Neil (Steiny) Steinhardt

Neil Ashley Steinhardt, known as “Steiny”, was born in November, 1959 in Wondai, Queensland.  Like most boys raised on farms, Neil learnt to drive cars, trucks and all sorts of machinery at an early age.  One of the first trucks he drove was his father’s Maple Leaf with a tipper body. Neil soon gained experience driving his father’s Chevy and GMC which were used to cart hay and grain. 

Neil’s first paying job at 18 years of age was with Carsburg & Johanson Grain Transport, based at Proston, Queensland. He began driving a 1910 ACCO with 392 V8 petrol motor and a 5x3 gearbox, carting grain. Once he got going, it was hard to stop that truck but maybe the weight of the loads being carried had a lot to do with that! After gaining a semi licence at 19 years of age, Neil was given his first semi to drive. It was an SAR Kenworth and flat top trailer to cart grain. This brand and model truck is still a favourite to this day. 

Due to continuing drought conditions, Neil and his family moved to Pomona on the Sunshine Coast, where Neil took a job with Frederickson Transport driving a 300HP White Road Boss, pulling a powder tanker. This truck holds a personal record for Neil as he had  5 flat tyres in one day!

So that he could be at home more with his wife, Julie, and their two young children, Neil spent  the next ten years working for the Noosa Council. Following this, Neil started carting grain and general freight before moving to his present employer,  Corbet’s in Gympie, about 14 years ago. Neil has driven many different makes and models of trucks but was pleased when he was  given the keys to a new Kenworth SAR and walking floor B-Double.  At present, Neil is operating a Mack superliner and tri-axle B-Double set of trigger stags, carting wood chip, sawdust and grain. 

Neil enjoys  his interaction with customers and is highly respected by the farmers and business people he sees day to day. Having only done short haul work, it is a career Neil would do all over again, and one that his son, Jason, has chosen to follow as well.                                                                                                        

                                                                                              Inducted in 2021