The Australian Trucking Association has announced the winners of the 2026 National Trucking Industry Awards.
The ATA represents the 60,000 businesses and 200,000 people in the Australian trucking industry and each year recognises industry excellence through its award program.
“The recipients of this year’s awards have demonstrated outstanding dedication to their businesses and the wider community,” ATA Chair Mark Parry said.
“They are the best our industry has to offer, and they are examples to us all.”
The 2026 National Trucking Industry Award winners are:
Outstanding Contribution to the Australian Trucking Industry
Michael Edmonds, NTI (Brisbane, Qld)
National Professional Driver of the Year
John Parry, IOR (Cannon Hill, Qld)
National Trucking Industry Woman of the Year
Jodie Jarratt, Jarratt Transport Solutions (Benowa, Qld)
National Trucking Industry Workforce Award
Formula Chemicals (West Ryde, NSW)
TruckSafe John Kelly Memorial Award
K & S Freighters (Truganina, Vic)
Don Watson Memorial Award
David Simon
The award winners were announced at the 2026 ATA Foundation Sponsors Gala Awards Dinner, held on Hamilton Island on 5 June as part of the trucking’s industry’s premier event, Trucking Australia 2026. As well as the dinner and other networking events, Trucking Australia 2026 featured 13 conference sessions with 39 presenters and panellists.
The details of the award winners are below.
Media image. Suggested caption:
L-R: Leigh Smart, representing 2026 National Trucking Industry Workforce Award winner Formula Chemicals; 2026 National Professional Driver of the Year John Parry; 2026 National Trucking Industry Woman of the Year Jodie Jarrett; 2026 Don Watson Memorial Award winner David Simon; 2026 Outstanding Contribution to the Australian Trucking Industry winner Michael Edmonds; Simon Skazlic, representing 2026 TruckSafe John Kelly Memorial Award winner K&S Freighters.
2026 NATIONAL TRUCKING INDUSTRY AWARD WINNERS
Outstanding Contribution to the Australian Trucking Industry (Award sponsors: National Transport Insurance, Volvo Trucks, BP Australia)
Michael Edmonds, NTI
Mike Edmonds is a well-known leader and personality throughout the trucking and insurance industries.
Mike entered the workforce in 1981 as a police officer, but has since spent 30 years working in or around the transport industry for Finemore Holdings, the ATA and then NTI.
He led the ATA’s TruckSafe program, participates on a wide range of working groups as an insurance expert and is the steward of NTI’s association strategy.
Transport operators and insurance brokers lean on Mike for advice as a respected, empathetic and calm leader. He has mentored many people; he regards watching them reach their full potential to be amongst his greatest successes.
National Professional Driver of the Year (Award sponsors: National Transport Insurance, Volvo Trucks, BP Australia)
John Parry, IOR
John Parry is a tanker driver at IOR, where he is responsible for distributing fuel to retail, agricultural, rail, commercial and marine bunkering customers.
John has more than 30 years of experience as a tanker driver, including 11 years in the army with two operational deployments. He demonstrates exceptional standards in both personal and vehicle presentation. Customers frequently request John by name for their deliveries, which speaks to his professionalism, reliability and customer service skills.
IOR’s driver base consider John to be a driver of choice for shift partnering. He provides mentoring and coaching to new drivers, drawing on his extensive industry and military experience
National Trucking Industry Woman of the Year (Award sponsor: Cummins South Pacific)
Jodie Jarratt, Jarratt Transport Solutions
Jodie Jarratt is the co-owner of Jarratt Transport Solutions, where she has a central role in business operations, people management, safety and strategy.
At Jarratt Transport Solutions, Jodie introduced TruckSafe, the NHVAS BFM, mass and maintenance modules, and in more recent years electronic work diaries, onboard scales, and PBS B-triples and road trains into Victoria.
Jodie has also focused on driver wellbeing, including by equipping trucks with microwaves, sleeper cab air conditioning and inverters.
In addition to leading her business, Jodie has served on the boards of the QTA and Transport Women Australia Ltd, where she was the Deputy Chair.
National Trucking Industry Workforce Award (Award sponsor: Teletrac Navman)
Formula Chemicals (NSW)
Formula Chemicals (NSW) Pty Ltd is an Australian-owned chemical manufacturing and distribution business with more than fifty-three years of experience.
Since its founding in 1973 by Leigh and Colleen Smart, the company has grown into a nationally respected supplier of chemical products and transport services. The Smart family remains hands-on in the business.
In 2026, Formula Chemicals will expand its safety reporting and leadership programs, deliver structured driver training and bring in wellness and leadership development programs.
The company will continue to support workforce diversity, including employees from Fijian, Samoan, Indigenous, Irish traveller and other backgrounds. It will also continue its Work Release Program with Corrective Services NSW.
TruckSafe John Kelly Memorial Award (Award Sponsor: AEI Insurance Group)
K & S Freighters
Formed in 1945 as a partnership between Jack Kain and Aub Shelton, K&S (Kain and Shelton) started trading in Mount Gambier.
Since then, it has evolved to become one of Australia and New Zealand’s largest national multi-modal providers of transport and distribution services, with outstanding facilities and one of the largest company-owned and operated fleets in the two countries.
K&S joined TruckSafe in 1996 as a founding member.
Don Watson Memorial Award
David Simon
David Simon is the executive chairman of Simon National Carriers and has a deep understanding of the industry both as an operator and at an association level.
David was the Chair of the ATA from 2010 to 2014 and represented the industry at the Australian Government’s 2011 tax forum. In 2013, he delivered a nationally televised address at the National Press Club, where he released a major report into road funding and how the trucking industry is charged for its use of the road system.
David is passionate about fixing heavy vehicle regulation, truck charges and fatigue management. Within his own company, he implemented a dedicated 90 km/h linehaul speed limit to improve fuel efficiency and safety.
