Morgan Simon
Inducted into the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame at Reunion 2010.
Morgan Simon was born in 1944. He became a fleet owner who wasn't afraid to do the odd trip and help in the yard. Over the years, between 1966 and 1992, he built up a large transport business.
Morgan became involved in the transport industry through his families' involvement in the timber industry. He has always owned his own vehicles. The linehaul fleet originally ran a predominantly Kenworth fleet and then moved to a predominantly Volvo fleet around 1990. It has had some Internationals, Mitsubishis and other makes such as Scania, and MAN have been trialled on linehaul. The local PUD fleet has been predominately UD for many years.
His favourite truck was perhaps the V12 Kenworth for the high 450 horsepower that it had. He didn't have a particular favourite make of truck but was particularly loyal to the support and service offered by Jack Hurley and the Brown and Hurley Group.
The business started carting electric light poles in northern NSW and south-east Qld. He then moved into general freight to Darwin after shipping strikes lead to the need to deliver the company's timber to customers in the NT.
Morgan is still today most fondly remembered as a managing director who would often drive into the depot dressed in a business suit to find his staff loading roadtrains and would immediately strip down to his singlet and white Y fronts to help the boys load and tarp down the load to get them on the road on time. Dressed in a similar manner he would do the same to assist the workshop staff even assisting with the changing of a gearbox on one occasion. He was always one of the boys with an adventurous spirit.
Simon National Carriers is a member of most state associations and also heavily involved in the ATA. When Morgan was managing director of Simons National Carriers he was an active member of the National Transport Federation and for a time sat on the board. Simons National Carriers is now being steered into the future by the second generation of Simons.