The man behind Jim Pearson Transport has passed.
Commercial road transport in Australia is mourning the loss of the much-respected Jim Pearson Snr.
His association with commercial road transport began in the mid-1950s with the establishment of Lake Macquarie Freighters and Macquarie Transport.
In 1974 he moved the business to the north central coast of NSW where he started Jim Pearson Transport, the highly successful national carrier still running today with over 200 prime movers.
Former ATA Chair Denis Robertson said Pearson was a tremendous contributor to industry and was highly regarded for his integrity and professionalism.
“Jim was a person who was committed to keeping people safe,” said Robertson.
“He was willing to be the first to put up his hand when help was needed,” he said.
“Jim understood the industry’s needs and was a great advocate for industry unity, recognising the need for a single, united voice nationally.
“Jim’s motivation and influence are still evident today with his son Jim Pearson Jnr, who has taken over the family business and continues to uphold his father’s high standards.”
For more than four decades Pearson Snr led by example with a consistent and intuitive dedication for excellence in safety.
He is considered one of the first pioneers of satellite tracking to manage fatigue in the country.
Pearson , who served briefly as Deputy Mayor in Port Macquarie, where the company is headquartered, retired in 2007, having sold the company to his son,
In 2015 the Australian Trucking Association recognised Jim Pearson Transport with one of the many awards it has won over the years.