Top trucker keeps his record - and rig - clean
ALEXANDRA WEAVER
20 Mar, 2010 03:00 AM
MICHAEL Jaensch's start in the transport industry was not a simple case of ambition and opportunity.

The Heywood resident began a career on the road after the tragic death of his brother, Leigh, a truck driver who was electrocuted while unloading his vehicle at a local timber mill.

"Probably three weeks or so after he died I ended up being trained to drive a semi-trailer and it just went from there," he said.

In the 30 years since climbing aboard a rig Mr Jaensch has forged a reputation as not only a skilled driver but a reliable, hard-working employee.

It's this dedication that has led to his nomination for the National Trucking Industry's professional driver of the year award, an honour he shares with just two other peers.

The 62-year-old said technology had developed rapidly over his three decades in the industry.

"You've got GPS in your truck; your road laws are entirely different and your vehicles are bigger," he said.

"There's more horsepower and more axles underneath them - there's a little bit more skill in stopping them."

Mr Jaensch's recognition follows his 2009 NatRoads professional driver of the year title.

"I've been very, very lucky to stick with the people who have employed me," he said.

"Probably my greatest thrill out of the whole thing is being able to serve the bosses who I have and being recognised for what I've reached today."

Mr Jaensch's ongoing employer of 23 years, Tony Noske, said he was grateful to have found such a dedicated driver.

"We're talking close to five- and-a-half million kilometres without an accident or an injury of any sort, and I don't ever remember him even putting a mark on a truck," he said.

"He's just a fantastic employee with a fantastic attitude; it's very rewarding to see that the industry recognises that level of excellence."

When not on the road Mr Jaensch relishes time spent with his two children and four grandchildren, also volunteering for Make-A-Wish Australia with wife Gail.

"It's very, very rewarding to see a wish granted," he said.

He'll be in Surfer's Paradise for the April 10 announcement, which will be made as part of the Australian Trucking Convention.