Dennis Yates

Inducted into the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame in 2023.

Dennis John Yates was born in Gloucester, New South Wales in 1949. From an early age he accompanied his father, Alfred ‘Pikey’ Yates on weekends carting logs to sawmills around the area. Leaving school at 15 ½ years of age and at the insistence of his mother to “get a trade certificate” Peter completed his apprenticeship with BHP Newcastle, gaining his qualifications as a fitter and turner.

Homesick and yearning to get back to the bush and into a truck saw Dennis return to Gloucester to drive a log truck for his father, despite being too young to get his licence. His father purchased a 1970 International 1800D for Dennis to drive. This kept him logging in the Gloucester area.

In the early Seventies, ambition got the better of Dennis and he acquired his own first truck, a red and white cab over Mack…he was in heaven! He was contracting to Toll Chadwick and running from Newcastle, NSW to Melbourne, Vic and return with general freight. Dennis was also hauling hardwood telegraph poles to Melbourne from his uncle’s timber mill at Stroud, NSW.

In 1976, a new cab over Mack was purchased to work for R & H Transport at Newcastle, NSW, carting Nitropril and general freight to mines in Central Queensland.

However, his first love called him back, logging at Gloucester and later Maitland, contracting to BBC Hardware. So his Mack was replaced by a new International Transtar 4300, operating under DY Transport. Later, due to the decline in the hardwood industry, he diversified and purchased a Volve FL7 with a Palfinger crane and carried pine frames and trusses at Maitland and Singleton for many years.

Wager Constructions at Rutherford NSW offered Dennis the job of carting their products, pre-cast concrete, bridge decks, beams etc. so he took the opportunity to expand, forming Rutherford Transport Services. In 2005 he purchased another Mack CH Fleetliner for his son Tony to drive, also adding two Hino tabletops with cranes to his fleet, contracting to BBC Hardware and Hudson’s Building Supplies, delivering locally.

Dennis eventually replaced his Volvo with a Kenworth K104B cab over and in quiet times did the odd trip interstate. As his son took on more responsibilities Dennis sold his Tabletops and began winding down his involvement. After 50 years of driving, he handed his transport business to his son. Some health problems developed, seeing him reluctantly fully retiring in 2020.

Dennis lives at Eccleston, NSW with his wife Joan and still holds his HC licence, just in case he’s offered another load.