When his 1975 International tray truck dies, Ross Lomagno says he will retire from farming.
It is perhaps no surprise though that the almost 50-year-old truck shows no signs of stopping - either does Mr Lomagno, 69.
The six-cylinder petrol D1510 was purchased by Mr Lomagno's father, John, from Cusack's of Leongatha in 1975 for about $4000 and has remained in the family since.
"He bought it when we had farms at Strzelecki, Outtrim and Jumbunna and used to shift cattle between the three properties," he said.
"We had cows and calves so often we'd use it to take the bull around to the cows at the three farms."
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The truck still has its original, matching-numbers engine which has had no more than a regular service and an oil change during its life.
It displays 66,000 miles on the odometer.
"Mechanically, we haven't had to do anything major, but several years ago I spent a lot of money on getting some rust removed and had it resprayed," he said.
"I've also had the floor on the tray replaced a few times over the years."
The truck was once set up with a two-deck sheep crate to cart lambs to Newmarket in Melbourne in the late 1970s and 80s.
"We used to take the lambs to Newmarket, the vealers to Dandenong and we used to cart out wool to the woolstores on the other side of Melbourne," Mr Lomagno said.
"Going to Melbourne in those days was a big adventure because we'd drive the truck up through King Street in the city and down through North Melbourne to get to the yards."
Mr Lomagno still uses the truck on a weekly basis and shifts a few cattle between his property at Jumbunna, in South Gippsland, and the Victorian Livestock Exchange at Leongatha where it can be seen at almost every sale.
He buys small weaner steers and grows them out to sell over the hooks, and also trades heifers through agencies SEJ and Nutrien at the prime market.
"When she dies, I'll retire," he said.
"She's a very reliable old thing, she goes very well, but what I like about it is the fact I can buy three or four or five cattle, small numbers, so it's very handy to have my own truck."
Mr Lomagno said the old Inter was no speed machine, but was at its most fuel efficient when travelling at 40 miles an hour, or about 65km/h.
"While I still have a bit of land and I'm still tinkering on the farm, I'll keep the old girl," he said.
"I enjoy my little truck, it's like going down the street to buy a newspaper in the morning, it's like my ritual.
"I'm at a stage in my life where I'm not sure how long I can keep on going, but running the farm and going to the market gives me something to look forward to."
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