
This truckie is ready to share his knowledge
HIS father warned him not to get into trucking, but Kev Mitchell wouldn't let those jaded thoughts get in the way of him realising his dream.
"I loved big trucks and toys, any machinery, anything that you could drive," he said.
So he started out working as a forklift operator in Sydney then worked his way up to light rigids then to B-doubles.
For five years he worked in the interstate game before deciding to get back to local driving.
While he left his job to due to his "fatigue going through the roof", Kev wants to give back to the industry that he loves.
"We have a good chance to boost the transport industry in Australia but the young guys aren't learning how to do things properly because all the old guys are leaving because they've been burnt out too," he said.
"No matter what anyone says, this industry needs to stay alive."
So Kev is offering to share his knowledge to anyone who needs help because he knows what it's like to have to learn for yourself.
"No one would show me or help me so I had to teach myself," he said.

He said the young, green drivers needed help learning about strapping, chains, load binders, container pins, safety aspects and even logbooks.
"The RMS are eating them alive because they just don't understand and no one teaches the pitfalls of filling out logbooks incorrectly," he said.
Kev said he'd be happy if he could just help one struggling driver.
"That's the whole point, the young drivers don't know the pitfalls of driving in Sydney and they're very blinded by the glitterati, the big rigs, the chrome," he said.
"They're interested in that, not the hard work and it takes a lot to be an operator in the city or changeovers or running north or south.
"There's a lot of work involved and companies aren't investing any time in the younger generation, they're just throwing them in there and letting them learn on the job.
"I'd rather see the industry flourish than die the way it is."
If you'd like to be mentored or to learn from Kev, let us know at editor@bigrigs.com.au.
