Copy Southbound Podcast

Thorpdale is synonymous with potato cartage and the Durkin name is right amongst it. With Michael Durkin kicking off the transport business on the family farm, he was known for some pretty flash gear for the era. His son Kelly now heads the trucking side with a full family affair making this business tick along nicely. A few of Bruce's favourite trucks reside in the fleet so it's a wonder he's not still down there!

In Part 1 of the series with Steve Shearer - SARTA and Sharon Middleton - Whiteline Transport we discuss the current fuel crisis facing the Australian Trucking Industry.

The Missing Link Podcast pulls back the curtain on what really happens when things go wrong in the heavy vehicle industry, from incident investigations and prosecutions through to the compliance gaps that cause them. As part of the Copy Southbound platform, this series connects real-world experiences with practical insights to help operators, leaders and drivers better understand their obligations and avoid becoming the next case study.

One of the nicest things about doing Copy Southbound is the terrific people we meet who share our passion for our transport industry. Bruce had the opportunity to sit with Norm and Nola Bransgrove, something they'd bee trying to organise for some time and discovered the most genuine people and family network that anyone could hope for. Through plenty of ups and a family tragedy, this loving couple managed to survive by having an absolute love for each other and for what they do. Needless to say, Bruce was touched by the entire family, their attention to detail, their lobbying for a better industry and their views on life.

Bruce has known Wayne for many years through the vintage truck scene, admiring Wayne's stunning and well-travelled needle nosed Kenworth that frequents events everywhere. Wayne has had a long career in the trucking industry and has piloted some unique machines over the years. At the recent ATHS show in Maffra, Chappo suggested Bruce and Wayne have a quick chat on the podcast so 5 odd hours later it was over! A hilarious interview with a definite character

The Overend name is legendary in the East Gippsland area of Victoria so it was fitting that Bruce was finally able to catch up with Chris 'Squeeker' Overend. Squeeker is well known in transport circles due to his family heritage along with his ownership of one of three iconic Australian produced V12 W Model Kenworth's. To capture the story of Overend Transport along with Squeeker's exploits throughout the years was something we've been waiting for and we are sure you'll enjoy it as much as we have

Whenever we talk about favourite colour schemes, Bruce never shuts up about Elliott's of Tumut so it was only fitting that he finally made it down there for an interview. Bruce sat with Grant Elliott, son of the founder and currently CEO of this proud country operation. Grant's dad created the amazing striping design and Bruce had him on a pedestal until he found out he was colour blind! This is a great interview with a super nice person in our industry with an amazing passion and eye for detail. SYDNEY TRUCKFEST Sydney Truckfest Tickets - Sydney Truckfest Pty Ltd

They say that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree and that applies to two of the nicest people we know. We thought that Geoff Cootes was a terrific bloke and then we met his brother Paul - they obviously came from great stock. Paul made his own way in the transport industry and like his famous father Ian, worked in the dangerous goods area but in bottled gas, expanding at a very young age before selling out in an outstanding fashion. He loves trucks, loves attention to detail and is an incredibly proud Cootes family member and one of those people you meet and feel like you've known him forever.

Everyone has a story and Leigh Hudson is no exception. Following an early start into a career as a driver, Leigh progressed to owning his own truck before a dream became reality with the launch of his Iconic Replicas brand, something that has taken off amongst all collectors. Leroy has managed to overcome the odds and developed an honest miniature reproduction of some of our favourite model Kenworths, all while retaining his image as one hell of a nice guy.

Copy Southbound has been trying to get an interview with Lindsay Fox for some time and although it hasn't happened as yet, the next best thing was a chat with Lindsay's long term, right hand man Mick Best. Apart from discussing his history in the transport industry, Bruce also had quite a serious discussion with Mick on the future of the road transport, training and the dreaded compliance rules that we currently face. Mick is widely known throughout trucking circles and we appreciated his time out of his busy schedule.

Bruce's long term mate Melissa Van Look has been Graeme's neighbour for many years and after hearing his stories from the days gone, she lined up a fantastic interview with him to share his past. The Hovey name is well known and was a permanent fixture in the Geelong area with their stunning red, white and black trucks in a timeless colour scheme. We'd like to thank Mel and Crispy for pulling this together. Follow Sydney TruckFest https://www.facebook.com/share/1FwSVVnDG9/

Gerry Hicks' outstanding W Model Kenworth cemented his status amongst truck enthusiasts many years ago however, there's far more to him than having an iconic truck. A meticulous operator, Gerry built a very successful business based on morals, ethics and trust along with relying on some old school, heartfelt handshake agreements that are seldom seen today. We have become great friends with Gerry over the years and were thrilled to finally get the time to sit and record his history. Home | Sydney TruckFest