It’s one of 120-plus trucks that will roll out of Darlington Point in NSW on Thursday for a three-day haul to Muttaburra in Queensland for the 12^th Burrumbuttock Hay Runners event.

It’s not the first time Mr Walker has donated vehicles for the hay run and he didn’t hesitate to help out again since Queensland was still in the grip of severe drought.

“If people from across this region and beyond are good enough to donate hay, then it’s no issue to provide a vehicle to carry it,” said Mr Walker, who has been in the industry 50 years.

“At the end of the day, if we can stop even one or two farmers from feeling like they can’t go on, then it’s well worth it.”

Albury’s Tony Furze will be behind the wheel of the Walker’s Transport T900 prime mover, his third run as a volunteer truck driver.

For hay run organiser Brendan Farrell, it’s this generosity of spirit – from farmers donating hay and the truck drivers who give their time to the support from outback communities and donations of fuel and money – that drives him to keep going.

A last-minute hiccup saw Mr Farrell issue an SOS to provide catering for the convoy’s first pit-stop at Cobar on Thursday, with the local pony club stepping in quickly to fill the breach.

“This is what it’s all about – small communities helping other people,” said a “relieved” Mr Farrell.

“Bumpa”, as he’s known to his mates, has spent the past week overseeing trucks being loaded with hay and liaising with local Roads and Maritime Services officers and highway patrol units to ensure the convoy’s smooth passage en route.

From locals pubs, the CWA and other service groups who provide catering through to farmers who cut fences to allow a huge army of trucks to park overnight, Mr Farrell said the hay runs embraced the very best of what it meant to be Australian.

And along the way are the residents of tiny towns lining the roadside to cheer and wave on the convoy of hay and hope – a reminder to those outback communities that they haven’t been forgotten.