The Australian Trucking Association (ATA) has today congratulated industry leader Mike Almond, who was made a Member of the Order of Australia in the 2012 Queen’s Birthday Honours List.

The Chairman of the ATA, David Simon, said Mike Almond had been a founding member of the ATA’s TruckSafe program (www.trucksafe.com.au), an industry initiative that has dramatically improved trucking operator safety.

“Operators seeking TruckSafe accreditation must meet high safety and management standards in their businesses. These standards considerably exceed the ones required by law. The operators are audited regularly by independent auditors selected by TruckSafe,” Mr Simon said.

“TruckSafe operators are twice as safe as non-accredited operators, and NSW figures show that trucks in the scheme have markedly fewer mechanical defects than non-accredited trucks or trucks in the government compliance scheme, NHVAS.

“As one of the founding members of the scheme, and then as its long serving chairman, Mike has made a vital contribution to improving the safety of the trucking industry and Australia’s roads.

“My own company, Simon National Carriers, is in the TruckSafe program. I can attest to its value from my own experience as an operator: it has provided us with a sound platform to document, improve and verify our compliance with our safety obligations.”

In addition to his contribution to the TruckSafe program, Mike Almond was the chairman of the ATA from 2002 to 2004 and remains a director of the association. He is the managing director of Mountain Industries, a highly regarded logistics company that transports, stores and manages bulk materials.

Mr Simon also congratulated the managing director of the PGA Group, Peter Gunn, who was made a Member of the Order of the Australia for his services to the transport industry and the development of innovative freight logistics strategies.

“Peter pioneered the development of road and rail transport vehicles capable of carrying greater cubic volumes, and was a director of the ATA Trust from 1995 to 2005,” Mr Simon said.