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SCT Logistics

SCT class locomotives at Laverton in March 2008
Formerly	Specilaised Container Transport
Industry	Logistics
Founded	1974
Founder	Peter Smith
Headquarters	Altona, Australia
Key people	Geoff Smith (Managing Director)
Revenue	$390 million (2020)
Owner	Smith family
Number of employees	2,000 (2020)
Subsidiaries	Specialised Bulk Rail
Website	www.sctlogistics.com.au

SCT Logistics is an Australian interstate transport company operating rail and road haulage, with facilities in Brisbane, Sydney, Parkes, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth.

History

SCT Logistics was founded in 1974 as Specialised Container Transport.

In the mid-1990s, National Rail decided to discontinue the use of refrigerated vans, louvred vans, and boxcars on its trains. At the same time, Australia's rail network was being opened up to enable private operators the use of publicly owned railway track.

SCT had a customer base who wished to retain their use, so a number of surplus covered wagons were acquired, and hook and pull agreements were agreed with V/Line Freight (Melbourne to Adelaide) and Australian National (Adelaide to Perth) to haul the trains. In July 1995, SCT began operating a weekly service from Melbourne to Perth. The initial terminals for the service were at Dynon in Melbourne, Keswick in Adelaide and Kewdale in Perth. These were later replaced by purpose-built facilities at Laverton North, Penfield and Forrestfield.

In October 2000, Freight Australia was awarded a contract to haul the services from Melbourne through to Perth with G class locomotives and specially equipped fuel tankers to replenish on the move. Crew vans were also introduced, for the accommodation of train crew on the long journey across the Nullarbor Plain. The company also owned and operated its own locomotives for shunting wagons in its terminals. In November 2006, SCT commenced running trains from a new terminal in Parkes, New South Wales to Perth.

In February 2007, SCT purchased nine G class locomotives and leased three NR class locomotives from Pacific National until SCT's own fleet of SCT locomotives were delivered. This was to comply with an undertaking given by Toll Holdings to the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission as part of it acquiring control of Pacific National.

In February 2010, SCT Logistics commenced operating services between Melbourne and Brisbane with its wagons included in Aurizon operated services.

In September 2010 Specialised Bulk Rail was formed as a subsidiary to haul iron ore from Cairn Hill Mine, Coober Pedy to Outer Harbor for IMX Resources. In June 2014, due to low iron ore prices, the Cairn Hill mine was closed, ceasing SBRs Iron Ore contract.

In January 2017, it began operating its own Melbourne to Brisbane services having opened a terminal in Bromelton.

In 2020, SCT Logistics was ranked 169th in the Australian Financial Review "Top 500 Private Companies in Australia", recording an annual revenue of AUD390 million, up 4% from the previous year. As of 2020, SCT employed approximately 2,000 people.

In January 2022, SCT Logistics commenced operating bulk trains of steel products from Melbourne to Adelaide and Perth under contract to BlueScope.

In February 2024, SCT Logistics hired Seymour Railway Heritage Centre locomotives C501 and X31 which were recently converted to Standard-gauge. These locomotives were hired for use on the Dooen Freight in western Victoria.

2024 will see SCT leasing 6 RailFirst CF class locomotives for a period of 12 months or possibly longer.

Current locomotive fleet

Previous Fleet

Queensland Intermodal Freight Hub

In August 2017, the company opened a new freight hub in Queensland, Bromelton Intermodal Estate. The opening was led by then-Deputy Prime Minister of Australia Barnaby Joyce and MP Scott Buchholz. The new freight hub is located adjacent to the Sydney–Brisbane rail corridor.

The project cost $35.2 million (AUD), with the Australian Federal Government investing $9.6 million (AUD) towards the cost of the terminal as a means to help provide local jobs in the area.

The 10 ha (25 acres) terminal has warehouses, loading facilities, and 6 km (3.7 mi) of track.

Motorsport

2013-2019 V8 Supercars Sponsorship Alongside Supercheap Auto

In 2013, SCT announced its sponsorship plans with Supercheap Auto's Holden Commodore (VF), operated by Walkinshaw Racing Team. The #66 was driven by Russell Ingall, who finished the season 15th, with a 3rd-place finish at the Gold Coast 600.

From 2014 to 2015, SCT continued its sponsorship with the Supercheap Auto sponsored Holden Commodore (VF), Ingall was replaced by Tim Slade. Slade finished 17th with 3 podium finishes in 2014 and 13th with 1 podium in 2015.

In 2016, Supercheap Auto announced it would switch to Prodrive Racing Australia run under Rod Nash Racing with 2014 Bathurst 1000 winner Chaz Mostert behind the wheel. After a difficult season, Mostert managed to win a race at the Gold Coast 600.

In 2017 Mostert continued with Rod Nash Racing and won 3 races and the Pirtek Enduro Cup with co-driver Steve Owen after winning the Gold Coast 600. Mostert finished the championship in 5th position.

In 2018, another reshuffle of Prodrive Racing Australia saw them, and the Rod Nash Racing entry, renamed to Tickford Racing However, the team had a difficult season and Mostert only took one victory, another win at the Gold Coast 600.

In 2019, Tickford Racing upgraded to the new Ford Mustang GT. It was a moderately successful year, with a single win at Albert Park and several podiums.

Chaz announced that he was leaving Tickford Racing, for Walkinshaw Andretti United after being with the team for 7 years. SCT Logistics terminated its sponsorship agreement with Tickford after Mostert's plans to depart the team, despite Supercheap Auto staying on as Title Sponsor for the following season, bringing to an end a 7-year association with the retail giant.

2020–present

SCT Logistics is the naming rights sponsor for the No.4 Brad Jones Racing Holden Commodore ZB driven by Jack Smith in the 2022 Supercars Championship. It also supports Tommy Smith, who is competing in the 2023 FIA Formula 3 Championship.

SCT also sponsors Honda Racing Australia in the Australian Supercross Championship and Australian ProMX Championship .

References

1. Company Overview SCT Logistics
2. The rise and rise of SCT Track & Signal May 2014 pages 24/25
3. ^ Peter Clark (June 2003). "The SCT Refrigeration Car Fleet". Australian Model Railway Magazine. 21 (3): 36–40.
4. Private train arrives early Daily Commercial News 19 July 1995
5. Interstate freight race starts Railway Gazette International September 1995 page 539
6. Open access brings Railway Gazette International 1 March 2003
7. Locations Archived 4 January 2014 at the Wayback Machine SCT Logistics
8. Freight Australia Hooks up SCT Railway Digest October 2000 page 7
9. Here & There Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin issue 759 January 2001 page 32
10. SCT Railway Digest December 2007 page 21
11. Premier endorses Parkes as the hub of the nation Archived 1 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine Champion-Post (Parkes) 23 October 2006
12. SCT opens Parkes terminal Railway Digest December 2006 page 15
13. SCT Logistics gains part of Toll's rail divestments Rail Express 16 February 2007
14. SCT secure PN starter kit Rail Express issue 77 March 2007
15. SCT launches G class Kevin Sheedy Express Archived 4 January 2014 at the Wayback Machine Railway Digest September 2007 page 5
16. Toll-Pacific National Starters Kit SCT Logistics 16 February 2007
17. SCT Logistics Commences North South Rail Trials SCT Logistics 12 February 2010
18. News in Brief Railway Gazette International March 2010 page 7
19. SCT breaks into the bulk rail market The SCT Express May 2011
20. SCT orders Australia's first Chinese built locomotives and enters mineral haulage market Railway Digest November 2010 page 6
21. SCT Logistics hopes to capture freight from road with new east coast service International Railway Journal January 2017 pages 53-55
22. SCT confirmed for Bluescope steel east-west contract, Qube wins north - south work Railway Digest June 2020 page 6
23. ^ SCT Acquires PN Locos Motive Power issue 51 April 2007 page 6
24. Carter, Mark (30 August 2017). "SCT Logistics opens Queensland freight hub". International Rail Journal. Archived from the original on 27 September 2022. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
25. Brad Jones Racing retain Jack Smith for 2022 Auto Action 25 November 2021
26. Van Amersfoort Racing sign Australian rookie Smith for 2023 Archived 28 January 2023 at the Wayback Machine FIAFormula3® - The Official F3® Website. 22 December 2022

External links

Media related to SCT Logistics at Wikimedia Commons

• Company website

• Companies based in Melbourne
• Freight railway companies of Australia
• Interstate rail in Australia
• Logistics companies of Australia
• Transport companies established in 1974
• 1974 establishments in Australia