The Australian Trucking Association has announced the finalists for its technical and training awards to be presented at the 2025 Technology and Maintenance Conference.
ATA Chair Mark Parry said.that these awards shine a spotlight on the critical role that training and technical excellence play in shaping a safer, smarter and more resilient transport industry.
“They also celebrate the unwavering commitment of the individuals who keep the freight task moving – despite rising demand, economic pressures and workforce challenges,”said Perry.
The ATA’s announcement revealed the finalists for the various awards including the Craig Roseneder Award for Technical and Maintenance Excellence as well as for the National Training Excellence award.
CMV Truck and Bus Victorian Derrimut dealership delivered up its Chris Montgomery as a finalist in he Castrol sponsored Roseneder Award along with Scott Gardiner from Australia Post in Chullora in Sydney and Thomas Kenny from Multiquip at Oran Park on the South Western fringe of Sydney.
According to the ATA, the Craig Roseneder Award recognises technical and maintenance excellence in the industry and celebrates the men and women who work behind the scenes to keep the industry’s workshops running, and thanks to sponsors Castrol includes a prize trip to attend the 2026 US Technology and Maintenance Council annual meeting and Transportation Technology Exhibition at Nashville in March 2026. The ATA added that the prize includes full conference registration, return airfares, accommodation and $1,500 spending money along with complimentary registration to the 2026 Australian Trucking Association Technology and Maintenance Conference.
The National Training Excellence award also saw three finalists announced with Divall’s Earthmoving Bulk Haulage from Goulburn, NSW, the unique Pilbara Heavy Haulage Girls Group from Wonthella in WA and Stef’s Transport from Millicent in SA revealed ahead of the awards being decided in mid October.
BP Australia, Castrol Australia and the NHVR have sponsored the award this year, which recognises transport operators with a strong and demonstrated commitment to training and development, thereby improving safety for all.
The ATA says the winner will receive a $7,000 prize package to be used towards staff training initiatives or a business services package with a training consultancy.
The winners will be revealed on 15 October at the Castrol Awards dinner to be held at the San Remo Ballroom in Melbourne, as part of the ATA conference.
The Castrol Industry Achievement Award will also be presented on the night, recognising exceptional technical innovation and industry achievement.
Past winners include Les Bruzsa from the NHVR, Ian Thomson from BPW Transpec and Bob Pearson from Pearson’s Transport Research Centre.
The ATA says that tickets for TMC 25 and the Castrol Awards Dinner close on 3 October
Chris Montgomery has more than 21 years at CMV Truck & Bus,and a wealth of experience across technical and service roles.
He is also an accredited Volvo battery electric master technician, and is at the forefront of the industry’s transition to electric vehicles., playing a pivotal role in securing CMV dealerships as Volvo EV certified locations.
Australia Post Group’s Scott Gardiner, boasts more than 30 years in the Australian transport industry building a career starting on the workshop floor, and rising through the ranks to become StarTrack’s National Multihaul manager, and is now the National fleet and equipment policy, regulatory compliance and reporting manager for both StarTrack and Australia Post.
He has led major advances in fleet safety and sustainability, including the rollout of PBS vehicles, DriveCam technology and underrun protection. He also led the rollout of UBCO electric motorcycles at Australia Post and has supported the growth of countless industry professionals and is widely respected for his approachable and values-driven leadership.
Multiquip’s Thomas Kenny is a highly respected professional across multiple facets of the transport and poultry logistics industry, and is known for his technical expertise, leadership, and commitment to safety and innovation.
He is the National maintenance manager at Multiquip, and has led major engineering and fleet optimisation projects, delivering measurable improvements in efficiency, safety, and compliance.
Thomas is a champion of safety technology, spearheading the rollout of Guardian by Seeing Machines across the truck fleet, along with Seen Sensors on the company’s forklifts, as well as the introduction of key initiatives such as park brake alarms, seatbelt interlocks, speed-limiting systems and remote PTO operations to save driver time entering and exiting truck cabs.
His leadership in adopting these technologies has enhanced employee safety and reinforced the company’s commitment to proactive risk management and industry best practice according tot the ATA.
In the finals of the National training excellence award, Divall’s Earthmoving Bulk Haulage demonstrated a forward-thinking approach that combines education and career engagement with local primary schools, training, mentorship and continuous development.
Divall’s is known for its long-standing outreach to local youth through career fairs and taster days, as well as being recognised for its long-standing outreach to local youth through career fairs, as well as for providing training, re-skilling, work and job readiness opportunities to young people connected with the Police Citizens Youth Club, NSW Corrective Services as well as individuals with special needs.
Divall’s has invested in growing career pathways within quarry operations, plant operations, engineering, civil construction and more as well as with more than 40 apprentices and trainees activelies developing their skills,
Meanwhile in the Pilbara, the Pilbara Heavy Haulage Girls Group (PHHGG), which was founded by Heather Jones, is a women-owned organisation committed to inspiring women and underrepresented groups to pursue careers in the transport industry.
PHHGG was born out of Heather’s personal experience as a single mother entering the trucking industry.
The organisation offers comprehensive driver training programs, including new-to-the-industry courses, licence upgrades and refresher training, all with a strong focus on safety, compliance and practical skills development, and has so far successfully trained more than 350 drivers.
Millicent based Stef’s Transport is a nationally recognised freight carrier that began in 1996 as a one-truck operation in Broken Hill with Stef and Karen starting the compan. They have sine grown the company through a commitment to reliability, safety and customer service, operating a fleet of prime movers and high-cube tautliners servicing routes across Australia.
In 2025, the company launched a formal training and development program to support its expanding workforce and uphold industry standards, including a structured inductions, hands-on mentoring, monthly safety sessions and personalised development plans to ensure all team members are equipped to work safely and professionally.
