‘Dr Hook’ is the name of an Isuzu driven by Peo Uiduldam who is passionate about recycling.
I saw Uiduldam after he pulled up at a rest area on the Flinders Highway at about 9am one morning.
He has worked for Townsville company Reef Recycling for the past four years and enjoys the work.
“I do the out of town runs from Townsville, west to Charters Towers, south to Ayr and north to Ingham picking up recycling bins,” he said.
Born on Thursday Island in the Torres Strait and with descent from St Paul’s Village on Moa Island and also Badu Island, he has lived in Townsville for 16 years.
“I get back up to the Torres Strait when I can. My last visit was two years ago,” he said.
Fishing is a major recreation for this happy truckie and he gets to do lots of that near his home at Saunders Beach, just north of Townsville.
“I catch barramundi, mangrove jack and john dory using prawn bait,” he said.
His favourite tucker outside seafood is steak and salad. “I carry food with me on my trips,” he said.
I asked Uiduldam why the truck had a Dr Hook name on the front, thinking it may have had some connection to the famous singing group.
“I don’t know,” he said.
Uiduldam said that when he appears in Big Rigs he intends to send a copy to his mother Dora and sisters Catherine and Gina who live in the Torres Strait.
His favourite rugby league football team is Erub United which is Queensland’s champion Allblacks carnival side.
“The organiser is my relative Elia Ware,” he said.
In October Erub United won the prestigious Arthur Beetson Foundation Murri Knockout at Redcliffe, as well as the Gordonvale Indigenous carnival and the last Zenadth Kes carnival on TI.
The side consists of players of Erub (Darnley Island) descent and officials living in Cairns and recently took their trophies back to the island.
Uiduldam is proud of his Torres Strait heritage and also his job.