New Zealand Trucking first met John ‘Whiskey’ Walker way back in 1999 when he represented the Top Truck in the May issue with a Cromwell Transport FH Volvo. A lot of water has gone under the bridge since then, but Whiskey, as he’s commonly known, is still driving trucks. Roxburgh was where Whiskey got into driving in 1980 with Teviot Transport. “That was on a mighty Thames Trader.” A few years there and some construction work followed before heading back to Teviot. From there it was on to Cromwell Transport, eventually getting on to an FH Volvo. From there he moved to The Edge Group carting alcohol in a 450 Isuzu, and at the same time, he did his driver training papers, progressing to that line of work with Downer EDI for a couple of years.
A direction change saw him work in hospitality but the lure of driving returned, this time with Fulton Hogan moving plant around the South. The last five years were with Southfuels, before heading over to the “good buggers” at Sinclair Transport in Winton. These days Whiskey plies the southern roads in a new 2020 G500 Scania carting all manner of bulk products. On the day Craig Andrews caught him, he was loaded with grain out of Fairlight, heading to South Port. The Scania is rated at 54 tonne and able to cart a 36 tonne payload. He believes he’s found the perfect retired man’s job at Sinclair Transport. “Tip on then tip off. Driving gets in your blood and its one of the most underrated industries,” he says. “It’s a profession that is well worth being in, and comes with plenty of reward.” Nothing is offside with Whiskey in terms of the industry, and he adds it’s great to see more women getting behind the wheel.
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