Self-anointed truckies’ campaigner, the United Transport Group (UTG), has undergone its second major management shake-up since its launch just six months ago.
Board member Colin Dyne, a highly regarded veteran driver, announced his departure on Facebook this week, while Big Rigs understands that former driver-turned academic Darren Delaney, a key member of the group’s executive advisory team, has also relinquished his position.
Both Dyne and Delaney arrived at the UTG soon after five of the original board members resigned in quick succession last October after refusing to sign a confidentiality agreement.
“I wish to advise that I have resigned as Chief Operating Officer from UTG,” wrote WA-based Dyne on his Facebook page yesterday.
“As of today, I have no further connection to the association United Transport Group. Under the terms of my Confidentiality Agreement with UTG, I am not at liberty to discuss any of the Group’s details publicly.
“I will continue to be an advocate for change and improvement in the Transport Industry and if you wish to have any discussion on Industry Issues, I am always here to assist where I can.”
Although both Dyne and Delaney are gagged from revealing details of the inner workings of UTG by confidentiality clauses, Big Rigs has learned from sources that they struck similar governance issues as their predecessors with CEO Roxanne Mysko.
“There was a huge difference of opinion due to the dictatorial manner in which the CEO is running things,” said one insider.
“If you want a group of people working with you to achieve aims and objectives of a corporation, group or association, decisions need to be collective decisions and unfortunately that was never the case.”
Dyne did, however, tell us he still believes that harnessing the collective voice of the nation’s truckies is the answer to effecting positive changes.
“I believed that I could offer some form of direction and leadership with my owner personal networks, and collectively, if we all did the same, we might even just hit a run and put a score on the board,” he said.
“Even one score on the board is better than none.”
As for former truckie Delaney, Big Rigs has learned that he lost faith in the UTG delivering on its promises, and was frustrated by the lack of results.
Funded by annual memberships that start from $100, the group claims in its online mission statement that it aims to bring everyone together in transport so there “is a one stop shop for support and as a powerful voice to government for better operating conditions, less regulations, reductions in fines & sustainable industry changes in regulations to provide fairness for operations”.
Yet, aside from the apparent formation of industry specific groups to better inform the board of key industry issues, and two recent submissions by Mysko to the Senate inquiry into the road transport industry, the UTG’s profile seems limited to social media posts on its Facebook page.
Mysko has been approached for comment.