Joe “Big Joe” Dickerson
Inducted into the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame in 2021.
Joe Dickerson, known as Big Joe, was born in January, 1951 in Daylesford, Victoria. Joe started driving at age 17 in a Commer with his father but he did not gain his licence until he was 18.
In 1969, Joe started his first real job, driving a Leyland and a 760 Dodge for Woodend General Freight. He then went to work for Romsey Stock Transport, carting to Newmarket, Melbourne driving a 760 or a 10 series Dodge. Joe moved onto interstate driving, travelling between Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide and working for Bert Dunn Transport in Trentham, Victoria. While in this job, Joe drove an International 2150 or a slimline Kenworth.
Ater this, Joe started his own business with his wife, Gloria, in Romsey, Victoria, carting sand and gravel locally, with a Cummins 760 Dodge semi tipper. In 1974, Joe and Gloria bought a Kenworth 125 cabover for carting electricity poles and general freight interstate.
Joe and Gloria welcomed two sons, Paul, who was born in 1971 and Anthony, born in 1972. The boys loved to accompany Joe on trips but they were both battling cystic fibrosis and sadly, Paul and Anthony passed away in 1984.
Later, Joe went to drive for his nephew at RSD Transport in Kyneton, Victoria, completing five trips a fortnight to Sydney in a Kenworth SAR. Joe’s next went on to subcontract for Donegan Transport, carting brewers’ yeast from Carlton United Brewery in Victoria.
Joe claims his worst experience was driving on unsealed roads in the seventies to Mt Isa, Queensland, in a V8 petrol Dodge. On one occasion, Joe transported Allan Moffatt’s Cenovis Ford racing car to the annual Bathurst 1000 and was a member of the pit crew.
According to Joe, the best part of truck driving was getting back home to share a beer or two with mates and family. In his spare time, Joe liked to race hot rods in Daylesford, Victoria and later participated in mud car racing all over Australia.
Joe is currently contracting for his nephew, driving a Kenworth K104 Aerodyne 2000, doing interstate change-overs.