Our Group of Companies is excited to reach this milestone; learn about our journey over the decades
2019 is an exciting year for us as it signifies that our group has reached the 40-year mark. (The above photo is from the early years)
History
Freight Controller is part of a group of companies that dates back to 1979 when a first-generation family member Raymond Beach took over a Greyhound bus transport company (Andrew Package Express) specialising in local parcel distribution. Back then Raymond was a Management Consultant and was brought on by Greyhound to help bring the parcels business back to profitability. This was achieved, and yet Greyhound decided they wanted to sell the business. So, knowing that it was now a healthy, viable business Raymond decided to buy it.
Moving to the North Wharf, the business focused on Metro and Intrastate Next Day deliveries and was one of the first companies back then to introduce third party warehousing.
In 1983 Andrew’s was sold to allow the building of a new freight forwarding business model called Superfreighters that eliminated the need for trucks and drivers. This enabled clients to access a range of freight services via road, rail, sea, and air through the one company. The business was also a pioneer of this type of freight forwarding model.
Raymond Beach
Starting in the family kitchen, the new business model relied on a range of subcontractors and services from TNT & Comet. Today Raymond reflects on the reasons for transitioning to this new business model:
“With the Andrews business your mind is taken up with problems: running fleets, maintaining vehicles, etc., all the time. Whereas, when you subcontract that, it frees your mind to focus on the customer. You are constantly working on the customer’s situation, not on your own. I found that more interesting, and more rewarding.”
David Beach
David, Ray’s son, has been involved in the business since he was 14 years old. Hopping on a forklift during Christmas holidays, and enlisting his school friends to assist with projects such as factory moves. However, David didn’t get fully involved in the business until after he came back from living and working in Japan, and at the age of 24, David took over the day-to-day running of the family business when Ray was focusing on health concerns.
Innovation
The family business has a philosophy of innovation in logistical processes and technology that has created countless methods of improving freight outcomes, saving millions in freight costs along the way. That is what motivates second generation Managing Director David Beach; that is what keeps him passionately engaged in the business.
This philosophy of innovation, of continuous improvement, and cost saving initiatives is what spurred David to conceive of this new business: Freight Controller.
Our freight forwarding business was amongst the first in Australia to enhance its services with the technological advances that have impacted the market during our rich history, and we now have accrued over 15 years’ experience in consulting and designing Transport Management Software (TMS) solutions and supply chain integrations for our clients.
Freight Controller
Software, whilst core to our client’s processes (and ours), is nonetheless a tool, and as the saying goes ‘a tool is only as good as it’s user.’ Seeing the issues that customers had with maintaining, managing and enhancing their supply chain software systems, in particular with TMS systems, David created Freight Controller to provide a range of services that would ensure the supply chain software systems were working at best practice for each customer’s operational and business requirements, and were providing accurate data for actionable insights.
David realised that he could make the process of managing freight more automated, accurate, visible and efficient; providing more control and visibility to the distributor and generating more savings for clients than ever before.
Now Freight Controller is attracting new savvy clients; for whom David’s mission of data-driven freight management resonates. Freight Controller’s technology-based solutions provide more granular, meaningful data that, when coupled with the expertise garnered within the business for 4 decades, helps steer the distributor with greater visibility and control in a direction of prosperity and growth.
Freight Consultancy
Freight Controller is at heart a consultancy business. We work with our customers as their outsourced distribution management team of experts; to tailor solutions to individual business freight, inventory and customer service needs. We can help you create a path to optimise these processes, with agile methodologies that enable a continuous improvement partnership between our team and yours.
David’s thoughts on his time as second-generation manager of the business:
“What gets me up in the morning is the idea of a brand new day to spark a vision in my customer’s mind of a better way of running their distribution network and freight business processes. I enjoy problem solving and seeing the impact on my customer’s bottom line. I love the opportunity to collaborate with a wide variety of customers, there’s always a new issue to tackle, a new plan to devise.”
The next 40 years?
We’re proud of the first 40 years of our company group and what we have achieved on behalf of our customers and we are looking forward to the next 40 years. What new enhanced solutions will the next 40 years bring? The Supply Chain industry is ripe for the massive technological advances of the Industrial Revolution 4.0 and we aim to be there helping our customers take advantage of the solutions that can best benefit their businesses.
We have been fortunate to have some long-lasting customers join us over the decades and to you we say thank you for your vote of confidence. We are humbled to claim you as our business partners and will continue to strive to be a worthy partner to your businesses through exceptional service and industry leading solutions for many years to come.
For those newer, or just joining customers, welcome aboard! Let’s forge a brighter, lasting future together that will stand the test of time.