Rule Britannia: CJ’s Bulk Haulage’s rolling art gallery

Words by Chris Smith. Photography by Vanessa Smith.

CJ’s Bulk Haulage has turned trucking into an art form and literally have a fleet which is a rolling pop art gallery. Chris Smith catches up with John Abbott and discuses his passion for creating masterpieces like his brand new Kenworth T909.

CJ’s Bulk Haulage is a family owned business based in Rocklea Brisbane run by Chrissy, John and their son Terry – specialising in recycling.

The business has diversified with a truck wash and now manages a tip on the Gold Coast however most of the growth has been with its main client Sims Metal hauling scrap metal for recycling.

The relationship has been one of mutual benefit and with CJ’s spectacularly airbrushed fleet ensuring both companies are portrayed in the best light by the general public.

CJ’s Bulk Haulage stumbled upon one of the best marketing gimmicks around when out of pure admiration for the Rolling Stones CJ’s owner John Abbott designed a truck with the Stones of both yesteryear and today plastered all over it in a brilliant airbrush tribute.

“I have been a member of the Rolling Stones Fan Club from the 1960s,” he said.

He confesses that his wife Chrissy made him pay for the first truck all by himself. However, the truck was painted in 2004 and after eight year still looks impressive today.

He says the response by the public after the first response from the public was overwhelming.

“People would drive up the left side of the truck on the freeway and then come back up the rights side to take photos,” he tells Australian Custom Trucks.

“I knew we had done something special and that really started us off with the other trucks,” he says.

He explains when it was first done it was painted on one side in black and white to reflect the photographic technology and in colour in the modern version. After this he says it was painted in about 14 coats of clear lacquer.

“So what we do is we take it away to PJ’s and they repair all the stone chips, and re- lacquer it and it comes back as brand new,” John explains. John and son Terry have been taking turns and getting trucks done up, “I did the Rolling Stones, I did Virgin, I did Planets, I did Cars and I did the latest Kenworth,” he explains.

“Terry did the Avengers, Ice Age, he did Transformers and we have one for him to do now,” he says.

John digresses, and it’s part of his charm with an anecdote.

“When Terry told me he was doing an Avengers themed truck I said I didn’t realise he knew about the show from the 1960s with the spy John Steed and Purdey,” he says.

Turns out it was a different Avengers. The truck is adorned with super heroes including the Hulk and Iron Man amongst others .

He said he has sold two of his airbrushed trucks Planets and the Wizard of Oz however before selling the trucks it becomes a blank canvass again. “I never sell them with the artwork!”

However those artistic creations are to be viewed at another time and the star of the story is the newest in the fleet, a Kenworth T909 which recently got line honours for the Best Airbrush trophy at this year’s Lights on the Hill Convoy.

The T909 is paying homage to England and John explains the story of each and every iconic brand or car and truck model. Each has its own significant meaning like the first truck he used to drive or the big red double-decker bus which includes the address he used to live at in England as the final destination.

John says he took the truck home and mentioned to Chrissy that the truck costs as much as the house. “It is expensive but it is worthwhile. The downside is that you get a lot of attention, from the authorities,” he says.

However he says with the right onboard weighing systems, its rarely an issue.