TruckTalk Southern Riverina Trucking Magazine - October 2022

President’s welcome

As president of the Deniliquin Truck Show & Industry Expo, I’d like to welcome you our sixth Truck Show.

To reach our sixth event and come out the other side of the COVID-19 pandemic relatively unscathed is a cause for celebration.

Since our first show we’ve grown from nothing to paving the way to become a major event for our region in such a short time.

The Show ‘n’ Shine continues to grow, with the number of competing entrants increasing every year.

Along with our growing number of attendees, we feel we are on our way to cement our future in the region’s calendar of events.

It’s pleasing to see the amount of support shown for the Deniliquin and District Transport Industry Wall of Fame since its inception to the schedule of weekend events.

Coming together at this event, which this year is being held on Saturday evening after the Truck Show, is becoming so popular and a great way to catch up with like-minded people in the industry.

This year we are edging close to another sellout event, which goes to show the importance of the transport industry in Deniliquin and surrounding districts.

We are seeing more and more trucks passing through our region every day, and the increasing emphasis on road transport and its associated industries is growing across the nation.

The number of heavy vehicles and transport operators we have for a population of about 8000 in Deniliquin also shows just how important the industry is for this region.

The most pleasing part about the weekend’s schedule is witnessing everyone coming together to catch up, relax and celebrate the transport industry by recognising our local legends when they’re nominated and/or inducted into the Deniliquin and District Transport Industry Wall of Fame.

Times have been tough for many communities since we started out, and more so during the pandemic.

But over the last few years we have been able to put more than $50,000 back into the community.

Plus we have spent more than $80,000 at local businesses since putting on our first show.

The committee and I look forward to celebrating our sixth event with all who attend this year.

~ John Creenaune.

Leesa Muir

Jennifer Ho TRAINEE GRAPHIC DESIGN

Rebecca Flisher CREATIVE MANAGER

Zoe McMaugh

Jacquie Marshall CADET JOURNALIST

Sam Wake ADVERTISING

Truck Show committee president John Creenaune (centre) at the 2019 event with Evan Whitbourne (left) and Ron Brown.

Industry night of nights

The Deniliquin & District Transport Industry Wall of Fame 2022 Inductee Dinner will be on Saturday, October 22, from 6pm.

This year the Inductee Dinner will take place on the evening of the Truck Show, so why not make a day and night of it?

Tickets are $55 per person, which includes a twocourse dinner and entry into one of the best nights you’ll attend this year. You also get to witness local transport history as we announce the 2022 inductees.

Each year nominations are open to anyone from Deniliquin, Finley, Berrigan, Barooga, Barham, Tocumwal, Hay, Mathoura, Moama, Moulamein, Conargo, Jerilderie and all areas in between.

It is designed to honour anyone who has made a difference, contribution or had an impact on the local trucking industry. Posthumous nominations are accepted.

All nominations that meet the criteria are scrutinised by an independent judging panel who then shortlist three nominees for possible inclusion.

After winners are announced at the dinner, a plaque dedication ceremony will be held at the Wall of Fame monument in Davidson St, Deniliquin on Sunday, October 23.

It will coincide with a memorial service at the Davidson St rest stop, where plaques in dedication of transport industry workers who have died will be held on the opposite side of the wall.

Tickets for the dinner are on sale now at the Deniliquin RSL Club reception desk; either phone the club on (03) 5881 1455 or call in during opening hours at 72 End St, Deniliquin.

Tickets will not be for sale at the door, and seating is limited.

Six individuals and one trucking company were added to a growing list of industry legends, honoured as part of the last Deniliquin & District Transport Industry Wall of Fame.

Inductions for both 2020 and 2021 were completed at the special ceremony at the Deniliquin RSL Club in February this year.

Honoured for their contributions for 2020 were Helen Dann (Mathoura), Peter Clark (Deniliquin), and Seymours Transport (Deniliquin).

The 2021 inductees were Robert Pearse (Hay) and Ron Brown (Finley), with father and son Harry and Phillip Meadowcroft (Deniliquin) who were inducted together.

The double induction was necessary after the 2020 and 2021 Wall of Fame Dinner and Truck Show events were cancelled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Helen Dann, Lorraine Baker representing Seymours Transport, Karen Martin on behalf of Harry and Phillip Meadowcroft, Mary Clark on behalf of her husband Peter and Ron Brown, who also accepted an award on behalf of Robert Pearse.

Everyone is eager for Truck Show’s return

Trucks of all shapes and sizes will make their way to Memorial Park, Deniliquin for the eagerly awaited return of the Deniliquin Truck Show & Industry Expo.

The Truck Show Committee decided to move the event to the fourth weekend in October, to take advantage of weather conditions moving into the summer season.

Due to the impact of COVID-19 the show has been on a forced hiatus for the last few years.

Truck Show president John Creenaune is excited to welcome everyone back this spring.

The Deniliquin Truck Show & Industry Expo will run from 10am to 4pm on Saturday, October 22.

A fantastic line-up of entertainment has been organised, which includes truck Show ‘n Shine, and an auction.

There are trade sites for you to explore and you might just find something to make your life on the road that little bit easier.

There are great activities for the young ones too, making this a fantastic family event.

There will be an animal nursery, kids craft area, kids rides and show bags.

There will also be a range of food stalls on offer to keep your energy up for the day.

Admission is just $10 per person, with children under 15 years free.

A highlight of the weekend will be the celebration to recognise the stalwarts in the industry at the Deniliquin & District Transport Industry Wall of Fame inductee dinner at the Deniliquin RSL Club that evening.

The dinner, which is from 6pm, will feature a goods and services auction, two-course meal and the induction of this year’s Wall of Famers.

Tickets are $55 per person. Book at the club or by calling the club on (03) 5881 1455.

The weekend concludes with the traditional memorial service at 10am Sunday, October 23.

It is held at the Wall of Fame and Memorial, which is set amongst the gum trees in the Deniliquin North Rest Area on Davidson St, Deniliquin.

The memorial wall is a space to sit and reflect on the lives of those who, in their lifetime, contributed to the transport industry in our region.

For more information about the Deniliquin Truck Show & Industry Expo, contact Evan Whitbourne on 0467 532 433 or Warwick Petersen on 0418 379 815, or email the organising committee at admin@ denitruckshow.com.au.

Check out the Deni Truck Show and Industry Expo’s Facebook page for more details.

Paul, Willow, Maddi, Ariah and Harley Regan at the last Truck Show & Industry Expo in 2019.

Show ‘n’ Shine a massive hit

The massive Show ‘n’ Shine event is always a hit at the Deniliquin Truck Show & Industry Expo at Deniliquin’s Memorial Park showgrounds.

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wards will be presented for the best trucks on show.

Each first place winner will receive a trophy and bragging rights across 13 categories.

People are welcome to enter the Show ‘n’ Shine up until noon on Saturday, October 22, and the fee for each Show ‘n’ Shine entry is $10. Truck categories are:

• Best Truck of the show

• Best Truck of the Show Runner-Up

• Best Truck 0-3 years

• Best Truck 4-9 years

• Best Truck 10-25 years

• Best Truck 26-39 years

• Best Truck 40 years +

• Best Rigid Truck

• Best Local Truck

• Best Small Fleet (minimum 3 trucks)

• Best Non-American

• Best Farm Truck

• Muscles Gray Memorial Trophy

Memorial Service to end weekend

The Deniliquin Truck Show & Industry Expo will close with the traditional memorial service on Sunday, October 23.

Held at the Deniliquin & District Transport Industry Wall of Fame and Memorial Wall monument in north Deniliquin, the service will start at 11am.

The service will honour those members of the industry who have died.

One new dedication will be made during the service, and others added throughout the year will also be commemorated.

The service will be led by Truck Show chaplain Josh Renn.

The Memorial Wall is on the reserve side of the Wall of Fame, set amongst the gum trees in the Deniliquin North Rest Area.

It is a space where you can sit and reflect on the lives of those who, in their lifetime, contributed to the transport industry in our area.

Families who would like their loved ones honoured on the wall can apply by using the form on the Truck Show website - www.denitruckshow.com.au.

Supply and placement of each memorial plaque is $95.

For more information about memorial applications, contact Warrick Petersen on 0418 379 815 or John Creenaune on 0439 790 116, or email admin@denitruckshow.com.au

Matthew Clarke is the reigning champion heading into this show, after claiming the Truck of the Show award in 2019 with his 2018 Kenworth T409SAR.

Deniliquin & District Transport Industry Wall of Fame, Davidson Street Rest Stop, Davidson Street, Deniliquin.

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Working in styleand comfort

That’s why Deniliquin truck driver Tom Fellows upgraded his 2017 Kenworth T909 to the 2022 model, purchased fresh off the production lines in August.

By the start of October, Tom has already clocked up 23,000km on the odometer.

Tom travels often between Deniliquin, other parts of southern NSW, throughout Victoria and between Melbourne and Brisbane.

He mostly carts agricultural commodities.

The 2022 T909 only boasts minor standard improvements from other models, but Tom says when you already have quality you don’t need to change much anyway.

But it is the custom touches he really takes pride in.

“All the Fellows Bulk Transport trucks are named after family members. This one is ‘G for George’, after my two year-old nephew.

“There was also a Lancaster bomber called ‘G for George’ – it’s the one that flew under Sydney Harbour Bridge and is now in the Canberra War Memorial. So we made the ‘o’ on George an RAAF symbol.”

Custom stickers are also found in several spots on the truck, which mark the 25th anniversary of the family company Fellows Bulk Transport.

In an extra nod to the anniversary, the truck’s personalised plates read 25Y-FBT (25 years Fellows Bulk Transport).

Other custom features of the truck include the stainless steel drop visor, stainless steel bug deflector and stainless steel wings on the back of the bunk.

There are six tanks with old school tank lights and old school bullet lights also adorn the rig, along with round air horns, seven inch stacks and dove tail.

Standard features include a Cumins X15 engine, Eaton Fuller Roadranger 18 speed gear box, 50 inch

bunk with built in microwave and television and a Coolabah airconditioner.

When you are consistently travelling between Deniliquin, Melbourne and Brisbane, comfort is key.

“All the Fellows Bulk Transport trucks are named after family members. This one is ‘G for George’, after my two yearold nephew.”

TOM FELLOWS

Tom begins his life on the road

Tom Fellows may have only been driving trucks commercially for two years, but his first stint in the driver’s seat was nine years ago.

Not impressed? How about if we told you Tom is only 22 years old?

A childhood obsession with big rigs was only spurred on by his surroundings.

His parents Paul and Jenny Fellows own Fellows Bulk Transport, and Tom grew up watching them and the other staff at work.

Tom finally got his chance to take a permanent job behind the wheel in August 2022, and the wait was worth it.

Growing up in a well known transport family has provided Tom with some unique opportunities, but he didn’t just cruise into his latest career.

It took a lot of hard work and perseverance.

“I have only been driving since I was 20, but I’ve done lots of bits and pieces for many years,” he said.

“The first time I ever drove a truck was when I was 13. If it was on the family property, and I was carting hay into the shed, dad was loading it with the telehandler.

“I was able to back it around, change gears and really get a feel for it.

“When I finished school I went to work in the Fellows Bulk Transport workshop.

“I did a lot of general duties. I would also back trailers over the pit and get experience in manoeuvring and hooking up the trailers.

“I did that for two years before going to work for another district company for about eight months.

“I was also in their workshop as labourer to the diesel mechanic.

“The experiences I gained in both those jobs has made life so much easier on the road.

“I am prepared to face anything, and can even fix minor things if I get stuck on the road.”

Before becoming a full time driver with Fellows, Tom learned more tricks of the trade from one of the company’s most experienced drivers.

“I’d go on day trips with Chris Tresize to get a bit of experience, so he could give me some more pointers on what do to.

“He taught me to drive properly so I can be safe, and not put too much pressure on the truck.

“Chris drives the company’s 900 Legend, which is actually named the Tominator after me.”

“My first full trip away in the driver’s seat was a Brisbane run. Chris was in his truck and we travelled as a pair.”

From drawing trucks all over his school books to driving them for a wage, Tom said it’s hard to describe what it is that makes a truck driver want to be a truck driver.

“You just know it,” he said.

“It is an amazing way to see the country, and to meet people.

“And I have met a lot of great people and made lifelong friends.”

What makes driving in 2022 more special for Tom, is that it marks 25 years since the family company was established.

It started in Deniliquin in 1997, and has grown from a single vehicle to a fleet of trucks with operations in the eastern states.

But the Fellows’ see their role in the industry as being much more than transport operators.

Both Jenny and Paul have taken on leadership roles in community education on road safety.

Jenny is one of the founding members of the Deniliquin Driver Education Program, which runs an annual, week-long program for Year 10 students at Deniliquin High School. The long term goal is to roll the program out nationally.

Paul – who has 40 years of driving and transport experience - has held various roles within transport organisations and regulatory bodies.

In September this year he was elected president of the National Road Transport Association (NatRoad).

He is also the chair of TruckSafe, which is an arm of the Australian Trucking Association.

“My main focus is on promoting a safe workplace and a professional industry,” Paul said.

“My priorities are advancing the financial viability of our industry, recruiting and retaining talent and reviving Heavy Vehicle National Law reform so we can have meaningful change.”

Paul and Jenny say anyone looking to get into the transport industry would be well rewarded with varied career opportunities and the capacity to earn a good salary. They are willing to help any young person interested in a career in transport.

Paul and Tom Fellows.

“It is an amazing way to see the country, and to meet people. And I have met a lot of great people and made lifelong friends.”

TOM FELLOWS

The family that works together is inducted together

When Keith Purtill purchased his first school bus in 1951, little did he realise it would be the start of one of the Southern Riverina’s largest companies.

t would also create a multi-generational involvement in the transport industry which now spans a few different corners of the country.

I

The local legacy forged by the Purtill family is also gaining national attention, with four members of the family now inducted in the Shell Rimula Transport Wall of Fame.

After accepting his induction last year, Brian Purtill has been joined on the Wall of Fame by his brothers Geoffrey and Ian.

Their father Keith Purtill was also formally inducted at the Australian Festival of Transport in late August.

Keith’s long-held dream was to be a truck owner/ operator, even before he made his way to Deniliquin in the 1940s. He’d gone as far as putting a Bedford truck on order, but post-World War II there was a lengthy wait on delivery. He wanted the truck to cart stock, but his employer Lindsay McCleary at Mac’s Motors pointed him in a different direction.

“Why don’t you buy a school bus? The Blighty run is up for grabs,” Lindsay told Keith, before offering to lend him the money to buy it.

Even in those early years, Keith realised one bus run was not enough for a successful business. Before long he acquired the Mayrung run, followed by Tuppal and Moonee Swamp.

In the late 1960s a significant development in the business saw Purtills provide a charter bus service, and in the early to mid 1970s the Finley/Warranooke and Conargo school runs were added to the Purtills’ routes.

Soon after purchasing the Conargo bus run, Keith Purtill made two significant decisions – a move to new premises and his first venture into diversification.

By this stage he and Pat’s oldest son, Norm, was approaching his 18th birthday and before long there would be six boys - with Ian, George, Neville, Geoff and Brian to follow - looking for various jobs in the business.

Keith bought the former Grimison site at the corner of Wood and Edwardes Sts, Deniliquin which provided more space than the Wood St back yard. It was the first of a number of moves and expansions.

The company’s first of many future diversifications was into the fuel industry. Keith saw synergies with his existing business - it would allow drivers to be

behind the wheel of a school bus in the morning and afternoon, and be gainfully employed throughout the rest of the day delivering fuel.

As a bonus, the customer base was primarily farmers with whom there was already contact, as their children were the daily bus passengers.

In 1976 the first new fuel truck was purchased – an International Acco 1830 which was a far cry from the $700 Bedford which had first been used to supply the region’s farms.

Throughout the 1980s Purtills took full advantage of prosperous times, taking many thousands of passengers from one end of Australia to the other. This included passenger and tour services, primarily under the guidance of Ian and Geoff.

Ian had developed an interest in cooking, which had been kindled out of necessity by his father and after a stint away returned to Deniliquin as a qualified chef. He had the ideal background to take on the role of charter tour overseer, driver and cook.

While the coach business was expanding in the 1980s, so was another arm of the Purtill company. Early in the decade they branched out into retail fuel sales with the purchase of the North Deniliquin Service Station – now a Shell Coles Express.

From that point the Purtill interest in retail fuel sales and associated food and convenience stores has continued to be a major part of the enterprise. The company expanded with two Caltex service station outlets in Deniliquin, plus others in Hay, Mathoura, Jerilderie and Griffith.

As the coach and retail fuel sides of the business grew, there was a further development which has had a lasting impact on the region’s transport industry with the establishment by Purtills of Deniliquin Freighters. It was started in 1977 with two trucks and originally run by Norm Purtill and Bill Hall.

Meanwhile, the Purtill company continued its diversification and growth, regularly taking on new challenges.

The six Purtill brothers all had a role to play –whether it was looking after buses, finance, fuel or other parts of the operation including the regular construction jobs, which was George’s area of expertise.

They ventured into tyres by purchasing the local Goodyear dealership, became the local franchisee for

Autopro spare parts and even sold barbecues and gas heaters as part of their gas delivery distributorship as the region’s Speed-E-Gas agent. Many of these arms were sold following Keith’s death in 1988.

After Norm, Ian and George decided they wanted a lifestyle change in the new millennium, it left the three youngest siblings - Neville, Geoff and Brian –to continue operating what had become Purtills Bros Nominees Pty Ltd.

Geoff was in charge of the fuel distributorship, Brian ran the bus business and Neville, who had been looking after the finances for about 15 years, became general manager.

Geoff and Brian also moved on over the coming years, but not before Neville and Brian bought out Husseys Buses in 2004. With that expansion, it was decided to continue narrowing the focus and concentrate primarily on fuel – both wholesale and retail – and the bus business.

The scope of the company narrowed again in 2019 when Purtills sold the bus and coach division to Dysons - one of the biggest business deals in Deniliquin’s history.

Purtills Group moved its headquarters to the roadhouse in Hardinge St, where they again changed their focus by developing Cruizin* Diner and The Depot Historic Vehicle and Memorabilia Collection museum. Vehicle hire is also a main arm of the business.

Outside of his work with Purtills, Geoff worked for Landmark, Dysons and Brits touring around Australia doing both accommodated tours and campers which he loved. After a stint back home in Deniliquin in the 1990s, back with the family business, he went back to Dysons until 2006.

He then moved to Moama to fulfil his dream of owning and running his own coach business with wife Julie, starting with contracting to CountryLink, now NSW TrainLink.

Geoff’s son Brenton is following in his footsteps driving trucks and buses.

Ian left the family business in 1999, and with wife Mary started his own - Timed Right Pty Ltd, based in Albury.

Having become a licensed driver-trainer in 1996, he also contracted his skills to Wodonga TAFE to provide bus, truck, car and 4WD driver training. He

Pat and Keith Purtill.

also began the training and assessment of bus drivers working in hazardous snow areas.

In 2000, he trained drivers associated with the Sydney Olympics, and offered similar assistance to the Commonwealth Games in Queensland in 2008. Since 2006 he has been training drivers working in the Kosciuszko National Park.

In 2018, Ian became the human resources manager for Martin’s Albury Pty Ltd - a school charter and touring bus firm - and drives a school bus as needed.

Almost all the family made the trip to Alice Springs for the National Transport Hall of Fame hosted event.

Ian was joined by his sons Tim and David, and Geoff was accompanied by wife Julie, children Nikki and Brenton, and Brenton’s fiance Maddison.

Brian also made the trip with his children Jordan and Ben, and brother Norm attended with wife Bev and daughter Melissa.

Current Purtill Group general manager Neville Purtill and his family were unable to attend, due to sponsorship commitments at the Deniliquin Business Chamber’s Business Excellence Awards held the same weekend.

Brian Purtill was born to drive buses, and that passion has been acknowledged with his induction into the Alice Springs Road Transport Hall of Fame and Ghan Museum.

“Driving is something I always wanted to do and something I still love today,” Brian said.

Born into the Purtill family in September 1964 in Deniliquin, Brian was the youngest of six children. Their father Keith established the family bus and fuel business in 1951, and a young Brian started his working life as a motor trimmer apprentice crafting and repairing truck tarps.

It was only in 1985 when Brian joined the family business as a driver. While he says he was “born into it”, Brian said his father wasn’t the type to give his children an easy ride. ‘

‘It didn’t matter who you were, we were all treated the same by my father,” he said. But Brian had a natural talent for driving the buses, fuel trucks and charter coaches, which were his main beat, and alongside the mentorship of his father, he rose in the ranks.

It was during this time, up to 1994, Brian drove coaches across the country. He said it was the “best” part of his work. “I just love driving and all aspects of it. It’s the scenery, going different places all the time — to me driving is relaxing.”

Brian stepped up to become manager and bulk delivery driver following his father’s passing, and spent five years as the local gas distributor. By the turn of the century, four of Brian’s brothers had left the business and he became operations and workshop manager between 1999 and 2000.

It was also about this time that his children Jordan and Ben were born. It was Jordan who came up with the idea to nominate her Dad for the Hall of Fame during a trip to Alice Springs a few years back.

“We had kind of joked about it and then the idea was floated around (to nominate him),” she said. The family were scheduled to accept the award in person, however restrictions at the time made travel to the Northern Territory impossible.

Jordan wanted to acknowledge her Dad for all his hard work, to shine a light on his efforts despite his humble personality.

“I think when people go about their business in an ‘under the radar’ type of way, it is nice for them to be recognised,” she said. “To me it highlights my childhood and watching the late hours and the hard work that Dad put into the business.”

Running a business of any sort is always going to be hard work, and there are things that you will miss because of it.

“But one of the main memories is that no matter where he had been or for how long, Dad would always try and make sure he drove the bus for our school excursions. It was a way for him to spend time with Ben and I without the interruption of ‘work’,” Jordan explained.

Brian has a new role outside the rebranded Purtill Group, but it’s still in transport. He said he fell into the role as a driving trainer accidentally. He worked at the Sydney Olympics bus depot for three months

and earned his driver authority trainer during his stint there.

“When I left the family business my daughter was on her Ls (L plates),” Brian said. He started by teaching Jordan, although the arguments were “hilarious” because “let’s be honest, no one truly listens to their parents” she joked.

Brian also has a job in bus auditing and spends one week away from home every four weeks. Jordan says she has a constant stream of people “telling me how much the kids he teaches love him, and how they appreciate all the advice and effort he has put in with teaching young drivers”.

“There is a true appreciation for what he does for the community,” she said. Brian said he was “very proud” to be nominated by his daughter, who herself is a business owner — Deni Clothing Co. And son Ben also works in the transport industry, as a mechanic with Dysons. Dysons purchased the school bus side of the Purtill Group business in 2019.

On his driving career, Brian says he’ll have to have his licence taken away before he considers retiring.

Geoff, Norm and Ian Purtill at the Alice Spring Shell Rimula Wall of Fame ceremony. Photo by Emma Louise Murray.

Brian Purtill and his children Ben and Jordan getting ready to take the OB Bedford