Leading trailer manufacturer MaxiTRANS, has announced it will rebrand its business name and will now be called Freighter Group, launching a new logo and visual identity, which it says has been designed to “reflect the company’s expansive history, transformation journey and future vision”.
Along with the name change from MaxiTRANS to Freighter Group comes a $50m upgrade to its Ballarat advanced manufacturing facility which has showcased at an event with customers, suppliers and industry representatives.
The company has Sao launched a new high performance refrigerated trailer offering to market, which it has titled, Freez-R.
In addition it has also announced that it is now selling spare parts for its OEM products, has launched a new house parts brand, called Hitcher Parts, to the market, while it has also launched its new Ready Range.
The company says today marks a milestone in its history.following the purchase of the MaxiTRANS trailer business by a group of local private investors in September 2021, with the focus of the business having been on setting it 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 $50m investment into our Ballarat site and 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.” L’Estrange said.
Freighter Group revealed it hosted an event in Ballarat last night (Tuesday 8th October) with what it describes as an “overwhelming attendance by customers, suppliers and industry representatives”, where the company explained that it showcased its facility and provided a firsthand look at the advanced manufacturing upgrade.
“We were thrilled to see so many from across the industry attend the event. Those who attended on the day were able to experience how the business is transforming the trailer manufacturing industry in Australia, further improving our manufacturing capabilities and efficiencies to benefit our customers,” said L’Estrange.
The company said that it has made several significant transformation announcements, including the name change from MaxiTRANS to Freighter Group, with the change effective immediately.
The company believes it marks a new era for the business, saying that the name change better reflects what it is as a business and its vision for the future.
The company claims that as the preeminent trailer brand in Australia, it has a rich history with origins extending back to 1946 and that it has continued to build a strong reputation within the industry since its introduction.
“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.”
The company also announced the release of its new refrigerated trailer offering under the Freighter brand, which it has called Freez-R.
In collaboration with its partner, Schmitz Cargobull, it claims the Freez-R has been expertly designed to deliver industry leading thermal performance.
The company said that the body is constructed from Ferroplast technology, which when combined with the locally manufactured Freighter chassis design and the national back up support through Freighter Group, claims that it delivers exceptional thermal performance and reliability.
Freighter said that the Freez-R is its first trailer to come with TrailerConnect telematics as standard, which it says further showcases its move into a modern, digital service offer to its customers.
“We are thrilled to announce the release of Freez-R to the Australian market. 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 L’Estrange.
L’Estrange added that, through access its national dealer and service support network will give customers total peace of mind that it is committed to supporting their transport needs.
The company also said that peace of mind is further supported with the announcement that it 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,” L’Estrange said.
“: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,” he added.
The company also announced that it is introducing a new spare parts brand into the market, via its new Hitcher Parts entity.
“We pride ourselves on delivering a quality product for our customers and have continued to align our product offering with reputable component brands,” L’Estrange said.
“Hitcher Parts will consist of an expansive range of quality trailer parts that are designed to go the distance and as the range continues to expand it will soon be available on our product, as well as available in the aftermarket,” he added.
“All these announcements today lead into our message that Freighter Group is all about being Ready. Ready for our customers to perform through products that are meticulously designed, manufactured and supported. Ready for anything our customers need, through extensive product knowledge and industry experience. Ready to assist when needed, with a national dealer, service and mobile support network, our team is never too far away,” he said.
Freighter said that with this, it has also developed the Ready Range of trailers, which it says is a pre-engineered product offering designed to take out the guess work and 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,” L’Estrange said.
“This allows our product to be more competitively priced, further streamline the ordering process and deliver shorter manufacturing lead times,” he added.
“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,” said L’Estrange..
“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, ” he said.
