As a transport provider based in WA after starting in Geelong, Victoria in 1959, Sykes Transport is operating business as usual. General Freight services are continuing around WA and also interstate despite hard border controls. But the freight levels and loads for Sykes Transport continue and remain constant. The demand on logistics and the transport industry is quite profound at the moment. Air freight has become a luxury and some brands have opted to take express delivery away from options for purchasers. The express option generally involves air freight.
Sykes Transport however, continue to provide services in the same way day in day out. Managing Director David Sykes gave us an overview of how business was operating as usual.
“A very large part of our operation is to service those businesses that support the mining industry, both in the Goldfields and in the Pilbara. Those businesses are providing critical employment opportunities for locals. While we have had to change the way we do things, we have ensured that there is no change in our transport schedules or level of service. Right now that is more critical than ever.”
Mr Sykes says that the effect of the Coronavirus on the business from an operations point of view has meant implementing new structures and processes.
“While our customers may not have noticed any interruption to their usual level of service we have had to be diligent to ensure the safety of our staff and clients from the threat of Coronavirus. Some changes that we have implemented include splitting our operations and workshop staff into A and B teams, strict sanitary procedures in all vehicles and offices, controlling access to our depots in a manageable fashion, admin staff working from home and limiting interactions between our drivers and clients to name a few. As the threat and available information has continued to evolve, we have continued to update and implement new procedures.”
The crystal ball is not working in regards to a vision of the other side, yet Sykes Transport continues to look big picture.
“Our company was established in 1959 and we are very proud to have a trading history spanning greater than sixty years. While we have never experienced anything like the current Corona crisis in our past, we will continue to apply our proven strategy of collaboration, adaptation and innovation in order to best serve the needs of our clients through these difficult times and beyond. Internally that means updating our ISO business management systems and processes as necessary and externally it means keeping that critical dialogue and communication open with our clients to ensure we are meeting their needs.”
While things are still all going ahead well, Mr Sykes also added that he wished the best to those who are doing things tough in particular those affected by the legislation introduced that restricted trade to some industries.
“We have a tonne of empathy for those businesses that are doing it tough. There are lots of family businesses just like ours, that through no fault of their own are severely impacted by this pandemic. We are, purely by circumstance, considered an essential service and if in some small way we can make a difference to them by providing those essential transport services then it is both our duty and our pleasure to be able to help.”
