Keating - No, Not That One!

In-depth

8 Oct

There is a pristine International R200 parked up against the fence. It is painted a magic blue – the colour blue of the sky that you might see in the Outback or the blue of the Adriatic Sea. On one side of the bonnet are inscribed the words, ‘Kenneth Graham’ and on the other, ‘Dorothy Joyce’.

Next to the truck is a gazebo with a couple of folk lounging in comfortable chairs, enjoying this warm afternoon. I take them to be said Ken and Dot and wander over to offer my praise for their historical masterpiece. Mistake number 1.

“Hi Ken and Dot.” I say, introducing myself.

“Hi back. I’m Ken and this is my wife, Maureen.”

Not knowing when to quit when behind and being adept at putting both feet in my mouth at the same time I respond. “So who’s Dorothy Joyce?”

“Dot was my wife when we bought the truck some thirty years ago. She passed away eighteen years back and I’ve been married to Maureen for eight or nine years.”

“Ten years actually,” responds Maureen.

Sitting down on the ground to extricate my feet from my gob, I express my condolences at the loss of Ken’s first wife and my congratulations on his marriage to Maureen – albeit a few years too late in both instances. Maybe time to turn the conversation to the International.

Lamely I say, “Great truck!”

**Son, Mark recreated the truck for Ken**

“Yep, pretty happy with her,” says Ken. “I’ve owned her for thirty-two years. She was a mucky yellow when I got her. The blue is not an Inter colour but I just loved it and the appreciative comments I’ve had over the years - including yours – finally I think have justified that decision. That shade of blue is in fact my company colour.”

Keating Freight Lines is Shepparton based and runs fourteen prime movers and six rigids. I thought I heard Ken say that the business has thirty acres of warehousing and storage so I hope he’ll forgive me if I’ve exaggerated a little. And if I haven’t then that’s a bloody big shed for a one family business! They also have a depot in Melbourne’s Campbellfield.

Originally owning part of Geoffrey Thompson Transport, Ken bought his partner out, except for the Interstate business. “We don’t do Interstate. Happy to run Shep to Melbourne every day. The business is mainly refrigeration – of which we have ten these days, down from a high of twenty-six. We also have three B-Double Taut Liners and Five Dries, three refrigerated taut liners and one flattop still.”

The company has been Scania since 1972, a decision that Ken is happy to stand by. “The trucks and the company have been good to us.”

These days Ken’s three sons operate the business. “The oldest is the Operations Manager who looks after all our drivers. The second is the General Manager. And the third, Mark, who by his own admission does whatever needs to be done. Which makes him the valuable one.”

Mark also builds trucks, including the International. He stripped it to the chassis and went from there. Whatever had to be replaced was replaced. Ken would like to hop behind the wheel of one of the big boys for a drive every now and then but the kids won’t let him so he plays with the International as a sort of second prize. He proudly shows me a picture of it hooked up to and hauling a road train in the company’s yard. “Bloody tempted to do a run to Melbourne in the old girl with a couple of trailers hooked up. Reckon she’d still show the new boys a thing or two.”

We’re sure she would too Ken.