Page 41 - Tropic Magazine Issue 16

PROFILE • CAIRNS BUS CHARTERS

White House mission companies and every contact they had “We even had a 100 per cent success
rate on the AFP and Secret Service
to organise the number of vehicles
accomplished and drivers required. All drivers and screenings of our drivers. The head of
operational staff (over 100), were the Secret Service said they had never
Cairns Bus Charters talks to required to pass Australian Federal seen that before. It was a real credit to
Tropic about managing the Police (AFP) and Secret Service our team.”
complex transport logistics Security checks. Those that drove
onto the tarmac of Cairns Airport to
for the Vice-President of the service both of the US Vice President’s PROUD HISTORY
CBC was started by Darrell’s father
United States. Air Force Two planes, also had to pass Ronald, who has since taken a step
Airport tarmac security checks. back from frontline management. It
United States Secret Service “Our passengers included Secret was only fitting, Darrell thought, to
operatives, White House Service elite, White House security
communication personnel and US and communication operators and bring his father up to headquarters to
see how the business he started was
intelligence agents were part of a huge National Security Agency personnel,” working alongside the logistics teams
contingent of personnel brought into says Darrell. “We also had nine of our in organising the travel arrangements.
Cairns when US Vice-President Mike vehicles in the motorcade, and each “The first thing my dad wanted to
Pence visited in November 2018 while one had to be thoroughly examined by
attending the APEC summit in PNG. AFP and kept in a secure compound. It know was if there was such a thing as
a green-light button that changed the
While they worked behind the scenes was a huge operation unlike anything traffic lights,” Darrell said. “He was
to ensure the visit was incident-free, we had experienced before.” excited to learn there was one that was
there was also another vital logistics used because he was certain he had the
operation that had to run smoothly
in order for the visit to be successful red-light button in his car!”
- supplying vehicles and drivers
to chauffer the visitors and their The enormity of it was MORE: cairnsbuscharters.com
equipment.
Over 70 vehicles were required absolutely incredible.
including limousines, buses and - Darrell Perks
coaches and six-tonne trucks to supply
over 500 charters over a three-week
period. While Pence was only in town While Darrell’s drivers were on
for one night, his entourage arrived the road, he worked alongside the
earlier to set up their operations and various US logistic teams at their
needed transportation. headquarters at the Pullman Cairns
“The enormity of it was absolutely International, making sure every
incredible,” says Darrell Perks, owner travel arrangement ran seamlessly.
of Cairns Bus Charters (CBC), a local “There were so many details to
20-year-old business that was chosen oversee,” Darrell says. “I worked
by the US Embassy for the job. “It was a 20-hour days for three weeks, but I
completely different level of operation loved every minute of it. All our guys
than we have ever seen before.” worked long hours, but they were
pumped. It was amazing to be part of
HIGH-LEVEL SERVICE such an operation.
As well as using CBC vehicles (while “We couldn’t afford to have one mishap,
still also maintaining their day-to- one flat tyre, any incident at all. We
day business), Darrell and his team didn’t have a single logistic error
used other limousine and charter throughout the whole three weeks.

41 • tropicnow.com.au