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Aug 20, 2023

100 year anniversary Mack a masterpiece

By: Warren Aitken, Photography by: Warren Aitken Date:

By: Warren Aitken, Photography by: Warren Aitken

Date: 14.02.2023

FEBRUARY TRUCK OF THE MONTH: What better way to celebrate 20 years in business than the purchase of a big Mack Super-Liner. Not any Super-Liner mind you, but a 100 Years Mack Anniversary model, specced up to the max

There is so much to unpack on this truck, from the fact that the truck itself is a limited-edition release to the fact it is also a celebration of a major milestone in the success story of a family-owned business. In addition, this truck is sporting one of the most impressive paint jobs undertaken on a vehicle this size. Then there's the fact it is fitted out with every conceivable extra available. It really is a masterpiece in motion.

While there are so many people that have played a part in this fabulous creation, the buck stops with the man at the top – Mustapha ‘Mussy’ Deen. It was Mussy and his wife Yasmin that started Mactrans Heavy Haulage back in 2000 and two decades later it was the two of them that chose to acknowledge the company's successes with this standout Mack.

Mactrans Heavy Haulage is a true family-run company. It began with Mussy behind the wheel of a Mack Valueliner and a rented low loader back in 2000 with Yasmin supporting him both as a workmate and partner. From that single truck driven by the boss himself, the company has grown to have over 100 pieces of equipment factoring in truck trailers and trailer components. You can now find Yasmin now sitting in the director's chair, Mussy out from behind the wheel and operating as COO, and Yasmin and Mussy's two sons Faadhil and Farhan continuing their dad's legacy behind the wheel.

The company is more than just a business though, it's a passion for Mussy. Big trucks and big challenges are the fuel that keeps the massive smile on his face every day. Plus, it's that love for the job that has led to the creation of this behemoth of beauty that is Mactrans’ anniversary truck.

"I love trucks; I love what I do," Mussy says. "This is the whole thing – people do trucks and trailers to make money. I’m not in it to earn money. Obviously, you need to earn money but it's my passion. Trucks are in my blood, I love what I do, I love how I do it."

Mussy is ready for a chat, explaining how he and Yasmin arrived at this point in their business. While Yasmin grew up as a farm girl and her trucking experience was limited to much smaller farm trucks, Mussy was surrounded and ­indoctrinated into transport from a very early age. His love of the industry would lead you to believe he was bottle-fed on diesel and I honestly would believe that.

His childhood was spent around his father's transport company and, from about the age of 12, it was all-consuming for Mussy. The moment he turned 17 he couldn't get his licence fast enough. That last line was very literal. With friends and workmates in the Northern Territory, Mussy was aware he could obtain his licence there. So that's exactly what he did.

"I left school at Grade 9; I wasn't very good at it," he laughs. "The old man pulled me out and showed me the ropes, like an apprenticeship. At 17 I flew up to the Northern Territory and got my licence."

The theory and practical tests were never going to be a problem for Mussy. He had been surrounded by trucks for years and had moved more than his share around the yard. He also found studying for that test a lot more enjoyable than anything he’d tried at school.

Once he was an officially licensed driver there was no holding him back. He wasn't limited to driving around the yard and off-siding on the big moves though. Now he was free to put all he had learned into practice.

"It was mainly mine stuff, all over Australia," Mussy recalls. "It wasn't real big loads, oversize stuff on drop decks, tri-axle floats, anything up to a quad axle low loader."

Working for his father was a great stepping stone and laid the foundation for the knowledge base. When the time came to gather more experience and specialise in heavy haulage, he found work with other companies. In 2000, he took the plunge to start his very own heavy haulage company.

It was a huge move for the then 22 year-old Mussy, but what helped him immensely was having the support and belief of his wife Yasmin.

"When he first started he had an old Mack Valueliner and hired a trailer off his dad. He was still a bit apprehensive about going and getting the work," Yasmin tells me. "I was the one pushing him saying, ‘you can do it, you can do it’."

Having that kind of belief at home, along with the need to put food on the table for the couple's first child, was enough to drive Mussy onwards. There was no doubt about his passion and knowledge, it was just the getting out there chasing his own work. However, what he learned in those early years helped the company succeed to where it is today.

Letting his customers see his passion for the job, as well as his upfront, customer satisfaction-based approach ensured the work soon flowed in. His clients understood they could ring Mussy and get answers and replies straight away. When he turned up to the job it was with a smile and a ‘glad to be here’ attitude.

Within 12 months the workload had enabled him to return to the bank and get a loan to buy his own trailer. Twelve months after that he had a second truck and a second driver. The company was thriving.

The year 2007 was another milestone for Mactrans Heavy Haulage when the company was able to purchase their first brand new Mussy-specced truck.

"It was a Mack Titan," he says. "It was our fifth truck, ‘Mussys Mutt’." He also guiltily admits, "I kind of went to town on that one."

That same year was also big for another reason, one that relates directly to the truck we are talking about now. "I’ve always liked anniversary collector trucks, special edition trucks, whether they were Macks or Kenworths but more Macks," Mussy says.

"I always wanted to own a Bi-Centennial Mack Super-Liner. In 2007 I bought Captain Starlight. I always wanted that; as a kid it was my dream."

That affiliation for special edition trucks saw Mussy buy one of Mack's limited edition Southern Cross releases in 2014. Subsequently, when word seeped out Mack would be doing a 100 years release, it's no surprise Mussy had a deposit down before the salesman finished whispering the rumour.

It is worth noting here that as supportive as Yasmin is, during our conversation she often pointed out, "I have learned not to let Mussy loose with the chequebook when doing a truck; I need to put him on a budget." I mention this because it was also revealed that yes, it was Mussy that wanted the 100 Years Mack but it was young Yasmin who opted to make it extra special.

"Yes, It was my idea," Yasmin smiles. "I read the email and asked about the truck. Mussy said he was thinking about it and I said we’ll do it. It's an anniversary truck and it's our 20th anniversary for Mactrans. We’ll get this truck but make it as a Mactrans anniversary truck and make it something special."

While the Mactrans anniversary theme on a 100 Years Anniversary Mack was Yasmin's idea, the extent to which it developed is entirely Mussy's doing. There was a family discussion between Mussy, Yasmin and their eldest son Faadhil as to the theme of the truck.

"I also have a theme and airbrushing on my truck," Mussy says. "Normally western or gangster or just tough bulldogs. For this one I wanted ‘country’ but I got outvoted by Yasmin and Faadhil."

Faadhil Deen is actually the man behind the wheel of the big Mack so that may have swayed his mother into voting to go with his ‘King Pin’ gangster theme. Either way, Mussy got outvoted.

The theme was settled on but then came the hard work of creating this masterpiece. "Once Mussy's doing trucks he doesn't sleep at night," Yasmin laughs. "One thing leads to another, his mind is thinking what he's going to do, how he's going to do it, how he's going to make it better than the rest of the trucks."

Before anyone else could get started on the truck it was rolled into the Mactrans workshop where the team, led by Brad McGrath and Mick Arrabal, went to work customising the rear end. Rebuilding the whole back of the truck, designing the hitch, the custom guards and everything else needed to ensure the truck suits the work that Mactrans specialises in.

Once the engineering was complete the next step was choosing the paint. Mack had commissioned Rob Rundell at Bel Air to design specific paint profiles only available for these limited editions 100 Years Macks. "Mack went with a pearl and a glass look on the trucks, which basically made them all three-layer pearl trucks," Rob explains.

"Mussy picked black but with Mussy everything is to the extreme. Mack had seven grams of effect per layer, while Mussy changed his to have 30 grams per layer."

The other challenge Mussy put to the Bel Air team was an insistence on having a proper flow effect to the paint job, meaning you can run your hand along the side and not feel any of the lines. It took a lot of clearing and blocking to leave the whole truck feeling smoother than a Teflon banana skin.

Getting the paint right had to work hand in hand with applying the airbrushing – and there's a lot of that. I mean a lot. While the ideas once again came from Mussy, it was the creative genius of Jeff Barrie, affectionately known as ‘Cyclone’, that created the amazing stories along the sides of the Mack, also on the bonnet, rear wall, sleeper roof, sun visor, and engine bay. I think I listed them all.

There was plenty of time spent discussing ideas, mocking up images and even repainting different areas when they didn't quite fit Mussy's vision. The end results however are stunning.

It does pay to think about the precision and dedication to perfection, particularly in the fuel tanks. Airbrushing the tanks, straps and brackets so they all line up perfectly would be a mammoth task. Then there's the drop visor. From most angles you can just see the effect of the 30 grams of flake per litre paint. Due to the magic of Jeff's airbrushing, under the right light you can spot the Mactrans brand displayed like the faintest of silhouettes.

It's not only the paint that makes this a special truck. Let us look at the bull bar. The 100 Years Macks all had specially manufactured King Bar bull bars fitted but Mussy had his customised even more. Extra-large four-and-a-quarter inch tubing with a second inner tubing was used to make it stronger, specifically for push-pull work.

The next stage saw the truck in the Haultech Engineering sheds where the team there customised all the creature comforts for Mactrans. The Haultech team were responsible for all the custom interior work, fitting in reverse cycle air conditioning, invertors, climate control, fridges and everything you could ever need.

It wasn't just the inside though. Haultech Engineering fitted a slide-out barbecue system, the toolbox setup behind the cab and even an outdoor shower system with separate hot water.

After fitting all that, the truck found its way out to Ryan Northcott at Bling Man HQ in Kentville, west of Brisbane, to get all the shiny bits fitted and more than a few extra lights added. As with the airbrushing, Mussy knew what he wanted and, with Ryan's help, he was able to bring those ideas to life. "I had my ideas for what I wanted," Mussy says. "I’d show Ryan pictures and stuff and he’d draw it up and fine-tune it."

While the truck is dominated by the paint and artwork, there was still plenty of options for adding shiny parts and custom cut-outs. The stainless trim below the bunk not only hid the Haultech barbecue but has been laser cut and lights up with tributes to Mactrans 20th anniversary. Below the cab the trim lights up with Mussy's and Yasmin's names.

Mussy also had Mactrans cut into the exhaust shrouds and the truck's name ‘King Pin’ cut into the brackets for the safety beacons. Another custom addition can be seen from the passenger seat. The standard dash has been covered with custom laser cut stainless, again acknowledging not only the 100 years of Mack but also Mactrans’ 20th anniversary.

With all Bling Man HQ's extra lights and shiny parts added, the truck was sent off to the lovely ladies at Slick Azz to get the final protective film added. It's a treatment Mussy adds to his trucks anyway but after so much time and money invested in the amazing artwork on this truck, it was a compulsory move.

After an 18-month mission, the truck was finally complete and handed over ready for Faadhil to put to work. The big Mack is rated to pull 250 tonnes, sits on six-rod suspension and is powered by Mack's massive MP10 engine. It has arguably the coolest paint job and artwork in the country and sports almost as many lights as the Sydney Harbour bridge.

Yes, the more traditional 20th anniversary gift is meant to be China. However, I think I speak for Mussy and Yasmin who chose a much better way to acknowledge and celebrate the success of Mactrans Heavy Haulage. I can't wait to see what they do for their 25th.For more great truck coverage, grab a copy of OwnerDriver magazine's February edition.

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