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They say that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree and that applies to two of the nicest people we know. We thought that Geoff Cootes was a terrific bloke and then we met his brother Paul - they obviously came from great stock. Paul made his own way in the transport industry and like his famous father Ian, worked in the dangerous goods area but in bottled gas, expanding at a very young age before selling out in an outstanding fashion. He loves trucks, loves attention to detail and is an incredibly proud Cootes family member and one of those people you meet and feel like you've known him forever.

Everyone has a story and Leigh Hudson is no exception. Following an early start into a career as a driver, Leigh progressed to owning his own truck before a dream became reality with the launch of his Iconic Replicas brand, something that has taken off amongst all collectors. Leroy has managed to overcome the odds and developed an honest miniature reproduction of some of our favourite model Kenworths, all while retaining his image as one hell of a nice guy. 

Copy Southbound has been trying to get an interview with Lindsay Fox for some time and although it hasn't happened as yet, the next best thing was a chat with Lindsay's long term, right hand man Mick Best. Apart from discussing his history in the transport industry, Bruce also had quite a serious discussion with Mick on the future of the road transport, training and the dreaded compliance rules that we currently face. Mick is widely known throughout trucking circles and we appreciated his time out of his busy schedule.

Bruce's long term mate Melissa Van Look has been Graeme's neighbour for many years and after hearing his stories from the days gone, she lined up a fantastic interview with him to share his past. The Hovey name is well known and was a permanent fixture in the Geelong area with their stunning red, white and black trucks in a timeless colour scheme. We'd like to thank Mel and Crispy for pulling this together. Follow Sydney TruckFest https://www.facebook.com/share/1FwSVVnDG9/

Gerry Hicks' outstanding W Model Kenworth cemented his status amongst truck enthusiasts many years ago however, there's far more to him than having an iconic truck. A meticulous operator, Gerry built a very successful business based on morals, ethics and trust along with relying on some old school, heartfelt handshake agreements that are seldom seen today. We have become great friends with Gerry over the years and were thrilled to finally get the time to sit and record his history. Home | Sydney TruckFest

The stunning fleet of Goz Dawson's are a fixture on our roads and stand out in their varying green and white livery. Bruce got the chance to sit with a very humbled Goz at his home recently and discovered a man who has a passion for the industry, love of trucks and gratitude toward his life choices that have led to his success. Moreso, his pride on the popularity of his Dolly's Dream combination has had an everlasting impact on his conscience that drives him to give back to the community that has supported him. What a great man, enjoy this like we did.

We first met Johnno Johnson at the Kenworth Klassic when he travelled down from Dalby just over 12 months ago. Apart from being a lovely bloke, we were taken with his beautiful factory Gold Nugget SAR still sporting its 2-Stroke Detroit power. Bruce finally got up to Dalby and sat with Johnno to record his history and check out his past with trucks, trials and tribulations. Humble people like Johnno make Copy Southbound what it is and the passion he still has for the industry is what keeps it alive.

Our good mate Paul Biagini lined up this interview with an initially reluctant Andy Soutar and we couldn't be happier. Men like this were legendary on our highways but when you speak with them, they're humble and were simply "Just doing their job". Andy was very well known as an owner operator in his striking black and silver Movin-On styled Kenworth's along with his mandatory pipe hanging from the corner of his mouth. And along with his late wife and soulmate Nadia, he stepped into the box as a spokesman for the industry trying to get better terms and conditions for his mates out there on the road. We can't thank Paul enough for making this happen. Road to Compliance MASTERCLASS https://prodrivecompliance.com.au/etn/road-to-compliance/

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Bruce ran into John Hamilton from Minlaton, South Australia while on a trip to Adelaide and heard all about his old man Bill. We were able to get back across there a few months later and caught up with Bill for a great chat about his early days doing it tough in some fairly primitive gear. At the release of this episode, Bill will be climbing into a new T610 which will see his time out behind the wheel but what a great career. You guys will enjoy this character and the family tradition will live on for years to come as you'll find out. Have you secure your spot at the Road to Compliance MASTERCLASS yet? Secure today before it's too late!!!  

We first met Iain Cann through our mate, Mick Cefai, owner of the legendary "K Whopper" Kenworth. When Mick got it home, he found out that Iain was the original owner of the truck having bought it from Kenworth Lansvale following its stint on the show circuit. Iain has had an amazing career and the more we spoke with him, the more we realised he had a terrific story for you all. We are sure you'll enjoy this.   

Evans son Tyson reached out and asked us to call by for a chat with his very humble father Evan. After beginnings as a driver for various companies, Evan branched out on his own and started a local carrying company in gorgeous country town of Beechworth in northern Victoria. He grew the business carefully, branching into different areas while raising his children single handedly and is legendary in the area as a quiet, humble, hardworking and honest personality of the industry.

This is our last installment of our visit to the Mid America Trucking Show and it's an absolute ripper. We sat down with Mike Gaffin aka The Boston Trucker has an enormous following and an amazing YouTube channel that you'll all love. (991) TheBostonTrucker - YouTube We were also able to score a quick chat with Toby Young, the man behind MATS whose Grandfather started the show back in 1971. Toby was so accommodating at such a busy time in the middle of the show and this was a great way to finish off our MATS journey.

It's funny how some names automatically register and Freestones Transport is one of those. With his beautiful Kenworth's and Peterbilt's running the East Coast of Australia, this passionate enthusiast ensured a clean, reliable and professional operation that is still running today. Plenty of listeners have requested that we interview Paul and it took a while to get the timing right. And being a lover of all things American, he and Bruce had plenty to discuss. CHECK OUT THIS AMAZING EVENT https://prodrivecompliance.com.au/etn/road-to-compliance/

Kel Baxter started his career as a farmer but soon purchased a couple of trucks to deliver the farms produce. He soon recognised an opportunity to provide transport services for other businesses in the Riverina, Murray and Murrumbidgee areas of New South Wales. From his beginnings into transport in 1990, the company has grown, now dealing with local storage and handling centre's operating the ports and feed mills throughout the eastern States of Australia. A regular at industry body conferences, Kel has been vocal in improving conditions and regulation across our transport industry.   Secure your spot at the Road to Compliance MASTERCLASS https://prodrivecompliance.com.au/etn/road-to-compliance/