Bill Baskett

Inducted into the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame at ReUnion 2005.

Bill Baskett first began trucking in 1966, in Longreach, with a F700 tipper, carting gravel for Qld Main Roads but in early 1969, bought an Inter Acco semi-trailer and worked for himself carting logs to Augathella.

Later in that same year, 1969, Bill purchased a B-model Mack and a Dickinson crate, and along with his wife Lyn, began their long association in carrying livestock throughout all regions of remote Australia. 1971 saw them acquire a White 4000. Bill and Lyn moved to Toowoomba early in 1975 and ventured into general freight, carting for McIntyre Freight Lines. They carted into Darwin with building material after Cyclone Tracy.

In 1981 Bill and John Bain formed  Oilfield  Services Transport and specialised in 'rig shifts' in western Qld.  Bill sold his share of  OST to John Bain in 1985. He then built up the general side of  the business carting to Darwin.  This he sold in 1986 to Consolidated Press (Kerry Packer) and Dick David. Bill  could not stay off the roads and in 1996 he joined Barcoo Transport in Blackall running livestock trucks out of Winton with Grants Livestock Transport.  Bill then became a tow operator for NQX, now the Toll transport group. He sold this section of the business to Lloyd Hillman in 2004 then went  tow- operating for John Bain at Westrans, pulling triple road trains to Darwin.Bill has been a member of  Livestock Transport Association of Queensland (LTAQ) since 1990 and held various positions, including three years as president. He has been very instrumental in getting many changes for transport operators. The Qld Minister for Transport  appointed Bill Baskett to represent Qld on the Remote Areas Group of Australia.

Bill was President of the Australian Road Train Association (ARTA) for four years and was their  representative on many national bodies. Today,  Bill Baskett is still operating five trucks as a tow-operator from Qld to NT. He is  into truck restoration with a number of his restored vehicles located at Winton (Diamantina Heritage Truck & Machinery Museum) and the new heritage museum at Gatton, Qld . Bill is a real hero of the highways.