The heavy vehicle industry’s biggest celebration has marked a milestone year, with a record crowd filling the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre for the 2025 HVIA National Awards Gala.
The event capped HVIA’s tenth anniversary as a national body and highlighted the innovation and leadership reshaping freight transport.
The gala recognised long-standing members and emerging leaders while showcasing the technology, workforce programs and safety initiatives driving progress across the sector.
HVIA CEO Todd Hacking says the turnout reflects the industry’s growing national presence and the achievements of members across 2025.
He says the awards reveal remarkable ingenuity every year and continue to shine a light on rising talent that will guide the industry through major regulatory, technological and workforce shifts.
Celebrating leadership across the freight sector
The Industry Recognition Award was presented to Paul Crawford from CMV Group for more than four decades of leadership.
His influence across training, business growth and talent development has shaped CMV’s expansion and strengthened the industry’s skills base.
CMV Truck and Bus also took out the Workforce Development Award for its long-running apprenticeship program and its emphasis on mentoring and capability building.
Judges noted the company’s culture of continuous learning and its strong internal progression pathways.
The Product Innovation Award went to Airtec Corporation for the AXS SmartOBM system.
The judges highlighted its accuracy, durability and benefits for load compliance, recognising its value for freight operators working in demanding Australian conditions.
Volvo Trucks Australia secured the Safety Innovation Award for its latest Dynamic Steering technology.
The system provides real-time puncture detection and steering support to help prevent loss of control during blowouts, a significant improvement for driver safety.
Cummins South Pacific won the Community Leadership Award for its Climate Action Schools Program.
Its mentoring and skills pathway initiatives were praised for their scalable design and clear benefits for students and future industry entrants.
Apprentices recognised as future industry leaders
Industry judges highlighted the calibre of this year’s apprentice finalists across manufacturing, mechanical and specialist streams.
The HVIA Heavy Vehicle Industry Apprentice of the Year was awarded to Chalee Hollandrose from Cummins South Pacific for her technical capability and leadership qualities.
Other winners included Joshua McNicol from Tefco for Manufacturing Apprentice of the Year and Isaac Rooney from Volvo Commercial Vehicles for Specialist Trades Apprentice of the Year.
Judges noted their strong initiative, problem-solving skills and potential to step into future leadership roles.
Sustainability and fleet transformation recognised
Charge Hub Australia received the Sustainability Initiative Award for delivering large-scale electrification of depot infrastructure.
The project supports more than 240 electric buses in Western Australia and provides a replicable template for freight depots preparing for zero-emission fleets.
Judges praised the initiative’s contractor training programs and 24-hour support model, which helps ready the workforce for a major industry transition.
The HVIA National Awards have become a defining event for the sector.
This year’s celebration highlighted how innovation, skills development and safety improvements continue to strengthen Australia’s freight industry.