Complete with a 100-inch stretched bunk – and a shower in the cab – QCrush’s newest C509 quad tippers don’t just look the part, they’re true workhorses too.
QCrush’s modern fleet of Kenworths is complete with all the bells and whistles, but don’t be fooled, these trucks definitely aren’t just show ponies. They’re being put through their paces, tackling the red dirt and corrugations, with huge payloads, to get the job done.
Based in Mt Isa, Queensland, QCrush was started by Anthony Kuhn in 2008 – and as he explained the trucks came much later. “We started out solely doing crushing and screening on mine sites and then expanded that out into different things. We started some quarries in north Queensland and began buying our own trucks from 2019-2020. At first it was a few floats and things like that, then we moved into road trains.”
Initially, Anthony purchased second-hand gear, however he’s since auctioned most of those trucks and trailers off to make way for modern new equipment.
QCrush’s quads are used to cart everything that comes out of its quarries. Image: Brown and HurleyThrough QCrush’s replacement program, there will soon be nothing in the fleet that’s more than five years old. “I’ve bought four complete quad sets this year – all C509s with Mick Murray Welding quad tippers and another two prime movers, which we’ll use for a mine site contract at Eva Harmony copper gold project. I have another four sets of C509s and quads on order for next year too. The intention is that those new ones will replace the older equipment.”
Another three C509 and quad sets of tippers are due for delivery before the year’s end, bringing the fleet of prime movers up to 16. One of those new C509s will also feature the stretched cabin.
The fleet is comprised of 10 quad sets of side tippers – mostly built by Mick Murray Welding – along with four sets of water carts and two floats.
For the trucks, Kenworth is the preferred supplier, and the C509 the model of choice. Apart from one K200 Big Cab and three T659s, the rest are all C509s, as are all the new trucks on order.
With a 100-inch bunk, there’s plenty of room for a good night’s sleep. Image: Brown and Hurley“The C509 is the heaviest Kenworth built truck you can buy. It’s a real old school type of truck that stands up to the work really well. We work on pretty ordinary roads up here and we run AIR CTI central tyre inflation on all the trucks so we can adjust that on all the roads – we’re very big on that,” Anthony explained.
“Our trucks have 425 steer tyres instead of the 385s. On corrugations and bad roads, whether we’re loaded or empty, we can adjust our tyre pressure on the go, for the conditions. AIR CTI is worth every single cent you spend on it. And on the trailers, we run all BPW airbag suspension.”
Most of the quad sets have names, with some of the most recent C509s to join the fleet including ‘Run of the Jungle’, ‘Plain Jane’, ‘Born into Lockdown’ and ‘Double Shot of Whiskey’ – and it’s the latter of those which has been getting the most attention, with good reason.
Double Shot of Whiskey is like a home on wheels. The keys have been given to Charlie Kuhn, a driver who’s been by Anthony’s side for the past 22 years. Despite sharing the same surname, there is no relation between the two of them.
While other Kenworths in the fleet have external showers, the new C509 is the first to have a shower inside the cabin. Image: Brown and HurleyThat truck has a huge stretched 100-inch bunk and a shower inside the cab. The next C509 based on those same specs is due to arrive in November.
“All our other C509s have electric hot and cold shower set-ups too, but those ones have the showers on the outside of the truck. These new ones have the shower inside. All of our quad trucks also have induction cookers, microwaves, inverters and water tanks in the lead trailers,” explained Anthony.
“The plan is for two of the four on order for 2026 to be stretched bunks as well.”
A glazier by trade, Anthony got involved with trucks when he was in his twenties, after completing his apprenticeship. “I’ve always been around the truck industry and have done various bits and pieces. Before starting QCrush, I owned another transport business, doing bulk logistics and dangerous goods,” he said.
Headquartered in Mt Isa, where it owns and operates The Bluff Quarry, QCrush also has quarries in Winton, Gregory Downs and Burke Shire. The trucks typically travel within about a 200-kilometre radius of each quarry site.
Today the business employs 38 people.
‘Double Shot of Whiskey’ is equipped with all the creature comforts. Image: Brown and HurleyAt its quarries, QCrush produces various products for road infrastructure including road bases, sealing aggregates and concrete blends – with Transport and Main Roads Queensland (TMR) and Burke Shire Council being its biggest clients.
“We supply all the contractors that do the road maintenance performance contracts and flood damage work,” added Anthony.
He says the move to purchase his own trucks came out of necessity. “We were finding that we weren’t getting enough reliability with our sub-contractors, so we bought four or five triples and quads and hired our own drivers.
“We deliver all of our own dirt. Around 95 per cent of our trucks’ usage is for what we produce in-house. There’s only a very small amount of outside contracting.”
Though the transport division came along later in the piece, it’s now grown to be as big as the manufacturing side. “The trucks and the quarries are probably on par now because everything we manufacture, we cart. The business runs on about a 50/50 margin in terms of transport and quarry sales.
“The basics of the business are still the same, it’s just more people, more trucks and more red tape!”
QCrush currently employs 16 drivers. It’s one driver per truck, except for the water trucks, which operate 24/7 on a mine site and have three drivers working on different shifts. Due to the remoteness of the work, about 50 per cent of QCrush’s drivers are fly-in fly-out – and all of the drivers possess a great deal of experience.
“It can be difficult to find good capable drivers, who can operate a quad and are willing to work out in the bush,” added Anthony.
“They need to have past experience because a lot of the roads here are pretty bad, especially with flood damage and everything. Generally speaking, road repairs for flood damage are about two years behind, because that’s how long it takes to go through the processes and get funding. It is frustrating when you’re having to drive over these really bad roads.”
Although Anthony doesn’t get the chance to get out in the truck anywhere near as much as he used to, he still gets back behind the wheel whenever the need arises.
“I’ve done a lot of driving over the years – a lot of general freight and some cattle too. With QCrush, once we started employing more people and got more trucks, there was more to do on the management side. I do still get out a couple of times a month though, sometimes for a couple of weeks at a time. I was in the truck just yesterday actually,” he said when he spoke to Big Rigs.
Despite his drivers all getting about in modern new equipment, Anthony revealed that his old truck is from a completely different era.
Though Anthony runs a modern Kenworth fleet, he prefers to get around in his restored 1984 Mack Superliner. Image: QCrush“I have an old 1984 Mack Superliner of my own that I drive a bit. It’s the only non Kenworth I have. A good mate of mine restored it. That’s my little toy and it’s a really nice bit of gear.
“I still enjoy getting out there in the truck but there’s so much other stuff to deal with on a daily basis when you’re running a business. The phone just doesn’t stop ringing.
“Even so, it’s always good going out for a run with the other drivers, when we’re all operating together. We have a really good crew of people here.”
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