TR Group
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Rentals |
| Founded | 1992 in Auckland, New Zealand. |
| Founder | Andrew Carpenter, Ron Carpenter |
Number of locations | 14 (New Zealand and Australia) (2023) |
| Services | Fleet management Truck and trailer rental Driver training Used Vehicle Sales |
Number of employees | 275 (2023) |
| Website | trgroup |
TR Group Limited is a New Zealand vehicle finance and vehicle rental company specialising in heavy trucks and trailers. Headquartered in Auckland, it has branches across New Zealand and Australia. It provides rental vehicles, leasing and driver training. The company is privately held, but has significant investment from Fisher Funds,[1] Direct Capital, NZ Super Fund and Te Pūia Tāpapa.[2]
History
TR Group Ltd was formed as Trailer Rentals Ltd in 1992 with the purchase of the CHEP trailer fleet in New Zealand. Since then, the company has grown both organically and by acquisition, initially purchasing Truck Rental from Esanda Fleetpartners in 1998 (110 trucks) and combining operations to form TR Group Ltd. Orix Truck Rentals was acquired in 2007 using related shell company Elite Truck Rentals Ltd.[3]
Driver training
To provide training services, Master Drive Services was acquired in 2015[4] (eventually rebranded to TR Driver Training)[5] and DT Driver Training in 2018.[6][7]
TR Driver Training focuses on heavy vehicle class licensing, endorsements and other heavy vehicle training.
Sponsorship and community
TR Group is the main sponsor for the NZ Truck Driving Championships.[8]
Australia
Expansion into Australia was initiated with the purchase of Semi Skel Hire Pty in 2019 (1100 trailers)[9] and, in 2023, both Perth-based Axle Hire (250 vehicles)[10] and Adelaide-based Southern Cross Rentals (130 trailers)[11]
Alternative fuels
TR Group has invested heavily in alternative fuel trucks, being the first in the Southern Hemisphere to offer rental electric heavy trucks and hydrogen-fuelled trucks[12] via its leasing options.
References
- ^ "Spotlight on TR Group".
- ^ "TR Group focuses on expansion with new investors". July 7, 2020.
- ^ "Elite Truck Rentals Limited cleared to acquire ORIX Truck Rentals". Commerce Commission New Zealand. March 5, 2007.
- ^ "Master Drive now Master Class". New Zealand Trucking. December 5, 2018.
- ^ "TR Driver Training".
- ^ "TR Group acquires DT Driver Training". December 13, 2018.
- ^ "DT Driver Training".
- ^ "TR Group NZ Truck Driving Championships"..
- ^ "TR Group buys into Aussie".
- ^ "TR Group enters Western Australia with new acquisition". 9 December 2022.
- ^ "TR Group acquires Southern Cross Rentals in Adelaide".
- ^ "TR Group & Hiringa announce partnership to jointly introduce heavy fuel cell electric trucks into NZ". 8 July 2020.
