I just ran across this International ad.
The main point of interest was it was shot at the Winton Roadhouse.
I learned one of my early big lessons in life at the roadhouse. I told it before about 10 years ago but worth a rerun.
I was 18 years old and returning in my Commer on only my second interstate trip ever, from Sydney (sub-contracting for Hartridges). Stopped for breakfast at the roadhouse and saw a Hartridge company driver at a table. He was an old bloke probably 45 or 50. One thing led to another and he convinced me to swap trucks for an hour or so as he wanted to drive a more modern truck and I wanted to have a go in a "big" AEC with a tandem trailer.
5 minutes down the road and there is the weighbridge. Turns out he had a private top load the company did not know about and he had seen the weighbridge blokes leave the roadhouse to start work just before I arrived. Upshot was I was fined more than my entire trip money for the Sydney Melbourne load. He got to Hartridge yard before me next morning and the story had gone around about the greenhorn being such an easy touch.
Ron Hartridge got wind of it and called me up to the office. He wrote a cheque for the fine (on top of my normal payment). The driver was walking the streets looking for a job by 0900. So many times not just me but many others were grateful for Ron's support, one of the good guys.
I learned that unfortunately there is probably an above the community average of low-lifes sitting behind a wheel but I also learned there are some wonderful blokes that more than counter the negative interactions.
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