“It really is like driving a Rolls Royce”
In the hands of Hairs Cattle Transport, the Mack Titan makes short work of transporting cattle vast distances in triple road trains.
Way up in the central highlands of Queensland, about 70 km south of Emerald is the little town of Springsure. This is where Jim Hair, his wife Jan and their son Barney have based Hairs Cattle Transport & Hay Supplies.
It might be a pretty isolated spot, but it’s perfect if you’re in the business of delivering hay and carting livestock. There are cattle farms all over central and far western Queensland, and Hairs service plenty of them with their fleet of three Macks.
Long experience
"We’ve been running a Super-Liner Two and a 1996 Titan for years now,” says Jim, “but we’re particularly proud of the 2012 Titan; it makes pulling a triple road train very easy.”
Fitted with a 685 hp MP10 engine and the m DRIVE automated manual transmission, the Titan is a new experience is smooth driving.
"I’ve been owner and driver of Mack B, F and R models, plus a Super-Liner ll,” says Jim, “but the MP10 Titan with m DRIVE has to be the nicest truck I've ever driven. It really is like driving a Rolls Royce motor car.”
A smooth ride
Smooth gear transitions are particularly important when you’re carrying a live cargo, and the m DRIVE handles this easily.
“Despite the three trailers, the gear changes are really smooth and gentle taking off, especially at traffic lights. This it's easy on the cattle, and that matters.”
As well as the ease of managing the gears, the Titan has impressed Jim with its fuel economy and the smoothness of the ride.
“I didn't think there was anything better than a Mack Camel Back suspension, but the Overleaf suspension in the Titan is very stable.
Durability and economy
“The MP10 also delivers excellent fuel economy over long hauls, and whole truck has handled the tough conditions extremely well. It gets pretty hot and very dusty out here as you’d expect, but the Titan hasn’t flinched from anything. With this truck I genuinely believe Mack is at the start of a new era in trucking.”
Leading from the front
Alistair Roberts, Mack’s Regional Sales Manager said “It’s very satisfying for us to know that the Titan is putting Hairs Transport at the forefront of their field.
“They’ve been a long-standing and loyal Mack customer, who’ve used some of our most iconic models, so to hear someone with Jim’s background describe the Titan as the best truck we’ve ever built is a testament to the quality of the workmanship and the technology in the truck.
”Livestock haulage in Australia is one of the most arduous applications for any truck. As Jim’s experience shows, the Titan is the perfect truck for the job.”
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