Community comes together for Matty Hillcoat’s Truckies Day Out

When truckie Dan Hillcoat and his wife Kristine put their four-month-old baby Matty to bed on October 7, 2011, they had no idea it would be the last time they held their son alive.  

Tragically, Matty was found unresponsive in his crib the next morning, having fallen victim to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).  

In the years after their son’s death, Dan and Kristine searched for a way to spare other parents from the pain they experienced.  

They came across River’s Gift, an organisation that fundraises and advocates for scientific research around SIDS, as well as safe sleep education.  

“The founders of River’s Gift lost their son, River, the same year we lost Matty,” Kristine told Big Rigs.  

“We had been making a donation to them each year that coincided with the date Matty passed away.  

“So, we were connected with them in that way, and then they came up with the idea to do something called ‘Unite to Stamp out SIDS’ – throwing it out there that anyone who wanted to could organise an event to help raise money.”  

Dan and Kristine, who own their own transport company, Hillcoat & Sons, decided to stick with the industry they know best, and organised a truck show in Gympie, Queensland in honour of their little boy.  

The first ‘Matty Hillcoat’s Truckies Day Out’ took place in 2017, and it’s only gotten bigger and better since then.  

This year they had 201 trucks, with awards handed out across 25 categories – from ‘Best Livestock’ to ‘Too Busy to Buff’.  

Anywhere Truck and Machinery Heavy Towing took out Rig of the Show with its stand-out Kenworth T909, while B&K Bulk Haulage won Best Fleet.  

“There were so many great trucks, the judges had a tough job!” said Kristine.  

“There were some really nice fleets – Morgan’s Long Distance Transport from Yandina brought 20 trucks, so they easily took out the Biggest Fleet award.  

“Laurie Williams brought his Bullet Burnout truck and some of his other tow trucks. 

“We had so many Kenworths – I had four pages of Kenworths registered!” 

Kristine said the show was a great day out for families, with a truck parade, car, bike and 4X4 show, a tractor pull, wood chopping, chainsaw sculpting and much more.  

“The highlight was the truck parade, where all the trucks roll into the showground arena and parade in concentric circles, so you get a really good look at the trucks,” she said.  

“We also had the Junior Truckies’ Fun Zone, with multiple amusement rides, a sand pit and petting zoo.  

“There’s quite a lot of people who come along who have been affected by SIDS, they’ve been coming since the very first show and they bring more and more people every time.  

“It’s great to bring the community together, and see everyone supporting each other.”  

The final tally has yet to be confirmed, but Kristine estimates that this year’s Matty Hillcoat’s Truckies Day Out raised over $100,000 for River’s Gift, the Gympie Show Society, and TIACS, a free phone and text counselling service offering mental health support to Australia’s blue-collar community. 

“TIACS offers a service that’s targeted at truckies, farmers, tradies, people like that,” said Kristine.  

“That’s us, that’s our community. The bulk of the money raised will go towards River’s Gift and the Gympie Show Society but we chose TIACS as our third charity partner because we know what it’s like to have tough times and rough days. 

“We are still crunching the numbers but we are blown away with what we’ve raised so far, and so grateful to the community.”  

Take a look at the list of winners below

Rig of the Show

1. Anywhere Truck and Machinery Heavy Towing – Kenworth T909

Best Fleet

1. B&K Bulk Haulage
2. Morgans Long Distance Transport
3. Bernie Tobin Transport 

Largest Fleet

1. Morgans Long Distance Transport
2. Powers/Sanbella
3. B&K Bulk Haulageand and Masondale Pty Ltd (tied)

People’s Choice

1. Morgans Long Distance Transport – Kenworth T909
2. Masondale Pty Ltd – Kenworth T610
3. Bernie Tobin Transport – Mack LTL (1956)

Too Busy to Buff

1. Hanicourt Transport – Kenworth T909
2. Powers/Sanbella – Mack Super-Liner
3. Tony Doyle Transport – Kenworth 904

Best Light/Medium Rigid

1. Anywhere Truck and Machinery Heavy Towing – Peterbilt 355
2. Claytons – Isuzu
3. MAK Haulage – Kenworth K100

Best Heavy Rigid/Tipper

1. Boardman Sand and Gravel – Mack Trident
2. Little Rocks Tipper Hire – Kenworth T658
3. B & K Bulk Haulage – Kenworth T909

Best Heavy Recovery Truck

1. Anywhere Truck and Machinery Heavy Towing – Kenworth T909
2. Anywhere Truck and Machinery Heavy Towing – Kenworth K200
3. Anywhere Truck and Machinery Heavy Towing – Western Star 4900

Best Heavy Haulage Truck

1. Black Cat Civil – Kenworth T909
2. Masondale – Kenworth T909
3. Corbet’s Group – Kenworth T659

Best Livestock

1. Corbet’s Group – Western Star 4900

Best Ruff n’ Tuff Log Truck

1. Masondale Pty Ltd – Kenworth T659
2. Masondale Pty Ltd – Kenworth T410
3. J. Maguire – Western Star 4800 Series

Best Vintage Truck 50+ Years

1. Ken Lawrence – Daimler DM5A (1912)
2. Steven Stockden – Ford (1937)
3. Bernie Tobin Transport – Mack LTL (1956)

Best Classic Truck 30-49 Years

1. Paul McMahon – Kenworth K100E
2. Red Rock Group – Kenworth W924 SAR
3. L&T Haulage – Kenworth 925

Best Truck 10-29 Years

1. Anywhere Truck and Machinery Heavy Towing – Western Star 4900
2. Rocklea Truck Electrical – Kenworth T900 Classic
3. Hanicourt Transport – Kenworth T908

Best Truck 4-9 Years

1. Hanicourt Transport – Kenworth T909
2. Alastair Mackay Transport – Kenworth 610
3. STA Trucking – Kenworth T909

Best Truck 0-3 Years

1. Morgans Long Distance Transport – Kenworth T909
2. STA Trucking – Kenworth SAR Legend
3. B&K Bulk Haulage – Kenworth K200

Best of the Rest – Bonneted

1. Colin Lobwin – Ford Louisville LTL 9000
2. Powers/Sanbella – White Road Boss
3. Red Rock Group – International ABD184

Best of the Rest – Cabover

1. Carroll Plant & Haulage – Mercedes Benz 2233 V Series
2. Universal Haulage – Atkinson MK2 3800
3. Morgans Long Distance Transport – Hino 300

Best Western Star

1. Anywhere Truck and Machinery Heavy Towing – Western Star 4800
2. Waldock Transport – Western Star 4800 Constellation
3. Anywhere Truck and Machinery Heavy Towing – Western Star 4900

Best Mack

1. Bernie Tobin Transport – Mack LTL (1956)
2. KDW Haulage – Mack Trident
3. Corbet’s Group – Mack Super-Liner (1985)

Best DAF

1. Michael Hogg – DAF XF530

Best Kenworth  

1. Anywhere Truck and Machinery Heavy Towing – Kenworth T909
2. Morgans Long Distance Transport – Kenworth T909
3. B&K Bulk Haulage – Kenworth K200

Most Soot

1. Anywhere Truck and Machinery Heavy Towing – Bullet Burnout truck
2. Warren Kopp Transport – Mack R600
3. Corbet’s Group – Mack Super-Liner (1985)

Best Lights

1. Anywhere Truck and Machinery Heavy Towing – Western Star 4900
2. P3 Transport – Kenworth T909
3. Whordley’s Bulk Haulage – Kenworth K200

Best Custom Truck

1. Bean Express – Kenworth T909
2. Rocklea Truck Electrical – Kenworth T900 Classic
3. STA Trucking – Kenworth T909

Matty Merit Awards 

1. Powers/Sanbella – White Road Boss
2. Colin Lobwein – Ford Louisville LTL 9000
3. Corbet’s Group – Mack Super-Liner
4. T&M Hanson – Mack Valueliner
5. Red Rock Group – International ABD184