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Wall of Fame honour ‘highlight of life’ for transport veteran

Although Albert ‘Bert’ Hogben often describes himself as “just an ordinary guy,” his life in the transport industry has proven to be anything but.

Born and raised on a dairy farm in Victoria’s South Gippsland, Bert found himself more drawn to the property’s trucks and tractors than its livestock.

At age 19, Bert’s passion for trucks would see him stray from his rural roots and instead lead him to Melbourne and a job with Southern Milk Transport. Here, he carted canned milk from Bunyip, Bayles and Koo Wee Rup to the dairies in Melbourne.

It was during this time that Bert met Nola, his wife with whom he would spend the next 64 years. A natural go-getter, Bert was determined to earn more. With Nola’s support, Bert tried his hand at interstate driving.

Though he had no experience, Bert was armed with a willingness to learn and a strong desire to do better for his family. George Blomfield was willing to give Bert a chance, allowing him to drive a 337 Mercedes Benz from Melbourne to Sydney.

Bert quickly graduated to one of Blomfield’s newly imported Kenworth S models from Seattle, the first of its kind in Australia. Image: National Road Transport Museum

Over the following 12 months, Bert graduated to one of Blomfield’s newly imported Kenworth S models from Seattle, the first of its kind in Australia.

Bert worked with Blomfield for a couple of years before deciding to pursue local work, driving for Pioneer Quarries.

However, the call of interstate was never far behind and Bert reconnected with a driving supervisor from Ansett Freight Express that he had met while working for Blomfield. The driving supervisor had suggested that Bert apply for a job with the company.

Bert took him up on the offer to drive for Ansett Freight Express and so began his long-standing affiliation with the Ansett brand.

In the 1980s, Ansett Freight Express was restructured and split into two branches, Ansett Pioneer, which was responsible for the business’s road freight and coach travel, and Ansett Freight Express, which focused on air cargo.

It wasn’t long before Bert made another career shift, following a long-standing dream to drive coaches for Ansett Pioneer.

Although based in Melbourne, Bert regularly worked express routes across Western Australia, running between Perth, Port Hedland, and Madura. Leaving in May and returning to Melbourne in November, Bert credits his wife, Nola, with the raising of their three sons.

“Me not having an education, I sent them to a private school to make sure that they did have an education. Fortunately, the three boys turned out pretty good. They got their mother’s brains!” he laughs.

Bert’s time with Ansett Pioneer, by then Greyhound Pioneer, saw him take on more responsibility, eventually becoming the Melbourne driving supervisor. This role involved not just hiring and training drivers, but also the ongoing surveying and monitoring their performance on the road.

When employing drivers, Bert says first impressions were often a good enough gauge. He would notice if they looked him straight in the eye and whether their shoes were clean and polished, a lesson learned from his own childhood. For Bert, it wasn’t just about driving well. It was about representing the company and the industry with pride.

Bert was a strict supervisor, making sure that Greyhound Pioneer’s high standards were always upheld — from the proper wearing of the company’s uniforms and tie to the correct use of the coach microphones.

“I wasn’t a very popular guy in lots of places,” remembers Bert. “I tried to train drivers the way I was trained back in the 70s. I suppose that was my problem.” Nonetheless, many drivers that Bert hired and trained still keep in touch with him to this day.

During Bert’s time with Greyhound Pioneer, it was known amongst the drivers they needed to be prepared should they receive a “Bert Alert.” That is, a warning conveyed over the CB radio that a man in an immaculate uniform may be waiting at any stop up the road to ensure that they were following the drivers’ handbook.

The Bert Alert served as a reminder to the drivers that they needed to operate their service with the utmost professionalism, with Bert’s presence signifying the importance of maintaining high standards throughout the journey.

Whether you were heading north, south or east, Bert could come aboard to ensure ties were tight and straight.

On one occasion, Bert was spotted at Dandenong train station at 5am to catch a lift into the depot, ensuring that the driver did not bypass the stop on the way in.  As it turns out, the stop was missed and the driver certainly had some explaining to do.

Bert is very proud of his time working for Greyhound Pioneer. Being a people person, Bert valued the connections he made along the way. He enjoyed his interactions with a diverse range of passengers. While he acknowledged that difficult passengers were unavoidable, Bert maintains “it takes two to make an argument. You can talk your way out of anything!”.

Bert and his son Peter. Image: National Road Transport Museum

In the 2000s, after a long and successful career with Greyhound Pioneer, Bert decided it was time to step back from the long hours away from home.

He spent some time working for a local bus company, Grenda’s Bus Service, before moving on to a school bus driving job with Westernport Road Lines in Koo Wee Rup. Bert continued to work until early 2024 when, at nearly 87 years old, Bert’s health no longer allowed him to continue driving.

In August, Bert’s induction into the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame at the National Road Transport Museum was a fitting conclusion to his successful career in transport.

“It was a hell of a surprise!” says Bert, “In fact, I’d say it would be the highlight of my life.”

The weekend was made even more special as Bert was joined by his wife, his son, Peter, and daughter-in-law and colleagues from Westernport Road Lines and Greyhound Pioneer.

As Bert reflects on his many years behind the wheel, he insists: “I’ve done nothing exciting. I’ve just gone out and done what I had to do.”

However, his family and friends would disagree. Bert’s role as a supervisor and mentor shaped the careers of many drivers. His sons have gone on to have successful careers of their own – two in the transport industry themselves – and carry with them the lessons Bert taught them.

His hard work and unwavering commitment to the transport industry left an impact that went far beyond the ordinary.

In an industry where flashy trucks and prestigious titles tend to take the spotlight, Bert’s true legacy is the respect he has earned along the way.

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