Raymond & Jessie Fechner
Raymond Percy Fechner Jessie Elizabeth Fechner
Born 17 May 1923 Born 21 November 1922
Date of Passing 09 December 1988 Date of Passing 27 November 2013
Raymond Hookey and Jessie Fechner started Fechner Transport in 1943, with a Chevrolet Lend Lease previously purchased by Ray's father Percy in the 1930s.Ray transported livestock from farm to farm and the saleyards at Dandenong, potatoes from the local farms to the Bayles Railway Station and coal from the Bayles Railway Station to the Bayles Dairy Factory.
Ray was badly burnt in a truck fire in 1942. Doctors told him he would never work again. He defied doctor's odds and drove trucks for the next 44 years until his death in 1988.
They had two children Kevin born in 1950 and Glenda in 1953.
Kevin came back to the family business in 1970. By this stage the business had grown, transporting livestock, potatoes, hay and general freight. Over the next 26 years they expanded to a fleet of seven trucks, predominately livestock, carting cattle, sheep, calves and pigs to Newmarket, Dandenong and Warragul saleyards.
Over the years the model of trucks also changed from a 1930 Chevrolet Lend Lease, 1942 Chevrolet Maple Leaf, 1948
International KB6 , International R180 and R90, Mercedes Benz 1418, Mercedes Benz 1424, to the current fleet Mercedes Benz 2435, Volvo FH 460, Western Star 4864 and Kenworth SAR 404.
Fechner's Transport branched into on farm milk transportation for Pantallica Cheese Company based at Thomastown in 1996. Fechner's currently have two trucks permanently transporting milk 365 days of the year
Fechner's Transport joined the livestock Transporters Association of Victoria in 1987. Kevin went on to hold committee positions in the Association, taking on the president's roll in 1997 until 2002. He went on to be President of the Australian Livestock Transporters Association for two years until 2004 and was also awarded a life membership to the LTAV in 2007.
In 2006, Kevin's son Steven continued the family tradition, the fourth generation Fechner to take over running the business. Steven manages the livestock side of the business with three trucks whilst Kevin oversees the milk division.
The future of Fechner's Transport looks likely to continue into a fifth generation with Kevin's two grandsons both keen to continue the family legacy.