Livestock truckie Matthew Benseman has been named the Livestock, Bulk and Rural Carriers Association (LBRCA) 2021 SafeWork NSW Young Driver of the Year.
The 33-year-old has been in the trucking game for the past decade, joining Maloney Livestock Transport in 2018, after successful stints with Woods Transport and Stockmaster. These days, you’ll find him behind the wheel of a shiny new Kenworth T659, which he was given the keys to just before Christmas last year. A new set of Byrne trailers will also be coming his way in the next few weeks.
Originally from New Zealand, Benseman came to Australia for a working holiday. After meeting his partner, he decided to stay – and he hasn’t looked back. He now lives in Westdale in Tamworth, NSW.
“I started out working on a farm and doing a bit of casual truck driving, so I thought I’d give it a go full time,” he said.
Though his family aren’t involved in trucking, his partner’s brother and father both cart livestock, and he decided to try it out too.
In his role with Maloney’s, Benseman carts mainly sheep, as well as a bit of cattle, to an abattoir in Frederickton, NSW, which is not too far from Kempsey.
“I didn’t know what to expect when I started carting livestock but I enjoy going to work with my dogs and I enjoy carting sheep. You get a bit of responsibility in running your own show and being on the road, meeting new people and going new places,” explained Benseman.
“Maloney’s is a really good company to work for. They encourage young drivers and don’t mind teaching you things. They have experienced drivers there who are happy to give us advice and help when necessary.”
Director of Maloney Livestock Transport Mick Maloney said Benseman has a good habit of looking at the big picture and is an excellent employee with a no fuss approach to his work.
On being named the LBRCA Young Driver of the Year, Benseman said it was an honour to be nominated and a surprise to win. As part of his prize, he has won a $5,000 trip to a destination of his choice. He is hoping to put this towards a trip to the United States but this will depend on whether or not COVID restrictions ease over the next 12 months. “If the States are a no-go, then I’ll probably go to WA,” he said.