Talk About a Conversation Starter!

In-depth

8 Aug

Martins Stock Haulage show their support for blue collar mental health group TIACS, with an entire Mack Super-Liner wrapped in the RazzleDazzle print.

Martins Stock Haulage have put their latest Super-Liner on the road, and it’s unlike any truck you’ve ever seen. Wrapped in an eye-catching print, the truck aims to raise awareness of TIACS (This is a Conversation Starter), a professional mental health counselling service for tradies, truckies, farmers and blue collar workers. Founded by TradeMutt, renowned for their range of eye-catching workwear, TIACS aims to get people talking about mental health.

Jason Martin, CEO of Martins Stock Haulage is a big supporter of TIACS, having already bought into TradeMutt’s Funky Friday shirts, and when he met the cofounders at the Dalby Stock Show, something special happened.

“We were the charity beneficiary of one of the horses that had been sold,” says Ed Ross of TIACS and TradeMutt, “and we were having a beer to celebrate when we were introduced to Jason. He was telling us about the pink Mack Martins did last year, and he asked us if we’d be interested in doing something similar. Were we interested? We jumped at it.”

**Adam Ross, General Manager, & Jason Martin, CEO - Martins Stock Haulage**

And so a conversation over a beer set in train a sequence of events that resulted in one of the most spectacular trucks you’re ever likely to see on Australia’s roads. Ed showed Jason the TradeMutt design catalogue and he chose the Razzle-Dazzle print, from there a whole team was involved in getting the truck on the road.

“Tom Chapman, the current VP of Mack at the time got right behind it,” says Adam Ross, General Manager of Martins Stock Haulage, “and Ben Dare of Western Truck Group was superb co-ordinating everything.”

The truck was wrapped in the print by Bailey Print Group, who hadn’t handled anything on that scale before.

“Bailey’s have wrapped all our Mazdas,” says Ed Ross, “but this was the first time they’d been asked to wrap a truck, and they did a brilliant job.”

**The crew from Martins Stock Haulage, Mack Trucks Australia, TradeMutt & Bailey Print Group**

With finishing touches added by The Bling Man, the Mack Super-Liner certainly makes a statement, and with a 58-inch sleeper cab fitted behind the driver, the aim is to have it working all over Australia.

“She’ll be doing B-Double, B-Triple and Triple Road Train work hauling cattle wherever she’s needed in Australia,” says Adam. “We want to get this truck out in front of as many people as possible, after all, the whole idea is to start a conversation and we reckon this truck will do the job.”

The un-missable Super-Liner follows on from the Pink Mack that Martins put on the road last year to acknowledge women in the workforce. Clearly this is a business that sees the big picture.

“We’re a family owned and run company,” says Adam, “and all our staff are part of that extended family. A lot of men have difficulty talking about things that are going on in their lives, and this is particularly true of drivers, who are often away from home for periods and spend a lot of time alone in the cab. Jason’s seen a lot of this over his career, and we want to make sure we look after our people. Mental health’s a big part of that.”

Acting Vice President of Mack Trucks, Darren Cowan, expressed his team's immense pride in their involvement with the project and the partnership.

“Transport operators, truck drivers, tradies, and farmers are the backbone of our nation,” he said. “As a Brisbane-based truck manufacturer, supporting mental health within these vital sectors is incredibly important to us. It is truly inspiring to collaborate with Martins Stock Haulage, who are making a significant impact, and to witness the dedication and enthusiasm of the local suppliers who came together to bring this exceptional Mack to life.”

With the contact details for TIACS emblazoned on the side, Ed Ross of TIACS is ecstatic about the Super-Liner, and is looking forward to seeing it in action.

“We want more people to reach out to us,” says Ed, “so this truck is a really exciting opportunity to change the narrative around mental health and get people talking, as well as seeking early intervention counselling through our service.”

Martins Stock Haulage now have four Titans and eight Super-Liners in the fleet, with two of them making bold statements for causes that the Martins team believe in, so what comes next?

“I reckon that’s enough for the moment,” laughs Adam, “but no doubt Jason will come up with something, and we know we’ve got a solid team behind us at Western Truck Group and Mack, so stay tuned.”

If you or anyone you know would like to access TIACS and speak to a professional mental health counsellor, text or call 0488 846 988 Monday to Friday (8am to 10pm AEST)