By ERWIN CHLANDA
One thousand truckies and partners from every Australian state are in town for their 18th annual reunion at the National Transport Hall of Fame.
One hundred of them were last night inducted to the Wall of Fame which now includes 1000 legends of the nation’s transport industry, at dinner for 600, in the huge shed, 60 by 30 metres, in which soon six full road trains will be on display.
Ray Scott, from Mt Gambier, heading up the giant Ascot trucking company and NT Freight, received the inaugural title of Icon of Industry.
Kenworth added a brand new $300,000 T403 prime mover with a Cummins 15 litre, six cylinder in-line engine, turbocharged, 450 hp, 1600 rpm, 1650 lbft torque at 1200 rpm. It is an addition to the collection of 50 Kenworth trucks worth $10m – to be extended to 100 trucks.
At the other end of the complex, the iconic Mack brand will be on show in a new shed on which work will start soon.
The parade of about 30 trucks this morning was led by the newest prime mover, built in Australia, of another major sponsor, Caterpillar.
PICTURED: Hall of Fame CEO Liz Martin with the certificates of the new Wall of Fame inductees. Some of the trucks in the Kenworth Hall, with the T403 at left. The parade.
Well my rig’s a little old,
But that don’t mean she’s slow.
There’s a flame from her stack,
And the smoke’s rolling black as coal.
My hometown’s coming in sight,
If you think I’m happy your right.
Six days on the road and I’m gonna make it home tonight.