Veteran owner operator Gary Evans had just purchased five giant cooked mud crabs when we saw him parked along Stuart Drive on the outskirts of Townsville.
“I have just eaten one and it was delicious. It was a bargain for the five for $100 on special at Cleveland Seafoods on Ingham Road. I love seafood such as prawns as well,” he said.
Aged 65, Gary has been a truckie for most of his life, since he was 17, and drives an old but trusty Mack Superliner.
The Mack is dubbed ‘Crossbreed’ so I asked Gary for an explanation.
“It has a Cummins motor, a Roadranger gearbox and an Eaton differential,” he said.
Gary was carrying general freight between Brisbane and Townsville, before getting up to the Atherton Tablelands.
Gary says he likes stopping at the BP Cluden Roadhouse and reckons there are not enough decent rest areas for truckies.
“There is a nice one called Frenchfield on the way to Clermont,” he said.
Gary also rates the Belyando highway between Charters Towers and Clermont as one of the worst.