AJM Transport

AJM Transport: Eliminating Tyre Headaches and Firing Up Productivity on the East Coast Run

The Challenge: Time-Critical Express Freight and Costly Punctures

As a specialist in overnight express freight operating along Australia's demanding Eastern Seaboard (Melbourne to Brisbane), AJM Transport relies on absolute punctuality and reliability. With a large fleet of 100-plus trailers, including B-doubles, the Newcastle-based operator found itself constantly battling one major headache: tyre punctures.

Dennis Roohan, the Group General Manager, faced a reactive cycle of costly downtime, safety hazards, and disruptions to their time-sensitive deliveries.

"There was a significant number of trailers which would get punctures or tyre-related issues,” Dennis says. “That was happening most nights of the week. We ultimately needed a solution to try and alleviate those problems.”

AJM Transport's core needs were clear:

• Minimise roadside breakdowns caused by tyre failures to maintain express schedules.

• Enhance vehicle and driver safety by proactively identifying tire and brake heat risks.

• Boost workshop productivity by replacing manual tyre checks with actionable data.

• Protect assets from costly damage caused by catastrophic tyre failure or wheel-end fires.

The Solution: Trailer Premium - Going Above and Beyond TPMS

To combat the constant threat of punctures and heat-related issues, AJM Transport began standardising MICHELIN Connected Fleet’s Trailer Premium system across its entire trailer fleet. This solution provided real-time visibility into the two critical areas that were impacting safety and schedules: tyre pressure and brake temperature.

The proactive solution instantly eliminated the need for guesswork, replacing manual checks with accurate, automated data delivered straight to the management team.

“There’s a report in my email every morning,” Dennis explains. “I can see all of the tyre pressures and anything that needs to be fixed before it becomes a problem at seven o’clock at night when the loaded express freight needs to go.”

This early warning system means AJM can schedule repairs before the trailer leaves the yard, guaranteeing their express freight is rolling safely and on time.

The Results: Safety, Productivity, and Peace of Mind

After a year of operation, the benefits of the Trailer Premium system have been felt across the entire business - from the workshop floor to the customer's delivery dock.

Safety and Breakdown Elimination

By receiving instant alerts for low pressure and overheating wheels, AJM Transport has dramatically reduced roadside risks and incidents.

“We know that our tyres are all at the correct operating pressure,” Dennis says. “That alleviates the problem of having drivers sitting on the side of the road waiting for someone to come and repair or replace their tyre.”

The temperature monitoring proved to be an invaluable safety feature, preventing asset loss from fires: “With the temperature technology, we can tell when the wheel ends are getting hot,” Dennis says. “There’s that added ability there that we should never burn a set of tyres to the ground which is a common problem these days.”

Workshop Productivity and Cost Savings

The shift from reactive to proactive maintenance has been a significant win for the workshop team.

“Now, we’ll look at the Trailer Premium platform and go from there,” he says. “There’s definitely been a gain in productivity there in the workshop because of that.”

The ability to catch small issues early means minimal maintenance requirements and fewer costly repair issues, protecting AJM's reputation and bottom line.

Customer Assurance and Punctuality

For a business built on express service, reliability is everything. The system provides a powerful competitive advantage that AJM proudly sells to its clients.

“That’s the other bonus for the customer, and it’s something that we’ve sold hard to them. At the end of the day, their freight will get there on time and intact because we can see our pressures and our hub temperatures with MICHELIN Connected Fleet’s Trailer Premium.”

AJM Transport’s confidence in the solution is evident in its fleet policy: “MICHELIN’s Trailer Premium has been fitted on anything that has come off the line at Vawdrey since this time last year,” Dennis confirms. “We’ve also retrofitted quite a lot to our older fleet.”

"And MICHELIN Connected Fleet have been a really good bunch of people to work with. They’ve done what they said they were going to do, so they’ve delivered."

 

Dennis Roohan

General Manager, AJM Transport Group