The Nullarbor Kid is a book penned by Ray Gilleland, a veteran truckie who helped pioneer road transport in post-war Australia. This was a time when trucking was viewed as an ‘upstart industry’ that threatened existing railway systems.
Ray was part of a new breed, determined not to be chained by the old ways and the governments blinkered with their negative attitudes towards progress.
The Nullarbor Kid outlines the true adventures of Ray and his mates when the trucking industry was in its infancy. It was a time when trucks weren’t suited for blistering Australian heat, long mountain climbs in low gear, and the vast distances that sapped the strength of both driver and truck alike. There were the tolls, the ‘scalies’ and the regulations set to strangle the new industry. But the drivers fought back with every trick in the book.
Ray details the near misses that could have killed him and others, and through it all, the smell, the noise and the romance of long-haul driving. In this world, when the chips were down, humour loomed large and real life adventure abounded.
Ray Gilleland is a true-blue, salt of the earth Australian. As the best and most prolific contributor to Best Australian Trucking Stories published in 2011, Ray’s The Nullarbor Kid, describes his own trucking tales of strength, hilarity and grit.
The book will be published by Allen & Unwin on November 21 this year and has a recommended retail price of $29.99.
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