Frank Stack

Inducted into the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame at Reunion 2014.

Francis Bagot Stack (Frank) was born in Sydney in 1933. He was 20 years old when he took his first driving job delivering butter out of Crows Nest by day and newspapers by night in an Austin Loadstar. It was long hours and hard work but that didn't deter young Frank from beginning a lengthy career driving trucks.

In late 1956 Frank became an owner driver when he purchased a V8 petrol powered Ford F600 truck and single strap trailer to run general from Sydney to Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide. After a few years he replaced the Ford with a Commer TS3 (Knocker) which he used to sub-contract to Max Leguier carting timber from Bulandelah back to Sydney. He sold the Knocker in 1960 to work briefly on the Sydney to Brisbane run for Whiteline Freighters in an AEC. He then started with Caltex staying for there nearly seven years driving Leylands and Albions. Frank then drove a Peterbuilt with Cannington Heavy Haulage pulling floats across Australia.

From there he briefly worked with Herald & Evans driving an R190 International before moving to Bougainville with Brambles where he drove F-model Macks from the port to the mine. For a short time in 1971 Frank was with Favelle Mort in a Mammoth Major before moving to Aztec Transport pulling powder tankers with 1418 Mercedes Benz and R model Mack trucks. He then worked across Australia for Roy Behns Heavy Haulage in a 'Bitza' made from an NR Mack chassis with TK Bedford cab. It was powered by a 250 Cummins and fitted with a 4 x 4 Spicer. In 1977 Frank worked for Switzers Transport, travelling Sydney to Melbourne in an Atkinson and later a Ford Louisville. He was in the workshop for a time before he bought a Peterbuilt in partnership with a mate. After selling his share in 1981, Frank started with Smithfield Sand and Soil carting grain from the Tooths Brewery to Canowindra in a 3070 ACCO. In the following years he drove various trucks for many companies including delivering new Mercedes Benz trucks.

Frank has stayed active in the industry and at 80 years of age still held his HC licence and has kept busy rebuilding engines.