Lowes Petroleum driver and former professional football player, Marcio Ribeiro, talks FIFA World Cup and trucking.
Ribeiro said fans could see a repeat of one of the sport’s most memorable recent showdowns, tipping France and Argentina to meet again in the tournament final.
His prediction may carry some weight. Before beginning a career in transport, he spent more than 20 years playing football, including a stint as a professional player with Brazilian powerhouse Palmeiras, one of the country’s most successful clubs.
Despite his sporting success, Ribeiro chose a different path when he joined his father’s sugar cane transport business at the age of 26.
“I didn’t want to just live sports,” he said.
“I said to my father, ‘How can I manage the drivers if I cannot drive a truck?’ So I wanted to learn everything I could.”
That hands-on approach extended beyond driving.
Ribeiro immersed himself in every aspect of the operation, developing an understanding of vehicle maintenance and mechanical systems while helping run the family business.
“Often I could see what was wrong and tell the mechanics what to look for because I knew what was happening with the engine or the brakes,” he said.
His transport career eventually led him to Australia, arriving 15 years ago with a determination to learn English and build a new life.
“I studied for a year and a half because I could speak no English at all,” Ribeiro said.
“Once I could speak and understand the language, things started to happen and I found a job.”
He began working in Western Australia servicing mining operations and fuel distribution before eventually joining Lowes Petroleum.
Today, Ribeiro is based at the company’s Pinkenba depot in Brisbane, regularly covering more than 1,000 kilometres in a day. His routes can take him north to Gladstone, west to Cunnamulla and Quilpie, or south into New South Wales.
“What I love about driving is that the days are routine, but at the same time that routine is not routine because you are driving in different directions and meeting different customers,” he said.
The contrast between Australia and his native Brazil remains striking.
Ribeiro grew up in São Paulo, a metropolitan region with more than 40 million residents, and says the comparatively quiet roads of regional Australia still surprise him.
“Here you might not see a car for hours when you are driving, but in Brazil that would be impossible,” he said.
The veteran driver has also witnessed significant advances in truck technology throughout his career.
“The technology has certainly come a long way from those first few trucks I drove for my father,” he said.
“The sugar cane was so heavy and the trucks barely had the power to move the 130 tonnes, but we made it work.”
Safety remains a major focus for Ribeiro. Having witnessed the consequences of serious crashes during his career, he places a strong emphasis on fatigue management and defensive driving.
“My workday starts the night before by making sure I get a good night’s sleep,” he said.
“I try to keep my mind clear and pay attention all the time. I know what I’m doing, but I’m also aware of managing other drivers on the road.”
He also has a message for motorists sharing the road with heavy vehicles.
“I want to tell every motorist to be calm and be patient,” Ribeiro said.
“It’s okay to arrive five minutes late and alive.”
Away from work, Ribeiro stays active through cycling, gym training and reading, while occasionally returning to the football field with friends.
“I played in an over-35s competition for a while, but it was funny because it often ended up being more competitive than when I played in Brazil,” he said.
For now, however, the former professional footballer is focused on fuel deliveries across Queensland – and watching closely to see whether his World Cup prediction proves correct.
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