Woolworths Groups’ Supply Chain arm, Primary Connect, has honoured two exceptional transportation partners for their dedication to safety, regulatory compliance and outstanding service at this year’s annual Carrier of the Year Awards.
ACFS Port Logistics was awarded Large Carrier of the Year while Russell Transport was awarded Small Carrier of the Year at the annual event hosted by Primary Connect.
Chris Brooks, Director of Primary Connect and Transport for Woolworths Group, expressed the significance Primary Connect places on the Carrier of the Year Awards, which serve as a platform to recognise carriers that exemplify exceptional service and professionalism, while aligning with the business’s values and dedication to safety.
“We are thrilled to present the award to ACFS Port Logistics for the first time, and to Russell Transport for the second time since the inception of these awards. It is a privilege to recognise the efforts of these partners at our annual industry event,” Mr Brooks said.
The awards ceremony, held at Woolworths Group’s head office on 30 July, welcomed more than 190 carrier partner representatives, industry professionals, and Primary Connect leaders.
“It’s a proud moment, because when you walk into a BIG W store, you get a sense of how we’ve contributed to that success,” said Chief Operations Officer of ACFS Port Logistics, Wayne Morris.
“It’s tangible evidence of how vital our industry is to ensuring that the shelves are kept full. It’s a true partnership and we’re helping to deliver to make that happen for the wider community. We pride ourselves on being very agile and flexible, and working with Primary Connect really brings out the best in us.”
Primary Connect has been working with ACFS for nearly 20 years, starting in Queensland and expanding the partnership to support the operations of Primary Connect in New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia and New Zealand.
Small Carrier of the Year, Russell Transport, started operating in 1925 in Queensland and began partnering with Primary Connect in 2010. The business operates out of Brisbane, the Sunshine Coast, and the Gold Coast.
“We’re a third-generation, family-owned business that’s been running for 100 years in 2025,” said Chief Executive Officer of Russell Transport, Ken Russell.
“We really value the growth and the partnership we’ve created with Woolworths Group and Primary Connect over the last 14 years. We’re always striving to be the most efficient operation we can be, and we’re incredibly proud of our safety culture and the way we look after our team and fleet while delivering an exceptional service. It’s a credit to the whole team to win this award for the second time.”
Russell Transport has over 40 employees, and over 20 of their vehicles are dedicated to supporting Primary Connect’s liquor distribution operations. Their safety-focused fleet is equipped with park brake alarms, real-time driver fatigue monitoring and detection, and multi-directional cameras.
Primary Connect operates one of Australia’s largest supply chains with more than 8,000 truck movements per day for Woolworths Group, with further truck movements for their commercial customers of Primary Connect.
The transport operation delivers to more than 3,000 Supermarkets, Metro, BIG W, BWS and Dan Murphy’s stores nationwide and relies on more than 85 carriers to ensure products arrive freshly and safely in stores for their customers.
