Graeme Goodwin

Inducted into the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame at Re Union 2005.

Graeme Goodwin's transport career spans five decades, resulting in service to the transport industry as a subcontractor for 52 years. After leaving school at the age of 13, in 1947, he began as a jockey carting timber, firewood and fuel. Graeme then became a driver for his dad in 1952.

At the age of 20 he bought his first truck, a Commer with an R6 Perkins. Towing a freighter 32ft single-axle running Melbourne, Sydney and Newcastle. He carted mostly spuds and coke out of Wollongong in NSW.In 1965, coming off the highway, he turned his hand to logging in the East Gippsland district of Victoria. After three years of logs it was back on the highway again. This time tackling the long haul, sub-contracting for Brambles long distance. He began running from Melbourne to Mt Newman, Mt Goldsworthy and Port Hedland in northern WA. Stopping at the Ironclad Hotel in Marblebar you couldn't have a shower in the daytime because of the boiling water coming from the cold tap. He told of the sun visor falling off the truck north of  Wiluna and how he stood on the bull bar to re-attach it, leant on the sun visor and blistered his legs it was that hot. In 1976 the road was bituminised across the Nullarbor and everyone started running to Perth because it had become much easier but was still quite lucrative.  Graeme decided to start running to Darwin.

In 1978 he started towing a freezer van for Templo Freezer Freight. Until his retirement Graeme had run mostly up and down the eastern seaboard. His last trip was Melbourne to Brisbane in his beloved W-Model Kenworth. Graeme retired due to ill health in 2004, and now resides in Charlton, Victoria.Graeme retired due to ill-health in 2004 and now resides in Charlton, Victoria.