A remarkable recovery!

In addition to outstanding truck and trailer repairs, Nenagh-based Bawn Trucks offers a full 24-hour recovery service that is unparalleled. The Tipperary company has made remarkable strides since its inception in 1994, much to the obvious satisfaction of hard-working husband and wife team Eamon and Mary Maher.

There are a lot of good things we at Irish Trucker could say about Bawn Trucks in Nenagh, County Tipperary. We could talk for the next five pages about the great service offered, the flexibility, the vast expertise, the high esteem in which Bawn Trucks is held. But perhaps the highest compliment we can pay this superb business is to point out that owners Eamon and Mary Maher are genuine, sincere people, whose integrity and honest endeavour permeates every facet of Bawn Trucks.

This personal touch is a vital component of the company’s success to date and ensures that customers know they are receiving a level of service they can depend upon. At Bawn Trucks, every case is a priority case. That’s why the reputation of the Nenagh-headquartered truck/trailer recovery/repair operation is second to none.
The business is bigger and busier than it was when last featured in this publication about three years ago. The recovery aspect of the operation has become particularly active, and the service provided is of the highly specialist variety, as Mary relates: “There’s a lot more to it than just driving a tow truck. It’s a specialist area and a huge investment of time and money goes into purchasing and maintaining the equipment as well as the insurance and health & safety considerations.

“You have to know what you are doing. Eamon has been at this for a long time and he provides a professional service, with all the proper accreditations and permits in place. He’s on call around the clock, 24 hours a day, and he never lets a client down. Of course, there will always be one or two who chance their arm and cut corners, making life more difficult for those of us who are above board, but we’re confident that the only way to do something is to do it properly and that’s what Bawn will always do.”
Such is the quality of the service provided that Bawn Trucks has been accepted into the Association of Vehicle Recovery Operators (AVRO). Membership of this body constitutes a prestigious status as only companies with stellar reputations are considered for Ireland’s recovery vehicle umbrella organisation.

Rising costs (fuel and insurance) are a problem for the entire industry but Bawn Trucks is weathering the storm and has been able to make considerable savings on diesel by joining Fuelwise. “You just have to get on with it and keep providing a good service at reasonable rates,” says Mary. “There’s quite a bit of co-operation between the operators in the recovery business and they often work together as a team. They will do jobs for each other, depending on whereabouts a breakdown occurs. Having said that, even though we try to stick to our own region, this isn’t always possible and you never know where a call-out might take you.”
For the recovery end of the business, Eamon mans a Volvo F12 double-drive, with hydraulic winches, plated to lift 20 ton. The vehicle is fully equipped to cater for any accident. All ropes and chains are kept up to date and in pristine working condition and Bawn Trucks has the capacity to get any crashed or broken down vehicle off the road/roadside and back to base.

The jobs generally come thick and fast, keeping the company founder on his toes right around the clock – even in the middle of the night when his toes should be pointing towards the sky! “It can be every day, or sometimes two or three times a week, but we’re here ready to spring into action as soon as we get a call for assistance,” he promises. “Between the breakdowns and the actual garage itself – which is still going strong – we are kept very busy.”

Of course the garage is the cornerstone of the business and still provides an exceptional maintenance, servicing and repairs service. According to Eamon: “That’s where I started out, literally from nothing. I built an extra bay onto the workshop seven or eight years ago and we can cater for four lorries at a time. There’s always a steady flow of work and we pride ourselves on providing a top quality service.”
Over the years Mary has had to get used to the sight of her husband disappearing out the door late at night. It’s one of the sacrifices that must be made in order to provide a thorough breakdown service. “He’s on 24-hour call and could often be out all night. It’s demanding work but Eamon knows what he’s doing and customers know they can depend on him. Friday evenings and Mondays are extremely busy for some reason, but Eamon never complains. If you have to do it, you have to do it…”
Rafal from Poland has joined the team and is a key figure in the high-quality spraying service that is now offered as part of the truck and trailer work. Mary and Eamon’s son Jamie is also showing a keen interest in the company at the age of twelve and could play some part in the family business somewhere down the line.

A Bawn Trucks customer is a happy customer and Mary is delighted with the sound working relationships that prevail between all parties. “We have a strong base of regular customers who use our services over and over again,” she explains. “These people are loyal to us and it’s important that we continue to give them a high level of service, be that breakdowns or general truck/trailer work.”
The Mahers believe in surrounding themselves with trustworthy personnel to ensure a total consistency of excellence in the quality of their service. “We have to be able to hand the reins over from time to time. Things change all the time and you have to be able to adapt. I’d be lost without Betty [[Gleeson], who has been here for ten years and is great at keeping things going. Christy [McGrath] has also been here since the company started and he has never let us down. Rafal is doing a good job and Eamon’s dad also comes in and lends a hand when we’re especially busy.”

It might be an exaggeration to suggest that many hands make light work, given the nature of the business that Bawn Trucks specialises in, but the teamwork and all-round competence certainly ensures that all jobs are completed with a maximum of care and a minimum of fuss.