Based south of Western Australia’s Ravensthorpe region, Moolyall Farming is a large-scale, family-run broad acre farming operation with deep roots in the area.
Established in the late 1970s and early 1980s when the property was little more than uncleared bushland, the farm has evolved into a highly productive enterprise cropping close to 9,000 hectares each year. While the business continues to run livestock, grain is firmly at its core, with wheat, barley and canola making up the bulk of its production.
As farm size and output have grown, so too has the importance of transport efficiency. For Moolyall Farming, controlling its own freight task has become a key part of maintaining productivity during harvest and throughout the year.
The operation has been utilising two C-train tipper combinations and a pocket road train which handle the movement of grain from paddock to receival sites and, when required, all the way through to Perth. It was within this context that the business made the decision to invest in a new BulkEX grain tipper C-train from Bruce Rock Engineering (BRE), adding a new combination designed specifically to meet the demands of WA grain haulage.
The new BulkEX unit comprises of three high-capacity grain tippers which, built with a strong focus on payload, balance and durability, were specified to suit Moolyall Farming’s existing fleet while maximising productivity on regional road networks.
Moolyall Farming co-owner, Mitch Chambers, says capacity was a major driver behind the decision he and his brother, Kye, made to invest in the new C-train.
“The BulkEX C-train has a large carrying capacity and it suits our operations really well,” he says. “The tippers are ideally sized units. You get your weight in the right spot while having great tare weight and payloads.”
From a specification standpoint, the BulkEX tippers tick all the major boxes expected of a modern grain trailer operating in WA conditions. The model is manufactured with a single-piece body made from 3mm Hardox 450 which offers significantly improved wear resistance and structural strength over previous builds using high tensile steel. This choice of material supports longer service life and better resilience in tough operating conditions, making it ideal for Australian bulk haulage.
Moolyall Farming’s BulkEX combination also incorporates a range of standard features such as greaseless tail-gate hinges, stainless steel grain doors with nylon slides, telescoping tarp handles and stainless steel scuff plates in high-contact areas, as well as electric tarps, airbag suspension and disc brakes which deliver both ease of operation and safety benefits.
While these features are increasingly standard across premium grain tipper builds, their real value is proven in their performance during long harvest days.
Payload is where the new BulkEX C-train truly delivers. Despite not operating under the Performance-Based Standards (PBS) scheme, it’s running at Mass Management limits which allow Moolyall Farming to consistently achieve payloads of up to 85 tonnes, depending on loading conditions.
Operating length also plays a role in how well the combination fares. The BRE C-train, measuring just under 36 metres, is well suited to regional WA routes where access can extend well beyond metropolitan PBS limits. While PBS operation into Perth is possible, additional compliance requirements including speed restrictions and camera implementation mean the combination is primarily utilised in-country, hauling grain from farm to CBH Group receival sites and local storage facilities.
“The bulk of what we do is farm to CBH,” Mitch explains. “Sometimes we’ll take a trailer to Perth, but most of it just cruises around getting our grain into town.”
That steady, repetitive task is exactly where the BulkEX design shines. Grain transport demands reliability above all else, particularly during harvest windows where downtime can be costly.
Since entering service, the new BRE C-train has performed strongly.
“It’s been really good,” Mitch says. “The trailers have held up well so far.”
Durability is a constant concern for operators working across unsealed roads, paddock tracks and regional highways, and early signs suggest the BulkEX tippers are well suited to the task. The robust build quality, combined with well-matched suspension and braking systems, has delivered another stable and predictable combination for Moolyall Farming.
From a business perspective, the benefits have been immediate. Increased payload and efficient loading and unloading have improved productivity, allowing more grain to be moved with fewer trips. That, in turn, has reduced fuel use, driver hours and wear on equipment – all critical factors in keeping operating costs under control.
“Moving more grain with ease is the biggest benefit,” Mitch says. “It’s definitely helped with productivity and efficiency.”
The decision to invest in BRE trailers was also influenced by industry reputation and word of mouth. BRE has long been a prominent name in WA trailer manufacturing, particularly in agricultural and bulk haulage applications, and that local knowledge alone was a key factor for Moolyall Farming.
“We had heard some pretty good things about BRE,” Mitch says. “We knew their trailers were of high quality and extensive capacity.”
Working closely with BRE during the specification process proved to be another positive aspect of the purchase. With a large Kenworth T610 prime mover forming the front of the combination, finding trailers that would fit correctly and perform as required was essential.
“We told BRE what we were after, and they suited it to the truck,” Mitch explains. “That was the main thing – finding a set of trailers that would fit on the eight-wheeler as a C-train.”
As Moolyall Farming continues to refine its transport operation, the new BulkEX grain tippers are already proving to be a strong investment. For BRE, the delivery reinforces the relevance of purpose-built grain tippers designed for Australian conditions. For Moolyall Farming, it’s a practical upgrade that supports the business’s long-term focus on productivity, control and efficiency across its grain freight task.
