Operating a fresh and immaculately-presented fleet of trucks and trailers, Clogh Transport is synonymous with the consistent delivery of unrivalled tipper and general haulage services across four generations. We headed to Kilkenny and interrupted owner John Doyle’s busy schedule to find out more about this industry-leading family business.
Kilkenny trucker John Doyle runs Clogh Transport alongside his son Michael. John set the current company up in 1982 but the roots of this long-established stellar family business go back much further … to the 1940s in fact, when John’s grandfather James Doyle first got the proverbial and literal wheels rolling.
“My grandfather would have started out initially selling ice cream off the back of a bicycle, of all things. Many years ago,” John reveals. “From there, he progressed to eventually buying his first Albion truck and started drawing turf. Things grew from there and my father [Michael] got involved too, drawing turf out of bogs and materials into the construction industry.”
John secured his haulage licence as a young man in the early 1980s and Clogh Transport Ltd. was officially incorporated in 1985. Over the ensuing decades, though an unwavering commitment to invariably providing a top-class service with a personal touch, the business has evolved and grown organically.
Today, John and his son Michael, both of whom are hands-on behind the wheel, operate a fantastic modern fleet of ten trucks – eight Volvos and a pair of Scanias. A rigorous policy of investing in regular fleet replenishment ensures that Clogh Transport have the best-possible trucks and trailers at their disposal to get every job completed with the absolute minimum of fuss.
“We try to upgrade with a couple of trucks every year,” John comments. “We source a lot of quality used Volvo trucks from Dennison Commercials in Ballyclare and opt for the three-year extended Volvo warranty, which gives us added peace of mind and helps keep the fleet operating reliably.
“It’s hard – and costly – to get repairs done, so the best approach is to try to keep the trucks up in the years – depending of course on what work you have on because these are tough times for everybody.
“What’s happening around the world has a huge impact on all of us here in Ireland, so you have to be careful with what you are spending and what you are doing, make sure that you are able to manage your repayments every year when you do invest in new trucks and trailers…
“That’s the road we decided to go down six or seven years ago. We decided it made sense to upgrade to newer trucks and trailers. You feel pain at the start, but it’s worth it in the long run as you have a fresher and more dependable fleet and also the drivers are happier to be driving newer trucks.
“The trucks we are giving to our divers are top class. There’s no comparison between the trucks now and when I started driving. I started off with a 335 Hino and I remember it was a very big thing when I was eventually able to move up to a 336!”
Earlier this year, Clogh Transport took possession of two magnificent new Schmitz 8.2 insulated tipping trailers from Casey Trailers, having purchased two new flat trailers in 2025 – one with a rear-mounted Moffett, used for tiles, the other used predominantly for blocks.
With Truck Shows in the summer, Michael is flicking into show mode. He has a passion for shows and likes to make sure everything in the fleet is looking as attractive as it possibly can. “He’s big into having the trucks look good on the road, always washed and clean and creating a good impression. We do proper maintenance of everything, which includes having a strict tyre maintenance programme in place. No stone is left unturned to make sure the lorries look the part, perform their best and are safe.
“With regular repairs, servicing and the 13-week checks, the industry has really changed. There’s a huge amount of admin involved in all that and you have to embrace it – you are either in business or you are out of business.
“We look after our drivers and we pay them right and look after the fleet. They do their own vehicle checks and have apps on their phones to log any problems. If something needs to be done, it will be done that day. There’s no compromise on safety here; we keep everything right for the drivers because at the end of the day they need to go home safe to their families and that’s prioritised. In return, they give us a good day’s work.”
Using tippers, Clogh Transport specialises in a lot of quarry work and transporting building and construction materials – blocks, sand, stone, tiles, aggregates and road materials. Long-term clients include both Roadstone and Kilsaran, while John and Michael have also branched into curtainsider work for CJ Sheeran.
Touching on the many changes he’s seen in the haulage industry over the years, John continues. “I left school at 15 and got my licence soon after. Back then, you could get your artic licence and it was assumed that if you could drive a lorry you could also drive a car. Michael had to come up through the licences – car first and then the lorry licence. He got his artic licence at 19 and went out driving then. He was getting a few puzzled looks on the road because he was so young but he’s been brought up in the business and it’s in his blood.”
As a family business, with generations of continuity and consistency, customers of Clogh Transport know they are going to get an unbeatable service every time. “Absolutely – we are very passionate about this,” John agrees. “I never wanted to do anything else since I was of age to go out and work. I started as a helper taking bags of turf out of the bog. There were no gyms back in those days; your gym was in your day’s work.
“I’m very proud of what we have here and as a family business we can provide a personal service. I know all our clients on a personal basis, including the guys in the office at Roadstone and Kilsaran, and they can deal with me directly. I’ve seen Roadstone evolve and grow over the years and in a way we’ve been with them on that same journey.”
Expanding on the key to Clogh Transport’s enduring success and viability, John concludes succinctly: “It’s about the service, being polite, and looking after your customers and your drivers. We know we are only as good as our last load and that’s why we always provide the service and do the best we can. If somebody rings me at short notice looking for something delivered in a hurry, we’ll do our best to accommodate them because it’ll be remembered.
“We’re a small business providing a personal service and people know they can trust us to get the job done. We don’t let people down. We are experienced, honest, transparent and fair in everything we do and that’s why people tend to come back to us. We’re very proud to have been working with Roadstone for 40 years and Kilsaran for 15 – it just goes to show that trust and loyalty go a long way!”
Clogh Transport Ltd.,
Clogh,
Castlecomer,
County Kilkenny.
Tel: 056-4442626
Mobile: 086 2452156
Email: [email protected]
First published in Irish Trucker magazine September/October 2026, Vol 29-5
