Why Motus Transport trusts Linde Material Handling behind the wheel

Motus Transport began from humble beginnings—a forklift, a shed, and a Thursday delivery run. Today, it operates across seven sites nationwide, moving thousands of kegs and cases daily.

“It all started when a friend asked me to deliver kegs for his brewery,” said Andy Harris, the man behind Motus Transport. “I was working in alcohol, and my family had a background in transport. So, I hired a forklift and a warehouse in Brookvale. That first brewery led to another, and another—and here we are.”

Seven sites, one constant

From a 200sqm former carpark building in Brookvale to a national operation with forklifts and trucks across Sydney, Brisbane, Canberra, Newcastle, Coffs Harbour, Byron Bay and Darwin—Motus Transport’s journey has been anything but linear.

“We’ve moved six times—it’s definitely been a journey,” Andy said. “We moved into our new warehouse right before lockdown, and we went into COVID with about 16 vehicles. We came out with about 40, so that was pretty massive for us.”

A forklift that delivers

Motus Transport’s first experience with forklifts wasn’t great. “We took on a competitor truck—it was clunky and the customer service wasn’t good,” Andy said. “So I rang up Linde, and they pretty much gave me my first forklift that I really liked.”

What made the difference? The equipment was chosen to suit the job.

“When we first started, I needed a forklift that could get up a steep hill because I couldn’t get semi-trailers down our driveway,” Andy explained. “And Linde gave us the right product.”

A growing fleet for a fast-moving business

Today, Motus Transport has around 30 Linde units in operation, with the business shifting toward rental over ownership. “We’ve moved toward renting—we only own a handful now,” Andy said. “We buy pallet trucks to load and unload stock from trucks. Manual handling is a big thing for our business, and we want to make sure everyone’s safe and not lifting anything they don’t have to.”

As the business has expanded, so have their material handling needs. “Because we handle kegs, cases, and coolrooms, and operate both indoors and out, flexibility is key for us,” Andy said.

“But having a great product matters too. For us, it’s about being best-in-class at what we do—and having Linde on board has been a huge advantage.”

Three shifts, zero downtime

Across their operations, Motus Transport runs three shifts daily. With operations running around the clock, reliability isn’t optional.

And when it comes to the reliability that Linde offers, Andy explains, “It’s second to none for us. Whether it’s the trucks on the road or forklifts in the warehouse, it’s important to ensure the equipment is always working. And our service support has been the best with Linde. Our forklifts are like our people—we need to make sure that they’re safe and able to operate, otherwise we’re not as productive as we want to be. Having the Linde service team, we always get the best service people.”

“In a typical day, we move up to 10,000 kegs and 20,000 cases—loading trucks in the yard each morning, picking last-minute orders and restocking shelves.”

“We are a busy business and we do like to put some wear and tear on our forklifts—but we never experience downtime,” Andy said. “If we do have any issues, we’re always able to call up, get an option, or hire another truck out. Linde’s always supported us in what we need to do.”

Fit for every corner of the warehouse

“We are very diverse in our products—we have high-reach forklifts, double-deep forklifts, and low- and high pickers,” Andy explained. “We find that having trucks that can go to every situation is something that we need. Whether we’re stacking shelves or doing double-deep applications, we’ve got the right gear.”

“Every product that we have from Linde is amazing. We’ve done our research—we’ve got a superior product in Linde, and that’s massive.”

Safety that speaks for itself

Motus Transport takes safety seriously, and Linde’s features play a key role in daily operations. “Safety is a massive thing, and any business that doesn’t say so is silly,” Andy said. “The blue warning lines have been amazing. It’s helped our drivers immensely—you would never want to go back.”

A recommendation you can rely on

Motus Transport has recommended Linde Material Handling to several breweries and pubs—and Andy’s reason is simple.

“You always endorse something that works. When you have a quality product, you want to tell everyone about it. Linde makes their lives easier.”

Every shed starts with a Linde

For Andy, Linde is a part of their blueprint, and the relationship with Linde has always been just as important as the product.

Linde continues to play a central role as the business expands. “Our growth is in our people and our team—and Linde is a part of that. Every shed we open has a Linde in it. It’s one of the first things we put on a spreadsheet.”

Even the team is on board: “A lot of our staff have never worked in a warehouse before. When they go somewhere else and then come back to a Linde, they’re like, ‘Why would you ever use anything other than a Linde?’”

You can also learn how other businesses are partnering with Linde, as well as keep up to date with the latest in material handling safety and innovation by visiting our Content Hub.

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