From selling beers to delivering them
Growing up in a family that owned a transport business, combined with 16 years of experience in alcohol sales and marketing, really comes in handy when starting a beverage transport and warehousing company. That’s how it was for Andy Harris when he and his wife Emily started Motus Transport back in 2016.
What began with a small warehouse in Brookvale and a focus on craft beers has grown into a thriving business that delivers both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages all along the east coast. Motus Transport now has sprawling warehouses across Sydney, Canberra, Newcastle, Coffs Harbour, Byron Bay and up to Brisbane.
One door closes, the door to Hino opens
Andy tells us how it was a simple walk-in to a Hino dealer that helped Motus Transport get off the ground. “I’d been renting a few Hino 300 Series trucks to start off with and couldn’t afford a brand-new truck, so I was looking for something second-hand. After another supplier told me to come back when I was looking for a new one, I literally walked around the corner to Adtrans Hino in Mascot and they came up with a solution for me. They helped me secure a second-hand Hino 300 Series. It was very nimble and just what we needed to get around the city.”
Andy later purchased five brand new Hino 300 Series trucks from Adtrans Hino. As his business kept growing, so too did his fleet. “We went into COVID with 16 Hino trucks and came out a few years later with 40.”
It’s that ongoing reliability of Hino that helped Motus Transport’s operations grow into its current fleet of 60 Hino trucks. These consist mostly of the 300 Series for the smaller city runs, and also several 500 Series and 700 Series models to help with the larger distribution center runs.
For a business that delivers, Hino does too
While Andy has a handful of vans and utes for some of the smaller jobs, he finds the Hino 300 Series is a better fit for the daily needs of his business.
He explains, “The smaller vans get scratched and bumped around a bit in the city. The Hino trucks are just stronger, more reliable and more powerful for getting around busy city streets. The cabins have got plenty of space, a good dash layout and it’s a more comfortable drive for our staff. That’s important to us when they’re on the road six to eight hours a day, every day of the year.”
It’s the staff and people that come first at Motus Transport, and for Andy, their safety is a priority. “The reverse camera comes in handy when you’re delivering all around the city and the lane departure warning system is a big help to keep the team driving safely.”
Driving change in the transport industry
Part of Motus Transport’s 60 strong fleet of Hino trucks are four Hino 300 Series Hybrid Electrics. Andy explains the shift, “We’re highly aware of the emissions we produce as a transport business and the impact we have on the environment. Because of this, we’re looking to grow this side of our fleet.“
He tells us that this is where Motus Transport is heading, “I don’t think fully electric or hydrogen trucks are quite there yet for our business, but we find the hybrid setup works really well for us. It’s in the city where we find the Hino Hybrid Electric thrives. This is where we see a lot of savings on fuel costs, not just filling up less at the bowser on our daily runs, but also from our fleet management as we monitor fuel spending. We’re going to keep buying them until some of the bigger trucks become hybrid.”
The big deal with Adtrans Hino
Andy tells us, “I’m very big on loyalty with relationships. We’ve been with Adtrans Hino in Mascot for 8 years now.”
It was Stewart and the team at Adtrans Hino that helped connect Andy with a Hino dealer in each of the locations where Motus Transport are now operating. For Andy, it’s helped to keep the fleet serviced, on the road and on the job. “Every single touchpoint with Hino at every dealership we have worked with around the country has been great.”
He continues, “They’re opening up in Marrickville which will make servicing even easier for us. The team are great at being flexible and fitting our downtime in with the servicing. We get all our trucks serviced using Hino Genuine Parts. It’s all about having a reliable truck on the road.”
Hino all the way
For Andy and Emily and the team at Motus Transport, the journey with Hino has been outstanding. From a small start-up in Sydney to a successful east coast operation, it’s a relationship that has been strong from day one.
It’s a happy Andy that tells us, “Our trucks are on the road a lot and you want to get as much out of them as you can. You can’t fault Hino trucks or their people either. When you’ve got a business like that in your corner, you have great harmony with everything. It just works so well together.”
You can learn more about Motus Transport, the services they offer and how they support the local community on their website, https://www.motustransport.com.au/
