Mar-Train Muscle

One of Northern Ireland’s premiere oversize-load specialists, Mar-Train has cornered the market in plant-moving and windfarm component transportation

- Kieron Fennelly

Situated deep in the countryside between Belfast and Lisburn is Mar-Train Haulage, Northern Ireland’s outsize load specialist. In 1979, local man Sam Martin started a transport business for moving equipment, much of it for farms. In 1984, he traded up to a Fruehauf step frame trailer, which his son Tim believes was the first tri-axle trailer in Ireland.

Managing director today, Tim joined the firm in 1992 and the business expanded from a pair of trucks to a fleet of five or six by mid-decade. At this point, Mar-Train established its two major long-term customers: 1996 was the year when the first wind turbine was constructed in Ireland, and Mar-Train became specialists in delivering windmill components for construction at windfarms.

At much the same time, materials processing and plant manufacturer Terex opened at factory in Northern Ireland, and Mar-Train’s ability to move outsize cargoes has over 20 years made it the American company’s main shipper for its tracked machinery.

Despite being the biggest specialist in Northern Ireland, Mar-Train is a compact operation with 26 trucks, all STGO-plated. The company runs to UK mainland ports, Hull in particular, and on into Germany, having three trucks with German permits. For operational convenience, a handful of vehicles is based at Birkenhead and some drivers are domiciled in England. When they finish their shift, the company either arranges a hire car or flies them home.