Two DAF XG 660hp prime movers have proven to be ideal conduits for Minus 1’s new age of national consolidation, team expansion and overall data-driven growth.
Minus 1 is no stranger to change. Change instead seems to be embedded in the very DNA of the refrigerated transport provider, whose operations have undergone significant and continued development since its establishment in 1989.
Founder Dominic Barba initially commenced the business as a means to deliver chickens across Victoria for a major poultry supplier, before word of his efficient and reliable transport inevitably spread, attracting more customers and forcing the outfit to grow its capabilities.
Adopting linehaul operations from 1996, Minus 1 was then one step closer to its current form, as its presence grew beyond Victoria’s borders, and its freight capacity beyond that of poultry.
Bringing his children along for the ride within the business, Dominic ran a tight ship underpinned by a rigid set of family values to reflect Minus 1’s leadership.
His eldest son, Billy, was an indispensable part of these operations, and remembers these values that guided the company’s work for a considerable period – many of which he has retained since his ascension to Managing Director in 2023.
“Something that has been ingrained in me through my tenure working with my old man is the company’s focus on keeping our family values intact, and putting our people first as a result,” he says.
“At Minus 1, we’re always keeping business ethics front of mind, looking after our staff and doing right by our customers. This philosophy hasn’t shifted throughout my 16 years.”
These fundamental principles permeate Minus 1’s operations in which the emphasis of clear communication to employees and customers, has ensured that when business is conducted it’s never at the expense of the company’s business ethics.
“Communication is very important to the way we do things and we’re transparent both internally and externally,” explains Billy.
“I’ll be the first person to tell you that I can’t do the job if the rates are unsustainable. We’d like to think we can give customers the service they’re after, but if it’s purely a commercial decision, then maybe we’re not the right partner.”
Billy, by way of context, says he approaches this part of the business exactly like his father.
“We equally welcome opportunities as we let them go, collectively our values need to align,” he says.
“We’re not looking to be the biggest transport company by any stretch of the imagination. We just want to be the best refrigerated transport company that we can be.”
While Dominic’s family mantra laid the foundations for Billy’s leadership, it is here where things begin to change. Just as Dominic grew Minus 1’s boundaries within the purview of a family business, Billy’s strategy is driven from a hunger to grow bigger and better.
With locations in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney already established and multiple other projects being planned or under construction, Minus 1’s enterprising flight path is well underway.
All new combinations the fleet deploys now are B-triples, a signal of the rapt investment placed in high productivity units.
At present it maintains an even split from vans and rigids, through to B-doubles, roadtrains and triples.
There are also legs where it caters just for general freight.
In recent times, Billy has sought to push Minus 1’s boundaries in a way that was previously thought impossible — taking advantage of technology to develop new elements of company culture and gradually grow.
“I think I’m a lot quicker to move,” he earnestly reflects.
“Before, we didn’t have a strong reporting culture which is something very common for an owner/operator who may not have the resources or knowledge to cultivate this. You largely operate on gutfeel and validate by the funds in your account — this is what we used to do.”
Minus 1 is now very data driven. The shift in focus around high-quality data has enabled the organisation to have a much greater conviction around its decision-making.
“It’s very clear to me that if the numbers stack up to support a decision, then that’s the answer,” adds Billy.
“Our good relationship with Muza from Hallam Truck Centre was the main reason for our choice to go with DAFs in the first place,” Billy explains.
The melding of his father’s gut-feel approach with this modernised technological guise provides Minus 1 with the impetus and Billy the confidence to grow at a more accelerated rate.
It also manifests in various forms including the continual revitalisation of the company fleet of 180 trucks.
The most recent being two new DAF XG660 FTT prime movers. Built exclusively out of DAF’s site in Bayswater, Victoria, these units were first demoed with Minus 1 at the start of the year — the result of a strong and longstanding relationship with DAF Sales Consultant Muza Syed.
“He’s supported us with DAF purchases in the past and is aware of our fleet needs.”
These trucks cater well to the company’s plans for expansion with their unique designs that have drawn from European, American and Australian truck manufacturing; an amalgam of styles that makes the DAF XG something of a novelty in the industry.
For drivers this immediately amounts to noticeable differences in handling and available power. DAF Sales Consultant Muza Syed sees this as a singular advantage in the market.
“The DAF XGs provide a combination of European comfort and tech with the power of an American engine, and the handling of an Australian truck,” Muza says.
“The trucks’ abilities to play these different roles with ease makes them a great and unique asset to any fleet.”
This versatility played well with Minus 1’s driving crew during a demo undertaken of the two trucks back in January in which several veteran drivers sung praises of the DAF XG660s recalls Billy.
“The drivers who trialled these DAF XGs have been loyal operators of a variety of brands in their careers,” he says.
“Everyone who drove the DAF had extremely positive things to say about it, and they all put their hands up to take on the XGs going forward. That’s a pretty solid indicator of the quality of these trucks.”
One foremost advantage found under the hood is the PACCAR PX-15 6-cylinder diesel engine.
Running to 660 horsepower, the size of these engines – optimised by a lightweight design – allow it to hit an operational sweet spot pulling heavier combinations without sacrificing speed or fuel efficiency.
The DAF XG660 FTT prime movers can, as advertised, deliver a superior fuel burn in the neighbourhood of 2.2 kilometres per litre.
A range of engineering feats have helped to achieve these levels of economy. The truck cab’s tapered build, air fenders, closed wheel arch covers and adjustable roof air deflectors, all greatly contribute to the DAF XG’s aerodynamic efficiency and make the prime movers an attractive choice for linehaul operations.
The trucks, rated to 97 tonnes GCM, are also equipped to provide plenty of pull and payload carrying ability.
Additionally, the prime movers are equipped with TraXon’s 16-speed automated manual transmission.
The DAF XG660 prime movers serve another purpose at Minus 1. Their inherent efficiencies fit with Billy’s stated vision to consolidate the company’s presence across a network of distribution sites.
For the moment the vehicles have been integrated into established routes the cold carrier services between Melbourne-Brisbane, and Adelaide-Sydney.
The strengthening of this network connection is, according to Billy, a critical next step in Minus 1’s growth journey.
“Now that we have the right infrastructure in every state, it is imperative we continue to join the dots in our operations as we keep up with growth,” he says.
“When looking at our freight profile against a map of Australia, there is nowhere our network doesn’t reach. The business no longer has appetite to rely on third-party transporters across certain regions. These are the dots we need to continue connecting, [as] we’ve been successful in doing so over the last few years.”
Billy’s desire to take care of his employees has also been reflected in the construction of the DAF XGs, as their interiors feature an additional wealth of benefits designed to keep drivers safe and comfortable amid long journeys through harsh Australian road conditions.
The prime movers come with adaptive cruise control including a frontal collision warning notice, an advanced emergency braking system and a driver airbag.
These technological safety products within the truck cab are further protected by the cab’s own 360-degree impact protection, which allows the cab to move back with a head-on collision to greatly reduce impact.
DAF has also matched these capabilities with the implementation of its own custom-made corner view camera, which provides drivers with a 285-degree view of the road, which spans from the driver’s position in the cab all the way to the passenger side.
The presence of this camera greatly improves the truck cab’s visibility when compared to other DAF builds.
“The DAF corner view camera is a new addition which provides an unseen amount of safety for drivers,” says Muza. “The inclusion of this camera has largely increased driver visibility, which in this cab is 33 per cent higher than that of previous models.”
Other enhancements to improve visibility have been furthered in the spec with an external sun visor and skylight to provide extra sight both within and outside the truck cab, as well as two LED work lamps on the truck cab’s rear wall to make it more present on the road.
But these are not the only features which make these prime movers unique in their safety and comfort value proposition.
Perhaps the most notable upgraded driver comfort afforded the new DAF XG660 FTT prime mover comes in the form of their Super Air seats.
These are totally new to the market. The seats are built with an active two-step ventilation system that sucks air through perforations in the seat cushions and back to cool drivers off during shifts — a feature essential for certain legs of transport in Australia’s hot and humid conditions.
In addition to lessening driver fatigue, the ventilated seat provides a marked improvement to the operational environment with which drivers are expected to spend long hours.
A better ‘office’, after all, leads to greater job satisfaction and even can help boost retention within an industry currently plagued by labour shortages.
Even though the DAF XG660 driveline capabilities and meticulous safety and comfort designs have so far aligned well with Minus 1’s family values and appetite for future growth, the delivery of the trucks to the refrigerated transport provider is still, in operational terms, quite recent.
Billy and his team eagerly await to see how these benefits, under a larger sample size, improve productivity longer term.
“Honestly, we’ve really taken the ‘suck it and see’ approach with these vehicles,” he explains.
“DAF’s a great brand, part of the trusted CMV group. They’ve got a great name, and they’re pushing a fairly new concept in the industry, so we’re confident in the product and its longevity.” He adds, “We’re ready for these trucks to become a great asset for us.”
Article reproduced courtesy of Prime Mover Magazine (July 2025).