Peter Warnock
Inducted into the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame at Reunion 2007.
Peter Warnock was more commonly known to his mates as Archie, a nickname acquired when he started his first job at 19 with Fletchers Freighters, Coldogla. Peter has been on the road for over 46 years.
Apart from annual holidays there has not been a time when he has not been driving. His first truck at Fletchers was a 1956 Commer T53 diesel which he drove to Melbourne. The freight, produced from the Riverland, was all hand loaded. This was hard work before the trip even began but he didn't mind as he loved what he was doing.
His next job was at Schrapels Traders driving from Berri daily to Adelaide. When he first started there in 1968 he was earning a flat rate of 15 cents per hour, working 15 to 80 hours a week. After working for this firm for one year he bought one of their trucks, a Volvo, and became an owner-driver trading under the company name of Kellan Transport, a combination of his two daughters' names; Kellie and Angela.
Driving the next 25 years he successfully traded as an owner-driver and bought many trucks including a White, Ford Louisville, two Atkinsons and an Inter Tristar. His freight was produce through Riverland companies Kassulkes, Kotrans & Fletchers to Melbourne and Sydney. Backloading was generally steel from Newcastle to Adelaide, or anything else he could find. These were tough times, and included the big truckie blockade where he was stranded in Hay. His last truck was a brand new Western Star of which he was very proud. He did over one million kilometres in it before selling the truck in late 1999 and becoming an employee once more. This time he worked for HAHN Haulage, based in the Barossa, pulling B-double wine tankers to wine districts all over Australia. Archie really enjoyed his time on this work.
Eventually Hahns was bought out by Booth Transport and Peter worked there right up until he retired in 2007.
Archie is a great truckie and is respected by all. He well deserves his place on the Wall of Fame