Ted Bushby
Inducted into the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame at ReUnion 2014.
Ted 'Bushy' Bushby has been around trucks since he was eight years old when he went everywhere with his brother David who was a truck driver. David taught Bushy everything he needed to know about trucks. His first driving experience was in an F700 Ford single drive with single trailer carrying a load of polythene to Shark Bay. His brother got on the slops at Geraldton and would not drive the truck. He told Bushy to get behind the wheel as they had to be there by morning. Bushy's first real driving job was with Pat Irwin in Horsham driving an AB180 International petrol V8. Next he worked for Sartoris with 'Old Bruno' doing interstate shuttle, as well as driving two up in a G88 Volvo. Bushy then went to work with Cains Transport carting meat and then Jim English Transport and Peaches Transport carting livestock.
In 1976 Bushy bought his first truck, a White Road Commander and subbied for Bruce Marks Transport before joining Intermodal carting paper interstate. He also towed for Wettenhall Transport running Melbourne to Sydney. Every third week he loaded for Adelaide so he could get home to Hamilton. Bushy later bought a new Louisville day cab and carted potatoes to Sydney market. On one of these trips he hit a train between Jerilderie and Urana and wrote his truck off. Fortunately he had no real injuries, just a wounded pride. Ford Credit set him up in a another Louisville and he continued carting wherever he could get work anywhere in Australia until he decided to get out of business and sold up.
Bushy moved to Adelaide in 1987 to work for Simon Transport and then K&S Freighters carting salt. He later joined Cleveland Freightlines driving Port Augusta to Sydney and Perth and in 1999 started working with Cootes Transport driving road trains. Today Bushy is carting jet fuel with Cootes. After 13 years with Cootes and at the age of 64 Bushy says he will see the rest of his truck driving days out with one of the greatest transport companies in Australia. Bushy has never regretted his choice to become a truck driver. He has enjoyed every minute of it and says he still has many good years left in him yet. 10-4 Ted Bushby!