New Zealand Truck & Driver founder and publisher Trevor Woolston is one of six new inductees into the Mobil Delvac 1 NZ Road Transport Hall of Fame.
Woolston was honoured alongside the HoF’s first woman inductee, Otago transport operator Anita Dynes; prominent log transport industry leaders Warwick Wilshier and Graham Sheldrake; tyre industry veteran Jim Black; and the late Sir Jack Newman – longtime head of the pioneering Newman Bros transport operation and founder of Transport Nelson (TNL).
The inductees were welcomed into the HoF at the annual gala dinner at the Bill Richardson Transport World in Invercargill in mid-November.
The 64-year-old Woolston has actually started two magazines that cover the road transport industry, first launching NZ Trucking (in 1985)…
And then, having sold that in 1995, he returned to publishing four years later with NZ Truck & Driver.
Woolston pays tribute to wife and business partner Sue, and to his family (two of whom also work in the business): “I’m proud of the team I have around me. We’ve been together a long time. It’s not a one-man job. Sue deserves a lot of credit.”
His story, he says, is another example “of the strong part that family plays in the transport industry.”
Anita Dynes is credited as having been a crucial part of the development of Dynes Transport, alongside husband Jim.
HoF co-founder and HW Richardson Group director Jocelyn O’Donnell said: “There is no worthier woman to be the first recognised as a Hall of Fame inductee than Anita Dynes. 
“The transport industry has long been a male-dominated field, but the contribution made by many women has been absolutely vital in growing and strengthening the NZ transport industry as a whole.”
The HoF citation says that over 50 years, until her retirement two years ago, “Anita’s strong work ethic, family values and tenacity have been crucial to the success of Dynes Transport…”
Sheldrake, who is on the HoF selection panel, was clearly gobsmacked by the announcement of his name as an inductee.
Since driving the formation of the Log Haulage Contractors Association in the 1980s, the now-retired Tokoroa transport operator has put huge time and energy into numerous key roles in industry organisations – including the presidency of NZRTA Region 2, the board of the RTF, the Transport & Logistics Industry Training Organisation and the Log Truck Safety Council.
Jim Black has been a key supplier to the industry through his co-ownership of Bandag tyre retread factories in Dunedin and Christchurch and eight Tyre General outlets around the South Island.
Warwick Wilshier is one of the industry’s most successful log transport operators – but in addition has chaired the Log Transport Safety Council for two decades…leading the successful drive to improve logtruck safety with the Static Roll Threshold and campaigns including Share the Road and Fit for the Road and sleep apnoea testing.
His HoF citation says that he is “called upon daily for assistance from many people – from drivers to forest managers, to fellow carriers, to Transport Agency….to Transport Forum.” His advice is “all given freely and honestly, in a warm and generous manner.  Warwick has truly been a leader in his field.” 
At the age of 28 Sir Jack Newman became MD of Newman Bros – the coach operation started in 1879 by his father and uncle. He built it into a business with a nationwide fleet of buses, campervans, rental cars and trucks….and also turned it onto a major player in NZ tourism.
He also founded TNL in 1938 with about 50 trucks. By the time he retired in 1980 it was one of NZ’s biggest transportation and trucking companies, with 1500 vehicles.