Wakefield Transport is a fourth generation family business now responsible for the warehousing and transportation of regional produce worth tens of millions of dollars annually to both domestic and export markets.

"Our mission is to continuously improve our intermodal rail and road freight services to our customers through intensive logistics, supply, transportation, facilities, personnel and leading edge technology. Our aim is to provide seamless quality services which surpasses the dreams of our customers."

Operating from the rural town of Merbein, 15 kilometres from the rural city of Mildura in Victoria, Wakefield Transport has revolutionised the movement of produce for the regions of Sunraysia and beyond in Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia. The provision of a road/warehouse/rail intermodal hub and cold chain management of 40 foot reefer containers has resulted in greatly improved efficiency and quality of delivered produce while markedly reducing traffic and road damage on the 600 kilometre road journey to Melbourne.

The operation of the business has been successfully handed down from generation to generation always with wholehearted family involvement. Ken now runs the business as Group Manager supported by his mother and father, Shirley and Jim, as Directors of the company and brother Russell.

The business employs over 40 staff and 5 sub-contractors and achieved Certified Quality Assurance to ISO 9002 standards in 1998. Staff are extremely loyal, reliable and flexible. All staff receive extensive training and are subject to skills audit and assessment training. The business has also obtained Australian Quarantine Inspection Service (AQIS) registration of its Depot.

Wakefield Road Transport has been the backbone of the business since 1917 when the business was started. Daily road transport services are available to Melbourne and Adelaide with less frequent services to other Capitals. We pride ourselves in providing total logistic packages for our customer base with the added value of dealing with a company certified to ISO 9002. Wakefield Road Transport likes to the intermodal rail component of the business for export and imports to Melbourne and Adelaide with all mode interfaces controlled by Wakefields.

Wakefields provide 25,000 square metres of dry storage and 2,450 square metres of coolroom storage to add value to our customers freight tasks. A bulk wine tanker division offers movement for millions of litres of wine between bulk storage facilities and bottling plants of all the major wine companies. As a further service to the wineries, Wakefields have the only privately owned bulk automated tanker cleaning facility in the Sunraysia area.

A modern fleet of equipment is available to support all the services we offer. These include B/Double prime movers, single trailer prime movers, full time subcontractors, refrigerator vans, tautliners, trailers and tankers.

The average age of the fleet is less than two years old. The fleet is being constantly upgraded to cater for customer requirements. An onsite workshop manned by two qualified mechanics ensures all equipment is maintained at the highest standard.

Iron Horse Intermodal is a partner with Freight Victoria and this partnership services the export business from the Sunraysia, South Australian Riverland and lower South West New South Wales area for the benefit of exporters, shippers and the Melbourne Port Corporation. With coolrooms, warehousing, documentation services the primary function is cold chain management of perishable cargo by rail to Port Melbourne.