BHT rolls on with Mack

Mack trucks play a crucial role at Bordertown Haulage and Trading (BHT), which was founded in the South Australian town by Peter Karger in 1980. Peter’s son Angus, who took over the business in 2006, says Macks are interwoven with the firm’s history.

“I joined the business in 1982, the day I was born,” he says. “There’s a picture of me when I was a baby, standing in Dad’s old R600 with my hands on the steering wheel, so I was probably always going to get a Mack myself.”

It didn’t happen overnight, however. The company, which hauls bulk goods and general freight all over the country, had tried trucks from various other brands.

But safety has always been a strong focus at BHT, so when Mack introduced models with disc brakes and the mDRIVE automated manual transmission as standard, the decision to buy a new Mack was simple.

“We’re only a small family business but we’ve always been all-in on safety,” says Angus. “We started out early on putting disc brakes on our trailers, and we were always looking for automatics, so when Mack brought out the Super-Liner it fitted our requirements perfectly.”

The company has acquired two more Super-Liners in the time since, one a Centenary model, with all of them backed by Mack service agreements.

“I’m a diesel mechanic, but I know my limitations,” says Angus. “So I look after a couple of the old trucks, but Mack does all our servicing. That’s one reason they’re so reliable. I like that Mack takes responsibility for the whole truck – there’s none of this, ‘That’s someone else’s problem’ stuff.”

Angus trained as a mechanic in the army, where he served for six years – including a stint in Afghanistan – before returning to the family business in 2006. That background might also explain the other Mack in the collection – a 6x6 ex-army tipper, bought at auction and still in camouflage paint.

But while that particular truck is mostly used locally, the other Macks head far further afield.

“We’ve got them set up as PBS A-Doubles and a PBS rigid five-axle dog, so we can handle a pretty wide range of loads,” says Angus, who also appreciates the trucks’ local construction.

“I like that these trucks come out of Brisbane,” he says. “They’re Australian-made and that’s pretty rare these days. Mack has made it easy for us, too; it knows what we need and it makes sure when we order a new one that it’s got the same specs as the last. There’s no surprises, and we know we can rely on them.”

According to Tony O’Connell, Vice President of Sales Mack Australia, the company embodies the Mack spirit. “BHT is a perfect example of the kind of Australian family business that has made Mack trucks the icon they are in this country,” he says. “A BHT Super-Liner B-Double going down the highway is a fantastic sight, and all part of the rich heritage of road transport in this huge country. We’re honoured to be a part of it.”