Local Freight

What Local Freight does

Local Freight is a Queensland, Australia-based family-owned road transport carrier operating under the legal entity Manes Brothers Pty Ltd ATF Manais Family Trust, with origins in 2010 and a stated operating history of more than 20 years. The company delivers general freight, full truck load (FTL), dangerous goods, semi-trailer hire, warehousing, and warehouse relocation services to B2B customers across Queensland and into the Northern Rivers region. Operations are supported by a fleet of more than 80 units ranging from utilities to semi-trailers, distributed across nine depot locations from Rocklea (Brisbane) through to Bungalow (Cairns), and the company holds NHVR Fatigue and Maintenance Management accreditation along with ADG Code and ADR compliance for hazardous materials transport (all classes except 1 and 7).

The technology footprint is operational rather than platform-led: a GPS-tracked fleet provides real-time shipment visibility via a Track and Trace portal, complemented by an online freight quote system and a client login/booking portal. Revenue is generated primarily through transactional freight pricing on a per-pallet or CPK (333kg/m3) basis with weekly invoicing on 14-day payment terms, supplemented by usage-based fuel levies, semi-trailer hire fees (driver inclusive), and managed-services warehousing charges. Go-to-market is sales-led with a regional direct field sales team, inside sales via phone and dedicated email channels (sales, NQ, operations, accounts), and self-serve quote capture from the website. Customer concentration spans 500+ named clients across packaging, automotive, manufacturing, garden products, and logistics verticals, with six public testimonials referencing multi-year relationships including a five-plus-year engagement with Botanica Garden Products.

The business is privately held with no disclosed institutional investors, funding rounds, M&A activity, or leadership changes in the available data. The structural constraints are clear: sub-scale relative to national Australian carriers (Toll, Linfox, StarTrack), no intermodal or international freight capability, no inter-state consolidation outside Northern Rivers, and no AI/automation moat. Conversely, the regulatory moat in dangerous goods, the depot density across regional Queensland, and the multi-segment service portfolio create defensible positioning within its defined geographic and vertical niche.

Name

Local Freight

Legal name

Manes Brothers Pty Ltd ATF Manais Family Trust

Website

https://localfreight.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Local Freight is a family-owned Queensland road transport carrier operating a fleet of 80+ units across nine depots from Brisbane to Cairns, offering general freight, full truck load, dangerous goods, semi-trailer hire, and warehousing services to more than 500 B2B clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Wacol

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Freight Transport Services: Core transport services including general freight, full truck load (FTL), and dangerous goods transport across Queensland. Charges based on pallet space, weight, and cubic measurement (333kg/m3 CPK rates). Revenue earned upon receipt of goods, non-refundable.
2. Semi-trailer Hire: Flexible hire services providing trailers with drivers for short-term and long-term use. Includes tautliner (curtainsiders) and flatbed trailers. Revenue generated through rental charges with prime mover and driver included.
3. Warehousing and Storage: Secure storage solutions integrated with transport services. Options include static shelving, mobile shelving, pallet racking, multi-tier racking, mezzanine floors, and wire partitions. Short and long-term storage available.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Local Freight provides road freight transport across Queensland, including general palletised freight, full truck load (FTL) services, dangerous goods transport, semi-trailer hire (curtainsiders and flatbeds), and warehousing and storage. The company operates a fleet of more than 80 vehicles from nine depot locations spanning Brisbane to Cairns, with NHVR accreditation and GPS-tracked real-time visibility for pickups and deliveries. Services are priced per pallet or by CPK (333kg/m3), with a variable fuel levy and 14-day payment terms.

Product overview

Local Freight operates a single unified transport service portfolio built around five core offerings: General Freight Transport, Full Truck Load (FTL) Services, Dangerous Goods Transport, Semi-Trailer Hire, and Warehousing and Storage Services (including Warehouse Relocations). These core services are supported by ancillary features including same-day pickup and delivery, GPS-tracked real-time fleet tracking, an online quote system, and a client login/online booking portal. The company is a Queensland-wide freight network spanning from Brisbane to Cairns, serving metro, regional, and remote areas with a fleet exceeding 80 units.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• General Freight Transport General freight transport covering daily routes across Queensland including Brisbane and the Gold Coast, handling building materials, packaging supplies, agricultural products, and palletised goods. Pallet and CPK (333kg/m3) unit pricing applies with weekly invoicing and 14-day payment terms.
• Full Truck Load (FTL) Services Dedicated full truck load service providing an entire truck for a single shipment, with direct pickup and delivery without consolidation stops, reducing damage risk and ensuring faster transit times for large or time-sensitive shipments across Queensland.
• Dangerous Goods Transport Certified hazardous materials transport covering chemicals, flammable materials, hazardous liquids, and gases, in full compliance with the Australian Code for the Transport of Dangerous Goods by Road & Rail and ADR standards. All Dangerous Goods Classes transported except Class 1 and Class 7.
• Semi-Trailer Hire Flexible semi-trailer hire service offering tautliner (curtainsiders) and flatbed trailers for short-term and long-term use, inclusive of a prime mover with a driver, suitable for warehouse moves, business relocations, and construction materials transport. Pay-as-you-go billing with flexible terms from daily to long-term.
• Warehousing and Storage Services Flexible and secure storage solutions in Brisbane facilities offering short- and long-term options including static shelving, mobile shelving, pallet racking, multi-tier racking, mezzanine floors, and wire partitions, with integrated inventory management and real-time tracking.
• Warehouse Relocations Specialist warehouse relocation service covering site assessment, packing and dismantling, transport and logistics, and reassembly and testing, designed to minimise operational downtime during business moves.

Quantifiable outcome

• 20+ years of experience in freight transport
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• StarTrack (Australia Post): Australia Post-owned road freight and parcel network with national linehaul, dangerous goods and warehousing — competes for the same B2B palletised freight customers as Local Freight across Queensland.
• SCT Logistics: Australian intermodal road and rail logistics provider with national coverage including Queensland. Provides general and containerised freight services competing with Local Freight for Brisbane-to-regional volume.
• Linfox: Major Australian privately-held logistics provider with national road freight, dedicated fleet, dangerous goods and warehousing capabilities. Overlaps Local Freight's core offering but at substantially larger scale across all states.
• Toll Group: One of Australia's largest logistics companies offering road freight, dangerous goods, warehousing and contract logistics nationally. Competes with Local Freight on enterprise accounts across Queensland corridors but operates at far greater scale.

Direct peers

• Northline: Australian national freight forwarder/road carrier offering general freight, dangerous goods, FTL and warehousing with strong Queensland and Northern Territory presence — directly overlaps Local Freight's service portfolio and geography.
• Kings Transport: Family-owned Australian road freight operator providing general freight, dangerous goods, warehousing and trailer hire with multi-state coverage — comparable business model and product set to Local Freight.
• Followmont Transport: Queensland-headquartered general freight carrier with depots across the state offering linehaul, FTL and warehousing. Closest direct competitor given matching Brisbane-to-regional-Queensland coverage and similar fleet size.

Regional players

• Centurion Transport: Western Australia-focused general freight and dangerous goods road carrier with warehousing and trailer hire. Comparable service portfolio and family-owned operating model to Local Freight but operates across a different state geography.
• Ron Criddle Transport: Queensland-based general freight carrier with similar linehaul and dangerous goods capabilities. Directly comparable regional player competing for the same Queensland SME and mid-market freight customers.
• Coy's Logistics: Queensland-focused road freight and logistics company offering general freight, FTL and warehousing — closely matches Local Freight's product mix and geographic focus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/local-freight

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Local Freight