Four hundred and twenty nine huge, gleaming trucks and their big-hearted drivers raised more than $150,000 on Sunday in the annual Canberra Convoy for Cancer.
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TJS Country Express of Queanbeyan paid $32,000 to lead this year's convoy, nudging out last year's top bidder, Boss Haulage, who tipped in $30,000 this year
Cancer Support Group ACT Eden Monaro's Own will use the money to help cancer patients. More than 660 patients need financial support and the group spends about $1 million annually helping them.
Trucks pay $50 to join the convoy, which raised $107,000 last year.
The group's chief executive, Melissa Gardiner, said everyone from the drivers, 200 motorbike riders, Canberra's star of The Voice Alex Gibson and crowds who came out in extreme heat to enjoy the festival at the end of the convoy played a role in its success. ''There's a lot of competition between the trucks. The drivers spend hours and hours polishing them,'' she said.
The convoy left Canberra's south on Sunday morning, and wound its way along the Monaro Highway, Parkes Way and on to Gungahlin carrying tributes to victims of cancer and sounding air horns.
Amanda Triunfo and her husband Francesco took their children Matteo, 6, and Ilaria, 8, to see the big rigs rumble through Civic, as they have done many times before.
''This year's [convoy] was very moving, the trucks with signs saying 'in memory of -','' Mrs Triunfo said.
''It just reminds us of what a great cause it is.''
Driver Trent Gillespie from Abletts Transport was among the drivers, some facing long-haul journeys to Brisbane on Sunday, who spent their spare time polishing every bit of metal on wheel rims, petrol tanks, exhaust pipes and trimmings.
Abletts entered 12 trucks.
A spokeswoman for the Australian Trucking Association, Kathleen Bakon, said entries had taken every available space allowed for the convoy.
''It is pretty amazing. I am in in the ATA truck at the (Beard) industrial estate, and there are trucks as far as the eye can see.''
Trucks from the construction industry, general couriers, emergency services and ACTION buses joined the trail.
The ATA's travelling road safety exhibition carried important road safety tips, according to spokesman Steve Power. ''Many of our young drivers just aren't taught how to share the road safely with heavy vehicles. The safety truck is all about getting these driving tips out to everyone in the community.''
