About Us
Dianne Carroll, our CEO, came up with the concept of the Trans-Help Foundation following the 2005 Australian Truck Drivers Memorial. It was at that particular service where she meet face to face with the many widows and family members of transport drivers whom she had spoken with following the tragic loss of their loved ones during the year.
It was their heart ache, trauma, sadness and
daunting despair that re-kindled her own personal experiences.
Dianne knows the hardships of life on the road, she was the daughter
of a truck driver, she then married one!
Her Story
G'Day there.
I am not one for talking about my personal life or background, but
feel that by telling you my story, you will understand that the
people behind the Trans-Help Foundation are just genuine people with
transport backgrounds and fully understand just how tough it is out
there on the road.
I have been around trucks since as far back as I can recall. My
father was an interstate truck driver, as was my uncle and my
grandfather owned a trucking company.
My first memory of actually being in a truck is
vague, but I was about 4 years old and I went with my father and
mother and younger sister (6 mths old) on a trip to Adelaide in the
truck. I recall a bed was made up for my sister on the cabin
floor... this was around 1965
As far as raising us kids and the running of the house, mum would
doing everything, from chopping wood to mowing the lawns to under
the bonnet fixing cars to cooking and cleaning her 6 children. She
did it tough!
I was about 9 when Dad gave away interstate driving, and soon after
was admitted to hospital, as he had a nervous breakdown. After he
was treated he only done local driving.
He liked a beer and often become very abusive, with mum physically
copping the brunt of it. On other occasions he would come home and
say we are moving, so mum would pack up our belonging and us six
children and we would move – overnight!. (When mum died aged 55, she
had had 99 shifts during her married life) . It wasn't until I got
older that I realised that his drinking habits were part of his
depression.
So the education I received was limited and life at home was tough.
At the age of 13 I ran away from home, I was placed in foster care
before going to live with my grandparents.
Eighteen months later I returned home, but never went back to school
– so that was the extent of my formal education.
At 15 I met Gary, who was also a truck driver, 3rd generations in
the logging industry. We were engaged when I was 16, married at 17.
As a Truckies wife, I soon found out they marry their truck and you
go along for the ride. It was tough, plenty of bills, little money
and a lot of loneliness. After the arrival of our first child, thing
got pretty tough in the logging Industry, so we had to put the truck
on interstate.
Gary was born and bred in the bush, so city streets and national
highways were not his forte. I left my son with my parents and I
went on the road with him, to navigate!
I remember we would be getting close to Melbourne and I was excited
to be going home to see my son, then when we got to the depot we
were advised there was a load waiting to go back to Brisbane. I
would cry till we got to about Seymour.
We would wait months for payments and the finance company was
hounding us. In the end we decided they would have to repossess the
truck.
Gary’s father came to the rescue and took over the truck and the
payments. So Gary went driving for his father.
By the time I was 23 I had had three children, and things weren’t
any easier, so we ended up separating. I was in Melbourne with three
young children and often knocked on the door of the Salvo’s to
ensure my children were fed. I had a nervous breakdown, and if it
wasn’t for a close family friend, I wouldn’t be here today.
I then met Peter, who was also a truck driver with the CRB/Vic
Roads. We married and had three children and Gary also had
remarried.
On the 19th of Nov 1994 our local police officer rang asked us to go
down to the police station… it was then I was told Gary had been
killed at work.
I couldn’t understand why, as he was one of the most sought after
drivers, because he looked after his truck and was 110% safety in
every aspect of his career.
It was later we were told that the night before his death he had
found out his wife was having an affair… this answered a lot of
questions.. His mind was not on the job!
His wife refused to give our children the Christmas present he had
bought for them, nor their belongings or anything of their fathers.
For me I was devastated, as you don’t forget all those years that
you were together and the pain in my children’s hearts broke me. I
remained strong for them, and then started the 3 year court battle
for our kids.
The school of adversity had taught me a lot and I have come a long
way becoming a published author, regional historian, genealogist,
web designer, IT consultant and not a certificate to prove any of
it… anyway who needs certificates!
As I write this summary of my background, I have shed a few tears as
it has opened some old wounds, but I am grateful for the hardships I
have had, as it is those experiences that assist me to fulfil the
position of CEO of the Trans-Help Foundation and ensure we can offer
you a full understanding, no matter what the crisis...
Dianne
Whilst the concept of the Trans-Help Foundation was born, there was a need to find the right people to make it happen. Dianne approached Ron Pullen who like Dianne has seen and experienced some heart wrenching aspects of the transport industry.
This was followed by a meeting with Bill Andrews of Royan's at Wagga Wagga, and it was his belief in Trans-Help and commitment to become the founding sponsor was how the Trans-Help Foundation became a reality.
We are in need of more funds to assist those in the industry who are in crisis, so consider making a donation....
