Didn’t TDG own part of TNT Australia in the early days?
Kenb:
Didn’t TDG own part of TNT Australia in the early days?
Yes in the mid 60s they had quite a share in TNT
… But the Aus government didn’t like foreign control… So a reverse takeover of the Aus parts of TDG happened
Darren Hingston:
Kenb:
Didn’t TDG own part of TNT Australia in the early days?Yes in the mid 60s they had quite a share in TNT
… But the Aus government didn’t like foreign control… So a reverse takeover of the Aus parts of TDG happened
Thought so - one of the senior As guys came to UK to set Independent Express (Think Pink was the Logo) TDG back him quite heavily but it was eventually merged into Tuffnells - I ended with the MDs car a 4 x 4 Ford Scorpio.
Cheers
Ken
TROOPER2:
Iveco Zeta - (47503) - TNT Offshore:0
Guernsey CI - June 1995.
Those (I think, 6-tonners) were actually a good drive. They didn’t have power-steering so were heavy to pilot, but they handled very well on the road. Ro
My recollections of TNT here in WA were a ruthless sales dept and happy to use their power to stand over sub contators where ever possible.
The company was hand in glove with the state governments of the Eastern states in enforcing rates that eventually in 1979 ended in a nation wide strike which started at the top pf the Razor Gap on the Hume Hwy which was supported nation wide with other truck drivers for 9 days until some arrangement was reached to ban the Road maintenance tax which TNT charged the client but were happy to forget to pass it onto the their sub contractors.
Also a look into rates generally and loading weights upgraded.
The man who started the protest /strike known as Green dog Stevens was sent into bankruptsy by TNT as he wouldn’t submit to the requests of TNT management early in the strike where he was promised huge financial rewards if he called the strike off he stood by his principles and mates and no work after the strike so payed a heavy price.
I will note I only worked for them twice first and last time.
Dig
Too right Dig, but Maynes, Brambles and their various subsidiaries were no better. The majors set the standard for the smaller companies to follow. If some small, upstart outfit scored a premium contract, the big boys had no compunction in driving them into bankruptcy.
Jakdaw:
0
Please don’t give Punchy ideas ! 
Bewick:
Jakdaw:
0Please don’t give Punchy ideas !
You’ve got to start somewhere Dennis, I’m sure Dan’s all over it. 
Star down under.:
Bewick:
Jakdaw:
0Please don’t give Punchy ideas !
You’ve got to start somewhere Dennis, I’m sure Dan’s all over it.
He’s probably hard at work building a replica in his workshop right now !
Bewick:
Star down under.:
Bewick:
Jakdaw:
0Please don’t give Punchy ideas !
You’ve got to start somewhere Dennis, I’m sure Dan’s all over it.
He’s probably hard at work building a replica in his workshop right now !
Star down under.:
Have a butcher’s at this, Dig.
Interesting read SDU,Iworked for Mayne Nicks in the mid 70s I had just purchased my first truck and the usual happened there was a recession and work dried up but I did the rounds and one day walked into there north west transport office and after an interview was asked if I could load and leave that day for the Goldsworty mine just north of Hedland so I went and got the truck loaded and went no hassles the money was as good as you could get and less than 10 days to wait for a cheque and they kept me in work for almost 2 years so i can’t complain as I found there management quite good to deal with but they probably weren’t the ones that made the decisions that led to their demise.
Cheers Dig
I worked for, then subbied to them in the 80s. As an employer they were no better or worse than any other transport company.
Buying a prime mover to tow their trailers started ok, in spite of the “treat em mean, keep em keen” attitude to rates. The cheques arrived every week, for the full invoiced amount, until about a year later, when the invoice processor was replaced. The new bloke had a regime of making an error every week, with the assurance of correcting it the next week. Each week the error got bigger.
Star down under.:
Too right Dig, but Maynes, Brambles and their various subsidiaries were no better. The majors set the standard for the smaller companies to follow. If some small, upstart outfit scored a premium contract, the big boys had no compunction in driving them into bankruptcy.
And let us not mention Lindsay Fox…
BTW, TNT is “history” nowadays, at least here in Oz (where TNT originated).
It’s now “FedEx Express” which, translated, is Federal Express Express.
Jakdaw:
0
I see you’ve spotted their new “Economy” service.