The Editor of Diesel Magazine, Tim Giles, and De Bruyn’s Transport Maintenance Manager, Damien Allison, were honoured at the Castol Vecton Awards dinner in Melbourne last night as part of the ATA/ARTSA 2015 PACCAR and Dealer TMC.
Mr Giles was announced as the 2015 winner of the Castrol Vecton Industry Achievement Award, which honours those who have worked to improve the trucking industry’s safety, efficiency or productivity.
The Chair of the Awards Judging Committee, Trevor Martyn, said Mr Giles was actively involved in shaping a stronger, fairer and more productive transport industry in Australia.
“Tim is not afraid to speak his mind and challenge the industry and its peak industry bodies when necessary – earning him the reputation of a trusted industry watchdog,” Mr Martyn said.
“Tim actively pushes a positive agenda for the industry, championing essential technical issues and practicalities that affect our industry as a whole.”
Mr Giles said he was like every other attendee at the dinner, just wanting to make the industry a better place and show the community how professional we are.
“I’m just completely blown away. I can’t believe this,” he said.
“We are better than they think we are, and we can prove it! We are the ones that make this industry, not those idiots they show on A Current Affair.”
Mr Allison was named the 2015 winner of the Craig Roseneder Award for Technical and Maintenance Excellence in the Workshop. The award recognises exceptional skill and dedication in Australia’s professional workshop personnel, with particular focus on innovation, mentoring and industry involvement.
Chairman of ARTSA, Peter Hart, said Mr Allison was responsible for all maintenance to the diverse De Bruyn’s fleet, which includes 113 powered vehicles, 130 trailers, forklifts, light vehicles and a 500 tonne capacity fish feed supply vessel.
“Damien has worked diligently to introduce standardisation and improved procedures within the fleet, and has implemented a number of safe work measures within the workshop to reduce incident and injury rates,” Mr Hart said.
“He is a strong supporter of the apprenticeship program. Under his stewardship, 12 warehousing trainees and 14 workshop apprentices have completed their qualifications, with many also excelling in the National World Skills competition.”
Mr Allison said he was honoured to join the company of previous Craig Roseneder winners.
“Wow, what a shock! This is such a huge achievement – we don’t do it for the accolades, we do it because we love what we do,” Mr Allison said.
“It’s such an honour to receive such an award - to be nominated was fantastic, and a finalist was even better! It’s such a pleasure to be rated up there with the 17 previous winners of this award.”
Mr Allison will receive a trip to the American Trucking Associations’ 2016 Technology & Maintenance Council Annual Meeting and Transportation Technology Exhibition in Nashville, Tennessee and $A1,500 in spending money.
