Mario Giacci still remembers his first truck, an International 160. Now, 65 years on, he is about to take delivery of his 200th Kenworth at his family-owned bulk haulage business MGM Bulk
There’s a certain taste out this way. It can dry the mouth and bitters the tongue, but for the road-train drivers of the Pilbara, it’s a reminder of home.
It’s also home for Mario Giacci. Actually, it’s home number three; Italy being his first, having immigrated to Australia in the ‘50s; and second being Bunbury, south of Perth, where he landed all those years ago.
But since 2015, Port Hedland has been his newest home, and at 85 years of age, he still travels up to visit every fortnight.
He jokes that he’s the oldest FIFO worker in the country.
It seems out here the population census would read: FIFO 1, trucks 2. I’m also told you can hit a cow once a week.
But one thing is for certain, Mario doesn’t need to work, he wants to.
“You go to work because you want to work, you love your work,” the ever-charismatic Mario says. “If you don’t love your job then you shouldn’t be there.”
And that’s what brings us to Port Hedland, for work – we wanted to see what has kept Mario Giacci in the seat for so long.
The only issue is, it’s no longer the driver’s seat – the darn transport department took his licence away. But in true Mario fashion, things could be worse.
“Hey, at least I’m not under the ground, every day you’re not under the ground is a good day my friend,” he says.
Mario introduces his driver for the day, Billi Lee Brayshaw, one of MGM’s most experienced drivers. She’s been with the company for nearly five years.
“I wish all my drivers were like Billi,” Mario says. “She’s a bloody better driver than I ever was!”
It’s 5am and we’re holding up the day – next stop, the Sanjiv Ridge mine site just outside of Marble Bar, with one overqualified passenger.
The hottest place in Australia
Out here the landscape is Mars-like. Red dirt is the primary colour and it’s so hot on this winter’s day that drivers must pull up every few hours to check the temperature of their wheel bearings – not a quick job when you’re hauling a 60-metre Bruce Rock ultra-quad with 110 tyres on the ground.
However, Mario reminds us that 34 degrees is a cool day out here – a fair point considering the nearby town of Marble Bar has nearly cracked the half-ton.
MGM has roughly 100 prime movers working in the north-west area of WA, and more than 80 super- and ultra-quad trailer combinations, making it one of the biggest transport players in the region – if not all of Australia.
Not bad for a gamble. Rewinding back to the early 2000s, Mario branched away from the Giacci Bros business with daughter Giuditta (Giudi) and son Michael to start MGM Group.
They began small, hauling reconstituted limestone blocks from their quarries before diversifying into concrete.
This is a third-generational business, rooted deeply in the rich legacy set forth by Mario. Today, three of his grandchildren play pivotal roles in continuing this tradition, ensuring the family-owned business continues to flourish.
From a very tender age of two, Guidi’s son James has been by his grandfather’s side, learning the ins and outs of machinery. Over the past 33 years, he has operated every machine imaginable.
With extensive experience managing operations throughout the state, he spearheads MGM Bulk’s marketing department.
Maisie, Mario’s granddaughter and daughter to Michael, has a wealth of experience in HR, safety, and compliance. Having completed her business law degree, she brings a unique blend of expertise and academic excellence to her role as Compliance and Quality Manager.
The youngest of the trio, Emmett, another of Michael’s children, is midway through his heavy duty fitters apprenticeship, working in the Bunbury workshop honing his skills.
James believes had his grandfather not taken the punt on heavy haulage in the Pilbara, MGM would not be where it is today.
“Pops had a lot of foresight to go up north and get into the quads. He went out and bought five or six quad road-trains and bought them without having a contract for them to go to,” he recalls.
“They sat in our backyard in Bunbury there for about two-and-a-half years, not earning a cent, but he had the foresight just to ride it out because he knew the day would come when he would send those trucks out north and would get our opportunity.”
That day came during the downturn in Port Hedland a few years back. The disruptions opened new opportunities for the company.
“We got a foot in the door up there at a time when a lot of people had given up on Port Hedland and were packing up shop and leaving,” James says.
“I think operating in the transport space for 65 years gives you a really good understanding of trends and how the industry works and how it’s constantly evolving. He understands what you need to do to remain at the head of the curve.”
The move catapulted MGM to a similar stature as Giacci Bros before the sale, now employing more than 500 workers with a core fleet of 190 trucks and more than 600 trailer configurations.
No time for dirty trucks
Despite Mario’s children Michael and Giudi now taking the reins, Mario still plays an active role in the day-to-day business.
When we arrived at MGM HQ before the day’s work, he was busy fixing a pressure cleaner in the wash bay. Like a buzzing bee, he was back at it again during our routine first stop along the highway. The diagnosis, a frustrated Mario.
“Look at the bloody dirt on this truck,” he says under his breath. He notoriously can’t stand the look of the red-stained truck. Perhaps pride like that only rears itself when you’ve come from nothing.
“I represent the people who drive for me. I don’t make any more money if my trucks are clean, but I want them clean,” Mario says.
“He’s always been like this,” James laughs. “Dirty gear on the road is one of his biggest pet hates. He’s lived by the image that trucks need to remain clean. At the end of the day, that’s your name travelling down the road.”
Ironically, the 60-metre road-train we were following was to see plenty more red dirt by the end of the day.
Mounds of rust-coloured minerals greeted Billi and Mario upon their arrival at the mine site. Caterpillar 982M wheel loaders went about their business, shovelling buckets of sweet, sweet iron ore into the trailers’ bins.
Once finished, this combination heads back to the port with more than 100 tons of iron ore onboard. MGM has roughly 200 ultra-quads running into the port every 24 hours.
That’s because the Port Hedland contract with Atlas Iron is easily one of the biggest components of the business, making up approximately 65 per cent of all transport movements company-wide.
“We’ve got about a hundred trucks tied up here. I’d say we’d be up there with one of the largest ultra-quad fleets in Australia,” he says.
Port power
The 5am start rolls into a 5pm finish as we near the port. It’s a long day for an 85-year-old.
So, what has kept Mario in the seat all these years? James supposes it’s a common theme throughout his life, an appreciation and dedication to hard work when you come from nothing.
“He’s constantly taken on risks to get a leg up in life, no bigger risk than his decision to leave Italy,” he says.
Camera-shy, Mario certainly wouldn’t answer the question directly.
“I love my trucks. Once that’s gone then I shouldn’t be here,” he says. “I’ve been all over WA because of trucks. I didn’t play any sport, so this is my hobby, I swear to god.
“I never cared what I had behind my truck – could’ve been gold, could’ve been rubbish, could’ve been sawdust – but people gave me things to put in my trucks and I’m grateful to every one of them.”
When asked what he would do if he didn’t do trucks, Mario jokingly responds, “I dunno, probably rob a bank!”
Perhaps there’s your answer.
