The Australian Trucking Association (ATA) has today congratulated trucking professionals Tom Lindsay and Paul Freestone, who have each been honoured in the Australia Day 2020 Honours List.
Honoured for their service to the road transport industry and to the community, Mr Lindsay and Mr Freestone have both been awarded a medal of the Order of Australia.
"Tom and Paul have each demonstrated a lifelong passion and dedication to the trucking industry, making notable contributions to the improvement of industry professionalism and innovation," ATA Chair Geoff Crouch said.
Tom Lindsay has had a long history in the transport industry, as a co-founder of Lindsay Brothers Transport (now part of Lindsay Australia) in 1953, and as a member of the Long Distance Road Transport Association (now ATA member association NatRoad) since 1964.
Mr Lindsay was inducted into the National Road Transport Hall of Fame in 2003, the Queensland Road Transport Legends Hall of Fame in 2013, and the National Road Transport Hall of Fame as an Industry Icon in 2019.
"With this brother Peter, Tom grew Lindsay Brothers Transport from a three-truck operation to become one of Australia's largest refrigerated transport fleets," Mr Crouch said.
"Tom has been a trucking pioneer, keeping up with industry transformation and change across his nearly 70 years with Lindsay Brothers."
Paul Freestone has been Managing Director and Proprietor, Freestone's Transport, since 1981 and was the President of the Australian Road Transport Industrial Organisation for seven years.
Mr Freestone has had a long involvement with ATA member association, the Victorian Transport Association. Mr Freestone has been a VTA Board Member since 1998, served as Vice-President from 2000-2007, was President from 2008-2015, and became a life member of the association in 2015.
In 2010, Mr Freestone was inducted into the National Road Transport Hall of Fame.
"Paul is a self-made, first generation transport operator. His strong work ethic and passion for trucking is something to be admired," Mr Crouch said.
"There are many outstanding individuals in the trucking industry like Tom and Paul, and it's important they are recognised for their contribution."
The ATA and its member associations collectively represent the 50,000 businesses and 200,000 people in the Australian trucking industry. Together, the ATA and its members are committed to safety, professionalism and viability.
