Brendan Armanasco
Brendan David Armanasco, was born in Stanthorpe, Queensland on 24th July 1986. Growing up, Brendan had early exposure to the transport Industry, with his Dad a truck driver and his Granddad a bus/coach driver. Brendan’s passion for trucking was ignited at an early age, as he eagerly accompanied anyone willing to take him on rides. By the age of 5, Brendan had become a familiar face around the Brisbane markets, often lending a hand to tighten the buckles or give directions to the new bloke.
Outside of school, Brendan committed all his free time to washing, polishing, installing lights or riding shot gun. So it was no surprise that by age 16, Brendan had already managed to sneak in a few driving experiences. By 19, Brendan had upgraded to his MC license and swiftly secured a line-haul position with TCB Transport, frequently transporting oversized cranes.
Brendan transitioned from highway driving when he decided to settle down with Pagen in 2010, working as a subcontractor for Border Express, transporting general freight. In 2011, following the devastation of Cyclone Yasi, Brendan volunteered to join a convoy delivering essential food and supplies to North Queensland. It was on these trips that he was reminded how much he loved being out on the road. As the state started its massive clean-up, Brendan was cleaning up in some linehaul work. This wasn’t the last time Brendan dropped everything for a load that needed to be moved.
Brendan was passionate about making sure the industry comradery never faded. He would attend memorial convoys and always looked forward to participating in the Brisbane Convoy for kids. Not only this, but he also spent countless hours making himself available to his mates who were working to upgrade their driver’s licence, and was the bloke that would spend 7 hours on the phone to you, just to make sure you made it in safely.
On June 26 2013, Brendan experienced a journey he would never forget. The night started off like any other as he headed to Clybucca for a routine changeover. However, the evening took a surprising turn when Pagen went into labor unexpectedly. It was around the same time that Brendan was alerted by his changeover driver that the highway was closed. Without delay, Brendan made the choice to drive as far south as possible, switch trailers and head back home. After crossing the Queensland border, Brendan received the news that his first child had been born – Charlotte Lorraine. Despite feeling devastated for missing the birth, Brendan's love and passion for driving remained unwavering, leading him to take his newborn daughter on her inaugural trip at just 2 weeks old. Following this, Brendan and Pagen embarked on a journey of living in the truck for the next 4 to 5 months, traveling the highways together.
In 2017, Brendan received the diagnosis of cardiomyopathy, which left him devastated when doctors suggested he might never be able to drive a truck again. The highway and trucks had introduced Brendan to lifelong friends who became family to him. Despite the challenges, Brendan was determined to defy the odds and continued driving until June 2022.
Trucking was in Branden’s blood. He overjoyed when he learnt he was going to be a father again, and what better way to celebrate the gender reveal than to have the specific coloured holi powder poured into the stacks of his T403 and pink holi powder to cloud out as the engine roared.
After trying to secure a role with Otways Transport for years, this ended up being his final job. He admired their trucks and in particular their big cabs . On his first day, Brendan was filled with excitement like a child on their first day of school. Unfortunately, Brendan's health declined rapidly starting in June 2022, and he passed away on November 21, 2022, at the age of 36.
Brendan's funeral took place at a Rocklea depot, where stacks of pallets were arranged for seating. He arrived at the service on the back of the very K104 Kenworth Aerodyne, (that he not only admired for years but was also the very last truck he drove for OTWAYS TPT) followed by 20 fellow drivers in their trucks, a poignant tribute to the man who dedicated his entire life to the trucking industry.
Inducted in 2024
