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Hunter Haulage
See how Hunter Haulage is using V-DAQ to cut manual admin, get better visibility of vehicle mass and make compliance simpler as the fleet grows.
See how Hunter Haulage is using V-DAQ to cut manual admin, get better visibility of vehicle mass and make compliance simpler as the fleet grows.
Hunter Haulage Australia is a transport business specialising in moving shipping containers from major ports to regional destinations across New South Wales and Queensland. While the company also completes work between Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, its core operation is connecting the ports with regional NSW.
Based in Rothbury in the heart of the Hunter Valley, Hunter Haulage also operates a strategically located hub in Sydney, providing convenient access to the port and supporting efficient container movements across its network.
The business began three and a half years ago with a single truck. As new opportunities emerged, Hunter Haulage expanded rapidly and now operates a nine-truck fleet comprising six A-doubles and three sideloaders, supporting customers across regional and metropolitan Australia.
Before partnering with V-DAQ, Hunter Haulage operated its 30-metre A-doubles under the Intelligent Access Program (IAP). This required a manual weight declaration for every trip to meet the access requirements for its PBS combinations.
For owner Sam, managing these declarations while also running the day-to-day transport operation created a significant administrative burden. As the workload increased, keeping declarations consistently up to date became difficult, highlighting the need for a simpler and less labour-intensive way to manage the fleet’s regulatory requirements.
Hunter Haulage partnered with V-DAQ to introduce Smart On-Board Mass across its HML fleet, replacing manual weight declarations with live, automatically captured mass data.
Drivers can view live weights on their mobile phones while loading, with visibility across the steer, drive and trailer axle groups. This is particularly valuable when transporting shipping containers, where the weight distribution may not be known until the container is loaded.
Mass data is also used to resolve loading questions with customers. When a container is found to be overweight, Hunter Haulage can provide objective weight information to help customers understand the issue and take appropriate action.
V-DAQ Fleet Tracking provides Hunter Haulage with real-time visibility across its nine-truck operation. Frequent location updates allow the team to see where vehicles are, coordinate daily movements and manage an operation spanning regional NSW, Queensland and major interstate routes.
The V-DAQ Platform integrates with Hubfleet’s Electronic Work Diary and Gearbox fleet maintenance software, helping Hunter Haulage reduce manual administration and improve the accuracy of its operational records.
The Hubfleet integration allows the team to compare vehicle movement with drivers’ work and rest records, helping identify driving outside recorded work periods and investigate potential breaches. This provides an additional layer of oversight for drivers operating under Basic Fatigue Management accreditation.
V-DAQ also automatically sends vehicle kilometre data to Gearbox, removing the need for drivers or administrative staff to enter odometer readings manually and supporting more accurate maintenance scheduling.
Since introducing V-DAQ, Hunter Haulage has reduced manual administration and gained clearer visibility across vehicle movements, container weights, fatigue records and maintenance data.
Live Smart OBM readings allow drivers to identify weight distribution issues as soon as a container is loaded. Containers can then be repositioned before departure, helping the fleet operate within allowable axle group limits and reducing the risk of discovering an issue later in the journey.
By comparing a vehicle’s empty and loaded weights, Hunter Haulage can calculate the container weight and provide customers with the data they need without making a separate trip to a weighbridge. This reduces unnecessary movements and allows the business to pass cost savings on to its customers.
Automated reporting has streamlined audit preparation. Hunter Haulage can access mass records through the V-DAQ Platform and produce reports for auditors without relying on drivers to record and submit weights manually.
The Hubfleet integration has significantly reduced the administration involved in reviewing work diary records under BFM. Comparing EWD records with V-DAQ vehicle movement data helps Hunter Haulage identify potential breaches and confirm when vehicles have moved outside recorded work periods.
Automatic kilometre updates in Gearbox have removed another repetitive administrative task. This reduces reliance on drivers to enter information manually and supports more accurate vehicle maintenance records.
For Hunter Haulage, V-DAQ has delivered more than a simpler way to meet regulatory requirements. Fleet Tracking, Smart OBM, automated reporting and software integrations now work together to provide greater visibility while reducing paper-based administration across the business.
The partnership has enabled Hunter Haulage to streamline its processes, improve loading decisions, simplify audit preparation and direct administrative time towards higher-value work. Responsive support from the V-DAQ team has also helped the business resolve questions quickly as its operation has continued to grow.
Owner Sam values working with V-DAQ as a technology partner that shares Hunter Haulage’s focus on innovation and continually looks for better ways to support modern transport operations.
“V-DAQ is always one step ahead of the industry, which I love because we want to be one step ahead too. We can’t do that unless the partners we work with are innovative enough to stay ahead of the industry.”
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