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Adrian Jones lives the trucking dream at Yass

Adrian Jones bought a livestock truck when he was 18 and has achieved steady growth since diversifying.

 

Growing up in Yass, New South Wales, Adrian Jones dreamed of becoming a livestock carrier like his father David Jones.

So through his teenage years he saved money from his afterschool job. And when he left school in 2002 he approached a bank for a loan to buy a 1991 Hino FC Fleeter.

“It was second-hand,” 30-year-old Adrian says.

“I built my own stock crate for it.”

Fast-forward to 2015: Adrian has diversified into general freight and his business Jones Transport Yass has 10 trucks – a mix of Freightliners, Kenworths and Macks.

General freight accounts for 70 percent of his business and his trucks travel as far as Bundaberg, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth.

Adrian’s role in the business has evolved from owner-driver to manager.

He has about 20 people on the payroll, including 18 full- and part-time drivers. He values his drivers because they are reliable and share his commitment to customer service.

Running 10 trucks is a big commitment. Adrian is always ready to step into a truck if a driver needs time off, and weekends are often spent at the yard.

It has been hard to find time to spend with his wife Kristel Jones and their daughter Miley, 4.

But Adrian says he is now in a position to delegate so he can put his family first.

“I’m just in the process of training one of my first drivers to help allocate. He fills in when I’m on holidays now,” Adrian says.

That doesn’t mean Adrian intends to slow down.

In fact he is harnessing the enthusiasm of his brother Phillip Jones to establish a new Canberra-Yass courier parcel service, JTY Express.

He is pleased to have family members on the team. 

Kristel, a professional accountant, oversees the company’s finances.

Adrian’s sister Leonie Makin works in administration. His parents David and Hope Jones have retired but Adrian still seeks their advice.

You can read the full story in the August issue of Owner//Driver magazine.

 

Adrian Jones grew up dreaming of becoming a livestock carrier like his father David. He now runs a 10-truck operation…

Posted by Owner Driver on Wednesday, 5 August 2015

 

Photography: Tamara Whitsed

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