Ron Crouch transport enters voluntary administration amid sustained financial strain

Ron Crouch Transport Pty Ltd, a long-established regional and interstate freight operator, has entered voluntary administration, adding to mounting pressure across Australia’s road transport sector.

Stephen Dixon of Hamilton Murphy Advisory was appointed voluntary administrator on 8 December, and is assessing options to stabilise operations and pursue a sale or recapitalisation aimed at preserving value for creditors and employees.

Founded in 1978, Ron Crouch Transport grew from a single-client hay cartage operation into a national carrier with depots across New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and metropolitan Sydney and Melbourne. The company services key east-coast freight corridors and employs more than 100 staff nationwide, including a significant workforce based in Wagga Wagga.

In announcing the appointment, managing director Geoff Crouch said the decision was taken voluntarily to provide certainty to stakeholders as the business confronted sustained financial strain. He pointed to persistent margin compression, rising operating costs and labour shortages as factors undermining viability, alongside regulatory pressures affecting the broader trucking industry.

The administrator has indicated that the company will continue trading while an accelerated review of its financial position is undertaken. A sale of the business as a going concern is expected to be explored, with the aim of maintaining continuity of service and employment where possible.