Shepparton sits at the centre of the Goulburn Valley, a part of Victoria that has fed the country for well over a century. Drive along the Goulburn Valley Highway or out towards Mooroopna and Kyabram and you will pass orchards, dairy farms, packing sheds and processing plants in almost every direction. The Shepparton Preserving Company, better known as SPC, has been canning fruit here since 1917, and the region remains one of the largest fruit and dairy producers in the nation.
All of that produce has one thing in common. It has to be moved. Milk has to reach the factory while it is still cold, fruit has to get to the cannery in peak condition, and finished goods on supermarket shelves in Melbourne, Sydney and beyond all start their journey on a truck leaving a yard somewhere near the Goulburn River. That is why transport and logistics is woven so deeply into the local economy, and why the demand for drivers here rarely dries up the way it can in other industries.
The region is also investing heavily in its future as a freight hub. The GV Link project, a dedicated freight and logistics precinct off Toolamba Road in Mooroopna, secured millions in government funding to deliver road upgrades capable of handling High Productivity Freight Vehicles, with a longer-term vision for a combined road and rail freight terminal. In plain terms, the area is being built to move even more freight in the years ahead, and that means more trucks and more drivers.
The Numbers Tell a Clear Story
It is one thing to say the work is there. It is another to look at the figures, and they are striking.
At a national level, Australia is short of roughly 28,000 truck drivers right now, with industry projections warning that figure could swell to as many as 78,000 unfilled roles by 2029 if nothing changes. The reason is partly demographic. Close to 47 per cent of Australian truck drivers are over the age of 55, while only around 5 per cent are under 25. More than one in five current drivers is expected to retire by the end of the decade, and there simply are not enough younger drivers coming through to replace them.
At the same time, the amount of freight on our roads keeps climbing. Road freight in Australia is projected to grow by around 77 per cent between 2020 and 2050, with an 11.5 per cent rise expected over just the next five years. More freight and fewer drivers is a simple equation, and it works very much in favour of anyone willing to get behind the wheel.
Locally, that national picture plays out in the job ads. At the time of writing, the major job boards list well over 200 driving roles across Shepparton and the wider Goulburn Valley, ranging from local delivery work to interstate linehaul. For a regional city of Shepparton's size, that is a remarkably deep pool of opportunity, and it refreshes constantly as operators compete for staff.
The Kinds of Driving Jobs on Offer
One of the most appealing things about driving in this region is the sheer variety. You are not locked into a single type of work. Depending on your licence, your lifestyle and what you enjoy, the local roles tend to fall into a few broad categories:
- Milk and dairy collection, picking up from farms across northern Victoria and running to local processing plants. This work is steady, year-round and central to the regional economy.
- Fruit, produce and food freight, moving harvests to canneries like SPC and finished goods out to distribution centres and supermarkets interstate.
- Concrete agitator and construction haulage, supporting the building and infrastructure work that comes with a growing regional city.
- Local and regional delivery, keeping shops, depots and businesses around Shepparton, Mooroopna and Kyabram stocked, usually with you home each night.
- Interstate and linehaul work for MC licence holders, running the longer routes up the Hume and beyond for those who want the biggest pay packets and do not mind nights away.
That range matters for a career changer. You can start with local work that keeps you close to home and family, then build your licences and step up to higher-paying roles as your confidence grows. Few trades offer such a clear and flexible ladder.
What You Can Actually Earn
Pay is where truck driving really competes with, and often beats, the job many career changers are leaving behind. Truck driver earnings depend on your licence class, the freight you carry, your hours and whether you drive for an employer or as an owner-driver, but the broad ranges across Victoria look like this:
- Heavy Rigid (HR) drivers typically earn in the region of 68,000 to 85,000 dollars a year, a common entry point for newcomers to the trade.
- Heavy Combination (HC) drivers, including many B-double operators, generally earn around 80,000 to 100,000 dollars, with averages sitting close to 78,000 dollars and hourly rates around 40 dollars.
- Multi Combination (MC) drivers, the top licence class for road trains and the longest linehaul work, often earn from 95,000 dollars well past 120,000 dollars a year.
The average advertised truck driving salary across Victoria currently sits at roughly 77,500 dollars a year. The single biggest jump usually comes when a driver upgrades from an HR to an HC licence, a step that can lift annual take-home pay by somewhere between 12,000 and 18,000 dollars. For someone retraining, that is a clear, achievable target to aim for in the first couple of years, and it is entirely within reach.
The Benefits Go Well Beyond the Pay
Money matters, especially when you are changing careers, but the drivers who stay in the trade and love it usually point to other things first.
You Are Not Stuck at a Desk
For people coming out of factory floors, retail, hospitality or office roles that wore them down, the freedom of the cab is a genuine draw. Your office window changes constantly. One run might take you alongside Victoria Park Lake as the rowers head out in the morning; another might have you watching the sun come up over the orchards near Ardmona. There is a quiet satisfaction in honest, visible work that keeps the region moving.
You Can Stay Close to Home
Not every driving job means weeks away from family. A large share of the work around Shepparton is local or regional, the kind where you clock off and are back at your own kitchen table by evening. For career changers with families, that balance of solid pay and being present at home is hard to find in many other trades.
It Is Affordable to Get Started
Compared with the years of study or the cost of a university degree, getting your truck licence is fast and relatively inexpensive. You can move from a standard car licence up through the heavy vehicle classes in stages with the aid of Victoria based truck driving training courses suited to the licence you want. Local training providers run courses regularly, and many employers in the Goulburn Valley are willing to support drivers who are upgrading their licence because they are so keen to keep good people.
Real Job Security
This is perhaps the strongest argument of all. With a national shortage measured in the tens of thousands and freight volumes only heading one way, a qualified driver in this region is rarely short of options. If one operator does not suit you, another is almost always hiring. That kind of security is increasingly rare, and it is one of the main reasons people who switch into driving so seldom switch back.
A Genuine Sense of Community
The Goulburn Valley transport scene is built on long-standing local operators who know their drivers by name rather than payroll number. From the family-run carriers in Kyabram to the larger freight outfits servicing Shepparton and Mooroopna, there is a culture of looking after the people behind the wheel. For someone leaving a job where they felt like a cog in a machine, that personal touch can be the difference that makes a new career feel like home.
Is It the Right Move for You?
Truck driving is not for everyone. It rewards people who are reliable, safety-conscious and happy with their own company for stretches of the day. The early starts are real, and so is the responsibility of handling a heavy vehicle professionally. But if that description sits well with you, the case for the Goulburn Valley is compelling. Few places in the country combine such consistent local demand, such a clear path to strong earnings, and such an established transport community.
For a career changer weighing up the next move, the question is less whether the work exists and more how soon you want to start. The roads around Shepparton are busy with freight, the operators are hiring, and the industry is openly looking for the next generation of drivers to replace those heading into retirement. A licence, a willingness to learn and a bit of grit are really all it takes to begin.
If you have been waiting for a sign that a fresh start is possible, the trucks rolling along the Goulburn Valley Highway every morning are about as clear a one as you will get. The valley has always needed people to keep it moving. Right now, it needs them more than ever, and that could very well be you.
