Colli Timber and Hardware and CJD Equipment

Founded in 1974, CJD Equipment is a privately owned Australian company and leading provider of world-class equipment and trucks.  Over the years, CJD’s product portfolio has continued to diversify and adapt which led to the company becoming the White Truck dealer for Western Australia in 1975.

Colli Timber and Hardware is a 100 percent Western Australian owned and operated business supplying timber and building materials to many of WA’s award-winning building companies. The company prides itself on building and upholding long-standing relationships with their clients so it is understandable that when they enter a partnership, a strong relationship is their number one priority.

The joint values of CJD Equipment and Colli Timber and Hardware are part of what makes the relationship so successful, not to mention the high-quality brands the companies represent that can be relied on for the long run.

Cesare Colli from Colli Timber and Hardware still remembers the day he drove away with his brand new White Road Boss Truck from CJD Equipment in August 1982.

After building a longstanding relationship with CJD that began in 1977, Mr. Colli purchased the 1981 White Road Boss for $120,000 with the following specs:

Specifications:

The trucked worked in logging from 1982 – 2004 towing single, b/double and road trains out of the state forest areas in Jarrahdale through to Pemberton. In 1992 the team at Colli Timber & Hardware gave the truck a birthday refresh as part of their corporate look overhaul.

A fresh new look for the 10 year old White Road Boss.

From 2004 to 2013 of the trucks working life, it was fitted with a crane and used to deliver trusses and timber frames to building sites around Perth and the southwest of Western Australia. In 2006 the hard working and reliable truck was given another revamp to keep up with the company’s fresh new branding.

Another revamp for the White Road Boss in 2006.

Retirement and Restoration

After a long and busy life, the truck retired in 2013 and has not been put to work since. In 2015 Mr. Colli decided to restore the legendary truck and return it to its original look. The team refit the sleeper and completely refurbished every aspect of the truck. The only aspect of the White Truck that could not be returned to its original state was the Grille so the company built a replacement. The gearbox was also modified to a Road Ranger 18 Speed Double Overdrive. Mr Colli estimates that the truck has traveled in excess of 2.5 million kilometres during it’s working life.

Colli Timber and Hardware not only purchased trucks but also a range of John Deere equipment from Lindsay Daniels, then a sales manager, who is still with CJD Equipment today as the National Product Engineering & Training Manager.

Cesare Colli says Colli Timber and Hardware had a great working relationship with CJD for many years, they not only purchased new and used equipment but also used the service department for maintenance and repairs and says the CJD team were enormously knowledgeable and helpful.

To honour 14 years since CJD Equipment opened the doors to it’s purpose built trucks facility in WA, we are sharing an article from our archives that was released on the grand opening of CJD Trucks in July 2005 in a five-part series. We hope you enjoy this trip down memory lane.

CJD Equipment evolves …

KENWORTH DAF WA IS BORN

By Carly Crummey

The History of Kenworth in Australia

Kevin Cameron was actually involved in the production of the first Kenworth in Australia in March 1971

To honour 14 years since CJD Equipment opened the doors to it’s purpose built trucks facility in WA, we are sharing an article from our archives that was released on the grand opening of CJD Trucks in July 2005 in a five-part series. We hope you enjoy this trip down memory lane.

CJD Equipment evolves …

KENWORTH DAF WA IS BORN

By Carly Crummey

A Brief History of DAF

On April 1, 1928 in Eindhoven Holland the Van Doorne Brothers laid the foundation of what was to become one of the major players in the commercial vehicle market in Europe. The company was originally called the NV Van Doorne’s Machinefabriek, later expanded to Van Doorne’s Bedrijfswagenfabriek DAF BV.

The first truck was produced in 1949 in a new factory that was built on the original site, and a further eight years later in 1957 engine production commenced on the same site. The production of DAF-developed rear axles started one year later. As a result of the continuous growth of the company, a completely new factory was opened at Westerloo in Belgium, just across the border, for the production of in-house designed cabs and axles.

The next major expansion took place in 1979 when a new parts distribution centre was opened on the Eindhoven site. DAF Trucks NV was officially formed on March 2, 1993 to continue the core activities started by the Van Doorne brothers.

On November 15, 1996 US truck manufacturer PACCAR Inc. acquired 100 percent of the shares of DAF NV, joining the brand with the Kenworth, Peterbilt and Foden brands. At that time, UK-based Leyland had an exclusive working relationship with DAF, producing the smaller LF 45 and 55 series which were sold in both the UK and the rest of Europe; and selling the larger Einhoven manufactured DAF product in the UK. In 1997 Leyland also joined the PACCAR Group as a DAF subsidiary. In 1998, PACCAR Australia decided that the DAF product range would complement the well-established Kenworth brand in Australia and DAF Trucks Australia was formed.

The early years of DAF Trucks Australia were spent in laying the foundation for a new truck franchise, including determining the basic vehicle specifications and options necessary for Australian conditions and to meet Australian road regulations; creating the necessary sales, parts and service infrastructure, and appointing an Australia-wide dealer network to sell and service the product range.

DAF Trucks Australia now offers a range of five base models in 4×2, 6×2, 6×4 and 8×4 configurations, each one tailored for Australian conditions and available through a network of 20 full line DAF dealers, nine DAF parts and service dealers, and four parts only stores covering all capital cities and major regional centres across the Australian continent.

LF 45 E12 SERIES

LF 45 E12 Series Specifications

To honour 14 years since CJD Equipment opened the doors to it’s purpose built trucks facility in WA, we are sharing an article from our archives that was released on the grand opening of CJD Trucks in July 2005 in a five-part series. We hope you enjoy this trip down memory lane.

CJD Equipment evolves …

KENWORTH DAF WA IS BORN

By Carly Crummey

A Word From Our Customers 

Director Jolly’s Transport – Craig Jolly

Jolly’s Transport

“We have been purchasing Kenworths for over 12 years from CJD, mainly because of their durability, reliability and high resale value… it’s just a proven product. We have developed a lasting relationship with CJD and enjoy good customer support with an efficient back-up service… we’re very proud to be associated with them and to have worked closely with the dealership over the years. We look forward to Kenworth DAF WA’s move into their new premises, with them being closer to our business from a servicing point of view.”

Director Gould Transport – Doug Gould

Gould Transport

Gould Transport

“I bought my first Kenworth back in 1994 and we’ve now got 17 of them with only Kenworths in the fleet. We’ve mainly stuck with the brand because of the backup and service provided by CJD, and the resale value is also a plus… we’ve definitely got good money out of our Kenworths.”

Director Rajj Transport – Dennis Blake

Rajj Transport

“I bought two DAF CF 85 series’ in January this year to do general palletised transport. I ordered them with a 12-speed Eurotronic, and the absence of a clutch just makes the job so much easier and the truck beautiful to drive. The truck itself is well suited to our operation and I’d definitely buy another one, both because of the quality of the truck and CJD’s backup.”

Director Honey Road Haulage – Phil Jakovich 

Honey Road Haulage

Honey Road Haulage

“I’ve had my DAF for two years now but I’ve had an association with CJD for much longer as I bought my first Kenworth in 1998 … 1 was looking for an eight wheeler with easy cab entry and exit because I do truck and dog work and I’m always in and out the cab. I’m very happy I got a DAF and I recommend them to other operators … maximum payload and fuel economy are my main priorities and the truck is excellent in these categories, plus it’s an enjoyable truck to drive and I don’t mind jumping in it everyday to go to work in Gingin.”

To honour 14 years since CJD Equipment opened the doors to it’s purpose built trucks facility in WA, we are sharing an article from our archives that was released on the grand opening of CJD Trucks in July 2005 in a five-part series. We hope you enjoy this trip down memory lane.

CJD Equipment evolves …

KENWORTH DAF WA IS BORN

By Carly Crummey

Q&A with Alan Barnett

T&M: How will your role change with the shift?

Alan: Presently Ron Rafferty is the Kenworth Dealer Principal, but he’s going to be taking a step back and will pass the succession onto myself. In addition I will continue with my existing title as Marketing Director for the company as a whole, whilst Brad Fowler will be the day-to-day General Manager of this new business.

T&M: Are you looking forward to the move?

Alan: It’s exciting- it’s going to be a fantastic facility. We are investing in the future growth of the business with a great deal of money so of course we expect lots of growth over the next few years. We’re planning to maintain and improve our truck sales and to gain more service work because we’re a lot closer to our truck customers.

T&M: Do you have faith in the staff & product?

Alan: I’ve been employed at CJD for four and a half years and I love the industry and love the business. I think customers are down to earth and great to do business with. The Kenworth truck is a premium truck and being Australian made is a big plus for us and our customers – it’s custom made and is built to last in the harshest conditions. The DAF truck is also an excellent product. It has fantastic market share in Europe selling over 50,000 trucks a year … now we have DAF as part of the PACCAR family and we see the brand as a growing business. The combining of DAF and Kenworth gives us a very good coverage of the medium and heavy duty truck market in Western Australia. We are very fortunate with a very experienced and stable team of staff overall and they are all looking forward to the move to the new premises. There is excitement amongst all of the staff with new facility, which is wonderful to see.

T&M: Are there any other benefits to the facility?

Alan: Aside from the state of the art parts and service facility, which will really be a focus for growth, we also planning to undertake a lot more training, not just with staff, but also for customers. With some of our larger fleet customers we want to provide more training for them on how to better care for their trucks and enhance their economic life. This is part of our all round approach to looking after the business- we’re not just about selling trucks, we’re about selling the whole package and in the process, bring lower costs to our customer. We also note that at some of our other new facilities around Australia, you accrue more people interested in coming to work for you. Just like everyone else, we’re always looking for mechanics and other staff and it’s not always about money these days – it’s also about the work environment and stability of the employer. We want to offer the best service to our customers and I think now we have the opportunities to do better – there’s always room for improvement and I think that’s a positive thing. Separating our earthmoving and trucking business will enable us to greatly improve our customer focus.

Dealer Principal – Alan Barnett

Brad Becomes General Manager

Brad Fowler takes on the responsibility of heading up the new business very seriously. Brad Fowler’s position will change from the Financial Controller of the total CJD group to become General Manager where he will be focusing on all aspects of the truck division.
Brad started off in the administration department of CJD twelve years ago as a young CPA moving his way through the business and gaining a good grounding from the Directors, whilst completing his MBA at Curtin University. He says he’s looking forward to the challenge of his new role and the added responsibility and feels that CJD’s truck team is well and truly capable of success.

“We’ve got a well-established team – the people in our parts, service and sales departments have been here a long time … it will really just be a case of allowing these people to continue doing what they’re best at, while I manage the business.”

General Manager – Brad Fowler

Service Manager Wayne Burleigh
Understandably the service department is looking forward to getting into the new facility with the more user-friendly design at their fingertips. Service Manager Wayne Burleigh says the business will definitely grow, largely because of its new location, modern facilities and tooling; in particular the new embedded shaker diagnostic dynometer. He says hopefully word of mouth will play a hand in attracting more much-needed mechanics.

“We haven’t got nearly enough mechanics, there’s just never enough,” says Wayne, “although it isn’t promoted that way, mechanical work is very rewarding, plus we’ve got Kenworths to work on which are world class products … the new premises will certainly provide a great environment to work in.”

Wayne says the workshop has a good crew with decent people in place so that a sense of harmony continues amongst the staff. Neil Anderson is Wayne’s second in charge as Workshop Controller, then Team Leader Trevor Butler and New Delivery Team Leader Steve Preston report to Neil, with the remaining mechanics reporting to the team leaders. Wayne says it is one of his goals to promote a team environment at work, and whether you’re a third year apprentice or a workshop controller you are all an important part of the team.

Service Manager Wayne Burleigh and Workshop Controller Neil Anderson

Jack Greig on Parts

Jack started his career with his father at a Volvo Truck dealership in Port Melbourne, rising through the ranks to become the Parts Sales Manager. After 10 years he moved into an OEM support role at Stemco Truck products and after a two-year
stint at Kenworth Truck Sales Footsray, Jack came to WA for a holiday and never returned back to Victoria. He has now been at CJD equipment for 17 years, with a grand total of 30 years in the industry. Leading up to the move, T&M caught up with Jack.

T&M: How comprehensive is your current parts range?

Jack: We carry an extensive range of spare parts from 1971 W Models right through to the latest C510 Kenworth, and everything in-between.

T&M: What will the move mean for your department?

Jack: The improvements in the new building will be clearly visible, both from a customer’s point of view with a huge parts showroom and supermarket, to behind the scenes where streamlined and effective parts distribution and storage is provided. There will be loads of space in the new building, and this will enable us to grow our stock and sales and be more user-friendly both to our staff and customer base.

T&M: Do you stock other brands of parts?

Jack: When it comes to parts to suit other brand trucks, we have one of the largest stocks in Australia of heavy-duty driveline parts; i.e. gearboxes and driveheads, both new and service exchange, to suit not only Kenworth customers but all USA sourced gear. We take pride that most of our opposition come to us at some stage when they can’t source a drivehead or gearbox, because they know that we will probably have it on the shelf. Other parts and products that we carry are one of Perth’s largest ranges of Castrol oils to suit most truck applications from mineral to the latest synthetic oils and cleaning products including wash poles, brushes, cleaning chemicals and polishes.

T&M: Is everything held on-site or do you have to order it in? Jack: We have a simple philosophy – you can’t sell something you don’t have. In most cases we operate on a 93 percent parts fill rate. Due to our WA location being so far from the eastern states, it just means we have to carry more parts than most dealers, and we are more than happy to provide this service and will be even better equipped to at our new location.

Parts Manager – Jack Greig

The Kenworth sales team

As Kenworth Sales & Marketing Manager, John Corderoy has been in the truck-associated business for over 30 years, spending six years with Kenworth before joining CJD where he has spent the last 12 years. John says the shift into new premises makes a clear statement to the industry that Kenworth intends to continue to as a market leader in WA for many years to come. Kenworth DAF WA has an extremely dedicated sales team consisting of Norton Docking, Paul Wilson, Joe Csikos, David Ashby and newly appointed Tim Fiegert.

Kenworth Sales and Marketing Manager – John Corderoy

Norton has been at CJD since 1987, and although he has a mechanical background, he has always held a Kenworth sales position at the company. Norton is looking forward to moving into the new premises, both for the sales team’s benefit and for that of customers. Norton says Kenworth has proved over many years that it is the best.

“Although Kenworth may be out of some people’s range as far as dollars and cents go, if you can afford to buy one it’s probably the best thing you’ll ever do,” says Norton, “they’ve got high resale value, and they’re built to last. .. a lot of the trucks that we built in the 1970’s are still running up and down the road making people money.”

Norton Docking

Joe has been at CJD 21 years and he too has a mechanical grounding. Joe started in the workshop at the Guildford dealership as Foreman, and then progressed to Service Manager, coming into sales in 1988. He says everyone is looking forward to eventually getting into the new premises and continuing to achieve high levels of truck sales, although he admits the sales team will have to work hard to pay for the new place. This shouldn’t be an issue however with business levels set to continue for the next three years and the modern premises able to cater more for customers, not just in truck sales, but also in respect to parts and service.

Joe Csikos

Paul has been with the dealership for eight years, previously employed as a diesel mechanic. Paul says his technical knowledge helps to understand what the customer wants and when they’ve got an issue or want to discuss something, he can relate to their concerns and priorities.

Paul Wilson

Dave came to the CJD dealership eight months ago, specifically employed to look after the DAF range – with Dave’s attention and the exposure the new premises will bring, the prediction is that we can expect to see a lot more DAFs on the road in coming times. Dave has been in the industry all his working life. He spent 28 years working for Skipper Trucks in various roles within the company.

“I have a very good working knowledge of the industry,” says Dave, “it has been exciting learning about the OAF product specifically … l think I’m getting a better knowledge week by week about DAF’s specifications, its strongest points and exactly where it fits into the marketplace.”

“For instance, Kenworth is a custom built truck in that the customer specifies just about every component, however DAF is a mass produced truck and is fully made in Holland and imported completely built into Australia … there are variants of specification, as DAF has looked at the market and said ‘alright this specification should fit into this market’ … it has done this to determine what models are best suited to our Australian conditions.

 

“At the moment DAF is a very underrated product in Australia, and particularly in WA, but after PACCAR’s recent acquisition of DAF and the subsequent promotion of the product, I’ve got no doubt that DAF is going to go ahead in leaps and bounds now that the brand is supported by the powerful Kenworth organisation. I am very happy to be part of the team.”

DAF has been integrated into Kenworth’s distribution, support systems, parts and service, so DAF customers can all expect the same benefits attained with Kenworth, obtaining this support immediately and locally.

DAF Sales and Marketing Manager – Dave Ashby

To honour 14 years since CJD Equipment opened the doors to it’s purpose built trucks facility in WA, we are sharing an article from our archives that was released on the grand opening of CJD Trucks in July 2005 in a five-part series. We hope you enjoy this trip down memory lane.

CJD Equipment evolves …

KENWORTH DAF WA IS BORN

By Carly Crummey

In its 31st year of operation CJD Equipment has finally separated its earthmoving equipment and road truck business.  Kenworth DAF WA will set up its new home on Abernethy Road in Forrestfield.

A move like this was not taken lightly, but it is an obvious investment in the future of the products, truck dedicated CJD employees, and the transport industry itself. The shift will see Managing Director Ron Rafferty take a back seat in the operation, handing over the reins to Dealer Principal Alan Barnett and General Manager Brad Fowler. Investing $10 million, the CJD directors clearly believe in the future of the WA transport industry, which is set for enormous growth in the next 10 years; but are also placing a great deal of faith in the PACCAR product.

The Roots

The Directors of CJD state clearly that the move does not reflect any desire to abandon the company’s roots, and in this vein Kenworth DAF WA will remain a division of CJD Equipment. Rather, the separation is to form a clear distinction between CJD’s earthmoving equipment and its Kenworth road truck business. Kenworth Sales & Marketing Manager John Corderoy said CJD has been based in Guildford since 1974. The company commenced as a dealer for earthmoving, agricultural equipment, and White trucks, before coming into Kenworth in 1984 and recently taking on PACCAR’s Dutch-built DAF.

The earthmoving and truck business has now grown to the point that it makes sense to separate the two businesses. John adds that the recent decision to move was due to the simple fact that the company was outgrowing its original site and the truck business needed a -separate location that would mirror and facilitate Kenworth & DAF’s expected growth.

”The truck business is now big enough to stand alone and with both Kenworth and DAF brands we can see there’s going to be continuing growth in our business in line with the huge success that Kenworth is enjoying as the number one heavy duty truck supplier in Australia,” says John. “The other benefit of moving to Forrestfield is that it puts us in a much better position geographically to service the transport industry- instead of being on the outskirts as we are now, we will be in the hub of the transport industry and positioned on a major roadtrain route.”

The best in WA

CJD believes that it now has the best truck facility in WA; right up there with the world’s best. Achieving this standard was no accident. CJD Equipment has worked solidly with builders Mills & Hassall for 18 months on the design and fabrication of the facility. CJ D’s Asset Manager Gary Boom has been involved in the project since inception, with the building site becoming his second home. Gary travelled around Australia with CJ D’s Directors and key staff to view prominent dealerships, and with Kenworth’s help the team took the best bits of already established facilities to put together this world-class business.

An artist’s impression of the new premises.

Touring the site situated on a corner block, the new facility allows even a full-length road train to move freely right through the workshop. Walking into KENWORTH DAF WA’s new premises is overwhelming – the facilities are huge, and it’s quite clear that no expense has been spared in building this new truck business. Entering through the service workshop, we are told by Gary that the expansive 3400m2 floor has been coated with a light reflective floor hardener- this has dual benefits as it obviously encourages a lighter atmosphere in the workshop, but also cannot be penetrated by oil or any other chemicals, and is more resistant to heavy objects falling.

The workshop has thirteen 30 metre drive-through bays and a further four single bays and there is enough room to permit trailers to remain connected to the prime mover. According to Russell Miller from builders Mills & Hassall, the whole building was built to suit B-doubles and roadtrains which is unusual for a retail workshop. There are tunnels between the service pits, with a central service point fitted out with the latest technology making lubricants and compressed air available in the pits. A full length, full span overhead crane covers all workshop bays. Mechanics have their own toolbox trolleys, which will eradicate cluttered benches and create more room to move around.

Attached to the workshop is a specialised cleaning and component rebuild room for working on diffs, gearboxes and engines. Positive air pressure gets pumped into it through an air conditioning system for maximum cleanliness and reducing dust levels. The room also has an internal gantry crane and a highly reflective floor surface providing a bright efficient work area. Connected to the workshop is the impressive 1500m2 parts area, designed so that workshop staff can gain quick access to parts supplies and specialised tools. Outside the workshop on the boundary is a dedicated four bay pre-delivery and wash down building with a coalescer plate separator to make sure customers’ vehicles are cleaned before they enter the workshop.

The extensive dyno set-up

The main entrance to the building is on the opposite side to the workshop, and when visitors arrive they are greeted with a display of Kenworth and DAF trucks positioned in the huge showroom. The main offices run off of this showroom and are sealed off with huge glass panels, both on the ground level and upper level. The upper level can be accessed by a uniquely designed staircase, which sweeps up from the showroom floor. Turning left at the top of the stairs reveals a large dedicated training room which is decked out to accommodate 40 people with every modern lecture facility. Beyond this room is the drivers’ lounge where operators wait for their vehicles to be serviced. They have access to shower, bathroom facilities and laundry; plus bedrooms and a driver’s lounge which has a TV and vending machines.

The impressive staircase still under construction

Downstairs, the staff have access to their own lunch room which is fitted with kitchen appliances and plenty of comfortable seating. Russell says CJD requested a high standard of fixtures and fittings in the office and showroom area, and factors like the stylish choice of paint and stainless steel obviously help with the building’s aesthetic and professional appearance. One factor we didn’t realise on our tour was the facility’s level of security. Russell says security is a key aspect and security access cards will be issued to staff with only certain people having access to classified areas. The premises is also monitored with cameras and the service controller has complete knowledge of where a customer’s truck is at all times as he has control of the gates from his work station. The parts area is also security swiped in a supermarket barcode style.
Russell said with the completion of the building just round the corner, his team has enjoyed working with CJD right from the initial stages through to construction, and Mills & Hassall is extremely happy with the finished product.

14 Years and Going Strong – Here’s what the leaders of CJD have to say today