Casino Truck Show bigger than ever

More than 10,000 people and nearly 600 trucks from around the country converged in Casino (NSW) on August 5, to celebrate the 10th running of the show with a massive convoy to kick things off.

Hundreds of trucks assembled at a nearby industrial estate before rolling into town in a spectacular parade, with locals perched up on their front porch and out-of-towners lining the footpath.

The seemingly never-ending procession of trucks offered something for everybody, from old R-Model Macks to ‘nine-oh’ Kenworths, while the handful of bellowing Detroits and Mack V8s offered an unfamiliar symphony for younger spectators.

There was something for everyone at this year’s show, with rows of trucks as far as the eye could see, a massive Show ’N’ Shine, live music for those who like to kick the boots up, and an incredible array of sideline displays and entertainment.

The Casino Truck Show has become the hottest event on the trucking calendar, officially overtaking the Christchurch Truck Show in terms of numbers, this year having to close the registration books because organisers simply couldn’t fit any more trucks in town!

“Officially, there were 580 trucks but we had to turn them away by the end because we’d reached our limit this year!” said Richmond Valley Council Manager of Community Connection, Sharon Davidson.

Beyond the incredible display of big rigs at the Casino Truck Show, the event also offers a huge economic boost for the region with local businesses setting new trading records each year – particularly the pubs.

“Accommodation has been booked out for a year, because people book that far ahead!” Sharon said.

“Then you look around and see how busy all the local businesses are, as well as the fact we use local producers wherever possible to help put this event together.

“Last year it brought in just under a million dollars for the region across the one-day event, but looking around today I think it will be even more this time.”

Whether the show can keep growing is perhaps a question of space rather than all-out popularity, with Sharon suggesting they might need a bigger town first.

“I’m not sure we could fit many more trucks in the town centre, it’s completely full!” she said.

“There is a world record in Kentucky and it’s about 900 trucks, but I don’t think we’ll go for that record.”

Much of the event’s recent growth can be put down to the Richmond Valley Council’s involvement after founder and organiser, Darren Goodwin, suggested they step in to handle the administration and event management side, leaving him to handle what he knows best: the trucks.

“I moved it from another organisation to the Richmond Valley Council in 2021 and it just accelerated it,” Darren said.

It’s a far cry from the event it was when Darren and trucking legend, ‘Tiny’ Lollback, first kicked things off, drawing what they thought were pretty good crowds at the time.

“We had 83 trucks at the first one, and today we’re up around 600,” he said.

“I think a big part of that growth is that we’ve listened to feedback and constantly refined it and, whether it was good or bad, we didn’t discount what people were saying.

“Now it’s like grand final weekend, but for truck drivers!”

The organisers, with their die-hard crew of devoted volunteers, worked countless hours to put the show together and the hard yards they put in on the day were only the tip of the iceberg.

“We couldn’t have asked for a better day and I’m really proud that these drivers chose to come to Casino to celebrate their industry,” Sharon said.

“I’d also like to thank all of our incredible volunteers and of course the sponsors, because we couldn’t do it without them. I’d really like to shout out our major naming-rights sponsor, North Coast Petroleum.”

You can find a full rundown of the Show ’N’ Shine award winners, across all 40 hotly contested categories, here.