Born to Drive

Every young kid has a dream growing up, some want be professional footballers, others see themselves as actors or doctors, but for Dublin native Keith Hendricks there was only ever going to be one profession;
a truck driver.

At just 20 years of age, Keith has more experience on the roads than many of his contemporaries and in this month’s edition of Irish Trucker, we profile this youngster and he speaks to us about his love of driving and how his passion for his job has seen him pick up awards.
Having been raised around trucks, it is no real surprise that Keith would follow in his father Alan’s footsteps and become a haulier. Operating the Swords based Hendricks Transport which specialises in curtainsiders, containers and wide loads in both the U.K and Ireland and with a fleet of over 40 trucks, the father and son combination have proved to be a huge success both on and off the road.
Some of Keith’s earliest memories revolve around trucks from heading off with his father on jobs around the country to going to the many truck shows here and indeed the U.K.

“I’ve been going to truck shows along with my father for a good few years. I think I was around ten when I went to my first show with him. That would have been in Mondello at the time, but that is no longer running.
“I’ve always loved going to them and seeing all the trucks on show. I suppose I grew up with them and it’s something that I always wanted to do,” said Keith.
“For the past year I’ve been driving full time as I couldn’t get my licence until then, but I would have been learning to drive at home in the yard for many years before that.”
Keith admits that kind of learning has stood him in good stead as he took to the road for the first time and he admits that he hasn’t looked back since.

“I found it ok when I first went on the road. It’s not a job you can be really nervous in. Now, it doesn’t bother me at all and I’ve driven in England and the continent, which has been a great experience.”
Surprisingly, the youngster from Donabate revealed that his favourite type of cargo to transport was one that not too many hauliers would agree with.
“Abnormal loads would be my favourite I guess. They include hi-loads and low-load work. They can be very awkward and it is challenging, but it something I like doing. There are plenty of permits to be obtained when transporting an abnormal load, while all the correct escorts have to be put in place. There is certainly a lot of work involved, most of which is done during the night when the roads are least busy.”
Like all truckers, Keith takes great pride in his truck, which is evident in that he won an award at this year’s Boot to the Headlight show.
This event has been running for the past three years and is now one of Ireland’s leading truck shows as hundreds of truckers descend on the capital for a weekend of relaxation, craic and the chance to show off their pride and joys; their beloved trucks.

Taking a prize in the owner driver category of the best on road truck section was a huge honour for Keith given his short time as a fully fledged trucker.
“Yeah, I was delighted to win something at the show alright. It was a great weekend and its very well ran. It would be the leading show of its kind in the country. The majority of drivers spend a lot of time in their trucks, so it is in their best interest to keep them well maintained, both inside and out.

“I must admit some lads go to great extremes to keep them looking good at a huge expense. Myself and my Da go to a lot of the shows and the one in Peterborough is probably the biggest of the lot. There would be truckers from all over the U.K, Ireland and indeed Europe at that one. I was also lucky enough to win an award there too, which we were very pleased with.”
Having recently given his truck a respray, Keith stressed that he will continue attending the shows, which he acknowledges is a great release from the everyday work involved in the industry.

“I’m definitely going to Peterborough next year and we will probably go to a few more including the Boot to the Headlight. I really enjoy them, it’s a chance to get talking to people in the same profession as us, who you usually only meet on the road or something like that.”
If ever any of the haulage bodies in the country wanted to promote the haulage industry as a career for young people, then they should turn to Keith Hendricks to lead the campaign as his enthusiasm for his profession is infectious to say the least.