Anthony Tanner, CEO at VicTas Freight Express sits down with MHD to discuss the recent investment in technology and expansion plans for the company.
For VicTas Freight Express, service is everything. “We are very hands on, we’re always available to our customers and we pride ourselves on offering a delivery service that our customers can rely on,” Anthony Tanner, CEO at VicTas Freight Express says.
VicTas Freight Express is a privately owned and operated Australian company established in 2010. Core business activity is express delivery of carton, skids and palletised freight into Victoria, Tasmania, Southern NSW and Canberra.
In 2017, the organisation expanded its service offering into South Australia driven by customer demands for the VicTas Freight Express experience in that region.
2018 saw VicTas Freight Express commence their technology transformation project with a clear agenda to implement a robust and developing technology solution for the benefit of its business, customers, drivers and network partners.
“Initially we were somewhat reliant on paper, with many manual processes. And while we were providing a great service to our customers, the business recognised that we needed to update our technology to provide all stakeholders with accessible and accurate data they needed and as live as possible,” he says.
VicTas Freight Express conducted an RFP process that resulted in Freight Data International providing a cloud-based end to end solution.
“The solution now provides our staff, network and clients with total visibility from order to invoice,” Anthony says.
A further requirement was for the technology to be compatible with VicTas Freight Express’s customer’s ERP systems. “The Freight Data International system interacts with more than 30 different ERP systems globally” he says.
VicTas Freight Express is environmentally aware. “The software provides an integrated route optimisation solution which has significantly reduced our carbon footprint through planning our routes and load utilisation in an efficient and smarter way. EDI messaging and mobility application have resulted in a 57% reduction in paper consumption which is assisting the business in achieving a greener footprint,” Anthony says.
For Anthony, technology allows our business to be proactive through the use of live actionable information. “With our technology solution, nothing is invisible. From live customer consigning, freight scanning and online proof of delivery through to customer invoicing, reconciliation and accruals, the technology solution has impacted positively on our whole business,” Anthony says.
There are other benefits associated with this level of data. “With live information we can manage process, compliance and mitigate risk associated with Chain of Responsibility,” Anthony says.
The staff at VicTas Freight Express have responded well to the change and Anthony says there is an added benefit of an easier way to report issues. “Reporting is now standardised throughout the business, with improved visibility and access to information, our staff can review and action something right away from a single source of truth,” he says.
Innovation and growth are important to VicTas Freight Express. “2020 will see the introduction of an Express Melbourne to Western Australia service, again driven by customer demand for the VicTas Freight Express experience” he says.
“With the expansion of our service offering, VicTas Freight Express is proud to announce we are rebranding to VT Freight Express in 2020, to better reflect our business model going forward, whilst remaining Proudly Independent and Proudly Australian,” Anthony says.
For Anthony, VicTas Freight Express is unique in that it is privately owned, safety focused, service driven and very much in touch with its core business and customers’ requirements. He believes that its offering is a true alternative to the tier one providers who are operating in the Australian market.
For more information, visit: www.vtfe.com.au or www.freightdatainternational.com.au.