Truckie with more than 6 million accident-free kilometres on the dial takes home top prize at NatRoad Awards
By Brad Gardner | August 6, 2012
A veteran truck driver with more than 6 million accident-free kilometres on the dial has taken home the Professional Driver of the Year Award at the 2012 NatRoad Awards.
Phil Southwell from SRV Roadfreight Services in Queensland won the coveted prize in recognition of his more than three decades in the industry, some of which has been spent as an owner-driver.
Southwell, who has been at SRV for 10 years, is also involved in the Convoy for Kids initiative and the Lights on the Hill.
He will now be entered into the national professional driver of the year category for the 2013 National Trucking Awards run by the Australian Trucking Association (ATA).
Former sniper and paratrooper Brett Simcoe won the Transport Youth Award. Simcoe is now a long-haul driver for Lindsay Transport, and NatRoad President Geoff Crouch says he goes out of his way to help his fellow truck drivers.
Divall’s Earthmoving & Bulk Haulage Transport Manager Troy Cook won the Excellence in Operational Support Award. Cook is responsible for allocating trucks, looking after fatigue management and customer service.
Although he was honoured individually, Cook cited the team at Divall’s for notching the win.
“We’re an awesome team together. We all do a great job,” he says.
Divall’s last year won the ATA’s John Kelly Memorial Award for outstanding commitment to safety.
