Six Years Hard Labour for Rob Lister

In-depth

7 Mar

Rob Lister is a Signwriter by trade but grew up with trucks, his father having been in the industry for fifty years. In days past, Rob drove for his old man – and whoever else offered him a drive and a few bob in his pocket. There was hay-carting, wool, some interstate work. “Give me a load, put me behind the wheel and point me in the right direction,” he smiles. “But I always wanted to paint them.”

These days Rob is semi-retired and lives at Marong, outside Bendigo, moving from Ararat where his signwriting business kept him gainfully employed for some forty years.

“My brothers followed in Dad’s footsteps and went out into trucking on their own. I enjoyed being behind the wheel but not to the extent of making it my life’s work. That said, I’ve always loved the industry.”

On a trip to Alice Springs and the Road Transport Hall of Fame in 2005, Rob got the bug to buy and do up a truck – specifically an International R190, because that’s what dad drove when he was a kid.

“I went around a few clearance sales but couldn’t find one. I’d love to have found dads, but that was not to be. Eventually, in 2008, I came across this one which is ex Kane Shelton.”

There’s two ways to restore a truck: pay someone lots of money and get it back double-quick, or take the time, do it yourself, and save a bag of cash. Rob opted for the latter and spent six years turning the old girl into as good as – if not better – than new.

The following photos show some of Rob’s hard work ….

“I did everything on it myself, except for the seat upholstery. I put it on the road in 2015, just in time to take it to Alice. Then I bought the trailer. You should find the brand interesting.”

Rob points out the logo which reads, ‘McFreight’. “It’s not a McGrath and it’s not a Freighter – it’s a bit of both. The guy I bought the trailer off, his father and his uncle both did their apprenticeships at Freighters back in the ‘40’s and ‘50’s. That’s when Freighters was over the road from McGrath’s.

“They’d build trailers in the Freighter factory and sometimes they’d take them across the road and finish them off in McGrath’s. So I thought I’d bugger up some of these so-called experts and call it a McFreight. It gets them talking.”

Rob is pretty proud of his toy, and with good reason. She’s a very nice jigger. “I Had to do it myself because I’d never have been able to afford it otherwise. I did what I could whenever a bit extra came through the door.”

“They’re great from the point of view that, on trips, they don’t cost the earth to run – at least not next to the likes of the Kennys. A run like this (Greens Lake) cost between $200 and 300. It’s not like you’re doing it every week. It’s worth it for the camaraderie and to have a bit of a yarn. Change a few gears, burn a bit of diesel and talk a bit of shit, that’s what it’s all about, mate. I’d actually rather do this than go to a truck show. At a truck show there’s too many people around.”