Mainfreight Australia
Mainfreight Australia Graduate Programs & Internships
What it does: Warehousing, Transport and Air & Ocean freight
Team member stats: Around 11,000
The good bits: Culture & Atmosphere
The not-so-good bits: Long hours
Where it all began
It all started March 6th of 1978, with Bruce Plested, NZ$7,200 and a J1 Bedford truck. As a start-up, Mainfreight challenged themselves and always took care of their own, and even now, many years later, that rebellion and people-first philosophy are still deeply ingrained in their DNA.
“Embedded deep in the company culture is a toughness to succeed every hour, every day, every week, every month, every year – no matter the difficulties”
-Bruce Plested
Where we are now
Today, Mainfreight has matured into a sophisticated international supply chain business, covering end-to-end logistics. With a fast-growing team of 11,000+, across 337 branches in 27 countries, they compete with some of the world's leading names in transport and logistics. In Australia alone, Mainfreight hold 74 of those branches with over 2,500 team members. Mainfreight got to being a $4.72 billion-plus international business by having a real hunger for success, sharing goals with everybody on the team and promoting from within.
The Mainfreight Culture
Mainfreight is built on a 100-year vision. All decisions are made on the basis that they will be here for another 100 years from that day. This view shapes their approach to recruitment, training, customer development, growth strategies, legal, and tax structures. 100 years starts today.
“Special People, Special Company” embodies Mainfreight and its unique culture. Mainfreight promotes people from within and encourages innovative, non-hierarchical and decisive outlooks. The team regards each other as a family and shares mealtimes. Every branch reports weekly results that are available for all team members to see. Individual responsibility and accountability for quality are reinforced. Key performance indicators are important to their customers and these factors are linked to team members’ bonuses. All of the branches have quality boards and are internally audited every six months.
Social contribution
Mainfreight operates in hundreds of communities around the world and actively seeks out ways to immerse themselves in and support the communities they are a part of.
Mainfreight partners with the Books in Homes program to provide books to families and children living in remote and low socioeconomic circumstances across Australia and throughout the world.
Currently, they support over 140 schools. This means over 15,000 children get new books to read every year, thanks to Mainfreight’s support.
The company seeks to minimise its environmental impact. It operates one of the largest private solar energy installations in New Zealand. It also embraces environmentally friendly new technologies, efficiencies and energy sources wherever possible.
Star Rating: 4.3 out of 5
Recruitment Process
Mainfreight Australia has quickly grown over the last four decades and plans on continuing to do so over the next 100 years. With that objective in mind, the Mainfreight Development Program is designed to attract the next generation of future leaders to take our international business to the world.
The Development Program is unstructured and doesn’t involve set pathways or fixed rotations. For the first 6-18 months, you can expect to learn the fundamentals of how Mainfreight’s business works, acclimatise yourself to Mainfreight’s unique culture and get your hands dirty. The onus is on graduates to openly discuss with their Branch Manager which area or areas of the business interests them and then strive to pursue it. Or, as the company puts it, “Whether that be with sales, operations, IT or a leadership role, it’s up to you to build your brand and make yourself stand out at Mainfreight”.
Mainfreight’s two-year program has a rolling intake, with the company constantly recruiting future leaders. Applicants need to have either completed their Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) or be in their final semester to start the application process. Graduates from all university disciplines are eligible to apply for the Development Program.
To apply, you’ll need to send a copy of your CV and cover letter. It is important that your cover letter highlights your qualities and achievements and explains why you’re ready to roll up your sleeves and join the Mainfreight Family.
From there, the application process is straightforward. There’s no psychometric testing, instead, the stages consist of a phone interview, followed by a face-to-face interview at the branch itself so you can get to see if it’s the right fit for you as much as the right fit for Mainfreight. Reference checks and police checks will also be completed and taken into consideration.
Remuneration & Career Growth
Mainfreight is a rapidly expanding business, so there’s no limit on where you can go. Unlike other Graduate programs, you don’t need to re-apply for a position at the end of your program. At Mainfreight, you are a permanent, full-time team member, with all the opportunities ahead of you. With Mainfreight’s ‘promote from within’ culture and an internal Training and Development Team dedicated to supporting your growth, the world is your oyster.
Where you go, is completely up to you and your ambition.
Graduate Reviews
- Great supportive team environment.
- The sense of responsibility, and the capacity to learn new things while also having the freedom to try different roles.
- You work in a very diverse environment and get to experience all departments.
- The dynamic at work is great, everyone gets along well! We work as a team to make sure everything gets complete on time.
- There is huge flexibility to start/finish early or late, and the opportunities to duck out of the office or attend appointments is always there.
- It takes a very long time for graduates to move positions when they have provided a timeline.
- Repetitive work.
- Workload can be unpredictable, with sudden peaks that require immediate attention and long hours to meet deadlines.
- Can be a bit chaotic/hectic at times, but it also makes it the most enjoyable once you overcome the challenges.
- Global presence, time zone difficulties.
Jobs & Opportunities
- Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide, Newcastle, Geelong, Albury, Gold Coast, Canberra & Townsville.
Graduate Success Stories
Zoe Shackcloth
Import Airfreight Operations at Mainfreight Australia
Bachelor of Commerce at University of New South Wales (UNSW)