Poet trucker Patrick O'Brien's life on the road is the inspiration behind his poetry and a new book. Photos / Rebecca Mauger
Poet trucker Patrick O'Brien's life on the road is the inspiration behind his poetry and a new book. Photos / Rebecca Mauger
Poet truck driver Patrick O'Brien has been ''smitten'' with big trucks and the feeling of moving machinery from the age of 4.
''I was 4 when I first felt a motorbike, when Dad sat me on the old Norton with the hay bales. I was 5 when he first satme behind the wheel of a tractor — the very first steering wheel I've ever felt.
"At age 9 I first experienced going over 100 miles an hour with my mum in the car. So I got to experience a lot of things from a very young age and I was smitten by the feeling of moving machinery.''
The Thames trucker and poet has written a book on his 42 years on the road paying tribute to all the vehicles he has driven, the roads he has travelled and the people he's met along the way.
One Man's Road is the book of his life he always meant to write.
''I have spent my life on a quest I was unaware of trying to find out who the hell I am.''
Now he knows, he's on a mission to help others find themselves.
Patrick O'Brien's life story is One Man's Road.
His nom de plume is Mad Stan Jimollpat (a combination of family names). The book's subheading states ''a true life on the road, leading to an enlightenment and a self conciseness of what 'life' truly honestly is''.
One Man's Road was his second published book — the first was White Line in Mind. White Line is a collection of poems and photos which was meant to be his life story but the words flowed from prose into poetry.
It was the first time the trucker had had any experience with poetry. Patrick surprised himself as he never considered himself a poet. It was just a natural feeling and emotion that flowed, he says, almost like being on the road.
''Poetry just comes out of me now, I can't help it,'' he says.
Patrick has a ta moko tattoo which winds down his arm and features the white line motif as well as the Mercedes-Benz logo.
Patrick started his trucking career after joining the army, going overseas and returning to sign up with the transport division of the army in Papakura.
''But all I wanted to do was to get out there and drive big long-distance-vehicle trucks.''
He got a job as a commercial long-distance driver and his boss was so impressed with young Patrick he assigned him long-haul work usually given to more senior drivers.
By this time, the bigger trucks were entering the country.
''The Macs, the Kenworths were all coming in and all I ever wanted was to get onto bigger trucks.''
There's nothing he hasn't done with trucks including moving refrigerated stock, timber, paint, chemicals, petrol, steel, logs, cars and machinery and more, he says.
He has been included in about 4-5 trucking books and was interviewed on The Mainland Touch by Lana Coc-Kroft.
