ALINA Hawkins, recently appointed COO of the Livestock and Rural Transporters Association of Victoria (LRTAV), has been presented with the Australian Trucking Association’s National Trucking Industry Woman of the Year, sponsored by Cummins South Pacific.

The ATA said Ms Hawkins was known throughout the trucking industry as a passionate advocate for the livestock transport sector.

In 2016, she received an LRTAV Outstanding Industry Contribution Award for her contribution to the livestock transport industry.

The ATA said Ms Hawkins was admired for her in-depth knowledge of transport industry issues and the professionalism she demonstrates by her ability to research, consult, communicate effectively and to operate efficiently to support the business, policies, goals and objectives of her colleagues in rural trucking.

Other winners of the ATA’s 2023 National Trucking Industry Awards, held at a gala dinner event at the Trucking Australia Conference on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland were Transport Women Australia chair Jacquelene Brotherton, who was recognised for outstanding contribution to the Australian trucking industry, Steven Broadbent of Freestone’s Transport who was named National Professional Driver of the Year and Ron Finemore Transport executive chair Ron Finemore who took out the Don Watson Memorial Award.

CMV Truck & Bus received the National Training Excellence Award and SeaRoad Logistics Pty Ltd was handed the TruckSafe John Kelly Memorial Award.

The ATA is a federated association representing the interest of national industry bodies, state industry bodies, corporate members and corporate sponsors.

It was established to improve the trucking industry’s safety, professionalism and viability after the Grafton truck and bus crash in October 1989.

It continues to lobby for policy decisions that will genuinely improve safety, educate the industry about safe practices and technologies as well as the community about how to interact safely with trucks on the road.

By Neil Dowling