“No blindfold needed on this Bulldog”

Bob Edwards once had a Mack that didn’t pull, so he put a rag around the Bulldog so it wouldn’t see the hills. His new Trident is a different story.

Bob Edwards has been in the bitumen transporting business for nearly 50 years, so it’s safe to say he’s seen it all. Based at CKatherine Fields on Camden Valley Way (the old Hume Highway), he’s been hauling bitumen all over Australia since the days when the steam train still crossed the highway where the McDonalds is today.

Bob’s been a loyal Mack customer for nearly twenty of those years, and is re-building an old B-Model in his backyard, so it’s clear he’s a Mack enthusiast, but in the case of just one truck, it wasn’t a smooth journey.

It just wouldn’t pull…

“Back in 1993, I bought a Mack CH called ‘Mr Bitumen’ that was delivered on Chris^tmas Day by Phil Murphy,” says Bob. “This truck was one of the last mechanicals, but I soon found out to my frustration that it just wouldn’t pull, so I tied a bit of blue rag around the eyes of the bulldog on the bonnet so he wouldn’t see the hills. I’ve since called Phil ‘The Greengrocer’, because he sells lemons.”

Divine intervention

One day in Darwin, a man on Fisherman’s Wharf who was admiring the truck asked Bob why the rag was there. When Bob explained, the man said mysteriously, “Giznick (then head of Mack) will be very interested in this.”

The next time Bob pought the truck in for a service, the Mack technical expert Rex Stables appeared with an armful of gauges and set to work.

“Rex made me go for a walk and leave him alone with the truck,” says Bob, “so I don’t know what he did, but the truck really got cracking straight after, and ran beautifully for years.”

Things are different now

In 2013, Bob bought his son a pand-new 535hp Trident, and got the opportunity to try it out himself on a series of trips between Port Botany and Nowra.

“I’m old school,” says Bob, “so when I want to check fuel consumption I turn off one fuel tank and run on just the one. This Trident did that trip multiple times and used exactly 261 litres every time. That’s what I call consistent.”

A dog that really can pull

Bob’s been very happy with his purchase, although he reckons that a year’s not enough time to wear a dog in.

“We haven’t given him a really good run yet, but he’s starting to grow some muscles and he’ll be champing at the bit soon. Joking aside though, Mack have always had a good product, that’s why I’ve been associated with them for 19 years. I certainly can’t see myself needing a rag for the bulldog on this Trident.”