New drivers, old hands, smart brains and clever operators were honoured at the 2025 South Island Seminar Industry Awards held in Christchurch on June 28.

The awards, hosted by Transporting New Zealand, celebrate individuals and organisations making major contributions to the road transport sector through innovation, safety, industry awareness, and training.

The Supreme Contribution to NZ Road Transport Award was a posthumous award to Alex McLellan who tragically died in a workplace accident last year. 

Alex was the founder of Balclutha’s McLellan’s Freight and was a huge presence in the freight sector. He was well known for his big hearted and generous nature, his sense of fun, and a commitment to making the industry better.  

The award was accepted on his behalf by widow Kim Unahi-McLellan, herself a key player in the sector.

Five other awards were presented at the Christchurch event. 

Jax Smith and Jen Hall, the co-owners of Marlborough’s Renwick Transport, won the TrackIT Logistics Women in Road Freight Transport Award. 

From advocating for diversity to lifting grape harvest logistics standards in Marlborough, they are a driving force for change, community and inclusion in the industry.

The EROAD Young Driver Award went to Sydney Sangster of Conroy Removals.

Aged 22, Sydney is a top-tier operator, navigating the South Island in B-Trains with confidence and skill. From tail-lift trucks to career day presentations, she’s delivering excellence and promoting the industry to the next generation of drivers.

The EROAD Outstanding Contribution to Health and Safety Award went to Hammar New Zealand Limited for their AI-powered pedestrian detection system. 

Installed on side-loaders, the system identifies when people are too close to a trailer or vehicle, triggering real-time visual and audio alerts for operators.

The Hammar safety milestone is profiled in detail on page 67 of this issue of New Zealand Truck & Driver.

The Fruehauf Outstanding Contribution to Innovation Award went to TrackIT Logistics for its end-to-end business platform. It integrates dispatch, compliance, safety, stock management and live data, and is the trusted tool for many businesses nationwide.

The Outstanding Contribution to Training Award went to MOVe Logistics, which has embedded training into the fabric of its operations.  

The company has delivered a range of development opportunities for its people, supporting qualifications across the Level 3 Heavy Vehicle Operator programme, micro-credentials and business training.

Dom Kalasih, the chief executive for Transporting New Zealand, says it’s fantastic to see the calibre and the numbers of people nominated for the awards. 

“Times are tough at the moment, but these are the people and the companies that don’t shy away from investing in their products, and their people,” says Dom. 

“I applaud all the nominees and the winners for making our industry better in all sorts of ways.” 

The North Island Industry Awards Dinner sponsored by ICVS is being held at the seminar event planned for the Napier War Memorial Hall on Saturday October 11. Nominations can be made via the Transporting New Zealand website until Sunday September 14.