Introduction

As a proudly Australian-owned national transport company, TFMXpress has always been committed to delivering consistent and reliable express freight solutions across the country. In our early stages of expansion, ensuring full national coverage was a key goal, and servicing Western Australia presented a unique challenge. This is the story of how a smart partnership helped us overcome that barrier and elevate our service offering.

The Challenge

When TFMXpress launched as a national carrier, we quickly built a strong road network connecting all major capital cities and regional areas. However, one gap remained: Western Australia. Servicing Perth and the surrounding regions by road wasn’t viable at the time due to low freight volumes, long transit times, and high operational costs. To truly operate as a national express network, we needed a solution that could efficiently and reliably bridge the east-to-west divide.

The Solution

Our answer came through a strategic partnership with Virgin Australia. Together, we launched an Off Peak Road to Air Express service, enabling daily road freight via the utilisation of the Virgin aircrafts into Western Australia. TFMXpress managed every step of the freight journey, from handling and containerising shipments at our depots, transporting them to the airport, and reversing the process upon arrival in Perth.

This air express solution provided faster transit than traditional road freight, with flexible container options (AMF: 14m³, PMC: 11m³, ALF: 8.5m³, and AKE: 4.3m³) to suit various freight volumes and demands. Starting from zero, we quickly scaled to moving up to 90m³ of freight daily by air to Perth, this is equivalent to a full trailer load a day.

The Result

Our partnership with Virgin Australia gave TFMXpress a competitive edge. Not only did it enable national coverage, but it also provided faster, more reliable service into WA than many traditional road-based alternatives. Businesses benefited from improved delivery times, better parcel handling, and seamless tracking, building trust in TFMXpress as a truly national logistics provider.

Summary

Overcoming the challenge of servicing Western Australia was a critical milestone in our journey. Unfortunately, following the COVID-19 pandemic, the wide-body aircrafts used were removed from servicing this route, and we could no longer continue operating it. However, the momentum and experience gained during that period gave us the foundation to launch our dedicated Road Express Service into Western Australia, now running with a consistent 72-hour transit time.Through innovative thinking and a strong alliance with Virgin Australia, TFMXpress established itself as a reliable, national express freight carrier. It’s just one example of how we adapt and evolve to keep Australian businesses moving forward, wherever they are.