Andrew Yates
Inducted into the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame in 2016.
Andrew Yates wanted to be a truck driver from the time he travelled with his Dad in an old Dodge and learning to drive in the back blocks of the transport yards around Wingfield more than 40 years ago. In 2006 he placed a certificate for Don Yates in the Transport Hall of Fame, to celebrate his father's fifty years as a "Highway Gentleman". Andrew's late, much loved brother Mike, also drove trucks and heavy machinery, and one of Andrew's daughters went on to get her truck licence.
Andrew initially worked for Eyre Transport, PDE Excavations, Goldings, Comet and Kwikasair, among others. The trucks he drove included Kenworths, Whites and Louisvilles on all kinds of work including floats, tippers and roadtrains on long haul and rapid turn-around trips. He has done some house moving and grain tipper work. Andrew spent many years working for Cleveland Freight Lines driving Kenworth road-trains.
Andrew bought his father's Mercedes Benz when Dad retired. It was later upgraded to a Mack, carrying shipping containers for Holymans. He went on to work for Toll; obtaining his dangerous goods licence to travel to the Moomba and Balera gas fields. After many years driving Andrew took on an office-based position in transport operations with RailRoad. His role included loading and unloading, tipper work and fork-lift operations to 30 tons. He later drove B-Triples for RailRoad. Most recently Andrew worked in the mines in South Australia and Western Australia and for Metalcom Karratha carting scrap railway iron from Mt Tom Price and Parabadoo. Andrew was inducted by Rio Tinto and Hammersley Iron and has his MSIC card and front-end loader ticket. He worked in Port Hedland for Doug Gould-IES-McAleese driving 170 tonne side-tipping quads around Port Hedland. He later worked for QUBE at Peculiar Knob in South Australia and later at Christmas Creek in Western Australia.
In 2016 Andrew is currently working with QUBE in Mt Keith near Kalgoorlie, driving a side-tipper quad. He takes enormous pride in his work as a professional driver and is committed to upholding the very highest standards. We believe he carries on the family tradition as a gentleman of the highway. He is a loving family man and entertains all with his many truck stories. As well trucks Andrew also loves his hotrod and his Harley. Congratulations Andrew on your place in the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame.