Hay truck pops up on highway, this time with reindeers doing the hard work

The popular roadside construction, which lights up at night, is made each year to promote the annual truck show on Saturday, January 27.

The show, held at Koroit's Victoria Park, is organised by Koroit Agricultural Show Society committee members.

This year the hay bale truck is being pulled by reindeers, and truck show organiser Graham Morris said plans for the 15^th truck show were well underway.

Each year the organising committee select a south-west charity to donate funds raised to.

Over the years more than $50,000 has been handed to organisations including the Leila Rose Foundation and Peter's Project.

"This year we have chosen to support the Warrnambool Mother's Day Classic, an annual fun run/walk which raises funds for breast cancer," Mr Morris said.

"There is no-one in the south-west who hasn't been affected by cancer. It's a cause well known to all of us. Any money we can raise and donate to help find a cure is our way of giving back to the community."

The hay bales for the truck are donated by Midfield Meat boss Colin McKenna.

Mr Morris said the truck show, which attracts hundreds of entries from across Australia, had grown to be one the biggest days on the Koroit events calendar.

Last year 10,000 people attended.

The show provides truck enthusiasts an opportunity to show off their big rigs in a range of classes, including best American, best European, best prime mover, best working and the coveted rig of the year.

"We offer more than $40,000 in trophies and prizes," Mr Morris said.

"The show has grown to be one of the biggest in the country. We are proud of what we have established."

The truck show started in 2007 when the Koroit Agricultural Show's horse events section was cancelled due to an outbreak of equine influenza.

Horse classes at shows across the country were canned, including the Melbourne Royal Show.

The Koroit show committee scrambled to organise an event that would fill the space on the main arena and came up with the idea of a truck show.

"Since then we have built on it every year," Mr Morris said.

"Out of a negative we have built a positive."