Former school teacher turned truck driver will compete with eight other drivers for the Professional Driver of the Year Award
By Brad Gardner | July 21, 2010
Former school teacher turned truck driver Rosalind Darby will compete with eight other drivers for the Professional Driver of the Year Award at this year’s NatRoad Conference.
Despite working in a field dominated by males, Darby has the chance to become the first female driver to take home the award after being nominated by NSW operator D&P Haulage.
Darby runs linehaul in a two-up operation with her partner for family-owned Peter Stoitse Transport, which is based in Victoria.
“I would be happy to see her win. She would be really deserving,” D&P Haulage owner Doug McMillan says.
“She’s never been booked for anything. I wouldn’t mind her working for me.”
McMillan says Darby gave up teaching to become a truck driver and “hasn’t looked back”.
Darby will compete against well-known trucking advocate Rod Hannifey (pictured) and Brian Dark from Lindsay Transport.
Scott Armstrong from South Star Transport has also been nominated for the award, alongisde Lyle Bush from Freshwayz Haulage and Mickie Day from Hernes Freight.
Mark Smith from Fourways Haulage and Brent Schicker from SRV Road Freight have also been nominated.
Harris Refrigerated has nominated one of its drivers, Hans Lucassen, for the award and Zebb McGlashan for the Transport Youth Award.
In its submission form to NatRoad, the company says Lucassen has not committed any traffic offences in his 40 years in the trucking industry.
Lucassen has worked for Harris for 10 years carting refrigerated and general freight in single and B-double combinations.
“Hans has always had an attitude that sets the standard for others to follow,” Harris writes in its submission.
“He never complains and has always set a good example for others to aspire to. He has been driving interstate for over 40 years, without accident, having travelled over 15 million kilometres.”
Despite being only 27 years old, McGlashan has risen to the senior role of an operations supervisor.
He is the youngest person in the company to reach the position, with Harris saying he is professional, willing to take on challenges and has developed a great knowledge of the trucking industry.
“In a tough industry that often does not have time for being concerned with driver safety or welfare, Zebb has made it a trademark management behaviour to focus on safe operations and driver care in his rise through the ranks,” the company writes in its nomination submission.
McMillan says he decided to nominate Darby after a speech she gave to a Transport Women Australia conference where she gave an insight into her life.
“We put her up because she’s a nice person,” he says.
The NatRoad Conference is being held from August 5 to 7, with the award to be presented on the first day.