The stunning Kuchel fleet has graced our roads for many years and was enough to have Bruce approach Jacob to ask him to sit down and tell the story of their long history in transport. Along with the trucking side, the company has also developed a reputation for producing some fine restorations out of their Barossa Valley workshops. The company was founded by Maxwell Kuchel over 50 years ago and is a true family business with all members working in the operation and is in its third generation of extremely talented owners.

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Sharon and Bob Middleton are extremely well known in the transport industry, not only for their striking black, white and red fleet, but also for their constant battle to improve the industry, with tireless efforts lobbying for better conditions, treatment and acceptance from the authorities, and the general public. This discussion with them goes back to their grass roots, but also visits the recent legal battle that they faced, following a terrible accident involving one of their vehicles. There is a lot to learn from this podcast, as the hell that they faced over the past few years could have happened to any one of us. Bruce and I are truly grateful to Sharon for sharing this incident with all of us, with the hope that it will help others out there.

Following the interview with Keith Anderson in Toowoomba, his son David contacted us with a lead to Peter Zimm who had a strong affiliation with Leader Trucks after marrying into the family. The Leader story is exceptional in regard to ingenuity, resilience and trying to compete with big business in a small Australian market. Peter owns an incredibly rare Leader and like all enthusiasts, has researched and collaborated to ensure that the detail of these unique trucks is there for all of us to remember.

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We have to be honest, having a chat with Jon was something we debated for a long time however, one thing we hate at Copy Southbound is trial by social media so, after many recommendations from people we highly regard in the industry we approached Jon for an all out discussion about his life, his rise and fall, his life after HHA and of course, his passion for trucks in general. He wears his heart on his sleeve and we came away with a new mate as his passion and attention to detail is something to admire. We hope you enjoy this as much as we did.

Glenn Nightingale operated out of the Wollongong area with his stunning light blue fleet of American trucks. Like everyone, he started tough and eventually was able to build up a strong clientele with reliability and service his key factors. After many years of operation, Glenn was approached to sell the company and now lives a quiet life in Ipswich where he met with Bruce to share his story.

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A chance meeting on a road trip led Bruce to sit and record Greg and his story as an owner operator. Following a yarn at a caravan park, he agreed to share his life story as a simple, one-truck owner, battling away like so many others. Greg started his career back in a hard era  of road transport and built his business with some strong customers and some strong trucks.

Bruce topped off his Southern adventure by catching up with Stephen O’Hare in Romsey, Victoria. For those guys out there older than me – Bruce’s age – the legend of Tyrone Malon’s Super Boss, Bruce McDonald’s Detroit Devil and Terry O’Hare’s Waltzing Matilda are Legendary. Stephen is Terry’s son and has recently written a book on the famous jet truck which also captures the history of Re Car and Terry’s incredible entrepreneurial brilliance in a way that had Bruce totally star struck. 

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Damien Smith contacted us just before heading on our Southern trip and requested we interview his Uncle Mick following a bout of illness. It was meant to be as the plan was to travel straight through Heathcote so we were able to record these awesome members of a diehard trucking family. Bruce was amazed at his surroundings as he was picked up in a 1943 Ford Jailbar and taken to Mick’s parents house that was over 100 years old to sit and record Micks golden era trucking history with Damien by his side. 

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After working for a couple of well known and respected transport operators, Alina Hawkins met her future husband Kane and started a transition into livestock cartage and road train driving. The two of them ran two-up for quite a few years before expanding the company and running a number of trucks which saw Alina expertly piloting one following her expert tuition. In 2016 she received the LRTAV Outstanding Industry Contribution Award and her ability to research, consult and communicate to rural trucking and Government following years of industry experience resulted in her appointment as COO of the LRTAV. An amazing asset to road transport and a very insightful podcast.

Copy Southbound has opened doors that we never imagined, but by far, the greatest gift has been the amazing people we’ve come to connect with. One amazing man was Barry Grimson, who became a great mate to Bruce and I, and as we soon discovered, was admired by all who knew him. His passing last week following a long battle with cancer cut deep and as tributes flowed across social media, the values and pride Sleepy had in the transport industry resonated with every heartfelt comment.

As a small tribute to Barry, we decided to go back and have another listen to the interview that was recorded back in 2021.

This special episode of Copy Southbound is dedicated to mateship, pride, dedication, survival and honour, all attributes that Sleepy fought for to keep the industry alive as he knew it. Rest easy Good Buddy and thank you for making what we do so worthwhile, we’ll miss you.