Colin Jones
COLIN PETER JONES, known as Col or Perce, was first introduced to trucks back in 1954 at the young age of 18 years. He was working at BGF Coffs Harbour loading bananas when Peter Lindsay of Lindsay Brothers offered him local driving job with a table-top in Coffs Depot. It wasn't long before they said, you're going to Sydney tonight!. He loaded from Boambee down to Port Macquarie with beans and peas southbound to Sydney markets at Ultimo. Col was fifth permanent driver for Lindsay Brothers. This was the beginning of an illustrious career in transport for Col. In 1957 Col drove a 28ft long semi-trailer. "You couldn't get anything longer than that in the old Sydney markets".
By 1962 Col and his wife Rae were managing Lindsay Bros depot in Brisbane. In 1965 Col bought a new B61 single drive Mack for the sum of 8,800 pounds. He loaded all over East Coast of Australia and Queensland with produce, timber and pipes. Col was renowned for his loading by hand with straw and ply, layer by layer, careful to get that load to market in its best quality. No pallets in those days. After two years Col upgraded to a new cabover Mack F700, V8 Mack, bogie drive, forward control from Rocklea. It was the first V8 cabover to come off the assembly line in Australia. It had two gear sticks and was "pretty simple to operate". It was supposed to be only 285 hp but Col reckons it was 350hp it went that well.
From 1976 to 1980 he carting fuel from Bonville to Briggsvale, building dunes with Volvo Dumper in Queensland carting mineral sand north of Noosa to separation plant. Buying Marshalls Louisville, Boambee pulling trailers for Lindsay Bros. Col bought his own spread axle trailer after two weeks off Casey Bros, Bellingen carted again for Lindsay Bros then with his own freight to TNT from Sydney to Coffs Harbour loading powdered milk from Norco Raleigh down to Melbourne (though TNT).From 1980 to 1987 Col had own engineering business but was soon back in the seat of a UD that he bought from auction. He carted along the Pacific Highway from Sydney hauling second hand building materials to family business at Raleigh. "That old UD is still running to this day". Today, Col is retired but still catches up with all his old mates. His legacy continues with his son and grandson both working in the transport industry today.