Trailer builder, MaxiTRANS, has confirmed several significant changes to its operations going forward.
The business is changing its name to Freighter Group and will launch a new logo and visual identity.
This change is reported to reflect the company’s expansive history as well as its future vision.
This milestone was announced at a showcase event which was held at the company’s advanced manufacturing facility in Ballarat.
Since the MaxiTRANS trailer business was purchased by a group of local private investors in September 2021, the focus of the business has remained on setting the business up for long-term sustainability.
“We set about embarking on a significant transformation journey when we purchased the trailer business, with the aim of creating a new era for the future of the company and the trailer manufacturing industry in Australia,” said Freighter Group Executive Chairman, Greg L’Estrange.
“The journey started with a $50 million investment into our Ballarat site. This investment has seen the introduction of a range of state-of-the-art equipment and an expansion of the overall footprint of the facility, transforming it into a modern manufacturing environment. The completion of the upgrade puts the business in a position to be able to continue to evolve with the changing needs of our customers long into the future.”
At the event, the business made several significant transformation announcements, including that it will no longer be known as MaxiTRANS, announcing that from today it will be known as Freighter Group.
“The Freighter Group name not only connects our rich heritage, but importantly it connects with our Vision of ‘Freight it for Life’, which is our total commitment to supporting our customers for the life of our product,” said L’Estrange.
“We are excited to take the business forward under the Freighter name and continue to deliver product solutions through our wide range of industry leading brands.”
Also announced today (Tuesday 8 October) was the release of a new refrigerated trailer offering under the Freighter brand, called Freez-R.
Freighter Group collaborated with Schmitz Cargobull to design Freez-R and deliver a product with industry leading thermal performance. The body is constructed from FERROPLAST technology combined with the locally manufactured Freighter chassis design.
The Freez-R is also Freighter Group’s first trailer offering to come with TrailerConnect telematics as standard.
“We are thrilled to announce the release of Freez-R to the Australian market,” said L’Estrange.
“Through our partnership with Schmitz Cargobull, collaboration with customers and our industry experience, we have been able to design and create a product with the exacting needs of the Australian market,” said Greg.
“Adding that, through access to our unmatched national dealer and service support network, it gives customers total peace of mind that we are committed to supporting their transport needs.”
Freighter Group is now offering spare parts for all its OEM products manufactured under the Freighter Group name.
“Our agreement with MaxiPARTS to supply parts has now ended, and we are thrilled to announce that customers are able to contact their local Freighter Group dealer to look after their spare part needs,” said L’Estrange.
“This is a further demonstration of our commitment to supporting the needs of our customers. We are excited to share details about further expansion into spare parts in the coming months.”
A new spare parts brand will also enter the market, Hitcher Parts.
Freighter Group has also developed a Ready Range to streamline the ordering process.
“With almost 80 years of experience designing and manufacturing trailers for the Australian market, we have developed a Ready Range solution across our expansive product offering that consists of specifications suited for a wide array of applications,” said L’Estrange.
“This allows our product to be more competitively priced, further streamline the ordering process and deliver shorter manufacturing lead times.
“We are excited about the significant transformation the Freighter Group (formerly MaxiTRANS) business has been going through. Our whole team has been dedicated to our vision and I can’t thank them enough for the hard work and dedication they have shown through this transition.
“Freighter Group is ready for the future of the Australian trailer market. We look forward with great excitement as we continue to expand and evolve as a business to further support the changing needs of our customers long into the future.”
The post MaxiTRANS celebrates historic moment with major announcements appeared first on Trailer Magazine.