Robert Dale

Inducted into the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame at ReUnion 2012.

Robert (Bob) Dale started driving for PE Shelly in Bacchus Marsh when he was just 18 and before he got his licence. While with PE Shelly Bob drove a Perkins powered Dodge, a petrol Commer, an International R190 and both A and B Internationals. Bob would go on to drive many different types of trucks for many employers before he decided to purchase his own truck.

Bob later went to work for Doug Phillips in St Arnaud, Victoria, running to Adelaide and Port Augusta again driving a Perkins powered Dodge and later an R190 International with a Diamond cab. He also returned to Bacchus Marsh for a period to drive overnight for Roy Davis on the Melbourne to Sydney and Melbourne to Adelaide runs and later for Graham Spargo (GST Transport) in a 1418 Mercedes Benz carting stock to Newmarket and carbon back to Sydney.

Following a move to Camden, NSW, Bob drove a Leyland Comet carting coal out of Burragreene Valley to Wollongong. In later years he moved to Toowoomba to drive for Bo Beauson in an International 2050 running to Goondiwindi and Sydney. He also worked for Vic and Reg Laurie carting grain from Goondiwindi and running Toowoomba to Melbourne in a 1418 Mercedes Benz.
Bob then returned to Melbourne to work for East Coast Transport running Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Sydney in a White 9000, a Road Commander with a 903 motor and later a 903 Kenworth. Next came a short stint with Clem King out of Morwell driving a 350hp Cummins powered Kenworth and 290 hp Cummins powered Kenworth out of Boggabilla, NSW to Brisbane for John Woods.

Bob then bought his own truck and worked it in the mines in Charters Towers, Qld before moving to Narrandera in NSW where he worked for Days Transport driving a Volvo and carting water pipes for Rockla and for Peter Hubbard Transport driving a B-Double from Brisbane to Melbourne and Brisbane to Perth.

Bob went to Visy Logistics when they first started running Melbourne to Tumut doing shuttle work. He also did shuttle work out of Narrandera to Goondiwindi and the Narrandera to Melbourne for Ruttleys Transport, Sydney.

In May 2011 Bob had to have a triple bypass so he is now retired at the age of 66.