Brian Menz

BRIAN MENZ, born in 1932, was a truck driver for over 50 years. During this time, together with his wife Margaret, they established the very successful B&M Menz Trucking Company which grew to comprise over 30 trucks and drivers in the 1980's. Brian and his wife successfully raised eight children who all consider their father a hero. From humble beginnings, driving for Fred Mann Transport in Broken Hill in 1950 to building a company which included his wife and 2 sons, Jim and David, Brian always believed in family, honesty, hard work and loyalty.

In 1958 he started driving for Road Air driving the route from Albury to Melbourne, Sydney and into Khancoban. He hauled general freight loading and unloading by hand; there were no forklifts in those days. In 1962 he began working for AJ McLeish Transport Albury driving to Adelaide and Brisbane. In the early 70's he became an owner driver with an International AB 184 and once he paid this off, upgraded to a DCF 400 Transtar. Around this time Brian bought an International ACCO 3070 to tow an East Coast trailer and later for Intermodal. In 1973 the ACCO was turned into an agitator for Ready Mix, Albury.

"Driving that pink truck around certainly got some comments."

Brian purchased another Transtar 4300 and the two trucks were running into Townsville carrying paper for Australian Paper Mills and returning with copper for TTS, a division of Mt Isa Mines. The company moved to Brisbane in 1980 to allow road trains to travel from Brisbane To Darwin. Brian and Jim completed this run for two years and they were very exciting times. After this the business returned to carrying for APM as a prime contractor. The family moved back home to Milbrulong near Wagga Wagga to be closer to family and the business was run from Brisbane and Albury. Like many others, it did not survive the eighties economy.

In the late 1960's, Brian got back in the truck as an owner driver for Finemore and continued there until he retired. Brian died in 2003 and is remembered as a true gentleman of the highway.