We are extremely proud to announce that through an expansion of Hallam Truck Centre’s dealership operations in Victoria, our parent company, the CMV Group, has acquired the sales territories of Somerton and Ballarat. 

The exciting territory expansion saw CMV Group take over the existing TRP Ballarat and TRP Somerton parts outlets earlier this year and marked the beginning of plans to build a new state of the art Kenworth and DAF Truck dealership in Mickleham, in Melbourne’s North.

The dealership, named Melbourne North Truck Centre, will open in 2028 and further solidifies the CMV Group’s commitment to PACCAR Australia and their customers.

CMV Group Joint Managing Director, Daniel Crawford said, “Melbourne North Truck Centre will support the ever-growing customer base to the North of Melbourne, along with the inner West, including Ballarat, which is a pivotal region for Australia’s important national freight task.”

“Locating a full-service dealership adjacent to Australia’s greatest freight route, the Hume corridor, is also critically important to improve the level of service and support for PACCAR customers on the eastern seaboard,” adds Daniel.

CMV Group’s relationship with PACCAR commenced in 1968 when they obtained the franchise in Adelaide, and Melbourne North Truck Centre will join their well-established network of PACCAR dealerships, including Hallam and Bayswater Truck Centres, along with CMV Truck Centre in Adelaide and the Barry Maney Group in Mount Gambier.

PACCAR Australia Managing Director, Damian Smethurst said, “PACCAR Australia is thrilled to support CMV Group’s expansion with the new Melbourne North Truck Centre, which will significantly enhance our customer service and support in this vital growth corridor north of Melbourne.”

“This investment reflects our unwavering commitment to our customers, ensuring they have access to the highest level of service and expertise.”

“CMV Group’s longstanding partnership with PACCAR, marked by their strategic investments in key locations, reinforces our shared mission of supporting the success of our current and future customers.” concludes Damian.

Hallam Truck Centre General Manager, Matt Keene says he’s excited to be extending our Victorian operations.

“Our investment in Melbourne North Truck Centre (MNTC) represents the strength we see in the Kenworth, DAF Truck and Cummins brands and demonstrates our commitment to supporting our customers across both the states of South Australia and Victoria.”

“The new dealership at Mickleham will offer world class facilities designed to attract and retain a great team, and deliver the results that our customers expect from us,” says Matt.

“When you overlay the new MNTC dealership with our current dealership operations, including Wimmera Truck Centre at Horsham, the level of service and support we can provide is significantly increased, particularly along the main freight corridors leading to Melbourne.”

The construction of MNTC is expected to commence in 2026 and will be completed by early 2028. Until then, our team is fully operational from Somerton, offering truck sales, servicing, parts and PacLease rental.

“With our Kenworth and DAF customers at the forefront of our minds, we were keen to be operational as soon as possible and we feel fortunate to have been able to secure a great interim location for MNTC as a way to support our customers in the immediate future,” continues Matt.

“Providing convenience and maximum uptime for our customers is always a priority and in conjunction with this interim full-service dealership, we’re pleased to be able to now offer roadside repair, breakdown assistance and 24/7 customer support in the newly appointed territory.”

Industry veteran, Martin Hinkley has commenced as Branch Manager of Melbourne North Truck Centre. With over 20 years of experience in heavy-duty trucks and parts, Martin brings a passion for service and safety that aligns perfectly with CMV Group’s values. 

“I’m extremely excited to be joining MNTC and the wider CMV Group,” says Martin.

“Their value of safety first and prioritising exceptional customer service is something that really resonates with me and I’m looking forward to the challenge of building a dealership and a team from scratch.”

The acquisition of both TRP stores in Somerton and Ballarat significantly bolsters the CMV Group’s TRP network in Victoria, complementing existing stores at Pakenham, Peninsula (Hastings) and Warrnambool.

“We are excited to have both TRP stores at Somerton and Ballarat join our existing TRP operations and we look forward to smoothly transitioning those customers in early 2025 and ensuring we continue to offer the convenience and customer service they’ve come to expect,” adds Matt.

“Our TRP stores in both South Australia and Victoria play an important role within our PACCAR operations as we look to support our growing customer base and ensuring we can offer them the option of genuine parts alongside a range of reliable quality, warranty-backed parts for all makes of trucks and trailers,” concludes Matt.

Recruitment for Melbourne North Truck Centre is now underway, with roles available for workshop technicians, service advisors, and sales professionals. These roles will join our team at the Somerton site before transitioning to the new dealership in Mickleham once it’s completed.

Find out more about the exciting opportunities here.