Ray Martin visits Warwick to meet trucking’s finest

The renowned TV journalist came to town as part of his work with a brand-new product promoting truckies’ safety.

INDUSTRIES’ FINEST: TV journalist Ray Martin with Ross Fraser and Mark Collins from Frasers Livestock Transport. Picture: Jessica Paul

SOME of Warwick’s trucking and freight royalty were paid a visit by one of Australia’s most well-known TV journalists yesterday afternoon.

Media legend Ray Martin, most renowned for his work with the ABC and such programs as 60 Minutes and A Current Affair, made the trip to Warwick as part of his ambassadorship for an innovative product in trucking safety.

Mr Martin said the system, designed by Victorian inventor Matt Vaughan, was essentially designed to better regulate the air valves on transportation vehicles, making them more stable on long trips.

“I genuinely think it’s a game changer for trucking, not just in Australia but around the world,” Mr Martin said.

“I don’t have any shares in it or anything, but I love this story about one little Aussie invention that could change the world of trucking.”

Mr Martin went to both Wickham Freight Lines and Frasers Livestock Transport during his visit.

Frasers director Ross Fraser said he would look at trialling the product in the near future after the visit.

“We don’t have any in yet, but we are going to trial this product,” Mr Fraser said.

“It helps to lighten the truck’s load a bit better and make them more stable.

“It should be helpful for our drivers.

“And it was definitely interesting meeting Mr Martin, especially in Warwick.”

For Mr Martin, the town was the obvious choice when deciding which trucking companies would be best to trial the new system.

“Warwick is such an epicentre of the trucking business, especially with people like the Frasers and Wickhams,” he said.

“We’ve got five or six companies (in Australia) that are now trialling it, and hopefully they’ll accept it and pick it up.

“I would say the system itself is off the straight and is about to cross the finish line.”

Mr Martin added that while the product had been 13 years in the making and looked like it was just about ready to hit the roads, the top priority remained driver safety.

“Everyone we’ve spoken to, including Ross, the number one thing they emphasises is safety,” he said.

“It’s honestly critical, and it’s the bottom line of everything they do.”

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