupo 365 549 476 FTL South Island 685 0 691
DF Auckland 350 328 315 Napier 678 603 875
Owens Auckland 318 292 323 DF Christchurch 641 786 1,139
2Home Wellington 293 221 323 Gisborne 640 1,693 1,404
Neilson Street 234 216 0 2Home Wellington 525 426 643
Kaitaia 215 220 248 Nelson 468 514 405
FTL North Island 2 0 21,226 Mobile Auckland 49 0 123
2Home Hastings0 0 0 Neilson Street 32 208 0
FTL Palmerston North0 0 0 FTL North Island 22 0 156
If your branch is below the Total Company number, then you are below average.
Make sure you and your team members work hard this year to be above this line.
16 MAINFREIGHT TEAM REVIEW // JULY 2022
Every Day is a Great Day at Owens!
Monday 21 March 2022: After
battling Covid for a number of weeks
and seeing a bit of light at the end of
the tunnel, there’s nothing like starting
the week with a different kind of
adversity – freak flooding.
The National Institute of Water and
Atmospheric Research (NIWA)
recorded its “second-wettest hour” in
Auckland between 8am and 9am, with
76.8mm of rainfall and more than 700
lightning strikes in five minutes.
This resulted in the team being
greeted to a very wet depot and
delivering additional challenges to
what was already going to be another
busy day. However, in true Owens/
Mainfreight fashion, the team banded
together to get through it!
Hobsonville
Progress Update
Our new Hobsonville start-up branch
is due for completion mid-2022.
Specifications for this are as follows:
•
Depot: approx 16,000m
2
•
Offices and amenities: approx.
1,300m
2
spread over 2 levels
•
All standard Mainfreight features
including rainwater harvesting
and reticulation, solar panels,
EV charging
•
Truck parking, automated truck
wash, truck refuelling, and weigh
bridge will all be provided for within
yard areas
Whakatane
Progress Update
Our new Whakatane start-up branch
is due for completion June 2022.
Specifications for this are as follows:
•
Depot: approx 1,500m
2
•
Offices and amenities: approx.
100m
2
•
Separate area for 2Home products,
dedicated customer pickup area.
•
Truck parking, and truck wash will
all be provided for within yard areas
MAINFREIGHT TEAM REVIEW // JULY 2022 17
Kaitaia Update
Our Kaitaia branch extension was
completed in November 2021.
Specifications are as follows:
•
Depot: approx. 2,000m
2
•
Offices and amenities: approx.
285m
2
spread over 2 levels
•
All standard Mainfreight features
including rainwater harvesting and
reticulation, solar panels. This is the
first MFT site to have full potable
water filtration from the rain water
tanks.
•
Truck parking, truck wash, and
dedicated external storage area for
customer product will all be provided
for within yard areas
Cromwell Harvest Time
Every year our Cromwell team assists
with the Central Otago grape harvest,
moving the picked grapes from the
vineyards to the wineries. This year, a
huge grape yield should mean lots of
great wine coming from our region.
We have five full-time team members
outside of our general freight fleet,
running 13 hours a day, 7 days a
week, for 7 weeks. 3 curtain-sided
trucks, 1 bulk tipper and 1 ramp truck
with a 4WD forklift.
We moved around 7,200 tonnes of
grapes for our customers.
A lot of great wine to come!!!
Cricket World Cup: CWC22 – contributed by Luke Percasky
Mainfreight has recently been involved
with CWC22. Our task: pickup and
deliver luggage and cricket “coffins”
for the eight participating teams to
and from playing venues, hotels and
airports across the host cities for the
tournament of Dunedin, Christchurch,
Wellington, Tauranga, Hamilton and
Auckland.
What seemed pretty straightforward to
start with soon turned into a
challenging time for everyone
involved. Late night collections after
day/night matches, early morning
deliveries to airports to meet x-ray
requirements and some rather tight
timeframes to work with. Throw in
strict COVID protocols and daily RAT
testing for some extra fun!
The first couple of weeks were
especially busy with all eight teams
training/playing warm-up matches in
Christchurch. As I am sure everyone
can appreciate, making sure we got
everything done on time was top of
the list. To the credit of our small (but
bloody hard-working) group here in
Christchurch, we got through
unscathed, and all the playing teams
were very happy.
From Christchurch, teams then moved
to host cities for the start of the
tournament. The linehaul component
of gear movements changed from
road to air 36 hours before the first
match. Nothing like a complete mode
shift last minute to start things off!
After picking myself up after that
uppercut, Jason McFadden and the
team at Mainfreight Christchurch
Airfreight came to the rescue.
I explained to Jason what we
needed for the teams and within
about 4 hours everything was sorted.
Massive thanks to you all, and to our
friends at Air NZ Cargo for making
everything possible. Appreciate all the
hard yards you put in!
Throughout the tournament the
feedback we received from players,
18 MAINFREIGHT TEAM REVIEW // JULY 2022
Electric Vehicles
Fuso E-Canters
Look a little closer at the streets of
Auckland and Hamilton and you might
see a familiar sight with a bit of a
twist, a quiet and low-emission twist.
Mainfreight’s famous blue trucks are
going green (at least underneath).
Mainfreight has welcomed four Fuso
E-Canter’s into the fleet across
Auckland and Hamilton, serving our
Mainfreight, Owens and Mainfreight
2Home brands. Two of these were
brought on as part of the Auckland
Zero Emissions Area (ZEA) scheme
that plans to see Auckland Central
with only emissions-free
transportation by 2030.
We continue to explore and invest in
new ways to do things that align with
our 100-year vision. For us the
E-Canters represent both an
immediate greenhouse gas (GHG)
team managers and CWC organisers
was nothing short of amazing. We had
one error for the entire tournament
– one small bag was delayed by 24
hours after a mix-up our end –
nothing that a bunch of flowers and
box of chocolates for the player
concerned didn’t fix.
It was great to see a capacity crowd
at the final in Christchurch and while
we were all disappointed the
New Zealand team wasn’t there, it
must be said that the Australia team
deserved the win. They played some
great cricket throughout and took
things to a different level in that final.
A massive thank you to everyone who
helped in delivering a special CWC.
You all put Mainfreight on show in the
best possible way. Although what we
did was behind the scenes with no
fanfare, your efforts were noticed and
truly appreciated by players, support
staff, coaches and organisers.
Orana Park Cheetahs
Another day, another arrival at Metro,
but this time two young cheetahs all
the way from Sydney. These two
arrived at 4.30am into Christchurch
where we waited for the final checks
to be completed before heading to
their new home at Orana Park.
MIQ at Orana Park doesn’t seem so
bad I wouldn’t think!
On another note, recently we dropped
a Rhino crate at the park. “He’s
getting ready for his move to Sydney
in the new year” I have been told –
watch this space!
Madison Blank from Mainfreight Hamilton loaded and ready to go
RAT Distribution
Mainfreight Metro Christchurch has
been involved in the distribution of
RAT tests throughout the South
Island, doing 15-20 loads per day,
every day of the week.
MAINFREIGHT TEAM REVIEW // JULY 2022 19
reduction and opportunity to test and
learn how best to manage the low
emission fleets of the future.
The Fuso E-Canter is a 100%
electric-powered light truck, with an
81kWh Lithium-ion battery with
120-150km range, and can be
charged to 80% in under an hour.
Total 135 kW of power, an electric
motor with two-stage regenerative
braking, 3.5t payload and advanced
safety features
All four of the trucks are leased from
Fuso Japan via TR Group in
New Zealand for six years.
E-Trucks E700
Mainfreight is proud to be a
successful applicant of EECA’s
Low Emission Transport Fund aimed
at accelerating the decarbonisation
of the New Zealand transport sector.
Our proposal will see New Zealand’s
first intercity general freight model
using a battery swap electric truck.
Our solution will see on-site battery
swap and charging at our Hamilton
branch (supported by our large solar
installation). Indications are that
based on just two round trips between
Auckland and Hamilton per day we
would save approximately 130 tonnes
CO
2
-e per year.
Battery Swap (BSEV) offers an
attractive solution to several of the
drawbacks in Hydrogen (FCEVs, Fuel
Cell Electric Vehicles) and Battery
Electric (BEV, Battery Electric
Vehicles). Specifically, it still leverages
the lower operating costs of electric
but overcomes the range, charging
time and payload restraints, by having
smaller, quick-to-change batteries.
This also opens the door to Lithium
Ferris Phosphate batteries over
Lithium Ion which are safer, more
stable and less environmentally
harmful (the E-trucks model uses
Lithium Ferris Phosphate whereas
Fuso’s would be Lithium Ion).
New Zealand Warehousing – Mitch Gregor
“Why join the Navy if you can be a pirate?” Steve Jobs
M
ake the most of your career;
keep learning, challenging
yourself and aspiring to do
new things. If you have a dream, do
not let anyone talk you out of it, be
comfortable in the uncomfortable, no
matter how tough things get keep
moving forward, write down some big
hairy audacious goals, and stick to a
simple plan. There are endless
opportunities at Mainfreight for our
team members across the globe and
this is a truly exciting business to be
part of.
Over the past 12 months our team
and customers have had a number of
challenges thrown at them, making life
interesting for our Warehousing
business. Thank you to everyone for
helping us get through it.
Challenges we have dealt with:
•
Space: utilisation pressure has been
high as many customers have
looked to increase their inventory
stock-on-hand cover (three months
to six months)
•
Shipping volatility, inconsistent
schedules and batching of import
containers
•
High demand for industrial property
and occupancy rates driving up
prices
•
Demurrage and detention risks
Simi Mariner (Mainfreight Auckland) with an inner-city delivery
E-700 Battery Swap truck
20 MAINFREIGHT TEAM REVIEW // JULY 2022
•
Covid-19 impacts and ensuring our
team are healthy and safe
•
Changing consumer demand and
behaviour
•
Getting the right resources and
labour: the right people on our
Mainfreight bus and in the right
seats
A key to the continued growth and
successful Warehousing trend is
accelerating our building strategy
programme; we plan on opening larger
warehouses to gain efficiencies,
introducing strategic aspects of
mechanisation to supplement our
team/labour pressures, and attracting
more customers to support our freight
network.
Key Topics for the Year Ahead
•
We are continuing with strategic investment in
infrastructure and property across the network; there is
plenty on the go right now in Auckland, Hamilton,
Tauranga, and Christchurch
•
A focus on quality and improving operational
performance – delighting our customers whilst keeping
team morale up
•
Continued focus on health and safety, including a
review of our format for monthly Health & Safety PATs,
navigation through the changing Covid-19
environment, and the introduction of pedestrian
detection systems on our forklifts
•
We maintain a close watch on cash flow and debtors
and ensuring we are managing our annual leave
balances
•
Continued sales growth, customer enquiry remains
high: progressing with high-value/high-activity
customers; this will help underwrite further investment
•
Continued technology investment to support efficiency
gains for our team and customers – we are
researching and exploring innovations for
mechanisation, along with alternative storage and
handling options across our operations
•
Improving our communication with customers to set
goals, review service and storage expectations and
account management plans together
•
Working together with Transport and Air & Ocean to
continue to grow our market share and service offering
10 Goals for the Year
Some simple goals for the year ahead include:
1. Achieve our profit pledges and agreed goals in
each branch for 2022/23
2. Quality in all that we do; clean and efficient
branches are great places to work
3. Improving sales and partnerships across the board
– a dedicated Warehousing Sales Team
4. Assist Air & Ocean to get the inbound freight into
our warehouses (air and sea, customs clearance
and wharf cartage) – we need more momentum
here
5. Train our team – a trained team is more productive,
ramping things up
6. Use our technology for efficiency gains – innovation
and new initiatives
7. Open more branches and grow the network
8. Ensure we have a long-term approach to business,
make a fair return from our customers – make the
business profitable but always ensure we are
honest and benefit together
9. Improve communication – share more, let those
closest to the customer decide
10. A revised approach to service level agreements,
account management and KPIs which cater for
changing market conditions
Thanks to everyone in our Warehousing business across New Zealand for your blood, sweat and tears through our
recent peak season and over the past 12 months. We appreciate all the long hours, the passion and commitment you
have made to our customers, our business and each other.
Rapid Antigen Testing
Late last year the Mainfreight Training
Team geared up to run their first pilot
using Rapid Antigen Tests at our
James Hardie Warehousing branch.
This was part of a Government-
approved trial, led by a group of 29
businesses including Mainfreight.
The pilot programme was a great
success and was rolled out across the
Mainfreight branch network in
New Zealand
L-R: Emma Bryant, Ashwine Lata, Edward Fagalilo, Hardeep Singh
Back L-R: Ashwine Lata, Maria Carbonilla, Hardeep Singh,
Milan Cihak, Severe Iosia-Sipeli, Jack Saena
Front L-R: Miriama Kalolo, Tayne Te Piringa Springer
MAINFREIGHT TEAM REVIEW // JULY 2022 21
Property Updates
Favona, Auckland
Our new Favona Road warehouse
build has commenced a 60,000m
2
greenfields development with
40,000m
2
of operational space,
38,000m
2
of pallet spaces, fully
catered lunchroom for the team, solar
generation on-site, rain harvesting
tanks, electric charging stations,
telescopic container conveyors,
mezzanine floor, complete with a
5-star energy rating.
Stage 1 (shed A) is targeted for early
2023 with Stage 2 (shed B) three
months afterwards.
Clearing the site.
Travis Hari outside the new Favona Road site in Auckland
Hamilton
Our new Hamilton warehouse, to be led by Olly Bosworth, is on target for completion in November 2022. This high-stud
warehouse provides an additional 10,500m
2
footprint (14,000 pallets) to our existing Hamilton setup. We have also
invested in a satellite racking solution with mechanised shuttles to improve space utilisation and handling.
The Hamilton building site in February 2022 showing concrete
tilt slab going up
Hamilton team L-R: Connor Campbell, Dannie Edwards, Ethan Slater,
Phil Koopu, Olly Bosworth, Jai Stockley, Dane Gannaway, Andre Paladin,
Zach Litchfield, Matt Clarkin, Blake Seavill, Josh Hill
"T he difference between who you are,
and who you want
to be, is what you do"
22 MAINFREIGHT TEAM REVIEW // JULY 2022
Mainfreight Air & Ocean – Paul Riethmaier
W
elcome to our first
newsletter of the year. At
the time of writing, we have
closed out another financial year on a
high with record-breaking profit
results for most of our branches. The
energy and intensity of hustle across
the whole business to sell, find
commercial space, operate, fill our
own air and sea charters, customer
service, and finally collect a record
quantum of cash, is something we can
all be super proud about.
With global air and ocean freight rates
still at all-time high levels and
pandemic-related disruption making
no two shipments the same, we kick
off the new financial year as a fitter,
more nimble business ready to
embrace the challenges ahead.
The international freight landscape
remains extremely challenging and is
likely to stay this way for some time yet.
For how long? No one really knows;
however, it should not concern us.
The lessons we have learned over the
pandemic years so far, on how to find
options for our customers, connect
freight, make the impossible possible,
are invaluable and will set us up well
for continued growth regardless of
what might happen to freight rates or
consumer demand. If we remain
focused on what is immediately in front
of us, keep our quality high and worry
less about what is further down the
road, we will chase down the brave
volume and financial goals we have set
for ourselves in the year ahead.
Sales will play a huge role in our
journey this year. With borders now
starting to open, we can expect the
world to reconnect with each other
creating more opportunities for
international trade. This is an
opportune time for us to win as much
business as possible. Not only does it
help improve utilisation in our LCL and
Airfreight consols, it also will help
protect us from any dip in margins
that may come if global FCL rates
start to decline.
Finally, a huge thank you to everyone
for all that you are doing. Things have
been tough recently with lots of
disruption to our daily lives, not just at
work, but on the home front also.
Despite this, the togetherness of our
culture and can-do attitude is awe-
inspiring and exactly the reason why
our 100-year vision remains in good
health.
RAT’s
Auckland Airfreight
Not a good name for any project that
relates to one’s Health or Safety.
Nevertheless, Rapid Antigen Tests
(RAT) were the start of a very exciting
and important project that we handled
in Import airfreight from February this
year ... Allow us to explain in further
detail.
As almost everything here, this started
with a promising email and a
spreadsheet of a few orders. The
so-called few orders amounted to
1,590,000 (1.59 million!) kits that had
to be flown into Auckland in less than
two weeks. The pure size of this
project knocked our socks off!
The overseas teams involved were
Mainfreight Shanghai, Guangzhou and
Hong Kong and they were all looking
to book space across all airlines on a
daily basis. Important to note they
were facing and dealing with their
own Covid challenges as the number
of cases was rising very fast
everywhere.
We managed to get the bookings with
the first flight arriving late February:
32m
3
of tests from Guangzhou. That
day, we donned our “blues”, leapt on
the shipment like lions to unload the
airfreight units and have them ready
for our Training Centre team who
were tasked with splitting and
arranging deliveries to desperate
customers.
Some orders were delivered to the
South Island the same day using
domestic flights, which was simply
fantastic! The first lot had been a big
success, but this was only 258,000
tests, only 16% of the total project.
Day 2 and thereafter brought the
same trend. Fresh set of “blues” on,
another quarter of a million tests and
similar successful results.
Key Focus Areas for
2022
1. Focus on volume and margin,
not revenue, as our key
measurement of success
2. Continue to be innovative and
lead the market with brave,
service-enabling decisions
3. Quality, quality, quality – focus
on doing the things we control
better than anyone else
4. Prioritise team development
and take every opportunity we
can to share knowledge and
develop ourselves further
5. Respect and look after each
other, being fair with profit
share and the ongoing effort
to lift our freight routings and
keep our global network
growing
MAINFREIGHT TEAM REVIEW // JULY 2022 23
By the end, customers were extremely
happy to see how quickly we were
turning around this amount of cargo.
We handled volumes from Shanghai
and Hong Kong during the week,
which raised the grand total to
1,376,000 test kits.
In Auckland we were re-arranging
orders and deliveries and by the end
of the second week, we were on track
to receive the last 214,000 kits. Done
and dusted in a record time and a very
successful outcome to end it all!
A clear example of the effectiveness
of our 3 Pillars, Mainfreight teams
from different countries working
together and resolving every
challenge whilst under-promising and
overdelivering along the way.
Special people, Special Company,
indeed!
Delivery of Freight
One of our long-standing customers
imports their own brand of clothing –
really beautiful winter coats and
woman’s clothing. Their collection is
designed by their team based in the
beautiful southern rural town of
Oamaru, 250km south of Christchurch
Their warehouse and offices are part
of the beautiful heritage precinct in
Old Oamaru Town (you may recognise
the building from movies such as
The Royal Treatment and Power of
the Dog).
With their warehouse based on the
third-floor, access is not easy and
there would be too many trips in the
lift to get the consignment of 120m
3
up to them! So, they removed the
doors and got a crane in to lift the
pallets from the Mainfreight trucks up to their warehouse, where a team were waiting to pull the shipments in and get
them unpacked and orders out the door!
This scene could be something out of a movie but it’s just another day in the life of the supply chain and all its wonders!
"Someone’s sitting in the shade today
because someone planted a tree a long time ago"
24 MAINFREIGHT TEAM REVIEW // JULY 2022
EUROPEEUROPE
Mainfreight Europe – Ben Fitts
T
eam, your extraordinary efforts
over the last year have led to our
strongest performance yet, with
each division finishing ahead of the
previous year. Thank you for the part
that you have played in this; there
have been plenty of bumps in the
road, but again we’ve navigated them
and are a better business for it.
We welcomed 758 new team
members to our European family over
the last year. The responsibility for
helping this large new team
understand what it means to be part
of the Mainfreight family sits with all
of us.
Induction courses play an important
role, but there is no better way than by
walking the talk in your branch, setting
high standards and maintaining them.
Our disciplines are best learned early
and your example will be followed by
those new to our business.
Intensification of our network
continues and we expect to open six
new branches and move to four larger
facilities this year across the
Netherlands, France, Spain, Germany,
Italy, Poland and Romania. Each new
branch brings us closer to our
customers, and enables further direct
freight connections by road, air and
sea between branches in Europe and
around the Mainfreight globe.
Promoting from within is a
fundamental part of who we are.
Empowering those around you to take
decisions and supporting them to be
successful will accelerate careers of
both the giver and receiver of that
additional responsibility. Ask yourself
“do I need to be involved in this
decision”. Learning is doing!
Capacity shortages will likely continue
to affect each division over the coming
months. Holding long-term
relationships with those providing us
with products or services is not new to
us and is especially important today.
Our team in Ukraine have had their
lives turned on end. Our thoughts are
with each of our team and their
families, including those driving in our
Polish business. The generous
support from the wider Mainfreight
family has been heart-warming with
messages and donations of various
kinds received from around the
Mainfreight world. We wish our
Ukrainian team continued strength.
There are no winners in this
situation and our decision to close in
Russia does not take away from the
efforts and achievements of the
St Petersburg team. They had grown
a strong local business full of ambition
for the future.
Team, thank you again, enjoy your
break over the summer holiday
season. It has been another big year
so rest up and make some special
memories with family and friends. It’s
important to keep that balance right!
L-R Front: Jeremy Potel, Antoine Maslyczyk, Floris Proost, Charlotte Egrix, Felix Boyce,
Bart Mooij, Guillaume Thonet
L-R Middle: Tatenda Chawirah, Laurent Janniaud, Paola Dos Santos Evora, Sarah Baloush,
Ina Miraka, Daphne van Dosselaar, Laura Jentink, Colijn Liebeton, Magdalena Cadeau,
Anne-Kim Alserda, Enisa Kajmovic, Dwin Abnosian, Elif Bilici
L-R Top: Roy Verploegen, Ioannis Giannelos, Jean Baptiste Frateur, Julian Bos,
Bastiaan Broere, Piet Noordam, Sven van Almenkerk, Jelle van Rinsum, Stijn Vliegen
The First Face-to-Face
Trainee Session
Finally! The first trainee session where
we could see each other’s faces in
real life again. The theme of the
session, ‘’Deliver exceptional quality’’,
had us thinking about why quality is
important and how quality can be
measured with help of audits and
KPI’s.
We had the chance to soak up lots of
new information on the topic. The Big
Hairy Audacious Goal (“BHAG”) of
2022-23 is to hire 85 trainees, and
the long-term BHAG is that 10% of
all team members are trainees.
LinkedIn Rising Star Award
In 2021, we have started a partnership with LinkedIn. Every year,
LinkedIn organizes an awards event. In this, our first year, we won the
LinkedIn Rising Star Award which recognizes our talent hunting efforts.
We’re always looking for people who will take us to the future and the
way we used LinkedIn resulted in us winning the award! This was a real
team effort that all of our talent hunters contributed to.
Lucas Fuzaro and Elif Bilici proudly received
the LinkedIn Rising Star Award
MAINFREIGHT TEAM REVIEW // JULY 2022 25
Europe Air & Ocean – Brad Russell
O
ur European business
continues to move with pace
and we remain excited with
the growth opportunities in all of our
EU markets. We took a short amount
of time to review (and celebrate!) our
best financial year to date in April, but
more importantly we refreshed our
roadmaps to ensure we have
ambitious targets to drive us forward
as an Air & Ocean business this year
and for years to come.
It was greatly welcomed that we were
able to get together in-person for our
Branch Managers meeting in April for
the first time in two years. Ideas and
energy seem to flow much better
when we are sitting next to each
other. It was equally important to use
this time to recognise all of the
extraordinary efforts our teams had
made in what was another challenging
year. It cannot be overstated that
whilst many of the long-standing
supply chain issues are outside of our
control, we are able to keep growing
our business through upfront
customer communication and
providing all available service options
within our global Mainfreight network.
Our Air & Ocean sales teams continue
to hustle for new customers and it
comes as no surprise that our
improved results come from having a
greater depth of regular trading
customers in our branches. We have
started a number of new air and
ocean consolidations in the last six
months, and attracting customers with
the right type of freight is critical in
ensuring these are fully utilized.
We are in the second year of our
succession program which provides
additional support and training for
those team members who want to
progress into leadership roles. Not
only are our existing branches
growing in size, but we are continuing
to expand our European branch
network. Promotion from within is alive
and well, so it is important we prepare
our team members with some key
Mainfreight learnings to take into
these fantastic opportunities.
Thank you, stay safe and good luck
chasing down our lofty goals!
Areas of Focus
•
Quality – this remains a key
differentiator and has enabled
our growth. Please prioritise our
branch audits and ensure all
follow-ups are actioned.
•
Pharma sales (GDP) – our
global teams have done a good
job in gaining accreditation and
we need to fill our sales
pipelines and add more
customers within this vertical.
•
Airfreight – let’s keep adding
true airfreight customers,
building volume and developing
new consolidations. This will
enable us to invest and combine
EU handling warehouses with
our airfreight branches.
•
Wellbeing – be conscious of
workload and take time to ask
your team mates if they are OK.
Holidays should be used as
everyone needs time away from
work.
Damien Barrault in his new office
Air & Ocean Sales Office
Bordeaux-Nantes –
Damien Barrault
Recently, we opened a new sales
office in Niort, France, situated
half-way between the two biggest
cities on the West Coast of France
namely Nantes & Bordeaux.
At Mainfreight, we always strive to be
as close to our customers as possible.
The West Coast area holds
tremendous opportunities, especially
in the beverages (wine, cognac),
pharma, agrifood, and aerospace/
aeronautics sectors.
Bordeaux is one of the most world-
famous winery areas and produces
6.4 million hectolitres of wine per year,
that’s about 850 million bottles. 89%
of this volume is meant for export.
Nantes on the other hand, is the main
urban area on the northern part of the
West Coast. It is well-known as the
first port for naval construction, and
used to be the biggest French port a
few centuries ago. It has built some
of the biggest cruise ships in the
world (Wonder of the Seas / Harmony
of the Seas).
Nantes is also the capital of the Pays
de la Loire, which is the technological
centre of France: The Jules Verne
Manufacturing Valley hosts Airbus,
Stelia, and several agrifood and
healthcare powerhouses.
Being strategically located between
these two large freight hubs, we focus
on extending our Mainfreight network.
By organically growing our volumes
from these key French regions, we
intend to ultimately develop a stand-
alone branch.
26 MAINFREIGHT TEAM REVIEW // JULY 2022
Relocation of our
London Ocean Freight
Branch
We are proud to announce that our
London Ocean Freight branch moved
to a brand new office in the middle of
an up and coming area in East
London known as Sugar House Island.
Our branch is strategically located in
east London and due to its proximity
to London Gateway Port Ocean
freight customers, it complements our
London Air Branch situated in the
West, and Manchester Air & Ocean in
the North of England.
Before we could move to our new
office, we came together as a team on
a Saturday and worked hard to get our
branch decorated in real Mainfreight
style; we have some real carpenters’
talents!
A special thanks to the London Air
and Manchester teams for supporting
us all through this transition. Now the
blue carpet is laid, we are happy to
welcome our customers, and our
brothers and sisters from around
the globe!
Team Ocean Freight London
L-R: Seth Freeman, Tom Ellis, Wannes Van Overstraeten, Konstantina Liveri,
Sam Roger, Mahf Rahman, Zain Rawn, Arvinder Bahia, Jihan Giada Mazouzi
New Air Freight Consolidations from Europe to Australia
As of this year, we have established
three new air freight consolidations
out of Europe into Australia. Our
global Fire Drill of Germany last
October was an amazing opportunity
for all our Air & Ocean team members
and it was a great success, as this
resulted into our first two air freight
consolidations from Frankfurt into
Australia. Working closely with our
brothers and sisters in Australia, we
now offer our customers a
consolidation service to Perth (more
detail in the Australian pages) and
one to Sydney, both on a weekly basis.
Next to Frankfurt, our Air & Ocean
team in Paris has started a weekly
consolidation service to Melbourne,
Australia. Our team is actively
promoting this new service to our
customers and the market. With our
first consol in April completely full,
we’re hoping this to be the first of
many more to come!
Warehousing Europe – Liane Philipsen
F
irst of all, a big Thank You
Team! Although we had to deal
with challenges around
customer volume peaks and a more
than average illness rate we were able
to keep our customers happy.
With our ambitious growth plans, we
need to continue to find more new
enthusiastic team members. Employer
branding has never been so important
as it is today. All our branches have
talent scouts within their teams.
In this newsletter you can read about
the recruitment activities of the team
in Born.
Another article is about our search of
expanding our services for our
customers. We recently started to
assemble bikes for the B2C market
for one of our customers. A very nice
way to positively surprise and delight
our customers with our capabilities.
With most of our warehouses at full
capacity, we are looking to expand
and open new branches. For instance,
at the end of this financial year the
construction of our new 10,000 sqm
additional warehouse in Ploiesti,
Romania will be finished.
MAINFREIGHT TEAM REVIEW // JULY 2022 27
Bike Ready to Ride
For several years Mainfreight
Warehousing has been working
together with their customer to
accommodate the possibility for the
customer to do technical adjustments
(rework) to their bikes.
What was setup as a small area now
turned out to be too small for the
growth and service expansion of the
customer. Together with the customer
we very quickly implemented a new
area inside one of the operational
halls which is bigger and more
professional to suit their needs.
In this same area, Mainfreight and the
customer implemented a new service:
“Bike ready to ride”. These bikes are
ordered by the end customer and then
build up at Mainfreight to be delivered
as a “Bike ready to ride”. Open the box
and just ride away.
The idea and implementation took a
short 15 months and in that time we
were able to help the customer to roll
out their new service over 11
countries with an average of 10 bikes
a day.
In the future more Mainfreight team
members will join the technical
build-up to further help their service
grow. This cooperation shows again a
successful “Ready Fire Aim” approach
which made it possible to quickly
support our customers in their need
to expand service and their growth
over time.
Getting New Talent Onboard
Hiring the right people is a continuous
process and our Warehousing Born
team has set up recruitment activities
to get young potentials interested to
start a career within the supply chain.
We reinforce our relations with local
schools and universities by welcoming
a group of 60 students to our
warehouse. An introduction to
Mainfreight and our Culture was given,
followed by a tour through our 26,000
sqm warehouse. Next to the
warehousing visit, we joined career
days at a local university. Not only did
we talk to students, but also their
families. Both activities empowered
our employer branding in the region
Born. We noticed that we have already
attracted some new talent, and this is
just the beginning!
Things to focus on for the year ahead:
•
Stay in close contact with our
customers. Their supply chains are
so volatile at the moment. Good to
understand where we can support
and if there are additional
opportunities for new business
•
Keep on selling as if there are no
walls, we are never full!
•
Presentation: maintain our
standards no matter what
•
Share if you have an issue. It is
never your issue but always our
issue. Together we can solve
anything!
Thanks team for your flexibility and
optimism!
Liesbeth Reyskens together with
Daphne van Dosselaar at the career event
L-R: Mark Tuijten, Piotr Parszeniew and Remco Visee
28 MAINFREIGHT TEAM REVIEW // JULY 2022
Continuous Improvement
Program (CIP): Team of
the Year 2021
Our team members are characterized
by a culture of continuous
improvement. Within our Warehousing
teams a CIP newsletter is released
each quarter. It’s always an exciting
moment to learn which team is going
to win the Award of CIP Team of the
Year.
The CIP team of the year 2021 has
been revealed. Our Warehousing
Ostend Team may call themselves CIP
Team of the Year 2021! After winning
the “Branch of The Year” award last
year, Team Ostend keeps on improving
each year.
This success was celebrated recently
in Ostend, where all team members
received the award and a small gift for
their hard work during last year.
Congratulations Team Ostend!
Keep being a great team and let
the battle begin for 2022!
We’ve Got Your Back!
All over the Mainfreight world, we aim
to continuously improve our Health &
Safety standards. To do so, we rely
heavily on the commitment of every
team member to identify risks and
share safety improvements. We would
like to share with you a recent
contribution of Kwaku and Seth
Kwabena from our Evergem
Warehouse in Belgium.
Kwaku and Seth Kwabena run the
repacking activities in Evergem.
They pack hundreds of individual units
every day and spend most of that time
standing on their feet. It is crucial for
them to have a clean, efficiently
designed and ergonomic workplace.
During one of the PAT meetings they
addressed that the existing repack
tables were not offering them
sufficient storage possibilities and the
height of the table was not able to
provide them the ergonomic comfort
that would optimise productivity.
The team reached out to our other
branches in Europe that also had
repacking operations in their branch.
This got us in contact with a supplier
that designed a tailor-made solution
for our team based on their feedback.
The new set of repack tables can be
adjusted to your individual height via a
manual hand-crank. This optimises
ergonomic comfort and prevents
potential back pain. Repack tools and
accessories can be neatly stored in a
shelving module and paperwork can
be placed in a document holder.
The table even has a coat hanger for
your Mainfreight jacket while you roll
up your sleeves and get repacking.
Thank you Kwaku and Seth Kwabena
for identifying this improvement
opportunity and making it a reality.
We’ve got your back (literally in this
case) and will support any initiative
that can make our workplace safer.
Keep the ideas coming!
L-R: Kwaku Addai and Seth Kwabena Sanwu
Warehousing Ostend Team
MAINFREIGHT TEAM REVIEW // JULY 2022 29
Europe Transport /Trucks & Drivers – Frans Zuidgeest
A
t this moment of writing, we
can conclude that there is a lot
going on in the world. On the
one side Covid impact is slowing down
however has not gone away! We
should continue to be aware of the
existence of it and adapt our
behaviour. The well-being of our team
is very important, please bear this in
mind. In relation to the other side, it is
all relative seeing what is going on in
the Ukraine and the effect it has on
people and the world we operate in.
We can be grateful having such a
great team in the Ukraine, but also
around us in our company, not only in
Europe but all around the world. Our
team members have done great things
to support, helping out people directly,
offering humanitarian aid, taking care
of refugees and offering moral
support. Thank you for that!
It is not only in the situation as
described above that our teams are
able to deliver special services. In this
newsletter you will read about special
deliveries that the team made using
helicopters, pieces of art in France
and one of our drivers driving to
Iceland. All examples of being well
prepared and still being able to deal
with the unexpected. Have a read of
these articles and reflect on your own
day-to-day activities. How many of
these unexpected situations are you
able to deal with, probably more than
you think. Let it inspire you...!
We will continue to further develop
and optimize our network. The new
Lyon Branch is fully operational and
the move to a larger Tilburg facility
has been completed. New line hauls
have been established to further
intensify our network and handle more
freight. One of these new lanes is a
rail connection between Italy and
Belgium. As part of our road map we
will further expand the Transport
network in Europe as freight volumes
will increase.
With this network growth, maintaining
our standards and lifting them remains
important. The roll-out of the
European TMS has progressed with
all the Polish branches live since April
and the four Romanian branches
coming up just after summer holidays.
TMS data will flow into the Mainchain
data warehouse solution to present to
our customers and offering more
visibility using one single portal. At the
start of the calendar year the
Mainfreight audit has been introduced
within the Transport team. Several
branches have already been audited;
all will be audited by the end of the
year. Together with the Training &
Development team the branches will
work on their action items and
implement the best practices around
our business.
We will continue our journey to delight
our customers, keeping in mind that
the only measure is how our
customers are perceiving this. We will
continue to work in an environment of
change. In the next newsletter you will
learn more about the developments
on emissions and the progress we are
making. Keep looking after our assets,
your teammates, and take care for
each other. And do not forget to have
fun - for example on our family day
and during our drivers’ week.
Enjoy your summer break,
have fun and stay safe!
Key Attention Points
•
Maintain our standards,
shipment status information,
tidiness in the branch and on
the dock, up-to-date quality
boards and uniforms; everyone’s
responsibility!
•
Have a chat and ask questions.
There is so much to learn rather
than to interpret
•
Set small targets and take only
actions that contribute to
improving our performance
•
Ensure on-time invoicing, proper
cash collection and on-time
payments
•
Make sure that you are up-to-
date with the road map of your
branch to know what freight we
are looking for.
L-R Jeroen ter Beest and Co Kuppers proudly
shining in our new truck wash
Opening of our Brand New Truck Wash
in ‘s-Heerenberg
Our Trucks & Drivers Team ‘s-Heerenberg is very proud to have
opened their brand new automatic truck wash. It’s not only brand
new, but also the first fully automatic truck wash in Europe.
The renewed truck wash will be used to keep our Blue Fleet clean
and shiny. Beside the traditional brushes to keep the trucks clean,
the truck wash is equipped with an automatic under washer, high
pressure front, side, roof and backside prewash. Also an automatic
wheel wash (for our white rims) is installed.
Our team members Co and Jeroen operate the truck wash six days
a week from 5:30 am to 11:30 pm. All our Mainfreight drivers, from
everywhere in Europe, are very welcome to come here and enjoy
seeing their Mainfreight trucks becoming immaculately clean.
In phase 2, the truck wash will be operating on recycled water.
We expect this to be ready after summer.
30 MAINFREIGHT TEAM REVIEW // JULY 2022
Special Deliveries
Bronze Sculptures
Our Transport Team in Paris has been
contacted by the Orleans Museum
who wanted to organise an exhibition
of monumental bronze sculptures,
outside in the city centre of Orleans.
It was for a famous German
contemporary artist, where 11
masterpieces with a total value of
€4,000,000 needed to be transported
from Berlin to Orleans. Our teams
from France, Romania and Poland set
up the plan in order to accomplish this
mission well.
After everything had been put in
place, the customer called us to say
congratulations and thank you for the
good work!
This all happened thanks to a great
teamwork of our drivers, planners and everyone involved!
Relocation of our Lyon Transport branch
We are pleased to announce that our
Transport branch in Lyon has moved
to a brand new cross dock facility.
A cross dock of 4,000 sqm, 8 loading
docks and 800 sqm of office space.
Lyon is one of the biggest cities in
France with good road, river, rail and
air infrastructure. The branch is
located only a few minutes away from
the Lyon-Saint Exupery Airport and in
the vicinity of the major highways
which enables us to deliver freight to
the rest of Europe.
Congratulations team and good luck
in your new branch!
L-R: Douglas Barcellos, Gaetan Quignard,
Abdel Khellout,Thalita Carvalho,Maria Nercessian,
Amandine Gerardin, Mathilde Gairard, Hugo Rusdikian,
Yann Borsellino, Lou Ann Missier, Erick Saes
Charly Thelot assisting with the sculptures
MAINFREIGHT TEAM REVIEW // JULY 2022 31
Delivery to Iceland
We recently delivered our first shipment to Iceland.
This was a very special delivery, a route of no less than
6,400 kilometres. It all started from Arnhem, in the
Netherlands, where our driver, Rene Luijmes, picked up
the first trailer for delivery to Akureyri, Iceland. He drove to
the harbour of Denmark, where the customer brought the
second trailer, and from there he took the boat to Iceland.
A boat trip where he had spent 3 days on board including
a stop in Faroe Island.
While heading back home, Rene came across a real
challenge. As it had snowed big time, it was a huge
challenge to get both trailers to the harbour in time.
But with the help of a local transport company, providing
spikes, Rene managed to get to the harbour in time.
In total, Rene had spent 2.5 weeks from home, but it had
been worthwhile as such a special delivery will not happen
again soon!
Helicopter Delivery Switzerland
We always say nothing is impossible. When road delivery is not an option when we need to deliver on the top of the
mountain, we have hired a helicopter to deliver the goods. We at Mainfreight like to find solutions for everything.
Rene Luijmes enjoying his delivery in Iceland
32 MAINFREIGHT TEAM REVIEW // JULY 2022
ASIAASIA
Mainfreight Asia – Cary Chung
W
e have once again achieved
an amazing milestone, with
the combined efforts from
all our teams across Asia and the
wider network. We can’t be prouder of
our team and our Branch Managers in
achieving this performance, much of it
due to making good decisions on the
spot. Thank you team for the
incredible work in the last financial
year and in particular our operations
team who have spent long hours
dealing with all the freight chaos,
ensuring freight is still moving through
the network in such critical times.
Our financial performance was very
strong and has again allowed us to
continue intensifying our network with
expansions in Pusan, South Korea;
Chongqing, China; a second Logistics
warehouse in Hong Kong; and no less
than 4 new warehousing sites across
the nine existing countries we are
operating in. We also have planned
over the next 12-24 months, three
new countries with logistics facilities
and regional branches across Asia.
Our aim is to continue growing our
footprint across Asia and the Indian
subcontinent to ensure our customers’
freight experience is managed within
the Mainfreight network.
With the new financial year underway,
we must continue focusing on what
brought us here, focus on quality, our
people, our mojo, our culture so we
can continue to differentiate ourselves
from our competitors.
Over 10 Million COVID-19 Tester Kits Moved
Points to highlight:
•
Mojo
-
Don’t allow Covid to separate
ourselves with our sisters and
brothers. Call them every now
and then for a chat
-
As the world restarts, we must
be in front of our network
(joint calls and branch visits)
•
Margins
•
Promoting from within
•
In our newer countries, if we
must bring in external recruits,
make sure we bring in the right
talent with the right attitude that
fits our culture from the start
•
Training and people
development
•
KPIs define our quality; always
look for improvement
•
Awareness – in the world of
Internet, we must be the
frontline to watch out for the
business and always assume
any external intimidation is a
threat
•
Engage your Branch Managers
and Customer Service team in
more sales calls and customer
relationships
•
In-Country sales, focus on:
-
Imports
-
Cross selling – Air & Ocean
and Warehousing
-
Consolidations – LCL & air
consols
-
Sales pipelines – this is
everyone’s responsibility
-
Be creative to help our
customers and support
growth.
Thanks again for such a
challenging and exciting year.
We are in a unique space of
development and era in
Mainfreight. Every day is a new
start to our 100-year vision!
Thank you team!
Hong Kong – Jacky Lam
New Opportunity
Special People Special
Company, was what needed to make
Logistics and Transportation possible
throughout the pandemic for our
customers. While there has been
scarce capacities in almost all aspects
of the transportation mode, Air, Ocean,
Warehouse, Terminal, and Trucking
had all suffered different challenges in
2021 and going forward in 2022.
During November 2021 to January
2022, Mainfreight Hong Kong had
arranged six dedicated charter flights
between Hong Kong and Los Angeles
to help deliver more than 10 million
Covid-19 test kits. Our expertise on
supply chain went beyond simple E2E
Charter Service and so far we had
expanded service scope for E2E
Ocean, E2E Customs and E2E VAS in
order to address the continued
challenges in the market for this type
of high demand business.
MAINFREIGHT TEAM REVIEW // JULY 2022 33
CaroTrans Hong Kong –
Jerry Chan
2021 has been a very challenging
year for our business. The freight rate
is going up unusually. Space,
equipment, labor, driver etc. are
seriously in shortage all year.
Especially as a consolidator, if we
have no space, equipment and truck,
there is no way to run our business.
Luckily, we have had very good
support from our main carriers and our
service providers that has allowed us
to maintain our service.
During the hard time this year, our
team have been doubling or even
tripling their work efforts with carriers
and service providers to keep our
business moving. Fortunately, our
volume, revenue and profits this year
is increasing. More importantly, we
have gained very good reputation
among our customers in the market.
Our strategies are:
•
Focus on our core business. With
limited resources and manpower, we
are unable to further develop our
new business and product, what we
can do is to 100% focus on our
existing business to maintain our
service. Using all our resources on
hand for our existing consol boxes.
•
Always provide solutions to our
customer. Even if we have no space,
we shouldn’t say no to our customer
immediately. We should always give
them a solution. For example, if they
have a large volume booking, we
can suggest them to split their
booking into two weeks or ask if it
is possible to move via other
gateways. In customer’s perception,
they will feel we are always trying
our best to help them instead of just
reject them.
•
Better relationship with all carriers.
Apart from our existing core
carriers, we must be more
aggressive to explore more new
carriers in the market.
We understand that the market
always has preference on carrier
choice. But during these past two
years, the market is unpredictable
sometimes even our previous core
carriers may not help us. Therefore,
we have to enrich our network to
develop more relationships with
some second-tier carriers to find
solutions.
GDP Certificate
Mainfreight is committed to developing our Airfreight
network. Globally we have GDP (Good Distribution
Practice) certified branches. We are so excited to
announce that Mainfreight Hong Kong is now GDP-
certified. Mainfreight Hong Kong Airfreight branch is the
first branch in Asia to achieve a GDP certification.
Singapore will be the next in line, followed by the remaining
Air & Ocean branches throughout Asia. Mainfreight Asia is
a dynamic and fast-growing region. We commit to
providing a quality and professional full supply chain
solution for our customers.
Looking to the coming financial year of 2022-2023, we
can predict that life will still be tough since the virus will be
still living with us, but we are optimistic for our business
because of our quality service and professional talents
despite the global supply chain disruption which is
expected by the shortage of capacity of freight and
manpower. Let’s work together to overcome all difficulties
to create a brighter future for Hong Kong branch!
Jacky Lam – Branch Manager, Mainfreight Hong Kong
CaroTrans Hong Kong Operation Team
L-R back: Miki Yip, Judy Leung, Yvonne Yick, Chris Chan, Sharon Lee, Cynthia Cheng,
Jordan Ni, Meki Chan, Coey Cheuk, Daffy Wong
L-R front: Justin Mak, Perry Lau, Dennis Chau, Jerry Chan, Michael Wong
34 MAINFREIGHT TEAM REVIEW // JULY 2022
Mainfreight Shanghai – Joan Ji
Mainfreight Warehouse in Shanghai
We are proud to introduce our
warehouse in Shanghai, with the
storage capacity 10,000ft2 and can
be extended to 280,000ft2. Located
in Jiading District, this prime location
is perfect for picking up or delivering
local and international freight. Our
warehouse provides a wide range of
services including first class storage,
order picking and various value-adding
activities. Our value-added services
can be any solution the business
needs such as re-labelling, re-pricing,
re-packaging, multi-packs, quality
check and much more. Warehouse
security is our priority with 24-hour
CCTV monitoring and security
personnel on site.
Our warehouse is equipped with:
•
3 Direct Loading docks
•
Temperature controlled area
•
Ambient temperature area
•
Staging Area
•
Shelf Racking Area
Social Responsibility
Our Mainfreight Shanghai team has
joined with a local charity to gift this
incredible library of books to a local
school. The cabinets and books have
been delivered to the school so the
children can enjoy reading, learning,
and using their imagination. At
Mainfreight, we are passionate about
making a positive difference through
empowering the next generation.
Shanghai Team - Social Responsibility
Lecture Workshop
To obtain both benefit on growth of
employees and the company, get
additional knowledge sharing, we
opened a monthly Mainfreight Lecture
Workshop.
Through this activity, we can see
participants acquire knowledge in a
relaxed and pleasant course during
the lecture and we provide a platform
for every team member who wish to
display their knowledge and
experience, which fully reflects our
three-pillars culture of gathering,
actively communicating and facing
problems and working together.
Caroline Ding -
Mainfreight Shanghai Sea Freight Manager
Kelvin Guo - Mainfreight Shanghai Airfreight Manager
MAINFREIGHT TEAM REVIEW // JULY 2022 35
Mainfreight Chongqing
Sales Office Expansion –
Shirley Mao
We are delighted to announce the
official opening of our Mainfreight
Chongqing sales office. The office had
its grand opening on Sunday, 24th
October 2021. Mainfreight Chongqing
is our second Sales office in China.
Located in the upper Yangtze River
with 679 kms coastline, Chongqing is
the economic, cultural and logistics
center of Southwestern China. As the
4th Municipality City of China,
Chongqing has natural resources and
infrastructure such as the largest
import and export river port in
Southwestern China, 4 large ports,
the National Rail-water Multimodal
Transport Hub, 2 large airports, and
highway network that extends to all
directions. Mainfreight Chongqing will
have a strong influence on the
surrounding provinces of Sichuan,
Yunnan, Guizhou, Hubei and Hunan
etc., making this branch a very
important step for Mainfreight’s
market expansion in West China.
L–R: Peter Koo, Shirley Mao, Eric Zeng, Joan Ji
Mainfreight Qingdao – Vicky Zhao
Mainfreight Qingdao was the 9th Asia branch to open.
Since it’s opening in 2011, the team has grown from a
small branch with six team members to now almost three
times the size with 17 team members. A warm thanks to
our dedicated team for all their contribution over the last
10 years.
With the extension of our business, we are happy to
announce that our office working area was enlarged from
253qm to 506qm in November 2021. Led by the
Mainfreight Three Pillars, driven by one-hundred-year
company vision, all team members are ready to add more
value to our Mainfreight big family.
Please help us to celebrate this milestone!
Celebration for Qingdao Office Expansion
L-R: Jacinta Zhao, Sunny Gao, Cara Wang, Fred Zhang, Lily Li,
Gary Hu, Michael Li, Miki Yuan, Cherry Wang, Tiger Li, Neil Li,
Vicky Zhao, Eva Jiang, Rex Gao, Christopher Cai, Never Xu,
Helena Li, Suki Han
Mainfreight Qingdao Team
Front row L-R: Lily Guo, Miki Yuan, Suki Han, Jacinta Zhao, Vicky Zhao
Middle row L-R: Rex Gao, Michael Li, Helena Li, Eva Jiang, Never Xu
Back row L-R: Tiger Li, Fred Zhang, Neil Li, Gary Hu, Christopher Cai
36 MAINFREIGHT TEAM REVIEW // JULY 2022
Mainfreight Malaysia
Family Story by KeeLin Lee
Branch Manager – Penang,
Malaysia
Jiaen, he is 18 years old. Now he is
waiting for his university intake result,
and he will further his study in the
next few months.
While waiting for a new customer
service team member to join the
Penang team, we hired Jiaen as an
intern to support our daily customer
service work, such as document
processes, costing analysis,
coordinating with vendors for
shipment pick up or delivery.
Initially, we thought hiring an
inexperienced youngster could take
many hours to train and teach,
especially as our works involve
multiple parties or sometimes can
be complicated. However, Jiaen has
endless energy, creativity, flexibility,
and he took an increasing amount
of responsibility, especially he
demonstrated he has talent in
cost analysis.
As the branch in charge, as a
colleague, as a father, I feel it is very
great and meaningful to work with my
kid; when I drive my car back home
after a long day at work, I think about
the progress he has made, how can
I help him further.
Mainfreight Singapore –
Doreen Ng
Community Involvement –
Singapore Team
Mainfreight actively seek out ways to
support the communities we are part
of. Our Singapore team recently
teamed up with Food Bank Singapore
Ltd to participate in the food bundle
distribution, where they not only
financially contributed but physically
helped sort out, package and even
had the delightful reward to hand-
deliver the gifts to people’s homes in
low social economic areas.
This is one of the happiest memories
of the year for our Singapore team,
there is nothing more fulfilling them
giving back to local communities.
Sales Conference 2022
Although we could not meet in
person, this years’ Mainfreight Sales
Conference continued virtually.
We were delighted to be joined by our
Group Managing Director, Don Braid,
who shared about Mainfreight global
goals and developments. As well as
sales priorities for Asia in 2022. We
were so grateful to have had all our
Sales team members across Asia
come together over the 2 days. It has
been such a treat!
Mainfreight Singapore Team
L-R: Leen Bakar, Jasper Tee, Xin Er Tan, Jolynn Bey, Doreen Ng, Veron Low,
Elaine Chan, Shaun Tan, Adrian He
Sales Conference 2022 via Webex
Photo of “Father” and “Son” - L-R: Jiaen Lee, KeeLin Lee
MAINFREIGHT TEAM REVIEW // JULY 2022 37
Mainfreight Vietnam –
Nguyen Dinh Dien
(Richard)
Office Relocation | Mainfreight
Hanoi, Vietnam
10th January 2022, our Mainfreight
Hanoi Sales Office relocated into a
new, larger office. The office is
conveniently located close to the
new Hanoi sky train station and the
highway to Airport.
Our new address is:
Room 2408,
24th Floor,
Discovery Complex Building
302 Cau Giay Street
Dich Vong Ward,
Cau Giay District
Hanoi,
Vietnam.
Please come and see us!
Mainfreight Hanoi Office 1Mainfreight Hanoi Office 2
Mainfreight Hanoi Team
L-R: Caryln Nguyen, Mike Nguyen, Richard Nguyen, Ryan To, Scarlet Hoang,
Joy Le, Kris Nguyen, Neil Phan
Mainfreight Thailand
– Withanya
Ceetantivech
Office Expansion
Mainfreight Bangkok,
Thailand
Mainfreight Bangkok has
expanded their office size to
support future growth.
Established in November 2013
and located in Sukhumvit area,
it is a more convenient location,
only ten-minute drive away from
the Bangkok Port.
Our team in Bangkok celebrated
their 8th anniversary at the new
office by holding a Merit-making
Ceremony on February 7th. This
is a Tradition that most Thai
people arrange when they open
or expand the new house and/or
office. This ceremony is believed
to bring in success, happiness,
and prosperity to the residents
and/or family members.
Thailand Office Expansion
Merit-making Ceremony in Thailand Branch on 7 February 2022
38 MAINFREIGHT TEAM REVIEW // JULY 2022
South Korea –
Mainfreight Busan
Branch – Chris Jeong
Office Opening – Mainfreight
Busan, South Korea
We are delighted to announce the
official opening of Mainfreight Busan
sales office on 1st April 2022.
Geographically, Busan is located on
the southeastern tip of the Korean
peninsula, and it is located on the
coast, which determined the
development of the whole city itself.
Busan is also the second largest city
and second most populous city after
Seoul, so it is called ‘Second-capital
city of Korea’. The Busan port is
ranked as number six in the world’s
container throughput and is the
largest seaport in Korea. In 2021,
around 23 million TEU were handled
at 10 container terminals in Busan.
The new Busan office will provide
best in class service to satisfy all the
customers’ needs with a full range of
logistics services that includes
international air & sea freight, road
transport, domestic distribution, and
warehousing etc. Also, the office
strengthens LCL consolidation
services toward worldwide taking
advantage of the competitiveness of
Busan port as a transshipment hub.
Mainfreight Thailand Team
Busan New Office
Busan Team
L-R: Junho Woo, Chris Jeong, Edward Son, Miseon Kang, Yookyoung Lee
MAINFREIGHT TEAM REVIEW // JULY 2022 39
Mainfreight Americas – Jason Braid
T
eam, we are finally experiencing
a bit of normality again and to
say that this is exciting would be
an understatement. Whilst Covid-19
remains a part of life, being able to get
back to some sort of ‘business as
usual’ has been great! Likewise, being
able to have our Branch Managers
and Sales Team come together again
for their respective yearly conferences
has been special, and timely.
The last couple of years have not been
easy for anyone, results have remained
strong however, for which you should
all be very proud. Please remember
though, we are focused on long-term
success built off the back of a strong
Mainfreight culture; short-term
decisions resulting in short-term
results is not what we’re after. We have
some good momentum so let’s keep
turning that flywheel to ensure we
move with pace in our pursuit of
building something very special.
Although we don’t spend too much
time looking in the rear-view mirror,
doing so for a moment allows us to
ask ourselves a few important
questions of the last year.
1. Was our quality up to a standard
we can be proud of and which our
customers expect?
2. Have we held true to our culture or
have we allowed things to slip?
3. Have we remained firm in our
pursuit of supply chain customers?
4. Have we made the most of the last
year in order to set ourselves up
for continued success?
Having an objective view to these
questions is critical for our continued
success.
It’s been a busy last six months and
this won’t change going forward. We
are at a defining point in our business
where, perhaps more than ever,
decisions made today will determine
who we are in the years to come.
As an example, our Los Angeles
Airfreight Team is moving to a new
facility at Los Angeles International
Airport. Not only will this new facility
bring efficiencies and allow for
continued growth, but we can now
install chillers; a prerequisite for us to
truly enter the USA perishable freight
market.
Likewise, our Dallas Transport team is
taking a big step forward and putting
a stake in the ground as they finalise
plans for their purpose-built Transport
cross-dock; our first in the Americas.
Although still early in the planning
stage, this will set the scene for all
new Transport depots to come; no
longer will we be building a Transport
business out of cookie cutter square
boxes! We have a much improved and
sizable line-haul fleet and branch
network; it’s now time to get serious
about the facilities we have to service
this.
As we invest in our network and
further strengthen our presence in the
Americas, we understand that all of
this is only possible thanks to the hard
work from all of you. We are very
happy to be able to get back to
in-person training, especially our
cultural induction courses. We have
many new team members across our
business and we can’t wait to teach
the importance of culture and to have
you hear this first hand from some of
our Mainfreight legends.
We have lots going on as a team but
we also have lots to be proud of.
Celebrate the successes as they
come along and then let’s get back to
the job at hand of building Mainfreight
Americas.
Our thanks go out to every single
one of you!
Special People, Special Company!
Americas Transport – Shawn Roach
C
ongratulations team! We set
out to eliminate our old-style
forwarding ways by embracing
freight logic and adopting the
Mainstreet software platform used in
New Zealand and Australia, in which
we have succeeded. We are happy to
say we achieved our profit pledge
generating a record result and are in a
great position to start the new
financial year. Operational efficiencies
and network growth will lead to
greater profitability as revenues
continue to grow.
We hired 133 team members this
year, and added 200 pieces of
equipment. Our total network
coverage has now exceeded 400
units, allowing us to consistently cover
more than 550 inbound and outbound
line-hauls weekly.
This new financial year we are
building on our record results and
putting investment into growing our
Transport business that will aid in a
substantial increase in owner drivers,
equipment and sales team members.
It’s with great pride we opened
Mainfreight Branches for the first time
in Boston and Orlando, with new
stand-alone terminals in Seattle and
Charlotte.
Driving our quality levels has been a
full-time training exercise as we
continue to grow the teams.
Promoting internally as we operate
six-plus days a week across 24 hours
is a great feeling. We are
implementing efficiency tools for our
dock teams, with the first scan on
dock to line-haul roll out in Dallas.
Also in Dallas, we are commencing a
total rebuild of our new facility.
We will officially graduate to cross-
dock facilities with 100+ doors. These
custom branches will allow us to play
a greater role in sustainability
initiatives for Mainfreight. It’s our year
to let the market know we are here,
and here to stay!
AMERICASAMERICAS
Things to focus on:
•
Sell the network, be bold, be
an insurgent
•
We have capacity in our teams,
buildings and trucks; doubling
our business is the goal
•
Branding of all our equipment
a top priority
•
Quality reinforced daily, we will
continue the drive to exceed
customer expectations
40 MAINFREIGHT TEAM REVIEW // JULY 2022
Toronto Cross Country
Voyage – Mainfreight
Toronto
Although we wouldn’t normally show
off an unpainted tractor, the Toronto
Transport team is very proud of their
recent cross-country line-haul trip.
Early in 2022, Mainfreight Toronto
Transport made its maiden run all the
way from Toronto to Alberta, on to
Vancouver and back. The trip is a
hefty 5,551-mile round trip, making it
just short of the longest run for
American Transport.
Dallas Transport – Scott Sprick
“It’s simple, not easy.”
Dallas Transport brings the same
attitude of doing the right thing and
the results will follow, as we also aim
to focus on quality every-day freight.
In the past year, we have grown from
a team of twenty-two to thirty-three.
Nine of our team members have taken
on roles in sales, the warehouse and
accounting positions at branch level.
During this period of growth, we have
also increased our owner driver fleet
from fifteen power units to twenty-two
power units, and from twenty-one
trailers to forty-eight trailers. The
addition to our fleet provides us with
the capacity to bring on new
customers, with our sales team driving
an annual sales target that surpasses
any sales targets we have set ever
before by a long shot!
While growth is positive it does not
come without challenges. With the
branch history being in forwarding, we
needed to flip from a broker-focused
email approach, to jumping on a
forklift and driving a truck mentality.
This wasn’t done overnight and can
still admittedly be a challenge as we
continue to manage the legacy
forwarding business. We are moving
in the right direction, with utilization of
line-hauls being the daily focus and
starting to be able to manage our
freight mix.
We finished the financial year by
breaking the Dallas records, and we
couldn’t be more excited to invest in
the equipment and brand that our
customers are becoming accustomed
to seeing. With multiple initial
meetings starting with “I recognize
your trucks on the road”, we are
starting to feel the fruits of our labour.
This is just the beginning; we still have
a long way to go and we continue to
be hungry for more.
Charlotte Transport –
Nate Cox
There have been quite a few phases
of change for the Transport Charlotte
team within the last 12 months.
However, one area that has stayed
consistent throughout every phase of
our evolution has been the tenacity
and drive the team brings forth every
day and night. Our team is not afraid
to be the arbitrators of change in this
whirlwind industry!
In just a year’s time, we have grown
from a team of three to now nine team
members. We have evolved from not
having a painted Mainfreight Truck to
now having two on the road. At the
beginning of last year, we had one
John Huffaker, Driver, Mainfreight Charlotte Transport
MAINFREIGHT TEAM REVIEW // JULY 2022 41
published set line-haul per week and
currently average 18 published, along
with 6 painted trailers and 2 pups, and
another 7 trailers ordered and on the
way. Within the next few months, we
will have our first B Wagon Pup
Line-haul connection with
Philadelphia moving 5 days per week
and it will host 2 painted Semi’s
making the new connection a
testament to the growth and change
we have proudly pushed forth. This
will allow Mainfreight to exceed
time-transit with current competitors
and allow our sales team to bring on
new customers as we hit our annual
profit target, a profit number never
conceived or thought to be possible
two years ago.
When we take a moment and look
back at our success, we truly realize
we could not do it without our Owner
Drivers. They represent who we are
and where we are to go. Our very
own John Huffaker is one who comes
to mind immediately, he never
complains and always represents
Mainfreight and our culture day in and
day out. As John always says to our
team every week, “Man, I love driving
for Mainfreight and being a part of this
Family!”
Our gear, our drivers, our sayings and
our culture are why our customers
want to work with us and continue to
allow us to grow. It’s amazing when a
customer sends text messages
saying, “hey, I saw one of your
Mainfreight drivers on the road today,
and that saying on the back of their
truck made me stop and think.” It’s a
testament to who we are, and why we
do things differently than others.
It’s more than a shipment or pallet of
freight to us, we take it personally, we
care, and desire to be a core piece of
the puzzle for our customers. It’s why
we have been told, “Yes, we could use
a standard LTL company, but they do
not care to know us or handle our
cargo like you do.”
We’d like to think of ourselves as a
team coming together to get the job
done no matter the hurdle or obstacle
in front of us. We have a phenomenal
team here in Charlotte with different
backgrounds, young and old, male and
female, and a group who enjoys being
around one another. It’s a rarity
nowadays when you can appreciate
who is around you and that what you
do truly makes a difference.
Americas Warehousing – René van Houtum
W
hile writing this report, we
have finished another
Mainfreight financial year
and, as a division, we have celebrated
our 7th anniversary. We are still in our
childhood and therefore, we continue
to show a tremendous growth spurt!
With impressive growth in revenue
compared to previous years, we
reported our best growth number ever.
It is an understatement to say that we
have been busy and we acknowledge
that it came with challenges.
However, our teams in the branches
have done a fabulous job dealing with
our growth and keeping our
customers satisfied. Thanks to
everyone for making this year another
successful one!
While we are growing rapidly, we need
to spend more time on recruitment.
Our team expanded by more than
130 new team members over the last
12 months and we need a lot more
people to join our team in order to
continue to grow our business. In
several branches, we now have
dedicated team members for
recruitment. Finding the right team
members to join our family, with a
Mainfreight “can do” attitude and with
ambition to grow with our business, is
the key-factor for future success and
an ongoing activity.
Our new branches in Toronto, Canada
and LeHigh Valley, PA are in full swing
and filling up very quickly. The teams
in these branches are also growing!
Our new Northlake branch in Dallas is
466,000 sq. ft. (our biggest branch so
far!) and is operational; albeit with a
few hurdles along the way with delays
in racking and office construction.
The enthusiasm and passion of the
team is unheard of and with that
mind-set, they were able to overcome
all obstacles.
On April 1
st
, we opened our second
branch in the Chicago area
(Bolingbrook II); our eleventh branch
in total. With another 302,000 sq.ft.,
we are setting ourselves up for growth
in the Mid-West, and we are on-
boarding several new customers
“as we speak”. Including the new
Chicago Warehouse, our total
warehouse footprint has now passed
the 2.1 million sq. ft. mark.
“Size doesn’t matter” but realizing that
only two years ago our footprint was
below 1 million sq. ft., gives us energy
to achieve much more in the future.
To support our growth and in order to
deal with bigger customers and often
more complicated processes, we have
The team in LeHigh Valley
Back: Sylvia Arroyo, Alejandro Quinones, Andres Garcia, Eric Stockl, Bryan Bruch, Stephen Cacnio
Front: Eliezer Fernandez, Seth Batcha, Margarita Calderon
42 MAINFREIGHT TEAM REVIEW // JULY 2022
introduced MIMS support team
members in the branches. These
team members have developed an
in-depth knowledge of our Warehouse
Management system so we have local
IT support in case of any challenges.
It is also very helpful to have local IT
knowledge during customer
implementations and the execution of
Continuous Improvement Projects.
Great to see that this MIMS support
team has weekly Positive Action Team
meetings to discuss projects and
share “best practices” in each of the
branches.
Another initiative to support our
growth and improve customer
satisfaction, is the introduction of
Customer Development Executives;
team members who have developed
a solid knowledge of our warehousing
processes and who are now ready to
be a single point of contact for one or
multiple customers. The goal is to
increase the level of communication
with our customers and to proactively
work on continuous improvement
initiatives. When a customer is using
the services of multiple branches, the
“CDE’s” job is to make sure that
processes in each of the branches are
aligned. We are planning to have at
least one Customer Development
Executive in each of the branches
this year.
Our Customer Development Executives
also play an important role in cross-
selling. Obviously, we would like our
Warehousing customers to use our
Air & Ocean and Transport services.
“If you can’t measure it, you can’t
improve it”. In our weekly reports, we
are now measuring how much freight
enters our warehouses via Mainfreight
Air & Ocean or Transport and we do
the same for freight leaving our
warehouses. We have the ability to
analyze the freight we are missing out
on. Together with our teams from
Air & Ocean and Transport, we have
conversations with our customers
about the advantages of using
Mainfreight for the entire supply chain,
knowing this will reduce “hiccups” in
our customers’ supply chain.
While we can be proud of what we
have achieved, there are always ways
to improve.
Our focus will be on:
1. Recruitment! As mentioned earlier
in this article, finding team
members with the right attitude to
join our family is paramount.
2. Our culture! We must maintain our
unique culture, live it and breathe
it. We sometimes take our culture
for granted; let’s tell our exciting
story to everyone who wants to
hear it.
3. Sell the network! It is a win-win;
both our customers and we benefit
from it.
Finally, our business is maturing
rapidly and we have a lot of work to
do to guarantee continuous growth,
maintain high service levels to our
customers and high team satisfaction.
Continuous growth is only guaranteed
when service levels and team
satisfaction are at the right level. It is
all about Mainfreight’s “two
unshakeable beliefs” (do I need to
mention them?). Sales growth does
not come from sales alone, customer
retention is equally important. Happy
customers do not leave and it is
exciting that we can help each other
grow together! Let us continue to
work on our development with the
same enthusiasm and passion as we
have done since the start of our
division seven years ago.
And oh, for the new team members
amongst us who may not have them
readily available:
The Success of Mainfreight is
built on two unshakeable
beliefs:
1. The only way to keep ahead of
our competitors is by the
superior performance of our
people.
2. The only measurement of that
superior service is how the
customer perceives it.
New racking in Northlake.
As soon as it’s up, the product is moved in!
Dodgers Opening Day
BBQ at LA5
Mainfreight Los Angeles Warehousing
kicked off the 2022 Baseball Season
with a barbecue for team members
of all business units. More than a
celebration of the baseball season,
the event allowed us to eat together
as one big Mainfreight Family!
The team is excited to be able to
gather in person once more and
looks forward to more events
throughout this year.
Chris Leighton cooking up a storm!
MAINFREIGHT TEAM REVIEW // JULY 2022 43
Americas Air & Ocean – Nathan Thomas
O
nce again as we put pen to
paper, we are humbled by our
team’s efforts over the last
twelve months. Truly remarkable
performance. I know first-hand from a
number of customers how much you
have all helped over this year. We now
tackle each day with an eye to the
future, accepting the challenges that
exist in today’s supply chain world and
figuring out best practice to navigate.
No longer is any phone call just five
minutes to arrange something, or a
vessel arriving into a port, any port,
straight on dock and berthed.
We are lucky to have the word
“Hustle” as part of our DNA, as this is
what is needed each and every day.
Thank you, team, both in the Americas
and around the world, you have done
us proud.
With the restrictions of the pandemic
now thankfully in the past, it has been
great to get out and about visiting the
team again, after too long not being in
front of you all. To be able to thank
you all in person, share some stories
and catch up on your branches has
highlighted all of the above. So great
to see, hear and feel the hustle day to
day.
Despite the challenges, we continue
to grow, with every branch recruiting
right now. If you’re keen to join the
team, let us know! It’s not only our
branches growing in size, but also in
number. We have opened both Boston
and Vancouver, as we expand our
footprint. Both these Branch
Managers, Victoria and Justin, are
moving from other branches to set up
and grow our footprint (more from
Victoria and Justin later in the
newsletter). An important part of our
growth is having the team move and
help us get established, and this is
very much appreciated. With plenty
more cities to grow into right across
the Americas, the opportunities for our
team really are endless. Watch this
space, we are far from done opening
new locations!
A couple of reminders, some of the
things that set us apart to continue to
do:
1. Our Phones ... whether good or
“not so good”, the news being
delivered personally helps. It has
proven time and time again a
difference for our customers and
teams to be proactive and make
a call.
2. Ask for more. We are seeing great
success in growing with our
customers, in some cases simply
because we ask for more freight.
We’re there anyway after all!
3. Look for opportunities to be in
front of our customers face-to-
face. Now that we can in most
cases, in-person meetings again
give an opportunity to connect on
another level. And it’s fun to be out
and with our customers. Learning
first hand their business.
4. Thank our global teams... we are
so lucky to have the network we
do in our Mainfreight Family. Take
the time to thank them, we’re only
as good as our brothers and
sisters globally so make sure they
know they are appreciated.
5. Our vendors do us proud – make
sure they also know it. Some at
times have made many miracles
work for us, going above and
beyond for our Mainfreight
business. A reminder to ensure we
are thanking them.
Our challenging environment remains
with no end in sight. Tackle it with
gusto, use your hustle, and continue to
make things happen. It’s the TEAM
that makes this business work so well.
Thank you and see you soon, it’s great
to be out and visiting you all again.
The Building of Mainfreight Air & Ocean Boston – Victoria Gelmi
So, the saying goes, Rome wasn’t built
in a day... I believe the same could be
said for Air & Ocean Boston. Am I
saying Boston will be the next Rome?
Perhaps... We sure have the culture,
history, and exceptional food to suit.
The City on a Hill, Title Town,
Beantown, ... or the next BOTY
(Branch of the Year)! We have many
nicknames here in Boston and are
excited to put our branch on the
Mainfreight Map.
The start of this branch has included
endless interviews to find the right
Mainfreight team, location scouting,
and of course getting out to visit our
existing customer base. Boston is an
area full of technology start-ups,
apparel headquarters,
pharmaceuticals, and of course...
seafood!!!
Boston wouldn’t be what it is now
without assistance from our Albany,
New York team. Normally Bostonians
and Yankees don’t get along, however,
the team has done such a fantastic
job looking after our customers.
I can’t wait for the new Boston team
to learn from the absolute best. I am
a long way now from Bunbury
Western Australia, but bring it on,
Boston!
44 MAINFREIGHT TEAM REVIEW // JULY 2022
Salt Lake City Air & Ocean –
New Facility
Mainfreight Salt Lake City has moved to their new address!
The team led by Branch Manager, Carla Leslie, is now
located at 1920 N 2200 West after seeing team members
triple in just two years. The branch focuses on import and
export air and ocean services, has on hand customs
brokerage and is equipped with a warehouse to handle
transloads and cross docks for customers.
What more can we anticipate continuing into 2022?
Carla states Air & Ocean will continue to extend their
wingspan across the Americas as the Mainfreight culture
is wholeheartedly embraced. “Mainfreight truly inspires the
ready, fire, aim philosophy and allows individual decisions.
I love passing this on to the team and watching the growth
take place. Further to this I believe you should never stop
being curious, I have never been shut down at Mainfreight
– we are about finding solutions.”
Mainfreight Air & Ocean Salt Lake City
1920 North 2200 West #9
Salt Lake City, UT 84116
+1 801 907 8180
Vancouver Air & Ocean
Branch Opening
Right in the core of downtown
Vancouver and located just off of the
ocean port, Mainfreight Vancouver
Air & Ocean has opened its doors for
business! After nine years of having a
presence in Canada, the opening of
the Vancouver branch has expanded
our wingspan from the East Coast
(with our Toronto branches well
established) to now the West Coast.
With the expanse of territory Canada
covers, the Vancouver Branch location
gives us more opportunity to get
closer to our customers and provides
us just another step in the right
direction to better serve and create
stronger relationships with our
Canadian business.
Justin Barnes, Branch Manager, and
Evelyn Man who manages the
operations have come across country
from Toronto Air & Ocean where they
have taken on this exciting challenge
and look forward to growing the
Vancouver business and team! Being
good friends whose families are also
close with one another, this dynamic
duo have already created a solid
foundation to grow the team and
ensure that the special Mainfreight
culture is infused into everything that
they do and represent. Before they
left, the Toronto Team sent them off in
true Mainfreight style with a
celebration and cake to wish them a
Bon Voyage!
Stay tuned for more exciting news to
come from the Vancouver team as
they get settled into their new home.
Mainfreight Air & Ocean Vancouver
980 - 355 Burrad Ave
Vancouver, BC V6C2G8
Mainfreight Los Angeles
Air Freight – James Blok
G’day team,
Welcome to Perishables USA, or the
start of it! It has been a whirlwind
tour so far, covering the East Coast,
Midwest and West Coast searching
for some of the best perishable
shippers in this far and wide land.
As some of you may know, Mainfreight
is embarking on the journey to
become a perishable logistics provider
here in North America. With a brand-
new facility just around the corner, we
are now in the fundamental stages of
building relationships with importers,
exporters and airlines.
MAINFREIGHT TEAM REVIEW // JULY 2022 45
Compliance Webinars – Mark Neumann
We recently held compliance seminars for customers
focusing on import and export trade compliance – with a
bonus of an Incoterms 2020 review. These courses are
designed to provide a starting point for industry logistics
professionals to buttress their internal trade compliance
knowledge. Chock-full of useful and informative nuggets,
we focus on building the basics of a trade compliance
program, focusing on everything from denied party
screening, to creating and maintaining a parts database that
will accommodate both import and export needs.
Given the intense scrutiny importers and exporters face
while navigating ever-changing trade policy, Mainfreight likes
to provide this type of information to our customers, as it
helps build our partnership – by helping our customers and
our teams, so that compliance is never a question mark but
is instead a point of pride with every shipment we process.
For me, the journey started back in
2016 in Transport Epping and then
moving over to the perishable side of
the business in 2018 with strapping
down and loading Avocadoes to
Abalone, in between studies at
university. Then after leading the Air &
Perishable sales team in Brisbane, in
October 2021 I started the journey to
sunny Southern California to help
start building the perishables
business. We have a great service to
offer, perishables are about service
and customer relationships. It is a
24-hours a day, 7-days a week
business that does not suffer fools
lightly. We aim to be a big part of the
perishable landscape both
domestically and internationally over
the next few years, with the opening
of Los Angeles, San Francisco,
Newark, Chicago and Miami (maybe
even South America one day).
It’s going to be a challenge, but as
Mainfreighters we are not afraid of
BHAG or two!
Mark Neumann
CaroTrans – Chris Wilson
C
aroTrans made a record result
for the business, making it our
biggest profit year in history.
To place this properly in perspective, I
started with CaroTrans in 2004 when
just a fraction of the profit was
reported, which was less than 3% of
what we are making today!
The Team made an amazing effort this
year and our customers and the
market has rewarded us accordingly.
The goals are clearly established for
2022/23 and we are firmly focused
on a few key items that will help us
continue producing strong results:
1. Quality in all branches and across
all products
2. LCL export margin percentage –
small improvements on this
generate big wins for the branches
3. Sales – we must be consistent and
disciplined in our sales activities
4. Recruitment – we cannot promote
from within if we don’t have the
right team coming into the
business
Being able to be together for the
Branch Managers meeting in Chicago
meant we could properly celebrate the
successes of the past year.
Thank you to the entire team for all of
your efforts and making this result
possible!
Back to School –
Tyler Nichols
In an effort to recruit top young talent
to the organization, CaroTrans Branch
Manager, Tyler Nichols, returned to his
alma mater as a guest speaker at The
Citadel’s Baker School of Business.
Speaking to young cadets in courses
focusing on supply chain
management, he was able to provide
an overview of the international
container industry and the multiple
challenges facing the industry.
Several cadets from the Military
College of South Carolina have
expressed interest in positions with
CaroTrans and internship opportunities.
CaroTrans Charleston will look forward
to growing their relationship with the
Citadel and other local colleges.
Special thanks to Captain Kwon and
Major Ponomarov, professors of supply
chain management, for the
opportunity to speak with a new
generation of leaders.
Tyler Nichols on the recruitment trail
46 MAINFREIGHT TEAM REVIEW // JULY 2022
Mainfreight + Books in Homes Partnership
Grows Across the Americas
New Year, New Books! Books In Homes USA (https://booksinhomesusa.org/) is a non-profit organization dedicated to
supporting children in under-resourced communities in literacy and beyond. Mainfreight has been a global partner since
the organization’s origins in 1994. Many of our branches get involved supporting schools at a local level.
Mainfreight Chicago
Partners with Books in
Homes
The Chicago Mainfreight team had the
pleasure to work with Books in
Homes USA at B.J. Ward Elementary
School in Bolingbrook, IL. A free book
fair was held allowing each student to
collect books of their choice. One of
the newer students was hesitant to
enter the fair believing the cost was
too high if all kids were leaving with
new books. The school librarian,
Katie stated after the giveaway...
“My favorite moment was explaining
to the new student how this was a
FREE fair! He looked like he was
going to cry tears of joy. He looked
so happy shopping; it was magical!”
This is just one of the many special
moments our teams get to experience
when partnering with Books in
Homes. These moments create
lifelong memories, which also remind
us of the impact and just how
important these simple acts can have
on our future generations.
Mainfreight looks forward to a
continued partnership with Books in
Homes throughout 2022 and beyond.
Books In Homes USA has served over
312,000 children, but there are many
more waiting to discover magic
through book ownership.
www.booksinhomesusa.org
Mainfreighters from our Salt Lake City branch at North Star School pictured
L-R: Sharon Vos, Amanda Pace, Cathey Bartholomew, Carla Leslie, Jacob Harman, Brayden Smith
Students from North Star School, SLC
MAINFREIGHT TEAM REVIEW // JULY 2022 47
Technology – John Eshuis
U
sing tools such as Webex to
collaborate during this
challenging environment has
enabled us to continue to deliver over
the last few years. When travel
restrictions eased, I made a trip to visit
the teams in Europe and America,
many of whom had been just a voice
and face on Webex. We achieved a
lot in two weeks, and it highlighted
that video-calling can only do so
much, especially when people and
complex situations are involved. There
is no substitute for being together.
Throughout this time, despite the
difficult conditions, the teams around
the world have worked on major
projects that allow Mainfreight to grow
its network and team. These include,
but are not limited to:
•
In Europe, the Transport
Management System (Mainmove)
rollout carries on. The team took
Genk (Belgium) online and three
branches in Poland. A very special
effort from the IT and Training &
Development teams, given the
circumstances where face-to-face
meetings and travel were difficult.
•
At the same time, the rest of the
European IT team are in the final
stages of their migration to the new
data centre and on top of that are
pushing ahead with a significant
upgrade of their Warehouse
Management System.
•
Europe has a lot on – it is taking a
lot of focus to achieve all these
things ‘at once’ and the team is
doing a great job executing.
•
In New Zealand, we replaced our
data centre over the summer with
little impact to the business. The
infrastructure team managed tight
timelines, supply issues and a
high-risk transition well.
•
The global Air & Ocean business is
embarking on three key customer-
facing software initiatives, adding
features to our Order Management
Solution, starting the redesign of our
booking entry screen in the
customer portal Mainchain, and a
review of our global pricing and
quoting tools.
•
The Transport teams in Australia,
New Zealand and America are
continuing to implement project
“real time” – which puts control over
information with the person doing
the job, using mobile devices. This
area is ‘deepening’ into the freight
handling processes and the
branches are adopting these
technologies at a good pace.
Across all that, we march forward on
our analytics journey. Maintel, our
analytics platform, is expanding in
capability with the focus on providing
insight to our customers’ supply chain.
Not to forget all the ‘business as
usual’ tasks that the IT teams perform
such as keeping up with branch
openings, desktop refreshes, Wi-Fi
upgrades and the significant cyber
security program we have running.
When we get busy, it’s important to
remind ourselves of the Mainfreight
culture. That culture for us in IT means
that we spend time in the branches,
with the team, as much as we can. For
both new team members and long-
serving ones alike, there is value in
being in the branch:
•
There is no better place to get a feel
for the culture.
•
Opportunities are found where the
problems exist, you won’t find them
behind a desk, you will find them
when you talk to the team and see
first-hand where the challenges are.
•
Build relationships. It is inevitable
that at some point you will need the
support of the branches to fix
something, roll out a new feature or
get some feedback.
Let’s keep on building that connection
with the teams. Get out from behind
our ‘Covid-induced’ restrictions and
Webexes to meet face-to-face
wherever possible.
A well-integrated IT team that has a
strong relationship with the team in
the branches has a much easier job
delivering projects and solutions.
Cyber Security
It’s a simple message:
•
Treat it with the respect it
deserves.
•
Educate yourself.
The Cyber team puts a lot of
effort into protecting our
environment. It is an ongoing,
daily effort to stay vigilant and
up-to-date on our front-line
systems, but it can be so easily
undone by any of us.
Projects BATMAN & Alfred – Dave Hall, IT Infrastructure and Security Manager
Projects BATMAN & Alfred are what
we in IT Infrastructure consider to be
the equivalent of a brain and heart
transplant.
B.A.T.M.A.N was our acronym for
‘Build and Transform Mainfreight’s
Aging Nerve-Centre’. This covered
the ‘brain transplant’ or the
replacement of our server and storage
hardware across our New Zealand
data centres.
Alfred, being BATMAN’s ‘cohort’, was
the replacement of our network
equipment or the ‘heart transplant’ of
our New Zealand data centres.
Our data centres in New Zealand are
responsible for delivering technology
services to our Asia-Pacific
operations.
Planning for these projects took place
in mid-2021, with orders being placed
early, to allow for delays in
manufacturing and shipping.
Equipment arrived late-November
2021 and our forward planning meant
we were able to execute swap-out in
our live data centre in January 2022,
and our backup data centre in
February 2022, with no noticeable
impact to our business operations.
Big thanks goes out to our IT
Infrastructure team for completing this
project on time and we continue to
have a stable platform from which to
deliver core business systems for
years to come.
48 MAINFREIGHT TEAM REVIEW // JULY 2022
Connecting
through Social Media –
Eva Caruso, Digital Lead
The digital world has become a
powerful space to connect with our
network. Whether they are our
customers, investors, team members,
prospective customers or a future
team member, the digital team aims to
authentically engage them on our
social platforms.
Platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn and
Instagram are a means of helping us
build relationships with these
audiences, and the main way to
measure that is in ‘Engagement’. The
growth in engagement drives a
greater reach to new, interested
audiences and is a key to our digital
success.
Every ‘like’, ‘share’, ‘comment’, ‘retweet’
or ‘@mention’ is a form of
engagement that shows us that our
digital audiences are interested in
what we have to say. Based on
engagement these were the top
performing posts over the last 12
months.
1. Our Team Members are our stars!
The world likes to see our culture,
and our business shines through
our special team members.
Recognising our legends and
celebrating our drivers resonates
strongly with our audience.
2. LinkedIn, which is the world’s
largest B2B network, delivers the
highest engagement (as opposed
to Facebook, Twitter or Instagram).
Now that you know this, like, share
and comment on our social posts if
they resonate with you! If you see
anything that warrants feedback, we
want to know too so let the digital
team know at digital@mainfreight.com
Yes, there is a trend across the top three posts ...
Tracking your Freight
in Mainchain –
Michelle King, Global
Business Solutions
Mainchain, our customer portal,
continues to expand in capability. We
now show the location of the vessel or
aircraft that is carrying the customer’s
cargo. Soon we’ll add the rail leg for
the regions where rail is prevalent.
When you tell a customer their vessel
was delayed because of congestion in
Oakland, they used to have to take
our word for it, but now they can see for themselves that the vessel was in a holding pattern off Oakland waiting to berth!
Shipment Centre Air & Ocean – Michelle King, Global Business Solutions
Shipment Centre is a feature in
Mainchain, where Air & Ocean
customers can create bookings.
We are embarking on a full refresh
and have engaged with the team
within the regions to gather their
feedback. It was a challenge doing
this using Webex, with some crazy
time-zone issues, but it was fun and
delivered some great results. We ran a
six-week program along these lines:
1. Week ONE – Vision: We picked a
Subject Matter Expert in each
region and allowed them to create
a team to help build a vision for
this product.
2. Week TWO – User Personas:
A lot of ideas on customer needs
and expectations were shared in
these sessions and this valuable
information will shape our
understanding of who are we
designing Shipment Centre for.
3. Week THREE – Current State:
We reviewed the current state of
Shipment Centre and were tasked
REFRESH
MAINFREIGHT TEAM REVIEW // JULY 2022 49
Webex Calling – Michael Hood,
IT Manager Australia
The next generation of calling is here so we are moving our
telephony to the Cloud via Webex Calling.
Webex Calling is a cloud-based phone system that has all
the essential calling capabilities and also delivers the
ultimate collaboration experience combining calling,
messaging, and meetings within a single experience.
Making the transition to the cloud will alleviate the
necessity, expense, and complexity of managing a phone
system infrastructure on premise. Webex Calling is easy
and intuitive to provision, manage, and set up.
The migration to Webex Calling has begun in Australia with
other regions to follow which will allow for a global phone
system and access to the latest technologies.
With four branches
successfully migrated already, the IT team will work closely
with each branch to audit and review your calling
requirements to ensure a smooth and seamless transition
over the next 12 months.
with reviewing every component
and functionality of how the
program exists in its current format.
4. Week FOUR – Comparison: There
were many good features across
our systems and this gave us an
idea of what we would like to see.
5. Week FIVE – Process Flow: Putting
all the pieces together and really
thinking about the total journey
from start to finish, making sure we
got all the information that we
needed in a very simple process.
6. Week SIX – GAP Analysis: What
stood out for us as a team was
how deeply we had thought,
discussed, and conceived
processes for each step of the
booking process, making it into a
streamlined vision that we were
happy with and that we thought
would be beneficial to our
customers.
The project team, being spread across
the world, collaborated via a sharing
application called Mural, so we could
get all our ideas and thoughts down
on (virtual) paper.
Thanks to the global team for getting
us through this first phase:
Michelle King (USA), Michelle Worden
(USA), Nimitra Chandran (Australia),
Sommai Trakarnrung “Lek” (Thailand),
Troy Kirwan (Australia), Maarten Mol
(Netherlands), Daniel Plested
(New Zealand), Caitlin Balderrama
(USA), Alistair Hughes (New Zealand).
Easier Home Deliveries
Home deliveries can be a time-
consuming process. Calling a
customer to arrange a suitable time
to deliver their consignment can take
hours out of our team’s day,
We have implemented the next
iteration of our text service that allows
us to send out a message advising the
date and time of expected delivery.
The customer receives a text
containing a short note and a link to
a mobile webpage where they can
select from a range of options:
•
Confirm the suggested delivery
date and time window
•
Select an alternate delivery date
and time from those available
•
Add delivery instructions
•
Add notifications alerts to receive
updates when their consignment is
on for delivery or delivered
The dispatcher has the flexibility to set delivery windows
and feedback from the customer’s actions flows straight
back to the dispatch screens.
At the click of a Mainstreet button we can send one or
multiple customer notifications by SMS to the delivery
customer with a suggested delivery date.
50 MAINFREIGHT TEAM REVIEW // JULY 2022
Training & Development – Martin Devereux
M
arch 6th, 2022 marked the
occasion of our 44th birthday
and an opportunity for us to
acknowledge we have come a long
way from our humble beginnings at
135 Morrin Road, Panmure. From two
men, one truck and a water blaster we
have grown into a publicly listed
company with over 10,000 men and
women spanning 25 countries, 305
branches and potentially a couple
more water blasters.
It is difficult to capture in one or two
sentences the origins of our success
and story to date but three words do a
reasonable job; Ready, Fire, Aim. With
these three words in mind,
Mainfreight’s training presence began
in earnest in 1997 with a Training
Team who ‘aimed’ at auditing domestic
branch quality, conducting domestic
systems training on our space aged
MS-DOS computer system “Reality”
and also on introducing new team
members to other branches in the
business so they could grasp our size
and scope. In addition, the team
delivered Customer Services training
and Team Leader training to aid in the
development of our people.
Now some 25 years on, our Training
Team has become five Training Teams
operating training centres of various
guises across New Zealand, Australia,
Asia, Europe and the Americas. In
these centres, and in your branches,
our teams conduct training across all
systems and across all parts of our
business. Likewise audits are
conducted in all regions with audits
tailored to the business and also to
the region.
Similarly our non-systems training
offering has extended to all parts of
the business, all regions and on topics
including Health & Safety, Sales,
Leadership, Recruitment, Supply
Chain, Being Easy to Deal With and
numerous other areas relevant to our
team, our business and our customers.
Our role is to help you in your role.
In this time, not only has the
geographic coverage of our training
presence grown, but the manner with
which we provide commercial support
to our business has grown due to the
ever-changing climate in which we
operate. Whilst every training team is
in a different state of maturity, they all
work closely with the business
ensuring each region is well
supported.
In the ‘Ready’ phase of the original
training proposition, our focus was to
teach people the right way of doing
things, to audit how well we followed
our quality manuals, and to educate
our team on who they worked for.
Today our teams are almost
permanently in the ‘Fire’ phase where
we are discovering new and unique
solutions to new and unique
challenges.
We continue to audit, train, find and
develop our next generation of team
members but we are also supporting
the business with process innovation
and implementation, with helping
manage the ever-changing landscape
of customer relations or with helping
manage the increasing level of
interactions with legislative bodies.
What this means is we have incredibly
agile teams who not only understand
our culture and business but equally
they understand the fact that the
world is not standing still and the
importance of our business innovating
and evolving. If you get the
opportunity to visit our Training Teams
please take the time to ask them to
take you through some of the projects
they work on each and every day. You
will be surprised as to what they do.
Across all regions we continue to
work hard to position Mainfreight as a
place to forge a career. These efforts
often focus on those at University but
we are starting to find traction with
those who choose a path that doesn’t
involve university. Therefore the focus
on further growing our relationships
with schools and other youth-related
environments continues to be viewed
as an important avenue for finding
new team members.
Team Health – Good Food, Good Mood.
One of our Asian team workshops offering a variety of tools to deal with stress
One of our recent Australia Transport Induction Courses
Front Row L-R: Trent Collins, Anton Fitt, John Haimona, Keith Abrahams
Back Row L-R: Stanley Byrnes, Nicholas Turner, Jack Walker, Fazil Saheed,
Cara Thompson, Alexander Kolfschoten
MAINFREIGHT TEAM REVIEW // JULY 2022 51
Whilst promotion from within is a
simple philosophy, the practice is not,
and it is one we must be careful not to
stray from. Growing our talent
requires commitment from every team
member and the same patience that
was extended to all of us when we
first started. Aligned with this theme
significant effort has been invested in
all regions to accelerate the transition
of a new team member into becoming
a team member who knows what is
expected of them and how to navigate
their career. Whether it is a refined
induction course, a new “Welcome to
Mainfreight” book / passport or a one-
day program focused on new future
leaders we are constantly working on
how we can accelerate the speed with
which a new team ‘gets it’.
Moving forward there is a lot of work
and new discoveries ahead for 2022.
The past two years have sent
unheralded challenges, and
opportunities, our way. Now it is time
to start looking towards our collective
future. Please take the time to
introduce yourself to the Training
Team in your region and open your
mind to the breadth of careers
available across our business.
Virtual University of Canterbury Careers Expo - Emma Bryant
and Lizzie Judd (Training Centre NZ) presenting to UC students
Driver appreciation week, Zwijnaarde. Blacking tyres !!
L- R : Jesse Louage, Marien Pastoor, Pieter Matthys , Mathias Lava
USA Induction Course Classroom work:
Regina Warden helping the team understand “Quality is critical”
Mainmove Poland: Training team superstars
L-R: Nadya Stroomer, Agnieszka Brymerska, Courtney Bould
Air & Ocean Tour USA Induction Course:
Front row L-R: Christine Saldana, Mahina Hirahara, Jovita Orozco, Harsh Dharamshi
Back row L-R: Jade O’Reilly, Carlos Fuerte, Megan Holdener, Kenneth Salcido,
Ruby Cardenas, Martha Valenzuela, Joe Garcia, Luis Maya, Jorge Vasquez, Alvaro Fuerte
Is it Mainfreight man or Ian Lodge
(Mainfreight Manchester) attending an Induction?
52 MAINFREIGHT TEAM REVIEW // JULY 2022
Bereavements
Wilma Kornet,
Mainfreight Warehousing Zaltbommel
Wilma Kornet passed away on 27th November 2021, at the age of 50.
Wilma started working for Mainfreight in the summer of 2020 and we have
got to know her as a passionate and hardworking Team Member.
Wilma was outspoken and brought a lot of energy into the team.
She worked at our reception desk and everybody knew her and she
knew everybody: from our team to all the drivers and suppliers who
she helped out very passionately on a daily basis.
Our thoughts are with her family and the people close to her.
She will be missed.
Jan Michiels,
Mainfreight Transport Zwijnaarde
Jan Michiels passed away suddenly at the age of 67.
Jan was still driving a week before he passed. His death was
therefore very unexpected and a huge shock to his family and
the Mainfreight team.
Jan had been part of our team since 2019. He was loved and
respected by everyone and was always ready to help the team in need.
Our thoughts are with his family. Jan will be dearly missed.
Ernie Griego, Mainfreight Los Angeles
Mainfreight Los Angeles mourns the passing of our beloved friend,
Ernie Griego. We had the honor of enjoying his company for eight years;
time which now feels as though it was not enough.
He was patient, intelligent, and had a superb sense of humor. He always
had a witty comeback for every conversation; a quality which we will truly
miss. Everyone that came in contact with Ernie had nothing but positive
remarks to share about him.
Ernie was a loving husband, father, grandfather, and friend. His unexpected
death deeply hurt us but he left us with many fond memories that we will
cherish forever.
MAINFREIGHT TEAM REVIEW // JULY 2022 53
Humberto Abrica - Mainfreight Los Angeles
We are deeply saddened by the untimely passing of team member
Humberto Abrica of Mainfreight Los Angeles.
Humberto left a positive impact within his team. He was always
professional, respectful and dedicated to his work. He was a kind soul
who left us too soon. His passing is a reminder that life is short, but his
presence here was an example of how we should all strive to live our
lives; by enjoying every moment and having a positive attitude.
He is survived by his wife, children, siblings, parents and his Mainfreight
team who will always keep Humberto close in their thoughts.
Sam Flutey,
Mainfreight Warehousing Christchurch
In November 2021 we learned of the tragic news that we had lost
one of our team members from MFW Christchurch. Gone from this
world too soon, aged 30 years; leaving behind his fiancé, daughter,
step-daughter and son.
Sam left a lasting impression in his time with us. His cheeky
sense of humour and his ability to make others around him laugh
and enjoy the moment was something special. Not only was he a
great person, he was a great worker. Sam had a motto, “if it ain’t
freight, it can wait” especially when things got busy.
The team will not be the same without Sam and he is hugely
missed and forever will be.
54 MAINFREIGHT TEAM REVIEW // JULY 2022
Lloyd Rivers-Smith 45 Daily Freight Transport Auckland
Jos Cox 40 Mainfreight Warehousing Born
Bennie Schut 40 Mainfreight Trucks & Drivers 's-Heerenberg
Marlies Soetelmans-Gerits 40 Mainfreight Warehousing Born
Diana Abbenhuis-Siroen 35 Mainfreight Trucks & Drivers 's-Heerenberg
Ina Beekhuizen-Roes 35 Mainfreight Transport 's-Heerenberg
Brett Cuttle 35 Mainfreight Transport Palmerston North Owner Driver
David Farrell 35 Mainfreight Transport Rotorua
Arthur Hoogsteder 35 Mainfreight European Support
Rudy Vandewalle 35 Mainfreight Support Belgium
Shane Douglas 30 Mainfreight Air & Ocean Auckland Accounts
Jean-Gérard Fifis 30 Mainfreight Warehousing Zaltbommel
Wayne Goodwin 30 Mainfreight Transport Hamilton Owner Driver
Michael Griffiths 30 Mainfreight Transport Christchurch
Wouter Janssen 30 Mainfreight Trucks & Drivers 's-Heerenberg
Robert Little 30 Mainfreight Air & Ocean Wellington
John Mackay 30 Mainfreight Transport Napier
Peter McNally 30 Mainfreight Warehousing Epping
Nikki Oliver 30 Daily Freight Transport Christchurch
Darryn Petricevich 30 Mainfreight IT Victoria
Roland Ruesink 30 Mainfreight Trucks & Drivers 's-Heerenberg
Brendan Ryan 30 Mainfreight Air & Ocean National Support
Jack Schweckhorst 30 Mainfreight Express Netherlands
René Spaan 30 Mainfreight Warehousing Zaltbommel
Guido Staels 30 Mainfreight Transport Belgium
Fred te Wiel 30 Mainfreight Trucks & Drivers 's-Heerenberg
Sjoerd Teerink 30 Mainfreight Warehousing 's-Heerenberg
Paul Tolson 30 Mainfreight Transport Auckland
Paolina Tortora 30 Mainfreight Air & Ocean Airfreight Melbourne
Kevin Aldridge 25 Mainfreight Transport Auckland Owner Driver
Arno Broekhuizen 25 Mainfreight Trucks & Drivers 's-Heerenberg
Wayne Busson 25 Mainfreight McAlpine W/House
Mario Carette 25 Mainfreight Transport Belgium
Kim Curtis 25 Mainfreight Warehousing O'Rorke Rd
Angelo Daamen 25 Mainfreight Transport 's-Heerenberg
Tom Davis 25 Owens Tankers Auckland
Andrea D'Cruz 25 Chemcouriers Clayton
Trace Donaghey 25 Mainfreight Training Centre
Christine Douglas 25 Mainfreight Air & Ocean Wellington
Grant Draper 25 Mainfreight Air & Ocean National
Robert Ede 25 Daily Freight Transport Wellington
Marc Elting 25 Mainfreight Trucks & Drivers 's-Heerenberg
Wesley Fa'aui 25 Daily Freight Transport Auckland
Deborah Jackson 25 Mainfreight Warehousing 107 Westney Rd
Nic Kay 25 Mainfreight NZ National Team
Ronald Luikink 25 Mainfreight Transport 's-Heerenberg
Robert McGillivray 25 Mainfreight Transport Christchurch
Corina Mareela 25 Mainfreight Transport Transport Auckland
Luc Meulemeester 25 Mainfreight Warehousing Belgium
Osman Osman 25 Mainfreight Transport Clayton
Liane Philipsen 25 Mainfreight European Support
SERVICE ACHIEVEMENTS
The following members of our team have celebrated, or will shortly celebrate, 20 years or more with us:
MAINFREIGHT TEAM REVIEW // JULY 2022 55
Grace Polgar 25 Mainfreight Metro Melbourne
Elvis Rowlands 25 Mainfreight Transport Palmerston North
Willem Smits 25 Mainfreight Trucks & Drivers 's-Heerenberg
Cor Straub 25 Mainfreight Transport 's-Heerenberg
Rieky te Grootenhuis-Hebbink 25 Mainfreight Transport 's-Heerenberg
Monique Tuenter-ten Holder 25 Mainfreight Transport 's-Heerenberg
Peter van de Kamp 25 Mainfreight Transport 's-Heerenberg
Eric van der Pol 25 Mainfreight Warehousing 's-Heerenberg
Edwin Vrogten 25 Mainfreight Trucks & Drivers 's-Heerenberg
Rob Aalders 20 Mainfreight Transport 's-Heerenberg
Mohammed Ahmad 20 Owens Transport Auckland Owner Driver
Nathan Anderson 20 Mainfreight Transport Dunedin Owner Driver
Wilco Bannink 20 Mainfreight Trucks & Drivers 's-Heerenberg
Hohepa Brown 20 Mainfreight Transport Auckland
Lane Bynon-Powell 20 Mainfreight Transport New Plymouth
Alex Corbisier 20 Mainfreight Transport Belgium
Sylvia Costa Neves 20 Mainfreight Transport Paris
Craig Cowper 20 Mainfreight Metro Christchurch Owner Driver
Dipak Dayal 20 Mainfreight Transport Tauranga Owner Driver
Ruth De Lautour 20 Mainfreight Transport National Support
Nicole Driever-Ruess 20 Mainfreight European Support
Alan Edwards 20 Mainfreight Transport Auckland Owner Driver
Corine Evers-Karsten 20 Mainfreight Trucks & Drivers 's-Heerenberg
Rosite Frielink-Gerrits 20 Mainfreight European Support
Rifet Gorovic 20 Mainfreight Metro Melbourne
John Graham 20 Mainfreight Transport Wellington
Melanie Greenbank 20 Mainfreight Transport Hamilton
Paul Grimes-Coyle 20 Mainfreight Warehousing Tauranga
René Inkenhaag 20 Mainfreight Transport 's-Heerenberg
Konelio Leone 20 Owens Warehousing Kahu St
Fereniki Londy 20 Owens Brisbane
Andrea McCafferty 20 Mainfreight Transport Masterton
Jason McFadden 20 Mainfreight Air & Ocean Perishables Christchurch
Rhoda Malveda 20 Mainfreight IT NZ
Andrew Maxwell 20 Owens Warehousing Christchurch
Jai Prasad 20 Mainfreight Warehousing 107 Westney Rd
James Price 20 Mainfreight FTL South Island/SI Bulk
Dirk Ragaert 20 Mainfreight Transport Belgium
Rachael Richardson 20 Mainfreight Air & Ocean Auckland Seafreight
Nirajan (Niraj) Singh 20 Owens Transport Auckland
Wendy Smith 20 Mainfreight Christchurch Wharf
Greg Stringer 20 Chemcouriers Auckland
Aart van Silfhout 20 Mainfreight European Support
Celia Tepania 20 Mainfreight Air & Ocean Auckland Seafreight
Ralf Timmer 20 Mainfreight 's-Heerenberg
Joanne Warway 20 Mainfreight Air & Ocean Seafreight Melbourne
Haedyn Wicks 20 Mainfreight Transport Wellington
Paul Wilson 20 Mainfreight Air & Ocean Dunedin
Sakir Yilmaz 20 Mainfreight Trucks & Drivers 's-Heerenberg
Thank you for your loyalty, dedication and hard work – What an achievement!
SERVICE ACHIEVEMENTS
The following members of our team have celebrated, or will shortly celebrate, 20 years or more with us:
56 MAINFREIGHT TEAM REVIEW // JULY 2022
Long Service Legends
Special Legends Celebration – Mainfreight Auckland Team
Catching up on a whole lot of Service Legends after Covid restrictions - that’s a grand total of one hundred and ninety-five years of service!
Thank you for your hard work, dedication and loyalty over the years - L-R: Kevin Tram, Jareth Wong, Robbie Croft, Jon Absolom, Hohepa Brown,
Josh Haunga, Donna Sim, Corina Mareela, Lui Naoupu, Rachel McKenzie, Boris Hirawani (not pictured Charlotte Hoeft)
Congratulations Aart van Silfhout,
EU National Team, for being one of our special
people for 20 years
L-R: Carl George presenting Nic Kay,
New Zealand National Team, with his 25 years’
long-service certificate form
Thirty-Year Celebrations across the World!
Congratulations to You All!
Geoff Lulham, Warehousing Christchurch - L-R: Brynley Riches and Geoff Lulham
Shane Douglas, Mainfreight Air & Ocean
Auckland - L-R: Joel Pereira and Shane Douglas
Peter “Mac” McNally,
Mainfreight Warehousing Epping
L-R: Jason Thea and Peter McNally
MAINFREIGHT TEAM REVIEW // JULY 2022 57
Thirty-Year Celebrations across the World! Congratulations to You All!
Retirements
Mainfreight Warehousing Oostende (BE)
We have said goodbye to some of our true Mainfreight Legends. For many
years we have enjoyed your enthusiasm and knowledge. Rik, Johan, Rudy
and Martine enjoy your well-earned retirement!
Paolina Tortora, Air & Ocean Melbourne
L-R: Grant Draper, Paolina Tortora
and Travis Dellar
Jack Schweckhorst celebrated his 30-year
anniversary at Mainfreight, what a milestone!
Fred te Wiel, one of our passionate and our
finest drivers of Rotterdam celebrated his
30-year anniversary.
Mainfreight Transport Zwijnaarde (BE)
Recently we have celebrated the retirement of
Marc and Stefaan. After long years of service,
Marc with 33 years and Stefaan with 24 years,
we wish you both a happy retirement!
Retirement – Drivers
‘s-Heerenberg (NL)
Frank and Paul, thanks for
all your commitment and
hard work, now you can
start enjoying your
retirement!
For 45 years and 2 days Frank Medze has been
behind the wheel for Mainfreight. We were waiting
for him when he arrived, together with his son,
Jelle, also a Mainfreight driver.
After almost 44 years of driving across Europe for Mainfreight,
Paul Dieker said goodbye to the Mainfreight Family.
Rik VannesteStefaan Van Aken
Martine Van HyfteMarc MaertenJohan Baudewijn
Rudy Vandewalle
58 MAINFREIGHT TEAM REVIEW // JULY 2022
Global Awards Ceremonies
Europe
Branch of the Year 2021 – Air & Ocean Rotterdam
Congratulations to our Air & Ocean Rotterdam Team on
being the Branch of the Year 2021! Well done Stijn and team
Sales Team Member of the Year
Congratulations to Aline Draps from Air & Ocean Antwerp:
Sales Team Member of the Year for 2021
L-R: Ben Fitts, Nic Matthews, Maarten Mol and Stijn Vliegen
L-R: Peter Koo, Clement Chong, Sean Wang, Cary Chung,
Joan Ji, Joe Cheng, Franky Lui, Vincent Lee
L-R: Maarten Mol, Aline Draps, Nic Matthews, Bradley Russell
Asia
Branch of the Year 2021
Congratulations Mainfreight Shanghai Ocean, Asian Branch
of the Year for 2021
Sales Team of the Year 2021
The Best Mainfreight Sales Team Award in Asia 2021
– Hong Kong Sales Team
L-R: Jacky Lam, Tony Li, Duncan Tang, Noel Kong, Alma She
The Best CaroTrans Sales Team – CaroTrans Hong Kong Team
L-R: Perry Lau, Yvonne Yick, Justin Mak, Dennis Chau
The Best Salesperson Award in Asia 2021
Noel Kong with Jack Lam (left)
MAINFREIGHT TEAM REVIEW // JULY 2022 59
Bruce Plested presents the award to Shannon HeganKaryn Hawkes with Rob Croft
Elaine Wong Branch Manager Mainfreight Newark Ocean
Freight accepts the award for Branch of the Year from
Jason Braid and Nathan Thomas
L-R: Jake Moller, Josh Vermillion, Steve Turner
Salesperson of the Year
The Salesperson of the Year 2022 Award went to Josh Vermillion
of Mainfreight San Diego Air & Ocean Branch.
Americas
Branch of the Year Award
Congratulations to Mainfreight Newark
Ocean Freight - Branch of the Year for
Mainfreight Americas.
New Zealand
Branch of the Year
Mainfreight New Zealand Branch of the Year:
Mainfreight Auckland Ocean.
Salesperson of the Year
Congratulations to Karyn Hawkes Mainfreight
Air & Ocean Christchurch on achieving
New Zealand Sales Person of the Year for 2021.
60 MAINFREIGHT TEAM REVIEW // JULY 2022
Australia
Branch of the Year
Air & Ocean Perth is Branch of the
Year for Australia.
Congratulations to the Perth team
who had a profitable year driven by
strong sales growth across all of its
products. Just as importantly they
had a very high level of service to
their customers as shown by their
very good quality, morale and debtor
KPIs.
To win Branch of the Year you need
to excel in all areas and the Perth
A&O Team has done that, Well done!
L-R: Dave Scott, Vincent Woolfe, Travis Thorogood,
Brendan Ryan
Sales Team of the Year
Congratulations to Mainfreight Air & Ocean Auckland on achieving New Zealand Sales Team of the Year for 2021
L-R: Mark Glover, Jeremy Davis, Lara de Wet, Davis Palmer, Arwen Tao, Paul Riethmaier, Amanda Pritchard, Matt Small, Nic Kay, Mark Belfiore
Salesperson of the Year
Congratulations to Vincent Woolfe, Air & Ocean
Victoria (who has since taken on the role as
Sales Manager for Chemcouriers Melbourne).
MAINFREIGHT TEAM REVIEW // JULY 2022 61
It’s our people that make the difference... some team shots from around the traps!
Mainfreight NZ Apples – fresh from Tollemache Orchard ...
and the buckets get used for everything, as Georgia Plested and a friend show!
L-R: Olivia Morales, Celine Eazell – enjoying
the view at the Port of Long Beach
No job descriptions! Today’s task for our
Mainfreight Man in Frankfurt is hiring new
talent – go get ‘em!
Getting down to it – painting the dock with destination codes
L-R: Miracle Ropati, Lanuola Fesolai –
Mainfreight Transport Auckland
Amazing depiction of the ‘Dream Team’ at James Hardie Warehousing in
Auckland. The team have all come from different walks of life, some from
Transport, some from Warehousing, and some from the customer. All working
as one unit and getting the job done ... whilst having fun at the same time.
Back L-R: Ashwine Lata, James Fuamatu, Onyx Fiatau, Bronson Daniels
Middle L-R: Maria Carbonilla, Tayne Springer, Milan Cihak, Edward Fagalilo,
Miriama Kalolo, Josh Ioasa
Front L-R: Jack Saena, Severe Sipeli, Vinni Sionepeni, Sautia Misa,
Sione Kuli, Reagan Tapuai
62 MAINFREIGHT TEAM REVIEW // JULY 2022
Indoor Soccer Game – Go Team CaroTrans Miami
Branch Manager of CaroTrans Miami, Hugo Sequeira and his team organized an indoor soccer game at a local venue
to get to know their vendors and customers better outside of an office setting.
First row: Hugo Sequeira (far left), Bryan Meza (red/blue shirt), then Romer Urdaneta - Second Row far right: Joelys Estevez (Mainfreight Miami)
Hong Kong Sales Team won the costume prize at the Annual Dinner, recreating the Japanese comic “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba”
L-R: Tony Li, Cyan Leung, Noel Kong, Duncan Tang, William Lai, Kit Leung, Gigi Wong, Michelle Wong, Tony Lau, Grand Chow, Mapy Chow, Crystal Wong
The CaroTrans/CFS Auckland team’s recent wood-fired pizza lunch
was enjoyed by all!
The LA Warehousing Team – ready to seize the day with smiles and all!
MAINFREIGHT TEAM REVIEW // JULY 2022 63
Feedback
We received this lovely feedback from a customer in Europe. For
those of you who don’t speak Dutch, the customer comments that
they arrived to find a proof of delivery form, but couldn’t see their
cartons stacked where they usually would be at the back of the
store. The driver had instead taken the consignment down to the
basement himself – a kindness that was greatly appreciated. Well
done Neil Liddicott (Mainfreight Zwijnaarde) – you’re a great
representative of Mainfreight!
Van: Brugge
Verzonden: donderdag 23 december 2021 10:23
Aan: Marjolein W
Onderwerp: Levering
Bij het binnenkomen zag ik het
leverbewijs liggen maar zag nergens
mijn dozen staan die gebruikelijk in
de winkel of achteraan in magazijn
geplaatst worden.
Ik vond mijn levering terug in de kelder. Dit is totaal niet nodig
MAAR chapeau aan de leverancier die dit gedaan heeft!!
Bij deze een pluim voor deze top leverancier die eigenhandig onze
grote bestelling in de kelder wilde zetten. Wij wensen hem prettige
en VERDIENDE feestdagen toe! Waren ze allemaal maar zo
werklustig als deze persoon!
Mocht u hem kunnen bereiken en dit kunnen doorsturen,
zou super zijn.
Benoit, Emely en Emma
From: David Carswell
Date: 8 June 2022 at 8:07:40 PM NZST
To: Bruce Plested
Subject: Re: Apples :-)
Hi Bruce
Please find attached a note of thanks that I have just received
from one of our newest customers here in Geelong in response to
our apples.
I hope this gives you as much pleasure as it did for me.
Kind regards
Dave
From: Sue N
Sent: Wednesday, 8 June 2022 3:02 PM
To: David Carswell Subject: Apples :-)
Hi David, thank you! I would dearly appreciate the following
message making its way to Bruce if possible:
Your delivery of apples was heartfelt and very much appreciated.
A little bit about myself, I am studying sustainability at the
moment, as my dream is to run a community garden to give back
seasonable fruit and vegetables to those in need, these are my
core values – to give back and pass it on.
My team will dearly appreciate the thought and of course the
apples. The truth is, you never really understand what is
happening in a persons’ life, as the old saying goes, until you walk
a mile in their shoes. People come to work and share very little
about their personal lives, sometimes a hello and how was your
weekend... but you don’t really understand if they are having
difficulties... whether on a personal or financial level.
This gesture is very kind. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Sue N
Warehouse and Procurement Manager
From: Sam C
Sent: Thursday, 16 December 2021 10:43 am
To: Diego Cueto (MFAO AKL) Diego.Cueto@
mainfreight.com
Subject: Re: MPI BACC relating to consignment
Diego,
Thank you so much for all your work on getting this
through and your unprompted progress updates, it is
actually very rare to get quick replies to emails from
other companies let alone to receive such dedicated
attention and proper customer service especially when
you’re probably juggling many difficult shipments to get
through to customers around NZ.
It might be just another day at the office and one of
many but I’m really stoked with your service and it’s
helped provide our customers something entirely new
plus we have confidence to plan ahead for more (and
larger) shipments and grow our business.
Have a great summer, I’ll be in touch when we’re ready
to get the next lot into NZ
Thanks
Sam C
Director
From: Nat P
Sent: Thursday, 27 January 2022 2:11 PM
To: Masterton Pickups
Subject: Great service
Good afternoon,
I just wanted to pass on some feedback as I have been
meaning to for some time.
I have had your delivery driver deliver tiles multiple times
for me. I wanted to pass on that he provides such great
service. He is always cheery, has a good chat as he
unloads. therefore quick and efficiently unloading it with
a friendly touch. He is always willing to help get it to the
appropriate place and comes up with a solution if it isn’t
possible.
He is a great person to have face-to-face with clients.
Please pass on my thanks
Regards
Nat P
Great job Gary Strang!
64 MAINFREIGHT TEAM REVIEW // JULY 2022
From: Lorraine H
Sent: Thursday, 17 March 2022 7:37 AM
To: Victoria Harwood (Owens AKL); Thomas Merriman (MFL)
Subject: Rotorua MF deliveries – feedback
Hi Everyone,
I was talking to Tracy B from the Rotorua Dialysis Unit this morning and she wanted me to mention that
she has been very impressed with the delivery and the service since we have transferred across to
Mainfreight. Very high praise indeed!
She went on to say, the same driver has delivered each time, he’s pleasant, nothing is too much trouble,
he has listened to the guidance of where they would like their stock put and continued to do a great job.
He separates the products as they have instructed and the changeover couldn’t have gone better!
She also mentioned they were quite nervous about the change of drivers and the move to MF, but
Mainfreight have surpassed all expectations.
So nice to hear! Well done MF team
Many Thanks
Lorraine H
Clinical Specialist
From: Peter Large
Sent: Friday, 17 December 2021 11:06 AM
To: Shona Taylor
Subject: RE: YABBA Books for Donation
Hi Shona
Thank you for your help earlier in the week. I rang
Michelle from YABBA around midday on the Tuesday
she was to drop off the books.
Michelle was so excited, she had called in to
Mainfreight Clayton on schedule, was warmly
welcomed, then received plenty of help unloading the
20 odd cartons from the car, with plenty of Mainfreight
people happy to assist with photos and the unloading.
Don’t be surprised to see Mainfreight mentioned on
Michelle’s social media posts about what her YABBA
organisation is doing with Books in Homes, and
thanking Mainfreight!
Thank you for your help and thank you to all your
Mainfreight team at Clayton who assisted with
receiving the books for Books in Homes and making
Michelle’s visit to Mainfreight a pleasant one!
Kind Regards,
Peter Large
CEO & Chairperson
Books in Homes Australia
www.booksinhomes.com.au
From: Dan R
Sent: December 4, 2021 4:13 PM
To: Dave Coughlin
Subject: Mainfreight getting it done
Good afternoon Dave,
Wanted to make a point of thanking you and the greater Mainfreight
team, for the continued outstanding freight service.
With our large orders from California and from Canada, your team have
kept me up to date on everything that is happening, including a few
minor delay notifications, but they were to be expected in the current
worldwide mess that we’re all in. Your team have always been up front
about the likelihood of delays, though it looks like you’re still going to go
pretty close to hitting the original estimates, which is great.
On the matter of domestic freight, we’ve been receiving dozens of
orders, of all sorts of gear, from all over the place. The experience
we’ve had from other carriers has been anywhere from ordinary, to poor,
to absolutely disgusting.
One equipment order which was coming from Clayton to Torquay, took
the best part of two weeks to arrive from the time of dispatch! It took
me two separate trips to Torquay and days of waiting for the delivery
each time, because their online system indicated “On Board for
Delivery”. Their office couldn’t give me more accurate info over the
phone, because I didn’t book the job! No... I’m just the poor bugger
who is paying for it and wasting days waiting! Infuriating!
On the other hand, our friends from A--- completed the final bits and
pieces of our large order on Wednesday afternoon. They phoned to let
me know that the order would be picked up last thing on Wednesday
and they’d request Friday delivery for us (I couldn’t be at Torquay on
Monday or Tuesday). Sure enough, Mainfreight called me at about 8am
on Friday and arrived with the delivery right on 9am. The driver was a
great bloke and helped me to unload, to the far end of the gym.
An outstanding performance! I thanked him, then followed up with a
big thanks to A--- and encouraged them to stick with Mainfreight.
In my experience, any other carrier will surely let them down.
Keep up the good work!
Cheers
Dan R.
MAINFREIGHT TEAM REVIEW // JULY 2022 65
From:
Sam S
Sent:
29 October, 2021 1:03 PM
To:
Vanessa Maxwell
Subject:
Feedback
Hi Vanessa,
In short, we really appreciate the extra mile you & the team
go when it comes to getting our gear out around the
country & your somewhat magical ability to make things
happen for us when we’re in a tight spot. That final delivery
is a very important part of the process with our customers,
and having a reliable partner that can make our (at times
un-reasonable) requests happen makes a big difference.
Regards,
Sam S
On 15 Nov 2021, at 9:26 pm, Tolga A wrote:
Just a quick note.
Mainfreight driver came and could not get in to our
yard due to gates being closed (very inconvenient).
So obviously the truck driver has left without picking
this urgent order.
BUT big thanks to Sam from Mainfreight, he came
back with his car, picked the freight up and literally
put the freight on the VIC truck himself.!!
Amazing service where he went out of his way to get
this urgent order on the truck...!!!
Hopefully this will be in Melb tomorrow morning.
Tolga A
From: Mark W
Sent: Monday, November 15, 2021 9:37:38 PM
To: Tolga A
Hi Tolga,
Wow that is amazing service!!!!!! How do people like Sam
exist in an industry where real customer service seems to
be amiss?
Thanks again to you and everyone who has been involved
in finding a solution. It’s incredible what this business can
achieve.
Regards,
Mark W
From: Ken McC
Sent: 04 February 2022 20:16
To: Graham Cordingley
Subject: RE: Collection & Delivery to France
Hi Graham,
My name is Ken McCarthy I’m the store’s manager for
GN Ireland. I just wanted to reach out to you to
compliment some of your team working with you there
in Mainfreight UK.
I’ve only had the pleasure of dealing with a few of your
team but I would like to say how fantastic they have
been.
A few months ago Alan Kenny assisted me with some
customs issues for me at the height of Brexit. Alan
helped me along the way, he was so patient,
understanding, willing to help in any way he could and
always at the other end of the phone/email.
Because of that support, we setup a draw down order
with Mainfreight UK to process any customs clearance
we might have in our 2 interconnector stations in
Scotland (not huge volumes but a start).
Last week as part of some maintenance at one of our
interconnector stations in Scotland, we needed to get
a large part of one of our turbines sent to France for
some urgent repairs. I contacted Mainfreight UK and
over this past week Jack Clarke and I have had many
calls and emails regarding this collection, the service
from Jack is again second to none.
I have been in the logistics business in many different
roles for 30 years, and felt I needed to reach out to
compliment you and your team for your outstanding
customer service. I think people are very fast to
complain but we never hear the compliments, I would
be very grateful if you could pass on my thanks to Alan,
Nicola & Jack for their tremendous work.
I noticed in Jack’s contact information Mainfreight’s
motto is “Special People, Special Company” well I for
one can agree with that statement.
Kind regards,
Ken McC
From: Tolga A
Sent: Monday, November 15, 2021 10:02 PM
To: Samuel Jenkins
Subject: FW: Service
Hi Sam,
Some comments below from our team on your amazing service
this afternoon.
You are definitely the Hero of the night for making this happen.
Thank you once again for putting an extra effort and big thanks
to the Mainfreight team for transporting this urgent freight
tonight.
Best Regards,
Tolga A
Logistics and Converting Manager
66 MAINFREIGHT TEAM REVIEW // JULY 2022
From: Arwen Tao (MFAO AKL)
Sent: Friday, February 25, 2022 9:04 AM
To: Moana Long (MFI Shanghai) , Caroline Ding (MFI Shanghai) , Joan Ji (MFI Shanghai)
Subject: Letter from Arwen
Hi Moana,
Thank you for assisting with Z’s HHP orders on 17th Feb.
It was a difficult case as shipper has changed its goods ready time and container numbers many times but you managed
so well. Importantly you have solved the space of the urgent order within half hour.
In addition to your excellent customer service and operational skill, I would also like to thank you for your patience and
dedication.
The client and me who really appreciate what you have done for this account.
It is also a great pleasure knowing that you are part of the team and we can rely on you whenever we need.
Kind regards
Arwen Tao | Account Manager
A snapshot of Mainfreight’s
outstanding success
and achievements from
14 June 1996
to 14 June 2022:
830 employees
to 10,393 employees
Expanding from 41 branches
to 305 branches
Operating in two countries
to 25 countries
Market cap from $57m
to $4.7b
Operating revenue
from $103.8m
to $5.2b
Thanks NZX!
MAINFREIGHT TEAM REVIEW // JULY 2022 67
ASIA AUSTRALIA NEW ZEALAND EUROPE AMERICAS
www.mainfreight.com
www.facebook.com/mainfreight
The Mainfreight Newsletter was printed in New Zealand on a carbon neutral
press and on paper certified against the Forest Stewardship Council
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Standards.
FSC promotes environmentally responsible, socially beneficial and economically
viable management of the world’s forests
The only way is up!
Data sourced from publicly available filings. Our datasets may not be complete. Automated analysis can produce errors. If you believe any data on this page is incorrect, please contact us at hello@nzxplorer.co.nz. For informational purposes only. Not investment advice.
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