Bigfoot Equipment Ltd has signed an official distribution deal with Australian semi-trailer manufacturer Kennedy Trailers.
The move expands Bigfoot’s footprint in the Australian market, with the company having exported its Central Tyre Inflation system to Australia for 25 years.
The agreement presents a massive opportunity for both companies and Australia’s forestry, mining, heavy haulage, agriculture and bulk tipping industries will now have local access and support to Bigfoot’s best CTI technology.
Bigfoot’s CTI system gives truck drivers the ability to adjust tyre pressures from their cab to suit the speed and weight of their vehicle. Lowering the air pressure creates a larger area of contact between the tyre and the ground and significantly improves traction on loose or soft surfaces. It also saves fuel, improves tyre wear, reduces repairs and maintenance costs, and ensures heavy vehicles can safely handle steep inclines or rough terrain.
Bigfoot co-owner Graham Wylie said pre-Covid, Bigfoot staff would frequently travel to Australia to install their CTI system for customers – often at Kennedy Trailer’s own workshop in Bairnsdale, Victoria.
“Obviously, we haven’t been able to travel over to Australia and do those installations in the past 12 months, so it just made sense for Kennedy to install our systems on our behalf,” he said.
“They were eager to help and once they realised how easy it was, and how quickly we could send them parts, it was a natural next step to formalise a distribution agreement.”
Australian customers will now order Bigfoot’s CTI system and arrange installation directly with Kennedy Trailers. The systems and component parts will be held in stock in Bairnsdale and are able to be shipped overnight, with stock being replenished within four to five working days.
Wylie says Bigfoot has a strong and loyal customer base in Australia and the company has a very strong one-on-one relationship with its customers who operate forestry, heavy haulage and bulk tipping vehicles.
Kennedy Trailers currently employs more than 50 staff and builds around 150 trailers each year including logging trailers for forestry, side tippers for mines, and custom-made transport solutions for heavy haulage and other industries.
Cory Kennedy said Bigfoot already has a solid reputation in the Australian forestry sector, with most logging trucks in Victoria and New South Wales already having a CTI system on board.
“But there’s a massive opportunity to help Bigfoot move into other states and industries such as mining where they’re not currently well-known,” he said.
“This deal also gives our company the chance to move into the agriculture sector with super spreaders and paddock tractors, and even emergency service vehicles. We now have a product that will help us get our foot in the door and we’re thrilled to be working alongside such a great bunch of blokes and this brilliant CTI system.”
