Ray Pearce

Inducted into the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame at Reunion 2010.

Ray Pearce started driving delivering Caltex fuel around the Latrobe Valley area for Schonberger Fuels in an AB International.

In 1970 he moved to Sale  trying his hand at dairy farming. When the farm was sold he purchased a Perkins-powered C-Line Inter and used this truck to move hay, timber, paper and spuds to Melbourne and Sydney. Ray later replaced the Inter with a 1419 Benz. 1976 saw the arrival of Ray's first K model Kenworth powered by an 87IT Detroit.

During this period there was huge growth in the oil industry in the Bass Strait. In 1980 a large steel pipe mill was built in Sale which was one of Ray's major contracts. This work saw his fleet grow into three Kenworths and two 1418 Benz's. The majority of the work from the pipe mill was moving pipes to Barry's Beach and 5.5 mtr flues to Loy Yang Power Station. Also over this period he moved 2,000 ton of steel tanks to The Ranger Uranium Mine in the Northern Territory. This is when Ray started road training.

In the mid 1980s the pipe mill scaled back and the loss of other contracts saw Ray downsize back to an owner-driver and he worked all around the country on produce, cotton and grain harvests. In 1993 Ray purchased a C-500 and followed the harvests around for work. He also worked on the Longford to Sydney gas pipeline for six months. He then went to Port Hedland hauling manganese ore from Woody Woody Mine back to Port Hedland. Ray returned to Sale and set up a hay cartage and sale business.

To this day he is still servicing the rural communities and farmers in the area with his usual efficient and personal service. It is this service that has already made him a legend in the area.

His current truck is a 904 Kenworth which he purchased in 2007 and he says it suits his working application perfectly.