Based in Millmerran, in south-western Queensland, Bland Sand and Gravel is a family-owned and operated company that specialises in crushing and supplying construction and quarry materials.
The business was started around 40 years ago by Phil Bland, when he bought his first backhoe at the age of 28. Now 67, he has continued to build his business up and now employs 62 staff and runs a fleet of 15 trucks.
Bland Sand and Gravel operates quarries at Millmerran, Pittsworth and Dulacca, and offers landscape supplies from the Pittsworth and Toowoomba sites. It also has two sets of mobile crushers, with the crushing crews managed by Phil’s two sons.
The fleet is made up of five trucks and dogs, seven single trailers with aluminium tippers, and three brand new Kenworth C509s paired with AB triple sets built by Moore trailers.
Delivered in mid-2021, the impressive AB triple sets are the first trailers to come out of Moore’s new factory in Pittsworth.
Constructed of Hardox 450 high tensile steel, they feature 18 cubic metre A trailers and 24 cubic metre B trailers; they are achieving payloads of 57 tonne. They also feature K-hitch spring suspension and axles, Jost turntables and landing legs and 50mm 303AUS Ringfeder couplings.
Phil has been a long-time customer of Moore Trailers and over the past 30 years has purchased 40-50 trailers from the business.
The new AB triples replace three sets also produced by Moore, which were purchased in 2008. “They all went to one buyer in WA. They were bloody good trailers. They were actually the first side tippers produced by Moore. They got their side tippers right from the start – the build and the design,” said Phil.
“The previous trailers were also made of Hardox and the wear quality was excellent. They still looked like new and I never painted them or anything.”
The AB triples are used to cart sand and roadbase out of the company’s quarries, travelling up to 200 kilometres away. Phil says he couldn’t be happier with his new trailers. “They’re nice and strong and they look good out on the road. They look neater than any other trailers you’ll see,” he said.
Over the past 30 years, Phil and Moore Trailers founder Lionel Moore have developed a great working relationship and have also become good mates. “I always buy my trailers off them. They look after me when things are tough, and I like to be fair, so all my side tippers come from Moore. If I ever need support, they’re only ever a phone call away,” he said.
Phil also had high praise for Brown and Hurley in Toowoomba, where he purchased the three new C509s. “I’m really happy with the service that their salesman Angus provided too. If there’s ever an issue, they always get it fixed straight away.”