O’Neill’s Heavy Towing of Newcastle are introducing a new Mack Super-Liner into their fleet

Breakdowns and road accidents are the two things transport operators want to avoid more than anything, but when they happen, O’Neill’s are on hand to get the truck back to a workshop.

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,” says Transport Manager Ben 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,” says Ben, “whether it’s road trains, buses, armoured vehicles, and we’ve noticed over the years vehicles and freight are getting heavier.”

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,” says Ben.

The Super-Liner is the first one Mack have purpose-built as a tow truck, and features a 7.25 metre wheelbase with front axle rated at 8.2 tonnes.

“The towing bodies are made in the USA,” says Ben, “and they take about a year to build and ship, so we had a bit of time. 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.

“This Mack’s all fully-airbrushed and covered in stainless steel and lights, to fit in with the rest of our fleet,” says Ben, “I love the look of the Super-Liner, it’s an old-school bonneted American truck, right up my alley.”

“There’s not a lot of room for error when you’re towing weights like these,” says Ben, “so power, control and reliability are absolutely key. Mack built this Super-Liner in Brisbane exactly to our specifications, so I’m confident it’ll be up to the task.”

With a truck workshop covering an acre, Ben’s crew is used to maintaining their own trucks, but Mack will be servicing the Super-Liner for the next five years under a Gold Service Agreement.

“When you tow broken-down trucks for a living, you get see up close just how important reliability is,“ says Ben, “and one thing I can say is that we don’t tow many Macks, and I reckon that speaks for itself.”

Tony O’Connell, Vice-President Mack Trucks Australia, said “We are absolutely delighted to be able to deliver exactly the truck O’Neill’s were looking for to enable them expand the range of their towing operations. This is a great example of Mack’s commitment to delivering tailored solutions that meet the specific needs of our customers.”