Adrian Fenech’s ties to the transport industry go way back, with his father, grandfather and great-grandfather all making a living as owner-drivers.
“Pretty much as soon as I could walk, I was out in the truck with my dad,” he told Big Rigs.
“Every weekend and school holiday, I wouldn’t leave his side.
“I always loved trucks – especially Kenworths.”
All his life, Adrian knew he wanted to follow in his family’s footsteps and start his own transport business.
After eight years of driving and maintaining tippers for an excavation company in Sydney, he finally made the leap in 2022.
He bought himself a 2013 Kenworth K200 from Raymond Scott Transport in Mount Gambier, SA and hit the road.
The 30-year-old admitted he was a little anxious about going it alone before he purchased the truck, because it’s getting “harder and harder” for owner-drivers all the time.
“But I wasn’t going to be happy until I gave it a go,” he said. “The fire inside me overruled those worries.”
Now after over two years on the road, he has no regrets about taking the risk – though it hasn’t been a walk in the park.
“You’ve got to work hard and really put the commitment in to be an owner-driver,” he said.
“Sometimes you’ll be working seven days a week – maybe you won’t be driving the truck every day, but you’ll be doing maintenance or even just washing it on Sundays.
“There are a lot of hours that you don’t always get paid for, so it has to be a passion for you.
“But it’s been going really well, and I’m loving it.”
Adrian has dubbed his rig “Family Provider” as a tribute to his grandfather, Jimmy, whose first Kenworth had the same name.
“My dad and my grandad taught me a lot of what I know and gave me the work ethic I have today,” he said.
“They were both a big influence on me.”
“Family Provider” is an especially suitable moniker for the driving force behind Adrian’s business, as he is the breadwinner for his young family – which includes his wife Aymie, 16-month-old daughter Elouise and son James, who was only born two months ago.
“It is quite fitting!” he said. “My wife Aymie has been so supportive of me going out on my own – she knew it was always a dream of mine.
“She backed me 100 per cent, the whole way.”
Based in Sydney, Adrian carts pneumatic tankers interstate, anywhere from Canberra to Melbourne to Brisbane.
Although his truck works hard, it’s never caused him any trouble.
“It was really well looked-after and had very low kilometers for its age when I got it,” he said.
“I look after it as well – I’m a strong believer in maintenance.
“I would much rather fix something in the yard when I have the chance rather than fixing it on the side of the road.”
Presentation is also very important to Adrian – and although is truck is 10 years old, people often think it’s brand new.
“When you get to a job site and your truck is well presented, it looks good for you and for the customer,” he added.
“That’s always been a priority for me.”
When Adrian got the truck, he gave it a facelift, adding some chrome accessories and getting it resprayed.
His hard work and ensuing upkeep has paid off, with the rig winning Truck of the Show at the Dane Ballinger Memorial Show in both 2024 and 2023.
“I couldn’t believe that,” he said.
“I get a lot of compliments on the truck but to win two years in a row was amazing.”
Sharing his advice for anyone who is thinking about becoming an owner-driver, he said it’s important to be aware of your running costs.
“I’ve learned a lot about running a business in the last year, and I’m still learning as I go.
“It might look easy on the outside but in reality, it’s not.
“Work out your costs and be aware that it’s getting more and more expensive to run a truck these days.
“Make sure you’re working with good equipment and you’re on the right track.
“Other than that, I would just encourage people to go for it!”