David Smart
Inducted into the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame in 2023.
David Smart was born in Beechworth, Victoria, in January 1963. His father Graeme and mother Lesley ran many transport related businesses within the town, so it was no surprise when David became obsessed with trucks.
David enjoyed jumping in the truck and going on trips with both his father and his grandfather. By the time he was eight, if a load of diesel arrived in the 44-gallon drums, and his father was not around, David would jump on the forklift and unload them. He would move any of the vehicles around the yard that needed moving and do whatever he could to help.
After gaining his licence David drove ‘all over’ Australia. At age 22, he bought his own truck, a Scania and started running up and down the highways along the Eastern Seaboard. Some of the freight he carried included the newly invented Automatic Teller Machines (ATM). He ran interstate for about 15 years before moving to Brisbane.
In Brisbane David became involved with road building. He would cart from quarries, remove waste from the work sites and even operate machinery when needed.
Thirty years on, David and his wife Sharon continue to run ‘Smartys Bobcat and Tippers.’ Over the years they built their fleet up to five trucks, numerous bobcats, and other machinery. David was involved in the building of the Warrick- Toowomba Motor Way. If you’ve traveled a road near Brisbane, you’ve probably traveled a road that David or one of his workers has helped build.
The decision was made to downsize the fleet. While David still works the three vehicles this gives him more time to read his bible, the monthly ‘Deals on Wheels’ magazine. And no weekend is complete without a run to ‘church’, others call it MaxisPARTS. When a mate or a driver needs a part they’ll pop over and check David’s stockpile. He is well known for his community actions and always helping another out. David enjoyed his run in ‘Haulin’ the Hume 2023’. David lives by the ‘Truckies Prayer’.
David owned a variety of trucks over the years but Kenworth’s were his love. So much so that when he was off work with a broken leg he built a scale model of a Cabover Aerodyne. This scale model stands 1.4m high, 2.5m long, has a lawn mower motor in it, can hold at least 24 cartons of drink and reaches up to 80km an hour. David also built a dog trailer for it, which holds the camping gear when he takes the ‘small’ truck to places like Winton, Mullumbinby and wherever a truck show is held.
