East West Transport (EWT) continues to expand its fleet and secure additional ISO accreditations despite the challenges and uncertainties of PNG’s current business environment. One of the country’s largest logistics companies, EWT deployed 14 brand new fuel trucks to Lae, Wewak and Madang in September to service the extension of its five-year contract with Puma. November will see the arrival of three more EWT trucks for new client, Total.
The company’s 2020 fleet expansion follows last December’s arrival of five new rigid side-loaders for Coca-Cola Amatil’s Port Moresby operation. “Our growing fleet not only gives us the capacity to provide a consistently high quality and reliable service to our clients but it also enables us to employ and further capacity build our staff” says EWT General Manager, Gary Dobson. One hundred percent of EWT drivers are PNG Nationals and they all undergo a rigorous training program.
EWT is the only logistics company in PNG with its own driver training simulator. The simulator, which has been central to the training of hundreds of EWT employees, has a dashboard display in accord with Kenworth, Howo and Hino trucks. Experienced EWT drivers as well as novices receive simulator training. “Having our own simulator gives us an edge with regard to both training and safety in comparison to competitors” says Dobson. “It enables us to train and evaluate our drivers before they commence on-the-job training out on the road – safer for our staff, safer for our communities and better for our vehicles.”
In addition to expanding its fleet, EWT is also expanding its suite of ISO accreditations. The company was already 14001 (Environment) and 18001 (Health & Safety) accredited leading in to 2020, but June saw it gain both 9001 (Quality) and 45001 (OH&S, superseding 18001) accreditations too. EWT is the only logistics company in PNG with all three of these accreditations, attesting to its professionalism and commitment to continuously improve its operations.
The recent recruitment of National Transport Manager, Philip Burke, will further drive EWT’s professionalism and operational capacity. Burke, who has 30+ years logistics experience including time in PNG, took up his post in Lae in August. He is working closely with sister companies in shipping (Consort Express) and stevedoring (JVPS), enabling the provision of highly valued end-to-end logistics solutions not just in Lae but throughout the country.
To learn more about East West Transport including its new fleet and enhanced capacity to service diverse clients across multiple industries: www.eastwesttransport.com.pg.
