The Australian Trucking Association, Geotab and Volvo Group Australia are proud to announce the participants in the 2026 ATA Future Leaders Forum.
The Future Leaders Forum is an award-winning leadership program that gives young leaders in the trucking industry the tools and training they need to become strong, effective industry advocates.
The 2026 Future Leaders were selected by the ATA's member associations and TruckSafe.
"Here we have a diverse group of talented individuals from across the trucking industry," ATA Chair Mark Parry said.
"It's important we give them the opportunities, skills and connections to step up and lead. Through the Future Leaders Forum, we're investing in our future leaders today to build a stronger, more resilient industry for tomorrow."
"We are very excited to work with our ATA Foundation Sponsor, Volvo, and Geotab to roll-out the refreshed Future Leaders Forum to the 2026 cohort," ATA Marketing and Partnerships Director Bianca D'Rosario said.
"Geotab is proud to support the refreshed ATA Future Leaders Forum and help invest in the next generation shaping Australia's trucking industry," Associate Vice President of Heavy Transport, Geotab APAC, Andrew Hintz said.
"We are excited to continue working with the ATA to support the long-term success and resilience of the transport sector. Developing strong industry leaders today will help ensure the industry is well positioned to meet the challenges and opportunities of tomorrow."
"Australian industry is crying out for talented young leaders equipped to tackle rapid change and technology head on," Vice President People and Culture, Volvo Group Australia, Jane Humphreys said.
"I wish this cohort of emerging leaders all the best over the course of this program and look forward to seeing them progress, develop and grow."
The 2026 program will move to a hybrid format of online and in-person learning, allowing participants to continue working while completing course modules at their own pace.
Participants will complete a series of workshops and participate in a group industry advocacy project to be presented at Trucking Australia 2027.
In 2024, the Future Leaders Forum won the LearnX Platinum Award for Best Learning and Talent Development in the industry-specific leadership development category.
THE 2026 FUTURE LEADERS ARE:
Mandy Solar, Followmont Transport (NatRoad)
Mandy is an Operational Trainer at Followmont Transport in Brisbane. She has worked in the trucking industry for five years, starting as a PUD driver before moving into linehaul driving and now her current role.
As an Operational Trainer, she works across driver training, assessment and capability development. She also supports onboarding and licence progression through to safety initiatives and broader workforce development projects. She is passionate about moving learning beyond ticking compliance boxes and using it to build genuine capability, confidence and safer outcomes across the transport industry.
Jacinta Lane, Airtec (National Road Freighters Association)
Jacinta Lane is the Business Manager at Airtec Corporation/Airtec SmartOBM on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, and has been with Airtec for the past five years. Jacinta leads business development, customer relationships, strategic initiatives and marketing, with a focus on delivering technology solutions that improve safety, compliance and operational efficiency across the transport industry.
She has played a key role in the market launch and growth of Airtec's AXS SmartOBM system, working closely with transport operators and industry stakeholders to support the adoption of intelligent On-Board Mass technology.
Jacinta is also a Director of Transport Women Australia Limited, where she contributes to initiatives supporting and empowering women across Australia's transport and logistics industry.
Daniel Mikosic, Multiquip (Livestock, Bulk & Rural Carriers Association)
Daniel Mikosic is the General Manager of Multiquip, based in Sydney. With over 15 years of experience in the trucking and transport industry, Daniel has developed extensive expertise in fleet operations, workshop management, compliance, safety and customer service.
In his role, Daniel oversees the day-to-day operations of the business, including fleet maintenance, workshop performance, customer relationships and strategic growth initiatives. He is passionate about building strong teams, improving operational efficiency and delivering high-quality outcomes for customers across the transport industry.
Casuarina Smith, Trucking with CJ (Transport Women Australia Ltd)
Casuarina (CJ) Smith is a heavy vehicle driver and the founder of Trucking with CJ. She holds multi-combination and dangerous goods licences, and over the past decade has worked her way from concrete agitators and truck and dog tippers through to mining, harvest and fuel haulage. Today she hauls a race transporter for Scott Taylor Motorsport to Supercars and Porsche events around the country alongside her contract driving.
Since starting Trucking with CJ in 2022, she has built a community of more than 300,000 people across Australia, New Zealand, the UK and the US, sharing the behind-the-scenes of the industry to help attract new people into trucking and support those already in it.
Luke Morton, Ron Finemore Transport (TruckSafe)
Luke is the Operations Manager - Goulburn/Sydney Division for Ron Finemore Transport based in Marsden Park, Sydney. He has worked for RFT for the past three years managing the driving team and operations staff across Canberra, Goulburn and Sydney.
He manages a contract with a large supermarket chain delivering to stores in the metro Sydney, ACT/Riverina and the South Coast area. He was involved in overseeing the contract double in size with budgeted loads and moving depots from Prestons to Marsden Park in Sydney.
Chris Swadling, Lindsay Australia (Queensland Trucking Association)
Chris is the National Maintenance Manager at Lindsay Transport, based in Sydney. He has worked in the trucking industry for nearly 20 years, starting as an apprentice mechanic in 2007.
Chris oversees 140 staff across workshops and wash bays, from Cairns to Tasmania and west to Perth. Lindsay Australia operates seven workshops that maintain all aspects of the fleet, including paint and panel facilities.
Dimity Andrews, North West Quarries (Western Australia Transport Industry Association)
Dimity works at the intersection of policy, industry research and strategic development for North West Quarries, focusing on workforce, freight and emerging transport challenges across the sector.
Her role is to turn industry evidence, stakeholder insight and operational realities into practical policy positions, targeted workforce initiatives and longer-term strategic responses that strengthen the productivity, resilience and future capability of Western Australia's transport industry.
Shane McLoughlin, Formula Chemicals (Road Freight New South Wales)
Shane is the Operations Manager at Formula Chemicals in West Ryde, NSW and has worked in the trucking industry for 10 years. He started at Formula Chemicals in the chlor‑alkali production team, where he developed his technical knowledge and experience in chemical manufacturing.
He oversees and coordinates day-to-day operations, working closely with the production, transport, logistics and administration teams to ensure operations are safe, efficient and compliant with company and regulatory requirements.
Shane works closely with drivers and the dispatch team to help ensure the safe and efficient delivery of hazardous goods, while maintaining compliance with safety and transport requirements. He also helps improve processes, train new employees and solve operational issues.
