Following the Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand Road Ahead conference, held this week in Invercargill, the association held its industry awards ceremony.

The Transporting New Zealand industry awards recognise best practise or behaviour and honour an individual, organisation or company that has gone above and beyond in raising skill awareness, safety practises, knowledge, training, innovation or expertise. The awards honour activities and achievements that ultimately improve the daily lives of the public or ensure the industry is a rewarding and safe environment to work in.

Awards were presented to winners in five categories. They were:

Eroad outstanding contribution to health and safety – awarded to Alexander Group

“The recipient was a stand-out to our panel of judges due to the extraordinary length of time this company has been an industry leader in health and safety, the fact it has long recognised it takes much more than just technology to deliver good outcomes, and that it is highly regarded for its industry leadership role in sharing what it does in a professional and respectful way for the betterment of the entire sector.

“Its drivers consistently perform in the top three to five percent of Eroad users globally and it’s most recently become a leader in promotion of diversity in our sector.”

Teletrac Navman outstanding contribution by a woman in the road transport industry – awarded to Jenny McIntyre

“Jenny is a shareholder and executive director of operations in the family company, a major log-transporting company across the top of the South Island. In 1981 she commenced working in her father’s business at the age of 14, first employed as the cleaner of the office. Later obtaining a diploma in business, she became a full-time employee in 1998.

“After her father’s death in 2012, she became directly involved in management as a shareholder and executive director. Jenny navigated the company through tough financial and customer management times. She’s a resolute industry person with extraordinarily strong principles associated with adherence to transport regulations and more. She’s always quick on her feet with sensible reactions in all circumstances.”

Eroad young driver of the year under 35 – awarded to Brianna Wilson

“Our winner is one of the few female drivers at Philip Wareing Ltd. She started as an apprentice driver that included bobby calving, which she never complained about, she simply rolled up her sleeves and got stuck in. She is always polite, cheerful, positive and positive towards the company and the industry. Brianna is positive about talking to youth about how they can start in the industry, especially young women, and is passionate about sharing her career pathway.

“She’s taken support given by her parents, friends and now employers to improve her life and achieve job satisfaction and purpose.”

 Castrol truck driver hero award – awarded to Josh Hart

“This award recognises someone who has significantly contributed to the safety of others, such as helping someone from danger, acting in a consistently safe way to prevent ham to others, or generally helping other motorists on our roads – someone who’s gone over and above their call of duty for the industry.

“Josh has become a well-known name in the New Zealand transport industry. Having been bullied mercilessly at school, he left school at 16 and started driving an R-model Mack off-highway for his parents’ bulk-tipper operation – where he really found his happy place. This gave him a desire to put his own awful experience to newfound use, to steer other bullying victims towards the help they need.

“Josh’s anti-bullying Western Star carries some powerful messages. He takes it to truck and car shows, to give talks at schools, and every working day he says it triggers conversations with other truckies. He says, ‘my goal is always to help one or two people and I do that most days. Sometimes all people need is to sit down and talk a little bit, to get some perspective. The fact I can be part of that is pretty cool. The positivity that has come from all of this has more than made up for the negatives I went through’.”

Josh was also the lucky recipient of a $3500 travel prize. At the awards, he said: “I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for this industry so to receive this award is pretty damn special, and the reception blows me away. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for many of the people in this room, and the industry wouldn’t be what it is if it wasn’t for the people in this room, your families and the sacrifices you’ve all given.”

VTNZ supreme contribution to NZ road transport and First life membership of Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand ­– awarded to Neil Reid

“Neil’s contribution to the road transport industry effectively started from birth, on the West Coast almost 80 years ago. His father owned a seven-truck operation in the Maruia Valley, and trucking was in Neil’s blood from an early age. He joined the NZ Forestry Service as a ranger trainee truck driver, and followed that up with a diesel mechanic apprenticeship. His part-time service in the New Zealand Territorial Army provided him the discipline that was vital to business perseverance and success in later life.

“Neil became the Invercargill manager of Freightways in 1974, and local branch chairman of the Road Transport Association in 1976 and 1977. That year he moved to Christchurch to manage the much larger Gutheries Freightways. 1980 saw a shift to Blenheim to work for Newmans Group, which in 1987 sold their freight division to Transpac Holdings which was placed into receivership in 1988. Intense negotiations culminated in the formation of TNL Group Ltd.

“With his business partner Garth Buttler Neil held 40% of the shareholding. The new company took over the core assets from the receiver and commenced trading on 11 March 1989. Shareholding issues that followed were settled in 1993, and left Garth and Neil as 50/50 shareholders. With the commitment of an extremely loyal and dedicated staff, progress commenced. In 1996 further difficulties occurred with a major downturn in work levels, with the company in real danger of running out of cash a restructure of the company with major cost reductions was undertaken – the staff were fully informed of the difficulties and across the board agreed to an immediate 8.5% wage and salary cut. It is a testament to our winner that the staff responded the way they did.

“Neil was inducted into the Road Transport Hall of Fame in 2015. There is no doubt the lives of transport operators are better due to the time and expertise Neil has volunteered. Neil has spent his retirement serving the industry through RTA region 4 and has chaired the Road Transport Forum for six years until 2020. He has also supported road transport businesses with advice and governance. He was hugely instrumental with the merger of RTANZ with RTF to forming Transporting NZ. Thus, it’s appropriate Neil also becomes the inaugural Transporting New Zealand life member.”

On the night, Neil said: “It’s extremely humbling to be here to receive these awards. For most of us here tonight, if you have diesel in your blood, it never actually runs out, so you stay in the industry. One of the disappointments for me is that we’ve never been able to achieve one single representation for our industry sector. But I think there is enough interest, determination and willingness, and if there’s some patience it’ll happen. I do think it can happen and I sincerely hope it happens while I’m still around to see it.”

The evening also celebrated the first batch of Te ara ki tua Road to success graduates. Sheryl McGlashan, Nadine Rowan-Thomson, Mark Clossal, and Hayden Cockburn.

While working full time and studying online, this group of drivers has achieved their first industry qualifications and progressed to their class 5 licence in the past 12 months.

Transporting New Zealand would like to acknowledge NZ Express, Kam Transport, Brennics Ltd, and Road Transport Logistics for the support they have shown their trainees and the programme.

Nick Leggett, chief executive of Transporting New Zealand said: “We have some tremendous diverse talent that ensures the wheels of the industry turn. These are people who have served and continue to serve. A signal of a strong industry is to be able to see that recognition and be able to show others that there’s something going on here. “