Suzanne Marie Wright was born in Adelaide on December 5, 1954. She was the first-born girl into a large working class Irish catholic family. Sue was responsible for the care of the family and her brood of siblings in a tiny two-bedroom home in industrial Cavan. As a teenager, in between family duties and school, she also worked at the local BP station to supplement the family income. No doubt, this was where her love for trucks and transport was born.
Sue has dedicated over 50 years to the transport industry and is known today as one of the best parts interpreters in Australia, despite being female in a male-dominated industry. She has been a pioneer for women in the industry and has left some men severely red faced after doubting her.
Sue started in the industry in 1975 for Watts Transport Industries. It did not take long before John Watts recognised Sue’s great potential. Sue was sent to open and run the Sydney office in 1978, while heavily pregnant with her first child, Marcel. On the back of the Sydney office’s success, she was then sent to open and run the Melbourne office in 1981.
In 1985, Sue started her own business, Trail-Truck Spares, in Dandenong. Sue set a new standard as a working mum. Many a truckie would be surprised at the warehouse counter where Sue could be seen providing sage parts advice while rocking Yvette, her second child, in a bassinet on the counter.
It was in 1996 that Sue got her first taste of the NT, supplying AATS Alice Springs all of their BPW parts and componentry. During this time, Sue met and married the love of her life, Max Wright. Sue moved to Kalgoorlie with Max in the late 1990’s where his business, Nickel Seekers, was located. She started working for CJD, opening their Trailer Parts division, when Max became very ill. Sue nursed him for 2 years until he passed in 2001.
Returning to Adelaide in 2002, Sue started and ran OEM Quality from home. Sue would be up and dressed for work at 5am before walking the few steps to her home office for the day. When Sue was questioned on her strict office hours, Sue would say “I don’t want to upset the boss”, which, of course, was her! She relocated the business to Melbourne in 2012. In 2014, she was enticed by Mick Murray to move to Darwin to run the spare parts division of Mick Murray Welding and, later, open and run the Alice Springs business. Mick Murray couldn’t believe he had secured an employee of Sue’s calibre. Her knowledge and memory of part numbers was unmatched, with Mick often commenting that he was surprised Sue didn’t give her children part numbers instead of names!
Sue may not have driven a truck but she was responsible for keeping 1000s of them on the road. She would be available 24/7 at the threat of a Vehicle off Road (VOR). Her attitude toward checking, double-checking and triple checking that the right parts were being sent might have frustrated her colleagues but, as Sue would say, “Imagine you have a VOR and you get sent the wrong effing parts!”
Sue’s dedication to the industry is unsurpassed. Even when she was at the worst in the ICU after a medical scare, Sue was asking for her work laptop. Sue is retiring soon and her dedication, enthusiasm, hard work and wicked sense of humour will be missed. After her family, keeping the transport industry going was her life and passion.
Inducted in 2024
