Staying one step ahead with quarterly advice, a stronger structure and planned fleet growth
Closters Bulk Haulage moves quarry materials across Victoria and interstate. Owners Shan and Jody have built the business on reliable service, experienced drivers and a firm commitment to safety. Their fleet of Kenworth trucks runs 3, 4 and 5 axle dog trailers, carrying the materials that keep construction and infrastructure projects moving.
Bulk haulage is a demanding business to run and every truck is a major investment. Fuel, maintenance, registration and insurance costs are constant, and work can rise and fall with the projects it supports. In a business like this, the timing of a single decision can make a real difference to cash flow and tax.
For Shan and Jody, the business was growing faster than their financial picture could keep up with. Advice tended to come once a year, often after the big decisions had already been made, which meant tax bills arrived as a surprise rather than part of a plan. Choices about new trucks, cash flow and the future of the business were being made without a clear view of how each one would play out.
They were working hard and the business was doing well, but they wanted to feel in control of where it was heading.
The turning point
When Shan and Jody joined us in 2021, we started by looking at the whole picture: the business, the assets, the structure holding it all together and where they wanted it to go.
Quarterly strategy meetings.
We set up a regular rhythm of meetings, 4 times a year. Each one looks back at how the business has performed, looks ahead at the tax that is coming and gives Shan and Jody space to talk through the decisions in front of them. Instead of hearing about their tax position once the year was over, they started to see it building quarter by quarter.
A structure built for the business they have today.
We reviewed the group structure and found it had been set up for a smaller operation. It no longer fitted the size of the business and offered limited protection for the trucks, equipment and wealth Shan and Jody had worked hard to build. We redesigned it to separate and protect those assets, manage risk more effectively and create room for better tax planning in the years ahead.
Fleet growth with a plan behind it.
As demand grew, so did the fleet. We worked with Shan and Jody on each new purchase, asking two simple questions. Does the business need this truck now? And how does the timing work for tax? Planning purchases this way meant each new vehicle supported both the work coming in and the tax position at the end of the year.
The outcome
Today, Shan and Jody know where they stand. They understand their numbers, their tax position and the opportunities ahead. When a new contract comes up or a truck needs replacing, they can make the call quickly, because they already know how it fits into the bigger picture.
Planning fleet purchases ahead of time meant the business could make the most of instant asset write off, saving hundreds of thousands of dollars in tax while the fleet and revenue kept growing. The restructure now gives them stronger protection for what they have built, so growth no longer comes with the same level of risk.
Most importantly, Shan and Jody feel in control of the business again. They go into tax time knowing what to expect, they make decisions with the full picture in front of them, and they have a team who is already thinking ahead with them.
“The biggest difference has been knowing where we stand and being able to plan ahead. We now have clarity around our numbers, our tax position, and the decisions we’re making for the future.“
Key outcomes
- Quarterly strategy meetings since 2021
- Clear visibility over business performance and tax position
- Hundreds of thousands of dollars in tax savings through planned fleet purchases
- Fleet expansion matched to growth goals
- Stronger asset protection through a restructured group
- Faster, more confident decisions across the business
What sets the partnership apart
Our work with Closters Bulk Haulage is The 1% Way in practice. Each quarter, we choose the issues that matter most, set practical goals and work through them one step at a time. One quarter it might be the timing of a truck purchase. The next, it might be how the structure protects what they have built, or how cash flow looks heading into a busy period.
None of these steps is dramatic on its own. Together, they compound. More than five years on, the business is stronger, better protected and more profitable because every quarter builds on the last.
The partnership also works because it covers the whole picture. Tax, structure, asset protection and growth planning all sit with one team, so every part of the business is looked after together. When they plan a truck purchase, we consider the tax, the cash flow and the structure at the same time, and each piece of advice strengthens the next. For Shan and Jody, that means one call gets them the full answer.
Their advice to anyone weighing it up
“They go above and beyond in more ways than the average accountant would. It feels like they are not just doing the basic accounting work, but actually helping guide the business and support us with decisions along the way.“
The 360 ONE way
We look at every angle of your business, then improve it one small step at a time. We take the lead on planning, we raise opportunities and risks early, and we work alongside you so every decision is made with the full picture in view.
For Closters Bulk Haulage, that meant moving from catching up each year to planning ahead each quarter. For your business, it might start with one conversation about where you are today and where you want to be.
If your business has outgrown once a year advice, let us look at the whole picture, and if you are a business owner who wants the kind of advisory relationship Shan and Jody describe, the team at 360 ONE is ready when you are.