When you think of a hard-working Aussie, what comes to mind? Is it a ripped and torn bunch of yellow overalls so bright that it makes the sun look like the night sky, coated in dust so thick it could submerge an entire city? What about the deep crease lines on someone’s forehead as they slump over the freezing, unforgiving desk, furiously rubbing at their brows as they work deep into the night, forgoing family and friends?
In the transport industry, is it the all-conquering truck driver, both hands on the wheel all day? Short, stubby nails bitten back by stress and time spent waiting on the dreaded loading and unloading process. A wary eye on traffic around them as they meander their way through the many lanes that traverse Australia. A constant dull pang in the heart as they can’t take their minds off their kids while making the long trip home.
Well tear that up, because the hard-working Aussie nowadays isn’t just the one that sacrifices it all. It’s not the blood, sweat and tears. The long hours. The tears. The fears. No, the modern day successful transport tycoon has evolved its form, and it’s no better represented than by Laura Wilkinson, the founder and general manager of X Logistics.
Laura’s success boils down to a deep reserve of knowledge that makes the Great Lakes look shallow and was first cultivated, like many in the industry, in childhood.
“I grew up surrounded by the mining and oil and gas industries,” Laura told OwnerDriver.
“My father worked in oil and gas and many family members were heavily involved in mining across Western Australia.
“Naturally, it influenced my early career path, and I moved into the mining industry myself with the goal of eventually branching into oil and gas.”
Spoiler – Laura’s dreams as a young girl watching her family toil away in the arid WA sun came to fruition, but not in the direct way she’d envisioned. While she now sits as the general manager of a new-look logistics company that puts her experience in the mining, construction and energy sectors to use, like the aforementioned truck drivers, she took the windy but scenic route to get there.
“Early on, I worked on Shell’s Prelude FLNG project, which was one of the world’s largest floating offshore gas facilities,” she says.
“I worked on it during its critical transition from construction into production. Being part of a project of that scale gave me invaluable first-hand experience in large-scale mobilisations, logistics coordination, compliance and operations within highly regulated environments.”
It’s a handy first step for a person to make into the transport and mining world, but also an intimidating one. However, instead of scaring Laura away, it only toughened her resolve, forming a work ethic and knowledge base that would serve her well when she transitioned through the greatest journey of life.
From the Prelude project, she transitioned to a role with the Buurabalayji Thalanyji Aboriginal Corporation (BTAC) – the Registered Native Title Body Corporate (RNTBC) for the Thalanyji People.
BTAC advocates for traditional owners’ rights, manages native title land interest, and facilitates communication between community, industry and government. While it sounds worlds away from her time out on the floating Mecca of gas ships that was Prelude, it proved a point of difference, adding a layer of perspective to the young woman’s evolution as a logistics force.
“This experience strengthened my understanding of the social, cultural and legal layers involved in resource and land development, adding another dimension to my logistics and industry knowledge,” she says.
If this resume isn’t amassing enough of an impressive snapshot into Laura’s life to date, she then experienced what many refer to as one of the most challenging yet rewarding moments of one’s life – having a child. Her son gave Laura time to step back and re-evaluate. As life moved on around her, she settled her target on the beautiful bullseye that is Australia’s transport industry.
When she did make her return, it was into the metro freight game, organising the minefield that is frequent inner-city and suburbia truck runs. Here she entered the world of keeping a lid on a bursting container of demands and jobs for the ever-expanding customers in Western Australia.
This opportunity was at Capital Logistics, where Laura helped establish the WA brokerage arm for the transport operator. While it may have presented as a desirable end destination for Laura’s winding journey throughout the resources and transport industries, it proved to be another challenging, yet useful, checkpoint along the way.
“While I found success there, I realised over time that the business model wasn’t aligned with my passion for servicing mining, construction and oil and gas industries,” she says.
“These were sectors I had built my knowledge and career foundation around.”
So what does one do when they hit the end of the road? Most sane people tend to complete a U-turn and head back down the way they came. Not Laura. Instead, she viewed it as another opportunity, bringing out the machete to whack through bushes and forge a new path.
In the real world, this saw the foundation of X Logistics – the ideal culmination of not just Laura’s hopes and dreams from a young age, but also the best of the mining, energy and transport sectors.
“I decided to step away and pursue my goals and dreams by founding X Logistics,” she says.
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“At X Logistics, we specialise in tailored logistics solutions for mining, construction and energy sectors. Our business is built on operational expertise, deep industry relationships and a genuine client-first philosophy.”
The creation of X Logistics brings together all of Laura’s experience to date, starting from her time on the Shell offshore gas facility all the way to her time in the Capital Logistics metro hustle and bustle. It’s a unique CV, but one that means she was able to set her own rules when it came to establishing the logistics brand.
“What truly sets us apart is a combination of three core strengths that we focus on,” Laura says.
“We have a flexible platform that allows clients to add their own preferred carriers and rates alongside our trusted network, creating ease of use, transparency and cost efficiency. We also foster strong personal relationships with carriers and clients that is built through years of integrity, collaboration and shared success.
“We also have a niche knowledge base in mining, oil, gas and project logistics, developed hands-on over more than a decade across both onshore and offshore industries.”
Reading over those three strengths, it sure sounds like the embodiment of Laura’s passion and experience to date, poured into a company that is ready to roll up its collective sleeves and work away. For Laura, her vision is for X Logistics to use her knowledge and wisdom while remaining flexible to create logistics solutions for a wide range of sectors and operations.
Through this method, she’s confident that she’ll create a rare, partnership-driven logistics model that is designed to be reliable and yield long-term results. Considering the hard yards she’s put into getting to where she is now, it’s difficult to write her and X Logistics off.
So when you next think of hard-working Australians, don’t forget to remember the new legion of people who have forged their own careers in a different way. While Aussie’s tough toilers nowadays aren’t all the humble truck drivers, the new guard may now take the same enriching journeys that the trucks themselves do as they cover Australia’s wide expanses each and every day.
Laura is one shining example of a new-age logistics leader who has developed skills and experience in her own unique way. It makes for a company that stands out.
“Thanks to the loyalty and trust we’ve built, X Logistics is now quickly becoming a trusted name for project logistics in Western Australia,” she says.
“I’m excited to see where this next chapter leads and to continue contributing to industries that have been such a strong part of both my professional and personal journey.”
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