Ronald Andrews

Inducted into the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame at ReUnion 2006.

When Ron was 18 years old, leaving National Service Training in 1953, he started driving trucks for his future father-in-law Reg Phillips who owned a fleet of Albion and AEC semi-trailers.  The fleet was registered as Balmain Taxi & Transport Service, Sydney, which in turn was a shareholder of Mercury Transport with the head office in Melbourne.

Ron's first truck was an Albion Chieftain semi-trailer with a top speed of 38 mph delivering President Refrigerators to all the capital cities, including Perth (WA), up until 1962.Ron then took a job as a driver in Peterbilts for Laurie O'Neill's Mainline Transport which operated a shuttle service between the eastern capital cities.  After the shuttle service finished in 1965 Ron did a spell driving a Diamond T for Alan Hancock between Sydney and Melbourne which, in those days, was a pretty gruelling task. 

From 1966 until 1969 Ron operated a B-model Mack for Mitchell Bros. Ron then bought his own truck doing container deliveries around the wharfs for TNT.  Not liking local work, and with itchy feet, he decided to have a go at runnng his business and bought a 1418 Mercedes Benz in 1970 which he used to carry Streets Ice Cream all over the eastern states of Australia.  When the need to cart heavier loads inevitably came, a bogie drive Kenworth was purchased followed by an Aerodyne.  With these two trucks Ron continued to cart Streets Ice Cream for 28 years.

The big C (cancer) put a stop to Ron's adventures.  His eldest son, Ron (junior), also owned his own truck but died of cancer in 1991.  At 70 years of age Ron helped his youngest son Adam and occasionally drove his truck on country runs.  Married for over 50 years, with Shirley, his supportive wife and six children, the Andrews really are an Australian trucking family.  Would he do it all again, you ask? You bet, he answers.