Andrew and Cassie Gafney, had Corrina Riley pegged for a Peterbilt driving job for months while Andrew was getting a new truck ready. The shiny black Peterbilt is actually the couple’s first foray into truck operating as an extension of their heavy vehicle repair business called Gaff’s Heavy Diesel and Haulage (formerly Gilltech Maintenance Solutions) based at Walkerston near Mackay.
Meanwhile, Corrina is over the moon driving the Peterbilt and she says having the chance to home school her son, on the open road, driving a Peterbilt and towing only one trailer was an opportunity too good to pass up.
“Jack was getting into all sorts of trouble at school and their answer was to medicate him,” says Corrina. “But I begged to differ. All he needed was a little more challenge and he is now thriving and loving being in the truck with Mum, learning all kinds of amazing and wonderful things that will help him with day-to-day life in the future. I reckon it’s the best choice I could have made.”
Earlier last year Corrina and Jack were running Brisbane to Mackay for about seven weeks, sometimes with a curtainsider hauling general freight and at other times with a flat top carting steel.
Then when the fruit harvest season started around mid-year, they were doing local in Brisbane towing a fridge van for MGL, picking up fruit from farms on the Sunshine Coast and delivering the loads to the Brisbane markets.
“The funniest thing is we also deliver to Hernes,” says Corrina. “I love that I get to see all my fellow work mates again.”
After the fruit season finished, they were once again running north, with the opportunity to call in at the depot to get any issues sorted with the truck.
“My boss and his wife are literally the most amazing people to work for,” says Corrina. “They go above and beyond in looking after both myself and my son and I am very grateful to be working for such an awesome team. I am just so happy that I never let go of my dream, that I stuck with it and now I feel I’m where I’m meant to be.”
A monumental moment for them both, as well as the Gafneys, was when the Peterbilt won the Rig of the Day trophy at the Lights on the Hill memorial convoy event at Gatton last October.
“If you have that passion and you really want something, don’t ever give up,” says Corrina. “I am a single Mum and at times, yes, it’s been very hard. But I always kept pushing forward to reach that dream, so never give up and you will succeed.”
