Two of road transport’s biggest names have been honoured at a gala dinner by the Victorian Transport Association (VTA). Glen Cameron Group Founder and Managing Director, Glen Cameron, was presented with Life Membership of the VTA, the highest accolade awarded by the association.

In the Association’s 117-year history, it has only been presented 19 times, to emphasise, according to the VTA, its significance as a way of acknowledging service, loyalty and dedication from an especially distinguished member. Rocke Brothers co-founder Michael Rocke received the prestigious W.F.D Chalmers Award.

Over 100 senior representatives of the transport industry, past award winners and other freight and logistics stakeholders attended the annual black-tie event at Melbourne’s Athenaeum Club, which was sponsored by CMV Truck & Bus.

In receiving the honour Cameron joins other road transport luminaries such as Phillip Lovel, Paul Freestone, Gavin Murphy and Lou Arthur.

During his presentation VTA President Cameron Dunn lauded Glen Cameron’s long-standing record of success and achievement as founder and managing director of the Glen Cameron Group.

“Glen joined the industry working for his father Ed’s business out of school and started his own operation with an eight-tonne tray truck in 1975, aged only 22,” he said.

“The Glen Cameron Group has grown into a multimillion-dollar logistics company that is the envy of operators around Australia,” Dunn said.

“He has directly employed hundreds of transport workers over his 44 years trading, and hundreds more indirectly, and his business has made a massive and positive contribution to the economic livelihoods of the communities it operates in.”

Dunn also paid tribute to Glen Cameron’s extensive record as a VTA and Executive Council member.

“Glen has been an active and energetic member of the VTA for over 40 years, serving as Vice President and a member of the Executive Council for most of those years, which is indicative of his passion for the Association and industry, and his commitment to seeing it prosper. There is no one more deserving of VTA Life Membership than Glen and I am thrilled to present him with this recognition on behalf of the Association,” said Dunn.

The W.F.D Chalmers Award was instituted by the VTA in memory of Daryl Chalmers, who was a member of the Executive Council for over 40 years.

It is presented annually to recognise individuals that have supported and worked with the Association over many years, with dedication, loyalty, and commitment to its existence and longevity.

“Tonight’s recipient well and truly exceeds every one of these criteria,” Dunn said in announcing Michael Rocke as the 2019 recipient of the W.F.D Chalmers Award.

“Mick has devoted virtually his entire working life to the transport industry as a carrier on the Melbourne waterfront. He grew up in Cheltenham as a massive Saints supporter, attending St Bedes College in Mentone where he received his HSC in 1976,” he said.

Rocke was hired by McIlwraith McEacharn, a Scottish shipping agency, where he worked initially in a clerical role.

He moved to E.A. Rocke, then part of Mayne Nickless, where he worked up until 1995. When Rocke left E.A. Rocke he was Victorian state manager and Rocke’s was the largest carrier on the Melbourne waterfront.

According to Dunn, it was in 2003 that Mick was the driving force behind the establishment of Rocke Brothers – a greenfield start up where he continues to work today.

“His industry knowledge and personal relationships in this sector would be difficult to match, and his personal strengths of honesty and fairness, and his excellent ability to build and sustain customer and industry relationships over a long period have been instrumental in his success,” he said.

VTA CEO Peter Anderson joined Cameron Dunn in congratulating Glen Cameron and Michael Rocke for their years of dedicated service to the industry and the Association.

“Glen and Mick deserve the thanks and appreciation of everyone from the Association for their passionate support of our industry,” he said.

This article was originally published on the Prime Mover Magazine website and can be viewed here