Mark Reynolds

Mark John Reynolds, known to most on the highway as Chaffey is a true blue Australian truck driver. Born on the 27th January 1958 in Aramac, Central Queensland, Mark has dedicated his life and love to the profession of truck driving.

Growing up among the Walker children his love of trucks was born. Any chance he could get Mark was in a Walker's stock truck or at the yard. Mark's first truck was a Dodge body truck, carting wool and doing mail runs. He graduated to a Diamond Reo carting wool before carting stock in a V8 Maxidyne with a double decker roadtrain. Mark worked for the Walker's for five years.

After marrying Kaylene Coleman of Barcaldine, Mark relocated to Bluff where he worked for HR & KG Thomas driving a White pulling end tippers. Mark also drove for B & L Boase of Blackwater. Much of his time with Thomas and Boase was spent developing many of Central Queensland's major mines.

In 1984 Mark returned to Barcaldine once again to drive for Mervyn Walker, carting cattle before taking up a position with the Main Roads in Barcaldine in 1986, driving the Transporter. The only major accident Mark has been involved in was during his time with the Main Roads when the Volvo he was driving blew a rear tyre and he was speared into the bush near Tara. Mark was uninjured and the truck was repaired. This association lasted until 1998 when Mark left Barcaldine and moved to Tieri to drive roadtrains, carting coal for Brambles at Oaky Creek and Burton Downs.

In 2001, Mark and Kaylene returned to Barcaldine as owners of the Barcaldine Carrying co. The business went from a small freight distribution company to carting roadtrains of machinery, wool, hay and gravel. During the course of his ownership of the company, Mark owned a number of trucks until January 2014 when he purchased his first new customised Western star 4964 Fxc prime mover with a 560 horse power Detroit engine.

Chaffey has truly lived a life on the road. No one can keep pace with his commitment to truck driving, willingness to sacrifice to get the job done, industry experience, bush knowhow, honest and simple way of life and his kind heart. He will help anyone with no expectation of reward, he encourages anyone who is willing to have a go and only wishes for the next generation to follow him into the industry.