Michael Spears, known as Spearsy, is a true territorian, born in Alice Springs on the 3rd of April, 1974. It all started with a little dusty boy on Loves Creek Station, aged 8, falling in love with trucks. Here, watching the cattle trucks of Leon Todd and Tanami Transport come and go, Michael knew that’s what he wanted to do.
It seems the love and dedication that Michael has for trucks and being involved in the transport industry was passed down to Michael from his Pop, the legendary Wally Spears. Wally started and ran his own trucking company, Mt Nancy Transport.
Michael first started driving trucks with Bernie Earthmoving at a young age, having the opportunity to drive a classic Kenworth T900 hauling side tippers, flat tops and drop deck trailers. It is around this time that the trucking bug really started to take hold. One job he is particularly proud of while working for Bernie Earthmoving was taking a triple to the NT/SA border to deliver the large stone signs that now welcome people to the Northern Territory.
Upon leaving Bernie Earthmoving, Michael started with Tanami Transport, driving triple cattle crate for around six years. In this time, he drove truck numbers 7,8 and 5 – a C501, a T950 and a T904 respectively. Strong friendships were formed in his time at Tanami.
Together with hard work, fun, lots of laughter and pranking were all a part of the job.
Michael has many highlights from his time with Tanami. He loved travelling across the Plenty Highway, where the bulldust made for
challenging and eventful trips. Another favourite of his was the trips he did out to Epenarra Station. He especially enjoyed the drive out of there, fully loaded and ready to face a road full of jump-ups, right corners and creek crossings. This always required a high level of skill and concentration.
Michael then moved away from Alice Springs to Warrnambool, Victoria, where he drove for Ryan’s Transport. Here, he delivered general freight locally and into Melbourne. The built-up areas, city streets and traffic were a far cry from the red dirt of the NT. Later, while living in Portland, Victoria, Michael drove for Kalari, carting sand.
Next, there was a move to Adelaide where he landed a position with Exact Contracting, starting in January 2010. He drove a white 904
Kenworth, doing float work. He carted 777 dump trucks, loaders, excavators, scrapers and crushers to all corners of Australia where the business was undertaking jobs. He was briefly tasked with carting sand from Port Clinton to Roxby Downs, although Michael was soon itching to get back to doing what he loves best – pulling the 100-tonne float.
Today, Michael drives a beautiful custom-built 508, which Greg ‘Rhodesy’ Rhodes allocated to him to drive. He feels very privileged and truly valued to have this truck.
Inducted in 2024
