TruckWeek 2012

Queensland alone hosted eleven different events to bring awareness and acknowledgement to the industry that is so crucial to Australia, while New South Wales saw nine different events organised throughout the State.

In NSW, the week has kicked off with a BBQ for truck drivers outside Sydney's Port Botany, which ran every morning of TruckWeek. Celebrity sausage sizzlers will include Minister for Roads and Ports Duncan Gay, ATA NSW Manager Jill Lewis, CEO and Director Sydney Ports Grant Gilfillan and RMS General Manager Compliance Paul Endycott.

In Canberra, the Australian Trucking Association (ATA) organised a parliamentary delegation program, inviting politicians to meet with industry leaders to discuss the key issues facing the industry.

The Alice Springs Road Transport Historical Society's Truckies ReUnion in the Northern Territory is a highlight of TruckWeek for many, and this year's ReUnion was no exception, attracting close to 1,000 visitors. The ReUnion ran from August 23 - 26, with a highlight being Saturday's (August 25) Shell Gala Dinner in the RTHS's Buntine pavilion.

This year, more than 120 truckies were inducted into the National Road Transport Hall of Fame, while a highlight of Sunday (August 26) was the 32-strong truck convoy led by the 2012 Truckin' Life Rig of the Year, Julie Gavin's outstanding pink Western Star. Gavin, who had used the truck in a fundraising drive from Brisbane to Perth, donated the $5,000 prize for Rig of the Year to the McGrath Foundation. Along with 'Truckies Day', the Rig of the Year run was a new feature at the Alice Springs ReUnion this year

The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator Project Office has held a webinar online to discuss the coming changes the regulator will bring, and allow people from all over the country to ask questions of Project Manager Richard Hancock.

This year, TruckWeek even appeared on TV, thanks to road safety ads placed by ATA member association NatRoad.

"The trucking industry has some of the most dedicated and professional staff in the country, and we continue to make great strides in safety," ATA Chairman David Simon said.