R. M. WILLIAMS
Longhorn keeps on rolling
The R.M.Williams Longhorn Express is a regular sight on the roads of Australia. The Western Star Constellation prime mover, spectacularly painted in the R.M.Williams colours, has clocked up more than 100,000 kilometres crisscrossing the country during the past three years.
Story and photos John Elliott
The truck, a fully outfitted retail outlet with an extensive range of RM products, travels to a wide range of events, including school fetes, campdrafts, polo matches and rodeos, as well as all the states’ royal shows (except Tasmania).
“The
R.M.Williams brand is very recognisable,” says Paul Eshman, manager/driver
of the Longhorn Express. While travelling retailers generally need to
‘break in’ to a town or area, the R.M.Williams brand is already well established,
and the Longhorn Express is welcome wherever it goes. “Our customers
treat
us as friends, which makes it easy,” says Rose, Paul’s wife and co-worker.
“If you work for RM they think you must be OK.”
The Eshmans, who claim they “haven’t met anyone on the road who isn’t
nice”, have had many funny experiences in the two years they have been
behind
the wheel of the Longhorn Express. “People overtake us and a couple of
kilometres
down the road they pull up and get their cameras out and wait for us
to come around the bend and start snapping,” Rose says. “Paul has been
accosted
by
a busload of German tourists wanting photos taken in the front of the
truck. We were driving up the Moonbi ranges north of Tamworth once and
this car
came driving towards us with people hanging out everywhere with arms
waving madly in front of us.” 
Full story OUTBACK Issue 37 October/November 2004
Or visit the R.M. Williams web site
