Sunshine Coast businesses can send freight with a carrier that has its own depot on the Coast, such as All Freight Carrying, with a Brisbane-based carrier that runs vehicles north each day, through a national courier network, or through a broker that books your freight onto one of the others. All four move freight successfully every day. The right choice depends on your volume, your timing, where your receivers are, and how exceptions are handled on the days a delivery fails. This guide compares the four types fairly, gives you the questions that bring the differences into the open, and sets out where we fit.
Which freight and trucking companies operate on the Sunshine Coast?
The freight and trucking companies serving the Sunshine Coast fall into four groups: regional carriers with their own depot on the Coast, of which All Freight Carrying at Yandina is one; Brisbane-based carriers that service the Coast from a depot in Brisbane; national courier and express networks that reach the Coast through their own depots or through a local agent; and brokers and online freight marketplaces that sell transport performed by one of the others. We do not list other companies by name, because the useful way to compare them is on how they operate rather than on who they are.
The groups overlap. Many national networks use a regional carrier for the last leg of a delivery, which is work we do for several of them as their pickup and delivery agent. Regional carriers in turn use established national carrier networks beyond their own area, as we do, booked and tracked from Yandina, for interstate freight. A broker may book your consignment onto any of the three.
Freight companies on the Sunshine Coast: who has a depot here?
The practical difference between the four types is where the depot is. A Coast-based carrier sorts and holds freight on the Sunshine Coast and delivers with drivers who live and work here; a Brisbane-based carrier sorts in Brisbane and sends vehicles north each day; a national network hands the last leg to whichever local agent it uses; a broker has no depot at all. All Freight Carrying is a Coast-based carrier with its own two-acre depot at Yandina, which is why held freight is re-delivered from here rather than sent back down the highway.
How do the four types compare?
They differ most in where the freight is sorted, who drives it, what happens when a delivery fails and who you speak to afterwards. The table describes each type in general terms; any individual company may do better or worse than its group, so treat it as a guide to what to ask.
| Factor | Coast-based carrier | Brisbane-based carrier | National courier network | Broker |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Depot location | On the Sunshine Coast. Freight is sorted locally and delivered from there. | In Brisbane. Freight is sorted there and trucked north, usually without a Coast depot. | Capital city hubs and larger regional depots. The Coast may be served from Brisbane or through a local agent. | Usually none. Freight moves through whichever carrier the broker books. |
| Local driver knowledge | Drivers typically run the same local areas each day and learn the docks, gate codes and receivers. | Drivers run north each day and may cover a wide area in one trip, so time in any one area is limited. | Depends on whether the delivery is made by the network’s own drivers or by an agent. | Depends on the carrier chosen, which may change from job to job. |
| Re-delivery of held freight | Held at the local depot and sent out again on the next local run, or collected locally. | Often returns to Brisbane, so the next attempt waits for the next trip north. | Returns to the nearest depot, which may be in Brisbane; varies by network. | Arranged through the broker with the carrier, which adds a step. |
| Hinterland and Gympie coverage | Usually on scheduled runs, often on set days of the week. | Varies. Outlying areas may be on request, surcharged or not covered. | Often classed as regional or remote, with longer transit times, surcharges or delivery by an agent. | Whatever the chosen carrier offers for that suburb. |
| Pallets and tailgate | Depends on the fleet. Some run parcel vans only; others run trucks with tailgates. | Usually pallet-capable. Tailgate availability varies. | Parcel and express networks often limit size and weight; pallet networks are usually separate. | Can book across carriers. Confirm the tailgate is on the booking. |
| Tracking and proof of delivery | Varies by carrier. Ask for scan tracking and a photo or signature on delivery. | Varies by carrier. | Usually scan tracking through a national portal; the proof-of-delivery format varies. | Only what the carrier passes through to the broker. |
| Who you speak to when something goes wrong | A local office that can usually reach the driver on the run. | A Brisbane office. Whether it can reach the driver varies. | A call centre or online portal, often by ticket number. | The broker, who relays the question to the carrier and the answer back. |
When does each option make sense?
Each type suits a different pattern of sending, and many businesses use more than one. A Coast-based carrier suits regular freight within the region, between Brisbane and the Coast, and into the hinterland, Gympie and Moreton Bay, where a local depot and local runs matter most. A Brisbane-based carrier suits a Brisbane sender whose receivers are concentrated in the main coastal centres. A national courier network suits freight going to every state under one account and one invoice. A broker suits one-off freight on an unusual lane and project freight needing permits or several modes. Our guide to local freight companies and brokers covers the broker model in more detail.
How do I check any carrier?
Ask the same questions of every company you are considering, including us, and compare the answers rather than the quotes.
- Where is your depot, and where is my freight sorted?
- How often do you deliver to my receivers’ suburbs, including the hinterland, Gympie and the islands?
- Do your own drivers make the delivery on set runs, or is it subcontracted?
- What happens to held or futile freight: where does it go, and how and when is it redelivered?
- Can you carry pallets, long lengths and oversize items, and do you have tailgate vehicles for sites without a forklift?
- What tracking will I see, and what proof of delivery can I forward to my own customer?
- Whose conditions of carriage apply, and where can I read them?
- What is included in the rate, and what is charged on top: fuel levy, tailgate, residential delivery, waiting time, redelivery?
- Who do I ring when something goes wrong, and in which hours?
- What insurance do you carry, and can you provide certificates of currency?
- What happens at Christmas, and when do you tell customers your closing dates?
Our guide on how to choose a freight company has the longer checklist and the warning signs, and the Sunshine Coast freight guide covers the region lane by lane.
Where does All Freight Carrying fit?
We are a Coast-based carrier: independently owned, operating for 20+ years from our own depot at 48 Central Park Drive, Yandina, a two-acre site with a cross-dock and a parcel carousel. Against the table above, this is how we answer.
- Depot and coverage. Every consignment is sorted at Yandina. We deliver to 268 suburbs across the Sunshine Coast, Noosa, the hinterland, Gympie and the Cooloola region, and northern Moreton Bay including Caboolture and Bribie Island, and collect from 405 suburbs across Brisbane, run overnight to Yandina. Every suburb and its service frequency is listed on our service areas page, and the Brisbane suburbs on our Brisbane collection areas page.
- Drivers and runs. A large fleet runs every business day: 1- and 2-tonne parcel and delivery vans on permanent set runs with their own driver, 12- and 14-pallet rigid curtainsiders that all carry tailgates, pantech trucks, and prime movers pulling single and B-double trailers.
- Timing. Brisbane to the Sunshine Coast and Gympie is next business day on our own overnight linehaul. The coastal centres, Nambour, Gympie and Caboolture are serviced every business day; hinterland, rural and island areas on set days each week; some outlying and island areas on request. Transit times are estimates, confirmed with every quote, and our transit times page sets them out.
- Held freight. It stays at Yandina, every scan status including held and futile is checked daily, and the office contacts the sender or the receiver that day to arrange the next attempt, a collection or a return.
- Tracking and proof. Every consignment is scanned at pickup, into the depot, onto the vehicle and at delivery, and the delivery scan carries a GPS-stamped photo or signature. See track your freight.
- Insurance. Goods-in-transit (carriers) and fleet cover through NTI, $20 million public liability through Berkley Insurance Australia, and workers compensation through WorkCover Queensland, as set out on our safety and compliance page. Certificates of currency are available on request.
- Who answers. The office at Yandina, on 1300 882 117, which can see every scan and reach the driver on the run.
Where we are not the answer, we say so. Freight going beyond our own network leaves Yandina on established national carrier networks rather than on our trucks, booked and tracked by us, and we do not offer Brisbane to Brisbane deliveries.
What should I do next?
Take the questions above to every company you are considering, including us. If your freight moves between Brisbane, the Sunshine Coast, Gympie or Moreton Bay, request a quote or call 1300 882 117, Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 4:00pm.
Published by All Freight Carrying, Yandina, Sunshine Coast · 1 November 2026 · Last updated 1 November 2026
