Anthony (Tony) Sheppard

Anthony Lloyd Sheppard (Tony) was born in Warrnambool, Victoria, in August 1968 into a trucking family and from an early age, Tony was interested in all things mechanical.  Young Tony’s mother insisted he qualify in a trade so he undertook a plumbing apprenticeship.  The day he completed it, he told his mother, “I have done what you wanted and now I am going to drive trucks.” He is the family’s  fourth-generation truck driver! 

Tony’s first driving job was with Midfield Meats driving an International T-Line rigid from Warrnambool to Melbourne, lumping meat into butcher shops and sometimes completing up to  30 deliveries a night.  After obtaining his semi- truck  licence he started driving interstate deliveries to Adelaide, South Australia. Tony then worked for Bruce Dixon driving a Ford LTL doing Comet Linehaul from Warrnambool to Melbourne over to Mt Gambier in South Australia and back to Warrnambool. He did this until he  needed to undergo surgery for back problems  from his days of lumping hanging meat.  

After his recovery,  Tony started with Tom Baker driving a Kenworth W Model  doing Ipec Linehaul from Warrnambool to Melbourne and return.  He then sub-contracted for Sneaths Transport carting timber and pulp to Melbourne and wood chips to Millicent, South Australia.  Next, Tony spent several years with Merri Transport,  hauling interstate fridge vans plus driving tippers and milk tankers. 

In 1994 Tony purchased a courier franchise from his parents and bought an Isuzu van to service the Warrnambool area, delivering parcel freight.  In 2001 he was awarded “Australian Franchisee of the Year” after which he  sold up. For the next two years, Tony drove for Jill and Gerry Malone, carting pine posts from Heywood throughout Victoria, into South Australia and up to New South Wales. 

In 2003 Tony worked for his parents, towing a walking floor trailer from Mt Gambier to Melbourne hauling wood chips and bark.  He then started on container work around Melbourne, towing a side loader with a Mack Magnum.  In 2006 Tony was honoured with membership to the ‘Truckin’ Life’ Million Mile Club’.

In 2010 Tony purchased his first prime mover, a 1989 Western Star, and subcontracted for Lawson's Sideloader Service for five months.  He then moved to Tasman Logistics where he still works, carting shipping containers. 

In 2017 Tony upgraded to a later model Western Star and switched  his old faithful Star to  Club Permit plates. He is a regular at Victorian truck shows as he proudly shows off his matching pair of Western Stars.                                     Inducted in 2021