Q: Can you tell us about your business and how you got started?
A: UNITE Logistics was formed in 2014 as a joint venture between C.V. Compton Ltd and MOVE Logistics Ltd.
The business was formed to compete for the PlaceMakers Auckland freight contract, which it won, to service the delivery requirements of their Auckland branches.
Since then, we have extended our service offering and welcomed new clients in the construction and infrastructure industries with a mix of dedicated contract trucks and adhoc delivery services.
Q. What do you enjoy the most about the transport industry?
The biggest joy we get from the industry, is being able to make things happen for clients and being able to exceed their expectations.
Q: How many staff do you have and where are you based?
A: With a team of more than 40 people, we service Auckland, Northland, Waikato and the Bay of Plenty from our depots located in all three main centres of the golden triangle.
Many of our operators started with us as Class 1 drivers, now trained in crane operation and up to Class 2, 4 or 5 licences. Driver retention is a proud stat, with many of our operators still with UNITE since its inception, one with 10 years at CV Compton prior to that.
Q: How big is your fleet and what types of vehicles do you have?
A: We have more than 40 assets ranging from utes, small flatdeck and tippers, curtainsiders with roll top roofs, a mix of front or rear mounted 4, 6, & 8 wheel hiab units, long reach cranes, Hiab and flatdeck semi units and an assortment of Hiab truck and trailer units. We’ve got the right gear to be
“delivering it right”
Q: What does it take to stay competitive in your business and keep your customers happy?
A: The transport industry is constantly evolving, with pressure from the consumer market to have their products “now”.
We find our clients appreciate our open honest approach to business, having good communication from our dispatch team, open visibility online of truck activity, photographic PODs at the collection and delivery of consignments and having a well presented, modern, reliable fleet of vehicles operated by health & safety focused operators.
Mix these attributes with being able to diversify and react to clients’ needs has seen us maintain a good base of happy clients that want to do business with us rather than having to.
Q: What are some highlights and achievements you are proud of?
A: We are extremely proud of the efforts our team have put in over the past 12 months, given the many challenges we faced on business & personal levels.
We had a significant reduction in activity with PlaceMakers, an operational launch into the Waikato and Bay of Plenty regions, as well as dealing with two lockdowns thanks to COVID-19.
Our team stepped up and with their joint efforts, ensured that we have emerged in a better place excited by what 2021 will bring.
This year we introduced UNITE to Movember, the men’s health charity raising funds and awareness of key men’s health issues like testicular and prostate cancers, as well as men’s mental health.
While only two of us joined, general manager Mark Thorpe and client operations manager Matt Moir, we have proudly raised over $1000 for this great charity and have two great moustaches to show for our efforts!
Q: What are the challenges in your industry and how do you tackle them?
The biggest challenge is trying to make ends meet between rates charged for work versus costs.
Managing increasing costs and traffic congestion affecting work volumes is a struggle for any transport company.
Delivering to both residential or commercial construction sites, access is becoming more difficult given the trend to subdivide or redevelop sites.
Fortunately, with our diverse range of fleet we can handle a lot of these restrictive sites easily.
