Based in Paisley, Renfrewshire we perform haulage and logistics services for food and drink producers. We have been performing time-critical deliveries and our haulage services in Scotland and throughout the UK for over 25 years.
Since the late 1980’s we have worked hard to establish ourselves as an operation dedicated to quality rather than outright quantity, a reputation we have earned by coming through some fairly tough times in our early years.
Today, we operate a modern fleet of vehicles and trailers and every piece of equipment is maintained and presented to a peerless standard, including our top grade driver’s uniforms.
Founder Maurice Burke was originally a driver with Curtain Trailer Transport, which had a large rainbow motif painted on the side of their Tautliners. After 12 years service Maurice found himself out of work literally overnight, when the company went bust and left all its employees without any wages.
Maurice decided that was as good a time as any to start up his own business, so after selling the family car and caravan he had enough collateral funds for the initial down payment on a secondhand Volvo F88 290 tractor unit and a tandem axle curtain side trailer.
With a promise of work from some former customers of Curtain Trailer Transport, Maurice was set. His first week in business coincided with the shattering news that his seven year old son, Martin had developed Leukemia. Difficult as it was to carry on after such a devastating blow, Maurice had to keep working and then visit the hospital every night after parking up his truck.
Thankfully the Volvo F88 proved reliable during that challenging time and business eventually became brisker. A secondhand Scania 112 carrying a 1984 B registration duly succeeded the original motor and by then Maurice also had replaced the family’s car with a locally built Talbot Sunbeam.
The latter vehicle made a huge difference to life in general, as previously Maurice had walked every day between Bishopton and Glasgow Airport, where his truck was kept at Pakserve Storage.
With young Martin out of hospital and a good customer on board, things finally began to look up for Maurice Burke, whose determination and dedication to deliver had brought his business through an extremely trying spell.
With over 20 loads a day leaving Clark Street in Paisley, destined for whisky bonds across the UK, Drampac proved a valuable client for MP Burke Transport.
The associated financial stability offered Maurice the chance to expand his fleet gradually and a move to rented space in Arbuckle Smith’s local yard, would house MP Burke’s operation for the next 15 years.
In 1992 our fleet included four tractor units and five trailers. Scania’s 2 and 3 Series still ruled the roost and these hauled step frame Montracon trailers fitted with Boalloy Tautliner curtains.
During this time Maurice’s son, Martin had been immersing himself in the family business at weekends and after school. Keen to enter the trade properly at 16 years old Martin first attended Reid Kerr College to learn motor mechanics, before being offered an apprenticeship with his nearest Scania dealership, Reliable Vehicles in Clyde Street, Renfrew.
Martin’s four year training programme coincided with the arrival of more Scania trucks at MP Burke Transport and the Swedish marque would be used almost exclusively here until the mid 1990s.
After qualifying as a mechanic, Martin spent some time in Holland working with MAN Trucks, before returning home to the family business and taking the wheel of a 7.5 tonne Mercedes rigid fitted with a curtain side body.
A move to top articulated vehicles naturally occurred when age permitted him to attain an HGV class one license. With volume on the haulage side increasing annually, MP Burke tapped into the possibilities offered by storage when they took a five year lease on a 10,000 sq ft warehouse in Bridge Street, Linwood, early in the new millennium.
This period convinced both Maurice and Martin Burke that their aim was to purchase a company depot, which could accommodate the transport fleet and offer interior space for hire.
That business goal was eventually realized in February 2011 when we moved into our current premises. The site at 121 Abercorn Street, Paisley is an ex whisky barrel store and takes the shape of six firewalled and secure 10,000sp ft warehouses. one of the buildings is used as a workshop and another is used as our modern office building.
