Australian trucking firm announces sudden closure
Don Watson Transport will wind up operations after 77 years of trucking, with an internal memo revealing bosses no longer believed the business to be viable. The family company had more than 300 staff operating 310 vehicles nationwide. The company covered an estimated 22million kilometres per year.
The company transported a large amounts of chilled and frozen meats and vegetables, conducting business with several large export meat processors in Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria. The group's 140 trucks and 170 refrigerated trucks will be sold off, according to Beef Central. The company operated depots in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, and Wodonga. It also held coldstore facilities in Sydney, Melbourne, and Wodonga.
G.H. 'Don' Watson founded the group in 1948 with the ex-army K Series Austin trucks. His trucks initially carried livestock between Melbourne, Dandenong and Ballarat. His son, Donald, then ascended to the role of managing director in 1973.
He died in his blue Holden Commodore in 1994 in his second flying lap at a practice for that year's Bathurst 1000 touring car race. His wife Noelene then took over the business and oversaw the company's redevelopment and expansion. Don Watson Transport took out Australia's Large Carrier of the Year award in 2021 for work done with the Woolworths Group.
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