Steve has had an Eclectic Career with his time spent between Australian road transport (his first passion)and broadcast television with a significant part of his life dedicated to volunteer emergency services with a specialist career in Road Crash Rescue, both as a practitioner and Nationally accredited Instructor. It was in the 80s whilst driving express services to Perth that Steve first got the idea for Whiteline and filming the industry, to let people understand what we all did. It took some time and training to bring it to fruition but in 2016 Whiteline Television was born.
A few words from Steve on the shape of the Australian Road Transport Industry
I’m old enough to remember the old Hume Highway, where I cut my teeth in this industry. I recall crossing Little Sydney Harbour Bridge, being doubled through the Cullerins, chasing the red brake light haze, and listening for the call “one in it.” I sat in Tarcutta listening to the legendary Berrimah Bob (RIP), grabbed countless coffees at the Crazy House in Albury, and watched Clybucca’s infamous swimming pool—though no one swam in it. I’ve run the 90 Mile with ‘PIG’ (RIP), had convoys stop to help change a tyre near Balledonia, and waited at Uncle Leo’s for mates to catch up.
I remember what a wood duck was. I’ve driven some of and with the fastest on the highway and wouldn’t change a thing—well, maybe a couple of marriages. But many never got to hear the stories of the old-timers or experience the goat tracks of the ’70s and ’80s before dual lanes took over. Our heritage is fading. The legends we’ve lost took their stories with them, and that’s a shame.
This photo of my daughter standing in front of a truck I drove for Keith Thompson of Castlemaine reminds me how far we’ve come—and what we’ve lost. After decades on the road, I’ve grown weary of the negative portrayal of our industry. The men and women who built this landscape are diverse, resilient, and too often misunderstood. Experience is dying under the weight of overregulation, over-policing, and the punishment of many for the mistakes of a few.
We’ve become our own worst enemy—political infighting, fractured associations, rate cutting, and social media wars have eroded the unity we once had. Even organisations meant to support drivers and families during trauma are dragged down by ego and blind and misguided loyalty. It’s time we remembered who we are, where we came from, and the stories that shaped us.