Inducted into the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame at Reunion 2011.
Denis is the owner-operator of Thompsons Removals and Storage. He has been driving in the industry for 40 years and is so dedicated to his job and the industry. Denis always puts his customers and his workers first. Thompsons have 3 depots: one in Kewdale, WA, one in Warrnambool, Victoria and another in Altona in Melbourne, Victoria. Thompsons do a weekly service to Perth and regular trips to Queensland, South Australia and New South Wales as well as jobs all over the states. Denis does a lot of travelling himself. He does most of the trips to Perth and enjoys his life in the truck. Thompsons is a family run business with some of Denis's family helping with the running of his successful business.
Denis has: 2 B Doubles that cart containers3 Container Trucks2 Rigid Furniture vans2 Container Trailersl- Furniture TrailerDenis drives an Argosy B-double and says it is very comfortable and that it is easy to get in and out of it. His favourite was his UD CK30 that thing did 1.1 million kms and never had a spanner to it.Denis says they have survived all the hard times but every day is a challenge. It's about keeping up with the new regulations and looking after the customers and the workers. He is always checking to make sure everyone is ok. Denis says the rail network also plays an important role in his industry but he enjoys dealing with his customers on a personal basis and delivering the freight in person."Blokes on the road in the early days worked as a team. There was heaps of help and support if needed but today it seems to be a passing era. Things are moving too fast, time constraints play a crucial factor in how things are done now. Everything is changing from day to day with rules and regulations". Denis is known to most people as "Thommo". He is 56 years of age. Denis is a hard working reliable and trustworthy person. Nothing is too much trouble for him and he deserves to be recognized for his commitment to the industry.