Best Australian Trucking Stories

The trucker's job—so vital to Australia's everyday life—makes for a diverse treasure trove of stories.

This first-ever collection of stories about Aussie truckers captures the humor, tragedy, and fascinating history of their world, proving once again that truth is often stranger, funnier, and more inspiring than fiction. The unlikely yarns and tales, collected by Jim Haynes, quickly transport the reader into the intriguing but often hard and lonely world of the long-distance truck driver.

There are stories of endurance while crossing the Nullarbor in the early 1950s, of rescuing mates stranded in the desert, and dumping wheat in protest at Parliament House, of repossessing vehicles in suburban Adelaide, and of men imprisoned during the long political battle to make the roads of Australia free to carry freight. Steeped in larrikinism, these are salt-of-the-earth Aussie voices from the most genuine characters to ever spin a yarn.

Whether you're interested in one of the most significant social revolutions to have shaped our nation, or in these never-say-die modern pioneers who astound with their resourcefulness, or whether you're just after a laugh and a bloody good story, this book is for you.

Jim Haynes has traveled far and wide to meet and interview the people whose stories make up this book. From his days as part of the Slim Dusty touring show, Jim has been aware of the special nature of the trucking industry in both rural and urban Australia. Before becoming a professional entertainer, songwriter, verse writer, and singer in 1988, Jim Haynes taught writing, literature, history, and drama in schools and universities from outback NSW to Britain. While teaching he gained two masters' degrees in literature, from New England University and the University of Wales. Jim Haynes is the author of many Great Australian titles including books on Railways, Aviation, and Horse Racing. He is one of Australia's most successful and prolific Australiana authors.