Alan Langguth

Alan LANGGUTH , known as BIG AL was born in Palmerston North New Zealand in 1944. At age 15 he took a job in furniture removals off siding and assisting the van salesman who taught him to drive trucks. By the time he was 18 he had his HR license. His first real job was at Hyde’s Transport driving A2 and TK Bedford’s. Alan credits Dick for teaching him a lot, even if it included an occasional “boot up the arse”. Alan later drove a furniture van and also delivered Lockwood kit homes throughout New Zealand. The company he worked for also had logging contracts and one of the highlights of his job was to drive one of the oversized Pacific trucks as a holiday relief driver.

In June 1972 Alan moved to Australia and settled in Brisbane where he worked for Mayne Nickless doing the Sydney shuttle in a G88 Volvo doing interstate freight. When work slowed down Alan applied to Brisbane Fire Brigade as a driver-fire fighter. “ Let the learning begin “. Over the next seven years he trained as a 125ft ladder operator and hydraulic platform operator and attended numerous fires. After a bout of bronchial asthma he was discharged as unfit.

Alan then drove for Brisbane City council for nine years until he was offered a job trucking. The itch for trucks had never left him. The job was mainly carting containers but also tankers, logging, oversize and refrigeration. By now, B doubles hit the road so he upgraded his license and took a job running to north Queensland. During this he became very good at tarping! In the following years he also worked for Smith Bros. carting containers off the wharf and with Laminex Industries transporting board from Gympie to Brisbane for oveseas shipment. Alan was the first B Double driver for Smith Bros. where he drove “ two up “ with his son Dion for the next 5 years. Fourteen years later Alan took redundancy when Smiths sold to P & O Transport.

At the age of 72 Alan decided to hang up his boots and retire. He has interest in vintage truks and enjoys going to truck shows . He is proud to have two sons and a daughter in the industry and a grandson trying to get a start . Alan leaves a fine stamp behind.

Inducted in 2019.