Dennis “Disco” Curran
Inducted into the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame in 2021.
Dennis Curran, nicknamed “Disco”, was born in February 1953 in Newport, Victoria, the middle of three sons. His father was a truck driver but Dennis only developed a passion for trucks at 15 when he started washing trucks at F.C. Kerr’s trucking yard. When Dennis obtained his truck licence, he commenced a driving career that would last over 45 years and earn him many life-long mates.
Dennis did some interstate driving on the eastern seaboard but his first big interstate trip was to Perth. He worked for Friendly’s in 1974, driving fuel tankers with a cabover Kenworth before buying a White 9000 in 1975 to cart dairy products for Martrans across the eastern states. Wishing for a more stress-free life, Dennis sold his truck and went back to driving for others. He drove tankers for Knights, carted general freight for Billy George, transported frozen foods for Sellwood’s and then Eastoes and drove for Mobil Petroleum, delivering fuel and bitumen within Victoria.
Tiring of local work, Dennis started with Cootes Transport, carting fuel and liquefied petroleum gas before deciding to buy a Volvo to pull Air Liquide tankers. Trading up, Dennis bought a Kenworth 904 and pulled refrigerated vans across the eastern states for Nolan’s Transport in Queensland. He then moved to Broome in Western Australia for 15 months to drive triples for Direct Haul, carting liquefied natural gas. Returning to Melbourne, Dennis bought a Freightliner Coronado which he drove for six years, carting bitumen across the eastern states with a few trips to Western Australia and the Northern Territory. Whatever job he did, Dennis did it safely and he had an impeccable driving record. He had gained enormous experience with driving on difficult roads over the years.
Dennis finally retired to Yarrawonga on the Murray River where he has been restoring a 2010 cab over Kenworth aerodyne prime mover.
Inducted in 2021
