The Vice President of the Deniliquin Truck Show has shared what the judging panel will be looking for this weekend, and how to boost your chances of winning an award.
Trucks will be judged across 13 categories at the Deniliquin Race Club in New South Wales on October 28, from Best Farm Truck to Best European.
The show’s Vice President Evan Whitbourne, who organised the judging panel for this year and judged the show himself back in 2019, said the main thing they are looking for is care and effort.
“It’s about the condition of the vehicle, the way it’s kept, how clean it is.
“How it’s polished, if you can see a little bit of extra care goes into looking after it, inside and outside.
“We look at the engine bay, the chassis, the overall appearance of the vehicle.”
Whitbourne says they also take into account how much work the truck is doing on a weekly basis.
“A new vehicle can roll up and look great, well that’s alright, it’s brand new.
“If you’ve got a vehicle that’s done a million kilometers and it looks in very similar condition, there’s probably a bit more merit in that.”
The judges this year come from a range of different backgrounds.
“I try to have judges from across the board in the industry,” he continues.
“This year we’ll have signwriters, truck salesmen, people in the repair industry.
“I’ve got a good friend at Kenworth Australia, I usually get him to judge, so he knows his Kenworths.
“You might have a sponsor who is not right up to speed with the truck thing, a fuel sponsor or a tyre sponsor. You’ll usually team them up with someone who is in the know in the industry, so it’s fair.”
His main advice is to do your best and have a good time.
“We have a lot of well-presented vehicles at Deniliquin. We’re not all about the chrome and the shell and the shine.
“We’re just there to have an industry day and everybody is welcome. It doesn’t matter if it’s an old farm truck or a brand new Kenworth.”