Jeff Leech

Inducted into the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame at Reunion 2014.

Jeffrey Leech was born in Castlemaine in February 1945. He began driving interstate at 18 years of age in an AA 180 International with a 34 ft bogie trailer. His first trip was in 1963 from Castlemaine to Adelaide. He loved it and bought a new AB-184 V8 International truck and took on work as a sub-contractor for Express Freight.

Following the AB-184, Jeff purchased a new International R-190 which he drove himself for some time before he put a driver into it and operated from a depot in the Sydney haulage terminal in St Peters, Sydney. The call of the family business J.J. Leech & Sons was too strong. He went back to drive for his parents in a new 1965 cab-over Kenworth. He drove this for nine months before going back to driving his own R-190. Jeffrey eventually traded the R-190 in on a new 1418 Mercedes Benz in 1968 but only drove it for two trips himself before he put another driver in it.

In 1968 Jeffrey returned from interstate to drive local for the family business. He later returned to interstate driving a range of cab-over Kenworths, (8V71 to 8V92 Detroits). Jeff began driving his pride and joy in 1981. It was a brand new W-model Kenworth with an 8V92 Detroit with a Spicer gearbox. He drove this on all the highways of Australia including his favourite leg from Melbourne to Perth across the Nullarbor Plain.

Jeff transported general freight until 1993 when he went back to the office after 31 years of accident free driving. Jeff taught his son to drive trucks too and he is the next generation at JJ Leech & Sons. As Jeff is approaching his retirement he knows his love of trucks will never retire.