Nestled in Tasmania’s Central Highlands, the aptly named Highland Haulage of Mick and Chris Linger rely on old-fashioned values and adopting new technologies to stay ahead.

Mick Linger isn’t one to mince his words. A no-nonsense straight shooter with eyes for the future. Mick has had clear goals in mind for Highland Haulage, the company he and his wife Chris started over two decades ago. These goals include delivering personalised freight services to all customers, whether it is Mum and Dad who might ship a shoe box once a year, right through to regular clients who consign multiple truckloads each week.

Highland Haulage’s head office is located in the historic, picturesque town of Deloraine at the foot of the Great Western Tiers in Tasmania’s central highlands. Highland Haulage has grown from a sole trader, single truck operation that started in the early ’90s to a predominate Tasmanian freight forwarding, shipping and transport operation.

Early on, Mick accepted that growth was inevitable if he wanted to provide superior service to his client base. However, the rapid rate at which expansion occurred was something neither he nor his original business plan could forecast.

There is one goal Mick holds close to his heart: impeccable equipment maintenance and presentation of his fleet and depots. Regardless of age, Mick is adamant that all his gear must be kept in showroom condition. His meticulous approach to cleanliness and presentation extends through the company’s warehouses, workshops and offices.

Highland Haulage’s fleet of Kenworth and Western Star prime movers and Freighter trailers concentrate on providing general freight and specialised refrigeration services from Tasmania across Bass Straight to all mainland centres.

“Our business is not just about trucks. We provide a total transport solution,” says Mick.

Even early in the company’s infancy, Mick was conscious about ensuring his fleet would continually provide efficiency as well as maximum cubic capacity. As a result, he was interested in the Freighter Drop Deck design as it optimised deck lengths to suit standard pallet sizes and maximise load volume. At the same time, he was equally interested with the EziLiner’s ease of use.