Neville Whatman
Neville Whatman was born in Bowral NSW on 27th May 1952. Over the years he was called Nifty, Whatto, Nullabor or Washy by his mates.
He grew up on a farm in Kangaloon and from the age of 10 was driving his Dads cattle truck, his Uncles hay truck and then driving spuds around for his brother Ross. He knew trucks were the life for him. He got his truck licence the day he turned 18 and started working for Max Milbank in a bogie single drive ridges tipper driving in his local area. Over the next few years he found himself working at Bowral Brick Works and Ready Mix Concrete.
After he was married and on his way to starting his family of two daughters (Tracy and Melinda) he began working for Bill Abbott driving a Volvo G89 with a flat top carting copper tubing and a Mack pulling CIG tankers from Sydney-Melbourne-Wollongong-Brisbane-Adelaide-Townsville and Perth. On average doing 200,000kms per year, Nev was always crossing the Nullabor, hence the nickname Nullabor Nev.
Nev got very well known very quickly and made a lot of great mates along his way and has so many great memories including being in the first ever blockade at Yass.
A memorable Truck over his years was Dave Finlay’s 1980 Aerodyne Kenworth with Detroit engine called “Lone Star”. This truck made it into newspaper articles and Truckin’ Life magazine. Nev entered “Lone Star” in Truck rodeo tarping competitions with one of his great mates “Berrima” Bob Glenn. There were always competitions with Nev, especially when it came to whose truck was the cleanest, hence the nickname Washy.
Just having an MC licence is an achievement in itself, but in 1988 NSW Road Transport Industry awarded Nev a certificate as a Driver Assessor-Trainer, a great achievement. He also became the first driver of the very first B Double in NSW at Blue Circle Southern Cement.
Nev ended up becoming Whattrans Transport Pty Ltd. Over the years he sub-contracted to Mitchell Brothers, WJ George and Region in Canberra to name a few. In all his years driving, for 22 of those years Nev has owned his own trucks, 1 of many and I think his favourite being 1989 Kenworth with Detroit series 60 motor (450hp) with his brand new Freighter flat top, when he carried steel for Port Kembla Steel Works.
Nev sold up and moved to Albury hoping to get out of trucks altogether with his partner Linda, only to realise his love of trucks will never end. He went back to driving B Doubles and tippers for Ag Spread and also bought a 1980 cab over Kenworth, a real beauty. He worked it for 3 months but it was too good. It got heads turning, so after driving it in the 2015 Convoy for Kids Charity Fundraiser he sold it as a show truck.
Currently Nev is still driving for Ron Finemore Transport Albury to Melbourne 5 days a week.
Nev’s Motto “You really need a blood transfusion to get Truck Driving out of your system”
