Subcontract to Bertram

Bertram Logistics works with a small panel of vetted owner-drivers and small operators on regular interstate lanes. We use sub capacity where the lane economics work for both sides — usually because we have an established customer commitment and the subcontractor brings the right equipment, the right paperwork, and a willingness to operate to our compliance standard.

Who Bertram is. Bertram Logistics is an Australian family-owned interstate road freight operator headquartered at Menangle Park, NSW. We run scheduled and ad-hoc interstate work across Sydney–Brisbane, Sydney–Melbourne, Sydney–Adelaide and Sydney–Perth, with east-west capacity also from Melbourne and Brisbane to Perth. We are NHVAS Mass Management, BFM and Maintenance Management accredited.

What we look for in a subcontractor. We are not a brokerage. We do not on-sell freight to the cheapest available truck. We work with subcontractors we know, on lanes we know, at standards we expect to be met every trip. The minimum bar: NHVAS BFM accreditation (current Certificate of Accreditation, with the BFM module listed); Electronic Work Diary on every truck (HubFleet, Cobalt, EROAD or equivalent); fleet-wide telematics and (strongly preferred) in-cab cameras; current Commercial Motor, Marine Carriers Liability, Public Liability and Workers Comp insurance; modern, well-maintained, presentable equipment; appropriate licence class for the equipment, BFM induction, current medical, current driver-history extract; restraint discipline that meets the Load Restraint Guide; and dispatch-grade communication.

What lanes we sub on. The lanes where we use subcontract capacity routinely: Sydney–Perth (weekly, FTL), Melbourne–Perth (weekly, FTL), Brisbane–Perth (weekly to fortnightly, FTL), Sydney–Adelaide (back-loads and project work), and east-coast project freight (building products, packaging, manufactured goods). We do not sub cold-chain or parcel work. Subcontracted DG work is engaged separately under named-cargo terms — talk to dispatch.

How the relationship works. Once we have agreed to engage you as a subcontractor we send an onboarding pack — the carrier-vetting questionnaire, our Standard Subcontractor Terms, our Driver Handbook contents page, and a request for current accreditation and insurance evidence. We agree the lanes we will offer you work on and the indicative cadence; loads then go out on a call-by-call basis. Every trip is a Bertram trip from the customer's point of view — BFM-disciplined planning, EWD evidence, photographic POD via TransVirtual where possible. Standard 30-day terms on undisputed invoices. RCTI is available where it suits the subcontractor's tax structure.

FAQ. Do you guarantee volume? No — we agree the lanes and the cadence and we work in good faith to keep the volume flowing, but we do not guarantee minimums. Anyone in the industry who guarantees minimums on a casual sub basis is not telling the truth. Do you require my truck to be branded Bertram? No — subcontractors operate in their own livery. Our consignment notes and POD evidence flow under Bertram's TMS so the customer sees a single presentation. Do you take owner-drivers as well as small fleets? Yes, both. Do you take new operators or only established ones? Either, but the accreditation and insurance bar applies the same way. How long does onboarding take? Two to three weeks from a first conversation to a first load.

How to apply. Email jobs@bertramlogistics.com.au with subject line 'Subcontractor application' and include: your name and business name, ABN, NHVAS modules currently held, EWD platform used, equipment types operated, lanes you'd prefer to run, insurance currently held and limits, two recent customer references, and best contact phone. We review and respond within five business days. If your fit looks promising we'll book a 30-minute call. Phone 1800 256 447 if you prefer to talk first.