Unlike many trucking families, 50-year-old Brad Train and his brothers didn’t grow up around trucks, yet they all ended up following the same path – inspired by a man who showed them the ropes and helped them get their foot in the door almost 30 years ago.
“My cousin had a boyfriend at the time, Sam Giufre, who was involved with trucks. They got married and they’ve been together 34 years now,” said Brad.
“We started hanging out with him and his mates and that’s how me and my brothers Darren and Michael got into trucks. They used to call us the hangers, because we used to always hang around,” he laughed.
At the time, Brad had been building horse floats. “I wanted to get out of the factory – I just wanted to drive,” he said.
The brothers all learnt to drive in Sam’s Ford LTS 9000 and an old International Acco. “Once we started going with Sam in the truck, it just snowballed. Every chance we could we were in the truck with him, then on the weekends, he showed us how to work on them too.
“I got my licence at 21. Once we got the feel for it, Sam and his mates recommended us to a couple of blokes they knew and that’s how we got into it. My mum reckons if we didn’t have trucks in our life, we wouldn’t have anything to talk about!”
Just as Sam inspired the Train brothers, they’re now inspiring the next generation too.
“My niece is about to turn 18. She’s joined the army to get into the transport side there, and now my nephews are wanting to get into trucks too. They’ve all been brought up around trucks.”
Based in Ipswich, Queensland, Brad now works for VE Group, transporting wide and oversize loads right across the country.
He’s behind the wheel of the pride of the fleet – a 2024 Kenworth T909.
It’s a very special truck, done up as a tribute to Kenworth’s 100-year anniversary – so special in fact, it’s featured on Kenworth’s 2025 truck calendar for the month of May.
“I got that truck brand new and it’s all specced up. It has a mural on the back of Kenworth’s Seattle factory, representing the 100-year anniversary of Kenworth and has panels they imported from America, that they don’t have here.”
VE Group is a Queensland-based bulk haulage, earthmoving and civil construction company with offices in Moura, Rockhampton, Gladstone and Ipswich.
The company is owned by husband and wife team Nathan and Bronwen Howell, who started out in 2006 with a skid steer. Eventually they bought their first truck, an ex-K&S 4864 Western Star, and from there, the business has continued to grow.
For Brad, the past three decades have seen him hone his skills as a truck driver, working his way up from rigids to road trains and oversize loads.
As Brad recalled, “The first truck I ever drove was an S-Line body truck, working for a man named Tim O’Carroll, who at the time had three trucks. I’d put the front end loader in the back of the truck and head to concrete plants to clear out all the waste. He gave me an opportunity to drive trucks as a young fella and I rolled with it. I was there for four years.
“Then an opportunity came up where my brother was working, to drive a truck and dog for Bastow’s Earthmoving. I did pretty much everything there, first in the truck and dog, then road trains and float work, carrying oversize loads. I was there for about 19 years. Then I worked at Blands Sand and Gravel for just under four years, driving their AB triple road trains, before starting with VE Group.”
When Brad began working at VE Group six years ago, he was pulling grain tippers. “Then they bought some additional floats and that gave me the opportunity to go back to doing oversize work. As the company got bigger, they’ve purchased more and more machines and floats,” he explained.
“VE Group mainly has truck and dogs, as well as road trains and four float trailers. I do all the bigger stuff. It’s mainly civil work, including for a lot of government jobs like building roads, as well as mining work.
“I go wherever the work is – it’s a lot of transport for external customers too, not just transporting our own machines. It’s mostly up and down the east coast.”
According to Brad, with VE Group being a family business, it means he can maintain a great work/life balance too, despite the long distances he travels.
“I’ll come to work Monday morning and I’m usually home on a Friday night. If I can’t get home and want to get back, they’ll fly me back. And if I do need to work a Saturday, they’ll give me three days off the following week. They’re a really good company to work for and the type of people who always say g’day to you.”
Through all his years in the industry, Brad has maintained an unblemished and exemplary driving record.
This led to him being named Professional Driver of the Year at the National Trucking Industry Awards, announced during a gala dinner event at the Australian Trucking Association’s (ATA) Trucking Australia Conference in Adelaide on Wednesday April 30.
Brad’s recent win follows another a huge accolade last September, where he also received the state-based award for Professional Driver of the Year at the Queensland Trucking Association’s (QTA) Road Freight Industry Awards.
Humble in his achievements, when asked about his most recent win, Brad said, “I’m just one of many professional drivers out there and I was lucky to even be nominated. All of the finalists are such top operators.”
Speaking with Brad, his passion for the industry shines through. “I just love being in this industry and the freedom that comes with it. In my job you get to see a lot of the countryside. I love waking up in a different spot every morning.
“I reckon I’ll be doing this until the day they take my licence off me.”
Owners of VE Group, Nathan and Bronwen Howell are exceptionally proud of Brad’s achievements to date. “Brad is a remarkable role model and a very humble professional for our transport industry and it is fantastic to see him being recognised on a national level,” they told Big Rigs.
For those considering a career in trucking, Brad’s advice is simple. “Just do it, you’ll love it!” he said.
“There were people who gave me a chance when I was younger. We need to find more people out there willing to give the younger people a go. Unless you know someone, it can be hard. A lot of people just need someone who is willing to give them a chance.”