McMillan & Sons Haulage is excelling off the back of a fleet of Lusty EMS tipper combinations from MaxiTRANS, delivering increased payloads and lower tare weights to the business’ agricultural transport operation based in South Australia.
Dean and Ian McMillan, the father and son duo, have built McMillan & Son Haulage from the ground up with the help of MaxiTRANS’ products.
Sharing one truck between them when they first opened, they expanded the fleet to accommodate a range of Lusty EMS units, specialising in the cartage of bulk products such as grain, fertiliser, gravel and almonds across Australia.
Beginning as a joint partnership between Ian and Dean, the business approached the Australian Grain Export in 2016. This turned out to be the best decision the business ever made, according to Ian McMillan.
“We’ve been with them ever since. We do 90 per cent of their grain in SA as well as some internal work, and we also export for their domestic markets. It has been pretty beneficial for both of us,” he says.
Having put his Lusty EMS combinations to the test all around the country in these operations, Ian has found the tippers to be very durable and well-built.
These include two A-double sets, both made up of Lusty EMS Lead Chassis Tippers in slider configurations with Chassis Tipper B trailers and matching dollies, as well as a Lusty EMS AB-triple combination consisting of a Chassis Tipper, another dolly and a Stag B-double.
“The AB-triple setup nets about 72 tonnes and the A-doubles about 61 tonnes, so the payload increase in the last few years has been another significant change in the business,” he says.
“We think the Stags are the ideal combination for the job, because they result in pretty good payloads.”
“They’re very universal as well. You can do grain, fertiliser and gravel and tip off without having to unhook them.”
Ian says the Chassis Tippers come with everything a driver could want, with features including flip over bars, submarine doors, tailgate spreader chains and a removable chute.
“The rear bumpers have the tidiest finish and a great system which prevents the grain from getting stuck as well. It just falls off and it means you won’t contaminate other grits with grain left behind in your guards,” he says.
McMillan & Sons Haulage’s business with MaxiTRANS stems back several decades and developed from several dealings. It was there that trust was developed, resulting in the purchases of the Lusty EMS units.
Ian says he stands by and recommends the Lusty EMS range due to its performance.
“When people ask me what I think of the product, I tell them we’ve had nothing but good dealings with our trailers,” he says.
“Our last three sets have all been Lusty EMS builds and that’s the way we’ll stay.”
The family run transport business set out with tipper work in 2010 under a contract for another family run business named Garden Grove, putting McMillan & Sons Haulage on the right path for years to follow.