BULLBARS & BUMPERS - MASTERS OF THE OUTBACK

Two Roos at Speed. The Texan Rancher Didn’t Flinch

How Steve and Kelly Carter keep their 2025 Kenworth T610 SAR looking sharp and working hard across NSW with an AJ’s Texan Rancher bumper that has taken two roo strikes and still presents like new. This bullbar turned a serious animal strike into a same-day fix and kept the freight moving.

CUSTOMER

Steve & Kelly Carter, Owner-operators — SJ Carter Transport

TRUCK

2025 Kenworth T610 SAR

FLEET SIZE

1 truck — owner-operator

AJ'S PRODUCT FITTED

AJ’s Texan ‘Rancher’ style bumper

APPLICATION/ROUTES

Cement haulage (Independent Cement) — regional and metro NSW

THE RESULT

Two roo strikes at 80–90 km/h in 18 months — zero damage, still presents like new.

Steve and Kelly Carter run SJ Carter Transport as a husband-and-wife owner-operator team, contracting to Independent Cement and hauling cement all over NSW, regional and metro alike. Their 2025 Kenworth T610 SAR is their livelihood. When it came time to fit a bumper, they wanted something that looked the part and could handle whatever the road threw at it.

01 THE CHALLENGE

Running cement haulage across both regional and metro NSW means covering a wide range of roads and conditions. Steve and Kelly wanted a bumper that provided real frontal protection on all runs, particularly for wildlife, without sacrificing the look of a well-presented truck. They also wanted something that would stand up to daily work without showing it.

Their must-haves:

02 THE SOLUTION

The AJ’s Texan ‘Rancher’ style bumper was the right call for Steve and Kelly, a traditional-look bar with practical features including light mounts and a recessed number plate. Australian-made and hand-finished, they chose it based on quality, strong online reviews and word of mouth. It was built to suit the Kenworth T610 SAR and has been proving its worth on NSW roads ever since. Finished to suit the truck brand/model it was built for.

THE MOMENT IT EARNED ITS KEEP

Two roo strikes at 80–100 km/h. Eighteen months of cement haulage. Zero damage.

03 Built Tough — Durability in Focus

Material & build

Built to absorb frontal wildlife strikes. Survived two roo hits at 80–100 km/h in 18 months with zero structural damage

Australian-made & hand-finished

Australian-made and hand-finished — still presenting well after 18 months of cement haulage work

Anti-vibration engineering

Solid and rattle-free across regional and metro NSW routes

Finish

Polished finish — due for a fresh polish after 18 months but still presenting really well

Proven in service

Two roo strikes at speed — not a mark. The T610 SAR kept working

04 Safety First

FUPS rated

Proven frontal protection — two roo impacts at highway speed with no damage to the truck

Animal-strike protection

Absorbed two wildlife strikes at highway speed and kept Steve rolling — no downtime, no dramas with wildlife and get the truckie home safe

Protects the expensive bits

Front end of the T610 SAR completely protected through both strikes

Driver confidence

Confidence on regional NSW runs where wildlife is a real and constant risk

Fitment & compatibility

Built to suit the Kenworth T610 SAR — light mounts, recessed plate, clean fitment

05 Put to the Test

In 18 months of cement haulage across NSW, Steve has had two roo strikes — both at between 80 and 100 km/h. Neither was a graze. The kangaroos hit the Texan Rancher at highway speed on regional runs and the bar absorbed both impacts without a mark. Steve kept going both times. The bumper is due for a fresh polish after 18 months on the road, but structurally it is exactly as it was the day it was fitted.

06 The Result

Two roo strikes at highway speed

Kept rolling both times, no tow needed

Full resilience

Zero damage to the bar or the truck after either strike

No downtime

cement deliveries continued without interruption

Driver confidence

Steve and Kelly will fit an AJ’s bar on their next truck

In 18 months I’ve had two small kangaroos hit at 80–100 km/h and there is no damage at all. It’s due for a fresh polish but still presents really well. I would definitely recommend AJ’s products and will consider them again if I were to buy another truck.
Steve Carter
Owner-operator, SJ Carter Transport

07 Product Spec Snapshot

Product

AJ’s Texan ‘Rancher’ Style Bumper

Suits

2025 Kenworth T610 SAR

Material & finish

Polished finish

Wedgelock option

No

Made in

Australian-made, hand-finished

Protect your rig — or your whole fleet.

Send us your truck make/model and what you need it to do — owner-driver, dealer or fleet. We'll confirm fitment, specs, compliance and lead time upfront.
ADDRESS
3 Holt Drive, Torrington QLD 4350