Australia’s leading supplier of pre-fabricated architectural timber frames has used the reliability, safety and industry-leading servicing network of Toyota Material Handling Australia (TMHA) to help build its business into the powerhouse it is today.
Since its inception in 1989, Timbertruss has grown into Australia’s largest supplier of timber trusses, wall frames, posi struts, cassettes and flooring systems, operating manufacturing facilities in the Geelong suburb of Corio and Brendale in Brisbane’s north.
Timbertruss relies on the quality, reliability and safety of Toyota forklifts at its manufacturing facilities, with TMHA being its preferred supplier of material handling equipment for more than a decade.
Toyota recently delivered a new fleet of 20 counterbalance forklifts to Timbertruss across its two sites, with a mix of units ranging from 2.5 to 4.0 tonnes in capacity which are used to transport timber and finished structures around the warehouse.
Timbertruss CEO Mark McDonald said the company’s preference for Toyota forklifts would only increase going forward.
“We’re gravitating towards having Toyota as our major material handling equipment provider and supplier. For all of our forklift needs, we will be relying on Toyota,” Mr McDonald said.
“All of our new forklift material handling fleet is Toyota. We have a handful of other brands which will be retired over the coming five years.”
Timbertruss places a strong emphasis on employee safety, which made Toyota the perfect fit for its warehouse operations.
TMHA Corporate Account Customer Manager Trevor Smith worked with Timbertruss to arrange and deliver the new fleet of machines according to the customer’s needs and specifications, making the process as easy as possible for all parties.
“Our procurement, logistics and operations team have been working very closely with (TMHA) and they’re raving about it, so the feedback is very positive,” Mr McDonald said.
Furthermore, Timbertruss uses Toyota’s sophisticated I-Site fleet telematics system, which helps businesses of all sizes manage their forklift logistics.
I-Site allows businesses to control their operating costs, monitor forklift utilisation and safety incidents, and conveniently schedule servicing to ensure equipment downtime is kept to a minimum.
“I-Site has been a crucial inclusion, along with other safety systems and processes,” Mr McDonald said.
Having a large fleet of material handling equipment requires convenient and hassle-free servicing capability, and with a service network including over 300 knowledgeable technicians nationwide, TMHA is able to support the servicing needs of Timbertruss to keep its forklifts operating across its vast yard area.
After more than 10 years of partnership, Timbertruss has developed a strong working relationship with TMHA.
“We’re extremely delighted,” Mr McDonald said. “Toyota has supported us to tackle a specific operational and advance our safety needs, and they’ve helped us work through our requirements and we’re really happy with the outcome.
“The service delivery has been per the timing they promised, so we’ve been really grateful for their help.”
In 2011, Timbertruss joined family-owned and operated timber and hardware supplier Bowens, helping to bring its high-quality products to a wide audience of tradespeople, home renovators and DIY-ers.
It also has a broad footprint - along with its head office in Melbourne, the company features support offices in Vietnam and India.
For more information freecall Toyota Material Handling Australia on 1800 425 438 or visit online at www.toyotamaterialhandling.com.au
