In for the long haul

Our Irishman in Oz’s interest was sparked when he spied the distinctive Scanias of De Campo, a company he tracks down to Pemberton in Western Australia

- Paul O'Callaghan

Whether it was the striking blue and white livery, the distinctive silver lettering or the unflinching loyalty to the Scania brand, the trucks of De Campo Transport left a lasting impression since I first spotted them around the Perth area. My interest was sparked even further upon noticing the blue Scanias were also engaged on long-haul work pulling triples, all the way up to Darwin. An investigation was called for!

After an internet search proved unfruitful, save for a scant Facebook page, a stroke of luck came my way. Noticing one of its trucks in a freight yard in Perth, I seized the opportunity and got chatting with drivers Mick Liddle and Bernie Ryan.

Bonneted Scanias, referred to as “footie boots” in Australia, are becoming increasingly rare since the final model rolled off the production line in 2006. To be greeted by two bonneted 580s in De Campo colours, one a 4-series, the other a T-series, was an opportunity not to be missed.

Located near Pemberton, four hours south of Perth in Western Australia, the De Campo base is located in a beautiful rural setting, well known for its tall Karri trees. Agriculture, particularly potato growing, is popular in the area and it’s rather pleasing to see that the transport base also doubles as a yard for the family farm.

Busy with boxes