100-year-old transport company stands the test of time

It’s not often that you hear of an Australian family owned and operated business that’s still going strong after 100 years. Now in its third generation, Russell Transport has truly stood the test of time.

Based in Brisbane, the company was started in 1925 by Roy Bayley Russell, when he began transporting motor spirit for Dalgety & Co Ltd, agents for the Commonwealth Oil Refinery (COR) in Brisbane.

From behind the wheel of a 1925 model Dodge, he laid the foundations for the company as we know it today, with his wife Beryl by his side. Though it wasn’t easy in those early days.

Roy Bayley Russell started the company in 1925, alongside his wife Beryl Russell. Image: Russell Transport

As Roy’s son Phil Russell, 78, told Big Rigs, “The company experienced a staggered growth. The economy wasn’t doing well in the 1930s when we had the depression, so the company had to struggle through that. Then when we came into the 1940s, there was World War II.

“By the 1950s, our fleet consisted of many wartime trucks that we were able to buy second-hand. Brisbane was just a big country town back then in the 1950s.”

Phil says that by the time his father started taking photos in 1929, he had built his business up to three trucks. They were based at a warehouse at New Farm Wharf, all doing the same work for the Dalgety & Co contract: adding a 1926 model Chevrolet and a 1929 model Dodge into the mix.

A flashback to the early days with the original Russell Transport crew. Image: Russell Transport

By the 1950s, Russell Transport was running a fleet of 12 trucks. Along with the motor oil contract, they had also picked up a wool cartage contract, carting wool that came by rail from Central Queensland.

Trucks have certainly come a long way since Russell Transport was first started. Image: Russell Transport

With growth came the opportunity to purchase land in Macquarie Street, New Farm, where Russell Transport constructed a specialised workshop to service its fleet.

In 1965, Russell Transport added an office and a new yard as its fleet grew to around 20 trucks. Then by 1971, the company had relocated to a new site at Eagle Farm, where it continues to operate to this day.

Phil was 16 years old when he joined his father’s side at Russell Transport and as he recalled, there was never any question in his mind of where his career would lead.

“I was told that’s where I was going to work when I finished school – and I’ve been here ever since,” Phil said.

“When I first started with Dad, the first task I was given was to start an apprenticeship. My father took me to automotive school and enrolled me as a motor mechanic. After I completed that I was running the workshop.

“Then one day, he said to me, ‘I want you to step up.’

“I asked why he wanted me to do that. He said, ‘Son, once you get to my age, you’ll understand.’ At that point, he was 70 and I was 24. He’d been running the business for 44 years.”

Phil took over the daily running of Russell Transport in 1971 and under his leadership, the business continued to grow, expanding to include the ownership of Metro-Lift Cranes, Caloundra General Transport, Bayley Industrial and Lytton Industrial.

The transport task at Russell Transport is wide and diverse. Image: Russell Transport

Though Roy had passed the baton onto his son when he retired at the age of 70, he continued to provide advice and assistance well into his 80s. His wife Beryl also played a crucial role in the company’s operations even after Roy’s retirement.

Like Phil, his kids grew up in the family business too, with Julie, Ken and Michael Russell joining his side in the 1990s and 2000s.

“I think I started operating the forklift when I was nine years old,” laughed Ken.

“It’s quite disappointing that there were a lot of things that happened back then that you couldn’t let happen now, like having your kids go out with you in the truck.

“Dad did plenty of driving, whether piloting a load, or taking one of our oldest trucks with no air conditioning and no proper bed all the way to WA.”

As Ken continued, “I did a few trips with Dad as a kid, when he did fuel deliveries to cotton farms. We were doing a lot of petroleum back then, so I’d get to go on a weekend run with Dad.”

Ken was also lucky enough to hit the road with some of the company’s most experienced truck drivers, including Phil Thompson, who has driven for the business for 55 years (and continues to do so to this day) and Waldo Lagosho who came to Australia after World War II and got his first job with Russell Transport, where he stayed until the early 1990s. “I was sent out with both of these guys. I went out on fuel runs, went to the RAAF base. Back then you had the opportunity to go out with these experienced operators. You couldn’t do any of that today,” he said.

“You got to experience all of those different little nuances of people who were in the industry for all that time.”

And Phil agreed, “I think that’s one of the reasons we’re falling short with newcomers to the industry. That opportunity to see the industry as a child has been taken away.”

Today the modern fleet includes over 200 heavy vehicles. Image: Russell Transport

Reflecting on his earliest memories of the family business, Ken continued, “For me growing up, Dad thought he was an electrician, a plumber, an office man, an auto electrician. He was always doing things like fixing lights or gates around the yard.”

As Phil chimed in, “We had to look after all our own gear.”

Julie fondly recalled, “Some of my best childhood memories were when you had a birthday party and Dad would bring home a prime mover. The kids would take it in turns to jump in and go for a ride and honk the horn. That’s another thing you’d never get away with today.

“But it was also a lot of late nights for Dad. I don’t remember many nights you’d see him come home early. People working in the business worked long hours.”

She continued, “I remember the classic Sunday drives Dad would take us on. He’d bribe us with McDonalds, and instead we’d be looking at trucks and truck yards.”

Ken, Julie, Phil and Michael Russell. Image: Chris Smith

According to Ken, “Dad has a passion for trucks, whether he wants to admit it or not! When he goes on holidays, he’ll send me pictures of road trains from remote places in Western Australia.”

Julie laughed, adding, “or he’ll send a message saying it looks like someone hasn’t closed the gate properly because he’s checking the cameras!”

Russell Transport today is a very diverse operation that has remained true to its heritage. The current fleet includes over 200 heavy vehicles – with approximately 140 of those being prime movers, and the remainder rigids – along with around 350 trailers.

The business operates out of five of its own Queensland sites, along with 15 customer operated sites, all of which are in Queensland apart from two located in Adelaide.

“I still say we’re a small business, but we’re a very diverse business, specialising in contract distribution,” said Ken.

Among its key contracts are major steel suppliers, liquor distribution for Woolworths, container transport, general freight, refrigerated freight, and an industrial resources division which includes heavy haulage and specialised transport operations.

“We transport everything from food and steel, to servicing the construction, mining and resources sectors. We still have some tankers but don’t do petroleum anymore. We also do forklifts and handling. Russell Transport is a true logistics provider not just a transport operator. We have a lot of specialised equipment and services that we offer, along with our crane business, Metro-Lift Cranes,” explained Ken.

Phil revealed that about 90 per cent of Russell Transport’s work is within a 150-kilometre radius of Brisbane, however there are also some vehicles located in Bundaberg, Gladstone and Mt Isa too.

Russell Transport also conducts heavy haulage and specialised transport operations. Image: Russell Transport

In terms of its preferred truck and trailer brands, Ken says, “For us, it’s about matching the specification to the application. Speccing the equipment for the task enables us to secure the work. And we can modify the equipment where needed.”

For example, Kenworths are the preferred truck brand for the more arduous work, Macks are used for contract work and it’s Isuzus for the rigids. However more recently, the company has been adding some DAFs into the mix too.

On the trailer front, Haulmark Trailers supplies prairie wagons and specialised trailers such as extendables; while curtainsiders come from Vawdrey, Krueger and Freighter.

“Our oldest trailer is from Haulmark and was bought in 1975 – and it still goes out and makes the same money as our new trailers,” revealed Phil. “It’s testimony to the design of Haulmark’s trailers. About 100 of our trailers currently in service are from Haulmark.”

As the fleet has grown so too has the number of staff, with Russell Transport now employing close to 270 people.

Reflecting on 100 years in business, Ken admits it hasn’t always been an easy ride, “It’s taken lot of blood, sweat and tears to get to 100 years. It’s not all fun and games. But to have survived this long, we’re very proud. We’ve survived in a tough environment. You can sugar coat things but there have been some brutal experiences – and we’ve always come out the other side. And each time we come through the other side, we’re even stronger.

Julie Russell, pictured with her proud father Phil, was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in 2023. Image: Russell Transport

“We’ve always been open to change, and that’s how we’ve gotten this far. My father brought a lot of innovation to this business, and now we’ve continued that in terms of our equipment and the services we offer.”

Having made it to 100 years is undoubtedly a reason to celebrate. With that success though also comes pressure. “And that pressure is real,” added Ken. “Coming in as the next generation, you hear people say, you’ve got a silver spoon in your mouth. But all we’ve been given is an opportunity. We’re in a service industry and we’re essentially still doing the same thing we were 100 years ago, putting something on a vehicle and bringing it to where it needs to go. The way we do that has all changed, but we’re essentially still doing the same thing.”

Asked about how it feels for Russell Transport to achieve its centenary, Julie responded, “We want to celebrate but we’ve been taught to be modest too. How does it feel to turn 100? It’s hard to see when you’re in the thick of it, because it’s just another day and another wheel turning.”

To mark its 100th anniversary, Russell Transport has planned a number of events through the year and also plans to unveil a special 100-year K220, with a mural on the back that tells the company’s story. The family are hoping to have this ready to unveil at the Brisbane Truck Show in May.

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