O’Neill’s Heavy Towing of Newcastle are introducing a new Mack Super-Liner into their fleet.
It’s also the first one Mack have purpose-built as a tow truck, and features a 7.25-metre wheelbase with the front axle rated at 8.2 tonnes.
“The towing bodies are made in the USA and they take about a year to build and ship, so we had a bit of time,” said Transport Manager, Ben Grining.
“When I was looking around for a truck to mount this one on, Craig Maddox from VGA got in touch and said Mack could build something to spec for it.”
Rated to tow 130 tonnes, the Super-Liner comes with a premium leather interior, a 28-inch bunk and a dash customised to Ben’s requirements.
“There’s not a lot of room for error when you’re towing weights like these so power, control and reliability are absolutely key,” said Grining.
“Mack built this Super-Liner in Brisbane exactly to our specifications, so I’m confident it’ll be up to the task.”
Founded in 1895 in Newcastle, New South Wales, O’Neill’s have spent the last 129 years setting the standard for heavy towing in the region.
“The competition comes and goes,” said Grining.
“I was born into this business, and in my lifetime we’ve just outlasted all of them. Newcastle is a loyal place, and if you do a good job the work will come to you.”
Over that time O’Neill’s have established themselves as the towing company of choice, forming contracts with the NSW Police, the Roads and Traffic Authority, local truck dealerships, transport companies and the Department of Defence, who have major installations in the Hunter Valley and Newcastle area.
“We’ve towed just about anything you can think of whether it’s roadtrains, buses, armoured vehicles, and we’ve noticed over the years vehicles and freight are getting heavier,” said Grining.
This increasing need for power and torque can be an issue in difficult terrain, such as out in the hills near Denman, where a tow driver needs to be able to take off on a hill without assistance.
The new 685hp Mack Super-Liner is specifically designed for these situations, with ultra-low speed crawler gears and multi-speed reverse built into an all-Mack driveline.
“The ultra-low reverse gears will sure make life easier when you’ve got to reverse a truck you’re towing into the sheds at a dealership,” said Grining.
The new addition is fully-airbrushed and covered in stainless steel and lights, to fit in with the rest of our fleet according to Grining.
“I love the look of the Super-Liner. It’s an old-school bonneted American truck, right up my alley,” he said.
.png){kind=small}
