Albert (Albie) Haysom
Inducted into the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame at ReUnion 2014.
Albert Haysom (Albie) began driving trucks, unlicensed, at the age of 16 in 1952 carting stone from Wonthaggi in petrol powered Austin tip trucks. In that same year he became the owner driver of a Ford Thames and a 32ft. single axle trailer which he used to cart cement from Traralgon to Melbourne. In those days loading and unloading was all done by hand. Soon after he started interstate carting spuds and general freight between Melbourne to Sydney. It took three or four days to get to Sydney on little more than goat tracks and one way bridges. Albie changed from driving to farming in 1961 but returned to trucking in 1974 when an opportunity arose to drive a Volvo G88 carting general freight from Sydney to Melbourne. In 1977 he swapped to a White Road Commander driving Melbourne to Rockhampton.
In 1983 Albie became an owner driver again driving a Cummins powered Transtar 4070 cab over towing for Refrigerated Road- ways, mainly east coast runs from Melbourne until he brought his own flat top in 1985. He then carted general goods Melbourne to Brisbane for five years. The Transtar 4070 was later traded for a Kenworth SAR with a 400 CAT and 14 speed Spicer. Albie recalls a trip when his oldest grandson travelled with him and they ended up bogged to the fuel tanks. The ten year old had to operate the brakes on the tow truck as its grille pointed skyward pulling with all its might. The truck was later written off after an accident in which Albert broke his leg. Another Kenworth SAR with an 8/92 13 speed overdrive was purchased in 1995. At this time Albie started work for NQX carting general freight and mining equipment to Mt Isa and central Queensland mines. It is suspected a jammed brake lining was to blame for a return trip with a load of pumpkins being roasted roadside when the trailer caught fire. He had to hastily unhook the prime mover before he lost that too!
In 2000 Albie traded this truck for a Kenworth T900 which he used to pull a B-double flat top doing the same job. Albie reluctantly retired in 2008 at the age of 70 as no-one would assess him for the annual B-double licence.
