Brown Bulk Haul are a local South Australian business with a long-standing relationship with South Central Truck & Bus, providing bulk haulage services for farms and vineyards in the McLaren Vale region.

Husband and wife owners, Drew and Elle, have run Brown Bulk Haul for 22 years, transporting a range of goods including, sand, gain, firewood, landscaping products and grapes so they need a truck that’s reliable and powerful – that’s where Mack Trucks come in.

Almost 20 years ago, after some less than satisfactory experiences with other dealers, Drew purchased their first Mack with our team - a Mack CH. Now, the company has a fleet of four Macks, including three Tridents and a Super-Liner.

Following the purchase of a Mack CH nearly two decades ago, the team added their first Trident to the fleet and have never looked back. 

“We ran that Trident for 13 years, and she had 1.3 million kms on the clock,” says Drew. “Now we’re onto our fourth.”

The Trident’s ability to manoeuvre in and out of tight spaces is perfect for transport businesses like Brown Bulk Haul, who need to be able to navigate through farms and vineyards.

"The Tridents regularly have to negotiate their way in and out of vineyards and landscaping yards that were designed for cars. We’ve got them set up in a truck and dog configuration with the wheel spacings adjusted to meet the PBS scheme, and we’re getting just over a 40-tonne payload,” says Drew.

“They’re a nice light truck, and they’ve got the biggest payload we could find that can get into these small places. Farm gates are particularly difficult to negotiate.”

The fuel consumption also has Drew impressed, even with the stop-and-start style of work the Trident’s are used for with Brown Bulk Haulage. Typically, the trucks leave the company’s base in McLaren Vale at 6am, and complete 300-500km before they return at 5pm.

“These trucks do a fair bit of city and hill work, so they’re getting around 1.8 kilometres to the litre,” says Drew. “Of course it’s better out on the highway. I did a trip to New South Wales with five-axle dog and got 2.1 which was pretty good.”

As a company that does both local and long-haul work, the Mack Super-Liner was the perfect addition to the Tridents, as it’s one of Australia’s hardest working trucks.

“The Super-Liner handles the long-haul, carrying the grain harvest and the bulk vintage work. It also carts mulch and compost over to Sunraysia,” says Drew. “Then it heads into New South Wales and comes back with firewood.”

South Central Truck & Bus has built a strong and long standing relationship with Drew, Elle and Brown Bulk Haul, says Mack Sales Consultant, Peter Mignanelli.

“Our dealership has provided Drew with professional service and maintenance, which has ensured a quality business relationship,” says Peter. “I have been involved with two of Drew’s Mack purchases, and my personal relationship with Drew and Elle has always been a very good one.”

Not only is Drew’s Mack fleet functionally serving the businesses needs, but it also is an attractive looking fleet according to Peter. 

“Drew’s fleet is always well maintained, even by Drew himself. I have not seen many on the road in that grey colour, I reckon they look pretty Schmick,” explains Pete.

The Vice President of Mack Trucks Australia, Tom Chapman was pleased to hear how well the Trident and Super-Liner were performing for Brown Bulk Haul.

“It’s a real testament that the modern-day Mack is more than just the tough, durable truck people expect,” Tom said. “It validates our keen focus on both innovation and providing sustainable solutions for the modern transport industry.” 

“This includes providing maximum comfort and ease for drivers, and optimal productivity and cost of ownership for business operators. We’re proud to be delivering on those promises to our valued partners at Brown Bulk Haul,” Tom concluded.

According to Pete, the reason Brown Bulk Haul have a fleet of Macks is simple, “Mack Trucks were chosen by Drew and the team because of the quality of the product and of course, the service provided by our dealership.”

Thank you to Drew and Elle for continuing to partner with South Central Truck & Bus and Mack Trucks Australia. We look forward to working with you well into the future!

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Read the original article in Bulldog Magazine