TA2018: Auction Dinner goes off!

The Australian Trucking Association's annual Trucking Australia conference kicked off with its Auction Dinner last week, the night comprising both silent and live auctions and overseen by Master of Ceremonies, Tim Shaw – yes, he of TV direct selling, Demtel fame…

With the assistance of a professional auctioneer, the night saw Trucking Australia 2018 delegates bid on a variety of items in the silent auction via a dedicated smartphone app, the lots ranging from Kenworth merchandise packs to premium AFL football hospitality packages to Cummins fridges and more.

However, the really big-ticket items went under the hammer on the night in a live auction. Lots included a B-double set's worth of new Bridgestone Ecopia tyres, a four-night Singapore holiday (with business-class flights), or a two-night package at Canberra's Jamala Wildlife Lodge.

Trailer heavyweight MaxiTRANs threw in a package comprising four return flights, a factory tour and tickets to the upcoming Richmond v Essendon AFL game at the MCG, which was snapped up for $4000.

Thermo King's custom-sprayed refrigeration unit, an homage to its founder and created in the company's 80th year of operations, went for $50,000, while the unit used on the ATA's Safety Truck – with just 60 hours on its clock – brought another $37,000.

At the end of the night everyone's attention turned to the headline lot – a brand new Volvo FH 540, complete with Globetrotter cab, 12 months of insurance thanks to NTI, and $2000-worth of fuel courtesy of BP.

After some furious bidding, it was Brisbane-based operator Ken Easter who came up trumps, with his winning bid of $265,000.

The coffers were swelled yet again by a quick table-by-table whip-around for a signed copy of Tim Shaw's tome, Best Seller – and, of course, a signed set of steak knives!

With the generous support of ATA foundation sponsors Volvo, NTI and BP, along with many other firms and of course the ATA delegates themselves, the funds generated from the Auction Dinner will go into the ATA war chest to help it with its advocacy work for the year ahead.