Alexandra Truck Show Returns

Heading North-east from Healesville (Vic), the Maroondah Highway winds up over the Great Dividing Range along a stretch of road known as the Black Spur.

The Spur is one of the most dangerous stretches of road in the state. A playground for weekend motorcyclists who love the tight bends; many have come to grief among the majesty of the trees, ferns and steep drops. They are not alone.

Jinkers hauling logs from the many coups in the mountains frequent the Spur during the week and whilst the drivers treat the road with the utmost respect, far too many have headed off the road into one of the many gullies over the years. For the faint of heart the Spur can be avoided by taking the longer trip via the Melba Highway and up 'The Slide'.

On the Sunday of the Queen's Birthday weekend, both roads (chock-a-block with trucks, cars and bikes) will take you to the picturesque town of Alexandra.

With a population of just 2200, Alex welcomes over 12,000 ardent lovers of trucks, rods and utes for its annual show. From 5.00 in the morning, there is a constant procession of timber jinkers (that sparkle beyond belief, given the daily life they lead) and Pride & Polish rumbling into the town. Parked along both sides of the main street and well beyond, Alex is turned into a truck-lover’s winter-wonderland.

The Alexandra Truck Ute & Rod Show came into being in 1997 when a bunch of blokes were sitting around wondering how they could pull a bit of business into the town. One of them who was particularly daft suggested a truck show – not only in winter but competing with the opening of the snow season. Sometimes the craziest ideas work, and Alex is the living proof with attendances growing every year.

Town involvement is at the epicentre of the show with all food and stalls being run by the locals keeping profits within the community. Profit from sponsorships also goes back into the area.

The drive over the Spur to Alex this year was accompanied by solid rain for most of the way and I wondered if this would affect the attendance, but as often occurs, the Rain Gods took pity and departed for most of the day.

And if they hadn’t it would have made not one iota of difference as the 300 trucks registered to attend – and more – all turned up to show the world the best of the trucking industry.

The public – starved by a two-year absence of the show weren’t to be deterred either with an estimated 14,000-plus braving the cool conditions. They came, they saw and they bought, with stallholders such as Brian Marsden and his excellent Zephyr cleaning products and O’Sullivan Sketching reporting record sales.

Michael Frossos has been known as Patch for as long as he can remember, the name coming from Retinoblastoma, a cancer that begins in the back of the eye that Patch contracted at age seven, resulting in the removal of his right eye. “It’s never stopped me from doing anything. If anything it’s encouraged me to go that one step more than the average.”

Patch had come across from WA with his utterly superb 1975 Kenworth SAR which has been in his possession for 26 years. Bereft of any fancy paintwork, this white and chrome beast nevertheless stands out head and shoulders in any crowd. Apart from the guards and the stainless surrounds at the back of the sleeper, everything is hand fabricated from the rails to the modified bonnet and 63” sleeper. It goes to show that you don’t need a fancy paint job to make a truck look trick.

A mechanic by trade, Patch got the driving bug around the age of 25 and at 64 has spent the intervening years doing just that, for the most part as an owner/driver. “It’s provided a good living for me, my wife and our two (now grown) children.”

In an ironic twist, Patch was at the recent Mack Muster in WA where he won Truck of the Show. That’s not a typo. He won the Mack Muster with a Kenworth!

Peterbilts are relatively thick on the ground at Alexandra but one in particular stood out. ‘Top Cat’ belongs to Scott McSweeny and if Patch’s KW is an essay in understatement, Scott’s 1967 Pete is completely the opposite.

From its striking maroon paintwork, split with a gold-trimmed black strip to its Top Cat and V8 decals and tastefully scrolled 63” sleeper, this truck is a standout. Add suicide doors, lashings of chrome and an interior that you’d never step into with muddy feet or grubby hands, and the result is something totally unique.

‘The Cat’ of course refers to the 3408 V8 Caterpillar under the bonnet and it’s a shame that words can’t describe how it sounds. Phenomenal is the best I can come up with. Scott is nothing if not a good bloke, leaving the truck unlocked and with those suicide doors wide open for kids (and their parents) to scramble up, in and over.

In his possession for 15 years, Scott never really intended to go as far with it as he has: “I started doing a bit here and there and it sort of got out of hand,” he smiles. “Luckily it was a family affair with everyone getting involved, so my marriage has weathered the storm we’ve created.”

The Pete is fully engineered and approved and, contrary to some onlookers comments is a working truck. “I pull a drop-deck trailer doing country deliveries. It certainly gets plenty of attention out on the road,” quips Scott. No Surprise there.

Craig Membrey has been a long-time supporter of Alexandra and brought eight rigs to the show. The pride of his fleet is ‘Rowan John Membrey’, a Kenworth T908 and an ode to his son who suicided at age 16, was this year entrusted to Jesse Morris. With Membrey Transport for 31/2 years, Jesse started out as a yard hand, then into the workshop for a bit. That progressed to rigid work and now Jesse’s behind the wheel of a 2004 KW 903 with a C15 for motive power. Craig Membrey’s trust in this young 23 year old is such that Jesse has been given ever increasing responsibilities in his daily work.

“I recently transported a steam locomotive from Belgrave to Newport. It is one of only three in the world and was the first time it had been off the tracks in its 100 year life. I must admit I was pretty nervous – all the more when old mate said to me that it was worth $3 million. I wish he’d mentioned that after I’d finished the job. Mind you, whether its $3mil or just $10, you still chain them down in exactly the same way.”

A couple of the new Mack Anthems made their way to Alexandra, one of them by Matt Carpenter who works for Naughton transport Services. Running general freight Melbourne-Sydney, Matt loves the truck.

“It rides well, it’s very comfortable and the 36 inch sleeper is a good size for a big bloke like me. I can stand up in here unlike the old Macks we had.

This is a good home. I have all the trimmings inside that I need and it also has all safety features you could ever want. I have Blind-spot on the left-hand side so I know if there is a car that is in the way there. It’s got cameras everywhere. It’s also got brake assist.”

Matt’s one regret is the 12 speed auto. “It’s not that it doesn’t work well, quite the contrary. But I do miss the Road Ranger – call me old fashioned.”

With over 300 magic trucks in attendance there can still unfortunately be only one Truck of the Show and this year that award went to Steve Richardson of Richardson and Sons Haulage (Steve being the son).

Steve’s truck is a 2021 Kenworth C509 Which he uses to cart grain and fertiliser. A third generation truckie, based at Henty near Albury, Steve has been behind the wheel for six years and this is his first win. “I might have to take it to Koroit and Castlemaine now,” he quipped. Congratulations mate.

As we wandered up the road to take a snap of Steve in front of his rig the skies opened up again and rain blanketed the camera lens. Instead we give you a photo snapped earlier in the day of Steve’s power and glory.

As with other truck shows, Alexandra is an opportunity for the trucking industry to display its wares to the world in the best possible light. Take it easy over the Spur or the Slide, enjoy the views along the way and you'll have a terrific day out.