Governance

Our vision is that everyone in the trucking industry gets home safe, every day.

The goal of TruckSafe is to promote the development of the trucking industry in Australia by continually improving road and industry safety, through the development and application of appropriate industry and business standards and solutions.

Strategy

TruckSafe is committed to pursuing this goal through the promotion and application of appropriate industry standards through a system of accreditation of operators. An independent Board of Directors will guide TruckSafe.

The accreditation system must, as a minimum, provide core standards for the following major risk elements of all trucking businesses:

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Vehicle Maintenance

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Driver Health and Fitness for Duty

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Training

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Management Practices

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Risk Assessment

Charter

The TruckSafe Board is to promote the development of a safe trucking industry in Australia through the TruckSafe Accreditation Program as a value adding tool which:

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Delivers demonstrable benefits to road transport operators, customers, Governments, and the community

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Maintains integrity of the trucking industry in Australia by ensuring operators comply with its standards

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Acknowledges the role of Government and seeks to work with appropriate Government agencies to improve compliance with the applicable standards and the law

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Assist customers to meet their duty of care and chain of responsibility obligations

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Incorporates key standards, which enable operators to operate safely and with minimum risk to their employees and the community

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Has the capacity to incorporate additional standards, including the ability to meet the requirements of different market segments.

To ensure that the standards set, and certification elements of the TruckSafe Accreditation Program operate through effective, independent and arms-length administration, under the overall guidance of the TruckSafe Board, there shall be bodies responsible for:

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the accreditation of operators

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recommending action concerning on road complaints and offences

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providing an appeals avenue for decisions regarding complaints, sanctions, termination or suspension of accreditation.

The TruckSafe Board

Developing the standards of TruckSafe as well as other standards as appropriate

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Developing the standards of TruckSafe as well as other standards as appropriate

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Setting Audit standards and guidelines

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Developing and approve the Business Rules and Sanctions Model

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Overseeing the bodies (TIAC) responsible for the accreditation of operators that recommends actions concerning on road complaints and offences, and the handling of appeals about decisions regarding complaints, sanctions, termination or suspension of accreditation. Also the Board ensures that these bodies are independent of the ATA, the TruckSafe Board and each other

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Promoting TruckSafe to the trucking industry, customers, the community and Governments

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Undertaking wide consultation with all stakeholders on the development of standards, the application of the TruckSafe Accreditation Program, and on developing synergies with other accreditation systems where applicable.

Meet the Board of Directors

Click below to find out more about our Board members.

Paul Fellows - Interim Chair

Paul has been involved in road transport for the last 40 years, starting in the family waste disposal business as a garbage collector, moving into management and ultimately forming, together with his wife Jenny, Fellows Bulk Transport which has been operating successfully from its Deniliquin base for 25 years. 

Paul is passionate about safety and professionalism within the industry, with Fellows Bulk being awarded the John Kelly Memorial Award.  

Along with chairing Trucksafe, Paul is Chair of NatRoad and Deputy Mayor of Edward River Council. His mantra is that everyone deserves to go to work and come home safely to their family. 

Athol Carter - Vice Chair

Athol Carter, Central Queensland Manager at Frasers Livestock Transport has been involved in trucking from a young age. Since completing a school-based traineeship whilst at boarding school over 20 years ago Athol’s resume features a long list of industry experience across a variety of roles & freight tasks including many early years spent as a road train driver.

Athol is a forward and dynamic thinker who is serious about the future of our industry. Committed to industry excellence through demonstrated leadership Athol has actively contributed behind the scenes within industry associations across many remits delivering real results for driver & animal welfare training throughout the livestock transport supply chain.

In 2006, Athol was named Queensland Trucking Association Professional driver of the year, an ATA Future leaders’ participant in 2019, and was also awarded the QTA/Daimler Emerging leader of the year in 2019.

Athol has been a TruckSafe Director since 2018 rising to Vice Chair in 2020. Along with TruckSafe Athol is also a member of the ALRTA Executive team as the ATA Representative.

Nathan Cecil - Director

Nathan Cecil is a Partner in the Transport, Shipping & Logistics group of national law firm, Holding Redlich.

Nathan has particular expertise in relation to international and domestic logistics, from commercial matters, regulatory compliance and disputes. He has particular expertise in CoR compliance and regularly assists supply chain businesses with compliance advice and responding to incidents, investigations and prosecution. Nathan enjoys working with supply chain businesses to help develop a mindset and practices that improve safety and productivity.

Since 2016, he has been consistently listed as one of Australia’s best lawyers in the areas of Transportation Law, Shipping and Maritime Law, International Arbitration and Trade Law in the ‘Best Lawyers’ rankings.

Peter Callanan - Director

Peter was born and raised in Gippsland Victoria and grew up helping his father on the land and in his livestock transport business.

Peter completed his heavy vehicle mechanic apprenticeship but decided he would rather drive trucks than work on repairs full time. After operating his own livestock transport business for 15 years Peter then worked for Wodonga Tafe as an industry-based workplace trainer and Assessor having qualifications in Heavy vehicle licensing, Dangerous goods, Fatigue Management, load restraint and Victorian Livestock loading schemes.

He has had a lifetime involvement in the transport industry and now specialises in Transport Management, Quality accreditation and CoR compliance management. Peter is passionate about the transport industry and is an active advocate for the owner operator and small fleet owner best interests.

Andy Divall - Director

Andy Divall is the owner and Managing Director of Divall’s Earthmoving and Bulk Haulage, a company he established in 1991 with his brother Michael.

Andy has diversified the Goulburn-based company’s operations to meet the needs of the local community and strives to retain local staff by offering wide-ranging and professional opportunities.

In 2018, Andy was named a Kenworth Legend for his leadership and demonstration of strength, perseverance, and success in the Australian trucking industry.

Committed to safety, Andy has been an advocate for the ATA’s TruckSafe accreditation system, joining in 1999. In 2011, Divall’s won the TruckSafe John Kelly Memorial Award for fostering a strong culture of safety in every part of their business.

Lindy Pascoe - Director

Lindy is a practicing lawyer with over 15 years of Australian and International experience in all aspects of freight and heavy vehicle transport. Lindy spent 7 years managing the Heavy Vehicle Prosecutions Department at VicRoads where she was involved in compliance, policy, investigations, prosecutions, and drafting heavy vehicle legislation.

Lindy worked at Visy where she applied her expert knowledge across compliance, chain of responsibility, and accreditation schemes including the National Heavy Vehicle Accreditation Scheme, WA Heavy Vehicle Accreditation, and HACCP. For the last 2½ years, Lindy has been the Head of Chain of Responsibility and Compliance for Australia Post and StarTrack.

Lindy enjoys finding new ways to improve driver health and is a passionate advocate for driver safety.

Victor Vella - Director

Victor has been involved in the road transport industry for well over 35 years, starting in the family transport business as a truck driver back in 1983. As the business grew, he moved on to Management then ultimately Managing the Victorian branch. 

With his extensive background knowledge of the transport game, Victor (along with his 2 sons) started up their own family business manufacturing trailers. Austate Services is based in Minto and caters for all road transport equipment needs thus creating a niche in the market which specialises in purpose-built trailers to the customers’ needs and requirements. Our core values are respect, honesty, mateship, with a ‘do it once – do it right’ approach.  

Victor has been a member of TruckSafe since 2014 and values the safety of all on-road users and meeting the Australian Standards on all heavy road equipment.

Noel Kelly - Director

Noel Kelly is a Director at AEI Insurance Broking Group who specialise in insurance for transport and logistics operators.

Noel is passionate about the transport industry, following in the footsteps of his late father John Kelly who was involved in developing TruckSafe as the industry owned safety and business risk accreditation system. The success of TruckSafe today can be sheeted home to the passion and drive of John Kelly.

In 2016, Noel was the recipient of the Warren Tickle Memorial Award recognising Australia’s Young Insurance Broker of the Year. He currently also holds a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) from Macquarie University.

Graham Emery - Director

After 7 years as a trade qualified mechanic Graham joined the Department of Agriculture as a cattle inspector for a short period, before joining a large truck and machinery dealership in a Sales capacity.

Over the years the dealership changed hands numerous times, with Graham being retained on each occasion as a key member of staff, progressing to a number of roles including Sales Manager, Service Manager and subsequently General Manager and shareholder.

The final dealership operated three branches in the Hunter Valley and New England areas of NSW, operating franchises included Ford/ Sterling, Volvo, UD, Mitsubishi and New Holland industrial equipment.

Graham joined The Martin Group of Companies in 2004, in a number of varying roles including Work, Health, Safety and Compliance Manager, and currently Group Fleet and Maintenance Manager.

Happily married with two sons the Emery family breed and show stud Angus cattle and Australian Stock Horses from their property at Gresford, in the Hunter Valley of NSW. Other Board positions held; Board Member & Vice Chairman of Farrer Memorial Agricultural High School.

The Trucking Industry Accreditation Council (TIAC)

The primary purpose of the TruckSafe Industry Accreditation Council (TIAC) is to review and make recommendations regarding transport operator’s applications for entry into or continuation of accreditation in the TruckSafe Industry Accreditation Scheme.

The TruckSafe Industry Accreditation Council (TIAC) is an independent body that communicates regularly for the purposes of:

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    Reviewing and approving applications for (re)accreditation of operators

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    Reviewing and approving audit reports undertaken of an Operator’s systems

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    Ensuring the auditing of operators is consistent, fair, equitable and independent, provides due process for appeals against decisions, and maintains the integrity of TruckSafe

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    Approving and regulating auditor registrations

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    Assist in the reviewing of policy and principles of the TruckSafe Program to maintain and enhance the rigor and credibility of the program.

    This Council is made up of representatives from:

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    Industry

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    Government

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    Community

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    Livestock

    Furthermore, TIAC will make recommendations to the TruckSafe Board in relation to improvement of TruckSafe standards and audit methodologies.

    The members of TIAC

    Independent Chair
    Geoff Casey
    Member
    Robert Waldron
    Member
    Justin Fleming
    Member
    Denis Robertson
    Member
    Daniel Elkins

    The Secretariat

    The TruckSafe secretariat is responsible for the day-to-day administration and management of the Program.