Australia’s Long-Distance Freight Network: Quietly One of the Best in the World….

Why our carriers outperform bigger nations on time, distance, reliability and cost-to-serve.

When people think of countries with world-leading logistics capability, they usually picture dense, compact geographies: Germany’s autobahns. The Netherlands’ intermodal hubs. Singapore’s airport-to-port connectivity.

But here’s the counter-intuitive truth:

Australia is one of the most efficient and productive long-distance road transport networks on the planet.

Not despite our geography - but because of it.

Australia stretches 4,000+ km from west to east, and our capital cities are separated by enormous spans of land that most other nations simply do not operate across. Yet freight moves here with speed, predictability, and cost efficiency that rivals, and in many cases beats, the US, Europe and Asia.

And it’s not luck.

• Its design.

• Its capability.

• It’s carriers who operate at a level that most international logistics professionals never have to.

Distance is our core competitive advantage

Other countries measure freight in “deliveries per day.”

Australia measures it in tonne-kilometres - because our networks are built for long-haul efficiency.

• In Europe, trucks often run less than 300 km before hitting a border or city congestion.

• In the United States, congestion and regulation mean long runs can be slow and inconsistent.

• In China, trucks move volume - but often over shorter average distances with high logistics costs relative to GDP.

Australia?

We routinely move freight 2,500–4,000 km interstate - with fewer stops, fewer touchpoints, and greater linehaul efficiency.

Our carriers operate the highest-productivity heavy vehicle combinations in the world:

• B-doubles

• B-triples

• Road trains up to 50+ metres

 These combinations move more freight per kilometre than the US, Europe or Asia are legally allowed to.
More payload per driver. Fewer trucks are required. Better cost-to-serve.

World-class reliability over huge distances

Unlike most countries, Australia has long, uninterrupted freight corridors between major cities.

What does this mean for freight performance

Australian carriers consistently achieve:

• Predictable departure and arrival windows

• Lower congestion impact on linehaul

• Faster linehaul recovery if a disruption occurs

For customers, that means: “We don’t hope freight arrives on time - we plan on it.

Best-in-class cost-to-serve - especially at scale

A global misconception is that Australia must be expensive simply because of its distance.

Wrong.

Distance, when combined with high productivity vehicles, fewer touchpoints, and smarter route consolidation, becomes an efficiency multiplier, not a cost penalty.

·         Long haul → cheaper per tonne-kilometre

·         Last mile → premium if not consolidated

This is why Deliver Group’s national 4PL model - consolidation, carrier selection, lane optimisation - drives lower cost-to-serve than a shipper going direct to individual carriers.

When freight is consolidated into fewer, heavier, full loads:

• Linehaul becomes cost-optimal

• Empty running is reduced

• DIFOT increases because touchpoints decrease

Our carriers excel because they weren’t built for 10 km last-mile loops - they were built to master 2,500+ km performance corridors.

Technology + carrier capability = elite performance

In Australia, the best carriers invest heavily in:

• Telematics and IoT tracking

• Real-time monitoring

• Fuel optimisation systems

• Safety and Chain of Responsibility compliance

But technology is just the enabler; the real differentiator is people and experience.

Australian long-haul company and drivers are among the most skilled in the world.

Managing fuel efficiency, fatigue, load restraint and extreme climate swings - all on the same run - requires a capability few countries train for.

Proof of advantage - how Australia compares globally

What this means for our customers

When you choose Deliver Group, you’re not just selecting “a carrier.”

You’re accessing
✔ The best long-distance freight operators in the world
✔ National corridor expertise that reduces risk and improves DIFOT
✔ Carrier optimisation that minimises cost-to-serve
✔ Full visibility and proactive exception management

“Every kilometre is accounted for. Every decision is intentional. Every movement is optimised.”

  Our carriers compete - and win - against the best the world has to offer.

In Summary

Australia does long-haul transport better than any other country.

Deliver Group turns that capability into a competitive advantage for your supply chain.

If you have freight moving interstate and you’re not using a consolidation + optimisation model,
you are paying more than you need to - and waiting longer than you should.

Want to benchmark your current freight performance?

Reply “National Freight Benchmark” and we’ll build a free comparative report showing:

• Cost-to-serve improvement opportunities

• Consolidation savings

• Carrier performance vs industry

No obligation - real data, real insights.