Dennis (Jacko) Jackson

Dennis Charles Jackson, known as ‘Jacko’, was born in Oberon, New South Wales in March 1948. Jacko started driving trucks once he was  out of school, later reflecting,  ``It's all I have ever known.”

He purchased his first truck in 1968, an International 184, and Jacko regarded her as “a rough old rig but she did the job.” He transported general freight between Sydney and Canberra in New South Wales, Melbourne in Victoria and Adelaide in South Australia. Like any old vehicle, his truck needed a lot of tender, loving care which Jacko always provided until an accident in 1970 saw the truck being written off.

Jacko then up-graded to a G88 Volvo and subcontracted for Woodbridge Transport in Canberra from 1971-1973, carting volcanic rock from Geelong, Victoria to Canberra.  This material was used to make lightweight concrete for the building of the Canberra Library. Jacko thought the Volvo “was an excellent truck for that day and year.”

Jacko then moved on to work for Coca-Cola’s  Canberra depot which was based in Queanbeyan, New South Wales.  The main depot, owned by Diverse Products, was in Adelaide.  It was at this time that Jacko became a Kenworth fan, driving one of the very first Kenworth K123s built in Australia. Jacko carted all Coca-Cola supplies including bulk freight, cans, bottles, fridges, merchandise and also fruit box juices which were new to consumers at the time. Travelling between Canberra, Adelaide, the Riverina and southern New South Wales coast, Jacko delivered Coca-Cola products for 12 years.

In 1984 Jacko bought the Kenworth from Coca-Cola as they were selling off all their bulk carriers. He repainted it blue and white, hooked on a tipper trailer and carted woodchip, scoria and bulk products from Canberra, Melbourne and elsewhere.  Selling this truck in 1993, Jacko bought a Kenworth K100E which he had for six years before changing over to a Kenworth T600 in which he continued to cart bulk haulage and general freight. Jacko, regrettably, sold his truck in 2011 and retired in Queensland.                                                                       Inducted in 2021