Victor Haber

Inducted into the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame at Reunion 2007.

Victor William Haber began driving trucks in 1947 for a local transport company. He later joined Colliers Interstate Transport to drive from Melbourne to Sydney and Adelaide. The drivers stayed at depots at Kyamba (near Tarcutta), Goulburn and Iron Duke Hotel at Alexandria.

Mateship was the name of the game. One would not pass a broken down truck until you were sure he had help. The roads were in such bad condition that the drivers often had to make their own bypasses in flooded areas such as Tallarook, Holbrook, Tarcutta and Tumbulong. It was a constant hassle with permit officers between borders. So much so that when rear-door Pantechnicons came into being, the operators put a very light load up the front and empty wire spools at the back and claimed a one shilling permit. Drivers were made to unload on the side of the road because of overweight loads.

Vic started driving a 1928 Albion single-drive, a slow but steady truck at 28mph, later driving Deutz and Kenworths with Ansett. He has witnessed the advance in trucking from 28 HP to those over 500HP. Vic considered the Kenworth K100, V8 Detroit powered the best truck of the time because it has the best pulling power; but he knows there are better trucks now.

In 1980 Vic and his wife at the time (she is now deceased) started a courier service in Coffs Harbour where they serviced the local hospital and doctors transferring X-rays between the two centres. Vic carried cattle blood each day from the Macksville abattoirs to be flown to Brisbane for cancer experiments. In 1990 Vic joined a group, as the treasurer, which built a Retirement Village and Hostel. After nine years he became the chairman of the board and he continued this type of voluntary work until 2003 when he moved to Hervey Bay.
It was here he married Margaret (Peggy).

Vic is still close friends with many drivers to this date and attends the Colliers Transport Reunion in Victoria every year to recall the old days.