- Bridgestone enhances safety and efficiency with new Truganina warehouse.
- New systems and operations to benefit customers through more streamlined distribution.
- Introduction of autonomous forklifts to further streamline operations and safety at Truganina.
MELBOURNE, Victoria (23 August, 2021) — Bridgestone's newest distribution centre at Truganina in Melbourne is providing streamlined service for the company's customers in the Victoria region due to enhancements to systems and processes at the site.
The leading tyre company recently relocated its Victorian warehouse to the new Truganina hub site, bolstering the capacity of the warehouse as part of an overhaul of its Victorian operations. The other key outcome from the move to the specially designed distribution centre was a significant improvement to the loading process, both in safety and time.
According to Bridgestone Australia Sales Director, Heath Barclay, the new site has halved the amount of time it takes to get its tyres from the warehouse to being on the road to customers.
"The transition to our new Truganina warehouse has highlighted how we had outgrown our former site, and we are in a much better position to service our customers from our new Victorian hub," Mr Barclay said.
"This new site allows us to move product more efficiently, reducing the downtime for our freight partners and in turn allowing us to reach our customers quicker. We've seen the average load time of trucks go from more than two-hours to under an hour since moving.
"The design of our new distribution centre has reduced congestion on site and has seen us reduce the movements of forklifts considerably. In turn it's created a much a safer environment for our team members as well as significantly reducing the time it takes to load outgoing stock."
The move took place with 460 freight movements adding up to 5,000km to shift more than 75,000 tyres – weighing 1.5 million tonnes, with new inbound shipments already diverted to the new site.
The Truganina site boasts 19,250m2 of warehouse space to better service the future demands of the Bridgestone network and customers throughout Victoria and Tasmania across all market segments: truck and bus radials, passenger, 4x4 and SUV tyres.
The site's capacity is 40 per cent larger compared to the former site translating to 50,000 more tyres in the new site, as well as accommodating for the trend towards higher inch sizes.
"Australia's tyre needs are changing in line with the shift towards larger wheel sizes, and the undeniable rise of SUVs and 4x4s. This also has an impact on our warehouse operations, and this was factored into the design of our new Victorian warehouse," Mr Barclay added.
"The development of the Truganina Hub was for our growth and future direction, and the design of our new warehouse follows this principle – ensuring that we are positioned to meeting the future needs of our customers as well as the current demands."
Bridgestone is also embracing new technologies in its Victorian warehouse to further streamline its operations with the introduction of an autonomous forklift and a telescopic conveyor belt for more efficient movements around the warehouse and dispatching.
The autonomous forklift will streamline movements within the warehouse by running pre-programmed routes, freeing up manned forklifts for other tasks within the warehouse. The addition of the new systems will see productivity and safety increase, again bolstering Bridgestone's ability to supply customers more effectively.
Located as a cornerstone of the Midwest Business Hub, the Truganina site is strategically positioned between the Princes Freeway and the Western Freeway, making it easily accessible for Bridgestone's freight partners and allowing for quick distribution to the Bridgestone network.
"The opening of our Truganina site is significant for Bridgestone for many reasons, and a key element of this site's future success is our new Victorian warehouse," Mr Barclay said.
"We are continually upgrading our network and our systems to benefit our customers, but the opening of our Truganina hub marks a milestone for Bridgestone's future, and is the most significant investment we have made in Victoria to date."
About Bridgestone Australia Ltd.:
Headquartered in Tokyo, Bridgestone Corporation is a global leader providing sustainable mobility and advanced solutions. In Australia, Bridgestone Australia Ltd. offers a range of services and solutions to all segments of the Australian market to deliver social and customer value. Bridgestone's extensive range of quality tyres is complemented by the provision of mechanical and fleet services through the company's nationwide retail network of Bridgestone Select and Bridgestone Service Centres, mobile service provider Lube Mobile, and the manufacturing and sale of quality retreads through Bandag Pty Limited. Guided by its global corporate social responsibility commitment, Our Way to Serve, Bridgestone is dedicated to shaping a sustainable future of mobility and improving the way people move, live, work and play.
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