The Depot is an exciting new outdoor activation as part of Truck Week 25 taking place directly across the road from the main entrance to the Brisbane Truck Show, on the lawns of the TAFE Queensland South Bank campus.
Free to attend and open to both show attendees and the broader community, The Depot is more than just a sideshow – it’s a dynamic hub designed to inspire, educate and connect.
While The Depot Beer Garden – a shaded oasis of food, drinks and camaraderie beneath the Coors VIP hospitality deck – is sure to become a go-to spot for a post-show debrief, the activation’s heart beats for a broader purpose: igniting career aspirations in the next generation.
Aimed primarily at young people, The Depot’s interactive displays bring to life more than 30 potential roles in the heavy vehicle industry, from manufacturing and maintenance to operations and support.
It’s a careers showcase with a twist – entertaining, hands-on and designed to spark genuine excitement about joining our vital sector.
For truck show attendees The Depot offers plenty of compelling reasons to step across the road and see what’s in store.
A launchpad for tomorrow’s talent
The Depot kicks off with a bang on its first two mornings, as Heavy Vehicle Industry Australia (HVIA), owner of the Brisbane Truck Show, welcomes schools from across South-East Queensland for exclusive schools-to-industry tours.
Students will immerse themselves in The Depot’s exhibits for a couple of hours before crossing to the convention centre to marvel at the gleaming trucks, cutting-edge equipment and technology filling the halls.
It’s a seamless blend of inspiration and exposure, showing young minds that a career in the heavy vehicle industry isn’t just a job – it’s a journey worth taking.
TAFE Queensland is an instrumental partner in bringing The Depot to life. With a long-standing role in training generations of heavy vehicle professionals, it is, of course, a linchpin in the industry’s skills pipeline, and the crew from TAFE Queensland SkillsTech will be on hand with interactive displays and advice on the first steps to begin any of the thirty-odd career paths into the heavy vehicle industry.
The TAFE Queensland contribution is anchored by its South Bank campus and student contributions. From musicians and videographers to graphic designers and event producers, TAFE students are hands-on in bringing this activation to life. (You could do much worse than trying the beer brewed on premises by the hospitality students.)
The exhibition itself is a powerhouse of collaboration, featuring HVIA members alongside industry, educational and government programs. Expect a mix of innovation, interactivity and real-world relevance that speaks to both students and seasoned industry pros – all with an entertaining twist.
Take, for example, the Scania Dunk Truck. A full-size ring and backboard magically emerge from the back of the truck, over the top of an awesome Dream Courts set-up.
Built on a Scania P360 6×2 with a curtainsider body by Austruck Truck Bodies and vibrant curtains by Royans Total Fleet Imaging, this truck isn’t just a gimmick. It’s a rolling testament to Scania’s belief that teamwork drives success in the workplace.
Having dazzled crowds at Melbourne’s St Kilda beach, the Bathurst 12-hour event and festivals up and down the east coast, the Dunk Truck is set to win over basketball-obsessed youngsters in Brisbane, with the Brisbane Bullets NBL team joining the action to chat with attendees and shoot some hoops.
It’s fun with a purpose – drawing attention to the industry in a way that’s impossible to ignore.
Hands-on opportunities with industry leaders
Royans Transport Accident Repairs, another stalwart supporter of industry causes, brings its own flair to The Depot. Known for nurturing talent, Royans offers apprenticeships across many trades including panel beaters, mechanics, spray painters, boilermakers/fabricators, auto electricians and signwriters – and boasts a legacy where many managers rose from apprentice ranks.
“We’ve invested a lot in building up our apprenticeship program so we can pass on the skills, knowledge and experience we’ve learnt over the last 80 years to the next generation of truck repairers,” Royans Group CEO David Church says.
“We recently held our orientation Apprentice Academy for our new intake of apprentices, where I met them and officially welcomed them to the Royans family, introduced them to their peers from all over Australia and New Zealand, and talked about the initiatives and support network we’ve set up for them to make sure they are successful in completing their apprenticeship at Royans.”
Royans will be setting up fun truck-related activities for the students to win their passport stamps, like manoeuvring a remote-control truck with a trailer into a tight parking bay or wiring up lights and a horn on a billy cart to get them working properly.
“As kids, I’m sure they have played with trucks at some point,” David says. “So, we’re just going to remind them how much fun it can be and why they should choose our industry for their career.
“We’re looking forward to attending The Depot and finding our next intake of apprentices.”
No heavy vehicle showcase would be complete without standout trucks, and Volvo Trucks delivers in spades.
Volvo is certainly at the front when it comes to the rapid progress towards decarbonisation, so it is only fitting that the showcase features one of the world’s most capable zero-emission heavy vehicles in the Volvo FH Electric.
Volvo will also be showcasing its ‘Iron Women’ program, run in conjunction with Wodonga TAFE. The program is successfully run around the world to provide vocational training and heavy vehicle licensing to females of all ages and backgrounds interested in pursuing a career in road transport.
With the transport industry suffering from a chronic shortage of skilled drivers, Volvo hopes programs like ‘Iron Women’ will help shift the dial on the traditional driver stereotypes and show that a career behind the wheel can be both fulfilling and rewarding.
A showcase of innovation and opportunity
Other exhibitors playing a part at The Depot include:
> Truck-Tech, running live demonstrations from one of its service vehicles.
> Cummins, a long-time leader in apprenticeship support and development.
> Windrose, giving attendees a sneak peek at its exciting new electric prime mover.
> The Industry School, enabling Years 10-12 students to immerse in industry, and gain qualifications while completing schooling.
> Slattery Auctions, showcasing the hidden value in used trucks – with a twist of its own (let’s just say it involves super-soakers).
The Depot’s lineup doesn’t stop there.
Queensland Rail, a Truck Week 25 sponsor, brings an important safety message to the table. Its ‘Size Matters’ campaign seeks to reduce low-bridge collisions. But at The Depot, it’ll focus on sharing engaging career opportunities in its vital parallel industry.
Manufacturing Skills Queensland will debut a cutting-edge virtual reality experience based on the floors of Volvo’s Wacol factory, where Volvo and Mack trucks are assembled.
The Brisbane Truck School will bring its mighty full-motion big rig simulator, offering remarkably authentic skills tests such as handling a Roadranger gearbox or reversing a B-double.
Showcasing the depth of their Automotive Industry School to Work Project, MTAQ will offer a range interactive tactile and VR experiences such as spray painting, tyre changing, jump starting a vehicle and depowering an electric vehicle.
The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator is bringing its hugely successful ‘Don’t #uck With a Truck’ campaign to life with simulator games set up on the back of a Pantech trailer.
The Queensland Government, the major sponsor of Truck Week, will be present in a number of ways.
In an effort to support and encourage more women in manufacturing, the Queensland Government’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Toolkit and the ‘She Made It’ docuseries are two initiatives that have been released to support women in manufacturing.
An ambassador of these initiatives, HVIA Director and GLT Managing Director Shay Chalmers, believes diversity is a key ingredient in transitioning GLT to the next level.
“When I started here, we had no women on the floor and we had no women in the engineering team either,” Shay says.
“I think we’ve seen a huge shift where the workforce has changed, their expectations have changed.
“One of the most exciting things for me when I do tours and I bring people round the facility, is seeing their eyes light up and be so surprised by how cool manufacturing actually is.”
The GLT experience will be shared on stage along with a wide variety of other apprentice success stories including some recent HVIA Award winners.
More than an exhibition – a community experience
Beyond the career focus, The Depot doubles as a community celebration. The schedule buzzes with Queensland’s favourite sporting teams, courtesy of TAFE Queensland’s Academy of Sport, plus live music and DJs.
The Depot Beer Garden offers plentiful food and drink options, making it the perfect spot for attendees to unwind with peers. It’s a networking haven; for families, it’s a chance to enjoy Truck Week together – all for free.
The Depot’s success could pave the way for a national rollout, with HVIA eyeing smaller, industry-led career events and open days, partnering with TAFEs and trade schools nationwide.
It’s a vision that underscores the activation’s value: connecting talent with opportunity while strengthening the industry’s future.
So, as you plan your Brisbane Truck Show visit, carve out time for The Depot. Whether you’re scouting talent, sipping a cold one, or inspiring the next generation, this is an irresistible stop on your Truck Week itinerary.