Mathew Merrett

Inducted into the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame at Reunion 2012.

Mathew Merrett started his career in transport at a very young age. Still in diapers he would often travel in the truck with his father, Barrie on his trucking runs. Young Matt told his mum that he couldn't possibly go to kindergarten as what would dad do without him in the truck.
As he got older Matt worked in his father's truck yard after school operating the forklift and loading and unloading the trucks. As soon as he turned 16, he left school.It wasn't too long before Matt started his driving career in his father's Ford LTL complete with Driver Under Instruction plates. He got his licence at 19 and went and worked for Bunker Freightlines carting grain and general freight from Melbourne to Adelaide.Matt then moved to Alice Springs with the family. His father got work driving roadtrains for McBride Transport and Matt took a job doing local deliveries for Northline.Matt decided to go back to Nhill where his childhood sweetheart was. He returned interstate hauling fertiliser in a Western Star with a brand new Tautliner. In 1997 Matt, Naralle and their six week old son moved back to Alice Springs where Matt did local work with Toll Express. When the opportunity came up to drive roadtrains he jumped at the chance. He travelled 'two up' with his father on the Darwin to Adelaide mail run for several years. Eventually, Matt and his family moved back to Nhill where he got a job driving a B-Double tipper carting grain. When his parents later also moved back to Nhill his father brought his beloved 1977 LNT Louisville. Matt towed trailers for a local company carting hay and grain. Several years later Matt's father started Merrett Freightlines, based in Nhill doing mainly local work. In 2012 Matt still works in the family business which now operates five trucks, three tippers, one tautliner and one convertible. Merrett Freightlines cart live poultry, general freight, grain and fertiliser.