The Truck in the Logo

In-depth

26 June

In-Depth

When designing the logo for truckinwithkermie.com, I didn’t have to look far for a truck to use in it. Troy, Wayne and Rick Cornwill’s classic Kenworth T908, ‘Paradise’ has won more awards than any other truck I know. The trophies are kept at mums place to avoid arguments. She had to do an extension to fit them in!

It is not just the spectacular build on this truck, it’s how they present it at truck shows around Victoria. I’ve not seen any other entrant jacked up off the ground so that the tyre treads can be blacked for all 360 degrees. I’ve not seen another truck where one of the boys is underneath polishing something that will never be seen by the judges.

On top of that the Cornwill boys are the nicest bunch of blokes you could ever meet. Their welcome and generosity of spirit to me and my wife has always been spontaneously and freely given. I’m proud to call them friends and I’m proud to display ‘Paradise’ on this page as a constant reminder to strive for perfection.

Wayne, Rick and Troy Cornwill with the next gen – Troy’s son, Zac

Troy and Rick began Cornwill Transport in 1994 with Wayne heavily involved in the day to day operations.

Trucking was always going to be in the blood of these three, given (Dad) Kevin has spent a lifetime behind the wheel. Much of Kevin's time was spent working for Ron Hovey out of Geelong driving petrol powered Louisville's and F 600s. The three boys started their trucking lives by following dad to Hovey's. Starting out driving Ronnie's trucks they came across an old Aerodyne and "did a bit of work on her." (That bit of work resulted in the Aerodyne winning numerous awards at truck shows across Victoria).

"We subbed for Ron, then for Linfox and it went on from there. We just cruised along."

How did they go finding business? Having a truck and trailer is one thing, finding work for it is another.

"It was a bit hard in the beginning I suppose," said Troy. "Our greatest asset was dad. He'd been in the industry for umpteen years and knew everybody. As young guys starting out it could have been pretty tough for us, but dad's contacts and reputation meant blokes were willing to give us a try out."

"Once you're out there and show people that you’re willing to work hard, try to do the right thing and give good service, it gets easier. These days we never look for work, it just comes to us. The clients see that we run good gear. Our trucks are the face of the business. They need to be – I mean we're no oil paintings."

The Cornwill’s Kenworth T 908 has won enough awards to fill a room – or two

These trucks represent much more than a business to the Cornwill's – they represent a passion (which extends to cars and Harleys). The passion has paid off with awards bestowed upon every truck in the fleet, and in many cases more than one.

When the boys attend the many truck events held across Victoria they like to wind back and relax. There's nothing pretentious about the Cornwill's. There's the 80 year old 12 x 12 canvas pole-tent that belonged to their grandad. There’s a brazier throwing off good old wood-fired heat and an esky or three for sustenance. "We all work bloody hard so when we go to a truck show we like to bring everybody involved with the business and just wind back and relax for a day or two. It recharges the batteries."

When the Cornwill trucks aren't working, the boys are working on the rigs. The T908 in these pictures is nothing short of pristine. As with all the Cornwill rigs it has its own unique personality. Take for instance the chrome steel flooring, polished to a mirror finish. That this truck makes its living carting steel and concrete around Geelong, Melbourne and environs is astonishing in itself.

You could eat your breakfast off this floor – and maybe fry an egg on a hot day

The camaraderie between the brothers is obvious to all who know them and is no doubt part of the key to their success. "We all look out for each other's backs. We grew up close and we stay close and that's the way we like it."

For the Cornwill's, trucking is a way of life – a life they all love. "If your work is something you love then it's no longer work. We all enjoy the job and we like being with each other. All in all life's pretty good."

In these Covid 19 days, truck shows have become non-existent. But they will return, and when they do we’ve no doubt the Cornwill’s will be back at Castlemaine and Koroit. And with a T 409 SAR on the way, they’ll possibly be enticed to take that old new-beauty to a few other shows as well.

A sneak peek of Cornwill’s latest – a Kenworth (of course) T 409 SAR

When these shows return and you spy Troy, Rick and Wayne Cornwill, head on over and say g'day. You'll be welcomed with a warmth that goes well beyond that brazier burning out the front of pop's old tent.