Mack trucks have been integral to Bordertown Haulage and Trading’s (BHT) operations since the business was first started back in 1980.
Based in South Australia and established by Peter Karger, BHT was taken over by his son Angus Karger in 2023. He says he’s been around the Macks for as long as he can remember.
“I joined the business in 1982, the day I was born,” said Angus. “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.”
BHT’s operations extend as far afield as Esperance in Western Australia and Townsville in north Queensland, with its tippers and drop-deck flat tops used to deliver grain, hay, gypsum, gravel and general freight country-wide.
While the company has indeed tried other trucks from a range of other manufacturers, it’s remained loyal to the Mack brand.
When Mack introduced models that had disc brakes and the mDRIVE automated manual gearbox as standard, Angus knew their trucks were the right fit for the job.
“We’re only a small family business but we’ve always been all-in on safety. 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,” explained Angus.
He’s since added another two Mack Super-Liners into the mix, including one of the Centenary models, all maintained through Mack service agreements.
As Angus explained, “I’m a diesel mechanic, but I know my limitations so I look after a couple of the old trucks, but Mack do all our servicing, and that’s one reason they’re so reliable. I like that Mack take responsibility for the whole truck, there’s none of this ‘that’s someone else’s problem’ stuff.”
After growing up in the house that still sits in the front of the depot, Angus went to boarding school, then joined the army in the year 2000 where he trained as a diesel mechanic. After six years of service that included a stint in Afghanistan, he came back and joined the family business almost 20 years ago.
Along with the two Super-Liners, the fleet also includes one other Mack, a 6×6 ex-army tipper Angus bought at auction – and it’s still in its camouflage paint.
“I had my eye on it for a while, and one day it was up for auction so I took the opportunity, fixed it up and got it registered,” he said.
While the tipper is used mostly locally, the other Macks roam far and wide.
“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,” Angus added.
A typical journey could be from the depot in Bordertown, just inside South Australia on the Victorian border, to somewhere reasonably local like Geelong, or as far away as north Queensland.
“We’ve always had a lot of work coming in and out of Brisbane,” added Angus. “A truck could be away for a day or two weeks, it all depends on the job.”
Angus also likes the fact that the Macks Australian-made. “I like that these trucks come out of Brisbane. It’s Australian-made and that’s pretty rare these days. Mack have made it easy for us too, they know what we need and they make 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.”
Tony O’Connell, Vice President of Sales Mack Australia, added, “BHT are a perfect example of the kind of Australian family business that have made Mack trucks the icon they are in this country. 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.”