And he counts socialite Rose Porteous, businessman Kerry Stokes and Olympic sprinter Cathy Freeman among his many high-profile clients.

With 23 staff at his Warrnambool-based business and depots in both Altona and Perth, Mr Thompson is one of three nominees for removalist of the year.

Among his many memorable jobs was many decades ago when he was asked by Warrnambool identity and funeral home operator Jimmy Leahy to take a coffin, with the deceased inside, interstate.

After making the day-long trip to the destination, Mr Thompson first had to unload the truck's other cargo at a Myer store.

"I unloaded (the coffin) at Myers and put it on the dock while we unloaded," he said.

"They all got excited about the body being there."

Mr Thompson said they weren't able to deliver the coffin to the funeral home first because they wanted the delivery at a certain time.

The Thompson Removals and Storage business owner has spent more hours behind the wheel of a truck than he can count.

"When we were really busy I was doing 170,000km a year, every year," Mr Thompson said.

He first started working as a removal truck driver when he was 18, and started his own business 43 years ago.

Over those four decades, there's not much of Australia that he hasn't seen - his work destinations reading more like a tourist's holiday wish-list.

"I've been all around Australia. Up to Darwin, Cairns, Perth, Brisbane, Adelaide. I've done all the routes, all the major highways," he said.

"I've just done a Perth trip and I was away for nearly 14 days.

"I don't spend many weekends at home."

Even when he played 200 games with East Warrnambool from 1974 to 1995, he could only play every second weekend because of his driving schedule.

He is named in the footy club's hall of fame, as well as being inducted into the National Transport hall of fame in Alice Springs in 2011.

While he mostly transports furniture for people moving house or for major businesses such as 40 Winks, Captain Snooze and Kentucky Fried Chicken, he does also transport cars between major cities.

With 17 trucks making up his fleet, much of the goods he moves now goes by rail - except when the item is too fragile to risk the shunting of trains.

Removalist of the year will be announced at the Australian Furniture Removalist Association awards ceremony in Darwin on August 24.

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