Les Williams
Les Williams was born in October, 1948 at Tallangatta Victoria. Les’ first truck driving job was for Bonchi Bros, in Orbost at the age of 21 in 1969. For three months Les drove an AB 180 International carting logs out of the bush to Waygara Sawmill in East Gippsland, Victoria.
In the mid-1970s Les then started working for Ovens Sawmill, located at Moyhu in Victoria where he was snigging logs in the bush with a timber jack.
Les then spent two years working for Kolal Timber, at Buchan South, in Victoria. Les drove a 6-cylinder TK Bedford from Buchan South to Springvale, Melbourne. The trip was an eight hour round trip with a 17-tonne gross load and a top speed of 50 miles per hour.
Before the closure of EH Coverdale & Sons, Bairnsdale, Victoria, Les worked with the mill for one year carting timber from Glen Wills, located in the high country of Victoria between Omeo and Mitta Mitta, to Bairnsdale. Les drove an AB180 International timber jinker for this long and winding trip.
Les then drove a 1418 Cab-over Benz semi with a two deck 40’ stock crate for sheep for EH Coverdale & Sons for two years from local farms to the Melbourne Markets. Les found this job enjoyable, especially enjoying the combined smell of the cow shit and diesel.
In the mid-1980s Les drove a 1418 Benz with a 40’ flat top spread axle Freighter trailer for Charley Davidson. Les again found himself carting timber, from Izard Sawmill at Swifts Creek in Victoria to Melbourne and Sydney. For six years Les tarped and carted loads of flooring timber and returned, back loaded with bricks and general freight out of Melbourne and Sydney on that trailer.
A W model Kenworth, with a 250 Cummins, was the next truck to be under Les’s control as he drove for Neil Washington, located at Orbost Victoria for three years. This role entailed carting timber from Brodribb Sawmill near Mount Raymond, Victoria to Melbourne.
This led to the next chapter in Les’s trucking life, and he took the plunge and bought his own truck, a second-hand G89 Volvo. He traded it after 18 months for a second-hand International GM two stroke powered Transtar. Unfortunately, after twelve months Les found himself almost broke, and was forced to trade it for a second-hand F10 Volvo. The F10 Volvo stayed with Les for three years and was traded for a second-hand T Line International with a 350 Cummins and a Marshal Lethlean trailer. He used this truck for carting timber from Waygara Timber Mills in East Gippsland Victoria to Melbourne for ten years.
Les then sold his T-Line International with the Marshal Lethlean trailer to Steven Redenbach. Les continued to drive that very same truck and trailer for Steven, as well as a Cat powered K104 Kenworth. Les continued to work for Steven for nineteen and a half years carting timber and doing fridge van work.
Les thought this was his final driving job and hung up the keys and retired at age 65 for three months however John Rodwell from Cox Freight rang Les to see what he was up to as John had a load of vegies to go to Sydney. Eleven years later Les is still driving to Sydney for the same company.
Les has stated “It has all been enjoyable and I still enjoy driving in my SAR T409 Kenworth today.”
