Stephen Eyre

Stephen Eyre (Steve) started in transport in Newcastle on his 15th birthday in 1963. He went to work thinking he would be working in the yard as a dockhand but was given a set of keys, a licence, logbook and AEC Matador truck and was told he was going to Cairns. When Steve said he didn't know how to drive a truck he was told.

Don't worry son, a hundred miles up the road you will be an expert.

For the next 15 years Stephen drove country and interstate for various bosses including Ken Pannowitz, Alan Matherson and Joe Young before buying his own truck in 1978. He used his an LNT Ford Louisville to subby for R & H Transport, Newcastle running to North Queensland.

Steve drove many trucks over the years including Commer Knockers, Scammells, ERF, R190 and AB Internationals, Bedfords, Kenworths, Macks, Scanias, and Whites. He would drive either as a company driver or as a subcontractor for many companies including Vaughans, R & H, Benton & Dailey, NFT and Race Container Express. Steve has travelled nearly road in Australia. His favourite run was Sydney to Perth. In 1995 Steve parked his Scania up and started escorting wide loads around the country. In Jan 1999 he formed Hot Shots Express with his wife Robyn. They employed 35 drivers to do express deliveries all around Australia.

In his 52 years in transport Steve has many memories from being bogged to the axles, fixing his own flat tyres, waiting out the floods and dodging the scalies. There were no CB radios or sleeper cabs but you had plenty of mates on the road who were always ready to have a chat or help out if you needed a hand.

One of the highlights of Steves career was the several hours he spent chatting to Kurt Johansen at the Road Transport Hall of Fame in 1997.

Steve retired from Hot Shots Express in November 2015 and is now travelling around Australia in his motor home visiting all the places that he has been to but never had the time to stop at and look around.