Stevemacs Bulk Fuel Haulage has always been on the front line of Western Australia’s fuel transport network.
The company was established as a family business in 2003 by owner, Steve McWhirter, out of Perth’s Kewdale and began its operations in the commercial heart of the state. This meant proximity to WA’s road networks, an essential factor for the fleet to cart fuel for customers across far distances.
The prime location of Stevemacs Bulk Haulage, coupled with Steve’s ambition to provide a personal and high-quality service to customers, effectively ensured the company would grow. And grow it did.
Stevemacs Bulk Fuel Haulage expanded its network to cover a solid and wide corridor of WA over the following 22 years. The business now carts fuel for a variety of customers across a network which extends from as far north as Broome to Albany, Esperance in the south and Kalgoorlie in between.
“Our linehaul bulk fuel transport services deliver fuel to a range of customers,” Steve says. “This includes Perth Airport, air bases in the state and multinational companies like BP and Viva Energy.”
With this expansive customer base came an enlarged operation. Stevemacs Bulk Fuel Haulage therefore grew its personnel considerably and, by extension, its fleet.
“We operate 35 prime movers and 150 tanker trailers in a variety of configurations such as singles, doubles, triples, pocket road trains and quads,” Steve reports. “We also employ 45 people.”
The reliability of this sizeable fleet is integral to Stevemacs Bulk Fuel Haulage and its daily operations. This is why the business has chosen to invest in key trailer components from Liquip West Coast for the last seven years.
Liquip West Coast has been exclusively distributing products from Australian bulk liquid equipment and storage manufacturer, Liquip International, throughout WA since January 2017 – under ownership of Petroleum, Aviation and Mining Supplies (PAMS). PAMS Project Manager, Victor Benjamin, says the two entities are strongly aligned.
“Liquip West Coast is purely functioning to replicate the range of services which Liquip’s head office offers,” he says. “We have been providing direct access for the stocking and supply of Liquip equipment since our commencement as its WA distributor in 2017.
“The partnership has been strong since origin. There’s a lot of synchronicities between the two companies because our agendas and goals are quite united.”
Stevemacs uses a range of Liquip products including VOH451 hatches, SLV5-ARO foot valves, API valves, Haz-Chem signs – all of which provide critical benefits to its operations.
The VOH451 hatch in particular is standardised in cast aluminium with metric threads. It’s equipped with four provisions which allow Stevemacs Bulk Fuel Haulage to conveniently mount additional Liquip equipment such as overfill probes, air operated vapour vents, dip and fill tubes and Diptronic measuring devices.
Meanwhile, the SLV5-ARO foot valve ensures high flow rates and the safe loading and discharge of the fleet’s tankers. Steve has been more than pleased with the performance of all of these components in his fleet of trailers from Tieman Tankers.
“We chose to use Liquip products years ago because of their high quality and the trust that the name carried,” he says. “If we wanted to stay competitive and safe, it only made sense for us to use their components.”
Liquip West Coast greatly benefits from the market reputation and product knowledge Liquip carries by distributing its products via PAMS. Victor says the OEM’s strong impressions on the market have largely been fuelled by the sheer size of its value offering.
“Liquip is a major brand in the marketplace due to its extensive offering, product availability and overall history in Australia,” Victor says. “Liquip West Coast has definitely benefited from its name. Although we haven’t been around for too long, we have capitalised on its brand awareness for our customers.”
Both Liquip brands champion safety and commitment. Victor believes that Liquip West Coast’s approachability in the marketplace is what attracts customers to use its products and services.
“We pride ourselves on customer service,” he says. “Our dedication to the customer means we can go above and beyond when needed. That involves doing the extra work to make things happen, such as keeping substantial stock available.
“For example, we don’t have to wait for products to arrive from interstate in the case of a potential breakdown. We are self-sufficient and able to service market requirements in WA independently.”
The self-sufficiency of Liquip West Coast’s operations is a testament to the quality and durability of Liquip products in general. Although Liquip is based on the east coast, its components are manufactured to the highest standards so that they will perform the same way anywhere in Australia.
“Given the harsh conditions of WA, we have pretty high requirements for how our tankers are expected to perform,” Victor says. “They cover exceptional distances over very rugged terrain and aren’t really put under that same strain on the east coast.
“It’s substantially hotter over here – temperatures in the northwest during summer can easily exceed 45º C every day. But the beauty of Liquip’s products is that they act as a universal solution. Even though they aren’t manufactured in these conditions, they’re so well-built that they perform without a hitch in these regional applications.”
At Stevemacs Bulk Fuel Haulage, Steve is looking to further ensure safety and performance across his equipment. As a result, he will continue to invest in Liquip components alongside his upcoming fleet expansion.
“Safety, quality and professionalism are cornerstones for our business, so we’ll continue to use Liquip components on our tankers for a long time,” he says. “We have our own reputation in the industry to uphold, and Liquip is critical to that.”
