John and Chrissy Abbott

Inducted into the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame at ReUnion 2011.

John and Chrissy started in the transport industry in England in 1968 hauling local with a 1964 TK Bedford. John came from a trucking background with his father, uncles and family friends all being "lorry drivers. As the years passed and the business grew John and Chrissy upgraded to two Scania 110 prime-movers and ended up hauling freight all throughout Britain and Europe. It was a holiday to Australia in 1979 that changed their lives.

Visiting Brisbane to see relatives, John and Chrissy were astounded at the opportunities they saw in almost every industry. They applied to emigrate in January 1980 and by 1982 and John had a job hauling interstate freight with a subcontractor for Fridgemobile throughout Queensland and New South Wales. When the chance came John and Chrissy purchased the prime-mover from the owner and continued to subcontract to Fridgemobile.

In the years since John has hauled for many of Australia's legendary transport companies including Vaughan Transport, Hoepners Transport and TNT Bulk in Orange NSW. Until he started with TNT, John operated as an owner-driver with one truck but was keen to expand the business. Within two years , with the support of his wife Chrissy, it grew to become a seven truck operation which continued for many years.

In 1999 John found what he still calls the best job ever. It is with SimsMetal. John started contracting to them in 1999 with one truck and that has grown to twelve trucks. John's and Chrissie's fleet also includes five excavators with their own floats, single, B-double and roadtrain trailer combinations. They operate two 26 metre B-doubles permanently on grain. The immaculately maintained fleet is painted in themes of movies and bands and the trucks never fail to attract a crowd where-ever they go.

John and Chrissy, with their only son Terry, operate a thriving family business in the recycling industry which they say will continue to grow as recycling grows. It is a great feeling for us to know that the next generation of our family is set to carry on within this wonderful industry.