Castlemaine shines for annual truck show

Victorian town turns it on again with a great show, street parade and trucks old and new

The central Victorian town of Castlemaine has been, and still is, home to some of the best known transport fleets in the country.

It has also become known for hosting one of the best working truck shows, the Adtrans Castlemaine Rotary Truck Show, every November. While the weather was playing some tricks, the 2017 show went ahead last weekend, with a good crowd on hand to see a great display of working trucks, both old and new.

The Adtrans Castlemaine Rotary Truck Show has built a solid reputation as being the best place to see both the latest and greatest and the more nostalgic side of the trucking game. It has become an annual catch-up among friends, and a great place to meet those people whose trucks you know, but not the drivers’ faces or names.

For most of us though, it’s just a great chance to drool over the big bangers, and appreciate the work that the drivers put in to keeping them looking the goods.

Spit and polish

Saturday morning saw many of the regulars roll in and, having already spent most of the previous day cleaning and polishing, find a good spot to complete the cleaning process.

By mid- afternoon, there were more cans of beer than of polish, and the atmosphere was relaxed- before the rain came. That didn’t stop a good time being had, and Sunday morning saw a few sore heads, and just as many chamois, appear around the grounds before the trucks rolled again for the convoy.

This year’s convoy saw almost one hundred trucks line the main street of Castlemaine, with many drivers taking their kids and families along for the ride. The sound of air horns filled the air for the best part of 45mins, as the convoy rolled through town to the waving and cheering of the crowd.

The community of Castlemaine really get behind this event, with many people along the route hosting parties in the garden, and many a barbecue sizzling away as the trucks roll past.

Back to business

Back at the Campbells Creek football ground, the final cleaning and polishing was done before the judges got their clipboards out and knuckled down to separate the best from the rest. This was no easy task, given the quality of trucks on display, but the job was there to be done.

While they were hard at it, there was plenty for the punters to look at and do, with live music, a catering tent, and the ever-popular bar to keep them entertained. Our good mate Yogi from Outback Truckers was also on hand to have a chat, with a good crowd of people keen to say hello throughout the day.

As mentioned earlier, the weather was a little unpredictable with thunderstorms and rain threatening throughout the weekend. This saw crowd numbers down slightly on last year (from our observation), but there were some other notable things missing.

For the first time in many years, there was plenty of room for all the trucks, indicating a reduction in numbers, while several of the regular trade displays were also absent. A great weekend was still had by all, though, and the town of Castlemaine really turned it on for the visitors. Here’s hoping it was just the weather that kept them away.

Country truck shows like this one not only offer those in the industry the opportunity to catch up and show off, but also support the local community. The funds raised from the show go to supporting the work of the Castlemaine Rotary Club, which performs many good deeds throughout the region, including funding local projects and helping those less fortunate in the community.

The show also allows the general public to get up close to the trucks, and see the pride that those in the industry take in the work they do. As far as industry based public relations exercises go, this has got to be one of the best, not only showing off the equipment, but also the professionalism within the industry.

The number of little kids, male and female, who were admiring the trucks on display indicated that the there is still interest among young people in joining the transport industry, and this should be fostered for all of our sakes.

Castlemaine shines for annual truck show

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