The latest addition to Frank Morgan’s small fleet is a 2013 Kenworth T909.
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
When it comes to his working life, Frank Morgan has two passions: trucks and machinery.
On the truck side he has a fleet of four – a Kenworth T601, a Western Star 4800, a Cummins-powered Western Star 4900 and his most recent addition, a Kenworth T909.
Frank, who runs stock-carrying firm Frank Morgan Transport, also owns a couple of old McCormick International tractors he enjoys tinkering with – an A554 and an A514.
Growing up on the family farm near Sale in Victoria fuelled his interest, starting with a Bedford tray truck which his father, John Morgan owned.
“There used to be a few small farms around, and I used to help him cart small squares of hay,” Frank says.
“Then when I was about 16 I borrowed the truck and started carting for a few of the locals.
“And that’s how it started for me, the origins of my journey as an owner driver.”
Frank’s first ‘real’ truck was a 1987 Atkinson, followed by the T601 in 2003. He bought his first new truck, the 4800, the following year and then picked up the 2013 T909.
When it came to the Kenworth, Frank went to Gippsland Truck Centre where he says he was pleased with the service from salesman Tim Washington.
“Tim was an exceptional salesman and a good bloke,” he says.
“He made it easy to spec up and all of our little alterations and additions weren’t an issue.”
Frank’s trucks move a combination of sheep, cattle with some wool and hay.
While he started out as an owner-driver, Frank now spends less time behind the wheel and more time doing paperwork.
He says it has been a slow and steady progression from owner-driver to small fleet operator.
“The paperwork is a hassle but one of those things that you have to live with,” he says.
“You just have to do everything properly; there are no cutting corners.
“Just as our customers rely on us, so we rely on our equipment and aim to provide the best service possible.”
You can read Frank Morgan’s full story in the October edition of Owner//Driver.
Photography: Peter Schlenk