Experienced truckie Alan Byron, 57, had just pulled up in his flashy Mercedes on dusk when Big Rigs had a yarn to him.
He had stopped to pick up a bite to eat at the Ampol Hilltop Roadhouse at Singleton in NSW.
Byron has been a full-time truckie for 10 years and is employed by Tamworth Company Carey Freightlines.
The first truck he drove was a Leyland Hippo.
That day I saw numerous Carey trucks along the New England Highway.
“I carry groceries for Woolworths supermarkets and really enjoy the job. This roadhouse is a convenient place to stop at,” he said.
The Mercedes is powered by a 600hp motor. It has an automatic transmission and Byron says it is very comfortable to travel in.
He nominated the worst road he has been along as the one between Goondiwindi and Moonie in Queensland.
“I used to drive cattle trucks on it and it was very rough,” he said.
Outside work Byron has a small farm near Tamworth which has 12 cows. “I like being on the farm,” he said.
Looking to the future and the remainder of 2023 Byron says he hopes the cost of living doesn’t get any further out of hand.
“I hope my kids and other young people can afford houses,” he said.