Episode Details

In this episode of Jimmy Talks Construction, James Starbuck sits down with David “Alfie” Alford, Managing Director of DBA Haulage and one of the most experienced operators in Australia’s heavy haulage industry.

Alfie shares the raw reality of building a business from scratch, losing everything early on, and fighting back through some of the toughest lessons in construction and transport.

From running trucks at a young age to being buried under debt, dealing with liquidation, and working his way back into major heavy haulage projects — this episode dives deep into what it actually takes to survive in business.

The conversation covers:

• The truth about business partnerships (and why they fail)
• Losing everything and rebuilding from zero
• Heavy haulage at scale (1000-ton modules, tunnel boring machines & major infrastructure)
• Working with family in construction
• Lessons from failure that most people never talk about
• Why “luck” in business is misunderstood

Alfie also shares stories from some of Australia’s biggest projects, including work on major infrastructure jobs and extreme heavy transport operations.

If you’re in construction, transport, or running a business — this episode is packed with real, unfiltered insight.

Connect with Alfie:

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dbaheavyhaulage/

📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dbahaulage/

Connect with Jimmy:

🌐 Website: https://starbuckgroup.com.au

📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JimmyTalksConstruction

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/starbuckexcavation

📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/starbuckexcavation

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-starbuck-13336546/