After a motorcycle accident left him unable to drive trucks for some time, Paul ‘Sludge’ Andrews is now back on the road, appearing in new episodes of Outback Truckers from this week.
Sludge was temporarily forced off the road in March 2023 and it has since been a very long road to get back in the driver’s seat.
As he continues to make great inroads with his recovery, Sludge has been doing well and is back to driving trucks around Perth, two to three days a week. Sometimes he’s in The Phantom, his well known Peterbilt, that’s just clocked over 3 million kilometres. And other times he’s in a smaller Volvo FM 460 prime mover.
Earlier this year, Sludge visited his native New Zealand to film for the new episodes of Outback Truckers.
These episodes see Sludge behind the wheel of a new Kenworth SAR Legend, and an imported 1990s American Kenworth C510, which he used to transport two oversize loads for Wheels at Wanaka – a vintage car, truck and tractor show held over Easter, on New Zealand’s South Island.
“I moved two big dozers with the C510 for the event. They were 3.5 metres wide so we had escorts front and rear. We were also able to keep stopping whenever I needed, so I didn’t get burnt out,” he told Big Rigs.
“It was bloody tough sitting still. Trucking’s been my life for decades, it’s not just a job, it’s who I am. Getting back to my old self, and behind the wheel again feels unreal.”
For season 11 of Outback Truckers, Sludge’s New Zealand trip features in episode 11 (Tuesday November 4), episode 12 (Tuesday November 11) and episode 13 (Tuesday November 18) – airing at 7.30pm.
You can catch Outback Truckers on 7Mate, along with streaming episodes after they’ve aired on the 7Plus app.
Outback Truckers is still casting for its upcoming season 12. Those interested in applying can email c.falkiner@prospero.com.au or message the official show Facebook page.