CORRINA LOVES PETE

For as long as she can remember, Corrina Riley had always dreamed of driving a Peterbilt. Now, thanks to the opportunity given her by Andrew and Cassie Gafney who own an impressive black 388 model Pete, that dream has been realised, writes Paul Matthei.

Corrina Riley was born at Gosford and while her family wasn’t into trucking per se, her father had done a stint behind the wheel before she was born.

“I was a bit of a tomboy at heart; for me a Tonka truck was far more appealing than a Barbie doll, any day of the week,” says Corrina. “I developed a passion for trucks growing up, I loved watching them go by.”

Corrina’s long-held affinity with trucks and machinery ramped up significantly in 2004 when she met and fell in love with an interstate truckie. For the next five years, as an offsider with her man, she learned all there was to know about outback trucking double and triple road train style.

“I basically lived in the truck from that day on for the next five years and he taught me almost everything I know about trucking,” says Corrina. “I had always loved all things machinery, but my passion certainly grew from this experience.”

In something of a reverse order from the usual, Corrina recounts that she learnt to drive an AB triple before she learnt to drive a semi.

“I remember pulling into BP Macs truck stop in Mackay and reversing that rig like a professional; it takes some practice but once you get it, it’s like riding a bike and you never forget it, says Corrina. “I also learnt how to change brake boosters and air lines in the middle of the night in the middle of nowhere. We drove for a couple of different companies over the five years and each one was so different and exciting.

“Driving in the outback pulling a road train for Emerald Carrying was the most amazing feeling I have ever had. We would drop a trailer at Longreach and deliver to three of the mines out there and on the way back we would stop at these chiller boxes and pick up kangaroo carcasses for the pet stores.

“Throwing those huge roos over my shoulder and onto the meat rails in the freezer pan was an experience I’ll never forget, that caper is certainly not for the faint-hearted.”

Driving for Brisbane-based Barellan Freighters hauling general freight north to Cairns and backloading tropical fruit is another fond memory for Corrina.

“Driving in that sweet Kenworth T904 with an 18-speed RoadRanger pulling two trailers up the highway literally made my heart skip a beat,” says Corrina. “Even today I still get butterflies when I’m driving, and not just the ones hitting the windscreen.”

Corrina and her man were married in 2007 at Jiggi, near Lismore, and they had one of Phil Macintosh Transport’s T904s for the wedding ‘car’.

“The marriage was difficult and in 2009 we separated, but a love for trucks was by that stage instilled within my core being and had become an inseparable part of my life,” says Corrina. “After my marriage ended I found it hard leaving it all behind, but I knew that one day I would be back in trucking.”

In 2010 Corrina gave birth to her baby boy, Jack, and took a number of years off work to care for him. She lived in Lismore and often saw Hernes Freight Service trucks passing through. She made up her mind that one day she would drive for the company.

“We moved to Temagog, a small country township west of Kempsey, in 2012 and I worked at the Slim Dusty Centre, but all the while I knew that one day I would get back to driving trucks,” says Corrina. “I sure did miss it; I would get this niggling feeling in my belly every time a truck went past – it was like they were taunting me.”

In 2017 the day finally came when Corrina decided it was time to pursue her dream career.

“There wasn’t anything keeping us in Temagog, so I packed up my son and myself and we hit the road for the big move to Brisbane to pursue my love of trucks,” says Corrina. “I was a bit anxious

For Corrina, the allure of driving a Peterbilt was simply too strong to ignore.

about being alone with my young son in a big city, but I really wanted to drive again and I knew that Brisbane was exactly where we needed to be.”

Corrina did it tough for almost a year, but she persevered, gaining her Heavy Rigid licence and a year later her Multi-Combination licence. She finally scored a job with a local landscaper driving a rigid tipper and a variety of plant equipment.

“I operated every piece of machinery this company owned including a large Moxy dump truck, front-end loader, water cart, excavator and Bobcat and learnt much in the 18 months I was there,” says Corrina. “But my heart still yearned to be behind the wheel of bigger gear.”

In April 2020 she was given a start with Hernes Freight Service after persistently hounding the Depot Manager, Dereck Horrell, for a driving job.

“I was there every week knocking on the door,” says Corrina laughing. “He kept telling me there was nothing there for me, but I kept coming in anyway, or ringing him. I’m sure he thought I was stalking him. Eventually I won out and he said he’d give me a go.

“I was actually the first female they hired to drive B-doubles on local work. They already had a couple of females on interstate but not local I think because they felt that it’s a bit more demanding,” says Corrina. “It was unreal to think that all those years ago I wanted to drive for them and there I was finally doing it,” she says. “I absolutely loved working at Hernes and driving B-doubles around town.”

PETE COMES CALLING It was with a heavy heart that Corrina tendered her resignation at Hernes. She says she is forever grateful to the company for giving her a start driving the big trucks. However, for Corrina, the allure of driving a Peterbilt was simply too strong to ignore.

“I just know in my heart I would have regretted not taking this job opportunity,” says Corrina. “I mean it’s a Peterbilt, it’s everyone’s dream truck isn’t it?”

Corrina says her new bosses, Andrew and Cassie Gafney, had her pegged for this job for months while Andrew was getting the truck ready.

“I WAS ACTUALLY THE FIRST FEMALE THEY HIRED TO DRIVE B-DOUBLES ON LOCAL WORK. THEY ALREADY HAD A COUPLE OF FEMALES ON INTERSTATE BUT NOT LOCAL I THINK BECAUSE THEY FELT THAT IT’S A BIT MORE DEMANDING. IT WAS UNREAL TO THINK THAT ALL THOSE YEARS AGO I WANTED TO DRIVE FOR THEM AND THERE I WAS FINALLY DOING IT. I ABSOLUTELY LOVED WORKING AT HERNES AND DRIVING B-DOUBLES AROUND TOWN.”

The shiny black Peterbilt is actually the couple’s first foray into truck operating as an extension of their heavy vehicle repair business called Gaff’s Heavy Diesel and Haulage (formerly Gilltech Maintenance Solutions) based at Walkerston near Mackay.

Andrew, a qualified diesel mechanic, has always enjoyed working on trucks and heavy machinery and a crowning accomplishment for him has been bringing the Peterbilt back to its former glory.

“I’ve always had a soft spot for Peterbilts so when this one came up for sale I grabbed it and set about making it into what I wanted in the form of a 6x4 prime mover,” says Andrew. “It originally came to Australia as a tilt tray and was later converted to a prime mover. We bought it in a fairly poor state and we’ve pretty much rebuilt the whole thing ourselves.”

“It was originally imported into Australia by Wayne Deguara who owned a heavy haulage operation. When Wayne sold his heavy haulage business he sold the Peterbilt to Don Lette who owns Freightshift. Don had the tilt tray removed, shortened the chassis and installed a Unibilt sleeper to turn it into a line-haul prime mover.”

Andrew elaborates that he bought a new Cummins X12 crate engine from the USA to replace the tired original engine, with the new one putting out a respectable 450hp, which he says is sufficient considering the truck is not B-double rated. Behind the engine resides an Eaton 18-speed transmission.

“We replaced all the fuel tanks and steps and we’re currently installing an Icepack cab air-conditioner to make it comfortable for Corrina in the hot summer months,” says Andrew.

Andrew recently bought a new CIMC 45’ flatbed trailer for Pete to pull, which will be used to haul general freight and steel on the eastern seaboard.

“I’ll be happy for the truck to run Brisbane to Melbourne or Brisbane to Cairns,” Andrew says, adding that the only drawback with it is getting parts which can be difficult in remote locations. In fact, he says this is the reason he only wants to own one Peterbilt as the hero truck, and with subsequent trucks he is tossing up between

Andrew says that he bought a new Cummins X12 crate engine from the USA to replace the tired original engine.

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Andrew is strongly in favour of a ‘one driver one truck’ policy.

bonneted Kenworths and Macks.

“It all comes down to maintenance, you need to have trucks which are easy to get parts for to maximise time on the road. Any subsequent trucks we buy we will try to do this and we are very happy with the way Corrina is looking after the Peterbilt.”

Andrew is strongly in favour of a ‘one driver one truck’ policy which he reckons usually leads to better outcomes, in terms of longevity, with the trucks.

ALL THE FRUIT Meanwhile, Corrina is over the moon driving the Peterbilt and she says having the chance to home school her son, on the open road, driving a Peterbilt and towing only one trailer was an opportunity too good to pass up.

“Jack was getting into all sorts of trouble at school and their answer was to medicate him,” says Corrina. “But I begged to differ. All he needed was a little more challenge and he is now thriving and loving being in the truck with Mum, learning all kinds of amazing and wonderful things that will help him with day-to-day life in the future. I reckon it’s the best choice I could have made.”

Earlier last year Corrina and Jack were running Brisbane to Mackay for about seven weeks, sometimes with a curtainsider hauling general freight and at other times with a flat top carting steel.

Then when the fruit harvest season started around mid-year, they were doing local in Brisbane towing a fridge van for MGL, picking up fruit from farms on the Sunshine Coast and delivering the loads to the Brisbane markets.

“The funniest thing is we also deliver to Hernes,” says Corrina. “I love that I get to see all my fellow work mates again.”

After the fruit season finished, they were once again running north, with the opportunity to call in at the depot to get any issues sorted with the truck.

“My boss and his wife are literally the most amazing people to work for,” says Corrina. “They go above and beyond in looking after both myself and my son and I am very grateful to be working for such an awesome team. I am just so happy that I never let go of my dream, that I stuck with it and now I feel I’m where I’m meant to be.”

A monumental moment for them both, as well as the Gafneys, was when the Peterbilt won the Rig of the Day trophy at the Lights on the Hill memorial convoy event at Gatton last October.

“If you have that passion and you really want something, don’t ever give up,” says Corrina. “I am a single Mum and at times, yes, it’s been very hard. But I always kept pushing forward to reach that dream, so never give up and you will succeed.”