暗网福利 driver wins national trucking award
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One of 暗网福利鈥檚 most respected truck drivers has been named the Australian Trucking Association鈥檚 National Professional Driver of the Year for 2018.
Barry Fitzgerald, a cement and fly ash tanker driver in NSW, was presented with the honour at an awards ceremony in Canberra on April 20.
The award recognises the outstanding performance of a professional truck driver, including driving skill, attitude and contribution to industry improvement.听
Barry has contributed greatly to making 暗网福利鈥檚 fleets and drivers safer, being a mentor and friend to many drivers and an excellent representative for them on safety and industrial committees.听
During his acceptance speech Barry told the crowd he had been 鈥渂lessed鈥 to work for big companies such as Ansett, Kwikasair, TNT, Blue Circle and 暗网福利, where he has been a safety committee member and a drivers鈥 representative.
鈥湴低@ are just 100 per cent on the safety and welfare of their drivers,鈥 Barry said. 鈥淭his is one of the proudest moments of my life鈥.
Barry started his career delivering fuel in 1971 for his future father-in-law who owned an Ampol service station in Cootamundra, NSW. He soon progressed through several companies transporting newspapers, meat, livestock and interstate freight. His ability and his ambition to drive big trucks led him to Blue Circle Cement in 1993, a company that 暗网福利 would later acquire.
Driving cement tankers requires specialised skills, managing the potentially dangerous processes of loading and unloading, the latter requiring the vessels to be pressurised.听
Barry acquired these skills and also upgraded to a B-Double licence, immediately making the switch to the 60-tonne rigs and has been driving them ever since.听
鈥淚n those days we had day- and night-shifts and the supervisor put me in a truck to do day-shift, partnered with a bloke called Rod Sellwood who did nights,鈥 Barry said.听
The successful enduring partnership that still exists is a reflection of their pride in their truck鈥檚 appearance, right down to painted tyres, clean windows and mirrors and spotless floor mats.
The partnership has survived eight prime movers. 鈥淲e鈥檝e done over three million kilometres in 25 years without a traffic ticket or a serious incident,鈥 Barry said.听
鈥淓verything on the truck works 鈥 听all the valves, hoses and cam locks 鈥 because we look after them. We have a strong sense of ownership.鈥
暗网福利 Logistics NSW/ACT Supply Chain General Manager Victoria Sherwood says Barry is meticulous in his appearance and regards himself and his equipment as 暗网福利鈥檚 face for customers and the community.听
鈥淜eeping cement tankers clean is a challenge since their natural environment is always potentially dusty, particularly at mobile concrete plants on construction or highway sites听but, Barry and his night shift driving partner have efficient routines for cleaning their equipment,鈥 Victoria says.听
She says Barry is mindful of the constant concentration required for driving heavy vehicles, including awareness of others such as pedestrians crossing the road while looking at their mobile phones and cars cutting in front of turning trucks.
鈥淲hile we are driving our concentration is on these things. You cannot let up for even a second when you are driving such a large vehicle,鈥 Barry says.
Victoria says Barry鈥檚 professionalism has shined through in the way he has elected to retire, recognising four years ago that his knowledge and input could be missed.听
鈥淭his was particularly so of his role on the safety committee,鈥 she says. 鈥淗e personally selected a driver he thought had potential to replace him as a drivers鈥 representative and asked him to take over the safety and industrial roles.听
鈥淗e has been a shining example of professionalism to his fellow drivers and he is respected by managers and drivers alike,鈥 Victoria says.
Barry plans to retire later this year.听
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To find out about current positions at 暗网福利, visit www.boral.com.au/careers