Raymond Boys
Inducted into the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame in 2018.
Raymond Maxwell Boys was born on 13th January 1937. Ray, with his wife Margaret has been involved in the transport driving industry for the best part of 60 years. He has driven roughly 40 trucks, approximately 5,000,000 kms around the country
Ray's first job was in 1956, in a Chev Blitz, carting logs in the Otway Ranges for his father .In 1957 Ray started with the Trigg Brothers in Colac driving rigid tray trucks and semi- trailers carting logs, timber, petroleum products, cement and potatoes across the state and interstate. One nightmare trip he was carting potatoes to Sydney and broke down. He had to walk back to a Servo and organize repairs. For the next five very uncomfortable days Ray slept in the truck (across the seat) off loaded his load by hand, paid the mechanic and finally got to Sydney where he refuelled before travelling back home . In 1961-66 he worked carting timber with a semi-trailer and jinker for Mick Taylor of Barramunga.
A shift north to a job at Freemantle's Lucerne Mills, Eddington from 1966 -71, changed the cargo to lucerne chaff, crushed oats and stock feed, driving rigid tray trucks and semi-trailers.
In1971 Ray and Margaret moved to Bendigo and started their own business. They had a Commer and then a D1000 for, carting cattle, sheep, hay and scrap metal. They sold the truck in 1976.
Ray started his 21 years driving petrol tankers, firstly for Sam Bell ten Terraco (receiving a 10 year service award) and finally Ampol. This took Ray all around Victoria from Melbourne to local service stations, industrial sites and farming operations.
In 1998 Ray went to work for Peter Hayes, Bendigo carting grain around the state. His favourite truck was Peters SAR Kenworth. In 2001 he stopped in Port Lincoln for the grain harvest and then continued on a trip around Australia.
From 2002 -2016 Ray was the dependable stalwart in the harvest operations on a farm in Boort. He drove a variety of trucks and missed only four harvests during this time. In December 2016, three weeks before his 80th birthday, Ray hung up his driving cap. Known for his punctuality, mechanical knowledge and impeccable care of his vehicles. Ray is a transport driver through and through.