Raymond Davis
Inducted into the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame in 2016.
Raymond Arnold Keith Davis (known as Keith or Bushy) was born in Little River in Victoria and moved to Winchelsea when he left school. He worked with his father David (DUB) Davis carting hay during the harvesting season before enlisting in the Army. Keith served four years in the Army in WA, NSW and far Nth Queensland in the Artillery. He drove a Blitz and a Marmon Herrington 25 pound gun tractor.
After the war Keith and his wife Lois decided to start their own transport business. With a Chevrolet 'Lend Lease' truck, used to cut, cart and sell wood from the bush from, RAK Cartage Contractor, Winchelsea, came into being. With work increasing Keith decided to take the tray off the Chevrolet and fit a semi-trailer. He later upgraded to an International R180 to cart for the Roaches Coal Mine at Bambra Victoria and for several local council shires and later the Country Roads Board of Victoria. Two of Keith's early trucks were a Burma Dodge powered by a Leyland engine he had fitted himself and an early White re-powered with a Deutz engine he also fitted himself. Over the years he also owned bonneted Mercedes Benz, Diamond Ts and Leylands.
After a near fatal accident carting logs in 1962 Keith was joined in the business by his son Raymond and as the fleet expanded his other sons, Max and Geoffrey, also joined. By then, the business was operating International, White and Volvo and were contracted to cart gas pipes from Cobar to Western NSW on the Moomba to Sydney pipeline. They also carted general interstate from Geelong to Sydney and Brisbane.
At one point Keith also owned and operated quarries in Warrion and Armytage which is still operated by the family business today.
Keith was the founding president of the Long Distance Road Transport Association in Victoria which was set up to lobby for better operating standards for truck drivers and operators. It was a position he was passionate about and one he held right up until he passed away. Known as a dedicated trucking man and a true Aussie larrikin Keith was well respected all over the country. He had trucking in his blood!
