Move over sexy firemen – there are some new poster boys in town!
Truckies have stripped down and bared it (almost) all for the Aussie Truck Drivers Calendar 2025 – and you can tell they had a hell of a lot of fun doing it.
“We had a fair few laughs during the photoshoots,” says owner-driver Peter Shiells, one of the people who started the calendar five years ago.
“We were sitting in front of the Mortlake Roadhouse and grandma and grandpa pulled up in the caravan, and grandma was more worried about taking photos of us than anything else!”
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The idea for the calendar first came from a post Peter spotted on Facebook, showing a truckie washing a truck in his jocks.
“I shared the post and there was a bit of banter around it.
“Within a few hours we had come up with the idea for the calendar and we ran with it!”
Peter originally teamed up with Katie Clark, Lindy Annett and Mick Penfold to get the project off the ground, with Lindy volunteering as photographer.
“Lindy and her husband run a transport company, and she’s from a transport family too,” says Peter.
“Katie was involved when we first started, her husband drives trucks as well.
“Mick, who has stepped in to help this year, is also a truck driver.
“So we’re all tied up in the industry in some way!”
The calendar has been going since 2019, with a hiatus due to the pandemic, but this has been its biggest year yet.
“The first two years, we weren’t really sure what we were doing.
“This year, we’ve already sold close to 400.
“We ordered 200 to start with, and then they sold out so we ordered another batch, and now we’re on our third batch!”
The proceeds from its sale go towards a very important cause, the Let’s Talk Foundation.
“Let’s Talk is a non-profit foundation in our local area, and we initially got involved with them because the person who started it was also one of my clients,” says Peter.
“They focus on reducing stigma around men’s mental health, which is very relevant for truckies.”
Peter points out that truck driving can be a very lonely job, and it’s important for drivers to have someone to confide in.
“There’s that time at night, if you’re driving between 10pm and 4am, there’s probably no-one to talk to,” he says.
“So, you’re sitting there overthinking.
“Whether you’re going through a marriage breakdown, business breakdown, whatever it is, it can be very daunting.”
When it came to rounding up truckies willing to strip off for the calendar, Peter says it was surprisingly easy.
“It didn’t take much at all, actually!” he says.
“The first time we did it we asked a few blokes and they were quite happy to do it, and this year we got some of the originals back, and some new faces.”
The stars of the show might not be all rippling six packs and oiled-up pecs, but that’s not what it’s about.
“They’re just normal guys, they’re all natural,” says Peter.
Some of the special pictures include a shot of a little boy with his dad and his grandfather, a truckie husband giving a wife a kiss goodbye for Valentine’s Day, and a festive Christmas shot.
The calendar is available to order via the Aussie Truck Drivers Calendar Facebook page, or can be picked up at the Mortlake Roadhouse, CMV Truck & Bus, or South West Farmers Rural Heywood.
“We can post them to your door if you send us a message.
“We’ve got one in every state in Australia now, as well as one in America, one in Germany and one in New Zealand.
“They will travel. There’s a fair bit of coverage on these calendars, and that’s male bodies as well.”
For more pics from the calendar and great stories like this, pick up the January issue of Deals on Wheels, on shelves Jan 13.
Read more:
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- Former ambulance driver shares 1942 Ford Flathead resto story
- Truck lover discovers Belgium’s Holridge fleet during European holiday
- Rock star lyrics adorn Rasmussen Bulk Haulage’s dazzling Kenworths
- Truckies Toy Run brings Christmas cheer to families
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