Gavin Ellis

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

Gavin Ellis has been involved in transport for 40 years. His first truck was a five ton Bedford with which he delivered chickens to South Australia from Victoria for Thomas Hatcheries. Gavin went on to cart produce, steel and general on the Hume Highway to Sydney for his uncle, Ross Ellis. Gavin towed one of the first tri-axle trailers up the Hume Highway during this period and recalls causing a fuss at the Marulan checking station.

Gavin later worked for Kitco Transport driving interstate from Melbourne to Sydney and Brisbane and for a local tractor dealer before moving on to ABC Transport hauling Melbourne, Sydney, South Australia and Brisbane with steel and general freight. For 17 years Gavin did dangerous goods tanker work carting LP gas and bitumen products throughout the eastern states operating out of Dandenong. Gavin delivered gas to the snowfields in Victoria twice a week for ten years during the winter seasons. He had to fit snow chains to the Cootes Company Macks which he says were well suited to high country snow fields.

Gavin well recalls the Razorback Mountain blockade as he was caught up in it and fondly remembers the variety of characters he met in the good old days. There are also sad memories of mates lost before their time.

Gavin considers himself a survivor and believes that the electronic monitoring systems of today help drivers stay legal and out of trouble both with the law and the bosses. He also believes that the worst thing about these systems is that those who have never driven a truck make the rules and nit-pick at drivers being a couple of kilometres over the speed limit or taking 15 minutes too long to find a parking bay.