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Reversing into tight spots is part of the job.<\/p>\nMichelle McMillan with her 1991 Western Star FX. Images: Michelle McMillan<\/p>\n
Truck driver Michelle McMillan\u2019s journey to the driver\u2019s seat of her 1991 Western Star FX is a little different to most.<\/p>\n
Michelle didn\u2019t grow up in a transport family or spend her childhood in the passenger seat counting the kilometres between roadhouses.<\/p>\n
Rather, she grew up travelling the country as a security officer, following the tours of famous musicians and sports stars, working the gates, and vetting the crowds.<\/p>\n
There were a lot of world-famous celebrities who impressed her and she has some great stories to share about her time in the security game, including a stint manning the VIP tent on an international surfing tour.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnyway, a surfing great comes to the door, and he didn\u2019t have his accreditation on him, and I said, \u2018No, sorry, you can\u2019t come in here\u2019,\u201d Michelle says.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd next thing, one of the promoters comes from nowhere \u2013 \u2018No, no, he can go wherever he likes\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n
Reversing into tight spots is part of the job.<\/p>\n
Michelle says the promoter grabbed the accreditation she had on the lanyard around her own neck and pointed to the photo of the surfing legend next to the event name. <\/p>\n
\u201cGuess what? I didn\u2019t do the VIP tent the next day. I got stuck out on the beach doing the beach running instead. You can\u2019t know everything.\u201d<\/p>\n
She said the long hours, uncertain shifts and on-call nature of security work became the norm during a career that took her around Australia.<\/p>\n
\u201cI met a lot of celebrities doing my security job too, which was pretty cool.\u201d<\/p>\n
There were some standouts and Michelle said Gaga was one of them. \u201cSeriously, she is the most down-to-earth, humble person you could ever meet.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI used to work at a 5-star hotel in the city (Brisbane) and she came back from her concert. <\/p>\n
\u201cAnyway, the boss rings up and says, \u2018You know, we\u2019ve got all those people outside in the street and the front foyer area\u2019. <\/p>\n
\u201cThey all knew that she was staying there in the penthouse, and these people obviously couldn\u2019t afford tickets to the concert.\u201d<\/p>\n
Michelle says she expected the singer would arrive at the hotel via the less obvious VIP entrance to avoid the crowds, but she opted not to go that way, saying she wanted to meet her fans. <\/p>\n
\u201cShe didn\u2019t have to do this, but this is what gave me new respect for her.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe turned up, still in her concert gear, brought her limo around, parked out the front, got out of her limo, and went around to every single person that was out there waiting for her.<\/p>\n
She\u2019s about five foot five (inches) \u2013 I felt like Gigantor next to her. She was so down to earth and lovely, and spent time, you know, a good five minutes with every single person.\u201d<\/p>\n
Michelle started working in security after a brief stint working as a vet nurse volunteer at the RSPCA after she finished school. <\/p>\n
She says she found the nature of that environment depressing, particularly the way some humans treated their animals. <\/p>\n
\u201cAfter one tough day, I was telling a female friend about, she suggested I investigate doing security. Back then the security age was 21 but the legislation was changing and I went and did my security course and weapons license.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Misguided, the 1991 Western Star FX Michelle drives.<\/p>\n
At the tender age of 18, Michelle\u2019s security career was launched, leading her to work \u201ceverywhere\u201d \u2013 on the railways, plain clothes work in department stores, concerts, football matches, cricket events, and tours of various kinds.<\/p>\n
After nearly 30 years in the game, she found herself leading the security team at a large shopping centre, not too far from her 40-acre home base at Tamborine.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a job she said has become more dangerous, and after her team was faced with tackling youths armed with knives, she, and her soon-to-be husband Wal, decided it might be time for a career change. <\/p>\n
\u201cSo, he asked me one day, did I want to drive a truck? Hell yes!! Which truck?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI was told no automatic license, you will be getting an open license, the one to drive a crash box, that way I could drive any truck, including his, from time to time.\u201d<\/p>\n
So, Michelle, then 48, took truck driving lessons and started out on the next stage of her career.<\/p>\n
Her 1991 Western Star FX was bought from Wal\u2019s second cousin, who also has a 1996 Western Star. It sat at home for a few months after Michelle got her license as she worked up the courage to take it out on the road.<\/p>\n
Eventually Wal threw her the keys and told her to just take it for a drive, put some fuel in it, and come back home.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, I did. I drove all the way out through Beaudesert, through the back way, around the hills, around the corners. And then I parked, went to Woolworths, got some groceries, came back. That\u2019s what girls does, don\u2019t they? When they have trucks, they go and do the grocery shopping. <\/p>\n
\u201cThen I came back home, and he goes \u2018good, so you\u2019re used to it, right? You\u2019re working tomorrow\u2019. OMG\u201d.<\/p>\n
The next day was an onsite for a construction site job. <\/p>\n
Michelle said leaving home that first morning was daunting, the fog was like pea soup, and it was 5am in winter. <\/p>\n
\u201cThat was a baptism of fire. I could hardly see the traffic lights, let alone the car headlights in front. Let\u2019s just say it was a slow start.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her\u2019s is the sort of work that requires the truck to reverse down tight access areas, to prop up on the side of a hill and tip the soil over the edge to fill a hole, or to climb up various mountain ranges hauling road base or asphalt. <\/p>\n
\u201cConsidering I had never driven machinery or reversed trailers\/ horse floats, or caravans. I think I am not doing too bad.\u201d<\/p>\n
With her HR license Michelle says she sometimes drives the tipper with a dog trailer in tow, however an MC license and bigger trailers are on her list of things to do.<\/p>\n
Asked for her thoughts on training and truck driving for women Michelle says her experience has been positive, with plenty of support from other truckies and a great training experience, helped along by the fact she was able to pay off the cost of the training over a few months. <\/p>\n
\u201cOne of the many things I love, and I am very fortunate, is that I work with a great crew of other drivers who have all given me tips and tricks. I do have to give a shout out to Wal, Shaun, Scotty, Clayton, and Neil who have shown me the ropes their advice has been priceless. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe other great thing I love is that my truck is my office and you\u2019re never in the same place, you\u2019re always in different places every time, meeting new people. Whether it\u2019s at customers, on their properties, or you know, working for civil mobs.\u201d<\/p>\n
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The tipper is handy for all manner of loads.<\/p>\n
Michelle says it\u2019s a \u201clittle bit sad\u201d that there are not more women driving trucks, noting that truck driving doesn\u2019t have to be about driving the biggest truck possible, as there is plenty of demand in the industry for drivers of all sizes of vehicles.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are women out there quite capable of being able to do it, just give it a go and do it. Seriously, you\u2019ll absolutely love it. Plus, the people you work with, the guys in the industry now are so forthcoming and welcoming.\u201d<\/p>\n
Does she miss the thrill of the security gig?<\/p>\n
\u201cI have been asked to come back several times, but I am over the industry,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m glad I\u2019m out of it. I\u2019ve got friends of mine that are still in it, I\u2019ve heard some bad stories, unfortunately. Yeah, one of them being a person I used to work with who was stabbed. I have a new career and I\u2019m loving it.\u201d<\/p>\n
As for the name on the front Michelle\u2019s truck, Misguided Girl, she says there\u2019s a double meaning, and it was better than her first suggestion of \u201cDirty Old Bird\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen Wal and I first got together and he couldn\u2019t believe me that I was in love with him \u2013 he\u2019d say \u2013 \u2018poor misguided girl\u2019. And when I first started driving, I got lost a few of times, never trust GPS!\u201d<\/p>\n
As for what\u2019s next, Michelle says she and Wal are kept busy with their property, which includes horses, two dogs, one cat, and chooks to look after. Not to mention the home brewing set up. There\u2019s also a big birthday to plan for in October, and their wedding in 2027.<\/p>\n
On the truck driving front Michelle says she\u2019ll keep driving her Western Star while the work\u2019s around, then eventually she\u2019d like to spend the time to do it up and roll out to a truck show or two, but that\u2019ll be something for retirement, which \u201ca little while off\u201d.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Michelle McMillan with her 1991 Western Star FX. Images: Michelle McMillan Truck driver Michelle McMillan\u2019s journey to the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":835711,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[64,63,447,134],"class_list":["post-835710","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-celebrities","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-celebrities","tag-entertainment"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/835710","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=835710"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/835710\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/835711"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=835710"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=835710"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=835710"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}