SATURDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2024
Deniliquin Festival Site, Conargo Rd, Deniliquin, 10am – 4pm
President’s welcome
What a year! While I’ve always been happy to linger around in the background - as I see it, the general dog’s body, jack of all trades, master of none type roll - 2024 is my first year as president of the Deniliquin Truck Show and Industry Expo.
This year, our ninth, brings with it a move to a bigger site and our second year collaborating with the Rotary Club of Deniliquin to bring Deniliquin another outstanding truck show.
I’m proud of what we have produced over the years, the funds, and opportunities we’ve given back to support our community, and the support of local businesses enabling us to pull the event together.
In what feels like a blur, our tiny organising committee, all of whom are volunteers, have managed to grow the event year-on-year and we appreciate the support of the Rotary Club of Deniliquin to help us achieve this year’s show.
What the transport industry brings to our region is immeasurable, and I personally feel it is at times under recognised for the contribution it makes to the economy of Deniliquin, surrounding districts, and on a national scale.
We constantly hear the old saying ‘Without trucks, Australia stops’. This is something that cannot be challenged at any level, as every household, every business, every farmer relies on the vast network of guys and girls out there, away from families making a mile to keep the country running.
Our Truck Show and Wall of Fame dinner are about celebrating the comradery, the legends, and the industry. It also provides time with family before most head off to work the summer harvest.
Moving to the Deniliquin Festival Site has been a must, and something we’ve spoken about for years. Finally, all the stars aligned and we have been able to make the move, and I thank the Play on the Plains committee for allowing this to happen and giving us the space to grow.
This year’s Wall of Fame nomination process attracted the second highest number of nominees
in our history, and again we’re reaching above our expectations by surpassing previous ticket sales to the inductee dinner.
Donna Vawdrey, daughter of trucking legend Toots Holzheimer, is leading the list of guest speakers on the night, and along with the goods and services auction there will be plenty of entertainment on Friday night.
Our dinner has been held at the club each year, and I thank our host the Deni RSL for again supporting us.
The past nine years has seen the Deniliquin Truck Show and Industry expo give back to our community to the tune of $90,000 plus in cash donations, and by providing space for many community and sporting groups to fundraise for the own causes.
When you buy a snag in bread or can of soft drink at one of our shows, you are helping these groups raise
much needed funds for their causes and projects. We thank them for putting their hands up to provide these facilities for our patrons.
Our events also inject valuable revenue in our community. 99 per cent of items purchased to make the dinner and show what it is are all purchased locally.
In 2015 the committee made the conscious decision we would support local at all costs, and that remains the sentiment.
Don’t forget to join us for the last of the activities of our three-event weekend, our memorial service.
Held annually at the Deniliquin and District Wall of Fame in Davidson St, Deniliquin, our memorial service wraps up the weekend by paying our respects to our transport comrades no longer with us.
Please join us from 11am for a short service and reflection of loved ones lost followed by a light morning tea provided by the committee.
Looking ahead to our 10th anniversary show in 2025, we have some amazing things planned already and I hope we will see all your smiling faces not only this year, but next year too for a bigger and better line-up of things to see and do.
They say it takes a village to raise a child, but we know it certainly does take a village to run a truck show!
Thank you to all our supporters, sponsors, trade and catering site holders, volunteers, and everybody that chips in when needed; we couldn’t do it without you.
~ Leesa Muir, President
Zoe McMaugh CONTENT MANAGER
Daniel Briggs CADET JOURNALIST
Amber King ADVERTISING
More space, more to see
The continued expansion of the Deniliquin Truck Show and Industry Expo has seen it outgrow two Deniliquin venues already, necessitating a move to the Deniliquin Festival Site this year.
Thetruck show, which is proudly supported by the Rotary Club of Deniliquin, brings truck owner/operators, transport businesses and associations and families to Deniliquin each year.
It has built a reputation among the industry so great that the event could no longer be contained in the Deniliquin Memorial Park showgrounds and Deniliquin Racecourse sites it has called home in its first eight years.
For event number nine - on Saturday, October 26 - organisers struck up a partnership with Deniliquin Play on the Plains Ltd to use Deniliquin Festival Site - home of the Deni Ute Muster.
Deniliquin Truck Show and Industry Expo president Leesa Muir said it not only means there’s plenty of space this year, but offers further opportunities to expand for the 10th anniversary event in 2025 and beyond.
“This was a wonderful opportunity to find a home for our event with room to grow,” Ms Muir said.
“We’ve explored multiple options over the years, but you can’t find a site more perfectly suited to our needs than the Deniliquin Fesitval Site.
“We can not only cater to more trucks, but also more trade sites and entertainment options.
“We have been working hard behind the scenes to bring more of everything to this year’s event, and now we have more space to accommodate all the items on our wish list.”
Some of those wish list items have been added to this year’s attractions, which includes familyfriendly entertainment like a petting zoo, jumping castle, face painting, giant sandpit and giant Jenga game. There will also be a craft station, and plenty of grassed areas to kick the footy around.
Add to that a growing list of trade sites, business displays, truck show ‘n’ shine, car and motorbike show ‘n’ shine and food stands, and you’ve got yourself a winning combination. Expect to find clothing, truck parts and accessories, technology, industry information and more on the trade stands.
Stop by and learn about the latest products and services from long-time sponsors like Graham Thomson Motors, Purtill Group and Cumins, and learn more about the Downunder Modified Tractor Pulling Association which will bring tractor pulling to the 10th anniversary event.
Displays will also showcase our vital emergency services organisations and personnel.
Deni Play On The Plains Festival Ltd general manager Vicky Lowry said it is exciting to partner with another great local event, and see the site support even more visitation to the region.
“The site is a perfect fit for their event, and it is great to utilise the facilities that we have for an additional event on our site.
“We look forward to working with the committee by supplying our world-class event space and
watching the plans to grow the Deniliquin Truck Show and Industry Expo come to fruition.”
Admission is $15 per person, and free for under-16s. Book online at www.trybooking.com/CUQKS, or pay at the gate.
Truck Show timetable:
7am – Entries for Show ‘n’ Shine competitions open. Entrants can start making their way into the site via Moonee Swamp Rd entrance.
10am – Gates open to general public via main gates, Conargo Rd.
12pm – Show ‘n’ Shine entries close. Judging begins.
1pm – Goods and services auction begins.
1.55pm – Raffle draw.
2pm – Show ‘n’ Shine winners announced.
PLATINUM SPONSORS
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2024
Deniliquin Festival Site, Conargo Rd, Deniliquin, 10am – 4pm
• Show and Shine
• Best Car & Bike of this Day Competition sponsored by Repco Deniliquin
• Industry Information and Technology
• Trade Displays
Strictly
• Bar Facilities
• Catering
• Children’s
Entertainment
• Plus Much More…
Deniliquin
Transport legends to be honoured
Ten nominations were received for the Deniliquin and District Transport Wall of Fame in 2024, but how many will be inducted?
We’ll find out at a special dinner at the Deniliquin RSL Club this Friday, as part the larger Deniliquin Truck Show & Industry Expo, proudly support by the Rotary Club of Deniliquin.
A record number of tickets have already been sold for the dinner, which include a two-course meal, goods and services auction and special guest speaker Donna Vawdrey.
Donna is the daughter of Australian trucking legend Thora ‘Toots’ Holzheimer.
Toots was one of Australia’s best known truckies, and her sparkling Blue Man prime mover has pride of place in the National Transport Hall of Fame at Alice Springs.
Toots and her truck were the lifeline for the communities the length of Cape York, wet or dry.
She was tragically killed during a loading accident on the wharf at Weipa in 1992. Mrs Vawdrey has shared her mother’s story in the book Toots: Woman in a man’s world.
She will speak about her mother’s exploits on the road, drawing from stories in the book. Copies of the book can be purchased on the night.
Bring your best to show ‘n’ shine
A highlight of the Deniliquin Truck Show & Industry Expo will be the massive show ‘n’ shine.
Awards will be presented for the best trucks, cars and motorbikes on show. There are 11 truck show ‘n’ shine categories to enter, with each winner receiving a trophy, prize and bragging rights. There are also some great prizes donated by Repco for the car and motorbike section.
People are welcome to enter the show ‘n’ shine up until noon on Saturday, October 26. Entry is $15 per truck (in addition to your gate entry fee), payable on the day. There is no additional charge for those entering the cars and motorbike show ‘n’ shine.
Truck categories are:
● Best Truck of the Show
● 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 Local Truck
● Best Fleet (3 or more)
● Best Rigid
● The Muscles Gray Memorial Award
● Best Non-American Truck Show ‘n’ Shine entrants are to enter the Deniliquin Festival Site via the Moonee Swamp Rd entrance.
Trucks are to then proceed to gate 5, and cars and bikes to gate 3. A map of the site is available in the centre of this magazine.
Kyle Nichol celebrates his 2023 Truck of the Show award, for his 1990 Kenworth K100E.
Wall of Fame 2023: Deniliquin & District Transport Hall of Fame Inductees Kevin Gough, Stanley Gardiner, Edwin Carter, Kenneth Maher, Joe Leetham on behalf of David Mahon and David Grimison on behalf of his father Herbert Grimison.
Strong pull toward Truck Show
The mightiest machines of the Down Under Modified Tractor Pullers Association will be featured at this year’s Deni Truck Show and Industry Expo, proudly supported by the Rotary Club of Deniliquin.
They won’t be roaring into action on the track, but you can get up close and personal with some of the best in the business at the static display.
It serves as a teaser for the 10th anniversary truck show, where association members will bring the thrills and spills of competition to Deni.
Down Under Modified Tractor Pullers Association driver Brendan Cornfoot said competing or not, being involved in the truck show is exciting for members.
“The ongoing relationship with the truck show is important for us,” he said.
“It really means a lot to us to have another event on the calendar moving forward, especially as Deniliquin is a central location for all of our tractor pullers.”
This will be the Down Under Tractor Pullers Association’s second time at the truck show, and Brendan said they are looking forward to bringing thrilling, live tractor pulling events back to Deni next year.
If you are interested in getting a good look at these modified marvels, get along to the truck show on Saturday, October 26.
Trucking tribute service
Josh Renn is a chaplain with a passion for trucks, and leads the annual memorial service which concludes the Deniliquin Truck Show weekend.
To be held this Sunday, October 27 at the Deniliquin and District Wall of Fame in Davidson St, Deniliquin, it begins at 11am.
Josh dedicates his service to the trucking industry, the safety of those who work in it and to the victims of accidents.
He will help to dedicate new plaques for the memorial wall, representing 10 district transport industry workers who have lost their lives.
Family members will be in attendance for the service, which is open for anyone to attend.
A light morning tea, provided by the event committee, will be held at the conclusion of the short service.
RIGHT: Deniliquin & District Transport Industry Wall of Fame, Davidson St Rest Stop in north Deniliquin.
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Scrubs traded in for a spot behind the wheel
When the time comes to cross the stage at our high school graduation, we’re all expected to have a clear-cut idea of what comes next.
Head off to university? Do a TAFE course? Maybe an apprenticeship?
For Elly Stringer, the road initially seemed clear. Get her qualifications and head off to a hospital to be a nurse. With her mother working as a nurse, Stringer always admired the work they did and thought it could be the best fit for her.
“It was just always the plan. So I headed off, got my qualifications and started working right away.”
Yet it wasn’t long after she started working in the field that another side of her started rumbling underneath the surface.
Her father was a farmer and she had spent much of her life working out on the property with him.
While they didn’t have big Kenworths or Macks, she says she always enjoyed trapsing around in the little rigids they had.
“I’ve always loved trucks. Even the small rigids we had. There was something about them that excited me,” she says.
The curiosity grew even stronger when the bigger rigs starting to come in and pick up their sheep.
“I started doing a bit of two-up with them, just keeping them company on the road. Then I got obsessed.”
ELLY STRINGER
“Dad always got really excited when they would come and that boosted my excitement more.
“We would always go outside and get pictures of them loading up.”
The thought of driving trucks had always been in the back of her mind, even while she was studying, but it
wasn’t until one of her friends started driving that she really got invested.
“I started doing a bit of two-up with them, just keeping them company on the road,” she says.
“Then I got obsessed.”
After six months working as a nurse, she thought she could “scratch the trucking itch” by taking a little time off and working through harvest.
“I got my medium rigid license and started carting some grain.
“I genuinely thought I’d only do it for a little while, then go straight back to nursing.
“But it seems I never left,” she laughs.
Elly now has her MC license and is driving for SimHaul Transport out of Cobram.
“I mainly cart grain into dairy farms,” she says.
“I do a lot of work around Cobram, then head up to Corryong and over to Swan Hill. I occasionally head to Melbourne and Geelong but it’s usually more local.”
She’s most often seen driving her Kenworth K104, decked out in the SimHaul classic orange and white.
“I’m really proud of my truck, I love it.”
Elly Stringer caught on camera by Deon, Moon The Trucker.
She says she has hit the jackpot working with SimHaul, working mainly Monday to Friday, but it’s the people that have made the experience amazing.
Being a woman in the industry, she has heard stories of how they haven’t been taken seriously by other drivers and industry workers.
“I am so lucky that I have a great support network at SimHaul,” she says.
“I’ve learnt so much and the people I work with have always been really willing to lend a hand or walk me through how something works.
“There’s definitely been some challenges, and they’ll still call me out if I’m being an idiot, but I’ve just had such a great experience.”
The only downside she can even think of is the number of times she has gotten bogged. At only 24 years old, Stringer can’t believe she has already figured out what she wants to do for the rest of her life.
“I think I truly have the best job in Australia, if not in the world.
“I absolutely love my job. I would never, ever go back nursing.”
She urges other women who have ever thought about driving to give it a go, saying it is a fantastic career.
“There is so much opportunity for growth,” she says.
“There’s nothing more exciting than meeting other women in the industry and I really urge more women to just jump in and get behind the wheel.”
~ This story was written by Tiarna Condren, and originally appeared in Deals on Wheels magazine.
“There’s nothing more exciting than meeting other women in the industry and I really urge more women to just jump in and get behind the wheel.”
ELLY STRINGER
Photos courtesy Elly Stringer.
Purtill Group’s legacy of service
Purtill Group has been fuelling regional Australia for five decades, and meeting the other transport needs of the district far longer.
The family-owned and operated business was started in 1951 by Keith and Pat Purtill, and is now managed by their children and grandchildren.
And the next generation will not be too far behind.
The Purtill Group comprises service stations, Wired Entertainment and Caltex bulk fuel distribution throughout the southern Riverina region.
Keith was initially approached by the Golden Fleece company in December 1973, with a business prospect to branch into the fuel industry.
Golden Fleece was eager to source a local agent to take on their fuel distribution in the region.
About the same time, George Lowe, who was the local Caltex distributor at the time, was seeking a change.
Keith saw Caltex’s offer as a more advantageous manoeuvre to develop his business.
This would become the start of a durable and rewarding addition to the Purtill business, along with a fulfilling relationship with Caltex (now Ampol).
Already having an existing customer base of farmers whose children were daily bus passengers and employees to utilise to deliver fuel throughout the day, in between bus runs, the business transition was almost seamless.
The two departments would work hand in hand and end up becoming the foundation of the Purtill company.
In the initial year in the fuel industry, eldest son Norm delivered 220,000 gallons of fuel (1,000,000 litres), covering an area within a 60km radius of Deniliquin.
Over the coming years Purtills would progressively increase their fleet and employees, be innovative and associated with numerous industry firsts.
In 2019 Purtill Group officially become the first company in the fuel industry to operate A-doubles from the Newport Terminal into NSW.
This has enabled Purtills to maximise on payload, with the A-double carrying up to 86,000 litres and improving efficiency.
Purtill Group, throughout its history, has always supported its local community. This resulted in Purtill Group being awarded a prestigious national award at the 2024 Australian Fuel and Convenience Awards in September.
They won the ‘Marg Taylor Community Spirit Award’, designed to recognise those businesses that have quietly gone that ‘extra yard’ in supporting the communities in which they operate.
These businesses typically don’t make a fuss about what they do, but they work to support community organisations, sporting clubs and charitable works within their communities.
They are often the businesses that stand up when their communities are in greatest need.
Nominees were to demonstrate what their business does, or has done, in respect of community engagement.
Examples include community sponsorships, financial and other assistance to community groups and service providers, community assistance during natural disasters, charitable activities.
Feedback on the Purtill Group’s winning entry was highlighted at the conference by Australasian
Convenience and Petroleum Marketers Association CEO Mark McKenzie.
“The fact that you – and all family distributor businesses like yours – do what you do without seeking recognition is the very reason to give it. It is a well deserved award,” he said.
In attendance to accept the award was Purtill Group CEO Neville Purtill and his son Matthew, representing the third generation of family members involved in the business.
“The award is not why we do what we do to support our community, but it is great to be acknowledged,” Neville said.
Ampol National sales manager Rob Watson described what the Purtill Group award means to Ampol.
“These awards are a tribute to the Ampol Distributors and the Ampol team who partner with them,” Mr Watson said.
“The awards are designed to honour businesses demonstrating exceptional commitment to operational excellence and community service. We’re so proud of our partners and their achievements.”
Purtill Group will have a business display the Deniliquin Truck Show & Industry Expo, which is proudly supported by the Rotary Club of Deniliquin.
The Purtill family (back, from left) Matt Purtill, Phillip Kaine, Neville and Debbie Purtill, Jenna Kaine and Sarah Purtill; (front) Eli and Justin Purtill and Ryan Kaine.
TruckSafe revolutionises road safety
TruckSafe is a world-class business and risk management system that improves the safety and professionalism of trucking operators in both Australia and New Zealand.
Currently, at its helm as TruckSafe Australia chair and instrumental in rolling out its new Safety Management System (SMS) and audit process is Deniliquin transport operator Paul Fellows.
The new SMS will be launched on November 1, and Mr Fellows said it is a “for industry by industry” initiative.
“The goal of the SMS, and my own personal goal, is to have a safer industry, fewer accidents, safer roads for all road users and less of an impact on the public and communities.
“One of the strongest features of TruckSafe is its independent audit process; it really stacks up.”
But don’t just take Paul’s word for it. According to data, TruckSafe members are in 30 per cent fewer accidents than non-members.
At TruckSafe Australia, safety and risk management are paramount.
The key standards are risk management, driver health, speed management, fatigue, mass and maintenance.
TruckSafe was established after a series of fatal crashes on Australian roads in 1989.
In October, near Grafton, a semi-trailer truck and a coach collided, resulting in the death of 21 people and injuring 22. At the time is was the worst crash in Australian road transport history.
But only eight weeks later, a two-bus collision at Kempsey claimed the lives of 35 people and injured another 41.
The combined devastation saw the Australian Road Transport Federation approach the transport industry to act, and from a meeting of state transport associations that followed, TruckSafe was born.
Paul started his involvement with TruckSafe in 2001 and has been the chair of TruckSafe Australia for the past three years; a role he is both proud to hold and enjoys.
Having worked in the transport industry for more than 40 years, Paul has a wealth of knowledge and experience in the trucking and transport industry.
And he says the introduction of the new SMS - a standard set of guidelines around the safety, operation and risk management of your vehicles, drivers and equipment - will make operating safely and correctly far more attainable.
“With the new SMS, TruckSafe will be implementing a brand-new audit process,” TruckSafe said.
“The aim of the new process is to provide members with a choice of the auditor they would like to use for their TruckSafe audit.
“Not only that, auditing will be completed using a digital experience, with members able to self-assess in between audits to provide confidence their systems are working as they should.”
Paul said the main advantage of the new system is that the audit process has been simplified.
“We have made it so that any person working in the industry is able to understand and use it,” he said.
“The SMS also takes into account the risks, hazards and control of the tasks being performed every day.”
There are more than 6000 trucks and 12,000 trailers registered with TruckSafe Australia, and the expansion into New Zealand began three years ago.
As a member of the TruckSafe NZ board, Paul has been working closely with the New Zealand Trucking Association to implement the SMS over the ditch too.
“In business, relationships and building those relationships is of the utmost importance,” he said of his time working in New Zealand.
For further information on TruckSafe Australia, member benefits and the new SMS, go to www.new. trucksafe.com.au.
“One of the strongest features of TruckSafe is its independent audit process; it really stacks up.”
PAUL FELLOWS
Paul Fellows.
Four decades as an industry specialist
Graham Thomson Motors has built a stellar reputation in the trucking industry that now spans 40 years.
This dedication to providing a trusted service has facilitated expansions throughout the Shepparton district and throughout Northern Victoria and NSW.
Selling and servicing new and used trucks and trailers, Graham Thomson Motors is aligned with PACCAR and is a Kenworth and DAF franchise dealer.
To cap off an amazing 40th year in business, Graham Thomson Motors will soon have the newly released DAF XG/XG+ available for customers.
Touted as the new generation of long-distance trucks, a demonstration model can be viewed at the Deniliquin Truck Show and Industry Expo this weekend.
Graham Thomson Motors general manager Gerard Michel said the business is proud to have been a foundation sponsor of the important event.
“We were inaugural sponsors of the truck show, and we have grown with it,” he said.
“We congratulate the event committee on getting another great event together this year, and we are so proud to be connected with it.
“We’ll be there again this year with a range of Kenworth product together with our DAF XG
demonstration model, and we encourage people to come and check it out.
“The new generation DAF was developed with full focus on the main development criteria, introducing a new industry standard in efficiency, safety and driver comfort.
“The result is that these trucks on the market for both transport operator and driver, setting a new standard in every area.”
With dealerships and truck centres in Shepparton, Mildura, Swan Hill and Broken Hill, Graham Thomson Motors has a strong presence in one of Australia’s primary transport industry regions.
Paramount to the Graham Thomson Motors success story is a commitment to great service and high-quality products.
“Our business was built on supporting small family-owned enterprises, through which we have formed a strong bond with our customer base and generated pride in our products,” Mr Michel said.
“Having a product that is reliable and engineered in Australia is important to us, and to our clients.
“PACCAR designs and develops trucks specifically for Australian conditions with a dedicated team of engineers.
“Our customers take great pride in their association with PACCAR, especially with Kenworth.”
With its main base conveniently located on the only legal B-double route through Shepparton, Graham Thomson Motors has a huge workshop that can accommodate up to 10 trucks, or B-doubles under one roof for servicing.
While the highly trained technicians work to get you back on the road, you can utilise the driver’s recovery room, where there is a bed and shower facility.
The service department also offers a 24 hour break-down facility.
Graham Thomson Motors is also renowned for its award-winning spare parts department. With a supermarket style layout, customers can walk around the store and purchase desired day-to-day items.
“You will have the knowledge that your truck is being treated with the attention and professionalism you would expect from our service team in our modern workshop service area,” Mr Michel said.
“Our team is always dedicated in providing you with the best of care.
“Our friendly staff are specialists who are proud of their association with Kenworth and DAF, and look forward to assisting you when searching for your next new or used commercial truck.”
Learn more about how Graham Thomson Motors can keep you on the road at www.gtm.com.au.
Graham Thomson Motors. Photos courtesy The Shepparton Adviser.
