Edwin Carter

Inducted into the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame at ReUnion 2014.

Edwin Leslie Carter was born in 1939. He left school at 14 to work on the family poultry farm later taking a job at the Lance Creek Meatworks as a plant operator. He soon found himself hauling hanging meat and hides to Melbourne. At the time Edwin wasn't licensed to drive a heavy vehicle and had no idea how to operate the gears. When the owner of the truck found out he told Edwin to go find the police sergeant who was busy playing snooker in the local pub. It was about 9:30pm and the sergeant said to bring two bottles of beer to the station. Half an hour later Edwin had his licence and 56 years later is still driving. Edwin drove many trucks in the following years including a 1952 Foden, a Leyland and an Atkinson. Later he drove a Commer Knocker carrying a Centurion tank which had been made into a bulldozer with swamp tracks clearing scrub. Edwin then went to Melbourne to drive a Bedford for J Murray-More, carting steel.

This is where he met his wife Virginia who was the pay mistress at the time. They have a son and three daughters. Edwin then went to work for Vaughan Transport running interstate to Sydney carting mainly chocolates and tyres. His next employment was at RJ Moore Transport in Echuca where Edwin drove Internationals, 1418 Benz, petrol Dodges and ACCOs. He was involved in the Big Blockade for 10 days stuck at Prospect in Sydney. While he was at Moores, Edwin got the nickname Gold Nuts. because he would paint all the letters and nuts on the wheels gold. Moores were struggling financially at the time and paid their drivers an extra $20 a week if the truck came home without being repossessed. In 1992, Edwin's truck, carrying food and medical supplies, was the first truck into Charleville after the big flood. He carted spuds from Ballarat to Cairns in an ACCO. The last ten years were with John B McNaught, Finley, driving road trains carting grain and rice. His wife and dog, Jake, travelled with him for many years.

Edwin's commitment was recognised in Truckin' Life September 2005 when he joined the Million Clicks Club. His love for driving trucks and belonging to the trucking community will never die.