HTE Transport has grown significantly since the original introduction of one truck nearly 13 years ago to what its current fleet stands at today. I am Director of the business but also oversee the daily running of the business, from managing and scheduling the drivers for their daily tasks, right up to business management, quotes, tenders, sales, employment of staff and the management of our fleet maintenance schedules and our full time mechanic. HTE Transport Pty Ltd currently has 80 items of plant and equipment and employees 35 employees. Transport services all of Western Australia for mobilisation to/from mine sites in the South to North and have a fleet of side tippers for bulk material transport.

Based within the Main Roads building in Bunbury, Southern Road Services role was to deliver maintenance and construction for the local road network. My role was introduced to help manage the fleet of around 420 items of plant and equipment all up between Bunbury and Albany. This included both light plant, fleet vehicles, trucks and heavy plant. Managing the fleet included coordination of repairs, change outs, hire plant, introduction of a fleet management program, engaging external service providers and training the people that use the equipment.

National Hire was developed as a competitor in the market place along with Coates, but National Hire had the larger Caterpillar Equipment for rental amongst its fleet. I was Branch Manager for National Hire which originally started within the Westrac Branch and later moved into a stand alone building as the business grew. Managing tasks from daily booking of hire equipment, hire contracts, long term and short to the running of the workshop and several staff.

Based from Westrac Bunbury, my role was to manage field service mechanics within the southwest region including our resident based mechanics in Albany, Kojonup and Manjimup. The main role included booking of jobs with clients for repair/service in the field, ordering of parts, technical support for the mechanics and clients and maintaining maximum service to all of our clients.

Completed my four year apprenticeship as a heavy duty mechanic, and then moved into a field service vehicle and travelled the state carrying out repairs to Caterpillar equipment in various locations.