Ross Fraser: Warwick trucking icon inducted into Shell Rimula Wall of Fame

More than 50 years in the industry and decades at the helm of a trucking empire has cemented Ross Fraser’s spot among Australia’s transport greats.

Already a legend of Warwick’s own trucking and transport sector, Ross Fraser OAM has earned another national accolade that cements his place among the national industry’s best.

The Frasers Livestock Transport managing director was named as an icon into the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame at the Australian Festival of Transport earlier this month.

The honour came 16 years after Mr Fraser was first inducted into the National Road Transport Hall of Fame.

Mr Fraser said his lifetime in the industry began when he was about 15 years old, and he worked as a truckie and mechanic for a decade before moving into the management side of the business.

From his time on the road to his founding and tenure as president of the Livestock Transporters Association of Queensland and the Australian Livestock Transporters Association, Mr Fraser said his best memories were always the characters he came across.

“There’s no doubt it’s the people you meet along the way, the customers you meet, and also my involvement with the association side of the industry,” he said.

“I was only the second livestock carrier to be a chairman of the Australian Trucking Association.

“It’s also the involvement you have with the staff. I’ve worked with a lot of people and good staff we’ve been fortunate to have over all those years, and in some cases it’s third generation.

“Obviously it’s an honour and a privilege to think your peers in the industry have thought well enough of your contribution to nominate you as an icon of the industry. It’s something pretty special, isn’t it.”

Brothers Ross, Peter and Les Fraser, with Les’s son Warwick Fraser (front) have been the faces of livestock transport in Warwick for decades.

Proud to represent Warwick’s agricultural and industry sectors on so many national platforms over his career spanning more than 50 years, Mr Fraser said he believed the next generation would bring new promise to the region.

“Warwick’s a pretty special place. Having been born here and grown up here, it holds a special place certainly in my heart, and it’s great to be a part of it and great to be a part of seeing Warwick grow,” he said.

“If we do it properly, in a manner that attracts business to Warwick, I think the future of Warwick is assured.

“Business that not only fits in with the rural background of Warwick, but there are opportunities for manufacturing businesses to come to Warwick, and we need to welcome them with open arms and be positive about the future.”

Mr Fraser has previously been awarded the Order of Australia Medal, and received the industry’s most prestigious award at the National Trucking Industry Association conference in 2018.

Frasers Livestock Transport currently haul about 4 million head of livestock across 7 million km each year, with Ross joined by brother Les at the company helm.