ATA announces awards winners

The Australian Trucking Association has announced the 2017 winners of the National Trucking Industry Awards

The awards were presented at the ATA Foundation Sponsors Gala Dinner at the Darwin Convention Centre on June 23.

Handing out the awards, ATA CEO Ben Maguire (pictured) said: "I would like to extend my congratulations to all the winners. These awards recognise individuals and businesses that go above and beyond in their service to the trucking industry".

The winners are:

Outstanding Contribution to the Australian Trucking Industry

Roger Pickering, Pickering Transport Group

Swan Hill, VIC

Roger grew up in Swan Hill and district until he moved to Melbourne at age 15 and began his working life. After a few months of experience in the transport industry, his father got him to join the family business.

Currently based in Mildura, Roger’s business provides employment for hundreds of regional people.

While Roger sits in an overall management role, he keeps closely involved with the buzz, pressure and excitement of operations – matching customers’ and drivers’ expectations and capabilities with the movement of freight.

Roger is dedicated to his business, his wife, two children and two grandchildren.

National Professional Driver of the Year

Danial McFee, Gilbert’s Transport Services Pty Ltd

Cavan, SA

Danial has worked with Gilbert’s Transport for 31 years. The son of a truck driver, Danial started as a local driver based at the company’s depot at Strathalbyn in Adelaide Hills, doing abattoir related work. Danial then progressed to interstate work, driving to Brisbane and Sydney and driving double road trains to Perth.

In 1996, Danial started doing the regular triple road train run from Adelaide to Darwin and Tennant Creek. He averaged 288,000 kilometres per year and racked up six million kilometres on that route alone.

Danial has done the Adelaide to Darwin run week in and week out incident-free, proof of his high level of skill, care and expertise and his ability to deal with the challenges of operating a triple road train on a road with little margin for error.

Trucking Industry Woman of the Year

Tracie Dickenson, Daryl Dickenson Transport

Archerfield, QLD

Tracie’s father was a long-haul owner/driver, so her association with road transport began early in her life. In 1990, she met Daryl, an interstate driver, and started travelling with him full-time, where she learnt about working interstate transport.

In 2001, operating from home, Tracie and Daryl formed Daryl Dickenson Transport with one truck and one full-time employee. In 2003, Daryl Dickenson Transport set up operation from its first depot in Wacol. Today the company has grown to a fleet of 40 trucks and more than 60 employees with storage facilities in Yatala.

Tracie is a hardworking, tenacious and passionate transport woman. She takes every opportunity to highlight the industry and promote its opportunities. To increase the professionalism of her personnel, Tracie supports workforce skilling and training in her business.

Tracie is also a long-time supporter of RACQ LifeFlight.

National Training Excellence Award

De Bruyn’s Transport

Burnie, TAS

De Bruyn’s Transport in Tasmania is operated by brothers John and Dirk, together with their cousin John. Cornelius de Bruyn, the great uncle of the present owners, established the company in 1965.

It is TruckSafe, NHVAS Mass Management and Basic Fatigue Management accredited.

De Bruyn’s Transport employs 200 people across five depots and utilises some 120 heavy vehicles, 200 trailers, two fish farm support vessels as well as numerous forklifts and other specialised pieces of equipment.

Strong customer relationships coupled with modern employee relations and a strong training philosophy helps De Bruyn’s Transport achieve its aim of ‘Safely Delivering the Goods’ productively and efficiently.

TruckSafe John Kelly Memorial Award

Collins Adelaide

Adelaide, SA

Collins Adelaide is a wholly family owned company that commenced operations in 1965, with John Collins operating one tray truck between Adelaide and Melbourne.

The company has now expanded to more than 300 employees across South Australia, New South Wales and Victoria. The company maintains the motto of ‘a family tradition of customer service’ and has proudly been a member of TruckSafe since 1997.

Don Watson Memorial Award

Ray Ablett, Abletts Transport,

Queanbeyan, NSW

Ray was born in the foothills of the Great Dividing Range in Victoria where he watched his dad start his trucking business. Before long, he was driving for his father.

He started carrying timber and general goods in regional Victoria and this continued until he purchased his own truck in the late 1970s. Sometime later, Ray and his dad combined their businesses to form what is today a national company, Abletts Transport.

Ray is dedicated to his business and the trucking industry as a whole. Whenever there is an industry event or community event that needs help or support, Ray and his team are there.

Photos: Ben Maquire, ATA CEO; Peter Sharp, Collins Adelaide; Ferdie Kroon, De Bruyn's Transport; Tracie Dickensen, Daryl Dickensen Transport; Danial McFee, Gilbert's Transport Services; Roger Pickering, Pickering Transport Group; Ray Ablett, Abletts Transport.

ATA announces awards winners

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