Purpose-built facility to address market changes and capacity constraints
A surge in customer demands and growth has prompted express freight specialist TNT to build its largest transport and logistics hub in Melbourne.
The 38,000sqm depot at Tullamarine is due for completion next July and will house 860 employees, including 55 call centre staff and 330 drivers.
The facility will open for business in September 2015 and operate as Victorian head office and a hub to other depots in regional Victoria and Tasmania.
Its automated parcel sortation system is planned to process up to 18,500 items per hour – a 60 per cent increase on TNT Melbourne’s current capacity.
TNT Australia southern region director Rod Barnes says the Laverton depot, which is currently Melbourne’s main facility, has already reached capacity.
“With the continued growth in demand, we knew we wouldn’t be able to maintain the high level of service our customers expect without making this investment,” Barnes says.
“This brought about a step-change in thinking about how a facility should be set up to serve our customers’ changing needs, brought about by the growth in e-commerce and a shift to lighter weight, higher volume consignments.
“The new Tullamarine depot is being purpose-built to address these changes and capacity constraints and we expect it will meet TNT’s projected needs for at least the next 15 years.”
More than 50 local jobs will be created at the depot.
The company hopes to attract young people, including females, Barnes says.
“Traditionally, freight and logistics has not really been an industry that young people are attracted to so we’d love to work with the local Hume City area on improving that.
“We have seen women particularly in driving jobs to be fantastic truck drivers; the trucks are now suitable to all ranges of people to drive and we think it’s a great career.
“We’re in a growth trajectory, which will provide future employment opportunities for the people of the local Hume area.”
TNT looks to fill 19 account management and sales roles, including 11 operations positions.
University students have previously shown interest in dockhand forklift driver roles due to their study schedules, Barnes adds.
“TNT looks forward to collaborating with Hume City Council via tis Joblink program, which will provide direct support for our local recruitment and workforce development needs.
“This provides another fantastic opportunity to introduce new people to the TNT workforce, including more women as we continue to reinforce our very successful Women in Transport campaign.”
TNT’s depots at Tullamarine, Laverton North and Campbellfield will be integrated into the new facility by October 2015.
Its Hallam depot will remain as an integral part of the network and link with the new facility to improve service outcomes in the eastern sector.
“Combining our current facilities in Melbourne into the new Tullamarine depot will enable TNT to keep up with an ever-changing and competitive market,” Barnes says.
“The new technology will improve operational efficiencies and create a safer working environment by reducing our employees’ exposure to manual processes.
“With the removal of current capacity constraints TNT will be better able to provide domestic and global express freight services in growth sectors like health, high value manufacturing, government and defence and IT and technology.
“This facility will also assist TNT in reaching its goal of significantly reducing its carbon footprint.”
The new depot is part of TNT’s broader investment in its operations across the country, including the creation of new super hubs in Sydney and Brisbane, which will also be completed next year.