Young Cody Hansen, who works in the wash bay of a large road transport company, is non-verbal. He is a genuine inspiration to everybody who knows him.
Aged 21, Cody is employed one day a week by Blenners at their large depot beside the Bruce Highway at Tully in north Queensland.
His proud father Glen is also employed at Blenners as a jack of all trades from driving excavators to trucks on local deliveries.
“Cody just loves trucks and started going into Blenners with his carer and doing volunteer work, and they have put him on the payroll one day a week. He always has a smile on his face and whilst he is non-verbal, he knows what is said to him and responds,” Glen said.
“We are very lucky to have a great team at Blenners who have the time and consideration for Cody, and in doing so, it makes him comfortable at the workplace.”
Because of his disability Cody will never obtain a driver’s licence so that rules him out of ever being a truckie.
But with such a love of trucks Cody is relishing his role at Blenners where scores of rigs come into the washing bay.
It is his third year there with many more years ahead of him.
Two of the recent highlights for Cody was being a passenger in a Blenners trucks during the Townsville Convoy for a Cure and also the street parade on June 8 which was part of the celebrations for Tully’s 100th year.
“Cody just loved honking the horn during the convoy and during the Tully Street parade hundreds of people waved to him. Lots of people know him,” Glen said.
Around 60 floats or trucks took part in the popular Tully event.
The driver of the Townsville Convoy truck was a long time Blenners driver Dippy Southern.
“Cody is a top young man and a hard worker who everybody likes,” Dippy said.
It was the second Townsville Convoy Cody had participated in.
Glen said that Blenners owners Les and Judy Blennerhassett were very good to Cody.
“When he turned 21 there was a post on the Facebook page and it got responses from many companies and people in the road transport industry,” Glen said.
Cody, who will turn 22 in September, also recently got to ride in a local collection truck in the area.
The Hansen family live at Mission Beach near Tully after spending many years on Magnetic Island which is a suburb across Cleveland Bay from Townsville.
Cody attended Mission Beach State Primary School and later the Diverse Learning Centre in Innisfail for high school.
He can’t wait until each Wednesday comes around so he can be doing what he enjoys – being around trucks.
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