Lynn Haysom
girls and gorgeous grandson .”
Lynn Haysom
Lynn Haysom was happy she was going to be home for Christmas ; usually she is driving two-up with her husband Tony on the 2,721 km run between Melbourne and Perth . The round trip takes 40 hours . “ Its funny , we fight all the time at home but when we ’ re in the truck we never have an argument .” Lynn carries general freight across the Nullabor in a Kenworth 200 B-triple road train and while she now partners with her husband she used to drive single between Sydney and Melbourne . “ I ’ ve never had any problems being a single women in this business . I ’ d pull up at yards to unload and men would always help if I needed it , same with breakdowns or changing tyres . Sometimes people ask me why I ’ m doing a ‘ man ’ s ’ job and I tell them because it ’ s dead easy , that ’ s why .”
Lynn has no thoughts about giving up long haul truck driving , “ I take time off every now and then but even then I ’ m driving . I like to have a proper look at the places I see from the truck but never have time to stop and look at properly . I can ’ t really explain why I love truck driving , I just do . I love the views , nobody looking over my shoulder , the chats , the pride in the job but I think it ’ s the freedom of the road I love most . It ’ s like therapy , being out there on my own , knowing what I have to do , the quietness , it ’ s just beautiful . It ’ s the best .”
Author : Melissa Barnett , 55yo , lives on a cattle property in the South Burnett . She had a mid-life crisis and decided to do journalism ten years ago . Currently she writes for a business web portal , and runs a farm stay business and a cattle enterprise . She bought a pottery wheel several years ago and still hasn ’ t thrown a pot – but lives in hope . www . taabingastation . com . au
ISSUE 2 : JAN - MAR 2017 41