Thomas Lopez
Inducted into the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame in 2023.
Thomas, ‘Tommy’, Lopez, born in the early 1960s, first discovered his passion for all things trucks when he started working as a station hand on cattle properties in the Northern Territory and the Kimberley in 1978. It is here that he learnt to drive station trucks and road trains, carting cattle, hay and stores.
During the wet season, Tom worked for Ascot Haulage and NTFS (Northern Territory Freight Services). When he turned 21, Ascot employed Tom fulltime to make the weekly run between Darwin and Townsville, transporting dairy. Tom was Ascot’s first driver under 25.
Tom returned to carting cattle for a number of seasons before moving to Perth. Here, Tom worked for three years as an express driver running across the Nullarbor and, later, servicing the booming oil and gas industry.
Tom’s varied career in transport saw him experience most areas of road transport, from gates and tarps to fridge vans, fuel tankers, cattle crates and side tippers. This has provided him with many great tales – some less enjoyable, like being bogged in the middle of nowhere for 6 days, and most very positive, such as having the opportunity to meet some of the greatest people and see some of the most amazing country the world has to offer carting cattle across Australia, trading as Wrangler Transport.
In the mid-90s, Tom took the next step in his transport career by purchasing his own Mack Value Liner and 3 flat-top trailers. He was inspired by a long-term mate who told him to stop paying off trucks for other people. While the Mack Value Liner served Tom well for 3 years, he traded it in for a new Mack Titan. Tom continued to run Darwin and Alice Springs for over 14 years.
Tom is no stranger to fame, having been interviewed by Kay McGrath for Channel 7’s segment on the road transport industry. Kay’s reporting was no match for Tom’s wit, asking “Do you normally drive North?” to which Tom quickly replied, “Except for when I’m coming home!”.
Tom currently works for MLG as a Production Supervisor at West Gold, running the haulage operation. His family is, and has always been, his motivation for working so hard, aiming to provide a comfortable life for his ever-supportive wife, Tory, his children, Ben and Brigette, and his adoring grandchildren, Stevie and Thomas.
