MaxiTRANS has announced it is changing its name to Freighter Group
Since a group of local private investors purchased the MaxiTRANS trailer business in September 2021, the company has focused on setting the business up for long-term sustainability.
“We embarked on a significant transformation journey when we purchased the trailer business, to create a new era for the future of the company and the trailer manufacturing industry in Australia,” said Greg L’Estrange Freighter Group, Executive Chairman.
“The journey started with a $50m 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 facility’s overall footprint, transforming it into a modern manufacturing environment. Completing the upgrade puts the business in a position to continue evolving with the changing needs of our customers long into the future.”
This is a new era for our business. Changing our name to Freighter Group better reflects who we are as a business and our vision for the future. As the preeminent trailer brand in Australia, Freighter has a rich history, with origins dating back to 1946, and 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 Greg.
“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 was the release of a new refrigerated trailer offering under the Freighter brand, called Freez-R.
In collaboration with our partners, Schmitz Cargobull, Freez-R has been expertly designed to deliver industry-leading thermal performance. 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, delivers exceptional thermal performance and reliability. The Freez-R is Freighter Group’s first trailer offering with TrailerConnect® telematics as standard, further showcasing our move into a modern, digital service offer to our 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 Greg. Additionally, access to our unmatched national dealer and service support network gives customers peace of mind that we are committed to supporting their transport needs.
This peace of mind is further supported with the announcement that 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 can contact their local Freighter Group dealer to look after their spare part needs. This is a further demonstration of our commitment to supporting the needs of our customers. We are excited to discuss further expansion into spare parts in the coming months.”
We are also thrilled to announce the introduction of a new spare parts brand, Hitcher Parts, into the market. We pride ourselves on delivering a quality product for our customers and have continued to align our product offering with reputable component brands. Hitcher Parts will consist of an expansive range of quality trailer parts designed to go the distance. The Hitcher Parts range continues to expand and will soon be available on our product and in the aftermarket.
“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 with specifications suited for various applications. 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 undergone. 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 throughout this transition,” said Greg.
“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 support the changing needs of our customers further long into the future, said Greg.”