Seven finalists have been named in the Community Leadership Award category of the 2026 Heavy Vehicle Industry Australia National Awards.
The Community Leadership Award recognises HVIA member companies that have actively contributed to strengthening communities through meaningful, inclusive and strategic engagement.
This award goes beyond traditional corporate social responsibility – it celebrates initiatives that create lasting value for people, places and industry reputation, whether through education, wellbeing, diversity, partnerships, community engagement or in-kind support.
The 2026 finalists are:
Australian Tyre Traders: Truck Week Community BBQs
Australian Tyre Traders used Truck Week 2026 to bring together employees, customers, transport operators and tyre service businesses through a series of community BBQs at depots and workplaces around Australia.
Its field workforce worked with participating businesses to coordinate events across metropolitan and regional locations, using informal workplace gatherings to recognise the people working across transport, warehousing and logistics and strengthen connections between businesses throughout the supply chain.
The initiative demonstrates how a simple, familiar activity can be used to bring an often dispersed industry community together. Australian Tyre Traders plans to build on the model through expanded participation in future Truck Weeks.
Cummins South Pacific: Climate Action Schools 2025 Student Program
Cummins has supported Climate Action Schools as its founding ESG partner, helping establish Sustainability Skills Centres and circular-economy activities in Queensland schools.
Cummins employees have participated in working bees, student visits and program development, while students and school staff have been directly involved in designing and operating activities. The program introduces young people to workplace concepts including waste reduction, systems thinking and LEAN practices while turning sustainability into practical, hands-on learning.
At Woodridge State High School alone, the nomination reports 33.3 tonnes of material diverted from landfill, annual waste-cost savings of approximately $27,000 and $6,000 in circular-economy income – demonstrating tangible community and environmental outcomes alongside student learning.
Mack Trucks Australia: TIACS Partnership
Mack Trucks Australia has partnered with TIACS to help make mental-health support more visible and accessible to truck drivers and tradespeople.
The partnership has used highly visible trucks as conversation starters, including the Razzle Dazzle truck developed with Martins Stock Haulage, supported by further promotion through Mack vehicles and industry events. These activities direct people towards TIACS’ free text and telephone counselling service and bring conversations about mental health into familiar industry environments.
The initiative combines the reach and visibility of an iconic heavy vehicle brand with a specialist support service, helping connect transport and trades workers with professional assistance when they need it.
Penske Australia: Soldier On Partnership
Penske Australia commenced a national partnership with Soldier On in December 2025 to support current and former Australian Defence Force personnel and their families as they transition to civilian life.
The partnership combines employment awareness, workplace education and opportunities to connect veterans with training and career pathways. Penske and Soldier On are also working to increase understanding of the transferable skills veterans bring to civilian workplaces and strengthen veteran-inclusive employment practices across Penske’s Australian workforce.
Structured as a multi-year partnership rather than a one-off sponsorship or fundraising activity, the initiative aims to create continuing connections between the veteran community and employment opportunities within industry.
Royans: Healthy Heads in Trucks & Sheds BBQ – Truck Week 2026
Royans used Truck Week 2026 to bring employees together across its 21 Australian branches for BBQs designed to encourage conversations about mental health and wellbeing.
Toolbox talks promoted Healthy Heads in Trucks & Sheds and Royans’ Employee Assistance Program, linking informal conversations between colleagues with avenues for confidential professional support. Employees were also invited to donate to Healthy Heads, with Royans matching their contributions.
By building the initiative around familiar branch gatherings rather than creating a standalone wellbeing program, Royans developed a practical model that can be repeated through regular workplace activities and future Truck Weeks.
Volvo Trucks Australia: Foodbank NSW & ACT Partnership
Volvo Trucks Australia has worked with Foodbank NSW & ACT on a purpose-built Volvo FH Globetrotter and refrigerated trailer combination designed to increase Foodbank’s capacity to collect and distribute fresh, chilled and frozen food.
The vehicle specification was developed with Foodbank and other project partners around the realities of long-distance transport, regional deliveries and destinations with limited loading infrastructure.
Since June 2025, the nomination reports that the vehicle has collected around 1.2 million kilograms of food, supported more than 700 community partners and travelled approximately 38,000 kilometres. Foodbank also reports that reducing its reliance on outsourced freight allows more resources to be directed towards food relief – demonstrating how heavy-vehicle expertise and equipment can make a direct contribution to community capacity.
WHG Telematics: Truckin’ Together
WHG Telematics brought industry and community partners together for Truckin’ Together, an event at the Ettamogah Rail Hub combining heavy vehicles, wellbeing, safety, mentoring and career exposure.
Developed with Polymer Connect, Healthy Heads in Trucks & Sheds, Boys to the Bush and the Ettamogah Rail Hub team, the event gave around 60–80 young people, family members and industry participants access to a working freight environment and opportunities to meet people working across transport and logistics.
The initiative brings together an industry site, operators, a wellbeing organisation and a youth or community partner in a model designed to be adapted for other locations – using the industry itself as the setting for connection, mentoring and exposure to future career possibilities.
The winners of the 2026 Heavy Vehicle Industry Australia National Awards will be announced at the HVIA Gala Dinner on Thursday, December 3 at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre.