Frank McGrath

Inducted into the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame at Reunion 2011.

Frank McGrath first became interested in the transport industry in about 1950 when his father, Albert had a Studebaker tip-truck. Frank started, aged 18, driving an AA160 International tipper for J.R. Brown with his father clearing bush to make roads for soldier settlers in Cooriemungle, Victoria in 1957. When this work finished, he drove a Diamond T carting bricks from Stawell to Melbourne for Drake Transport, Warrnambool.
Over the next 10 years he drove various trucks including Commers, Leylands, AEC and Atkinsons. He carried general, livestock, concrete and fuel for Barton's Transport, Warrnambool. The fuel was transported from Warrnambool to Portland and to Mt. Gambier for 3 years. Frank moved to Melbourne in 1969 and drove for McKibbins Transport carrying aviation fuel from Melbourne to Canberra.Frank bought his first truck, a Leyland, in around 1977 and carted stock for McKibbins Transport. In 1979 he bought an LPS 1418 Mercedes-Benz (1974 model). He carried shipping containers, mainly oversized glass containers on a Fruehauf drop-deck trailer for Knights Transport in Port Melbourne, (est. 1853 in Melbourne.)In 1985 he added a 1980 S-Line and a Barker drop-deck to carry oversized loads mainly throughout Victoria and parts of New South Wales for New Zealand company, Haden & Custance. He reverted to one truck about 1994. In 2003 it was replaced with a 1998 S-Line and a Barker Skel to move shipping containers.The S-Line was sold in December 2010, at which time Frank retired, aged 71. His son, Gerard, now runs McGrath Haulage Pty Ltd with a 1998 Kenworth and a Barker Skel.
Frank has earned the respect of many transport industry leaders because of  his attention to detail and tremendous work ethic which makes him a worthy recipient of a Shell Rimula Pioneers Wall of Fame award.