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The truck was designed to be the forerunner of a fleet. They were to have been used as body trucks, hauling two trailers of ore from the mine to the Coongan turnoff on the Marble Bar road. From there the ore would be driven into town by a fleet of smaller trucks. They were designed to have a loaded weight ( truck + two trailers) of 230 tons, with a maximum speed of 32 mph. The vehicle was the brain child of Harold Ridley, who was the workshop manager for D.F.D. Rhodes Pty Ltd. After consultation with Don Rhodes, the project received the go ahead. There were no formal plans or drawings, most components evolved from chalk drawings on the workshop floor. The construction commenced in 1955, and the vehicle went on the road in 1958. During the period of construction the laws governing the roads in the outback of Western Australia were changed, and the vehicle never operated in the role it was designed for. It was allowed to travel to, and operate within the Pilbara. It had a powerhouse on it's back and towed a screening plant on one trailer and a jaw crusher and apron feed on the second trailer.
