Privacy Policy

This Policy explains how TNQ Transport ("we", "us") collects, holds, uses and discloses personal information. We are bound by the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs).

1. Information we collect

• Identity & contact — full name, business name, ABN/ACN, address, phone, email.
• Booking & freight — pickup/delivery addresses, load details, special instructions, declared cargo value.
• Driver-related — for drivers we employ: licence number, date of birth, emergency contact, fitness-for-duty declarations, work and rest records, signatures.
• Payment — bank account details for invoicing/payment, credit card details (processed by third-party gateways, not stored by us).
• Credit information — for B2B credit applicants: trade references, bank references, ABN/ACN, director details, credit reporting body information (with consent).
• Technical — IP address, browser, timestamps, form snapshots (recorded for legal evidence of click-wrap acceptance under Terms of Carriage).
• Location data — GPS coordinates captured by our driver app at pickup/delivery checkpoints and (while the driver app is open) periodic location updates during a job, used for proof-of-delivery and live job tracking shown to our operations team and on the customer's tracking link.
• Photographs & signatures — proof-of-delivery photos and electronic signatures.
• Communications — SMS, email and call records related to a booking or relationship.

2. How we collect

Directly from you via our website (tnqtransport.com.au), our customer dashboard, phone, SMS, email, and our drivers at pickup/delivery. We may also collect from third parties you nominate (trade references, credit reporting bodies, bank references).

3. Why we collect

• Provide freight carriage and operate our business (the primary purpose)
• Issue quotes, manage bookings, invoice, take payment
• Generate consignment notes and proof-of-delivery records
• Assess credit applications (where applicable)
• Comply with the Heavy Vehicle National Law (Chain of Responsibility), the Australian Dangerous Goods Code, the Insurance Contracts Act 1984, the Personal Property Securities Act 2009, and other applicable laws
• Handle complaints, claims and disputes
• Improve our services
• For directly related secondary purposes you would reasonably expect

4. Who we disclose to

We disclose personal information only as needed to:

• Our insurance broker (Shielded Insurance Brokers) and insurers (NTI, Allianz) for cover and claims
• Our accountant, lawyer, and auditors
• Credit reporting bodies (e.g. Equifax, illion) — only with your consent given via the Credit Application in our B2B Account Pack
• Our sub-contractors and agents engaged for the carriage
• Government and regulatory bodies where legally required (NHVR, ATO, ASIC, ACMA, police, courts, EPA)
• Cloud-service providers we use to operate our systems (Google Workspace, Xero, Cloudflare) — under contracts that protect your information

We do not sell or trade your personal information.

5. Credit information (where applicable)

For B2B customers who apply for a credit account, we handle credit information under Part IIIA of the Privacy Act and the Credit Reporting Privacy Code. We collect credit information from you and from credit reporting bodies (with your consent); use it to assess your application, set credit limits, and manage your account; may disclose default information to credit reporting bodies if payments are seriously overdue (60+ days) after written notice. You have the right to access, correct, and complain about credit information held about you. A full Credit Information Statement is provided with our B2B Account Pack.

6. Where we store

We store personal information in Australia (Apple-owned iCloud for backups; Google Workspace for email/files), and on our own server in Townsville for the customer dashboard. Some service providers may process information overseas (Google data may be processed in the US under standard contractual protections).

7. Security

We take reasonable steps to protect your information from misuse, unauthorised access, modification and disclosure: encrypted backups (iCloud), HTTPS-only public surfaces (Cloudflare-fronted), access tokens stored owner-only, Cloudflare Access on internal dashboards (email-OTP), webhook signature verification (HMAC) on inbound integrations.

8. Retention

• Booking & freight records: 7+ years (income tax / Corporations Act)
• Consignment notes & PODs: 7+ years
• Driver records: employment duration + 7 years
• Workers compensation records: per QLD WorkCover requirements
• Credit information: per the Privacy Act CR Code (typically 5 years after the credit relationship ends)

When information is no longer needed, we securely delete or de-identify it.

9. Access, correction and complaint

You have the right to access personal information we hold about you (subject to limited exceptions), correct information that is inaccurate or out of date, and complain to us about how we have handled your information.

To request access, correction or to make a complaint, email [email protected] or write to our office address. We will respond within 30 days. If you are not satisfied with our response, you may complain to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (oaic.gov.au, 1300 363 992).

10. Cookies and analytics

Our website may use cookies and standard web analytics (anonymous traffic data only). You can disable cookies in your browser settings without affecting your ability to receive a quote or book a service.

11. Changes to this Policy

We may update this Policy from time to time. The current version is always at tnqtransport.com.au/privacy. Material changes will be notified to existing customers via email.

12. Contact

Privacy contact: [email protected]
Office 302, Level 3, 280 Flinders Street, Townsville City QLD 4810
0420 641 389