This article was originally published on Freight Quote Australia’s website.

Kenworth, the name brings to mind immaculately presented prime movers, cruising along the highway, hauling multi combination trailers. Kenworth is synonymous with quality and profitability not to mention chrome bull bars and glistening paintwork.

The origin of the brand name Kenworth is quite simply the combination of the surnames of two of the business partners who reincorporated the business back in 1923. Their names were Harry Kent and Edward K. Worthington. Many people are unaware of the fact that Kenworth also built buses and coaches right up until the middle of the 1950s, before they succumbed to the high demand of heavy truck orders and resorted to focussing primarily on trucks.

Over 60,000 Trucks Produced in Australia

Since 1971, when the first Kenworth rolled off the production line in Australia, over 60,000 Kenworth trucks have been produced, and according to Kenworth, an astounding 70% of these trucks are still on the road today. This is testament to their high quality and the vision of the brand to build to a standard capable of handling Australia’s harsh conditions over hundreds of thousands of kilometres. Kenworth employs over 1000 people in Melbourne alone, the majority of employees being involved in the manufacturing operations.

Market Leader in the Truck Industry

Kenworth is today a market leader in trucks and has a vast range of models in their current range, varying from the classic bonneted models through to the cab over variants. The T610SAR is an example of Kenworth’s brilliant workmanship and engineering – an absolutely stunning truck proudly designed and built in Australia. Kenworth is proud of the fact that this is one of the most aerodynamic and fuel efficient trucks it has ever produced. It is powered by the renowned Cummins X15 Euro V engine which has Advanced Dynamic Efficient Powertrain (ADEPT) technology and pushes out a formidable 600hp.

Safety Features and Driver Comfort

Kenworth’s popularity in the Australian market is due to a number of factors including their reliability and durability over long periods of time. They also have a vast array of safety features as well as a high focus on driver comfort. This is crucial when considering the enormous distances needing to be covered in Australia, whether it’s working as a container transport truck or pulling other loads, and the harsh weather and road conditions drivers are often faced with.

The Kenworth C510 is a perfect example of a rugged truck designed to handle the most extreme conditions of Australia’s mining industry. It is fitted with a powerful 19 litre engine and its cooling system is purpose built to comfortably handle the 50 degree temperatures commonly experienced in these areas.

Ongoing High Demand for Kenworth Trucks

With all this in mind, it’s easy to see why Kenworth trucks remain in high demand. Not only do they design and produce quality trucks, but they have the aftermarket service to keep the trucks on the road and their customers happy. Through PACCAR Assist, they are able to offer around the clock roadside assistance, seven days a week. In Australia alone there are 57 parts dealerships. With this kind of support network it’s no surprise that Kenworth’s popularity is not showing any signs of waning. The future is bright for Kenworth trucks, and so it should be.

Posted by: FreightQuote at 01:03 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 561 words, total size 8 kb.

Moving Bulky Items Yourself is a Challenge

Bulky household items have to be some of the most inconvenient things to move around known to man. It’s like they’re designed to irritate us, to break us. Think washing machine. Moving one of those things around the house has to be one of the most back breaking exercises out there.

You’ve done your homework and know you won’t be able to get it out of your laundry without a decent hand trolley. So off you go to your local hardware store and spend the morning browsing the ‘hand trolley aisle’. There are so many types to choose from nowadays! Black ones, red ones, orange ones, all construction type colours specifically designed to make you feel like some kind of D.I.Y. professional. With so many types of hand trolleys in one place you feel like a king, being able to choose exactly the one that you like the best. Now what will it be, pneumatic tyres or solid rubber? You reach for your phone and do a quick google search on the pros and cons in an attempt to convince yourself you are making an informed decision. After spending a few minutes testing out a number of different hand trolleys up and down the aisle, you single out the chosen one and proudly walk it down to the register to pay for it.

Reality Dawns – Mission Impossible

Once you get home, you wheel the trolley through the house like a new toy, but the fun is all over once you actually try and use it on the above-mentioned washing machine. Getting the lip of the trolley under the front of the washing machine is the easy part, and lulls you into a false sense of relief. It’s when you pop your foot on it and lean back that reality hits and it dawns on you that you will still somehow need to counter the excess, overhanging load of the washing machine whilst simultaneously tilting the hand trolley. The impossibility of it sinks in and you phone a friend or accept that it may be time to get a freight quote for your bulky item.

Courier Quote Large Item Freight Companies

There are a lot of freight companies out there and they are, for the most part, very competitively priced. It always pays to get a number of quotes for getting your bulky items transported. Examples of bulky items in addition to your washing machine could be things like a piano, a king size bed, a couch, a fridge. Freight companies know how to ship big items, using the optimal number of people and the right aids to make it as easy as possible. A reputable freight company will always ensure they transport your goods in a safe manner. Pianos, despite being incredibly heavy and awkward items to move, are very delicate and need to be handled with care to avoid being damaged. Fridges are bulky items that should always be transported empty and upright. By simply searching ‘freight quote’ online you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the can number of freight options available for your bulky item. And who knows, you might save yourself the cost of that new hand trolley you thought you had to buy.

Posted by: FreightQuote at 11:03 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 554 words, total size 6 kb.

Freight Quote is an Australian freight company, with extensive experience arranging transport of palletised and bulky goods. They are popular with businesses and consumers alike, and no account is required to organise a delivery as little a day in advance. Here are some of their most important tips, things to remember and to keep in mind, starting with your decision to request a quote, and through to arranging the pickup and delivery of your consignment.

1.     Provide an accurate description of the consignment. In the world of freight, almost everything boils down to a few factors – the size and weight of the consignment, where it’s going, and how it needs to be loaded and unloaded. By providing an accurate description online, your freight provider should also be able to provide you with an accurate freight quote online.

2.     Package the goods appropriately. Let common sense prevail – if the consignment looks like it will fall apart or start unravelling at the first bump in the road, then it’s almost certainly packaged inadequately. Fragile goods in particular need to be packaged in such a way as to protect the delicate cargo from needless damage during transit.

3.     Label the goods clearly and correctly. Double check everything, keeping in mind that something as "minor” as a wrongly spelled street address can result in hours or even days of delay, and possible demurrage costs. There’s also another very important reason for marking the consignment clearly – in the unlikely event that the goods end up in the wrong place (e.g. are unloaded at the wrong depot, or re-loaded onto the wrong truck) then clear, correct and prominent labelling will greatly increase the odds of your consignment finding its way back en-route.

4.     Consider insurance. Freight Quote can arrange insurance, and if the goods have got some value, it’s worth at least considering this option.

5.     Remain contactable at the key times. The most important times are of course around the day or time when the consignment is to be picked up, or when it’s scheduled to be dropped off. If it’s a person other than yourself who is to be the contact person for example for the delivery, then check with them regarding their preferred contact phone number, and make doubly sure that they will remain contactable on the day of the delivery.

Freight Quote Australia specialises in transportation of heavy and bulky items. For more information, or to obtain a road freight quote, visit their website – www.justfreight.com.au

Posted by: FreightQuote at 03:17 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 426 words, total size 9 kb.

Transporting goods is nothing new to mankind, but if you’ve never had any experience with interstate couriers, getting your items shipped around within Australia can be a daunting prospect.

Let’s take the example of Angela from Adelaide who had finally located the ideal furniture trader who could custom build the stone table for her outdoor entertaining area. There was only one problem. They were located in Brisbane. Although the store did offer direct freight nation-wide, it was going to be very expensive to send the table all the way to Adelaide, considering how much it weighed.

Rather than opt for a second-rate product, or simply pay the delivery cost specified by the furniture trader, Angela decided to look for her own freight quote online. That’s when she found a company that specialised in direct freight within and between all the major cities in Australia. Great!

On closer examination it actually seemed to be exactly what she was looking for: bulky goods delivery, competitive prices and a big focus on integrity and customer service.

When she also discovered that you didn’t have to create an account with the company to request a direct freight quote or book a pick up, Angela decided that filling in the freight quote form couldn’t hurt. After all, it would take two minutes, and apparently she could expect a reply within fifteen…

That was the start of a highly professional and service-oriented dialogue. Early on it became apparent that moving the stone table off the truck at the customer’s residence was going to be somewhat problematic. You see, items that are too heavy to lift manually can often be moved off the truck using a tail lift (a hydraulic lift at the back of the truck), but this outdoor table was too long for a standard pallet.

Hiring a hiab truck would probably be the simplest option for the heavy pallet delivery, but would also bring up the cost quite a bit. In the end Angela arranged for a team of laborers to be onsite when the truck arrived and they would lift it off together.

Everything was going according to plan, until the truck arrived at Angela’s place and nobody was there to lift the table off. The courier had no choice but to drive to its Adelaide freight depot where the goods were taken off the truck. Now what?

The courier company could supply the man-power to lift the table off, but not for another week. Although they were happy to store it at the depot until then, Angela was keen to get it delivered earlier and in the end she decided to hire a HIAB and have it sent the next day.

That turned out to be another good call, as some HIABs are only capable of lifting the freight off and beside the truck, but this particular one was able to move it off the truck and nearly all the way to Angela’s outdoor entertaining area, saving a lot of extra lifting.

Posted by: FreightQuote at 04:35 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 604 words, total size 8 kb.