2024 marked the year NatRoad’s Young Driver of the Year Award was renamed in honour of late industry titan Sam Sali. Such was Sali’s holistic and broad scope of abilities and responsibilities through driving, management and advocacy in the transport industry, it’s fitting this year’s award was presented to Followmont Transport’s Jade Harney.
Harney’s career in the transport sector has been on an upwards trajectory since first joining Followmont as an intern in 2019. Over the past five years she has stretched her abilities and broadened her knowledge to earn a number of highly applicable qualifications that see her loom as a future leader of the industry.
After starting her career as a forklift driver, Harney has since earned her heavy rigid licence and Certificate III qualifications in both Warehouse Operations and Supply Chain Operations (Logistics Operations) and has become a crucial member of one of Australia’s major independent transport companies.
Still just 24 years of age, Harney is already an indispensable member of the Followmont team, whether that be on the road, in the warehouse, in the office or representing the company. A key aspect of the Sam Sali Young Driver of the Year Award is evidence of the recipient performing beyond expectations, which is a criteria Harney easily fulfils, and then some.
She tells ATN her passion for her personal development comes through a desire to constantly improve.
“I just love learning,” she says. “After I became pretty good at forklift driving, I thought I’d just try to keep upskilling and have a go at trucks.
“Ever since I got to Followmont I had my eyes on the trucks, and about two years ago I decided to take the leap and give it a go.
“We have a great training team here and they were very helpful in my ambitions to get my truck licence.”
Since getting behind the wheel of her first heavy rigid at Followmont, Harney has maintained a spotless safety record and has recorded zero motor vehicle incidents.
Every day she loads her truck and partakes in daily runs while driving one of Australia’s most iconic vehicles – ‘Pinky’.
Harney’s status as a high-achieving young professional in the industry is made all the more impressive by the fact she is continuing to help pave the way for women in the traditionally predominantly male transport sector. She’s a shining example of the success women can have in the field, and Pinky, being a literal billboard for women in trucking, is the perfect vehicle for her to drive.
“I think the biggest barrier to women coming into this industry is that ‘old days’ view that women aren’t tough enough to be drivers,” she reflects. “The best part about getting in and having a go is being able to prove those old, incorrect stereotypes wrong.
“Just seeing you do the job turns a lot of peoples’ views around. Someone might have that old school view the first time you meet them, but then they see you in action and they’re so impressed it changes their mind.
“I love driving Pinky. It never gets old and it’s actually amazing.
“Every single day I get comments about how great the truck is, and it’s great about how it supports women in transport.
“The colour makes quite a statement, and the biggest thing is when you’re driving down the road you see a lot of kids – especially girls – tell their mum and dad to look at the pink truck.
“Then, when they see it’s a woman driving it their faces just light up.
“Their faces are what makes it all real. It’s great, and it happens every single day which is just awesome.”
While most praise for Harney’s career development absolutely goes to the driver herself, some needs to be reserved for Followmont Transport’s commitment to upskilling its workforce.
Earlier this year Followmont Transport CEO Mark Tobin spoke to ATN about the transport industry’s struggles to attract – and then retain – high quality young people in the sector.
He said his company was trying to buck that trend by targeting a people-first, high-achieving culture that allowed employees to explore a range of new skill acquisition projects and courses to help them not only stay and thrive at Followmont, but within the sector.
Harney was glowing in her praise about her employer’s approach to its staff.
“There’s nothing better than having a whole company standing behind you,” she says.
“Here, you just have to ask for it. The more I’ve wanted to learn and the more I’ve wanted to do, Followmont has just stood behind me every step of the way.
“If you want to drive trucks, they’ll help you get into truck driving. If something comes up in your life and you can’t drive anymore, they’ll do their best to get you into forklift driving or administrative role.
“They have a job for everyone, you just have to work with them on what’s best.”
With all her experiences across various administrative, warehousing, driving and advocacy projects, Harney is not content to sit still in what she’s doing. She wants to continue to forge her career ahead of her.
She’s represented herself, her company and her industry with aplomb at a variety of truck shows and convoys and in a variety of media landscapes.
Now, she’s looking ahead to potentially drive some of Australia’s most challenging and iconic heavy vehicles.
“I’d love to go up to a multicombination licence,” she beams.
“Then, once I get confident in that, I might have a look at driving road trains.
“I think it’s amazing what those guys do out there, and I’d love to be part of something like that.”
One thing is for sure. If the transport industry was awash with more young people like Jade Harney, it would be in an exponentially better position for it – but that’s what makes her contributions to the sector at such a young age all the more impressive.
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