John Kelly Memorial Award
The TruckSafe John Kelly Memorial Award recognises a TruckSafe certified member that has successfully implemented their TruckSafe SMS and encouraged others to join TruckSafe.
The award honours the late John Kelly, posthumous winner of the ATA Outstanding Contribution Award in 2008.
John was heavily involved in the early development of Team 200 (the predecessor of TruckSafe), helped in the development of fatigue management programs, and assisted in implementing a number of driver training programs.
Nominees for this award must be a current certified member of the TruckSafe program who have undergone an external audit in the previous year.
They must demonstrate:
They have been TruckSafe accredited or certified for 5 consecutive years or more
Compliance with the TruckSafe business rules and codes of conduct
They have paid all TruckSafe membership fees and kept their account in good order
Implementation and compliance to the TruckSafe Program including all core elements with minimum non-conformance reports (NCR’s) during an external audit
Prompt close out of any non-conformance reports; and
A reputation for integrity and ethical behaviour in trucking
Finalists must authorise the TruckSafe Industry Safety Management Council (TISMC) to seek other information that will assist in the judging process. This could include, but is not limited to:
risk assessments, risk registers, and internal review findings
feedback provided by TruckSafe auditors
staff and client statements and/or reviews
other accreditation schemes, the NHVR, and law enforcement
media reports
insurance history/benefits; and
at fault incident and accident reports.
Past John Kelly Memorial Award winners:
| 2026 | K & S Freighters, VIC |
| 2025 | Jim Pearson Transport, NSW |
| 2024 | Marley’s Transport, WA |
| 2023 | SeaRoad Logistics Pty Ltd, TAS |
| 2022 | A & R Magill Pty Ltd, NSW |
| 2021 | Not awarded |
| 2020 | SRH Milk Haulage, NSW |
| 2019 | Nolan’s Interstate Transport, QLD |
| 2018 | JJ Lawson Transport, NSW |
| 2017 | Collins Adelaide, SA |
| 2016 | Fellows Bulk Transport, NSW |
| 2015 | Jim Pearson Transport, NSW |
| 2014 | Directhaul, NT |
| 2013 | De Gunst Transport, QLD |
| 2012 | Cleary Bros Pty Ltd, NSW |
| 2011 | Divall’s Earthmoving & Bulk Haulage, NSW |
The John Kelly Memorial Award is part of the ATA’s National Trucking Industry Awards, held annually at the Trucking Australia conference.
The TruckSafe John Kelly Memorial Award is proudly sponsored by AEI Insurance Broking Group.