6 Foot Behind the Bullbar - Real Trucks. Real Roads. Real Stories.

Howard Shanks
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Step up into the cab and ride along with 6 Foot Behind the BullBar — the podcast that takes you deep into the world of Australian trucking. From long-haul legends and bush mechanics to cutting-edge rigs and technical deep dives, every episode is packed with firsthand stories, expert interviews, and a healthy dose of outback humour. Whether you're a seasoned driver, a transport enthusiast, or just love the roar of a diesel engine, this podcast puts you right in the driver's seat. Be sure to visit roadtrains.com.au to check out photos of the trucks featured in each episode.

  1. Up the Dusty Track — Kilclooney Station with Owen Schmidt

    19H AGO

    Up the Dusty Track — Kilclooney Station with Owen Schmidt

    Some stories don’t age. They just keep rolling. In this episode of Six Foot Behind the Bullbar, we head back more than twenty years to Northwest Queensland, riding alongside legendary livestock operator Owen Schmidt as he takes a Kenworth T650 and triple Haulmark road train into Kilclooney Station to load cattle. This is not a story about polished trucks or perfect roads. It is about the reality of livestock transport in one of Australia’s most unforgiving regions. Dust that hangs in the air. Tracks that barely qualify as roads. Equipment built not to impress, but to survive. You’ll hear how Owen and his wife Liz built Schmidt Transport from a single truck into one of Queensland’s respected livestock operations, why durability mattered more than appearance, and how trailers designed decades ago are still working today across the north. This episode captures a moment in time when road trains were simply tools of the trade, and the men and women who operated them did so without fuss, recognition, or margin for error. Because out here, reliability was not a feature. It was survival.

    17 min
  2. Forkin’ Good Scania P420

    4D AGO

    Forkin’ Good Scania P420

    Forkin’ GoodWhen the truck carries its own forklift, delays disappear — and a business is born. In this episode of 6 Foot Behind the Bullbar, host Jason Jordan sits down with Fork2U founder Peter McCormack to uncover how a former Melbourne firefighter built one of Australia’s most versatile pallet delivery fleets using Scania P420 rigid trucks and rear-mounted Manitou telehandlers. Operating from Melbourne’s outer suburbs, Fork2U moves more than 3,000 pallets per week across construction sites, airports, infrastructure projects, and urban delivery locations where conventional trucks simply can’t operate. Peter shares how a simple idea — putting a forklift on the truck — transformed pallet logistics by eliminating delays, improving efficiency, and creating a fully independent delivery solution. This episode explores the real-world performance of Scania P-series trucks in demanding urban freight applications, including fuel economy, Opticruise transmission efficiency, twin-steer payload advantages, and the importance of reliability in high-pressure delivery environments. Peter also reflects on lessons learned from his 31-year firefighting career and how those principles shaped his approach to business, fleet management, and customer service. If you’re interested in trucks, transport logistics, Scania performance, Australian trucking stories, or the people behind modern freight operations, this is a rare inside look at a fleet built on solving problems and delivering reliability. Subscribe to 6 Foot Behind the Bullbar for authentic Australian trucking stories, road transport history, heavy haulage features, and behind-the-scenes interviews from the people who keep Australia moving. For the full story and photos visit www.roadtrains.com.au

    7 min
  3. Kenworth T904 Heavy Haul: Moving a 102-Tonne Komatsu Across the Gulf Country | Archive Episode

    4D AGO

    Kenworth T904 Heavy Haul: Moving a 102-Tonne Komatsu Across the Gulf Country | Archive Episode

    On this very special archival episode of 6 Foot Behind the Bullbar, we rewind the clock more than twenty years to an original Outback Road Train video, filmed deep in the Gulf Country of Northwest Queensland, where Deason’s heavy haul driver Craig Oldham prepares to move one of the largest wheel loaders ever transported on Australian roads. Filmed by Howard and Tommy Shanks as part of the original Outback Road Train DVD series, this episode follows Craig and his 200-tonne-rated Kenworth T904 as it hauls a massive 102-tonne Komatsu WA900 loader across 1,200 kilometres of remote outback highway. From sunrise at a Royal Flying Doctor emergency airstrip near Gregory Downs, through the historic towns of Cloncurry, Julia Creek, Richmond and Charters Towers, this is Australian heavy haulage in its purest form. You’ll hear the original soundtrack recorded in the cab and along the roadside, capturing the authentic sounds of a Caterpillar-powered Kenworth at work. Hydraulic module trailers, bush repairs, fuel stops, tyre fixes, and the constant challenge of moving oversized loads across one of the harshest environments on earth. This is not a recreation. This is the real journey, as it happened. For the full story, photos, and technical insights, visitroadtrains.com.au If you enjoy real Australian trucking stories, be sure to follow 6 Foot Behind the Bullbar on Spotify so you never miss an episode.

    24 min
  4. Behind the Scenes: North of the Dingo Fence

    12/24/2025

    Behind the Scenes: North of the Dingo Fence

    In 2002 — the Year of the Outback — a story called North of the Dingo Fence was filmed and written on the red dirt of outback Queensland. First released as a magazine feature and on VHS video tape (and later on DVD), it captured a raw snapshot of life, livestock trucking, and long runs far beyond the bitumen. But what audiences never saw were the stories behind the story. In this episode of Six Foot Behind the Bullbar, Roadtrains.com.au technical editor and filmmaker Howard Shanks opens the archive to reveal the behind-the-scenes moments from the making of North of the Dingo Fence — the prototype trucks that couldn’t be shown, the weather that changed everything, the nights that ran too late, and the decisions made well north of the Dingo Fence. This is a rare look at how outback trucking documentaries were made before smartphones, drones, and GoPros — when cameras were heavy, trust mattered,  Settle in for the story behind the story — Six Foot Behind the Bullbar. For all the photos visit www.roadtrains.com.au.

    26 min
  5. The Kinrara Cattle Run: When the road fought back.

    12/16/2025

    The Kinrara Cattle Run: When the road fought back.

    Two triple road trains. One brutal outback run.Wind the clock back 20 years and climb into the passenger seat with Roadtrains.com.au editor Howard Shanks as we tackle a classic north Queensland cattle haul — loading at Kinrara Cattle Station in the Gulf Savannah and pounding south to Hughenden on relentless corrugated dirt roads. Filmed for the legendary Kenworth Country documentary series, this episode of 6 Foot Behind the Bullbar drops you deep into the reality of northern cattle cartage: crushing corrugations, heat, dust, fatigue management, animal welfare, mechanical sympathy and the constant pressure to get live freight across vast distances safely and on time. This isn’t romanticised trucking — it’s the real deal, where experience matters and the road always has the final say. We explore the challenges faced by cattle carters in the north, the skill required to run triple road trains in harsh conditions, and why these operators are among the toughest in the industry. 📘 This story also features in Great Australian Road Trains – Volume Two, available on Amazon.📸 For the full story and photos, head to roadtrains.com.au. Strap in, turn it up, and follow the dust north — this is Australian road transport at its rawest.

    14 min
  6. Built for the Bush

    11/28/2025

    Built for the Bush

    In this episode of Six Foot Behind the Bullbar, we roll west — way west — beyond Roma and deep into the heart of Western Queensland’s tough-as-nails trucking country. Join host Matt Washer as he steps inside the world of Charlie Burke, the no-nonsense operator behind Roma Transport, a fleet built to survive bulldust, bad roads and brutal distances on the fringe of the Simpson Desert. We take you behind the scenes of one of Australia’s most respected outback operations — from Charlie’s 550-horsepower Kenworth workhorses, double-rail chassis, and Haulmark side tippers, to the BPW running gear and old-school steel 6-rod suspension that keep his rigs alive where most gear gives up. But this episode isn’t just about machinery. It’s about mentorship, grit and the next generation of outback truckies. Midway through the run, we catch up with young operator Chris Stansbee, who served his trucking apprenticeship under Charlie’s wing. Guided by Charlie’s hard-earned wisdom, Chris has now launched his own transport business — built on the same rock-solid principles and tough-as-iron equipment that shaped Roma Transport from day one. From the cattle country around Roma to the lonely tracks 200 clicks west of Boulia, this episode dives into the people and the trucks that keep remote Queensland supplied, connected and moving. If you love big horsepower, harsh country, and real trucking stories told straight, this is one journey you won’t want to miss. For the full story and photos, visit: roadtrains.com.au

    13 min
  7. The Hawke’s Bay K220 Aerodyne Dream Machine

    11/24/2025

    The Hawke’s Bay K220 Aerodyne Dream Machine

    Take a deep dive into one of New Zealand’s most breathtaking livestock trucks—a stunning Kenworth K220 Aerodyne working the rolling hills of Hawke’s Bay. In this episode of 6 Foot Behind the Bullbar, we follow Clifton Smith’s remarkable journey from wash-bay kid to professional livestock operator, and how his lifelong dream of owning an iconic Kenworth finally roared to life on rural Kiwi roads. With the warm wit and observational charm of James May, we explore the geography of Hawke’s Bay, the heritage of Farmers Transport, the evolution of the K-Series, and the craftsmanship behind Clifton’s refurbished five-axle stock trailer and beautifully striped Aerodyne cab. Whether you’re a Kenworth fan, a livestock industry insider, or simply love great trucking stories, this episode offers an inspiring look at passion, perseverance, and one magnificent K220 working the countryside. For the full story and all the photos, visit: kenworthdownunder.com Special thanks to Rod Simmonds for filing this story.

    12 min
  8. Cruising the Corrugations on the Weipa Run

    11/22/2025

    Cruising the Corrugations on the Weipa Run

    Strap in and settle six foot behind the bullbar as we roll back twenty years to one of the toughest, dustiest and most important trucking missions in Australia — the legendary supply run to Weipa. Filmed for the Kenworth Countrydocumentary series, this episode dives deep into the raw, corrugated red roads of Cape York, where one driver, one Kenworth, and one triple road train carried the lifeline for remote communities scattered across the peninsula. Join Roadtrains.com.au editor Howard Shanks as he revisits the extraordinary journey north — a run where every pallet of freight mattered, every creek crossing was a gamble, and every kilometre held the responsibility of keeping outback townships fed, fuelled, and functioning. We explore how these communities relied on the weekly arrival of Jim’s road train, how the looming wet season could cut them off for weeks, and how the run itself has changed dramatically over two decades, with large sections of those once-brutal dirt tracks now sealed under smooth bitumen. If you’re a fan of big trucks, remote roads, and the grit it takes to deliver the essentials to the farthest reaches of Australia, this episode is your ride. For the full story and exclusive photos from the original run, visit www.roadtrains.com.au — and don’t forget to follow the show so you never miss a new yarn from the long paddock.

    19 min
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About

Step up into the cab and ride along with 6 Foot Behind the BullBar — the podcast that takes you deep into the world of Australian trucking. From long-haul legends and bush mechanics to cutting-edge rigs and technical deep dives, every episode is packed with firsthand stories, expert interviews, and a healthy dose of outback humour. Whether you're a seasoned driver, a transport enthusiast, or just love the roar of a diesel engine, this podcast puts you right in the driver's seat. Be sure to visit roadtrains.com.au to check out photos of the trucks featured in each episode.

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