Mackay Haulage Company is a family business that was founded by Giuseppe Sorbello referred to as George in the early 1960’s in Mackay, Queensland, in corporation with the local sugar industry. He started carting sugar cane and fertiliser with his Chevrolet Maple Leaf and then later the Bedford Truck in the crushing season. Giuseppe also carted cane for neighbouring farms.
Later, Angelo, the eldest son, followed by his brother Sam, when they were licence age, joined this sector of the business.
A new 1967 Bedford truck was purchased as a flat tray body for the purpose of carting hand cut whole stick sugar cane to the mill. After 3 years, the sugar cane began to be machine harvested by a chopper harvester, therefore it was necessary to transform into a tipper to carry the chopped cane.
As time moved on, cane bins pulled by locomotives were introduced at the mills, so the tip body was removed and replaced by rails for the bins to cart the harvested cane. In the off season, it went back to the tip body/tray top to perform as a delivery vehicle.
The Bedford is still being used as a water truck in the Mackay Depot yard and recently a water semi tanker was added.
Originally, a registered business called G.Sorbello & Sons was established in 1976.
Over the years there have been changes in the business, with continual growth according to our success to meet the demand of our outstanding service.
In 1976, our fleet started to increase with a Diamond T Tip Truck.
Then in 1977, an ACCO International Body Truck was purchased to add to the cane carting fleet. In the off season it was transformed into a flat top body truck to carry out local general freight cartage. This was the beginning of our general freight operations and we have not looked back.
Charles Porter & Sons was one of our first main customers. Today, we still have Charles Porter & Sons as a customer, carting building products from Brisbane to Mackay. Carting bags of cement from the Cement Works in Rockhampton and Townsville was a long tiring job 30 years ago, especially with hand loading, which has been wonderfully replaced with forklift loading today. An original employee from those days, Paul Haber, is our Manager of the MHC Townsville depot.
Then came the time to change our business name to Mackay Haulage Company in 1989. Nothing else changed and we continued to operate with our highest standards travelling along the Queensland coast from Mackay to Brisbane in the south, directed by Angelo and Townsville up to Cairns in the north, directed by Sam. Then in 1998, our business become a company, Margiu Pty Ltd T/A Mackay Haulage Company.
Mackay Haulage Company introduced the Self Management, Maintenance, Mass & Fatigue Accreditation. Currently, the program is lead by our Service Manager, Patrick Simmonds and Criteria & Data Officer, Vanessa McMillan.
Our main depot is in Paget, Mackay with a MHC Team: 2 Managers: Angelo and Sam; Administrator: Beverley; Clerical Officer: Kym; Service Manager: Patrick; Criteria Officer: Vanessa; 2 Leading Hands: Mark and Simmo; Team: 15 Truck Drivers.
For a number of years, MHC rented a Brisbane depot from Brady Brothers then changing to Neil Mansell Transport, at Rocklea until 2007. In August 2007, we branched out and acquired our own depot in Antimony Street at Carole Park, with Gregory Black as Manager and a Team of 5 truck drivers to carry out the Brisbane local hire work, pick ups, deliveries and loading, while the trip drivers have their allocated rest periods.
A Townsville depot, that operates out of Bohle in Trade Court, is managed by Paul Haber with his team of 2 truck drivers to assist with loading, deliveries and pick ups.
We are proud of our developments over the years, that stem from our passion of the transport industry and we aim at servicing our customers by providing our utmost care and individual attention.