Skeeta Christofferson Trevor Tarrant

IT is unusual to come across a truckie washing their truck and if you do not many will agree to have their pic taken.

One exception is Ballarat based Skeeta Christofferson who works for Onions Transport. He was power hosing his rig at Warwick in Queensland.

“I have brought up fish from Melbourne to Brisbane and Townsville and have a backload of melons to go back to Victoria,” he said.

A truckie for 20 years, Christofferson said the Newell Highway was amongst the worst roads he travels on.

“More rest areas are needed and the ones there are too far apart,” he said.

Superfit Christofferson was glowing in his praise of the Aratula Roadhouse.

“The showers are great, so is the food and the staff there,” he said.

Outside work, Christofferson likes watching V8 supercars and also has a motorbike.

“It is a 2004 Harley Davidson Night Train,” he said.

After I snapped his pic with hose in hand I let Christofferson get on with the job to ensure his truck was clean.

“I to the Tamworth Abattoirs,” he said.

He does the driving and his wife Deirdre takes care of the bookwork and administration side of the business, which is called TC&DA Tarrant.

“I have been a driver for

47 years and the first truck I drove was an International Butterbox. My dad Herb owned it,” he said.

The rising cost of fuel is a major concern for the road transport industry and I asked Tarrant how it had affected him.

“The extra costs have been considerable but fortunately I have long time valued clients who accept an increased rate,” he said.

Tarrant added that the main highways he gets along, such as the New England, are in general good condition.

“Some of the ones into rural farms are a bit rough but that can be expected,” he said. His favourite roadhouses are the BP Black Mountain and Ampol Guyra near where he lives.

Tarrant has never had Covid-19, which surprises him. “Because I have come into contact with a lot of people,” he said When I first met him I offered Tarrant a contact card but he didn’t require one.

“I read Big Rigs all the time and have seen your pic in it,” he said.