CHRISTMAS EDITION 2025
FROM THE CEO.
KEVIN DENNIS CEO
IN THIS EDITION
• TFM XPRESS new trailer delivery
• Introducing Tanya Rubbino to head up Procurement.
• Service Centres Road worthy initiatives.
• Continuous Improvement Conference
As we head into the Christmas holidays, we welcome the best time of the year — long, warm summer days and the chance to relax, recharge, and enjoy time with our families and friends. It’s a perfect moment to pause and appreciate all we’ve achieved before taking a well-earned break.
Looking back on the year, it would be easy to focus on the challenges, but what truly stands out are the significant steps forward we’ve taken together. Over the past 12 months, we’ve continued to invest in innovative technology and, most importantly, in our people.
Our Advanced Engineering Centre (AEC) is now complete, and our new high-tech equipment is already delivering major benefits, opening the door to new skills and opportunities across the business. We’ve also embraced AI in several areas, helping reduce errors, speed up processes in finance, improve laser-cutting scheduling, and even support our sales teams with prospecting for new customers.
But our greatest progress has been in the ongoing investment
in our people. From the twice-weekly on-site physiotherapist supporting everyone across the company, to the introduction of The Blue Shirt Project offering a compassionate ear during life’s challenges, our focus has remained on wellbeing. Our partnership with Swinburne University continues to strengthen our graduate program, bringing talented young people into our rapidly evolving industry. And our Leadership Development Program is actively shaping the next generation of company leaders. These initiatives — and many others — show our commitment to helping our people grow, thrive, and succeed.
Looking ahead, 2026 will see this momentum continue. We will keep expanding these programs and investments, and we’re excited to be opening our new parts warehouse and retail facility in Perth this January. Planning is already well underway, and this will further strengthen support for our growing Western Australian customer base.
These are exciting times for all of us. I wish you and your families a wonderful Christmas, a safe and enjoyable break, and a bright start to the New Year.
KRUEGER DELIVERS NEW SUPER DOUBLE TRAILERS TO POWER TFM XPRESS’S NATIONAL FLEET GROWTH.
TFM Xpress has welcomed the first six Krueger Super Double Trailers into its national fleet, marking a significant investment in capacity, efficiency and modern transport capability. These new units have now entered service on the Melbourne–Sydney–Melbourne corridor, supporting one of the country’s busiest and most critical freight lanes.
Each Super Double brings a major uplift in available volume. While a standard B-double holds 135m³, the new Krueger combinations deliver 210m³ per trip—an impressive 55 percent increase. Even at a full 30 metres long once hooked up to the prime mover, they maintain the same turning line as a conventional B-double thanks to an advanced steer-axle system. Designed for highvolume parcel express and bulk freight, the trailers are paired with new Euro 6 MAN TGX 580HP prime movers under full contract maintenance, including a five-year, one-million-kilometre warranty to ensure reliability and performance across their demanding interstate schedule.
Managing Director Frank Ainalis says the investment reflects TFM Xpress’s commitment to quality, safety and long-term growth. “We’re continuing to invest in modern, high-quality equipment to support our depots across Australia. Our customers know we’re serious about service, safety, and reliability—it’s how we operate.”
The order supplied by Krueger includes six 42-pallet Double Drop Deck Super B-Double Kurtainers along with two 22-pallet Drop Deck Kurtainer tandem-axle trailers. The Super B-Double units feature a PBSapproved Double Drop Deck design at 4.6 metres high, load-rated Slide-A-Gates, full mezzanine decks, quick high-productivity curtains, BPW suspension and axles, and lightweight alloy wheels. These specifications were selected to maximise cubic efficiency while maintaining durability and manoeuvrability.
Vince Niceforo, Sales Representative at Krueger Transport Equipment, explains the design intent behind the high-capacity setup. “The Krueger 42-pallet Super Drop Deck Kurtainer B-Double is a PBS-approved model with an overall combination length of up to 30 metres—significantly larger than a conventional 34-pallet B-Double. ‘More volume, less loads.’ This
“We’re continuing to invest in modern, high-quality equipment to support our depots across Australia. Our customers know we’re serious about service, safety, and reliability - it’s how we operate.”
FRANK AINALIS MANAGING DIRECTOR - TFM XPRESS
configuration offers outstanding efficiency and productivity for high-volume freight operations.”
The trailers were purpose-engineered to meet TFM Xpress’s expanding volume requirements, offering the ability to move more freight per trip, reduce load frequency and improve overall network productivity. With these new Super Doubles now on the road, TFM Xpress continues to strengthen its national fleet with modern, efficient and high-performance equipment that supports customers and depot operations across Australia.
TANYA RUBBINO TO HEAD UP PROCUREMENT & SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT.
Starting at Krueger as a fill-in Interim Victorian Spare Parts Manager, Tanya Rubbino has now officially joined the business full-time as our new Head of Supply Chain and Inventory.
Tanya brings more than 20 years of supply-chain leadership experience across some of Australia’s most recognisable industrial and manufacturing brands. Her career includes senior roles at Nexans as General Manager of Supply Chain ANZ, Incitec Pivot as General Manager of Planning, and multiple supply-chain transformation and leadership roles at Orora. Earlier in her career, Tanya spent several years at Carlton & United Breweries, building expertise across supply network planning, product planning and logistics.
With such a broad and hands-on background, Tanya is exceptionally well-positioned to strengthen Krueger’s supplier networks, enhance operational performance and support the business through its next phase of growth.
Tell us about your past and what led you here to Krueger?
I’ve worked in Supply Chain and Logistics roles for over 20 years across a range of industries—Beer, Wine, Packaging, Fertiliser, Cables and now Transport Equipment. I love leading people and leading teams through change. Many of my previous roles involved supply-chain transformation, so I’ve also developed a strong background in project and program management.
Tell us about your time at Krueger Spare Parts.
I really enjoyed working in the Spare Parts team. They were welcoming, friendly and incredibly knowledgeable. I was able to learn the Krueger business in a very hands-on way—participating in stocktakes, cycle counts, helping customers and understanding how the Spare Parts operation runs. Now I know what a brake drum or brake shoe is and looks like. I know what a pivot bolt kit is and how SAP fits into the workflow. That kind of industry knowledge and understanding often takes years to build.
Frank Ainalis and his team inspecting the works on a recent factory tour.
What do you see as the core purpose of supply chain management?
Supply Chain Management is the coordination of the flow of goods, services and information to ensure the right product is available at the right time and cost—from raw material sourcing through manufacturing to customer delivery. Broadly, supply chain covers Sourcing, Planning, Making and Delivery. Here at Krueger, it includes
Procurement, Purchasing, Stores, Scheduling, Material Control and Inventory Management.
I love how supply-chain teams work with every part of a business—Factory, Finance, Sales, Marketing, Workshops and Spare Parts. When done well, supplychain management creates real strategic and commercial advantage.
How does your Change Practitioner certification shape the way you lead transformation projects?
Having worked on several transformation projects, I wanted to deepen my understanding of the people side of project management and how to make change truly stick. Last year, I completed a Change Practitioner certification. It helped round out my project management training with a focus on change management. It gave me new tools and a stronger appreciation for how to build awareness, engagement and personal investment in change activities—so that change is not only implemented, but sustained.
KEEPING TRAILERS COMPLIANT AND CUSTOMERS CONFIDENT.
Ensuring semi-trailers remain safe, compliant and roadworthy has never been more important, especially as national regulators increase roadside inspections and enforcement activity. According to Shane Myers, Head of AfterMarket at Krueger, operators are now facing a landscape where safety obligations are stricter, fines are higher, and compliance expectations are growing year on year. For transport businesses, keeping trailers in peak condition isn’t just good practice—it’s essential.
Krueger has invested heavily in building strong roadworthy inspection capabilities across the country. The business now has trade-licensed and state-accredited staff in all three operating states, including two licensed inspectors in Victoria, one in New South Wales, and an accredited subcontractor in Queensland. This coverage ensures customers can access efficient, trusted and fully compliant inspection services wherever their fleet operates.
Shane says the increasing focus on safety makes regular inspections non-negotiable in today’s transport environment. Ensuring trailers remain roadworthy protects all road users and helps operators avoid costly penalties, defects and unexpected downtime. A properly certified trailer reduces the risk of mechanical failures
and accidents, and in many cases also preserves or improves the asset’s market value. “Customers need confidence their equipment is compliant,” Shane explains. “A roadworthy trailer builds trust—whether you’re putting it back to work, selling it, or operating across high-risk freight corridors.”
But Krueger’s value extends well beyond the roadworthy inspection itself. A visit to any Krueger National Service location opens the door to a complete suite of aftermarket support. Customers can access spare parts, repairs and maintenance, wheel alignments, accident and insurance
repairs, full trailer refurbishment, rental trailers, and both new and used trailer options. This makes Krueger a genuine one-stop shop for all semi-trailer requirements, with the added advantage of technicians who specialise in the Krueger product range and understand the unique requirements of high-performance PBS equipment.
Shane also highlights the benefit of Krueger’s access to products through Krueger National Spare Parts, giving operators the option to upgrade components, improve trailer efficiency and reduce downtime with industryleading parts and technology.
“In today’s compliance environment, operators need more than just a certificate,” Shane says. “They need a service
partner who understands the equipment, can identify issues early, and can support them with repairs or parts on the spot. That’s what we deliver.”
With safety standards tightening and fleets under increasing scrutiny, Krueger’s fully accredited roadworthy and inspection services give operators the assurance they need to stay compliant, stay safe and stay on the road.
PROJECT CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT
For almost fifty years Krueger Transport Equipment has been recognised as one of Australia’s most trusted and enduring manufacturers. With thousands of trailers still operating on the road today, the company’s reputation stems from a long legacy of engineering integrity, design innovation and customer service. That culture was set by founder John Krueger, whose belief in “building better for the operational and safety needs of the industry” became the foundation of how the organisation still operates. Today, that same philosophy is guiding Krueger through one of the most significant transformation periods in its history.
As the transport sector rapidly evolves, Krueger is evolving with it. CEO Kevin Dennis says the pace of change has reshaped what the industry demands. “We all live in a world that is evolving and changing all the time, and that includes the world of trailers. The days of just building standard trailers are long gone,” he says. “Australia leads the world in logistics productivity with B Doubles, A Doubles and road trains, and now with PBS regulations we are really stretching the boundaries of what is possible. That means we need to constantly evolve our systems, our processes, our quality and our products to stay ahead of the game. Continuous improvement is not an option, it is a driver of modern business.”
That mindset became the backbone of Project Continuous Improvement, launched three years ago with the goal of modernising workflows, strengthening quality and embedding advanced manufacturing technologies across the organisation. According to Kevin, the board has been encouraged by the early progress. “The
project and the results we have achieved so far have been viewed with excitement, particularly when you look at the technology we have invested in at the AEC, the implementation of AI to improve accuracy of process information and the cost reductions we have achieved by reducing production cycle time. But it has not all been plain sailing. There have been many robust conversations along the way.”
On the manufacturing floor, those changes are already visible. Head of Manufacturing, David Grant says collaboration between Production, Engineering and Purchasing has been crucial. “The teams have pushed hard to make sure the improvements translate into real outcomes,” he explains. “We have modernised our floor jig and skel jig, introduced live testing and trials, and embedded the Andon system into the pre cut area. It has created new levels of discipline and helped us respond faster, maintain flow and lift consistency.” David
Adis Selmic leading off the days proceedings.
adds that the success of the program comes down to the willingness of the workforce to adapt. “Continuous improvement only works when everyone supports it, and our team absolutely has.”
A fresh leadership perspective has come from Operations Lead Manufacturing, Mark Cheasley. Tasked with reducing manufacturing time per trailer, he approached the challenge by mapping the entire production ecosystem. “I created a mind map that broke down every area of potential improvement and all the subcategories within it,” Mark explains. “From there, it was about identifying the projects that would give us the biggest wins in cost, time, safety and quality.” He then appointed sub leaders, formed project groups and introduced structured coaching conversations to build ownership. “What has been most rewarding is seeing people take pride in the improvements they are helping create,” he says. “We are breaking old paradigms that used to hold us back.”
Engineering has undergone a transformation of its own. Head of Engineering Adis Selmic says the department has fully embraced a mindset of constant refinement. “We
challenge ourselves every day to find better, more cost effective, safer and more environmentally responsible ways to design and build our products,” he says. A key enabler of this shift has been the rollout of Autodesk Vault. “It allows us to centralise data, tighten revision control, protect our IP and prepare the business for SAP integration. It has given us structure and reliability across the entire engineering cycle.”
The team is now moving from traditional two dimensional drawings to complete three dimensional models, a change that is reshaping how components move from concept to manufacture. “Our intelligent laser and press machinery can read cutting and folding information straight from the model,” Adis explains. “It removes human interpretation, reduces rework and speeds up the entire workflow.”
Much of this capability comes together inside the Advanced Engineering Centre which houses Krueger’s laser, press and robotic welding systems. The facility now produces more than eighty percent of all trailer components internally, a shift that has dramatically increased precision and reduced production bottlenecks. “The addition of the press and robotic welder, together with the laser, means the AEC now has full process capability to cut, fold and weld for the vast majority of components fitted to a Krueger trailer,” says Chief Operations Officer Steven Teofilo. “It allows Engineering to rapidly prototype new ideas directly from a three
“We need to constantly evolve our systems, our processes, our quality and our products to stay ahead of the game. Continuous improvement is not an option, it is a driver of modern business.”
KEVIN DENNIS CEO KRUEGER TRANSPORT EQUIPMENT
Steve Teofilo showing the Sales Team some of the more intricate parts of the new robotic welding process.
dimensional CAD model and test them for performance and manufacturability long before they reach the production line.”
Every piece of equipment is CNC controlled, delivering repeatable accuracy and a higher level of quality assurance. “With CNC control we are achieving very tight tolerances and consistently strong Cpk scores,” Steven explains. “The machinery is not just following instructions. The software behind it is optimising how every part is made, reducing waste and increasing standardisation across our trailer models.”
The evolution of these systems is reshaping Krueger’s workforce as well. “One of the advantages of this technology is that it is easier and faster to learn than the manual equivalents,” Steven says. “It allows us to cross train technicians so they can operate multiple machines, instead of spending years mastering a single manual process.” At the same time, the rise of digital manufacturing is creating new pathways for highly skilled programming roles. “Behind every cut, fold and weld is a
program designed for precision,” Steven adds. “We are building a new generation of digital manufacturing experts who can unlock the full capability of our equipment and continue driving innovation.”
Project Continuous Improvement has become more than an initiative. It is now embedded in how Krueger operates. It preserves the legacy set by founder John Krueger while preparing the business for the next fifty years. With a unified workforce, advanced technology and leadership committed to continual progress, Krueger Transport Equipment is strengthening its place as a leader in an industry that continues to evolve at speed.
