Like so many Australasian trucking stories, Andrew Page‘s starts with his Mum dropping him off after school in the yards of Turua Transport on the Hauraki Plains.

His first full-time job once he had his licences was with Verran Bros in Thames, driving a D850 ready-mix truck before returning to Turua Transport for five and a half years on classic rural cartage work.

From there it was to Thames Freight Lines (later to become Provincial Freightlines – PFL), and a 20-year stint working for Dave Malanaphy who Andrew considers one of his great mentors.

While at PFL Andrew progressed through driving, driver training, and management, ending on the senior team as manager of the Shell tanker division.

A year after the Linfox buy-out of PFL, Andrew left and bought a Mr Chips small goods run.

From there came the huge jump to Western Australia on the encouragement of a good mate, starting with carting fuel from Port Hedland to sites on the Pilbara for Linfox.

After a 16-month period as depot manager for Caltex Port Hedland, Andrew found his way to where he is today – working for Jamieson‘s Transport driving an iron ore roadtrain.

The regular run comprises a 700km round trip from Port Hedland to the PMI mine in the south east and return. Gear for the task is no less than a 2012 Western Star 6900 FX tri-drive, powered by a Cummins 600hp and 18-speed Eaton manual.

Gross weights are up to 174 tonne with 120 of that payload.

“What I like about driving is being in control every step of the way, meeting people and big loads.” Andrew‘s pet hates are flies, dust and dirty trucks [He‘s possibly in the worst place he could be – Ed], and when asked the vexing question ‘Muscle cars of the 60s or supercars of today?‘ It was mostly definitely 60s muscle.

Andrew wanted to acknowledge the support of his wife and children in his 38 years of trucking.

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