Road train pioneer Roger Sykes has been recognised for his services to the community with a Medal of the Order of Australia on the King’s Birthday Honours List today.
Sykes’ long list of community service stretches back to the 1950s when he started as a volunteer firey for Country Fire Authority (CFA), Victoria. He later served on various CFA committees.
The Geelong-based CFA Life Member, now 84, still never misses a monthly committee meeting, 67 years after he first signed up.
Sykes also had a stint as Mayor of City of South Barwon from 1991-93, and was President of the Western District Historic Vehicle Club from 2011-2013.
In the road freight transport community, Sykes left an indelible mark as one of the pioneers of the road train in Australia, a feat recognised with induction into the road transport industry’s Wall of Fame in Alice Springs in 2005.
Sykes started his road transport business, Sykes Transport, from humble beginnings as a 19-year-old, delivering parcels from the Geelong train station to the local post office in a motorbike sidecar.
The motorbike was quickly replaced by a ute, then a Ford Transit van and by 1962, a four-tonne tray truck, the largest truck at that time, was purchased.
A year later a semi-trailer was added to the fleet, which by then consisted of four vehicles, and Sykes Transport was off and running on its long and storied history of carrying freight interstate.
By 1973, 10 trucks were in operation, mostly on interstate runs from Geelong.
It was around this time that Sykes Transport carried its first load of general freight from Geelong to Perth, and Sykes saw enormous opportunities for further expansion.
In 1981 Sykes Transport was the first operator to obtain the necessary permits and one of the first to operate road trains, along with Cracknell’s Refrigerated Transport, across the Nullarbor on the company’s east–west interstate haulage tasks.
“During those early years of operating road trains across the Nullarbor we received a lot of opposition from other transport operators who could not see the benefits for all involved,” writes Sykes Transport on its website.
“It proves the commitment that has been inbred into our company to create economical improvements by ways of innovation, not only to benefit our customers but to survive and thrive for over 60 years in an industry that many others have failed.”
When rail finally got its act together with its east–west freight services, by 1998, however, the decision was made to end the company’s golden run across ‘The Paddock’ and refocus on the west.
Sykes, who was ready to retire, stepped back and handed over the reins to Perth-based son David who took over as CEO that same year and is still in charge today of a fleet of 25 prime movers and a dozen rigids and 60 staff moving general freight from its depots in Perth and Kalgoorlie.
David spoke to Big Rigs today on behalf of Roger, who although is still living independently, has his share of health battles with dementia and Parkinson’s disease to contend with.
“He’s exceptionally happy about the King’s Birthday honour and proud as punch,” David said.
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