Wayne “Hoppy “Freeman

Inducted into the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame at Reunion 2002.

Wayne, who prefers to be called Hoppy, was born in Bordertown in 1940.  His first job was as a panel beater and mechanic.  He ventured into road transport when he bought a Ford F600 to subby to Ken Thomas.  Ken was later to become the founder of Thomas National Transport (TNT).

In 1962 Hoppy purchased an International truck and started working for Preston Transport carting bitumen tankers and general freight between Melbourne, Adelaide and Broken Hill .In 1970 Hoppy moved to Darwin for 6 1/2 years where he operated a Foden powered by a 196 Golden Eagle Rolls Royce for Ben Powell of Speedwell Transit.  It was one of only five such vehicles in Australia and was ex-Government issue.  It was fitted with a 60,000 lb winch and double reduction hubs attracting a lot of attention where-ever it travelled throughout the outback.  Hoppy also hauled freezer vans bringing goods to Darwin for supermarkets and backloading with buffalo meat from various meat works throughout what is today the Arnhem Land region of the Northern Territory .After this Hoppy drove a B-model Mack carting to remote areas of the Northern Territory such as Tipperary, Port Keats and Willeroo. 

In 1976 he decided to purchase a K123 cab-over Kenworth which he worked for several years with a company called Anset Freight Express (AFE).  He decided a change was needed and made the move back to Bordertown (SA) purchasing two SAR Kenworths and subbing to TATIARA Meat Company for a few years.  Hoppy retired in 1993 and lives in Bordertown with his wife.  Over the years they have been regular visitors to the Hall of Fame.