New complex allows firm to plan for future

Press, 21 August 1989, Page 33

New complex allows firm to plan for future

Wilder Transport, Ltd, has recently opened a multi-million dollar complex near the corner of Jipcho Road and McAlpine Street in Sockburn. “As well as providing for our present needs, the new complex will enable us to plan ahead for the next century,” says Mr Bruce Abel, the administration manger for Wilder. The complex is impressive. A main building contains 2760 square metres of managed warehouse space and another 460 square metres in offices. Along one side is a permanent canopy covering the transit freight area. Here, freight is received from as far away as Auckland and Invercargill and broken down

for city delivery in smaller vehicles. Freight is also collected and prepared for transport throughout New Zealand on the larger line-haul vehicles. At the front of the complex is a large B.P. "truck stop” where wider vehicles as well as those from other companies are refuelled.

Dividing the new warehouse complex and another facility which is leased by Wilder Transport is a rail siding. According to Bob Lakin, Wilder’s operations manager, rail sidings are a "sign of the times.” “Utilising rail transport is new for us, but it is not new for the industry. Rail has a definite niche in the

transport industry and although we are a large road operator, we aknowledge that there are some things that are better achieved by rail. “We are also looking at being involved in the container market in the future,” Mr Lakin says. Another important aspect of the complex is the modern workshop facility where all maintenance work is done, from vehicle painting to major overhauls.

"There are about 700 tyres continuously moving under Wilder Transport vehicles travelling about four million kilometres each year,” Mr Abel says. “Our new workshop equipped with the latest technology is, therefore, a

very important part of our complex. The facility is operated by two shifts which enables us to do work for other companies as well as our own. “This means that if another company has a vehicle problem late in the evening, there- is somewhere to go.” Security for the entire complex is provided by a sophisticated 24-hour camera surveillance system which is coupled to Armourguard. In addition to general freighting consignments which are transported throughout New Zealand, Wilder Transport also operates some specialised freight movements. One of these is transporting Cadburys pro-

ducts. This contract came as a result of the Transpac collapse and is now worked by Wilder Transport in conjunction with a North Island road operator.

To provide an efficient transport service for Cadburys 16 “B trains” are used. These consist of two combined semi-trailers towed by a tractor unit. "They are the largest ‘B trains’ operating on New Zealand Roads,” says David Wilder, the managing director of Wilder Transport. “They were constructed especially for the work by Steel Brothers in Christchurch. A feature is the smaller low profile tyres which allows loadings to be increased by 20 per cent.”