Lou Barnes

Inducted into the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame at ReUnion 2010.

Lou Barnes decided he'd like to go truck-driving after he completed his apprenticeship in auto spraying in 1962 but thought he'd have trouble finding work.  Not so.

After a character reference from Ray Tuck Lee in Granville, Lou started with Kwikasair on loading and local work for a few weeks before he was sent on a Melbourne to Adelaide training trip.

For the next several months Lou generally drove overnight to Brisbane and return in a V8 Dodge or one of a variety of Leylands in the fleet. Usually it was three return trips one week and two the next. Kwikasair blokes were known as being among the best drivers on the road and Lou was up there with the best of them. He made many mates in his time with Kwikasair.

After that Lou did a stint with Searle Transport from Parramatta doing overnight work for Ansett and Mayne Nickless and paper runs to Dubbo, Tamworth and Cooma. In 1993 he decided a change of scenery was in order so swapped to coaches and took a job with Ansett Pioneer eventually becoming a driver supervisor and trainer. He stuck to this for over twenty years before moving to Nambucca Heads on the NSW north coast where he started with Premier Motor Services. He worked for them for a further nine years before moving on. Lou drove an average of 200 000 accident free kilometres per year. (same as 13 return trips to the moon)

Lou is currently driving for Greyhound Australia to Brisbane and Sydney on a regular roster where he is acknowledged as a legend of the highways.