From shipments of cattle, sheep and pigs to the occasional donkeys, camels and even circus animals, it’s been one hell of a ride for family-owned and operated business Frasers Livestock Transport.
Based in the town of Warwick, Queensland, which the family has called home since 1888, the livestock transport business was founded in 1944 and has depots across the state. Frasers tranship between 2.5-3 million stock and travel more than 7 million kilometres each year.
The company is run by directors Ross and Les Fraser, who represent the second generation, and Warwick (son of Les), bringing the business into a third generation.
In 1944, when Charlie and Edna Fraser first got the keys to their little red Ford, they could not have imagined this would mark the beginning of something so successful.
“Dad had a friend in Warwick who had a small truck; and he said ‘why don’t you buy one and start carting livestock. I think there’s a future in it’,” recalled eldest son Ross.
So Charlie did just that, borrowing 100 pounds from his grandfather.
Back then, it was Charlie’s grandfather who said: “Who knows, one day you might have a fleet of trucks.”
The Ford was used to cart grain, then chickens, before moving into general livestock. And as the saying goes, the rest is history.
One truck grew to two, and then three. “The first few trucks were only about 15ft long. Then they progressed to 20-footers.
“It was all body trucks for the first 12 to 15 years,” said Ross. “Those were the days when the only bitumen west of Warwick was through the towns.”
Ross and brothers Les and Peter, who has now retired from the family business, got involved very early on. “Dad never made any secret of the fact: ‘Your mother and I are setting-up the business for you boys’,” said Ross.
“Fortunately, we were interested, particularly in the livestock aspect. We love working with livestock. Livestock is in our DNA.”
From just 13 years of age, Ross was working in the business with his parents, while still going to school.
“I remember driving my first loaded body truck on my own, loaded with sheep, when I was 13, with dad travelling behind me.”
While the first trucks were Fords, during the 1960s and 1970s, the fleet was largely made up of Commer ‘Knockers’, before progressing to Kenworths. The first Kenworth in the fleet was second-hand, purchased in the 1980s. This was followed by the first new Kenworth in 1987.
Today, the fleet of 50 prime movers is all Kenworth T659s.
“We achieve a lot of efficiencies in having one brand and one model. Plus, we see the Kenworth product as the number one for what we do in our industry, particularly in our business. They’re all Australian made and a very good vehicle backed by good service. The T659s are easy for our mechanics to work on too,” explained Ross.
That philosophy extends through to the 150-strong trailer fleet, built by Byrne Trailers, based in Wagga Wagga, NSW.
“In terms of parts and for our workshop crews, it makes it as efficient as possible to have one brand of truck and one brand of trailer. Those products just fit everything we need,” added Warwick.
Throughout more than 60 years in the family business, Ross has witnessed much change first-hand. “One of the major differences is in the multiple trailer combinations we now use. The level of innovation, improvements in equipment and the way we do things is just incredible,” he said.
“We now have satellite tracking and internet communication with drivers. It was not so many years ago that drivers would have to find a phone box to ring-in to head office.
“The other change is the distance we cart the livestock. Loading densities are so important in this industry, particularly when carting long distances. The quality of the equipment and of our drivers means we get the job done,” said Ross.
“In the days I was driving, we’d do a 600-700-kilometre trip and it would take two to three days – pulling one trailer. Now our drivers can do the same job (pulling three trailers) in one day. It’s testament to the quality of the equipment we’re using, the quality of the roads and the expertise and experience of our drivers.
“In spite of some sectors of the trucking industry criticising the road network, the roads have improved over the years and that’s really opened up this country. Our drivers can do the work more efficiently. Our company motto ‘in time, on time’ is something we’re really proud of.”
Frasers’ biggest logistical move to date came in 1986, when the company was tasked with moving 6500 pigs from the Darling Downs to Darwin in an exercise that would take several months to complete. “They were live export pigs and that was a huge undertaking for us. We did it in four trips, carrying around 1600 pigs per trip,” recalled Ross.
“We started in the middle of winter and the last lift was in November, so you can imagine the heat across the Barkly.
“The customer supplied a water truck for the four trips and it travelled with us to water the animals every time the drivers pulled-up for a break.”
But perhaps the most unique livestock transport task was a circus run that involved a shipment of water buffalo.
As Warwick explained: “Back when Les and Peter were in their late teens, we were tasked with shifting some circus animals. Unfortunately, one of the water buffaloes didn’t make it, and was (reportedly) fed to the lions.”
Cattle account for some 90 per cent of Frasers’ operations, the remainder being sheep and pigs – transported between paddocks, feedlots, abattoirs and saleyards.
“Our trucks predominantly operate in eastern Australia, criss-crossing all parts of Queensland, into central and southern New South Wales, as well as into the Northern Territory,” said Warwick.
“In south-east Queensland, on the Darling Downs, we have the largest concentration of feedlots in the southern hemisphere, so Frasers trucks are a common sight.
“That first truck was red, but we’ve had the green livery for the majority of the history of the business. My kids ask what my favourite colour is – but they know it’s green,” Warwick laughed.
At Frasers, Ross says, animal welfare is front and centre. “We’ve always maintained that, if we get a person applying for a job who is a good stockperson but not the most experienced driver, we can teach them how to drive. It’s much more difficult to teach staff how to handle livestock if they don’t already have a feel for it. You have to really enjoy working with livestock to be able to do our job.”
Just as Frasers has continued through generations, the same can be said of many of their customers.
“We have a lot of long-standing loyal customers who have been working with us for many years,” Warwick explained.
“My father, grandfather and uncles would often talk about working for families, and then working for their sons and daughters.
“We’ve been lucky to have such loyal customers.
“We recently had a job booked in by a company which was one of Frasers first customers in 1944. They’re still using our services in 2024.
“This is also true of some of our drivers.”
Ross believes a good business is built around its people.
“We’ve been fortunate to have really good people in our business. Some are second and third-generation – a lot of long-serving staff,” he said. “Some have been with us more than 35 years. We’re quite proud of that.
“For drivers, it’s not the easiest industry to work in. It involves a lot of time on the road and time away from family.”
Just like his father and uncles, Warwick grew up around trucks.
“Green trucks have been a constant for as long as I can remember, in particular the ‘going’s on’ in Short Street. School holidays spent helping out on the truck wash and at the sheep sale; grandparents and cousins living close-by; riding my bike to school and looking down Short Street to see trucks, trailers and plenty of activity.
“I went to uni and worked elsewhere for 10 years. Back then, there was no intention of joining the family business. As those years progressed though, the business fire was idling away.
“My grandparents are undoubtedly the reason I’m involved in this business. They had so much time for all of their children and grandchildren,” continued Warwick.
“There have been a lot of great people who have brought the business to where it is today – but it all started with my grandparents Charlie and Edna and the fortitude they must have had in 1944.
“They were newly married and it was during the war years that they had the guts to buy a truck and say, ‘let’s do this’.
“That can-do attitude is something that has continued in our business. It’s been a great effort by so many people to get the business to where it is today. Our business is about family, and not just the Fraser family, but all the families who are involved.
“I’m incredibly humbled to be a part of what has been a pretty amazing family business and legacy built over the last 80 years.
“I love being part of it and love being able to do my bit to see the family business move forward through the ages.
“I hope that, in 80 years from now, there will be plenty of green Frasers trucks on the road – doing what we do best,” Warwick said. “I also hope my kids develop that passion for the business. To have another generation involved in the livestock transport business would be the fairytale.
“Our family passion for this industry runs deep.”
What a great family story of hard work