BRANDS

Melbourne's Hallam Truck Centre wins DAF Dealer of the Year 2009

5th March 2010

Award-winning Melbourne dealer - Hallam Truck Centre - has been named DAF Dealer of the Year for 2009, following an impressive year of sales and customer service.

The announcement was made at the PACCAR dealer meeting at the RACV Country Club, Melbourne. The DAF Trucks Australia award is judged on a points system across five main areas, including general dealership performance, truck sales, customer service, finance and parts support.

Michael Crawford, Joint Managing Director of the CMV Group, Hallam's parent company, said he was thrilled to accept DAF's most prestigious award on behalf of the dealership.

"We are delighted Hallam Truck Centre has been named DAF Dealer of the Year 2009. Hallam has just had its best year yet with the DAF brand. Not only are we seeing many new customers purchasing their first DAF, but we're also seeing a growing number of existing customers expanding their DAF stable. It's an exciting time for the dealership - and winning DAF Dealer of the Year is the icing on the cake," Michael said.

PACCAR Australia's Director Sales and Marketing, Andrew Hadjikakou, said the Hallam Truck Centre set the benchmark for all dealers.

"We have been most impressed with Hallam's achievements over the years. There is a wide range of criteria we consider for this award, and Hallam performed exceptionally across the board," Andrew explained.

"The facility is state of the art, the staff are highly trained and the team as individuals and as a whole deliver first-rate customer service and satisfaction. Hallam is a shining example of the high level of professionalism and industry expertise indicative of all DAF dealers," he added.

Founded in 1989, Hallam Truck Centre became a subsidiary of the CMV Group in 1999. The CMV Group also operates a DAF and Kenworth dealership in Adelaide. Hallam was appointed a Kenworth dealer in 1989 and became a DAF dealer in 2003. Located on the Princes Highway, near Hallam-Belgrave Road, the Hallam Truck Centre services Melbourne's second biggest transport hub, the south-east. To satisfy the growing demand for parts and service support in Melbourne's north-eastern region, a branch trading as the Bayswater Truck Centre, was established on Canterbury Road, Kilsyth in 2003.

The dealer has a variety of customers, from major and small fleets to single owner-drivers. Over the past year, it has had strong demand for DAF's flagship CF85 and mid-range CF75 models which are used for a diverse range of applications - everything from intrastate grocery and metropolitan distribution to specialist tasks, including council mobile libraries, crane trucks and concrete pumpers.

The Hallam Truck Centre is highly regarded for its ongoing investment in facilities and people. Its PACCAR sales consultants and service technicians are factory-trained, and the dealership operates from one of Australia's most advanced truck sales and service centres.

The 3.2-hectare site features a comprehensive display of DAF and Kenworth models. The workshop has twelve 30-metre service bays, including two full-length, B-Double drive-through pits. A diagnostic bay incorporates a brake roller tester, slip tester and shaker. There are also two five-tonne overhead cranes and other specialised equipment to facilitate efficient and safe service and repairs.

Hallam features an expansive parts supermarket, with around $2 million worth of parts and accessories on site. The complex also has comfortable amenities, including a training room and boardroom for in-house presentations and seminars. In addition, drivers enjoy indoor and outdoor waiting areas, a luxurious lounge with a plasma TV and DVD player, as well as a kitchenette, and sleeping rooms with ensuite facilities for longer visits. The dealership also offers after-hours access to truck and trailer parking as a convenience for its customers.

Over the past 21 years, Hallam has become a leading PACCAR dealer, winning a number of industry awards. These include the Kenworth Dealer of the Year, Kenworth Gold Service Dealer and Kenworth Parts Dealer awards.

"We are very pleased to receive this recognition," said Michael Crawford. "It's the result of a solid team effort from our staff and acknowledgement that the DAF product is already a very significant part of our business - and it will be even more so as we continue to increase market share."

"We're also fortunate to be working with DAF. Its trucks are engineered to the highest standards which provide customers with improved productivity and low operating costs, and drivers with increased safety and comfort.

"Spec for spec, DAF matches the best European models and in a number of areas it's streets ahead. The range meets the needs of virtually every niche market, from smaller rigids for metro and short-haul applications to prime movers to suit most transport tasks. And, because DAF is a member of the PACCAR family, we can offer customers a complete range of products and services, including finance options and an extensive range of truck and trailer parts and accessories to suit all trucking requirements," Michael added.

DAF Trucks Australia, a division of PACCAR Australia Pty Ltd, distributes a complete range of medium and heavy-duty trucks throughout Australia. PACCAR is a global technology leader in the design, manufacture and customer support of high-quality light-, medium- and heavy-duty trucks under the Kenworth, Peterbilt and DAF nameplates. It also provides financial services and information technology and distributes truck parts related to its principal business.