Evan Jones
Evan Jones is a veteran of 50 years in the trucking industry. His first truck was a V8 Dodge and he has enjoyed driving interstate for more than four decades. Back then the Bruce Highway Queensland between Sarina and Mackay was still dirt and so was part of the Nullarbor.
In the early days of Evan's trucking life, he drove for Co-Ord Transport in Darwin. He drove an ACE, after that he worked for Pioneer in Gove, Northern Territory. During his time there he poured the first load of cement to build what was known as The Family Flats.
Evan then moved back to Proston where he owned the fuel depot and started his own Transport Company. Coming to Lowood in the mid 1970s he continued with Evan Jones Transport. He bought a Cabover Scania and also purchased the R160 International which he donated to the Transport Hall of Fame in Alice Springs. Another Boot Scania 142H was added to his fleet which he named The Giant, another Scania was bought and had a 60 inch bunk built on it which he named Lady Marcelle. He transported oranges from Gayndah, Queensland to the Melbourne Markets plus other produce from Lowood and Lockyer Valley areas.
In 1987 Evan did a world trip with Scania, going to Sweden to visit their factory. During this time he also bought Lowood Engineering where he built trailers, etc. The mid 1980s saw another truck purchased, this one was a T600 Kenworth with a fridge van, also purchasing CR Beutels Carrying Company, with four body trucks and ran local produce daily to the Brisbane Markets.
Evan started up a courier service which he did daily himself. On a daily basis returning from the markets the body trucks then delivered beer to hotels from Goodna to Lowood from the XXXX Brewery in Brisbane. In 1994 Evan decided to sell the business and have a well earned break.
Evan and Gayle bought a 15ft pop top caravan and Toyota Landcruiser and travelled Australia for five years turning it into a working holiday which they thoroughly enjoyed. Evan sold trucks in Darwin where he met so many people that he already knew from his driving days. Returning to Queensland in 1999, they bought the Crows Nest Caravan Park. Opening up a licensed restaurant at the park was a very successful part of the business.
After owning the caravan park for nine years they decided to have a very well earned break and imported an Alfa Toy Hauler 40 foot, 5th wheeler from America. Evan bought himself a new Kenworth T904 to tow the new van travelling Australia for another two years. In 2010 not really enjoying retirement, Evan went looking for 20 acres or so but bought 160 acres at Ascot 30 kms from Toowoomba. Planting grain, etc on the farm was the plan but the thought of driving the highways once again was calling. So in 2012 Evan ordered a new drop deck trailer from Brown & Hurley and took to the road again. Now he has a dolly and flat top trailer as well, transporting all kinds of heavy machinery all over Australia. Still driving the Highways at 68 years of age and loving every minute of it.