A family-owned and on-site–managed business based in Hornby, Christchurch, CTS (Commercial Transport Spares) is an independent supplier of parts for heavy commercial trucks, buses and trailers.
The company specialises in replacement parts for braking systems and steering and suspension systems, along with driveline, lighting, electrical, exhaust and a wide range of heavy-transport accessories. It also provides trailer OEM EBS sales and support for Knorr-Bremse and Bendix air-braking systems.
Originally founded as Canterbury Transport Engineering in Sydenham in the 1970s, the company’s core focus was initially on building heavy trailers.
After experiencing difficulty sourcing all the required parts locally, the company increasingly stocked its own. So it was a natural progression to enter the parts trade properly, and Commercial Transport Spares Limited was born.
While it was initially tough breaking into the market as a newcomer, the parts business grew so solidly that in 1987 the decision was made to exit the trailer-building market, and focus entirely on the parts arena.
The CTS product range rapidly grew to reflect the increasing diversity of trucks, trailers and buses on New Zealand roads. Keeping up with the industry’s latest repair requirements with the backing of decades of proven supply gives its customers confidence to book repairs in succession, and keep workshop bays productive.
The growth of the business over the years necessitated a move to larger premises at 129 Waterloo Road, Hornby, where the company is now based. CTS also has a branch in Dunedin and a sales office in Auckland to support customers in these regions.
CTS believe that having the largest range of products available, and the most experienced staff, distinguishes it from the competition.
South Island sales manager Phil Carter says each sales-team member has an average of more than 15 years’ experience in the heavy-transport industry, which allows them to understand the lingo and requests coming in from a range of customers, such as owner drivers and mechanics, through to franchise parts managers.
With experience comes the ability to identify parts in a quick and efficient manner from a varied range of information. CTS sales staff can supply products based on vehicle application, OE numbers, casting and tag numbers or even just sizing information, which is the most comprehensive performance that Carter has seen in his 35 years’ experience.
“Our inventory reflects the myriad of different products needed by the industry, and having the widest range of transport parts means that the requirements of the market is our focus, while being administered by on-site management and ordering processes gives CTS an agile edge,” Carter says.
CTS sources its vast range of spare parts from suppliers in Europe and the USA, as well as Asia and Australasia.
It offers more than 3500 airbags, as suspension is a key area, as well as air compressors and steering components for American, Japanese, and European truck brands along with the hard-to-source Chinese-vehicle market.
CTS stocks more than 8000 metric and imperial ball joints, over 400 different types of slack adjuster and hundreds of commercial brake calipers, along with the products that go with these items, and much more.
A key point of difference is that when specialist installation tools are required for the parts it sells CTS has them available for hire in support of the correct repair outcomes for its customers.
The value of choosing CTS as your parts supplier is in keeping the work flowing through the limited space available in repair facilities, as vehicles just keep getting bigger and bigger and have a higher availability requirement than ever before, the company says.
“Value is the right parts, more times,” according to CTS.
