Nominations for the 2012 Highway Guardian Award are now open. Sponsored by Continental Tyres of Australia, this award honours brave and gallant acts performed by professional truck drivers in the course of their driving.

The winner of the 2011 Highway Guardian award, Michael Munchow of Sedl Transport, Toowoomba, was honoured for his actions during the January 2011 floods. A wall of water rushed through Withcott, in Queensland’s Lockyer Valley. Shayne and Amanda Richardson were in their Honda Jazz hatchback when it was caught by the flood and hurled down the main street. At great personal risk, Michael backed his semi-trailer into a pole to stop the car and pulled them into the cab of his truck, epitomizing the spirit of the Highway Guardian Award.

Continental Tyres of Australia General Manager, Steve Brown said “Continental Tyres is proud to sponsor the Highway Guardian Award. This award reflects the very best qualities of Australia’s truck drivers – the willingness to step out of the cab and save lives, whether it’s at the scene of a road accident or a natural disaster.”

The Chairman of the Australian Trucking Association, David Simon, agreed.

“Australia’s trucking industry is filled with hardworking men and women who will go out of their way to help those around them. This award honours the winner and finalists, and will encourage everyone in the industry to live up to our old reputation as the knights of the road,” David said.

The award winner for 2012 will receive $5,000 cash from Continental Tyres of Australia, a trophy, media publicity and accolades from the many industry representatives attending the Australian Trucking Convention, where results of the awards will be announced.

The award will be presented as a part of the National Trucking Industry Awards at the ATA Foundation Sponsors Gala Awards Dinner on Friday 18 May. The Rosehill Gardens event centre in Sydney will play host to the spectacular black tie dinner.
Nominations must be received by 20 April 2012. If you know an exceptional person in the trucking industry who has carried out a heroic or gallant act in the course of their work, nominate them for this honour by going to http://www.ataevents.net.au/awards/.