The Livestock, Bulk and Rural Carriers Association (LBRCA) Young Driver of the Year Award for 2026 is 23-year-old Jack Cooke from Glen Innes in the New South Wales New England district.
Jack is a third-generation truck driver, employed by Stocktrans which has been operating since 1988 and is a part of the Joe Sepos group.
“I grew up around trucks all my life, and my father and my grandfather were both truck drivers,” Jack told Prime Mover.
Jack’s father, Steve Cooke, works as allocation manager at the Glen Innes Stocktrans depot.
Jack obtained his Heavy Combination (semi-trailer) licence when he was 20, progressing to his Multi Combination credentials a year later.
Since beginning working at Stocktrans, as the name suggests, Jack has specialised in transporting livestock, mostly cattle, at the wheel of a company Kenworth T909.
“I’ve always been around livestock trucks and every day can present a different challenge such as road closures,” Jack said.
“The animals themselves can be challenging some days, but as a driver you’ve just got to learn to be patient.
“I’m very passionate about what I do, and I get great support at home from my partner Olivia and from Mum and Dad”.
Proving that even truck drivers can be romantics, on the occasion of receiving the award at the LBRCA Gala Dinner, Jack proposed to Olivia and, of course, she accepted.
The Young Driver Award means a lot to Jack and along with the recognition of his peers and senior members of the livestock transport industry, he remains humble about his achievement.
“It was good to be nominated, but it was definitely a surprise to win,” Jack says. “I didn’t see that coming too much.”
The Young Driver Award includes an industry study tour valued at $7,000 enabling the winner to expand their professional development.
“We’re really proud of Jack,” Joe Sepos Snr. told Prime Mover.
“He’ll have a great career in this industry, and I expect he’ll be a future leader.”
Joe Sepos received Life Membership of the LBRCA in 2025.
In other news, read about XFM opening a new branch in Adelaide.
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