After a lifetime in the transport industry, including a harrowing near death experience, Andrew McKean is headed for the Wall of Fame.
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His nomination has been accepted and he will be inducted into the National Road Transport Museum Shell Rimula Wall of Fame in Alice Springs this August.
Andy, as he is known, has been in transport for more than 40 years and seen a lot of places all over Australia as a result.
“I got the passion to drive trucks from one of my best mates, Kenny Pryde, and Kenny’s brother-in-laws who drove for Linfox and Wettenhalls at the time,” he said.
Andy started out in the transport industry in 1978, when he successfully gained his Class 3 licence to cart grain for harvest in an International ACCO (butter box).
“It was very hot in summer,” he said.
He then carted potatoes in a Commer to Echuca and Berrigan, before becoming a furniture removalist.
“I worked both Interstate and local for Southern Cross, Greens, John Ryan and Rainbow Removals.”
Ten years on, in 1989, Andrew progressed into the office as a sales estimator in Townsville before working for a new company in the Atherton Tablelands moving furniture to and from Brisbane.
In 1993 he moved back to Melbourne to work for APS, driving wharf, local and interstate change overs.
He joined Konway Express in 1997 on Interstate deliveries, departing there six years later when the company went into receivership.
“I lost a great job,” he recalls.
“Kenworth’ were my truck of choice and I drove a 404.”
The closure of Konway Express lead him to Transtar Express in 2002, where he drove a Scania.
Just one month into this job he was hijacked and kept hostage for five hours before being pushed out of a moving car.
“I was driving in Campbelltown in Sydney when I saw flashing bright blue lights, and I thought the police were pulling me up,” he said.
“As I got out of the truck bright lights were shone in my face and two men grabbed me from behind with a knife to my throat.
“They put a hood over my head and bundled me into a car.
“They drove me around for around five hours, playing weird music and continually clicking a gun above my head.
“They stole my licence and photos of my family, making threats.
“To this day I do not carry photos of my loved ones in my wallet.”
The ordeal saw Andy take a break from the industry and he estimates it took about two years for him to fully recover from the trauma and get back to "some sort of normality“.
“I’ve come along way since the incident with the help of family and friends. I slowly got back into trucks.”
When he returned to the transport industry, Andy went into highway haulage doing scaffold deliveries in an Isuzu until 2006.
He then started driving interstate again for a contractor that worked out of Scott’s of Mt Gambier.
“I was driving a Sterling and a cab over Kenworth for six years, despite my anxiety.”
From 2012 until 2015, he worked for Sancell driving a B-doubles carting bubble wrap twice a week to Sydney in a Scania 480hp auto.
He then returned to localised work in and around Melbourne driving Kenworth tippers for Frankston Sand & Soil.
Three months into the job the company bought two Twin Steer Kenworths and paid tribute to Andy at the same time.
“One of them had my name on the door, I was chuffed and remained with the company until 2020.”
Having grown up in this region, Andy has now semi-retired to Mathoura with his partner Marie King.
He works part-time driving a club courtesy bus while he awaits a knee operation.
Andy says his childhood friends Ken and Pam Pryde submitted his story to the Wall of Fame in Alice Springs.
Learning this week he would be inducted, Andy has started planning a trip to the Northern Territory to accept the honour.
But he fears the cost may prevent him from going, so his family and friends have started a Go Fund Me page to ask for the community’s support.
“I feel chuffed, I really do,” he said in regards to his award.
“I would love to get up there to accept it, it would be such an honour.
“I would love to see the wall and all the names on it.”
Any money raised through the Go Fund Me page would assist with flights, car hire, accommodation and other expenses.
“He is a wonderfully deserving man; he would do anything for anyone who needed help,” Marie said.
“He really deserves this award, and I am hoping the local community could help support him in his venture.”
Donations are being accepted at https://gofund.me/0c479936.