Friendly driver Mick Vaughan was having a break at the Mingela rest area beside the Flinders Highway when Big Rigs saw him recently.
Vaughan was driving a Kenworth Aerodyne for Aurizon at Townsville and mainly transports containers.
“I have a load of fertiliser and have been to Charters Towers,” he said.
Whilst Vaughan said the rest area there had clean toilets and good a good shaded area with seats, there were plenty of flies around that afternoon trying to get a share of his food.
Aged 65, Vaughan has been a truck driver on and off for decades and was also a qualified tradesman in Townsville when he was younger.
“One of my apprentices was Gene Miles who was in his fourth year,” he said.
Miles went on to become one of Australia’s best rugby league players, having represented the Brisbane Broncos, Queensland Maroons in the State of Origin and the Kangaroos in Tests.
Vaughan rates the Hughenden to Richmond stretch of the Flinders Highway as challenging to travel on.
He is not on his lonesome there as that is also an opinion of many other drivers.
This veteran truckie said the truck was good to drive.
When asked about his hobbies, he said, “I used to play golf but don’t have much time for that now. But I enjoy being in a caravan and have travelled as far away at the Kimberley in WA,” he said.
Vaughan was also wearing a wide brimmed hat and with his fair complexion has had some skin cancers removed.