FAST, EFFICIENT INTERSTATE ROAD FREIGHT

FA S T, E F F I C I E N T I N T E R S TAT E R O A D F R E I G H T
From Max’s Desk
Border Express is celebrating 25 years of service
I cannot believe that it is 25
years since I was area manager
for Ansett / TNT in 1981.
I went to the bank with all the cash I could
muster ($30,000), to request a business
loan of $70,000. Fortunately my friendly
bank manager said ‘yes’ and as they say,
the rest is history. I thought that I could
make more than my salary and as luck
would have it, I did.
The problem of course with Border Express
turning 25 is that I am turning 75 as well,
and that is not an appealing thought.
I must admit that it is a fair bit better than
the alternative.
If you compare my life to a
footy match that third quarter
was all about Border Express.
The fourth quarter (there is no last quarter)
will be different and there is a very strong
chance that by the end of that one I will be
well and truly on the bench and with a fair
degree of certainty, under it.
So what was the third quarter all about
and how did we go? I think we went pretty
well!!!
Obviously, my twenty years of previous
activity in the industry gave me sufficient
credibility to win the centre bounce, and
from then on we appeared to gather the
following wind. My original company was
a small operation but during its existence
1959 to 1974 we acquired Moore Paragon
and what was Borg Warner. These
customers were maintained during the
TNT years (1974–1981) and they, in turn,
formed the backbone of the Border Express
customer base. It was a small side to begin
with. Myself, Eddie Morrison and John
Britton in Albury, Dale McBean and two
in Melbourne and Geoff driving a delivery
truck in Sydney. Rod Coelli and Lyn Smith
joined the ranks shortly afterwards.
2
Border Express Headquarters, 1981
So what went wrong? Today we have over
500 members in the side, plus anything
up to 200 subbies. Our fleet of 6 flat top
trailers has grown to over 300 and seems
to be still going. Nothing went wrong.
What went right?… a lot!!!
We worked along very happily on Wagga
Road. In 1983 we had the opportunity to
buy a share of Finemores Transport which
was just coming out of receivership. This
proved to be very beneficial over the years
as Finemores did not wish to compete in
the Albury area. We worked with them
when the national tenders were called for
the newsprint mills.
The coaching panel continued to make
some very good tactical moves. By 1987
we had totally outgrown our Wagga Road
site and we were fortunate to buy back
the original premises that we had first
purchased as Albury Border Transport in
1967. That was a long time ago! In 1989 we
successfully tendered on the Mill work to
Melbourne on old roll floor flat tops. The
third quarter rolled along well but by the
mid nineties it was becoming obvious that
the coaching staff had to look outside the
BORDER EXPRESS NEWS SPRING 2006
square and get some fresh legs in. The fresh
legs came from Merritts and Marsdens
which were both purchased in 1998. We
added a very important member to the
coaching panel… one Ronald Crowe. He
has been most welcome and brought a
vision to the game which we did not have
before. His experience in the LTL business
has been essential in the rapid growth,
even though he has insisted that we
borrow some many millions of dollars to
set up facilities. I now think these facilities
are outstanding when stacked up against
the other players in our division.
Why did we play so well in the third
quarter? We had the right game plan
which saw the interstate revenue increase
by 900% and our draft selections were very
good. You cannot win matches without the
right mix of players. We have acquired a lot
of new blood in the dying stages of this
quarter and I have no doubt that they will
continue to be members of a premiership
side. There is no doubt however, that as we
finish this 25 years the industry is under
pressure and some fine tuning needs to
be done.
From the
Editor’s Desk
Border Express racks
up the national
trifecta in its 25th Year.
So where do I see the fourth
quarter? We have started well
by winning many prestigious
‘Best Player’ awards and I
congratulate, very sincerely,
the team for that effort. It is
rewarding for the owners who
have been prepared to invest
in the resources of people,
facilities, technology and meet
the regulatory requirements.
It is not, however, the main aim.
NATIONALLY
WINNER 2006: Australian
Freight and Logistic Award
– National Carrier of the Year
WINNER 2006 NSW Master
Carrier of the Year
WINNER 2006 Australian
Trucking Association
Training Excellence Award
The main aim is to
win the match.
I see the structure is now in
place to fine tune the business
to achieve the required Return
on Investment which all comes
from a winning bottom line.
National managers have built
up substantial increases in staff
over recent times. Their jobs,
including working directors, is
to not only achieve their own
objective, but to ensure that the
increased teams are achieving
theirs. There is certainly no
such thing as a 38 hour week
for those leaders/national
managers.
I see all this happening. I see the
company very much remaining
in the hands of our family for
the foreseeable future. I see the
company going from strength
to strength as the very stable
management team now settles down to
the fine tuning phase. With the combined
efforts of all stake holders we will continue
to grow. And in doing so, continue to give
the 700 team members a sense of security
and an opportunity to rise up through the
ranks, if they wish to do so, and above all
find Border Express an enjoyable company
in which to work.
OTHERS
WINNER 2005 Regional Business Awards
Overall Excellence in Business,
Excellence in Business Services
& Employer of Choice.
WINNER Australian
Government – Minister’s
Award for Excelllence
Has it ever been done before the
Grand Slam of trucking awards?
Who knows! It is an independent
assessment of Border Express as
a carrier and you would have to
say we stack up pretty well. A
sensational performance, so well
done to all.
The Border Mail, 1981.
Max in the company utility.
There is plenty happening at
the moment, with new depots
in Melbourne (Laverton 2), Perth
and renovations in Albury and
Sydney. Our new warehouse in
Barnawartha is nearing completion and the hunt is on for a new
home in Brisbane. Exciting things
are happening.
The gap between newsletters was
done so this newsletter would
coincide with our birthday. Hope
you find it both interesting and
entertaining.
Editor
Grant Luff
hAVE A HAPPY 25 th BIRTHDAY.
BORDER EXPRESS NEWS SPRING 2006
3
Border Express drives off with
MULTIPLE AWARDS
The quality of Border Express operations has been recognised nationwide through the number
of awards we have received over the past year from industry and government organisations.
from Border Express to excellence in all
that we do. Importantly, these awards are
recognition of the fantastic efforts by all
employees, by delivering high quality
customer service, making operations
more efficient or participating in training
programs. These awards were judged
against our competitors across a wide
range of criteria.
During 2006, we have been awarded:
2006 Australian Freight & Logistics
• Award
National Carrier of the Year – Victorian Transport Association
Australian Trucking Association
• 2006
‘Training Excellence’ Award
2006 Minister’s Awards for Excellence
• for
Employers of Australian
Apprentices (Riverina Region)
•
2006 NSW Road Transport Association
‘Master Carrier of the Year’ Award
On an individual note, Andrew Twitt was
awarded the 2006 NSW Trainee of the
Year, Riverina Region. Andrew has been
awarded for his ongoing commitment
and dedication to the transport industry,
and more recently, for the training and
development he has excelled at. Twitty was
applauded for his willingness and capacity
to take on new challenges as a ‘mature age
learner’ (never to old to learn), and is now
We take immense pride in being
recognised as a great company
using his substantial ‘first hand’ experience
and knowledge to support his new career
direction as a Workplace Trainer & Assessor
with Border Express.
All these awards are significant as they
are an acknowledgement by industry and
government leaders of the commitment
Winning these awards has been a great
achievement in our 25th Anniversary year
and something we should all be proud of.
Of course it doesn’t stop here. Continuous
improvement is now becoming a strong
part of our culture, our way of doing
business and as a company moving toward
the philosophy of being an ‘employer of
choice’ the journey has just begun.
A great milestone year… well done Border
Express.
WITH MANY THANKS
Congratulations on your recent win at the Australian Freight
Industry Awards. Your amazing work is clearly recognised
widely by your peers and the community.
The relationship between Border Express and SIDS and Kids
is not only an example of the philanthropic nature of the
company but also the spirit of the team and passion for its
work in the community.
SIDS and Kids could simply not survive without the generous
support of Border Express. The level of professionalism and
generosity that Border Express have shown over the past
three years has been an integral part to delivering the Red
Nose Day campaign.
In 2007 we look forward to another year working alongside
Border Express to raise awareness about SIDS and Kids and
the vital work we do.
Regards,
Pauline Satchell National Executive, Business
SIDS and Kids® www.sidsandkids.org
4
BORDER EXPRESS NEWS SPRING 2006
Latest developments at
LOGIC PARK
The warehouse at Logic park is now well advanced
and on track for an October completion date.
The building is really taking shape with
the roof and awnings now completed and
walls nearing completion. Work has also
commenced on the office and awnings.
Fire services, plumbing and electrical are
also well advanced.
Woolworths Regional
Distribution Centre
Customer enquiry is increasing and we
have confirmed our first clients.
This includes the first of what is expected
to be many co-operative efforts with
the Laverton site. Laverton will perform
a critical role in the receipt/unpack of
containers and on shipment of product
to Barnawartha for storage and national
distribution.
Border Express
Integrated Logistics
The commencement of the site is well
timed with expected peak season overflow
storage expected to be required.
Aerial photograph of the site, July 2006.
BUILDING STATISTICS
The recruitment process has also commenced with the Floor Supervisor position
currently being advertised.
Total Land Size – 4 Hectares (First right of refusal on adjacent 4.5 Hectares)
An agreement with Paperless for the
provision of the warehouse system has now
been signed. This allows Border Express to
roll out this system to other warehousing
sites where required at very limited cost.
Internal Maximum Height – 12.5 metres
Building Size Stage I – 7,500 metres including office and awnings
Pallet Capacity Fully Racked – 12,930 pallet spaces
Receival/Dispatch – 4 ‘B’ Doubles and 4 rear load pans/containers concurrently.
Built to Food Grade Storage Facility standards.
Total Investment Stage I – $7 Million
During September we held our first staff tour
of the facility. Many were impressed with
the size and scope of the development.
Border Express staff inspecting
the current progress.
5
CAPITAL WORKS
The office extension at Albury is moving along with the roof about to be layed.
The scheduled completion date is the end of November and we are on track for that.
Once completed, the new office will
provide seating for 20 new staff and
incorporate five new offices. This will
include a dedicated area for payroll,
housing four, Human Resources, two
manager’s offices and a small meeting
room.
We don’t believe the offices will be
empty for long with 10 people currently
operating from the training rooms who
are looking forward to relocating. On
top and due to our growth, we are
looking for three more people to join us
in Albury.
JOHN TODD
Not many people seek a career change when they are nearly 70,
so John Todd is certainly an optimist!
Toddy, or the ‘Old Grey Goat’, will sign
off from Sydney in early October and
take his expertise to Melbourne and the
Clayton Depot, as he embarks on a life style
change. It has been over 20 years since
John started driving a tray truck around
Sydney after he departed from Gordon &
Gotch. What started as a ‘fill in’ job turned
into a career. He moved from the position
of tray truck driver to fork lift driver, then to
Depot Manager to Uncle Toddy.
Toddy was the one who set the path,
moulded and pushed the Sydney
Operations to what it is today. Toddy’s
sense of humour, twinkle in the eye,
dedication, long hours and plain hard work
is inspirational. He had a huge influence on
the culture of it being a fun place to work,
always with the knowledge that there is a
job to be done that needs to be carried out
properly and thoroughly.
When John started with us he was
President of the East Sydney Australian
Rules Football Club. If they had a big win
(very occasionally) we would have to wake
him with a phone call at 10 or 11 in the
morning to get him to come to work.
No one begrudged him this as he was
normally the first to arrive and the last to
leave. However, we would find a labour
intensive job for him to do that would take
4 or 5 hours as punishment.
Farewell from Sydney Toddy, we will miss
your sense of humour, your friendship, your
advice, your loyalty, your dedication and
your personality. We will always remember
your contribution. In celebrating 25 years
in business, Border Express was built on
people like yourself. Clayton is very lucky
to get a wonderful person.
Good luck and thanks. You will be sincerely
missed.
6
BORDER EXPRESS NEWS SPRING 2006
PROJECT
HORIZON
Project Horizon is hastening slowly at
the moment, but we are under way and
have the support of the board who have
recently endorsed the project. Michael
Kerns has been employed to oversee the
development of the system, so we are now
allocating substantial resources to rollout
the project.
Project Horizon involves a personal digital
assistant (PDA), or small computer for
the uninitiated, being mounted into the
cab of our PUD fleet for vehicle tracking
and communications purposes. Sydney
has been operating in this environment
for a number of years, but their system
has lacked the ability to interface with
Transport Suite.
The initial testing of the technology was
done in Canberra where we matched our
operating requirements to the system’s
capabilities and selected the brand of
PDA. Further testing and development will
take place in Melbourne where, once
suitably enabled, we will operate the
system in a live environment. It is exciting
and innovative times.
MILPERRA
Renovations now complete
August 2006 marked the
completion of the long awaited
revamp of the Milperra offices.
When the depot had been acquired over a
decade earlier, the office was being utilised
to store CHEP pallet-cons. At that time
some new carpet was laid and a coat of
paint was applied, and it stayed this way
until our recent renovation.
The major work involved the relocation of
the drivers sleeping room. This room was
opened up into the new sales area. The
sales offices were converted into a board
room. The offices in the main area were
extensively modified to provide a more
open work environment and a meeting
room. New workstations have been utilised
to control noise in the main office area.
Gwen has done a fantastic job reinvigorating
the garden atrium area into a striking
central feature, complete with a fish pond.
The new Milperra Reception area
Well done to the team in the office who
provided constructive ideas and feedback
through the process, and who battled on
during the construction phase to ensure
the customer was not inconvenienced.
The offices are now stylish, efficient and
modern. They reflect a vibrant, innovative
and progressive organisation and create a
productive work environment.
SUPERANNUATION NEWS Find your
RETURNS
You will have your annual statement by now if you are a member of the Border Express
Benefits Plan. The default investment options posted the following returns to 30th of June.
For members Default Option
1 yr return
3 yr return pa
Under age 35 Zurich Blended Series
Priority Growth
16.76%
13.63%
Between age
35 and 50
Zurich Blended Series
Managed Growth
14.18%
11.77%
Over 50
Zurich Blended Series
Balanced
10.50%
9.55%
This is broadly in line with the market, but returns can potentially be improved with tailored
recommendations for other options. There are now 40 investment options available.
A NOTE ON INSURANCES in the plan. The costs of insurance cover in the plan usually rise
after each birthday. We recommend that you check your statement carefully to ensure the
cost of cover is not eating into your account balance. Insurance must be offered under
‘Fund choice’ legislation but each member can tailor the cover to their own needs.
We also want you to note that Paul Tynan’s office has changed their trading name to Opal
Financial Advice and is now part of the Wealthsure Financial Services group. All contact
details including your service number remains the same. Call 1300 668 600 for more
information.
BORDER EXPRESS NEWS SPRING 2006
Missing
Super
As at 30 June 2005, the Lost Member
Register of superannuation accounts
where the member can not be found,
contained 5.4 million accounts
worth $8.2bn. 40% of these accounts
have a value between $1 and $200
(representing less than 2% of the
total amount). 5% have a balance
over $10,000 (representing 45% of
the total).
Some of this money could be yours
from past jobs. If you wish assistance
with checking, please call Paul Tynan
on 1300 668 600 or check it yourself at
https://superseeker.super.ato.gov.au
/individuals/default.aspx?pid=0.
7
SAFETY AND COMPLIANCE
Jim Stace has recently
been appointed to the role
of National Safety and
Compliance Manager.
Jim is committed to build on the platform
left by Craig Olsson, and with the support
of the board, aims to continue to develop a
strong action plan ensuring Border Express
provides a safe and compliant working
environment for all employees.
Sandra Barden has joined the S&C team,
based in Sydney, and brings with her a
wealth of industry experience in safety
and compliance. Jolene Anderson has also
joined the S&C team in the Brisbane depot,
currently recognised as the fastest growing
depot within the company. Jolene has
recently obtained her Workplace Health &
Safety Officers, and Rehabilitation & Return
to Work Coordinators certificates.
In the immediate future, considered focus
will be directed at the following important
components of Safety & Compliance:
1. Risk Management
Traditionally, OHS performance measurement has been preoccupied with the
negative outcomes of workplace incidents
and illnesses rather than pro-active
prevention strategies.
To accurately record the effectiveness of the
implementation of any OHS management
systems, the use of process indicators needs
to be adopted. The S&C Committee will work
on the introduction of these measures as a
priority.
2. Non-Conformance Reporting (NCR)
The current version of the NCR system will
be enhanced to record and collate vital
information and provide feedback and
direction to the individual depots. This will
assist in the risk identification process and
the prevention or elimination of incidents,
ultimately providing a safer working
environment.
3. Driver Fatigue Management Plan
(DFMP)
In support of the existing DFMP adopted by
the company, further focus will be directed
at the many facets of our Operation affected
by DFMP.
Border Express has committed to an extensive
trial program involving the Intelligent Access
Program (IAP). This will assist both driver and
company with the collection and analysis of
data obtained from the vehicles’ on board
computer.
We as a company have a legal obligation to
manage the risk of driver fatigue.
4.National Heavy Vehicle Accreditation
System (NHVAS) – Maintenance Management
The NHVAS consists of three modules called
Mass, Maintenance and Fatigue.
To this point, we have 12 vehicles
accredited in the Mass program. The next
step is Border Express being successful in
gaining accreditation in the Maintenance
Management module. Recent discussions
between the key stake holders have
established a path to achieve this target.
TRAINING AND EMPLOYEE DEVELOPMENT
The Border Express Training
Program continues to attract
enormous attention across
the industry for its reach to
a large number of employees
and its impact on business
growth and results.
This has been reflected in us being
awarded this year’s highest industry
training honour, the Australian Trucking
Association ‘Training Excellence’ Award.
Training courses in Road Transport
and Administration are currently being
undertaken by over 200 employees.
Training, OHS and Compliance have
become entrenched within the company
as a necessity in todays modern
transport industry.
8
As part of the company’s commitment
to compliance and safety, this year over
50 staff have completed training in the
handling and transportation of Bulk
Dangerous Goods. Further training has
been undertaken in First Aid, OHS and
Fatigue Management.
The Border Express Business Management
Training Program has reached a successful
conclusion recently, with over 40 staff
now having completed the Certificate
IV in Frontline Management course. This
program has played an important role in
developing the company’s current and
future leaders.
This training was reinforced through
project-based training which immersed
the participants in a problem-solving
process with practical application to real
work situations. Learning the skills and
the concepts behind them, and utilising
BORDER EXPRESS NEWS SPRING 2006
these skills to solve real problems from
the workplace, helped participants gain
a deeper understanding and encouraged
them to think beyond the immediate
‘fix’. The program also required them to
formulate plans for tracking, evaluating, and
continuously improving work situations for
the future. Participants learn… problems
are solved… operations improve.
That’s what has been happening, but there
is a lot more being developed. Compliance
and safety training is about to undergo a
thorough review in order to ensure that
we are up to date in our training and work
practices. Training to support Transport
Suite users and the rollout of Project
Horizon has begun to pick up pace and
several other interesting training programs
are under investigation. As always, feel
free to contact the Training Department
to discuss your training needs, feedback
or ideas.
HUMAN RESOURCE
MANAGEMENT
Careers in transport
Addressing the skill shortage and attracting young
people into our industry is often a difficult charter for
any business.
This issue is even more complex in an industry that
arguably carries an ‘undesirable’ reputation for many!
Border Express however is approaching this issue
head on by developing a ‘careers information’ program
specifically designed to focus on regional young people
in schools. The strategy quite deliberately targets the ‘Y
Generation’ with the intent to provide young people a
first hand account of what career options are available
in the TDL industry.
Recently our National HR Manager was the key note
speaker at the 2006 Summit & Careers Forum in
Melbourne where the Border Express approach to
improving TDL career awareness in the region was
showcased. As a business, this program is central to
our future ‘work force planning strategy’ and has now
been delivered to several secondary schools with very
positive outcomes, and will also be provided to regional
Careers Advisors in the near future.
Positions Vacant on the company
intranet
Providing growth and development opportunity for staff
is important for a business focussed on its people!
As a new initiative, Border Express has instigated a
‘Position Vacant’ section which has been created with
the aim of providing the opportunity for appropriately
experienced and qualified internal staff to apply for
vacant positions as they become available across the
company.
Whilst still in the early development phase, this
initiative will be regularly up-dated and monitored to
incorporate ongoing improvements going forward.
in the depots
­Albury
Depot News
It has been a ‘steady as she goes’ period
in Albury since the last newsletter with
major yard improvements completed
and only some minor works still to
be finished. The addition of the extra
undercover loading bay has seen
an improvement in the day-to-day
yard operations providing protection
from the weather. Now that the yard
improvements are out of the way
we have started work on the office
extensions.
Congratulations
Congratulations to Heath and Stacey on
the arrival of a baby daughter Jazymne.
All are doing well, and even the staff
at Wodonga hospital are pleased that
Heath is back at work and not annoying
them! Also congratulations to Andrew
& Nicky McMillan on the arrival of a
baby son, Andrew Jnr.
New faces
We welcome Chris Edwards & Gary
Thomson as local PUD drivers. Some
will remember Gary as he was previously
employed with Border Express in Canberra
(and no Paul you will not be getting him
back!). Chris comes from a local courier
company and has fitted in well.
Head Office
Depot News
Head office now employs enough
people to warrant its own little segment
in the newsletter.
payroll officer to work along side Jill
Hawkins and make sure we don’t miss
paying anybody; very important.
The growth being generated by the
business means an increase in the
volume of transactions and the number
of people we employ, either directly or
indirectly. To ensure we manage this
growth we have created a number
of new positions. These being a new
financial controller so Stephen Hogg
can take on other responsibilities, a third
human resources person and a senior
Over the past couple of months we have
welcomed Andrew Wickham to Albury
from Sydney to head up our warehouse
division and Stephen and Linda Hogg
have welcomed a set of twins into the
world.
Over the next couple of months Max is
set to tour the country, visiting all depots
and meeting as many people as possible,
please be nice to him.
Albury Head Office is close proximity to the new Hume Freeway.
Construction is due to finish by June 2007.
Equal Opportunity for Women in the
Workplace (EOWA) Compliance
Border Express was recently advised by the Equal
Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency of
compliance with the EOW Workplace Act 1999. The
Act requires us as a company to put in place initiatives
and strategies addressing issues of equality for all
women in the workplace with specific focus on seven
employment related areas.
Albury Staff BBQ
Freeway
construction
Border Express has developed and submitted its
workplace program that will in part be rolled out over
the next 12 months and includes such initiatives as
promoting women in non-traditional roles, continued
focus on employee development, communicating with
staff on extended leave, conducting EEO refresher
training across the business, and working with other
agencies to encourage school leavers into our business
– and importantly the TDL industry.
BORDER EXPRESS NEWS SPRING 2006
9
in the depots
Sydney
Depot News
The Renovations are finished, the furniture has
arrived and the money has been spent, there is
no going back now. After a strenuous couple
of months the builders have finally left and the
new offices look terrific. Over the past 6 months
Team Sydney have been refining and creating a
winning team environment in preparation for
our peak season.
The A.M. Despatch team (Steve Featherstone,
John Buckley, Gus Facal, Sharon Furey, Brenton
Clark, Alex Facal) have all been working
exceptionally hard to deliver all the freight, with
the assistance of the pick up team (Grant Tisdell,
Gavin Marsh, Tim Lamb, Melanie Tisdell) who
have managed to pick up all the freight even
under enormous pressure. This has allowed the
P.M. Team (Murray Noble, Greg Harding, Vilia
Kelmente, and Michael Brannigan) to excel at
getting the freight to you on time and in most
cases intact. Congratulations to all depot staff
and drivers, who without your guidance we
would not be where we are today.
New faces
We welcome the following people to Team
Sydney. Mel Tisdell (Pick up operator), Patricia
Harrison (Administration) and Neil Finlayson
(Sales). We bid farewell to Greg Harding ‘Jack’
and Geoff Stanford (Sales).
Awards
Earlier this year a group of representatives from
Team Sydney spent an evening at the N.S.W
R.T.A Transport Awards. Border
Express took out the award
for Master Carrier of the Year.
Congratulations to all at Border
Express and we look forward to
winning this award again next
year. Congratulations to Michael
Thompson for making the final
of the Australian Financial
Review Boss Young Executive
of the year. And congratulations
to both Anthony Hart and Dave
Watts who have both been
promoted to the position of
Things continue to hum along in the Sunshine
State as we get to the business end of the year.
Volumes have been steadily ramping up over
the past few months, and our original 3 to 5
year projected life span of the depot was fairly
accurate. We have been here two and a half
years, and have outgrown it.
We have been actively seeking alternate
premises or appropriate sites for development
over the last 6 to 8 months, and hopefully we
will have something positive to report soon.
New faces
A couple of new employees since the last
newsletter. Tony Mence in Sales, Haillie Young in
Reception, Melanie Carroll and Janelle Jones in
Data Entry, and quite a few forklift drivers.
We also welcomed Glenn Maclennan back to
the fold after a six month hiatus.
10
The catch cry around the Sydney depot for the
forthcoming busy period is ‘Don’t tell me what
you’ve done, show me what you can do’. Team
Sydney is looking forward to showing what we
can do.
Milperra Administration Team. From Left to Right: Kylie Ann Brown, Patricia Harrison, Alicia Jeffrey,
Darrien Madden (office supervisor) and Ralph Cartwright. Front Row: Gwendelene Whitford and Amanda McMahon.
Brisbane
Depot News
A.M. Operation Manager and P.M. Operation
Manager. This is in recognition of their hard
work over the past year.
Operationally, the fleet continues to grow, as
evidenced by the photo below. From the five
vehicles that were based in Brisbane as little as
five years ago, the change has been enormous.
Congratulations
No recent Births, (well, none for David Rutter!)
Deaths or Marriages to report. However many
Birthdays, Anniversaries and celebrations have
taken place since the last newsletter. Jason
Nevill and his wife Kylie celebrated 10 years
of wedded bliss. Pity Jason didn’t remember
that one. Graeme McCarthy and his wife Irene
posted 21 years, and Melissa Pollard has spent
two months trying to convince her colleagues
she recently celebrated her 30th birthday!! Yeah,
right!
Since the last newsletter, Brisbane has also
been fortunate to gain the services of David
Godfrey, our resident mechanic, auto electrician,
fitter, fixer, boilermaker, dog’s body, and what a
BORDER EXPRESS NEWS SPRING 2006
bonus its been for Brisbane. Dave spent much
of his early career in the Armed Forces and
whilst Brisbane does not boast the luxury of a
‘workshop’ as such, the facilities here are ‘Ritz
Carlton’ compared to the usual muddy fields he
has been used to in the past.
Football season has been and gone, and as in
the last three years, nothing has really changed
– McCarthy knows NOTHING about AFL, the
Lions know nothing about HR and Victoria
know no-one in the finals!
As for the NRL, Brisbane again had a very poor
result in the tipping stakes.
It has been a fantastic year for Brisbane, with
the growth, the fleet, the clients and fun had
by most during the whole process. We look
forward to another boom Christmas period and
then on to 2007.
Adelaide
Colin will work alongside Kevin Dettman who
is our OH&S man. Look out everyone, cyclone
Tracey didn’t make as much noise as Colin will.
Depot News
At last, everything is fine in Adelaide. We have
just gone through a very quiet period in June
and July but it now appears to be that the
Christmas rush is beginning. Thankfully we
have just upgraded the fleet with a couple
of newer trucks and we have another new
one due at the same time this newsletter is
released.
Lou Surmei (alias Rosa) has just reached a
milestone of turning 50. All of her friends here
put into a kitty and gave her a special present
on the day. You have never seen a bikie on his
Harley Davidson look so fearful with Lou on the
back. I think it was her fingernails digging into
his back.
On the staffing situation here, we would like
to introduce Lisa Torcelli to the Adelaide team.
Lisa is doing a great job in answering most
phone calls and data entry and being our local
entertainment officer.
starting to kick some goals within the
operation.
Steve Hellings has taken full control of the
line haul operation now and along with his
supervisors, Mark and Michael, we are really
With all the new laws concerning compliance,
we have appointed long term employee Colin
Klassman into a role as a compliance officer.
Lou's ride and BBQ
All arrangements are in place now for our local
Christmas party. We are all going along to the
local trots for an evening of lots of food and
drink and also the opportunity of making some
money on the horses. Any tips for the evening
would be appreciated.
Clayton
Depot News
We are once again gearing ourselves up for the
busy season. To help us out, we have enlisted
a heap of new faces in all areas. Dale Chubb,
Kathy Smith at Clayton Road – Mel Taylor, Sara
Connell, Tina Vassilopoulos, Sally Turner &
Monica Furlong in the Osborne Road office. Girl
power, dividing their duties between pallets,
pickups and data entry. A number of drivers,
local subbies and forkies have also come aboard
to share the load. They all think that they are
busy now, wait until November.
We are not all about work, we have given a few
people enough time to get hitched. Neil and
Annette Bloom, Colin and Linda Draper, Dave
Fredrikson, Michael Donnison all married, Scott
Mayne and Geoff Emmett engaged but not to
each other. Congratulations to Brett Johnson
Back row (Left to Right): Mel Taylor, Sally Turner,
Sarah Connell
Front: Tina Vassilopoulos & Monica Furlong
Kathy Smith, Clayton Reception
and Michael Bury whose partners have recently
given birth. Employees for the future!
made. Operations office has been extended and
a new process installed for pickups.
Considerable work has been undertaken to
ensure that we are operating in a safe working
environment. It is a credit to all staff that they
have taken on board the changes that we have
Lastly, our supervisors have been going through
some management training with a psychologist.
I think she has decided that there is enough
material now for two books.
Semis around town. Helen Horner has taken
on the Customer Service role. Ian Howlett has
been soaking up the sun in various destinations
around Oz on a six week break. Paul Carrarini
has transferred from Clayton to Laverton on
data entry and finishes at Laverton Interstate at
night manifesting.
Departures & Transfers
Elizabeth Bosevski
Laverton 1
Depot News
The lead up to Summer has still been busy with
various new contracts coming our way. We have
started the Bega can cheese storage here and
packing containers for overseas, along with
Metro Wattyl distribution from Footscray.
We also have the job of unpacking and storage
of twelve containers of Boonie dolls (about
800,000) hope they don’t all start chatting at
once.
There have been quite a few changes in the
yard with the moving of Interstate down the
road but it has removed lots of congestion in
the afternoon.
We have added another twelve ton rigid to
the fleet. Adam Parsons & Greg Broderick have
moved on from driving rigids and are now in
New Faces Janelle Padoin, Reception
Irene Toczynski, Office/Admin & also Donna
O’Shea’s sister
Mandi Reardon
Rod Kitto, Joe Dabley, Warwick Cooney to
Laverton Interstate depot.
Congratulations Alan Dyke has made it to 40 not out (although
he had a week off after the party).
Congrats to Ricky & Jodi Andriske on their fourth
arrival (and Collingwood supporter) Maggie.
Joe Gerada, Yard/Ops
Ricky Andriske, PUD/Shell pump ins
Darren (Harro) Harrison, PUD fleet
Micheal Woollett, PUD fleet
Dion Farley, Yard/Warehouse
BORDER EXPRESS NEWS SPRING 2006
11
in the depots
Canberra
Depot News
Border Express Canberra depot has undergone
some major restructuring since Greg Dark (sort
of ) retired, and moved on to warmer pastures.
Good Luck Greg. We wish you all the best. Paul
Dillon has taken over as depot manager and
with the help of everyone in Canberra, as well
as externally within our group, he is confident
the Canberra division will only grow stronger.
‘We are only as good as the people we work
with’, and Paul believes he has a great bunch of
troops to work with him.
Currently the Canberra Depot is undergoing a
lot of change due to legislative requirements
restructuring the designated walkways, OH&S
policies and procedures. Jim Stace and his crew
are helping along with Ian Pearce.
Mark Chaston,Andrew Twitt and Graham (Poppy)
Cox have conducted two training days over two
different weekends. Drivers underwent training
in B-double and semi trailer operations and also
reviewed load restraint. These were of excellent
value to all involved. Thank you to everyone
especially the drivers who gave up a day on
each weekend to increase their knowledge and
one day upgrade licenses. Thanks also to Steve
McNally who assisted as well.
Hopefully by the time this is printed one of our
longer employed drivers, Johnny G, has had
another baby so well done Johnny. You already
have a boy so good luck for a girl.
Our gun Canberra Salesman, Noel Shepherd,
who visits us once a month has been helping
out and maintaining the local client base. Keep
up the good work Noel… But please stop using
petty cash to buy golf balls.
Border Express will be represented at the
Policeman‘s Ball at the Hyatt Hotel by Operations
Manager, Steve McNally and wife and Paul and
Nicky Dillon in late October. That should be
interesting! I wonder who they’ll have to try and
keep from being locked up.
CATCH A CROOK
If you see something
suspicious going on, don’t hesitate! Pick up the
phone and call the Border
Express crime hotline on
1800 149 429
It’s completely anonymous
and it’s helping to secure the
future of our employees and
the business.
Thank you to every employee within the
Canberra ranks for helping with the transition
between Greg and Paul. It would not have been
an easy one. Thanks again and bring on the silly
season… ho ho ho.
CONTACT POINTS:
Adelaide (08) 8444 8100
Perth
Laverton 2
Depot News
Depot News
Welcome to news from the West.
August saw Border Perth relocate to a new
premises situated at 325 Treasure Road,
Welshpool. The move was necessitated by the
consistent growth in the business and our
existing depot became too small.
The new depot allows us to offer our customers
storage facilities for both racked and unracked
pallet as well as catering for future expansion
requirements.
A big thank you to Chris Firman for his efforts in
assisting in a smooth move.
We would like to welcome Ralph Catalano to
the management team as warehouse manager.
Ralph brings with him 24 years of transport
experience and the last 11 in warehousing.
Due to the growth in freight volumes we have
opened a depot in Laverton to handle the
interstate movement of freight as well as the
local distribution of Wattyl paints.
With Rod Kitto at the helm we anticipate that
this depot will become as busy as the other
depots in a short period of time. To help reduce
the cost we have taken on some local storage.
We will have a couple interesting inhabitants
over the coming months.
We have been able to move a couple of the
Clayton boys closer to home (Warwick Cooney
and Chris Anderson) and give Joe Dabley a new
challenge.
Perth Depot
Albury
(02) 6022 6000
Brisbane (07) 3373 9100
Canberra (02) 6123 3100
Clayton
(03) 9552 1600
Gold Coast(07) 5597 7541
Laverton (03) 8368 7200
Perth
(08) 9350 5985
Sydney
(02) 8707 5300
WEBSITE
www.borderexpress.com.au
Any comments or feedback
contributions are welcome.
EMAIL newsletter@borderexpress.com.au
12
BORDER EXPRESS NEWS SPRING 2006