Jake Van Der Kamp

JAKOB VAN DER KAMP is better known as Jake. He was born in Buffalo Holland and migrated to Australia with his family in the mid 1950's. Jakes passion for driving started at a ripe young age. He used to enjoy watching the big trucks drive by on the highway and dreamt one day he would be able to get behind the wheel himself. He couldn't wait to leave school so he could start driving. Once he started he didn't stop till he retired.

Jake got his break in the late 1960s when he started his driving career as a cattle truck driver on the Gold Coast. He then delivered cream and milk in an old Ford 600 for the Datez Family in Marburg Queensland. After this he moved on to working for the late Dougie Rae. Jake went on to drive for Rae Transport for around 20 years starting in an old Bedford and progressing to a B model Mack, Volvo and several models of Kenworth.

One of many tales told about Jake was in one year all he cost Mr Rae was a tie rod end and two wiper blades for the B model Mack after driving 60 plus hours a week. Jake was known for taking pride in his truck, keeping it clean and looking after the maintenance.

After so many years on the road carting coal and grain the highway was where Jake felt most at home. Quiet often he would have his young son Troy in the cab. For many years Jake was known as the "barefoot bushman"as it wasn't till 1998 that he actually wore shoes to work. Even then, it was under pressure.

Over the years Jake went drove for many of large reparable transport companies finishing his 51 year career driving for J.R Stephens. Jake was always the first to arrive and the last to leave. He was a loyal, barefoot, skinny, strength of an ox and as honest as the day is long. Jake has since passed away mid last year after a losing battle with cancer.