70-year-old Robert ‘Call Me Bob’ Dunn has been a truckie for around 50 years and still has a genuine passion for the road transport industry.
Dunn was driving a Kenworth 108 for Brisbane based Auscan when I saw him.
“I have hauled wall panels from down south to Townsville and couldn’t imagine doing any other job,” he said.
An avid Big Rigs reader, Dunn said he enjoyed reading a story in a recent edition on driver Brian ‘Ned’ Kelly who is a good mate.
“When I saw it, I contacted Ned and told him he was a movie star,” Dunn said.
Dunn loves the BP Grafton Roadhouse even though access to it has changed since a bypass was built.
“They serve good food, staff are tops and facilities clean,” he said.
Veteran Dunn said he dislikes travelling along the Clermont to Charters Towers Highway and I told him he wasn’t alone as many other drivers echoed his opinion.
Dunn feels truckies need more rest areas, but he did praise one at Pine Brush in NSW which ticks all the boxes.
On the subject of hobbies outside work, Dunn said he was a big supporter of the Carlton Blues in the AFL and had another passion closer to home too. “When I get time off I love sleeping on the couch,” he said with a wry grin.