Norman Ekman
Inducted into the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame at ReUnion 2014.
Norman Lindsay Ekman (Croc) is a stalwart of the road transport industry earning the respect and admiration of his peers, work mates and employers alike during his lengthy driving career. Born in 1944, and married to Annette, Norm started working for RJ Jones in Mudgee in 1968 driving a Leyland Comet. In those days it took 10 hours to get to Sydney and 20 hours from Mudgee to Brisbane and back. The Pilliga at the time was little more than a dirt goat track and a special mateship existed between drivers.
Over the years Norman, worked for a variety of truck companies including Robert Holms Transport of Dubbo carting wool, bricks, coke, beer and general goods. Later he went on float work for Ces Swords of Mudgee. At the time drivers had to go from Mudgee through Coonabarabran and Tamworth just to get to Newcastle because of unrealistic weight restrictions. Norman also worked for John Careers of Dubbo where he would load 22,000 bricks on a single from Albury to Dubbo and distributed them.
He later worked for Rod Pilon. Rod Pilon had first noticed Norm in 1985 when he drove into his transport depot in Dubbo. Rod was impressed at the way he idled in, shut the truck down, and went around the whole unit, tightening up wheel nuts and checking chains and ropes. Rod commented to the person next to him good operator that bloke. Norman started working for him a few weeks later, running to Darwin hauling big loads on a 50 tonne a trailer - that same truck is still in the Pilon fleet and on its fourth motor (a 600 Signature) and based in the Mt Isa depot. Norm moved on to Parry Logistics in 2010 where he has earned the utmost respect of his employer, Greg Parry, who describes him as an old school truckie and a true gentleman of the road.
At the age of 70, Norm still does the same miles, incident free and without a complaint driving B-Doubles, as drivers half his age. When Norm speaks the younger drivers listen intently as they are bound to learn something and enjoy having a laugh at his stories from his past and the good old days of trucking.
