Veteran truckie John Andrews has made more comebacks than Dame Nellie Melba. When I saw him on January 5 he was checking his Mercedes 580 at a roadhouse parking area in the tropics.
The 70-year-old is now a casual driver for Griffith Corporation based at Narangba in southern Queensland.
“I have been a truckie for 45 years and retired some years ago but have made heaps of comebacks and enjoy driving as a casual,” he said.
John was carrying Bunnings material and also had a backload to pick up.
He said there was not enough rest areas for drivers and has called for more to be built especially those with toilets and shaded areas.
“I like stopping at rest areas that are off the main roads where you can have a decent sleep,” he said.
John added that he likes the BP Cluden, which is where I saw him, and I could tell he was a member of the old school of drivers because he was assisting another truckie to secure a tarpaulin over a load.
I asked John if there were any challenges he faces in his job considering his decades of experience.
“The amount of traffic when you drive out of Brisbane is terrible,” he said.
The worst highway he gets on is the Bruce Highway and I asked him to nominate the stretches which are at the top of the list.
“Where do I start, take your pick,” he said.
John barracks for the Brisbane Broncos during the NRL season and his hobby is checking out old cars.