AUSSIE ANGLES
OUTBACK AND LOVING IT They say that once you’ve hauled livestock, the buzz never really leaves you. Despite your best efforts to pretend you don’t miss it, you’ll inevitably get drawn back. As Michael Corleone says in The Godfather Part III, “Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in.”
Story and photos by Paul O’Callaghan
M
ichael probably wouldn’t have known much about outback Australia but, in my mind at least, Northern Australia is the holy grail for livestock transport; three doubledeck trailers pulled by a big conventional truck in remote areas – it really doesn’t get much better. After completing several cattle seasons in ‘The Top End’, I was relatively content back in Ireland, combining casual truck driving with freelance journalism, the perfect way to sate your addiction to trucks. Trips to countries such as Spain and Italy from Ireland are
exciting. But, as it is with Europe generally, over-thetop regulation and excessive compliance (a word I have grown to detest) have tainted the experience. That goes especially for livestock transport. Rules are often drawn up by those with little or no understanding of the real world, and to compound matters, you are constantly attempting to achieve the impossible, adhering to two sets of regulations: drivers’ hours and animal journey logs. This has turned a once enjoyable job into a rather tense experience, where you are constantly looking over your shoulder. As I handed over some Euros to
a decidedly unlikable Italian polizia officer at 3am, the vision of a road train came charging from the back of my mind, metaphorically running over the top of him and his stylish Italian uniform complete with riding boots – take that – oh mama mia! That was the moment I decided, enough with this stifling nonsense. It was time to get back to basics. Fast forward some months later, and I’m in Australia, turning the key on a Kenworth C509, getting to grips with that timeless view from the driver’s seat, which is as impressive as it is appalling from a visibility aspect. Split screen, stoneguard, air intakes and a
bug deflector – lovely! No.20 is one of a trio which arrived in Broome in 2021 and has that quintessential bush spec, designed more for durability than on-highway smoothness; slipper front end, six-rod rear suspension and a Roadranger transmission. It differs from the last C509, which I drove in 2014, with a newly designed bonnet, curved windscreen, new dash and a slightly longer day cab that allows the seat to slide back further. All are vast improvements, but perhaps the greatest difference is the presence of central tyre inflation, which is a godsend for off-road conditions. Drive tyre pressures can be adjusted
No.20 with a sister truck ready to load a ship in Broome, June 2023.
