POPULAR WORDS

March 12, 2010

Noske Group’s veteran driver who scooped a prized trucking award last year, will now vie for the top driving award at this year’s Australia Trucking Association (ATA) Convention.

Michael Jaensch has been nominated along with two other drivers for the National Trucking Industry Professional Driver of the Year.

Jaensch last year won NatRoad’s 2009 Professional Driver of the Year, but will this year go against Paul Hutchins and Simon Wynne.

The award is part of the National Trucking Industry Awards, to be presented on April 10 during the convention.

“Given the calibre of the finalists, and indeed of all the entries, the judges have obviously had a difficult task. The industry is eagerly anticipating the announcement of the winners among these deserving finalists,” ATA Chairman Trevor Martin says.

Jan Pattison, who runs a trucking business with her partner and works for the Queensland Trucking Association (QTA), has been nominated for the National Trucking Industry Woman of the Year.

She will compete against Heather Jones and the organiser of Lights on the Hill, Kathleen White.

TDT Victoria, and the Get into Transport Logistics (Road Transport program) have been nominated for the training excellence award.

The nominees for the National Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Australian Trucking Industry are Derek Nathan, Jim Pearson and Vivian Hanley.

Martyn says the awards are important to the trucking industry.

“The awards are a crucial part of the industry’s calendar because they identify and reward the people who have contributed to taking the Australian trucking industry to a higher level of professionalism,” he says.