CONVOY LIGHTS UP HIGHWAY

FOR THE fourth time, Hayley Menz attended Lights on the Hill.

This time, she brought her partner with her to take part in the enormous convoy which saw hundreds of truck drivers travel along the Warrego Highway to the Gatton Showgrounds.

“It was my partner’s first Lights on the Hill so he was pretty amazed with the turnout,” Ms Menz said.

The truck driver of 15 years said she had attended the annual event several times previously but, this time, her mind was on two friends who had driven trucks their entire lives and recently passed away.

“They didn’t lose their lives driving trucks — one of our friends had a heart attack,” she said.

Another of Ms Menz’s friends lost his battle with cancer early this year.

“I grew up around him as he was good friends with my dad,” she said.

“He used to come to our house growing up and he was always good for a chat and had a beautiful smile.”

Ms Menz grew up around truck drivers and joined the industry at 19 when she began driving in her father’s company.

“My dad has always been a truckie and so has my uncle. I wanted to be like dad and drive a truck too,” she said.

When she first began driving trucks she noticed the industry was male-dominated but took it as an extra challenge.

“When I first started, there weren’t many women driving but there are a few driving now,” she said.

“The freedom of the road and the responsibility (attracted me to the industry) and I love driving – the job in general – and it was a challenge. I wanted to drive like the boys could.”

LIGHTS DOWN THE HILL: The annual Lights on the Hill convoy makes an impressive sight as it heads down the Toowoomba Bypass en route to Gatton for the first time in the memorial run’s history. Photo: Bev Lacey

Photo: Bev Lacey The Lights on the Hill convoy heads down the Toowoomba Bypass for the first time.

Photo: Ebony Graveur Hayley Menz prepares to climb into the driver’s seat for the annual Lights on the Hill convoy.

Photo: Ebony Graveur Mia Johnson, Taylor and Oscar Armstrong and Jay Farrar are supporting the Lights on the Hill memorial.