William Clive Stewart

Inducted into the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame at Reunion 2012.

William (Clive) Stewart was an owner driver who initially started out working for his father in the family business. Since he started driving in 1964 Clive has clocked up over 50 years in the industry.

Clive's first truck, and his favourite, was an R184 International powered by a 160hp Cummins engine. It cost him about $8000 to buy.  Based in Pambula on the NSW far south coast, Clive sourced work from Mayne Nickless and Brambles carrying general freight from Brisbane to Melbourne. He also carted timber for Hansons out of Cann River and logs for the Eden chip mill. Pambula has been Clive's base for the last 30 years of his career

One of Clive's favourite memories of the early days is of the kids who waited at the bottom of a steep hill to jump on his truck and get a ride up. There was nothing he could do to prevent this activity. He also recalls the mateship of those days. He was very close to three of these mates. Max Mustard and Peter Beal have passed away but Clive is still very close to Bob Phair, who is also an inductee on the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame.

Some of the challenges Clive met as an owner driver in those early days, were similar to those facing the truckies of today. For example, trying to get the right price for doing the job. He believes that trucks carry the country and that the trucks of today are so much better.

Today Clive is semi-retired and keeps himself active within the local community doing farm maintenance work, helping out old mates who are still working in the industry and pretending to be busy fixing things. Clive maintains an interest in the industry and closely follows his daughter Julie's involvement as a long distance, heavy haulage truck driver who works full time for her husband who owns Gavin's Transport in Perth.

Clive is the reason Julie is a truck driver. His love and passion for the industry was transferred to her and she is following her dream, a dream started by her  father. Julie says of him,

Dad is one of the old-timers and his stories of the good old days are really interesting. It is when talking to people like him that you get a real understanding of how good we truck drivers have it these days.