Despite being around trucks her entire life, it wasn’t until 2022 that Kate Morris, 30, finally took the plunge and began her own career in transport – though it was something that had always been in the back of her mind.
“My dad, Greg Morris, is about to retire but he has been a truck driver for over 45 years,” said Kate. “I actually have photos from when I was a baby in the trucks with him for UTO and Douglas transport. I remember he worked for W&M at one stage doing a daily run to Townsville and back for Woolies and that’s where I have a lot of my earliest memories with him. When I was little I’d jump in the truck with him every chance I could – and that continued even when he had his own haulage company.
“Dad didn’t buy his first truck until 2007 and at one stage was running an MR and two utes for hotshots and piloting for McAleese transport and three trucks subcontracting to McAleese and Kalari transporting ammonium nitrate to the mines. Eventually he sold up and has been driving for Emerald Carrying for a few years now, carting fuel into the mines.”
As Kate fondly recalled, “Every weekend when he was home, it was time spent with him cleaning and servicing the truck. For my 12th birthday he actually bought me one of those mechanic’s creepers to make it easier for me to grease the trucks.”
With her father being a truckie and her mother, Camille, a high-school chemistry teacher and deputy principal, Kate was torn about which career she would pursue.
“Mum and Dad always wanted me to do as well as I could at school so that I’d have more opportunities when I finished. I did a 12-month traineeship with Hastings Deering in boiler-making in year 10, and then did a school based apprenticeship to complete a certificate III in pharmacy and got a decent OP. I was never pressured to go to university but it seemed like the logical thing to do,” she said.
“I started three different courses because I never found my niche or could stay focused when courses got boring. I started off doing a paramedics degree, then switched to teaching and then began studying to be a pharmacist. But being stuck inside was never for me.
“At the end of 2021 I was diagnosed with ADHD, so looking back, that probably had a large part to do with why I didn’t do well at uni. I wouldn’t change any of it though – apart from the HECS debt,” she laughed.
That was when she knew it was time to follow her heart.
It was in 2022 that Kate decided to go for her medium rigid licence as she needed to drive a bus to do some volunteer work she was involved in. She went through R2B Training School, where she was being taught by Rod Becus. It was quickly obvious that Kate already knew a thing or two about being the behind the wheel of a truck.
“When I went in, Rod convinced me to go for my heavy rigid crash box licence instead. He said I may as well if I’m capable of doing it. So that’s what I did and then on the way home from my driving test, he offered me a job. He runs the truck school and his wife Daisy, owns Venus Couriers,” explained Kate.
“I mentioned how I had a bit of experience in courier work for my dad’s company back in the day. I used to drive to the mines with my mum sitting beside me while I was on my learner’s permit, and then on my own when I got my license.’’
“Rod said he had a heavy rigid truck sitting there – so he offered me a job. I accepted and started there a few weeks later. That’s where I stayed for the next two years. Rod and Daisy took me in and trained me with a couple of their long term, experienced fellas until they gave the green light for me to run solo.”
Within 12 months, Kate was able to upgrade to her MC licence. Though she stayed on with Venus Couriers for some time before starting in her current role at Vulcan Steel’s Mackay branch back in August 2024.
“Because Venus did a bit of courier work for Vulcan, I already dealt with them on a daily basis. They built a new shed in Mackay and contracted myself and the other HR driver with Venus to move their stock and saws from the old shed to the new one. That took about two weeks going up and back. I personally did more than 100 loads over two weeks, over 1000 tonne all up,’’ explained Kate.
“Venus had always treated me like family, Rod had noticed I always wiped over my truck before leaving of an afternoon and always asked to come back to wash my truck if business was slow instead of parking up for an extended paid break. So he offered me overtime on Saturdays to clean the trucks. That cleanliness and pride in my presentation is something I attribute to weekends with my dad. When I got my MC, Daisy and my manager Pam were worried I was going to leave straight away. It took some convincing but I told them I wasn’t going to leave until I found the right fit They had taken a chance putting me on and I wasn’t going to betray that loyalty. I loved it there and leaving a year later was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done.”
Running since 1995, Vulcan Steel is a metals distributor and processor, with facilities across Australia and New Zealand. Kate is now behind the wheel of a Volvo FH 540 running a 22-tonne flat bed, carting engineering and stainless steel stock between branches.
Based in Mackay, each week she does a run into Brisbane to pick up steel from Vulcan’s Crestmead and Carole Park sites; followed by a trip into Townsville once back in Mackay. She also tacks on a run into Cairns about once a month.
“The truck is great, I really enjoy driving it and find it really comfortable. It’s funny because Dad never liked the Volvos or autos when I was growing up so I was a bit like that too. Then the last truck he ever bought was a Volvo just like mine and he says it was the best truck he’s ever had. The technology in the Volvos is fantastic, especially the adaptive cruise control,’’ Kate said.
“I still love driving the crash box and I would love to get back in one. I know a lot of truckies give people who drive auto a bit of flack, but nothing beats it for long haul, especially when stuck in traffic – except of course for the sound of a Kenworth jake brake!”
When asked what she enjoys about the work, Kate responded, “Every day is different, even though I might be doing the same run every week – the traffic is never the same, the combination of my load is never the same and the weather is never the same. I notice something new every trip.
“I’ve had an office job before and it wasn’t for me. I was constantly almost falling asleep from having to sit there for hours looking at a screen. I like anything that gives me the freedom to be out on my own but also has structure, so truck driving is the perfect job for that.”
Still relatively new to the job, Kate says she continues learning every day.
“It was definitely tough at the start with Venus – just getting used to being in a really labour-intensive job and getting the strength in being able to do what was required for the role. But I was never going to use my strength or gender as an excuse not to be able to do the job competently. The first couple of months were tough, then you get used to it, and it becomes easier,” she said.
“When I started at Vulcan, I already knew load restraint and the product but I’ve had to learn how to tarp too because we deal with some sensitive product that can’t get wet,” Kate added.
“I’m getting better and faster at it each time. It’s a huge sense of satisfaction when I get it done.
‘’I have no plans on leaving my current job anytime soon, as I want to get more experience in HC before taking the next step. But I would love to eventually get the opportunity to work in heavy haulage and oversize loads.’’