Gregory Finnen

Inducted into the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame at ReUnion 2007.

Gregory Leon Finnen's first truck driving job was in 1954 when he drove to Gulargambone, NSW, with two decks of sheep for his uncle. He was 17 years old. Soon after, he began carting wool from Boree Creek.
In 1955 he got a job at White Cliffs carting electricity poles. He would crowbar these off the truck into two poles laid lengthwise, and then pull the poles off with a rope. Later, he carted steel in a 1957 Ford and bogie trailer all around NSW for building silos and in 1959 Greg purchased his first truck, a De Soto with an 18 foot tray, on which he built his own crate.

Greg's next truck was an R180 International. In 1963 Greg bought his first new truck. It was a Perkins-powered AB International with a JJ McGrath bogie trailer. In September 1963, he took a load of lambs to Albany, WA, and brought back dumped wool to Adelaide, SA. His next trip to WA was with lambs and backloaded with wethers from Yalata Wool Shed on the Nullarbor. He soon upgraded to a 1965 C184 International and had the first three-deck stock crate in the district. He then purchased a 1948 Ford with a seven yard tipper to cart fertilizer out of Oaklands.

As he built his business over the years, Greg operated many types of trucks incuding a petrol-powered C 184 International, a 1824 Mercedes Benz, a 1418 Benz, and a 4070 Transtar to pull a fuel tanker from Melbourne to Eden. In 1975 he bought a new White Road Commander and 40 foot tri-axle and 3x2 stock crate. Ten years later it was a new Western Star 400 Cummins and two 4x2 stock crates with which he continued to cart stock, grain and fertilizer until 1995. Greg has carted stock: sheep, goats, cattle and pigs from most states in Australia. Greg has an unblemished driving record and is renown by his peers for his reliability and strong work ethic.