Crackers is one of Australia’s last traditional truck signwriters, carrying on a craft he learned watching his father Harold haul freight in classic Macks before training under old-school signwriters himself. His speciality is restoring and detailing classic Australian trucks — Macks, Kenworths, and other vintage rigs — finished with intricate hand-painted scrollwork, pinstriping, and traditional lettering true to the golden era of trucking.
The Mack R700 Centrepiece
The centrepiece of this feature is Crackers’ own 1984 Mack R700, running a 350 Mack engine and 12-speed transmission, restored from rough condition to a striking burgundy and silver finish with chrome details and his signature scrollwork on the doors. His client list includes rare Leyland Crusaders (only 12 of the original 54 left in Australia), Atkinsons, and Internationals, and he’s even taken his craft overseas, demonstrating at the 2016 National Truck Convention in Salem, Oregon. With few traditional signwriters left, Crackers is determined to keep scrolling trucks “until the cows come home.”
It’s a craft that’s fading fast. Crackers is one of the few blokes left who still does it by hand. Episodes like this one keep that skill visible. They show a new generation of truck owners that a rig can still be finished this way, not just wrapped.
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