Debbie Menz, who drives a purple 2004 Western Star 4900 from Brisbane to the Gold Coast, recalls the damage of the 2011 Brisbane floods to M & D Menz Transport
Debbie Menz’s life has revolved around trucking since she met her husband Mark Menz back in 1984, but it wasn’t until 2010 that she fulfilled her goal of obtaining a truck licence.
When her four daughters were young, Debbie spent 14 years as a stay-at-home Mum. Later she worked as a cleaner and personal care assistant, but her real ambition was to drive a truck. “I just always wanted to. It was my goal.”
Inspired by her daughter Hayley who had already obtained an MC licence, Debbie attended lessons with a professional driving instructor. “I suppose I found it pretty hard to grasp it all,” Debbie admits. She persevered and obtained her HC licence in 2010 and her MC licence a year later.
She built up her confidence driving two-up with Mark in a 1978 International Transtar 4300, travelling as far as Mt Isa, Bourke and Melbourne.
And now she drives a purple 2004 Western Star 4900 five days a week, carting pavers from Dinmore near Ipswich to Sanctuary Cove on the Gold Coast.
Debbie and Mark operate M & D Menz Transport which has eight trucks and specialises in containers.
Mark has been driving trucks since his teens and has been an owner-driver since he was 23.
Together they have faced the highs and lows of the trucking industry. Their worst experience was the Brisbane floods of 2011 which damaged 14 trucks at their Oxley yard. Flood water flowed through their workshop and even reached their upstairs office.
“That took the wind out of our sails,” Mark recalls. “It cost us a lot of money but it doesn’t matter. There were a lot of people worse off than us.”
They have relocated to higher ground at Wacol and are optimistic about the future of M & D Menz Transport.
See the full story in the September issue of Owner//Driver magazine.