For Goldstar Transport, Managing Director, Sean Carren, says 2004 is its signature year. It was the year when the company decided to put itself on the radar by creating a business and beginning to form a fleet to establish a presence in the Australian transport industry.
“That’s when we started,” Sean says. “We had trucks a little bit before that, but 2004 was the year we decided this is what we were going to do. We were going to be very serious about it, and now it’s come up to 20 years.” 
Goldstar Transport is predominantly Western Australia-based, covering most of WA within a focus on essential services. The key lanes the business operates in are fast-moving consumer goods, Dangerous Goods (DGs), container transport and mine site supply. Around these freight tasks, one of the things Goldstar Transport prides itself on is its dedication to its employees. For Sean, they are the top priority.
“It really is a people business,” he says. “When I’m asked to talk about the business, I’d rather talk about the people. They’re the key to it.”
Goldstar Transport began with a very diverse fleet two decades ago, but it has over time built the total up to now run 250 trailer combinations consisting of road trains, pocket road trains and B-doubles, 60 rigids and 150 prime movers. All of the new prime movers coming into the business are now being fitted with JSK 37C fifth wheels and Sensor Coupling systems from JOST, the OEM which Sean says became a fundamental supplier in 2020 when Goldstar Transport began to increase the size of its fleet considerably.
“When the fleet got over the 100-truck mark, JOST became a really important supplier to us,” he says. “As we tried to make our operations safer, and as we standardised our fleet so that the guys are dealing with the same turntable every day, JOST really became part of making it simpler and easier for them.”
(DGs), container transport and mine site supply. Around these freight tasks, one of the things Goldstar Transport prides itself on is its dedication to its employees. For Sean, they are the top priority. “It really is a people business,” he says. “When I’m asked to talk about the business, I’d rather talk about the people. They’re the key to it.” Goldstar Transport began with a very diverse fleet two decades ago, but it has over time built the total up to now run 250 trailer combinations consisting of road trains, pocket road trains and B-doubles, 60 rigids and 150 prime movers. All of the new prime movers coming into the business are now being fitted with JSK 37C fifth wheels and Sensor Coupling systems from JOST, the OEM which Sean says became a fundamental supplier in 2020 when Goldstar Transport began to increase the size of its fleet considerably. “When the fleet got over the 100-truck mark, JOST became a really important supplier to us,” he says. “As we tried to make our operations safer, and as we standardised our fleet so that the guys are dealing with the same turntable every day, JOST really became part of making it simpler and easier for them.”
Throughout Goldstar Transport’s frequent and fast-paced operations, such as daily trailer swaps in various distribution centres, Sean says the JOST turntables and sensors are really important because they give operators that extra peace of mind by removing the doubt of whether or not a trailer is hooked up properly.
The Sensor Coupling system does this by detecting irregularities in hook-ups using three sensors fitted to the turntable – one on the plate surface to detect whether or not the skid plate on the trailer is in contact with the fifth wheel plate surface, one in the centre to detect the kingpin and ensure the lock jaws are secured around it, and one on the handle to ensure it is in the fully locked position. If any or all of these sensors detect an irregularity, the system will alert the driver that something is wrong and that the coupling process needs to be revisited.
“It just ensures that we’ve done all that we can do,” Sean says. “You need to be doing all that you can do to help your people do a good job.”
This is why Sean says JOST is at the forefront of safety with its fifth wheel technology and is driving a better result for operators.
“You need all the tools that you can get, and it certainly helps,” he says. “We put a safety chain on our turntables as well, so we add another step to the process. JOST really helps on making that piece.”
When it comes to having a safe outcome, Sean says it is about providing employees with the best resources to do the job and the technology and innovation that is present in that space. With JOST, this is a guarantee.
“JOST is part of that,” he says. “We also run a high level of telematics management systems. Our trucks have got a lot of cameras on them to protect the driver, and the implementation of cameras across our fleet allows us to better understand what’s happening when something does happen.
“We use technology and innovation as much as we can, and a lot more than most, to make it a better working environment for our people and the public.”
According to Sean, JOST has also always been invested in his company. Whether it’s through supplying what Goldstar Transport needs to do the job or communicating efficiently with the team to bring its requirements to the table, the product support which JOST offers has always been a major contributing factor to the fleet’s continued business with it. When Goldstar Transport accepted a major contract to deliver to over 200 supermarkets across the Perth metropolitan area, for example, JOST was there to assist.
“JOST was key in giving our vehicles the right level of safety to in order to perform those tasks,” Sean says. “We bought a large amount of new trucks in one hit, all fitted with JOST turntables, for our consumer goods job that we were successful with.”
For this contract, like the rest of Goldstar Transport’s freight tasks, safety is the most important factor. Sean explains that serving 200-plus supermarkets every day requires a lot of trailers, and in this area, it is essential that the business has every safety aspect covered. It can do that alongside JOST.
“You hear about some people who sell you something and then you never see them again,” he says. “JOST has certainly not been like that. They helped us originally with the piece that we needed, and they’ve been there with the training and the backup since. “As we’ve brought on a new fleet, they’ve also been there to help us make sure that there’s a level of consistency so that our guys expect the same thing no matter what truck they drive.
“So, from a people perspective, the JOST people are doing the best job to make sure that the Goldstar people get the best result.”
This article was published in Trailer Magazine April 2024 edition. Trailer Magazine is Australia’s leading B2B publication dedicated to trailers, truck bodies and ancillary equipment. For the latest editorial and news about road transport in Australia, see Trailer Magazine.
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