The Wrong Trousers

At 40-plus, Matt’s about to become a grown-up and wear long ‘pants’ – he is off to work for Volvo Trucks Australia

- Matt Wood

I’ve finally bitten the bullet. I’m going to become a grown-up. I’ve probably stretched my delayed adolescence as far as is humanly possible. Surely a 40-something bloke should be wearing pants to work on a regular basis?

So I’m going to the dark side and leaving truck journalism behind. It’s a bittersweet thing; many of my mates reckon my job was the best thing going but the need for new challenges has seen me take up a new role with Volvo Trucks Australia. I’m going to be the fuel-efficiency guy.

And while I haven’t yet been sent to Gothenburg for re-programming, I have to say that a focus on fuel efficiency is something that’s badly needed in this country. We’ve got some pretty archaic laws around truck dimensions and axle weights and Aussie customers need all the help they can get to navigate these murky waters.

As connectivity, automation, alternative fuels and even electric drivetrains get closer, there are some exciting times ahead. Australia’s notoriously conservative transport operators may not agree with the ‘exciting’ bit though, which is what will make my new job interesting…