Twenty-nine years young, the Alexandra Truck, Ute and Rod Show continues to attract record entries and record crowds.
This year the weather gods looked down kindly on this small Victorian town with the sun shining for most of the day and not a drop of rain for the first time since 1019.
Amongst those attending on Sunday, June 7, was, as usual, Scott McSweeney with his All American Custom Chrome trailer, supplying lovers of that country’s brands with everything bling. Usually the trailer is behind Scott’s Peterbilt, ‘Top Cat’ or ‘Fancy, Fancy’ but not this year.
Earlier in the week, Mick Emerson rang Scott: “I’m selling that Pete you’ve always wanted.”
“From the day I saw this I said to Mick, if ever you want to sell it…,” said Scott. “I just love it – the whole style, the set up. And it has a cat engine of course – a 6NZ C15 -which is a must.
“We got it home at 1am on Friday morning after having picked it up from down near Pakenham. Six of us started work on it a bit later that day, going through to 9pm and then straight here to Alex on Saturday after a quick wash. I’d even rung the sign writer on the way home on Friday to arrange our name on the door.
“I don’t intend to do an awful lot more to it; polish the bar and odds and sods is all. It is a one-owner, one-man truck from brand-new and Mick has kept it top-notch. I want to keep it the way it is as an ode to him. He specced it cool, it always has been cool and I’ve always loved the way it looked. Why change a man’s legacy when that is what you like.”
A terrific company to work for
Shane ‘Blackie’ Black turned up with his wife, Karen and their three grandies. Also present was Blackie’s daily drive, Dawson’s Haulage Legend SAR. With the company for 12 years, Blackie carts general freight all over the country.
“Not only that but they put me in the Legend. I’m pretty happy about that,” he said. “They are a terrific company to work for and Graham Dawson is one of the nicest blokes I’ve ever met. The company has over 100 trucks. And around 250 trailers.
“I usually get home on Friday night and leave again on Sunday night. I’m going to retire next year so we’ll see how the marriage survives that after 30 or 40 years. I don’t know who will have the bigger change, me or Karen. Maybe she will cancel my retirement.”
Stumpy just wants to drive trucks
In front of a Cannys KW 200 Aerodyne is a bloke who goes by ‘Stumpy’. Also known as David ‘no-last-name’, Stumpy drove for the company for 14 years before retiring a year ago.
“They are a good family company. I did Brisbane-Melbourne all that time. I would get home perhaps one night through the week, have a meal and set off again, but I was nearly always home on the weekends from Friday evening through until the Monday. It was a proper weekend.
“I did general freight and a lot of Brown Brothers wine. I had to deliver it so unfortunately wasn’t allowed to sample the product and besides had to be .00.”
A motor mechanic by trade and coming of a farm, Stumpy just wanted to drive trucks. His career as an employee has enabled him to support his wife and three children and return to the land, buying 150 acres just north of Wangaratta. Enjoy that retirement, Stump.
First-timers have a blast
First timers at the show were Chris Robinson Heavy Haulage & Earthmoving, all the way from Coffs Harbour. We caught up with Chris’s relative, Josh Muir, who also manages the earthmoving side of the business.
“We’ve brought the SAR, the 900 Legend, the Mack Titan, and then we have the matriarch down the end there being the Mack Super-Liner which was a finalist at Brisbane’s Best of the Best last year,” said Josh, describing the company’s attendees.
“There’s a few more at home – a couple of working trucks and a couple of show trucks and some in the build stage which will be coming on the truck show circuit soon.
When asked why they came, Josh said, “Chris, as you’ll have gathered, is a truck guy, he’s heard about Alexandra for a long time and that it was a really good show, so why not. It’s been good.”
Gold medal for young Sammy
Last year we met Rick Batten who works for Lorenzs Pastoral at Numurkah.
The company again turned up with a bunch of brand new T909s and again I was astounded how good a white truck can look with lots of chrome (courtesy of Rollin’ Stainless of Shepparton), and a classy, understated logo.
Even the ‘T909’ has been beautifully hand-scrolled, replacing the original badging. Also of note are the tanks with their quilted ends. Just superb!
And keeping these trucks looking as good as they do is 17-year-old Sammy O’Brien who got the job two years ago.
His plan (of course) is to get behind the wheel as soon as able. Meantime he should have been awarded a gold medal for the way these trucks looked. Good one, Sammy!
Invernos make it a double
Truck of the Show went to Peppi and Danielle Inverno with their Legend SAR. The Invernos won last year as well – although with a different Legend SAR.
With the show’s 30th year coming up next year, we don’t doubt that it will be even bigger, so put the coldest truck show in the country in your calendar and come join some 14,000 other hardy Victorians (and ring-ins) at Alexandra in 2027.