Bernard Langley

Inducted into the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame at Reunion 2013.

Bernard Langley was born in 1940 in Melbourne. His father was a carpenter by trade  but he also  drove a very early solid tyre flatbed truck between Melbourne and Geelong  in 1918 for a period of time. The trip took all day at a top speed limit of  just 12 miles per hour.   By the time Bernard started driving his father was working as a taxi cab driver.
Bernie started driving trucks at 18 years of age and has continued to work with all kinds of machinery most of his life.  Bernie was self taught and enjoyed learning new skills as an electrician, mechanic and in later years using computer technology.  He has been part of a massive change in the industry. He started in 1958 driving vehicles with top speeds of 40 mph and no driver comforts and has worked through to today's machines. His ability to always find a way to keep a truck going after a breakdown was amazing. Bernie would think nothing of helping anyone on the road with mechanical problems.  He also had great patience in training other young drivers and introducing them into the industry, including Chris Langley and his two younger brothers. 
Bernie had quite a few different jobs during his career as was common for truck-drivers in the early years. These included driving a V8 Dodge for the Postmaster General, driving an International 160 timber jinker for Leo Purnell and later interstate runs for Brown & Mitchel in an International R180 and for Barlow Transport in a Thames Trader and a Leyland Beaver.  Bernie then did ten years for Holymans driving Volvo 86,88 and 89 earning himself the nickname 'Syco'. Later he drove  a Leyland Power Plus and an AEC Mandator for Bill Cousins Transport and an AEC Monarch for Midlands. He also drove a variety of other Internationals, Kenworths, Mercedes Benz and Macks.
Bernie worked for awhile on a farm at Coonamble, NSW, doing repairs on heavy equipment and harvesting together with other farm duties.He then returned to Melbourne and started subcontracting at Toll Chadwick in Francis Street Yarraville. Bernie  also spent time in the Toll offices managing fleet logistics while also driving a Mercedes Benz.  Later, Bernie worked a tipper and road machinery, contracting to the then, Country Roads Board in Victorian Mountain District in a1989 Volvo. He then moved to Mount Gambier and drove logging trucks and harvesters for Drove Logging & Softwoods in UD and LTLs.
Bernie then subcontracted for Toll Express Melbourne to Brisbane in Scania's 141s and 142s and worked locally for Dove Storage. He also worked for  Allied Sea Freight and did all types of loads including over dimensional work in another  Scania 142. Today, in 2013 Bernie is 73 years old and  now works part time as a mechanic for Terry Thurwoods TPT in Melbourne.