Mack Trucks has revealed that prominent transport company, Martins Stock Haulage has put its latest Mack Super-Liner on the road, and it’s claimed to be unlike any truck you’ve ever seen.
The Martin’s Mack is wrapped in an eye-catching print that is aimed at raising awareness of something called TIACS or This is a Conversation Starter, which is a , a professional mental health counselling service for tradies, truckies, farmers and blue collar workers.
TIACS aims to get people talking about mental health and was founded by TradeMutt, which is apparently an organisation that is renowned for its range of eye-catching workwear.
Jason Martin, the CEO of Martins Stock Haulage says he is a big supporter of TIACS, and has also already bought into TradeMutt’s Funky Fridayshirts, adding that when he first met the cofounders at the Dalby Stock Show something special happened.
“We were the charity beneficiary of one of the horses that had been sold,” said Ed Ross of TIACS and TradeMutt,
“We were having a beer to celebrate when we were introduced to Jason ad he was telling us about the pink coloured Mack which Martins did last year, and asked us if we’d be interested in doing something similar, so we jumped at it.” said Ross
That conversation over a beer apparently set in train a sequence of events that resulted in a spectacular trucks that will raise attention on Australia’s roads for the cause of TIACS.
After Ross showed Martin the TradeMutt design catalogue he chose the Razzle-Dazzle print, and from there a team was involved in getting the truck on the road.
Tom Chapman, the then current vice president of Mack Trucks Australia got right behind it.
Adam Ross, the general manager of Martins Stock Haulage, said that Ben Dare of Western Truck Group was superb in co-ordinating everything with the special Mack.
According to Mack the truck was wrapped in the print by Bailey Print Group, which had never handled anything on that scale before.
“Bailey’s have wrapped all our Mazdas, but this was the first time they’d been asked to wrap a truck, and they did a brilliant job,” said Adam Ross.
An organisation called the Bling Man made the finishing touches ensuring the Mack Super-Liner made a statement.
Fitted with a 58-inch sleeper cab behind the driver, Martins Stock Haulage’s aim is to have it working all over Australia.
“She’ll be doing B-Double, B-Triple and Triple Road Train work hauling cattle wherever she’s needed in Australia, and we want to get this truck out in
front of as many people as possible, after all, the whole idea is to start a conversation and we reckon this truck will do the job,” Adam Ross added.
The new dazzle dazzle Super-Liner follows on from the Pink Mack which Martins put on the road last year to acknowledge women in the workforce.
“We’re a family owned and run company and all our staff are part of that extended family,” Adam Ros said.
“A lot of men have difficulty talking about things that are going on in their lives, and this is particularly true of drivers, who are often away from home for periods and spend a lot of time alone in the cab. Jason’s seen a lot of this over his career, and we want to make sure we look after our people. Mental health’s a big part of that,” he concluded.
Darren Cowan, the acting vice president of Mack Trucks, expressed his team’s immense pride in their involvement with the project and the partnership.
“Transport operators, truck drivers, tradies, and farmers are the backbone of our nation,” Cowan said.
“As a Brisbane-based truck manufacturer, supporting mental health within these vital sectors is incredibly important to us.” Darren continued,
“It is truly inspiring to collaborate with Martins Stock Haulage, who are making a significant impact, and to witness the dedication and enthusiasm of the local suppliers who came together to bring this exceptional Mack to life,” he said.
With the contact details for TIACS emblazoned on the side, Ed Ross is ecstatic about the Super-Liner, and is looking forward to seeing it in action.
“We want more people to reach out to us, so this truck is a really exciting opportunity to change the narrative around mental health and get people talking, as well as seeking early intervention counselling through our service,”Ed Ross said.
According to Mack, Martins Stock Haulage now has four Titans and eight Super-Liners in its fleet, adding that two of them are on the road making bold statements for causes that the Martins team believe in.
“I reckon that’s enough for the moment, but no doubt Jason will come up with something, and we know we’ve got a solid team behind us at Western Truck Group and Mack, so stay tuned,” ,” laughed Adam.
