Frank Furia

Frank Furia born in Katoomba 1952. Growing up in Penrith, Frank's father owned a large fruit shop and being raised as a good Italian boy he was made to work in the family business and his father taught him to drive in his old 54 Chevy.

ln 1970 he began running interstate delivering fruit for his father. Frank had decided it was time to spread his wings and bought his first truck, which was an international Transtar. ln 1974 Frank bought an SAR Kenworth running north Queensland with his tri-axle trailer carting steel. In 1976 he bought a new Road Commander running all the east coast, carting general freight for TNT.

Being approached by ANSETT Australia in 1977, Frank starting to gain a reputation on reliability carting soft drinks and general freight out of Sydney to Darwin, which a round trip took two weeks, until Ansett lost their contract. Meanwhile, Frank went on to buy a 45 foot jumbo aluminium van and returned to TNT sub-contracting until 1980 having five trucks running the highway. Unfortunately much to Franks despair recession had hit Australia and lost his trucks.

Frank put a driver in his truck and took a break from the industry after witnessing the fatal car accident that tragically claimed the lives of both his parents and young daughter in 1978. It wasn't long before he picked himself back up and bought a new Aerodyne and began sub-contracting for Freightlines of Australia, running Sydney to Adelaide overnight express. In 1986 he went on to run three trips a week for Budget Cargo express out of Sydney to Melbourne.

In 1989 Frank had decided to have a break from interstate buying himself a V8 Mack Superliner 36 foot tipper trailer carting grain and coal out of central New South Wales for Heggies Transport. For the next two years he then went on pulling tipper roadtrains carting copper dust out of Condobolin to Mt lsa until the price fell out of copper and he got out of the tippers. After selling the Mack he moved to Melbourne and started driving interstate for Bunker Freightlines. Coming off the road Frank spent another six years as their Operations Manager.

From 2007 to 2013 Frank made his living from buying and selling many trucks, most of them being his favourite Kenworths. Frank now has 45 years in the transport industry and these days he is sub-contracting for Leslie Refrigerated Transport and Thurwood lnterstate Transport carting refrigerated produce. Frank's ambition was to finally own and drive his pride and joy, the ultimate Kenworth C509, being his last truck.