After more than 25 years behind the wheel in Australia and overseas, Jason Kemp is intent on giving something back to the industry
Although Jason Kemp has completed a Bachelor of Arts in Media Studies, an Associate Diploma of Photography and a Diploma of Education, he’d prefer to be behind the wheel of a truck.
Currently driving a Kenworth K200 B-double for George MacDonald & Sons, Jason is set on becoming a qualified heavy vehicle driving instructor.
“I was aiming to work in the media but I went truck driving and it ended up being in my blood,” Jason explains.
Jason recently received his accreditation to become a driving instructor.
“Now I have to pay the money to the road traffic authority [Roads and Maritime Services] and become a licensed instructor.
“It’s going to be a big change. I look forward to instilling in the new generation coming through the industry how to do it and do it properly.”
Jason is not impressed with the current system, believing the Federal Government taking the responsibility out of the states’ hands has “stuffed it all up”.
“The old CBA [Competency Based Assessment] system that each state had was taken by the Federal Government and given to some bloke in Victoria who dumbed it down and handed it back to the government.
“Now New South Wales is the only state that has signed up to the new system,” Jason explains.
“Not only that, to become an instructor you must have a Certificate IV in Training and Assessing.
“But a Certificate IV is written by academics who have never worked a real day in their lives,” he says.
Jason spent time driving in both Europe and America, working for more than four years in Europe, driving mainly Volvos, and around 30 months in the United States.
As far as trucks go, Jason would take a Volvo any day. However, he’s happy to settle for a Kenworth K200.
“Volvos are such a good truck,” he says.
“But these K200s are a good vehicle compared to the range I have driven over the years.”
To read Jason Kemp’s full story, see the February 2014 print edition of Owner//Driver.
Photography: Peter Schlenk