A few reflections of a truckie

As I near my 58th year I look back at what a wonderful and privileged journey I have had so far.
I started driving heavy vehicles as soon as I got my brief. As a kid we drove them around the paddock at harvest time everyone had to help. I had to drive the chase bin it was a inter about a 1950 model, I was 10 or 11 years old. We were very lucky as kids we drove tractors and all manner of farm machinery before we even became teenagers.
My great grandfather was a bullocky, Carrying  Milk churns and cream to the butter factories around kempsey. And timber from 5 day creek and the hills around Dorigo. my granddad had one of the first motorized transport companies in the Macleay valley based in Kempsey. I wonder what great grand dad would think of the transport system we have today
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Even grand dad who is now 35 years passed on. What he would think?, as he started out with a 15CWT 1929 Dodge truck with wooden spoke wheels and solid tyres it was almost new when pop got it only a couple of years old, he also had a very early Thorneycroft and a MAN made in 1924.The MAN was the first with a direct injected diesel engine and it had duel wheels on the rear as well. It was a powerhouse a massive truck capable of carrying more than 7 tons it had a whopping 42 hp.It too had solid tyres he also had a 1927 Inter S-24 I think it was. Pops first boggie brive was a Thorneycroft about a 1935 model. Then after the war there was heaps of big trucks around he had a couple of Studebakers and GMCs, white power wagon ECT.

Whilst driving north along the pacific Hi-Way a few days ago and thinking how easy it is now, duel lanes from Pt Macquarie all the way to Melbourne. And the rest being duplicated to be finished, I hope before I hang up my brief. As I would love to drive from brissy to Melbourne on Duel carriageway all the way. 
I think about the blokes from the past that in their wildest dreams could not have imagined the road system now. The ease of it all, hardly ever having to change a Tyre, not overheating in the summer climbing hills at almost cruise speed,Instead of bog cog. Air conditioned and heated cabs, lights that you can see more than 100mtrs with and brakes that work, extremely effective Jake breaks are the norm.

I remember my first trip to Sydney from Brisbane, Wow; a load of scrap for the Pt kembler steel works. The truck was an old D5n Dodge with a 653 GM and a 5speed box and a No5 eaton 2speed diff. The trailer was a spread boggie I had 6 gates and she was chock-a-block way over loaded.
It took 21hrs driving time to get from brassy to The mill I had 4 flat tyres, one on the Dodge and three on the trailer. I had a piece of ply that went across the gap in the seats on which to sleep.

My first road train trip was from Darwin to Heartbreak hotel, Borroloola, then down to old George Darcys place at mallapunyah. I had two 36 trailers and a single axle dolly the truck was a 7-215 bubble cab MAN with a 12 speed ZF pogo stick box. I had 8 cross tanks of fuel 4 on each trailer. I had worked for old mate Vic Zackaloto (I cant remember how he spelt his name.) for about 6 months just moving trucks around the yard or running out the hook-up to bring in or take out the dog trailers ect; then one day he said son gunna have to get you to take the fuel to the loo and down to mallapunyah all the other blokes are busy, do you think you can do it ? ill give you 6 days.
Well my heart almost skipped a beat i think I was lucky he got me coming out of the dunny not going in , for I am sure i would had **** myself with excitement.

I could not believe that I was hooked up at the 19mile and it was me that was going to be in charge of that road train. I had my swag my Billy and tucker box plenty of tin tucker 3 tins of log Cabin fine cut baccy and several packet of papers and a dozen boxes of matches and my trusty old .303 and a box of shells, hoping to shot a young pig or even a nice roo for fresh meat. I had two water bags on the front and two tiered to the combing rails on each side. I also had 3 Gerry cans of water in the tool box as well; the road out to Borroloola was pretty ****ty back then. I was 18 1976 (WOW a life time ago.) I had 4 spare tyres on each trailer and 4 new tubes and 4 new rust bands a big box of patches and a vulcanizing clamp and a big pot of glue. I got a total of 12 flat tyres on that trip.

As I look back on it now I have a little chuckle to myself, Man i thought I was king **** from turd island. I felt so important sitting up there in that Big jigger It was hot it was dusty and I could not have cared less I was now a real Truckie (The only thing I can think of that is even close to how I felt is going for my first solo flight both were pretty special.)
I had no idea at that time what would lay ahead of me over the next 40 years many Millions of Ks and many dozens of trucks many road or even tracks that barely resembled a road. More great mates than a body has a right to know and a few arseholes as well. As truckies we are very privileged to meet many people in our working life most of whom would give you the shirt of their backs
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It saddens me a bit as we all know this great industry is not what it once was. The mateship is still there but we have no time anymore everything is rush, rush all the time. How long is it since we have had time to stop and boil the billy and have a chin wag for a few hours and know that you will not get sacked for not being on time.
That first trip I was at Heart break hotel mending tyres a couple of other blokes pulled up and they had a few to mend as well so we hooked in and helped each other in all we patched 15 tyres in about 4 hrs then had a cuppa a bit of a yarn and either went to bed or on our way.
I often think about the old blokes that taught me to drive i am forever great full Blokes like Rab Taylor from Goodooga, Huck Finn from Warwick a real legend, In his old Mack. Terry Spiller from brissy. Then the real legends of our industry Noel Buntine. Kurt Johannsen The father of the moden road train. Then there is people I have meet later in life like Jim Milne and realized our paths had crossed many times but never meet until years later Where would we be without these blokes?

I sit here reminiscing about old stock runs the stations I have visited the rough as gutz tracks out to some stock yard miles from any major road. or minor road for that matter. The break downs waiting for someone to come along to give you a tow or give them a message to pass on to the boss. Communication was not what it is today that is for sure. You could wait days for a mechanic to turn up or another truck to turn up to put under your trailers and then stiff arm yours to the back trailer and tow it in. 
The wet was always interesting bogged to the chassis rails a few units hooked up together with stiff arms trying to rock back and forth to get out .
Then came some heavy haulage time I think the easiest job of all, police escort daytime only for the most part,. Was pretty cruisey. I think of some of the loads and wonder how the hell we got away with it. The coppers had no idea about the load and how doggie it was we were very lucky nothing went arse up.

There is too many things to put into a short ramble like this but my last dozen or so years I enjoyed very much.
I was part of a team running two-up Brissy to Perth every week. For Brian Cook another legend of the road. We did a 2 on 1 off roster it was a great job with great blokes for the most part. Most of the time I spent with two other drivers Ron Jenkin, Morgan Kline and Brian was a good team of very experienced drivers. I just hope I can and have passed on some worthy knowledge to the younger generation and that i have made a difference along the way. I am semi retired now, but still look forward to a run to Perth every now and then just to keep my hand in.
To be completely honest the main reason I have backed out of a great industry I love is all the bull**** paper work and the fact that some bastard is always out to get you, be it a rouge copper or a scalie you just about need to be a Rhoads Scholar to get by now. And a master of mathematics its all a game to see who can add up the best, all the time can be correct and you make a simple error adding up and BANG your busted. 

I hope I have not bored you lot with this dribble.
Well thats all for now

Cheers

The Hats (Ron)

Mate, that was a great read You should try and put your memories and experiences down (I was going to say on paper, but much easier on a computer these days). You can keep going back over it and adding more along the way as you think of it. I'm sure your kids and grand kids would love to be able to read about it when they are all grown up.
Cheers
Bob

What was I doing in 1976 hmm my first couple of overseas trips with the RAAF. Servicing Canberra Bombers (like in my avatar) who were doing photo recon around PNG and Irian Jaya.

Here are a couple of pics of one of the Canberras on his return from a mission, taken by a mate. I still have an original copy of the colour one, but the B&W I got off the net.

Gday...

That made my day Ron.

I always say I have no regrets about my life. However, I have had a fascination of trucks and truckies since I as a little tacker.

As country kid too, I was able to use tractors and other farm equipment but we never had any trucks. My old man had truckie mates and I got to ride in them and that just amazed me how they could make them 'talk'. Unfortunately, I have never driven a big "proper" truck - but I sure would have loved to.

That lifestyle you describe has some parallels with my 'country kid' life and is a lifestyle I do miss. The sad thing, perhaps, is that too many younguns of today will refer to today as "the good ole days" in 50 years time. They don't know what they have missed. I think there are still country kids that know and enjoy the 'good life' though.

The only other thing that created an obsession in me was watching the 1953 Redex Trial come through our small country town. I was six years old at the time - and knew then I would be be a racing driver ... and even better a rally driver. I achieved that - with some success - albeit family reasons caused me to stop too early.

Anyway once again, thanks heaps for those reminiscences - I felt your soul through those words

If ya happen to feel the urge to add to them - feel free.

Cheers - and keep on truckin ' - John 

Thanks Ron, 

Great read, brings back memories. My first truck was a  flat top Thames Trader and I carted 

farm machinery throughout Victoria. No power steering in those days, had to rope and tarp

many a load. How many hitches before the rope breaks? Delivery to railway yards with full load,

and watched the railway workers disappear only to see them come back when I'd finished unloading.

Remember the hot drinks at the Flinders Street extension coffee bar, great eye opener early in the morning.

Graduated to MC licence then in later years down graded to HV and still have it and use it occasionally.

Stands me in good stead when caravanning. 

 Thank you Ron, that was a fantastic read.

My husband was a diesel mechanic with a bit of truck and coach driving thrown in, in his life before retirement, he still enjoys a yarn with a retired truckie or two.

We would on occasions get calls in the middle of the night because some generous soul wrote his number on the wall near the phone at a truckie stop at about Tarcutta on the Hume Highway between Melbourne and Sydney, they always seemed to break down there. 

There used to be a publication around called "Truck and Bus", it may be published still, I think it came out each month.  The editors name was Jack and I somehow convinced him to let me write an article for one edition or maybe he convinced me, can't remember but he published my article with the photos I took, had to get the technical information from husband as that part was a little beyond me.  I was so excited to see my writing published that I remember celebrating with a lot of alcohol.  Did NOT feel good the next morning!!!

But I have to say Ron, your story is much more interesting than mine was. Enjoyed it very much   Keep going,    cheers  Capricorn

Like Ron ...I have had 40 odd years in the trucks....but mostly as singles...altho did my share of wide loads and float work. But probably not as continuous ...as there was a fair time as a farmer...altho a semi wasn't very far away either.

I agree with him about the beurocracy running amok these days (fuelled in no small part by the media...and ill-informed posters on forums and farcebook ).

But unlike him...have been retired forcefully due to a pretty troublesome injury mostly from all those years of rope, chain and dogs, and in later years ...straps and ratchets

I would do it all again in a heartbeat as the comradeship and people you meet on the road really has no equal.

Not finished altogether yet tho...as I am hoping to do a run to Perth in the train later on in the year...if he is still going that is.

Cheers  Keith

NeilandRaine wrote:

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Slim Dusty would of been proud to turn that story into a song.
We call ourselves Mechanised Swaggies , a Slim Dusty song that describes every thing Ron wrote of

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 I'd definitely rather read it

Thanks Ron. A thoroughly enjoyable read.

Jeff

I am glad you lot enjoyed the rambling of and old truckie  I will do a follow up soon am a bit busy at the monent.

Cheers

The Hats

(Ron)