Ian Lloyd
Inducted into the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame at Reunion 2014.
Ian Lloyd, (Curly) always had visions of being a truck driver. His father had been a truck driver both during and after WWII. How- ever, Ian ended up starting work at age 15 in Pidcock's Electrical Store. Not surprisingly, the call of trucks was too strong for the young man and he soon left the shop. By 19 he was driving with a special licence carrying on the family tradition. His first truck was a 1948 Chevrolet tabletop, the same one his father had driven.
Ian delivered timber from Timms Mill at Timmsvale to the Grafton Joinery Works with help from trusty sidekick 'Tiny', his beloved miniature foxy. In 1961 Ian found work with Cromack and Tranter doing town deliveries before the itch to drive interstate took hold and he began the run from Grafton to Brisbane in a variety of trucks including Diamond T, International and Volvo. Ian bought his first truck in 1972, a D1950 International called Little Devil. It was powered by a 160hp Cummins engine. He sub-contracted to Cromack and Tranter. He later bought a 1418 Benz called 'Miss Te' followed by a 1968 model cab-over Kenworth 'Starlite Rambler'. Ian went on to sub-contract to Cromack and Tranter for 31 years.
At 63 Ian decided to stop interstate driving and began with Blanchard Haulage working in the office and yard for seven years before officially retiring at 70. Ian still continues doing odd jobs and driving occasionally whenever the opportunity arises. Ian's youngest son Rodney has followed in his father's footsteps after doing many interstate trips with him as a child, making it three generations of the family in the trucking industry.
Ian is respected as a hard worker who never hesitated to help any one in need along the highways. He is a real gentleman of the road; one of those genuine down-to-earth blokes with a truly magnificent attitude towards sheer hard work and the mateship of his fellow truck drivers. His wife Alice has been a great support over the years and they now look forward to some quality time together in Ian's retirement - although to Ian, retirement means helping anyone out with any job that comes along!
