Gary Millewski

Inducted into the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame at Reunion 2009.

Gary's interest in trucks began from his classroom window at his primary school beside the Warrego Highway. He looked out at Commers when he heard their distinctive sounding "knocker" engines, the Paul's Milk Gardner-powered Fodens and the GM-powered R190 Internationals.

After leaving high school Gary worked on the family farm before starting an apprenticeship as a coach and motor body builder with Richardsons of Ipswich.

Roy Woods picked up the farm milk and Gary would go for trips with him taking the wheel on the back roads.  When Gary obtained his driver's licence in 1970, he drove milk tankers on weekends much to Mr Richardson's degust.  Gary's interest grew and soon he was hauling produce to Melbourne and general freight back to Brisbane in a bogie-drive C-motor, quad box, Flintstone-bonneted Mack.  He loved it.

At 20 he went to Sydney to drive for East Coast Transport on the Sydney to Melbourne shuttle then to Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide with a new White 9000.  Gary left East Coast in 1976 to work for Ted B Vowles, Ipswich on the Winefield run with Rothmans.  He then purchased an R-model Mack and sub-contracted to East Coast.  Gary sold the R-model in 1982 and bought an F-model.  Gary had a rollover in 1984, sold the F-model, gave up interstate travel, married Ailsa and worked for Pozzolanic Bulk Carriers and the Deen Brothers on demolition.

In 1992 Gary worked as a contract fitter, boilermaker, operator for Tony Champion in Blackwater in QLD.  It was here that the mine-owner, Jim Gorman, persuaded Gary to operate and maintain a test truck.  An off-road three-trailered C-triple roadtrain was born.  This led to Gary being involved with Brambles building the first C-triples for Burton Downs Mines in 1996.  Gary then went to work for Brambles in 1999 at this site.  As a result of his passion to build more efficient coal haulage equipment, the powered trailers were built and tested at Newlands and Burton mine sites.  In 2002 Mack Trucks put several three trailer roadtrains into Africa and sent Gary over to show them how to operate them properly.

Gary currently works for BIS, Burto