Travis Sinclair lives for Kenworths, country music and family. We visit the award-winning singing truckie in north east Victoria
Fourth-generation truckie Travis Sinclair clocks up about 180,000km annually but still finds time for his successful country music career.
The singing truckie has released three albums – Rhythm of the Highway, Rush and Diesel Boy. And he won the Tamworth Golden Guitar New Talent of the Year Award in 2003.
Travis still performs regularly. He tours when he can. But it’s been almost eight yearssince he released an album.
“After 23 years of driving trucks people always ask me ‘Why don’t you go singing full-time?’ But I tell them that being a part of the trucking industry is a great honour,” Travis says.
He’s spent enough time on stage to know it’s just as demanding as being behind the wheel: “When you’re on tour, some nights you might only get four hours sleep a night.”
Today Travis drives a Kenworth T659 for Hehir Transport. Company policy dictates that trucks must be parked up from midnight to 7am. “We get decent sleep when our bodies need sleep,” Travis says.
His wife Heather sleeps better, too, knowing that Travis is not driving through the night.
 |
|
The talented Sinclair family enjoys country life in North East Victoria.
|
Travis is conscious of the sacrifices Heather has made to support his singing and trucking careers while they raise their family. She has home-schooled three of their four children.
Heather and the kids usually accompany Travis to his performances. Sometimes Indaly, Oakley and Wyatt-Silas sing on stage with their dad.
Travis’ next album is slowly taking shape, and there’s a good chance it will include the musical talents of his children. “They’re writing some pretty good songs,” Travis says.
The whole family performed for Owner//Driver when we visited the Sinclairs at Boorhaman, Victoria, recently. We caught the moment on video.
Like ‘Travis Sinclair Music’ on Facebook for news of upcoming performances.
And read our full story in the March issue of Owner//Driver.
Photography: Tamara Whitsed | Video: Tamara Whitsed