Wayne Foote

Inducted into the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame at Re Union 2007.

Wayne Foote was just 18 when he started in the trucking game. He didn't know it at the time but 50 years later he would still be out there battling the elements in some of the harshest country in Australia, recognised as one of the industry's true pioneers of outback trucking.

Wayne was always a bit of a battler. His first truck was a Diamond Reo tipper, and later a UD Nissan. He subbied for Bells for a while before deciding to run east to west. He remembers that he never had enough money with a young family to support and that most of his loads would have to be C.O.D. In the hot summer months, he would all but carry the truck across the Nullarbor as he couldn't afford good tyres; but he never got a blowout because of his good driving. When the time came and he was forced to sell the truck, he was upset, as he had really tried to make it work.Footy, as he is known (or Footrot) went back to driving. He was never out of a job as everyone in the industry always knew there wasn't much in the transport field he couldn't do. He usually did tipper work or heavy haulage in the bush doing time with Bellwap at the Queen Margaret Mine in Lienten WA and later for Alan Bond in Perth. He drove triple road trains up north of WA, road trains east to west, moving luxury cruisers, yachts and heavy mining gear.

He moved mining and earthmoving machinery to some of the most remote areas of Australia.After more than 50 years and millions of hard miles behind him, he still works longer and harder than most men half his age. He drives a quad tipper from Port Hedland to mining sites in various areas. Footy went on to work for 13 years for Ready Mix, pulling their B-Double cement tankers to where-ever they were needed.