eCommerce partnerships built on growth and change

Growing together through change builds partnerships based on trust, commitment and reliability. On StarTrack’s 50th birthday, four Aussie businesses reflect on how StarTrack has journeyed with them over the decades to deliver on their changing needs.

In a year, Sportsmaster Athletic International (SMAI) ships over 100,000 martial arts belts and over tens of thousands of martial arts uniforms across Australia.

One of its regular shipments is to Nhulunbuy, a Northern Territory town that’s 4,500km away from its warehouse in Fairy Meadow, NSW. Only one logistics company reaches such remote locations: StarTrack.

“StarTrack’s Road Express gets our orders there six days after pick-up, which is incredible considering Nhulunbuy is a 29-hour drive from Darwin,” says Patrick Brown, SMAI’s General Manager.

SMAI, which has gone from a home garage set-up to an internationally acclaimed brand, partnered with StarTrack in 1995. Both companies have grown alongside each other in the three decades since–SMAI with its order volumes and StarTrack with its delivery speed.

“Deliveries used to take five to seven days and now they arrive the next day,” says Patrick.

“StarTrack’s delivery speed and excellent customer communication have helped us to keep growing and this is why our partnership has lasted through the decades.”

Speed and service were also StarTrack’s route to building trust and loyalty in Australia’s transport industry over the last 50 years. 

Looking in the rear-view mirror

Like SMAI, and likely many of its other business customers, StarTrack too came from humble beginnings.

In 1974, Australian businessman Greg Poche launched an express logistics company called Multigroup Distribution Services, with a small office and team in Dee Why, NSW.

Within two years, Multigroup secured its first major client, Modern Teaching Aids, which would remain on its books for three decades. The company was rebranded as Discount Freight Express in 1982 and then StarTrack Express in 2000, after a freight management system.

Between 2000 and 2002, new depots sprung up in major cities across Australia. In 2003, StarTrack Express was acquired by Australia Post and Qantas in a 50/50 joint venture, making a monumental step forward in its evolution.

In 2011, the retail division of Australian air Express’ (AaE) merged with StarTrack Express to cement the latter’s position as a logistics powerhouse.

But the biggest change came the following year when Australia Post acquired full ownership of StarTrack Express and renamed it StarTrack, complete with its iconic blue branding.

Today, StarTrack has an unrivalled delivery network across Australia and delivers to more than 190 countries worldwide. It also has a dedicated air freighter partnership with Qantas Freight, priority access to uplift across every Qantas Group Passenger Service, modern depots in major regional centres and sophisticated automated freight sortation terminals on the eastern seaboard.

And while it has established a solid reputation for its speed and service, what truly sets StarTrack apart is its technology.

Overtaking the rest with innovation

Innovation and technology are critical for any logistics provider to stay competitive and adapt to changing market demands. Being able to optimise routes, track shipments in real time and improve customer satisfaction is like holding a winning hand. This is the hand that StarTrack gives its partners.

In 1993, StarTrack was the first logistics company to use a barcode sorting system. Two years later, it installed mobile data terminals in its trucks and in 1999, it introduced a paperless dispatch system. In 2020, its latest handheld scanning technology kept it ahead of competitors.

Its unique strength however is providing customers with in-depth reporting and analytics that help them make smarter business decisions. One of the many businesses that deeply value these services is a StarTrack intermediary, AFS Logistics.

A 4PL business in the transport sector, AFS Logistics relies heavily on the integration between its suppliers’ software and its own to meet its customers’ delivery needs. Founder and chairman Tony Bates, says StarTrack’s technology has led the way since their partnership began in 1995.

“The sophistication of their reporting is second-to-none. The customised reports we get have enabled us to move with the times and keep up with our customers’ needs.”

“Visibility is paramount in our industry and StarTrack is very flexible in providing the right information for us to analyse our operational and financial DIFOTs. It’s also why StarTrack is able to keep its own DIFOT performance way above any other.”

Over the years, AFS Logistics and StarTrack have designed a shared system that enables the former to supply its customers with greater visibility and stay ahead of any network delivery issues.

“It’s beyond anything we’ve been able to do with any other transport company,” says Tony. “StarTrack’s willingness to open up their technology and security has been crucial to our business growth. The longevity of customer satisfaction with StarTrack speaks for itself.”

Schneider Electric (SE), who partnered with StarTrack in 2015, echoes these sentiments. The digital automation and energy management company prides itself on excellent customer service and StarTrack’s technology has helped them maintain their track record. 

SE Transformation Program Manager for Global Supply Chain Arslan Ahmad, says StarTrack was instrumental in setting up its ‘Track Your Post’ system, which enables SE to update customers on their shipment status and reduce customer complaints.

“StarTrack’s own focus on customer service has built our trust over the years and sharing the same values has enabled us to remain long-term partners.”

There’s also StarTrack’s innovation in scanning and automated sortation, which Arslan says has significantly boosted efficiency in SE’s warehouses.

“There’s less manual handling, fewer errors and faster turnaround times. Couple that with our own technological innovation and our net speed to market is best in class.”

For SMAI, the integration with StarTrack has synchronised its data and platforms to provide full visibility of the process between an order placement and its delivery. Patrick says it’s also a huge time-saver.

“In the past, our team had to manually enter the customer and order details one by one. Now they can consign an entire day's order in a few clicks.”

Accelerating businesses’ growth and scale 

Specialist audio store, Addicted To Audio, used StarTrack Road Express when it launched in 2010 and only carried portable audio weighing below 5kg. As it expanded into home audio, its packaging needs went from parcels to pallets and crates, some weighing over 400kg.

That meant using almost every StarTrack delivery service from Road Express and Premium to Next Flight and Courier to send products across Australia and New Zealand.

Founder and CEO George Poutakidis says, “What we needed was a logistics company that was fluid with its service and offerings. StarTrack gave us the ability to scale.”

George adds that Amazon’s presence in Australia has increased customer expectations of faster delivery and StarTrack has met these expectations.

He recalls when a customer placed an urgent order on a Friday afternoon for a 25kg amplifier to be delivered overnight from Melbourne to outer Brisbane. StarTrack’s Next Flight service got it there in time.

“At StarTrack, someone is always stepping up to offer a solution and make things happen. That accountability is so important. We know there’s no better alternative out there because we've tried other options and have always returned to StarTrack,” George says.

SE’s Arslan adds, “We've yet to come across a delivery that StarTrack cannot do.”

“We've had significant growth over the years and our deliveries with StarTrack have grown accordingly. We are, at this stage, in a position for bigger growth and we're hoping StarTrack will come along with us on that journey.”

One delivery company, double the benefits

Australia Post’s takeover of StarTrack has also proved to be beneficial for many of its business customers, including giving them access to Australia Post’s extensive delivery network and shared facilities and infrastructure. This provides unrivalled reach and speeds up freight processing and delivery times.

Addicted To Audio’s George says the ability to use both companies as a single delivery partner was central to his business’ success.

“No-one else can deliver to PO Boxes, business and residential addresses (without redelivery fees) and the local Post Office. We deal with one company and one account manager, and it all works seamlessly. It's a significant competitive advantage.”

The logistics industry thrives in an environment of fierce and relentless competition. Survival hinges on being smarter and more efficient, having more advanced technology and providing better service. This is what StarTrack has done.