It was ironic that I should meet up with 35-year-old Tasmanian truckie Daniel Poole as he was delivering to a bakery at historical Longford in northern Tasmania.
Because soon after he told me he had previously been a baker for 18 years before changing careers to become a truckie.
Poole was driving a Scania for SRT Logistics and is based at Launceston. He says he loves the job.
The Scania was the centre of attention as Poole unloaded supplies from the back and took them inside to the packed bakery.
It was raining that day which made the task a little more uncomfortable.
“I wanted a change from being a baker and applied for a job with this company and got it and I am glad I did. They treat drivers very well and it was good coming here to the bakery. It brought back memories of my time in the industry,” he said.
Poole gets to travel to many places from his base including to Georgetown at the top of northern Tassie and smaller places such as Westbury off the Bass Highway. Outside work he enjoys fishing the waterways around Westbury and has lots of success landing rainbow trout which are a prized delicacy to eat.
He also does some shooting such as hunting rabbits and likes stopping at the Detention River Roadhouse when in the area.
“It has good food and friendly staff and is right beside the highway and many trucks pull up there,” he said.
Poole barracks for GWS in the AFL and hopes they can go one better next year after a semi finals effort in season 2023.
Keen judges reckon that GWS could even push for premiership honours in the much anticipated 2024 season.
“Becoming a truckie has been a great change for me,” he said.