Reg Mills
As a Director of Mills Transport for over 50 years, Reg Mills is justifiably proud.
A.J. Mills & Sons Pty Ltd was started by Regs grandfather, Archibald, in Burringbar, Northern NSW in 1924 delivering goods to and from the railhead in a second hand Model T Ford truck. Regs uncle Wilfred (Mick) joined the business in 1934 and his father Eric joined in 1937.
After working as a Chartered Accountant in Sydney, Newcastle and Brisbane, Reg returned to Murwillumbah in 1964 to begin work with the company. He was later joined by his brother, Kelvin, and cousins Michael and Noel (both retired).
In 1968 Reg moved to Lismore to oversee construction of a new head office and he remained there managing the company accounts.
The next 47 years was a busy time for the company and local truck dealer, Brown & Hurley as the initial fleet of Leyland Comets, Albions, Mercedes Benz and Internationals made way for more than 200 Kenworths. The big green trucks were a common sight on the Pacific Highway as Mills Transport provided daily services between Brisbane, Sydney and Northern New South Wales establishing their reputation as a strong regional carrier.
During this time, Regs experience as an accountant was well used as he managed the company finances and sourced new contract opportunities. Safety and efficiency were key driving forces and led to developments such as the registration of the 3rd B-Double in New South Wales, membership of Team200 (later TruckSafe) and accreditation to be the only carrier operating the Fatigue Management Pilot Programme on the Pacific Highway. Reg was also the founding chairman of regional carrier consortium, CDM Logistics and helped forge a business partnership with the Woods family to create Burkes Haulage.
Reg was joined in the business by his daughters, Tracey (1999) and Leonie (2001), providing him with the rare opportunity of working with 4 generations of his family.
His passion for a safe and professional transport industry saw Reg serve on state industry member associations at executive level for over 25 years before his retirement in 2015. One of the true gentlemen of the transport industry.